Tag Archives: fundraising

Feasibility Studies: Information is Power

Posted on May 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

A key element to successful fundraising is accurately judging how your efforts will be received by potential donors and your community at large. Your board, executive director and development director can make decisions about the amount of funds to be raised and how they should be used — but will people outside your organization or institution agree with their assessment? Will they give and encourage others to do so?

How can you get this crucial information? You may not know where to turn or what questions to ask.

The best way to answer these questions is to conduct a feasibility study or survey. Information is powerful–and one of the most useful tools an organization can employ is a survey or study to help design its fundraising strategy.

A feasibility study or survey is the process of interviewing key individuals who will provide you with the funding, resources, and influence that will assure the success of your fundraising efforts. It can also include interviews with those who may oppose your organization and its quest to raise money. The purpose of the interviews is to find out how your community responds to your proposed fundraising before you begin the process of asking people for money. In this way you can better shape your campaign and address any objections before they arise.

Both studies and surveys should include 12 to 45 interviews conducted in person when possible. The number of interviews is influenced by the amount of money you need to raise.

A study provides detailed analysis and statistics of the responses to each question, key findings, and suggested next steps. A survey typically includes key findings and suggested next steps. The main difference between the two is cost and time. A study takes more time and costs more money. Most institutions raising large sums of money require a study because the detailed analysis provides a higher level of due-diligence.

Whether a study or a survey the information obtained from the interviewees is not attributed to specific individuals, allowing them to speak more freely. This is important because sometimes it is hard for people who know us to tell us what we may most need to know.

Conducting a feasibility study or survey begins with providing interviewees a detailed document to read before their interview. This document outlines your organization’s mission, vision, successes, leadership, how much you want to raise, how the funds will be used, and the impact they will have.

The actual study or survey is usually conducted by an independent consultant. This is for several reasons:

1.    People will often tell a consultant things they are unwilling to say to the executive director or an individual associated with your organization.

2.    Most organizations don’t have staff or board members who know how to conduct a feasibility study or survey and analyze the results.

In next week’s blog post we’ll tell you what kinds of crucial information can be obtained from a feasibility study or survey. Stay tuned!

© Mel and Pearl Shaw 2010.

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Giving Begets Getting

Posted on April 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

Give first, then ask others...

Let’s start at the end: You can’t ask someone else to give until you have made your gift first.

Now, for how I got there. When considering how to secure funds for a non-profit organization or institution many people first think about “rich” people who could give such as Oprah, Bill Gates, or Bill Cosby. Still others think about securing government funds, ideally an “earmark” or special appropriation for a large project. Others recommend to start by hiring a grant writer to secure foundation grants.

Yes, these are all way for securing funds. However, they don’t start at the beginning, which is with you. If you are associated with a non-profit organization or institution as a board member, volunteer, employee, student, participant, patient, or client the giving has to start with you – whether it’s money, time — whatever.

Amazing, but true. If you – the people most closely involved with an organization or institution – don’t give, why should anyone else? If we don’t believe in ourselves, why should anyone else?

Here’s four reasons this is true:

  1. Your giving demonstrates your commitment. When you make a financial gift to an organization you are involved with you are communicating the value the organization has to you. You are signaling to others that a specific church, college, food bank, museum, hospital, youth program or advocacy group is important enough for you to give of your hard-earned money. That is really the bottom line. You are letting your money talk.
  2. Funders want to know the level of support that exists for an organization or institution. Funders such as foundations, corporations, and government agencies want to know the number of donors who give each year and the total value of their collective gifts. That’s people, not institutions. They also want to know that all board members give, and they often want to know how much they give, as well as the total amount of money they raise from others. If an organization’s own board members don’t give it, why should someone else?
  3. The size of your gift is also important. While very few of us are millionaires, we all know when we are making a gift that is significant given our current circumstances and obligations. When you make a gift that represents a meaningful contribution you can then ask others to do the same.
  4. Giving feels good. It just does. It feels good to give to things you believe in. And when you make a gift you know you are part of the solution. It makes it easier—and truer — to ask others to give because you have made your gift first.

