FundClass Archives:

Melissa

How do you secure funding, donations, and gifts from entities that already give annual to their chosen charities, such as Child-Find, Salvation Army, the big name diseases :)?

Don

If I had a 100% guaranteed correct answer for your question, I'd have written a best selling book and would be working the television talk-show circuit by now. But, I'll take a stab at it anyway. All of our organizations face the challenge of how to make our nonprofit stand out among the many worthy causes in our communities. That appears to be the essence of your question. Again, I believe it comes back to "relationships."

Friend Raising must come before Fund Raising. Here are just a few things that might assist, if you haven't already tried them. And if you HAVE already tried them....keep doing them with different folks.

1. Schedule tours of your station and use this time to highlight the various advantages of your station and why supporting your station would be of benefit to the donor. (Remember...focus on what's in it for them)
2. Grade school field trips often come with parent chaperones....who are sometimes attached to businesses who may contribute. Maybe setting up regular field trips is an option.
3. Host a "Chamber of Commerce" breakfast or Business Card Exchange at your station. This may attract a significant number of business owners and managers to your facility to hear why your organization deserves their support. (Soft Sell in this environment, collect their biz cards and make follow-up appointments at a later date). How many chambers are in your area?
4. Join as many chambers as you can afford. Join as many service organizations as you can afford. (Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.)

Use all of the above to develop relationships upon which you can draw and find a way to regularly follow up and keep them "warm." Each contact from you should not be an appeal or they'll run screaming at the sound of your name!

Our organization hosts monthly receptions for volunteers/donors etc. We charge a small fee at the door BUT.....those folks who bring two new business associates with them get in for FREE!! That permits us to begin a new relationship with about 10-15 new business folks each month. More on these monthly receptions later. Now...go...think...dial....relate. <grin>

Caroline

Is branding for a small non-profit important when competing in the same pool as the large organizations. Does anyone have a quick overview or guideline on branding for non-profits?

Nollind

"Fund Raising and Marketing in the One-Person Shop" by Henley & Hodiak that has a good introduction to building your case for support (p 48) and PR/Marketing as a place to start. Fundraising Fundamentals is also a good resource.

Mark

Branding as a small non-profit can be a preferable position since you can be more responsive to the customer's (donors) needs, give greater sense of ownership, and you can guarantee more of a direct result to the donor's dollars.

Larry

A new van, please sir...
What's my game plan?

In about two weeks time, I have a 30 minute meeting with the plant manager of a major motor vehicle company in our area. About 5 years ago, they gave my organization a new van on a permanent loan. That was before my time here and the relationship has gone cold. Very little contact, new staff in my organization and new staff at the plant. But both sides remember that it happened.

So the transmission went out on the van and we called them up to see if they would help fix it. We ended up talking to the plant manager's office and they said, "well there's one of the old models knocking around the plant -- maybe you can have it. Come on over and talk about it".

So what's my game plan? I've got some ideas but what does the class think.

Pam

My fundraising experience is limited as I've only been with VON for just over a year and only 50% of my time is involved in fundraising, the other 50% is as support to the Board of Directors and the Executive Director. Do you have a recognition level policy, including recognition for gifts-in-kind?

I would suggest doing my research well before the meeting, and perhaps offering to put their company name and logo on the van indicating them as the sponsor.

Don't know what your organization does but perhaps you could offer some sort of service back to them in return for the GIK of the van.

Don

Sounds like your first meeting is ripe with opportunity. The mere fact that they acknowledge their former and significant assistance, coupled with the fact that someone suggested that you benefit from their "old model" sounds as if things are moving in your direction.

You may wish to be sure how the decision process works and try to be sure that you are engaged with some folks who are in a position to make decisions or at the very least, guide a decision. Then simply state your need and ask if they would "be able to help in some way."

You're already in the groove!! You have warm and interested listeners.

Marshall

Can someone provide me with some information on maintaining corporate relationships? Specific ideas or approaches would be beneficial, thanks.

Don

Maybe if you hang with this class for the next few weeks, you'll pick up some information that you may find useful.

Art

I have been the Director of Development for a small non-profit for only 3 months and find that I have a more extensive network of connections than all but 1 or 2 of my Board members. I have been told that I should NEVER use my own personal connections to solicit rather only those connections and introductions that are provided by the Board Members. Do you subscribe to this position or should I be calling my own connections?

