September 2007 E-bulletin

FEATURE ARTICLE
Getting the Money - The Skinny on Going Big
RELATED RESOURCES
Finding Prospects and Donor Stewardship
TIPS & TOOLS
Where to find Prospects
SPECIAL EVENTS
Student Recruitment Fairs in Brandon & Winnipeg
Funders Forum: Register Now
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
Recipients of the Premier's Community Groups Volunteer Service Awards (2007)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Volunteer Management Certificate Program - reformatted & revitalized
International Day of Older Persons
Harrassment in the Workplace - Resources
Volunteer Management Resource Center - new website

FEATURE ARTICLE

Getting the Money - The Skinny on Going Big

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer (Breast Cancer fundraising walk axed, Winnipeg Free Press, August 10) has been cancelled. Part of the reason was not to overwhelm the community and staff with such a huge event. Golf tournaments, car raffles, gala dinners. All these events have been implemented to raise money while entertaining the donors. I wonder if our desire to "put the FUN back in fundraising" has led to inefficient fundraising activities that are relatively more enjoyable but have a poor rate of return.

Large event-based fundraising activities are time consuming both for the volunteers and the donors - the one thing nobody seems to have enough of. The greatest advantage these events have is the amount of publicity that they raise and they should not be abandoned. However, they should be balanced with other fundraising activities that have a high return on investment so that you don't end up with burned out volunteers and donors.

As I was researching for this topic, I found the message was the same over and over. When looking for large donations, it's not how many people you reach, it's reaching the "right" people. The "fun" fundraisers are excellent at reaching a lot of people and are great as a marketing tool. However, if your organization is ready to start asking for significant donations, it's time to start reaching the right people who have the resources to meet your needs.

When evaluating the cost of fundraising, the two least expensive ways to raise large sums of money are grants and donations.

To pursue these types of funds, you will be required to present your proposal to foundations, government representatives, corporations and private donors, either in writing, in person, or both. Do you have the skills to write proposals that clearly communicate your project and creates excitement for the reader? Does your proposal meet both your needs and the needs of the potential donor? Before your start creating your proposal, make sure you understand the audience that will read or hear it.

Another requirement is establishing a relationship with these potential donors so that they are interested in meeting with you and eventually commit to supporting your project. This is where your Board Members will be useful since they will have a network of people that they can introduce you to and they will already have a sense of whether they will have the resources available. (Meet different potential funders at our annual Funders Forum. To read more...)

A third requirement is ensuring an ongoing relationship so that these donors become long-term. It's much easier to maintain a relationship than to build a new one and remember that the goal is to raise money with less investment. It is recommended that your volunteers make contact with prospective donors; the peer approach to requesting donations is proven to be the most effective.

The importance of relationship building cannot be stressed enough when it comes to seeking larger donations and grants. It's not flashy and exciting but the return on investment is well worth it.

To learn more about proposal writing see our workshop Effective Proposal Writing
To learn more about engaging prospective donors see our workshop Donor Engagement Strategies

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RELATED RESOURCES

Finding Prospects and Donor Stewardship

Here is a list of resources we have in our resource library:

The Fund-Raising Game (Video) - Learn to plan fund raising, attract new donors, approach corporations, and more. 8 30-minute sessions on various fund-raising topics.

Growing From Good to Great: Positioning Your Fund-raising Efforts For BIG Gains - addresses the different needs, wants, agendas and views of the different generations and how to adjust your fund-raising approaches to these different demographics.

The Relentlessly Practical Guide to Raising Serious Money - Outlines steps to raising money, covering every important facet of fundraising: major gifts, leadership, personal soliciation, gift clubs, writing grant proposals, planned giving, and more.

Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last - This is a book about the process of organizational development that allows for effective engagement of loyal supporters and the securement of charitable gifts.

Thanks!: A Guide To Donor-Centred Fundraising - Paints a clear picture of how donors want to be recognized, and defines donor-centred fundraising as the essential methodology for keeping donors long term.

To borrow any of these resources, contact Jody, our Resource Coordinator, 477-5180 ext. 223 or email vmresource@mts.net

Here are a list of websites:

Face to Face - How to get bigger donations from very generous people. This short book (available on-line) outlines the process to identifying and acquiring major gifts.

www.guidestar.org - Understanding the Motivations of Major Donors - an article about donor stewardship based on mutual respect to ensure continued motivation by the donor to be involved.

www.ceffect.com - A PDF guide and worksheet entitled "Finding Donors: Community Mapping and the Prospect Worksheet". Practical and ready to use.