That’s it for now! Until our next post, remember to have a FUNdraising Good Time! – Mel and Pearl

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Keeping Alive the Dream of a Better Life for San Francisco’s Bayview Seniors

Posted on April 13, 2010 | Leave a comment

Dr. George Davis

The San Francisco Bay Area lost an icon and hero last month when we lost Dr. George Davis. Dr. Davis was a true visionary, a community leader, renowned gerontologist, minister, soul food connoisseur, sports fanatic, and devoted husband.

First there are his many worldly accomplishments: He led San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Center for 32 years, and was ordained as an Associate Pastor at the neighborhood’s Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. He continued working, even after losing most of his sight to diabetes and fighting three types of cancer.

He received numerous awards and recognition for his 32 years of service, including awards from Senator Feinstein, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, and the National Council of Negro Women. He was the founder of the National Black Aging Network and was an associate faculty member at Stanford’s Geriatric Education center.

If you grew up in Oakland you might have met George Davis at Oakland’s McClymonds High School. Or maybe you played pool with him when he was known as Oakland Slim in the pool halls. Or, later after he had earned his Ph.D., he might have been your professor at San Francisco State University where he taught gerontology.

But one thing is certain: If you lived in the Bayview district you knew and loved Dr. Davis. Bayview-Hunter’s Point is a largely African American, underserved neighborhood on San Francisco’s southeastern edge. Dr. Davis got his start there as an intern at the local senior center. By 1978 he had became its executive director. He led it for 32 years, until his death on March 8th at the age of 68.

Today, the Senior Center offers recreational activities, free food distribution, and diverse social services. A separate adult health center provides health care to seniors that enable them to remain in their homes while receiving care at the center Monday through Friday. But Dr. Davis had much bigger plans for the area’s seniors—and that’s how we met him.

Six years ago Brenda Wright, a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank, asked us to help Dr. Davis and his wife Cathy create a strategy to raise funds for an “Aging Campus” in the Bayview. The first of its kind in the country, the Aging Campus is Dr. Davis and Cathy Davis’ innovative plan to provide housing and services for seniors in the area. We worked with Dr.  Davis and Cathy, and fell in love with them both. Dr. D, or “Doc”, as he was affectionately called, and his wife were an inseparable team.

He was a common man who never forgot his own humble roots in the projects of Richmond and Oakland. He was ‘old school;’ he was a man of his word. More than anything he taught us the importance of relationships, of humility, and patience. Even when he had major health struggles, he never let his personal challenges get him down. When the average person would have said, “no way can we do this,” Dr. Davis said “we can and we will!”

Dr. Davis was a steady champion for the rights and dignity of a demographic largely forgotten in our modern society: African American seniors. He fought to change the policies and economics that leave our elders neglected, isolated, and without services in their own community. He fought to ensure that those who had contributed to the growth of the City had a place to call home as they aged. He embraced Bayview — a neighborhood plagued with poverty, crime, and environmental pollutants from its former life as a naval shipyard – when few others did and sought to give it, and its residents, the dignity they deserve.

Dr. D’s vision for seniors includes high quality housing, healthcare services, and activities that promote physical and mental health. He wanted the needs of African American seniors to be the starting point for the design of buildings and services that would allow them to remain in the Bayview as they aged.

We believe in this vision and we believe in Dr. Davis. The man we loved and admired left us too soon. But he left us with an important mission to fulfill: the creation of the Aging Campus.

The idea of the Aging Campus has been endorsed by the local San Francisco Redevelopment Agency’s Project Area Committee (PAC) and is recommended as a key component of the area’s redevelopment plan.  Partnerships, coordination, and resources are required to make his vision a reality.  The time is now to take this dream and make it happen for the current and future seniors of Bayview Hunters Point.