Don

I am a firm believer in "relationships". Indeed, the crux of selling your organization to a corporation is to develop a relationship. If you already have an existing relationship, whether it is a friend or relative, pursue it in the form of a question. Ask how best to approach the "decision maker" and go from there.

Melissa

Because media and the music industry can be quite compatible, I have been able to use all of my contacts quite frequently. Everyone from musicians to record reps to managers to distributors to local businesses (successful events   happy potential consumers/clients, tourism, etc.) to other radio stations to all media. Since promotions are a big part of the success of my fundraising, I use them all. I not only ask for money but for free product and services.

Uwe

I'm following the FundClass since several month and now I Have one question. I'm writing you from Germany. I'm sorry for my English. Sometimes it is hard to find the right words. First I will introduce myself.

I'm working for a counseling agency for NGOs in Cologne/Germany. Fundraising is becoming more and more a daily topic here in Germany. I learned about Fundraising in my first stay in NYC in fall 1999. Now I have enough practice to earn my money in Germany with it...

And here is the question:
We're doing a feasibility study about the possibilities about longtime relationships between an international NGO for aid to developing countries and companies. Does someone have experience with it? Is there a big interest on the corporate site to support those NGOs? Is it a topic for them? I know there will be differences between USA and Germany. But I think I could get an idea about how to manage these questions.

Kim

We have been talking about mutual benefits and how companies can benefit from non-profits as well.

American Sign Language of Montreal is a non-profit educational organization and we are trying to find a sponsor for our ASL resource library. However, all ASL videos are made in the U.S. So in the U.S we need $7,000, plus shipping and handling. However here in Canada with the exchange rate it is almost double that. Should we find a sponsor in the U.S or in Canada? I am finding it hard finding companies that are willing to even listen to us. Here in Quebec the companies prefer to support French non-profit organizations and charities. Being associated with English we are put on the back burner. Any thoughts.... Quebec or U.S Companies?

Pam

Recognition, recognition, recognition!

Something nice in the way of a painting or sculpture they can display in their offices.

If your campaign involves a new building - name a bench, room, floor, landscape area etc. after the organization.

If your organization is service-based, offer their employees something.

Just my ideas for whatever they're worth.

Don

Good philosophy! What sort of recognition might be appropriate for an organization that donates $2500 toward the general operation of a family-counseling center? We have no buildings to name. Besides the usual "plaque", or "plaques", what else can we do to recognize this partnership?

Tracy

Another form of recognition could be an on-site sign thanking that company for their contribution. Our organization also does an annual newsletter that focuses on our partnerships with corporations. If you give information out to clients you could include some sort of flyer type thing recognizing that company as well.

Pat

Mention their gift in meetings and at events; mention in any printed reports or publications; thank you lunch with the Executive Director or President; invite their input on different issues of your agency; send a thank you from one of your clients; etc.

Tom

1. Good vibrations about your company's charitable participation in the local community.
2. Publicity - often in multiple media venues (i.e. thank you ads, news coverage, event banners, on T-shirts, word-of-mouth, etc.)
3. Your project could be a company morale booster - makes employees feel good about themselves and their company for helping a "good cause".
4. Fulfills federal/state requirements for community reinvestment (financial institutions)
5. Great opportunity for their exec's to network with other exec's - had a golf tournament like that for a while.

Your part of the process is to make sure you keep your good reputation because if you don't the company's going to regret they ever got involved with you!

Don

Tom...great ideas!! Keep em' coming!

Mark

Any sense of ownership that the sponsor actually made a concrete difference works well.

Christine

Our non-profit is putting together a list of recognition opportunities we can offer funders (most often corporations). We are attempting to group them into tiers to reflect what kinds of recognition are perceived as most valuable. I'm interested to hear how valuable web-based recognition is thought to be . . . banners, links, logos, etc. What does the group think?

Kaarsten

I am also interested in web based recognition. It seems links are advertising to the IRS. How do you all handle your on-line recognition w/o crossing the UBI tax line? Do you do banner ads? Do you do Links? Do you just accept that it is advertising and report the UBI?

Tom

I usually tie recognition on a website to a specific fund-raising event if I can. You have to figure the donation against the fair market value of what the sponsor gets in return anyway. You just fold the web link FMV into it when you receipt the donation. The value of that link on your website is probably infinitesimal unless you have a really BIG event and you're doing on-line registration or unless the public heavily accesses your site for information & referral sources or not. Just have some way to track "hits" on your website if you're going to put up sponsor links. No more than you're likely to get at an NPO's website, you shouldn't have to charge them more than a buck or two for putting a "link" on your website.

