A Fund Raiser's Newsyletter : August 1996

A FUND RAISER'S NEWSYLETTER A periodic bulletin featuring fund raising, management, and board information. August 1996

Feeling blue about fundraising letters? Blue is the most popular color in the world, followed by red, green, violet, orange, and yellow. Culture is not a factor, but older people prefer the shorter wavelengths. Babies like the longer wavelengths: yellow, pink, and red.

Is your process for developing a fund-raising plan good enough? Ask yourself:

Who needs to be involved in developing the plan to ensure maximum ownership and effectiveness?
How will you monitor progress and evaluate performance?
How have you secured charitable contributions in the past? What was effective? What did not work?
What are the current 'realities' you need to cope with? (Consider changes in your client base, program, local economy, volunteer and staff capacity, and other factors.)
What are your financial goals?
What are your strategic goals?
What action steps are needed to accomplish your goals?
What are the keys to successful solicitation?
How will you build interest and involvement on the part of donors and prospective donors?
How will you prepare volunteers?
What support materials do you need?
What are the roles of staff and volunteers?
What is your timetable?
How will your donors be recognized?
Do your plans fit with your budget, values, the Donor Bill of Rights, and the National Society of Fund Raising Executives Code of Ethical Principles/Standards of Professional Practice?

[Source: Joyaux Associates, 10 Johnson Road, Foster, RI 02825; (401) 397-2534; fax (401) 397-6793.]

How does your board compare? Most boards lack diversity: 86% of board members are white; just 9% are African-American; 3% are Latino; and 1.5% are Asian-American.

Also:

the median number of not-for-profit board members is 17
the median number of not-for-profit board meetings per year is 9
92% of organizations have defined terms of office for board members; 71% have three-year terms; 22% have two-year terms

[Source: "A Snapshot of America's Nonprofit Boards", survey of the National Center for Nonprofit Boards. Copies of the report are $14 from NCNB, Suite 510, 2000 L St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036-4907; (202) 452-6262; fax (202) 452-6299.]

Your organization can advocate and educate. But you cannot oppose or support political candidates. According to the IRS, not-for-profit organizations cannot:

endores a candidate for elective office directly or indirectly
provide financial or other support (volunteers, mailing lists, etc.) to candidates
distribute or display campaign literature on their premises
organize, establish, or support a political action committee

Talk about issues, not individual candidates or parties. Conduct unbiased voter registration, voter education activities, and candidate forums and debates.

[Source: Oliver Thomas, "MARK-UP", newsletter of the National Council of Churches, April 1996; NCCC, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002; (202) 544-2350. Reprinted by ERC Newsbriefs, May 31, 1996.]

Don't know who to ask for donations? Develop a donor prospect list. Remember:

Everyone is a potential donor if they are properly motivated and informed.
Your local library is your research partner: look for publications from the Foundation Center, the Taft Group, Cole, and other philanthropy publishers.
For individual prospects, look within your organization first.
Don't forget your vendors.
Look to your community for more prospects.
Use special events to gather more names for your prospect list.
Use your newsletter as a prospect-development tool.
Be careful with rented lists; don't rely on a single list for fund raising.

[Source: Bill J. Harrison, Director of Fund Development, Blood Systems, 6210 E. Oak St., P. O. Box 1867, Scottsdale, AZ 85252-1867, (602) 946-4201. Reported in Non-Profit Nuts & Bolts, February 1996.]

Keep tabs on your political leaders. Marlowe & Co., a government-relations consulting firm, features a "Citizen's Cyber-Guide to Washington" on its World-Wide Web site. A "Cyber Soap Box" lets you send e-mail to the President, members of Congress, and federal agencies. Visitors also can cast votes on hot topics affecting not-for-profit organizations. Marlowe & Co.'s Web address is http://www.cais.net/marlowe.

Translate fund-raising ideas into action: create an annual development plan. Develop concensus among staff and your board. Once approved, use the plan to develop staff work plans. Your annual development plan should include:

strategic and financial goals
identification of target markets
cultivation strategies
solicitation strategies
roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteers
acknowledgement and recognition systems
a timetable for implementation
process for monitoring progress and evaluating performance

[Source: Joyaux Associates, 10 Johnson Road, Foster, RI 02825; (401) 397-2534; fax (401) 397-6793.]

Companies see benefits in charitable giving. 93% of companies say they give to improve customer relations. 89% seek to improve their image and reputation. Just 50% expect donations to improve sales.

To order a copy of the report, "Cone/Roper II: A Study of Executive Attitudes Towards Cause-Related Marketing", contact Patricia Hurley at Cone Communications, 90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114; (617) 227-2111, ext. 29. A companion report, "Cone/Roper Benchmark Surve of Consumer Awareness and Attitudes Towards Cause-Related Marketing", also is available.

[Source: "Companies Say They Give to Lift Image", The Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 16, 1996; (800) 347-6969.]

Volunteering helps executives get ahead. Executives who volunteer at not-for-profit groups often are promoted more quickly. Volunteering tells the boss that the executive has a balanced life. It also shows a caring instinct that management appreciates.

[Source: "Fortune: Volunteer Services and Corporate Executives", The Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 21, 1996; (800) 347-6969.

Ask young people for donations. Almost 2/3s of young people say they donate to disability-related groups -- their favorite charity. Also popular with 18- to 30-year-olds: environmental groups.

But be careful. Young donors are skeptical about charities. To be effective, demonstrate need. Try using an online bulletin board, video, newsletter, financial reports or informative (non-soliciting) phone call.