We ask you to help realize this important vision and support dignity for seniors in the Bayview by making a gift to the Dr. George W. Davis Legacy Fund, c/o Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services (BHPMSS), 1706 Yosemite, S.F., CA  94124. Their website is: http://www.bhpmss.org/home.

Thanks to the Bayview Hunter’s Point Multipurpose Senior Services, Inc. for information used in this blog.

© Mel and Pearl Shaw 2010.

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Where’s the Money?

Posted on April 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

So often we are asked “how do I find people who want to support our organization?” There are many answers to the question. One way is to engage in donor research.  To cut through the mystery around “donor research” we talked with Kevin Burns recently and asked him some questions on your behalf.  Kevin is an experienced researcher who has worked in higher education and health care for over eight years.

Saad & Shaw: Why should an organization or institution consider donor research?

Kevin Burns: There are three main reasons. The first is to gain basic information about your current and prospective donors. This can include publicly available information such as privately held company information, memberships on other nonprofit boards, and contributions to political candidates.  A researcher can also help identify new prospective donors. Finally, the work of a researcher can help your team focus and prioritize their efforts so they focus their time and energy on those individuals or businesses with the greatest interest in your organization coupled with the financial capacity to make a meaningful gift.

Saad & Shaw: Where and how do you look for information?

Kevin Burns: Prospect researchers use a variety of tools, primarily databases, to locate, cross reference and verify publicly available information. All of the information gathered is publicly available information.  Prospect researchers do not use private information sources such as credit agency information or private investigation.  Researchers adhere to a code of ethics developed by The Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA). Sources include real estate assessment and sales databases, Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) documents, Federal Election Commission (FEC) documents and general news databases.

Saad & Shaw: What kind of research do you do?

Kevin Burns: There are three main types of research. Reactive research is when a researcher is asked to find an answer to a question or series of questions. Proactive research is when a researcher is asked to search for new prospects or to qualify the giving capacity of current donors. Both proactive and reactive research can include a wealth screen. The term wealth screen refers to having a third party screening company “score” or match your data to a collection of data sources that can include philanthropic gifts to other organizations, stock holdings and sales, and memberships on nonprofit boards or foundations. Screening is a great way to prioritize and segment your donor or prospect population.

Saad & Shaw: Are there other tasks a researcher can help with?

Kevin Burns: Most definitely. Other tasks include building a campaign pyramid that illustrates the number of prospective donors at specific levels needed to meet a fundraising goal, prospecting for specific funding needs, creating pipeline reports which show how individual prospective donors are responding to cultivation and solicitation activities, and tracking news at specific organizations of interest.

Saad & Shaw: Are there sources of information you can share with our readers?

Kevin Burns: Absolutely. Lexis Nexis is an indispensable tool. However, there is a fee associated with using it. Free sources include Google and Zillow (www.zillow.com) for information on property, county assessor websites such as www.acgov.org/assessor/  for Alameda County, or Guidestar (www.guidestar.org) for foundation research.

For more information on donor research you can contact Kevin directly at keviniburns@gmail.com.

© Mel and Pearl Shaw 2010.

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Cultivating Foundations

Posted on March 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

Patrick J. Heryford

Writing grants is a major source of revenue for many non-profits. However, writing the proposal is only one part of the process. We asked Patrick Heryford, the director of corporate and foundation relations for the YMCA of San Francisco to share his experience.

Saad & Shaw: You mentioned that there is so much more to grantsmanship than writing a proposal and sending it off to a funder. Would you share with our readers a little bit about what that “so much more” is?

Patrick Heryford: An accurate and well-written proposal is essential, however, building open and trusting relationships with funders is considerably more important. It is easier for a foundation to say “no” to an anonymous piece of paper than it is to a human being. By the time you submit a proposal, you should have already had conversations with foundation officers and you should have a good idea as to whether or not you will be funded. If you do not have existing relationships, attend industry events where you will have access to officers. In the Bay Area, Development Executives Roundtable (www.dersf.org) frequently hosts “Meet the Grantmaker” type panels, and the San Francisco Business Times hosts an annual Corporate Philanthropy Summit.