If your website is mostly informational and you don't have many hits, you probably can deduct a very tiny amount for any links you put on it and not run afoul of the Feds. I try to put a FMV for that stuff into my receipt I hand to special event sponsors. They can then deduct the part of their contribution that is above FMV. Below the contribution amount is where I put the stuff about how they "did not receive goods or services in exchange..".

There are probably thousands of people out there going, "What, I never do that!" They've been giving receipts for full donations to their annual charity auction and putting up all sorts of advertising and not counting it against the donation as fair market value.

The IRS frowns on that and, even though it complicates the process, I receipt separately on the same receipt for the donation part and the FMV of the sponsorship. For instance, if a golfer buys a player spot for $100 and I pay $35 to the club for him, I receipt $65 for a donation and $35 for playing golf. Goody bags are hard to track for value and probably get overlooked by most of us. I doubt the IRS is gonna bother you about some peanuts, post-it note pads, pencils and a T-shirt, but you never know with those rascals.

Arthur

I am the Development Director for a small non-profit and our 4th annual golf tournament is coming up on April 30. Historically we have had a core of 3-4 $5000 donors but no much beyond that. Today I landed the Big Kahuna: $25,000 per year for 3 years as the Major Sponsor. We will name the tournament for the donor's company. Ideally I could now approach the donor's vendors as additional sponsors however they would be wholesale suppliers who don't need any visibility, and I have no access to them. My question is: Is it advisable to approach the higher end retail outlets that carry the donor's products for their support, and if so, what is the best angle or approach to take?

Don

Congratulations on landing the "Big Kahuna." My thought is that approaching the retail outlets is another opportunity which should not be missed. How willing would your "Big Kahuna" be to assisting your efforts by making a few influential phone calls to their retailers?

On those occasions when I have made similar connections with major sponsors, I have had much success in asking the major sponsor to assist by meeting with their "downstream" retailers or connections. Remember, the downstream folks want to keep their suppliers happy! Good Luck!!

Chuck

I have been asked by a friend on a small rural hospital Board that is considering hiring a fund raiser: "Is there a method of minimizing loss in the event a retained or hired fund raiser does not perform to expected level or terminates service before reaching projected goals?"

This fund raiser would be responsible for grant writing, annual appeal, membership, etc.

For some reason this question has me baffled. Does anyone have a suggested way to respond?

Art

You should have an Employment Agreement that spells out your expectations in terms of amount of funds, restricted or unrestricted and the time frame. You should also consider a 6-month probation period. In terms of misrepresentation by the fundraiser you should have D & O coverage for Sure!

Don

Our organization recently targeted the CEO of a 2.8 Billion Dollar multinational corporation for a seat on our Board of Directors. In addition to the credibility that this individual and corporation can add to our small, regional, organization...the Board Seat also comes with a fiscal expectation.

I thought that the events leading up to this individual's acceptance of this Board Seat, and the "corporate partnership" that will evolve with our organization might demonstrate how our organization considers and acts upon these relationships.

As we considered which corporate partners to pursue and our ability to successfully attract and retain them...our sites fell upon this particular organization. Their CEO had recently arrived from oversees with much press fanfare. Through a previous relationship, we had an entrance into middle management and used this relationship to host a "welcome to Florida" party for the new CEO. The party was attended by the appropriate folks, many of whom were already our supporters. While it was a social event, the new CEO heard about our organization more than once. (Not an accident)

A follow up visit to his office was made where I presented him with literature about our organization. Conversation followed and another invitation was extended to see and tour our facility. He responded by sending some VP level folks to visit with me for about half a day. I clearly knew that we were being "scouted". I offered tours and lunch and sent them away convinced that our organization was exactly the type of organization with whom their company and CEO would like to associate.

Within a few days, another invitation to have dinner with myself and our Chair was accepted. It was at this dinner that the official invitation to serve on our Board was extended and accepted. I am now meeting with his senior executive staff to structure such things as fiscal involvement, Public Relations, press releases, future event sponsorships, and naming opportunities. We are structuring the visibility and recognition to honor the wishes of the corporation.

This is the third time that our small organization has managed to land a senior executive with a major corporation for a Board Seat. Our Board is now a blended mix of horsepower and will power.