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TIPS & TOOLS

Where to Find Prospects

The book "Face to Face" has recommendations to identify good prospects for donations. Here are some excerpts:

There is a big and dangerous delusion about major donor campaigns that the campaigns should begin by finding a really wealthy person (even though that person may never have heard of your group before, much less donated to you).

Quite the contrary. The secret of success is to begin with those most familiar with your group, those who have already demonstrated their commitment. Then slowly widen the circle of contacts.

Start with the people you know best. Your major gift prospects are, in order or priority:
1. Board members, current and past.
2. Largest current and past donors: largest single donations, largest total cumulative donations, then most frequent small donations.
3. Volunteers and staff, current and past.
4. Participants and, in some cases, their families.
5. Contacts of board members and volunteers.
6. Strangers - people selected on the basis of research: people known to be generous to other nonprofits and people who display interest in your area.
7. Least likely: wealthy people with no known interest in your work and no record of philanthropy.

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Student Recruitment Fairs in Brandon & Winnipeg

Volunteer Manitoba has scheduled 6 Student Recruitment Fairs to allow non-profit organizations the opportunity to recruit student volunteers. Non-profit organizations can also raise the awareness of the resources that both the organization and the voluntary sector as a whole offer to the community.

Fairs will be held in Brandon and Winnipeg. For dates, table rental information, and locations contact Del, (204) 477-5180, Toll-free 1-888-922-4545, or visit our website...

Funders Forum

Friday, September 14, 2007
Canad Inn Polo Park
8:30am - 1:00pm

Registration Forms now available. Click here to download the PDF file.

This year's Forum will allow for more interaction between the presenters and the audience with a formal question and answer period plus networking sessions. We have six (6) different funding agencies speaking about their funding program with all three levels of government represented as well as a corporate funder.

Start the morning with Getty Stewart "The Proposal Writing Lady". Getty will share the fundamental principles you need to know to save time, reduce frustration and get more funding. Learn more about key decision makers and how they select winning proposals. This keynote will leave you eager to write your next proposal.

To download the registration form click here...

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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

Recipients of the Premier's Community Groups Volunteer Service Awards (2007)

The following outstanding youth volunteers were this year's recipients of the Premier's Youth Volunteer Service Awards:

Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba Volunteers - Winnipeg
Nominated by: Betty Vallejo, Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba

The 450 compassionate volunteers at Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba provide care, comfort and bereavement support to individuals coping with a terminal illness and family members grieving the loss of a loved one. Integral members of the Hospice interdisciplinary team, these volunteers are the heart of the organization as they provide open ears and open hearts to listen to their client’s stories, anxieties, fears, hopes and memories. The volunteers are also very active throughout the year with other events and fundraising activities and despite dealing with emotional challenging situations, these exceptional volunteers give themselves wholeheartedly to their clients and are an inspiration to everyone they meet.

Winnipeg Folk Festival - 30 Year Volunteers - Winnipeg
Nominated by: Cheryl Sluis, Manager, Volunteer Resources & Strategic Initiatives, Winnipeg Folk Festival

Since 1974, the annual July pilgrimage to the Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill Park has been a tradition for more than one million attendees, musicians and artists. 12 volunteers were recognized for reaching an inspiring level of devotion to the festival – volunteering for at least 30 years of the 33 possible festivals and a minimum of 16 to 20 hours each year. These 12 volunteers epitomize the definition of community and bonded by their common interest in folk music, they have helped to build the tradition and legacy of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

South Interlake Recreation Centre - Phase 1 Committee - Warren
Nominated by: Rural Municipality of Woodlands

After years of planning for a new multi-purpose recreation complex, the group of assiduous and devoted community champions from the South Interlake Recreation Centre (SIRC) Phase One Committee successfully implemented the first phase of the plan in only 18 months – a new $2.8 million facility for the entire community to enjoy. The SIRC Phase One Committee demonstrated tremendous leadership qualities and a vision for the future, each devoting countless hours planning, organizing and fundraising to ensure the project was a success. Thanks to their forward thinking and planning, there is a renewed sense of community pride as not only does the facility house numerous sports teams from the surrounding municipalities, but the building also serves tourists arriving on the Prairie Dog Central train.

For more stories of the 2007 Volunteer Awards recipients...

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