Saad & Shaw: What do you consider the top five things an organization should include as part of their stewardship of grantmakers?

Patrick Heryford:
1. Do Good Work: If you do good work that has a positive impact in the community, funders will recognize this and it will make your fundraising efforts much easier. And remember that foundation officers talk to one another. An officer who is well-versed on your mission could very well become your advocate with other funders.
2. Research Funders: Be sure you are applying to the right funder for the right program and not wasting the officer’s time (or yours). My favorite online research tool is the Foundation Center’s Online Directory (www.foundationcenter.org).
3. Meet Deadlines: Use whatever record-keeping system you need to ensure you meet application and reporting deadlines. For reports, if you can’t make a deadline, let the funder know well in advance. My experience has been that they will give you an extension provided you are up front with them.
4. Communicate: During the grant period, you must let the funder know of significant staffing or organizational changes, or any reallocations to the budget you presented with the proposal. Invite them to events connected with the funded program, and send them updates related to the program. If your proposal is declined, send a brief hand-written note to thank them for considering your request; it will help them remember you next time you apply.
5. Check In With Your Program Staff: Schedule regular meetings with the people who are running the program at your organization. Are they making progress toward the goals and objectives? Are they using the funds for the appropriate items? Better to keep tabs on this during the grant period than at the end when a report is due.

Saad & Shaw: Any last words of advice?

Patrick Heryford: Some may think that due to the struggling economy and foundations’ reduced assets, a nonprofit should scale back their stewardship. The opposite is true. Now is the time to ramp up your stewardship program. When was the last time you communicated with past funders? You need to stay on their minds so that when the economy turns around, they will know you and your organization’s mission.

Patrick Heryford can be reached at pheryford@ymcasf.org.

© Mel and Pearl Shaw 2010.

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Be a better board member in 2010

Posted on February 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

Do you remember your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you recall the one about being a better board member? We want to encourage you to stick with your resolution. We want to encourage you to strengthen your commitment to the organizations and institutionsyou believe in.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of criticizing staff, pointing the finger at others, and blaming the economy. But here is why we believe in FUNdraising – it has to be fun. If you are focused on what’s not working, take a moment to focus on how you can be part of the solution. And think about what you find to be fun.

Here are three suggestions for you to consider as you contemplate how to be a better board member in 2010.

  1. What do you like to do? Go to basketball games? The movies? Cook? Figure out a way to invite people you know to join you in doing something you love. AND, ask them to give $25 at the same time to your organization. If you ask 10 people to come to your house for dinner and ask them to bring a $25 check for the food bank, you will have raised $250 doing something you love – cooking and entertaining.
  2. Think about a friend who shares your belief in the organization you serve. Ask them if they would be willing to serve with you on a specific committee. Your friend or colleague doesn’t have to join the board. She can simply become a member of the governance committee, giving of her legal skills. Or he can join the annual gala committee with you and work on promoting and selling tickets.
  3. Look at your finances and figure out what size gift you can give in 2010. Divide that by 12. Can you give that amount each month? Can you give more? If so, do so. Consider automating your monthly contribution. Have a preset amount automatically deducted from your checking account or charged to your credit card each month. That way you don’t have to think about. And, it is easier to give $25 each month than it is to give $250 at one time. Once you get in the swing, consider increasing the amount. And think about how much you can ask your friends to give. Tell them what you are doing and ask them to do the same. Automating your giving can take the “pain” out of writing a check.

And remember – you are giving to something you believe in. It’s got to be good! That’s it. Not too difficult. But you will be making a difference.

As always, remember to have a FUNdraising Good Time! – Mel and Pearl

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Haiti relief: how to make your gift

Posted on January 18, 2010 | 1 comment

Haiti Relief

What can be more important than making a gift to help relieve pain and suffering in Haiti? Where could your dollars make a more direct, immediate impact than giving to bring water, food, blankets, and medical supplies and services into Haiti.

