Fundraising and the Nonprofit Board Member: Notes from a Practitioner

Development in all its elements is essentially a board function. Governance is the board's responsibility, and fundraising, which is critical to sustainability, is part of governance. Accordingly, nonprofit board members are responsible for fundraising, while staff members are responsible for management and operations.                                                               

Nonprofit board members:

• If not you, who? The board is responsible for attracting resources to ensure the financial viability of the organization and its programs.
• About 5.5% of charitable giving goes to arts organizations. This means that self-funding is paramount in your strategy.
• 75% of donations to nonprofits come from individual donors.
• Your board should be comprised of individuals who can "give or get"!
• When you present your case for support, always explain what the community needs and how your organization fills that need.
• Constantly build your database: Add friends, fellow club and church members, community leaders, event attendees, etc.
• The more donors and potential donors are familiar with you, the more they are inclined to give. So make sure your organization stays top of mind with your target audience.
• Make sure every member has an elevator pitch. Why you support makes a compelling statement to others about why they should, too.
• THANK, RECOGNIZE, and CULTIVATE DONORS; it's an ongoing process.

If your organization does not have a resource development committee to focus efforts and motivate other board members, establish one. Every member must be actively involved. They should identify prospects, identify relationships, assist in cultivation, write thank-you notes, and write personal notes on solicitation letters. The committee can have non-board members who understand and support the mission. 

Staff can support development but should not be asked to assume major responsibility for it.

Remember, there is no magic. Why do people give? Because they are asked.

To learn more, contact Bonny Anderson at (302) 530-6806 or banderso1066@earthlink.net, or visit us at www.macintyreassociates.com.

Why do some charities get more donations than others?

Do you wonder why some charities get more donations than others? Take a look at their marketing. Here's an intriguing article by The New York Times. At MacIntyre Associates, we can help develop a strategic marketing plan for your nonprofit.   To learn more, contact Bonny Anderson at (302) 530-6806 or banderso1066@earthlink.net, or visit us at www.macintyreassociates.com.

Client Spotlight

                                

Central Baptist Community 

Development Corporation

Our client, Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, along with other nonprofits, is participating in United Way's Do More 24 Delaware™ campaign. Through focused online giving on June 1, 2017, Do More 24 Delaware provides the opportunity for you to make a difference in our local community.

Central Baptist CDC is part of the East Side Rising Project in Wilmington. They're committed to lifting the residents through better housing, access to urban gardens, job training, and job placement. Please check them out! You can also donate to Central Baptist CDC on June 1st--we hope you will.

Seven Steps to a Successful Fundraising Campaign

Wonderful day at FSCAA putt putt tournament. Great fun and we loved being a hole sponsor.

Don't ask about our team score! Thanks Peggy Strine, Bernice Edwards and everyone for a perfect day.

When your organization is launching a fundraising campaign, there are certain steps that can make it successful. Whether your financial goal is large or small, or you are planning an annual appeal or a capital campaign, these seven steps can serve as a template to guide your efforts. 

1. Have clear fundraising goals. 
2. Write direct and focused material explaining your need. 
3. Develop a gift range chart customized to your campaign. 
4. Make a list of potential donors at each giving level.
5. Personally contact your best prospects early in the campaign. 
6. Ask for major gifts in person. 
7. Follow up regularly with your donors.

These steps are simple...but they work. 

At MacIntyre Associates, we can help you develop these steps as they apply to your fundraising needs. To learn more, contact Bonny Anderson at (302) 530-6806 or banderso1066@earthlink.net, or visit us at www.macintyreassociates.com.

Client Spotlight

Compass Regional Hospice

Recently we have been asked to manage the current capital campaign for this wonderful and necessary service organization. For those not familiar with Maryland's Eastern Shore, Compass is headquartered in Centreville, Maryland and provides care to families in Kent, Queen Anne and Caroline counties. The reason I feature them this month is because their board is totally engaged and has a deep and profound understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

Compass has an innovative Hope and Healing Center. This center provides grief support to those surviving the death of a loved one. It is open to persons coping with grief whose loved one was under hospice care as well as members of the community who have experienced the death of a family member or friend from suicide, accident or unexpected causes. It is a premiere resource for restoring hope and healthy functioning. Very impressive, creative and much needed.

Their underlying care and commitment to individuals needing a hospice presence remains their essential mission. Whether in a bed in a Compass facility or in the patient's home Compass provides high standards of care, excellent staff and continuous training and a history of excellence since 1985.

We are so pleased to be associated with Compass. Some years ago MacIntyre Associates managed a capital campaign for the Queen Anne's Hospice, the previous name that was changed when the services expanded. Our founder Richard MacIntyre was part of the team then and we aim to live up to his standards.

The Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

Spring comes to Warwick

Do your board members understand the critical role they play in your nonprofit organization? We have found that in the board recruitment process a reality check is sometimes needed on performance expectations. Here are a few we think are a place to begin the discussion. You may have others. The important thing is to communicate the responsibilities that will strengthen a potential member's service. Too often a new board member becomes discouraged or even resigns. Keep this in mind as you recruit. Happy board members make for a strong sense of purpose and involvement.

1.  Determine the organization's mission and purpose. It is the board's responsibility to create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization's goals, means, and primary constituents served.

2.   Select the executive director. Boards must reach consensus on the executive director's responsibilities and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the position.

3.   Provide proper financial oversight. The board must assist in developing the annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.

4.   Ensure adequate resources. The board must provide the resources necessary for the organization to sustain itself to fulfill its mission. 

5.   Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability. The board is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms. Know what they are!

6.   Ensure effective organizational planning. Boards must actively participate in the overall planning process, and they must help implement and monitor the plan's goals.

7.   Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance. All boards must articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate its own performance. We can't say this often enough.

8.   Enhance the organization's public standing. The board should clearly articulate the organization's mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and garner community support.

For more information on board development and support for your nonprofit organization, please call us at (302) 530-6806 or visit us at www.macintyreassociates.com. We look forward to working with you.

Steps to Successful Development, Part II

Louis D. Brandeis

Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, 1916 - 1939

 "We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."

Last month, we shared numerous fundraising strategies, from planning to mobilizing your resources. This month, let us look at additional strategies to help you make the most of your development efforts:

1.       Publicize. Announce all your fundraising activities, events, and annual appeals. Explain the goal, the need, and how to donate or get involved. Be sure to name the leadership. Use media, personal letters, newsletters, etc. to reach as many people as possible.

2. Raise. Assign each event and giving program a start and end date. Keep an up-to-date, accurate database.
3. Report. Provide regular updates to plot success and challenges as they arise. Make sure donors are aware of the importance of their gifts. If a fundraiser is a community event, quickly get the results to the local media for publication no later than 10 days after the event.
4. Evaluate. Analyze why a goal was met or why it was not. Over time, you will learn what about your mission is most important to the community and donors and what needs careful thought and revision.
5. Celebrate. Even if an accomplishment is small, everyone involved should share in it. People like participating in success and will stay with you. From thank-you letters to parties, celebrate every success you have.
6. Maintain. Keep in touch with donors and event participants. Use newsletters, annual reports, a speaker’s bureau, and other avenues to gain continued support and expand your volunteer and donor base.

For more information and support in implementing your development strategies, please call us at (302) 530-6806 or visit us at www.macintyreassociates.com  We look forward to working with you.