Another way to encourage corporate participation is to continually work to upgrade your Board of Directors.

Don

The principles involved with attracting and maintaining corporate partners remain unchanged, regardless of the size of the partner. Whether it is your goal to attract a small, medium or mega-sized corporation, remember to structure your strategy so that the corporation will receive the type of recognition that "they" want. Dr. Tony Pedaris describes this concept as the "Platinum Rule." He makes the case that it is always better to "Do unto others as they wish to be done unto," as opposed to "Doing to others as you would have them do unto you." A significant difference! For some corporations, one type of recognition may be appealing and to another corporation, something else may be more appealing and yet, to another, maybe no recognition is desired.

Have a great weekend and we'll begin next week discussing the various ways to include the "arms and legs" of partners into what we all do. I'm off to the local Wal-Mart to pick up a box of donated items from their damaged stock. While I'm there, I'll see the store manager and then go back to the stock room and spend a few minutes making sure that everyone back there understands the importance of this donation to our organization.

Don

We have discussed several benefits of a corporate relationship; the importance of recognizing corporate partners and several ways that we may attract partners. Up to this point, our focus has been mainly on capturing revenue. Certainly, while this is an important benefit to having a corporate partner, there are other benefits.

One of the benefits is in the opportunities to utilize their staff in a "hands on" way. A recent example of this, at our organization, occurred this past Saturday.

Our computer network needed attention and one of our corporate sponsors offered to assist by sending over one of their top level, in-house MIS guys. He spent several hours working on our system and will return to finish the task this week.

At the same time I was working with the computer guy, one of my staff members was working with a CPA who was also "on loan" from a large accounting firm to assist with some complex finance issues.

What other opportunities or benefits may be derived from using the "arms and legs" of our corporate partners?

What ways exist to attract new volunteers to your organization with the hope of also attracting their business as a sponsor?

Mary

I am a one-person shop in a small struggling new independent school that is trying to get by on modest tuition income. I get the concepts regarding business support, but I'm not sure associating with our scrappy outfit is seen as a good thing by local businesses. We do offer an incredibly wonderful and unique education that people with vision get very excited about. Any advice? My one plan for corporate support is to approach our lending institution to fund a marketing budget. Our budget is too tight to luxuries like marketing, yet marketing (enrollment) is key to our success. I figure they could see value in this kind of donation.

Mark

Mary, I am in a similar situation. My bible is "fundraising for dummies" some good guidelines.

Corporate support for a marketing budget is a little unusual in my experience. Getting emotional board donors to your little school would seem to be the best. Your smallness, underdog position could be your strength.

Matthew

Could you tell us more about the school, what makes it different, who the students tend to be, age, programs offered till what age?

My experience is that marketing is often done best by word of mouth, those are the people who cognate and stick around. Lots else cost money but don't always give return. There are not particularly shortcuts to this process.

Some community events and or a dinner on part of the school, open house kind of thing helps.

As well, you might look at who in the business community, for whatever reasons, likes your school concepts.

Don

It seems as if a couple of others agree with what I'm about to offer. Although your post didn't offer any hints as to what you would do with the borrowed money for marketing, my experience is that borrowing hard cash is really not the thing to do. If you intended to use the money to develop printed pieces, perhaps you should seek the contribution of this printing. If graphic design work is also needed, solicit the contribution of this as well. Invite likely prospects of donated services for a tour of your facility and attempt to engage them in what you are doing. Once engaged, they will be more likely to contribute the printing and graphic work. While you may not be successful on your first efforts, the concept is solid and I would encourage you to pursue it. At some point, you may also wish to consider having a video produced. Finding sponsors to support this effort may also be something to consider.

It is difficult, to encourage participation with an organization that is young and perhaps not properly positioned. I would encourage you to begin to work on such things as Board Development right away. Just one Board Member who believes in what you do....and who is properly "connected" to the community can begin a chain reaction with incredibly positive results.

Utilizing the principle of "Potential for Mass Effect", consider all of the things that you have the ability to do to promote your organization. If your list contains such things as the production of printed material, conducting tours and open houses, publishing a news letter and improving the quality of your Board Members....my vote would be to focus on attracting a highly visible Board Member. Explain that you are working to improve the quality of your organization through an active Board Recruitment process. Offer to them that they are being asked to serve on your Board to "be a catalyst for change" and that they will be in a unique position to make a significant difference.