 We urge you to give. To give now. And to give a month from now and six months from now. The question is who should I give my money to?

 There are many options ranging from the Red Cross to your local church or community based effort. Evaluating how to make your gift is important. Because your money is valuable.

Ask yourself:

  1. Does the organization have experience giving to international disaster relief? If no, ask why are they collecting money for Haiti. (see below)
  2. Does the organization have the expertise and relationships to ensure that aid actually gets into Haiti?
  3. Does the organization have people on the ground in Haiti who can help ensure that short-term and long-term relief and rebuilding efforts affect those in need?
  4. Is the organization large enough to handle a major influx of financial contributions?

 While giving is of utmost importance you should also know that in-person and on-line fraud does occur in the wake of disasters and that people are taken advantage of. To help prevent being a victim of fraud do not give cash. Write a check or use your debit or credit card. Make sure the organization is a recognized charity. Make sure you know how the organization will use your money. Get a receipt that lists the organization’s tax identification number.  Check out www.give.org a website of the Better Business Bureau if you have questions about how to make your gift.

 Disasters are also a time when well meaning people and organizations appeal to others for disaster assistance when they really don’t have the ability to directly impact the lives of those who are suffering.

 Yes, organizations without direct experience in Haiti or without experience in disaster relief may turn around and use your gift as part of a larger gift to an organization such as UNICEF or the Red Cross, but you don’t know that for sure. This is a good time for organizations to increase their revenue while “passing through” money to larger organizations. There is certainly no problem with giving a $100 check made out to the Red Cross to your church or a local community based effort. There may be a problem giving $100 to such an organization for Haitian relief. If you give this way, make sure that they are aligned with a larger organization that knows how to get needed people and resources into Haiti.

 Your care and concern for others is so important. Together we are making a difference. As we write this column $16 million has been given to major charities by text messaging alone often in amounts of $5 and $10. American businesses have given over $43 million. The NFL gave $2 million.  We as a country are giving $100 million via USAID. Your gift makes a difference.

That’s it for now. And as always, remember to have a FUNdraising Good Time! You can make a difference.

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Fundraising for Haiti – what you need to know

Posted on January 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

Clinton and Bush Raising Funds for Haiti

Disasters are a time when we come together to support each other as human beings. Plain and simple. It’s not about politics. It’s not about religion. It’s about people. Saving lives. Food. Medical care. Clean water. A place to sleep. Everyone is getting involved. President Obama has allocated $100 million via  USAID. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush are busy fundraising. And so are many others.

Disasters are also a time when Americans give generously as a country and as individuals, families, and local communities. We give and we fundraise. We also need to be paying attention to how we give, who we give to, and how we fundraise.

Here are some links you can check out for more information.

Advice on Giving to Haiti Support – guidance from the Better Business Bureau regarding how to make your gift to support Haiti.

Good Intentions Are Not Enough – learn the Do’s and Don’ts of Diaster Giving

Text and Give – how to give via text messaging. Includes a list of 21 different organizations you can give to via a text message. $16 million have been given via text messages as we write this blog!

Giving to the Red Cross – links for how to direct your giving

Updates on Giving to Haiti – stay up-to-date with information about giving and fundraising for Haiti. Information provided by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

That’s it for now. And as always, remember to have a FUNdraising Good Time! You can make a difference.

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Take a page from the pros….

Posted on January 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

Hillary Clinton - International Fundraiser

How do you make the “case” for your organization, institution or project? Do you seek to raise funds from people you personally know? Do you call on others who can extend their influence on your behalf? Do you rely on how you will use the funds raised as way to motivate giving? Or do you promote the impact those funds will make?

 Secretary of state Hillary Clinton helped raise $54 million in just nine months for the United States national pavilion at the 2010 world’s fair in Shanghai China. She was legally prohibited from personally solicit gifts and no public money could be used for the project. While attending is not currently in our plans, we want to share with you what we have learned about how she worked her miracles.