[Source: "The Heart of the Donor: A Lifestage Analysis", Direct Marketing Association, Inc.; (212) 768-7277. Reported in Substance Abuse Funding News, May 14, 1996.

Ask other charities for grants. Some charities have more money to give away than foundations. More than 300 public charities have made grants totaling $265 million in the last few years.

For more information, consult the National Directory of Grantmaking Public Charities, available for $95 plus shipping and handling from the Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003; (800) 424-9836.

[Source: ERC Newsbriefs, February 29, 1996; 1843 Kalorama Road, N.W. P. O. Box 21385, Washington, DC 20009-0885; (202) 328-9517.]

Need support for an anti-poverty campaign? Ask women. Women care more about poverty than men. Feelings run especially high among non-college-educated women. Women also are less concerned about their own economic circumstances than about the economic situation facing others. Special areas of concern: poor children, senior citizens, and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor.

[Source: Notes from Emily, March 1996; Emily's List, 805 15th St., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 326-1400; fax (202) 326-1415.

Find out what your community needs. Gather community information. Evaluate needs. Set goals. Establish partnerships.

More information is available in "Charting a Course: Assessing a Community's Strengths and Needs," available for $4 prepaid from the Child and Family Policy Center, 218 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1021, Des Moines, IA 50309-4006.

[Source: ERC Newsbriefs, May 31, 1996; 1843 Kalorama Road, N.W., P.O. Box 21385, Washington, DC 20009-0885; (202) 328-9517.

Use modern technology: Allow donors to give via automatic electronic fund transfers. 18% of Americans pay their bills by computer, electronic bank transfers, or other electronic means. Donors give more when they have the choice of paying electronically. Not-for-profits save postage and other expenses.

[Source: "American Fund Raisers Are Said to Ignore Technology and Demographics", , April 4, 1996.]

Internet/World Wide Web Addresses...

Fund-raising information is flourishing on the World Wide Web. More organizations, foundations, and consultants launch Web sites daily. Here are a few worth exploring:

The National Society of Fund-Raising Executives: http://www.indepsec.org

Non-Profit Times: http://haven.ios.com/~nptimes

Planned Giving Today: http://www.creativezone.com/wow/pgt

Charity Village: http://www.charityvillage.com/cyhome.html

Non-Profit Resource Center: http://www.mtn.org/nonprofit.html

Prospect Research Page: http://weber.u.washington.edu/%Edlamb/research.html

National Charities Information Bureau: http://www.give.org

[Source: The National Society of Fund Raising Executives, 1101 King St., Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22314-2967, (800) 666-3863; fax (703) 684-0540.]

More Information...

Child Abuse and Neglect: A Look at the States. Provides a quick reference to statistical data on vulnerable children and their families. Includes new data from recent Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) surveys as well as national and state sources. Available for $26.95 prepaid from CWLA, c/o CSSC, P. O. Box 7816, 300 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, NJ 08818-7816, (800) 407-6273 or (908) 225-1900; fax (908) 417-0482.

The Nonprofit Board's Guide to Bylaws: Creating a Framework for Effective Governance. Booklet includes advice from attorneys on when, how and why to revise bylaws; pros and cons of common bylaw provisions; and the role bylaws play in effective governance. Available for $14 prepaid plus $3.50 shipping and handling from the National Center for Nonprofit Baords, 2000 L St., N.W., Suite 510-B, Washington, DC 20036-4907; (800) 883-6262 or (202) 452-6262; fax (202) 452-6299.

The Legal Answer Book for Nonprofit Organizations. Contains 350 of the most frequently-asked questions on not-for-profit management. Subjects addressed include fund-raising regulation, disclosure, and reporting requirements, fiduciary responsibility and coping with IRS audits. Available for $75 plus $4.50 shipping and handling (or $75 plus $2.50 prepaid) from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10157-0228; (800) 879-4539; fax (212) 850-6135.

Lending a Hand: A Congregation's Guide to Community Investing. Booklet shows how to make a difference in communities through targeted investments and banking relationships. Includes information on financial institutions that create affordable housing, jobs, and other community opportunities. Available for $12 prepaid plus $4.50 shipping and handling from the National Council for Urban Economic Development, Publications Department, 1730 K St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006; (202) 223-4735.

The Complete Book of Model Fund-Raising Letters. Includes 350 sample and model fund-raising letters that can be used as-is or adapted to individual needs. Features special appeals, renewal, lapsed donor, foundation request, corporate request and acknowledgement letters. Available for $39.95 plus shipping and handling from Prentice Hall, Order Processing Department, P. O. Box 10871, Des Moines, IA 50381-0871.

Professional Literature Available from Joyaux Associates...

What is Fund Development? Descriptions of tasks ... skills and knowledge needed ... salaries ... failures ... and hints for success. Excerpted from "Giving RI : 1992 Charitable Giving in RI". $10 prepaid. Joyaux Associates, 10 Johnson Road, Foster, RI 02825; (401) 397-2534; fax (401) 397-6793.

Gift Management Systems and Information Needs for Fund Development. Manual with sample fund-raising reports, donor gift histories, and a description of information necessary to make your fund-raising decisions. $25 prepaid. Joyaux Associates, 10 Johnson Road, Foster, RI 02825; (401) 397-2534; fax (401) 397-6793.

How You Can Enable Your Volunteers. Description of functions and skills to help your volunteers fund raise and govern. $10 prepaid. Joyaux Associates, 10 Johnson Road, Foster, RI 02825; (401) 397-2534; fax (401) 397-6793.

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