Once recruited, announce the good news with a huge press release and media infusion. Then use the enhanced credibility to attract the next, and the next.

When compared with all of the other things that small organizations can do to market themselves in a competitive environment, (yes...we do compete), attracting and retaining strong and visible community leaders to our Boards, in my opinion, is the one thing that has the most "potential for mass effect."

Larry

I like the concepts expressed in the "Guerrilla Marketing" series. Books probably available from the library -- and that's the kind of thing they would suggest -- go to the library before you buy the book.

It's aimed a small businesses but concepts much the same for small NPO's. Holds for marketing in search of corporate support as well.

See http://www.gmarketing.com/ for lots of free info.

Mark

Also "Fundraising for Dummies" is great. I have had lots of training courses in fundraising. Sometimes too much info. This book sums it up clearly & simply. A great tool.

Mary

Thanks for your suggestions. Most are already being pursued, although the board is at a stage in development where there is some kicking and screaming about personal giving, and adding influential people. One member refused to make a donation this year, but then last year he influenced a woman to donate a piece of property to the school, which rescued us from financial disaster. Because of board resistance to fundraising, I'm making thank-you calls to donors. This year a donor is paying for a board development consultant to come in and work with our board.

Our high school is called a "democratic learning community" and is structured to involve the students in all aspects of running the school. They serve on committees (not board committees) for credit: Community Council, Admissions, Enrollment, Curriculum, Computer, etc. Four students serve on the Board. Students truly decide issues concerning them. The school operates more like a college with an open campus, no bells, and students and staff on first-name basis. Seniors must do an in-depth project based on an essential question. This combats the senior boredom that is so common and gives students the opportunity to do some serious self-directed work. It's a model school. We've been in existence for only 3.5 years and still run up against a lot of unfounded skepticism. In fact our students are having an incredible experience. The fundraising base broadened this year, although I think people give us smaller amounts than their other charities because we're kind of a scrappy outfit. People are forever driving in unannounced in pick-up trucks with discarded items they wish to donate to the school.

My idea was not to go to our lending institution (with whom we have a loan for $375,000) not for another loan but for a donation specifically for higher quality publicity materials. We are already doing the open houses, etc.

I find it hard to entice high-profile people into working grassroots kind of boards. What we have done is put together a strong advisory board.

I will pass on suggestions about board-building to our new Board Development Committee.

Don

I thought I'd offer one way that some of you may choose to use to begin a program that could provide your organization with a rich resource of corporate partners. Boy, that sure sounded like the opening statement for television some infomercial! But...let's get beyond that!

As part of our original business plan, we recognized the need for strong local business support. For the first three years of our organization, we survived on only contributions. No grants, contracts of sugar daddies. Not that we were opposed to any of those...we just weren't successful in landing them, at least, not back then! So we had to quickly learn to be successful.

So...the plan was to position our organization as a "conduit" through which businesses could network with other businesses. After considering several options, we settled on hosting monthly networking receptions.

For our first reception, I asked all of my Board members and all of the friends and acquaintances that held middle management or upper management positions to attend a cocktail reception. I asked each of them to bring two business associates with them. I told them that we were hosting a networking reception, which would permit them to meet many management level folks with a variety of businesses in our community. I really didn't even mention that they might also learn a little about our organization.

We secured a local restaurant/bar which was an upscale location and promised them that we would bring about 50 high powered biz execs into their location. I offered that they might appreciate the opportunity to "show off" their establishment to these folks with the opportunity of securing additional patrons. And....they would surely pick up some dinner business that evening as well. All they had to do was to provide each guest with two drinks (at no cost) and lay out some of their best munchies. I also promised some great pre and post press releases with photos of the event. I also mentioned our "cause"...but only briefly. They were, of course, politely interested in the fact that we served abused children, but they were REALLY interested in learning how this function could benefit their bottom line.

That first function was about three years ago and as I recall, we had about 35 folks in attendance. The following function had over 60 folks at a different location.

As a result of these ongoing monthly receptions, our data base now contains some 3500 corporate members of Professionals for Children's Harbor. The group now has it's own volunteer leadership and generates revenue for our organization in a number of ways. But more important than the revenue is the ability to now call upon practically every type of business in the community for some assistance.

We have our monthly function this evening and should have over 100 in attendance. All business folks, connected to a variety of businesses and all wanting to have their name associated with "doing good" in the community. We have also recently started another chapter on the opposite end of the county.