  1.  She engaged two experienced fundraisers with whom she has strong relationships: Elizabeth Bagley and Jose Villarreal
  2. She kicked off the project with a conference call with ten of the nation’s top CEOs. According to the New York Times Chevron, PepsiCo and General Electric each pledged $5million. 
  3. PepsiCo’s CEO made calls to other CEOs
  4. Bagley and Villarreal reached out to companies with operations in China
  5. The initial pitch was patriotism “How can the US be one of only two countries without a presence at the world’s fair in Shanghai?”
  6. The second pitch was “commercial diplomacy.” In other words, helping to fund the US pavilion will help open doors for future business.
  7. While Mrs. Clinton did not solicit gifts, she did meet with sponsors when she visited the actual site.

 While those with the connections of Hillary or Bill Clinton are few and far between, we want to call your attention to the process she used. Here it is for the rest of us:

  1. Engage people you know who are committed to your personal and professional success and who have relationships and connections with other people who can help you achieve your fundraising goal
  2. Solicit the biggest gifts first. Identify those you believe can give the largest gifts and talk with them first. Learn how they respond to your project. Address their questions or objections. Ask for their financial support and their involvement with your fundraising effort.
  3. Ask your early donors to ask others to make a comparable gift to your campaign
  4. Identify who will benefit when you reach your fundraising goal. For example, if you want to build a new youth center, consider asking businesses in the immediate area to make a gift. When the youth center is completed more young people and families will be frequenting the area bringing with them the potential for increased sales.
  5. Review how you position your fundraising campaign. Do people respond more to “raising funds for scholarships” or to “funding our future leaders?”
  6. Embrace your funders and donors. Give them the red carpet treatment at all times. Their financial support helps you meet your goals.

 And remember to keep having a FUNdraising Good Time!

© 2010 – Mel and Pearl Shaw

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It’s all about leadership

Posted on October 7, 2009 | Leave a comment
Dr. Ennix Coyness

Dr. Coyness Ennix

Do you hire staff to raise money for your organization or are staff members responsible for identifying and motivating volunteers who have the passion and connections to secure the money you need?

We believe it is volunteers who are responsible for raising funds for non-profit organizations. The Alameda County Health Care Foundation’s current campaign to raise $2.6 million for an angiography suite for Highland Hospital is a great example of volunteer leadership.

Working together the foundation’s executive director and the CEO of Alameda County Medical Center are engaging individuals from across Oakland to help raise the last $750,000 needed by the campaign. Cherlyn Spencer, the executive director, and Wright Lassiter III, the CEO have recruited an impressive group of Oakland’s finest to help ensure that all Oakland residents have access to state-of-the-art life-saving equipment that helps patients suffering from trauma and those who have heart conditions or vascular problems.

Volunteer leaders reported on their fundraising activities this past week with a reception at the new Lake Chalet Bar and Grill Restaurant. The costs of the reception were paid for by a foundation board member as a way of demonstrating support and reducing fundraising costs. At the meeting the chairs of the campaign’s divisions shared their plans and activities. Participating were Paul Gallagher, a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo, who reported on the work of the major gifts division and the foundation’s board of directors; Dr. Coyness  Ennix from the medical center who reported on the medical community’s participation; Reverend David Kiteley of Shiloh Christian Fellowship and International Ministries and Father James Matthews of St. Benedict Parish who are engaging the faith community; and Tony Lynch of Alta Alliance Bank and Anthony Thompson, Vice President of Bank of Alameda who are co-chairing the corporate and business division.

These volunteers will be supported by foundation staff who are providing campaign information materials as well as suggestions and strategies to help volunteer leaders meet their fundraising goal. Staff also secured a matching grant of $1 million. This provides motivation for giving as each $1 donated will result in $2 for the campaign. More importantly all funds raised will help ensure that anyone suffering chest pains – regardless of their health insurance status – can have access to the equipment that makes a difference between full recovery and long-term disability, and even between life and death.

To get involved or make a contribution call (510) 437-8366 or visit www.achcf.org.

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