What other methods have you used, or can you think of to begin the process of developing corporate partners? How do we all get that first corporate contact?

Kaarsten

I have an opportunity to meet with a local businessman and his wife and talk to him about our program. We asked him to support us and he asked for a formal meeting to discuss it. I have hundreds of questions about what to cover in our meeting but for now lets just deal with one. Where should we meet? They suggested lunch; do we go to a fancy club with a private room or a modest place to show we use our money well? Both are options. His support would open doors to other companies!

Don

Is there someplace that might be considered "middle ground?" Interestingly enough, presenting an image of poverty isn't always the best encouragement for sponsors to become involved. Nor is demonstrating an inclination toward heavy spending. My guess is that they are more interested in what you have to say than where you say it.

Good luck with your meeting.

Katie

I can see where your scenario works for a larger community, but what about those of us in rural settings? Our local business people do get together monthly at various functions and any new 'warm bodies' get invited immediately to network with them. It seems at this point we all know each other and have a pretty good idea of the size of each other's bank accounts. What we are running up against is that the same people seem to be asked by every charity for the same dollars. Even after forming prospect committees to identify potential new donors, the familiar names still end up on the list, to the point of burning out.

So, now we are reaching outside the community looking for donors, plus working hard to educate a new generation on the various ways of becoming a philanthropist. How would you go about pulling in a younger group of potential donors who are becoming quite successful, but have yet to learn about the wonderful benefits of philanthropy? Any ideas on encouraging that targeted segment of our community to set up an annual charitable budget? Will guilt and flattery work?

Maria

I also live in a rural area, in a little town in Morelos state, Mexico. Yes, we have very few potential donors, mostly because we are surrounded by poverty.

Six months ago we started a civil organization called Unidos por Tepoztlan (United for Tepoztlan). Everybody is invited to participate in cultural, educational, health, environmental or public safety projects. We are trying to support projects and organizations already working in the community. We are not inventing anything, just helping the groups that already exist. So we are uniting efforts.

I've been asking help for corporations many years ago, but always for big projects that were easy to sell to the businessmen. Now, our bet is that they would be more interested in an entire community movement than in little and single projects. My job is to ask support for the community, not for a specific organization (of course we present ourselves as an organization). I think this is like the work done by the community foundations. That way you have something more attractive for the outside corporations. At least that is what we are testing by now.

Maybe we can share more ideas, if you want you can contact me outside the class.

Liz

I had a meeting yesterday with the local arts council, discussing the same thing. A lot of individual artists and smaller arts organizations have a hard time raising money from the foundations, so we are going to set up a fund that would raise money that these smaller groups could apply for. We will set up some sort of representative committee to screen the applications.

Don

Cannibalizing one's donor base can occur even in larger communities. While I admit that we have a larger sea upon which to cast our net, even then, the same 6-8 large donors seem to be the ones who are always called upon by the community.

Prior to moving to Ft. Lauderdale, I was the director of a similar organization in a small rural town in Central Florida. The town was so small that all the children in the Christmas pageant had to play two or three parts.

Raising money from this small community was truly a challenge. We peaked out with little practical hope of significantly increasing the number of donors.

I struggled with the same circumstance you described and my solution was to travel outside the city limits. Fortunately for us, we served children from all of south Florida so my marketing strategy hinged upon that one fact. It took a little time but we were successful. I even conducted weekend bus excursions from the "big city" to our facility where our potential donors could see where their dollars would be going.

This isn't an easy situation to live with. Hopefully, others can assist. HELP!

Arthur

I don't know if we're really on this subject since it's not corp. donors, but if we are, great! But Help! We have a "Next Gen" group that has a core of 7-8 people who are hard workers and committed but are NOT the kind of dynamic "happening" people that attract others. What is the best way to bring in a whole new group?

Don

At the risk of sounding like Ann Landers....the answer may be so easy and obvious that you may be overlooking it. When I see and individually whom I believe could be an asset to our organization as a potential Board Member....or volunteer, I simply set a time to speak with them and ask for their help. Be prepared for the "I'm too busy" argument. We're all too busy. Persevere! One of my most recent Board Member acquisitions told me NO three times. On my fourth attempt, I told her that she would have to help me write the letter to all the kids who were suffering explaining why she couldn't help. She now chairs our Capital Campaign and has raised almost one million dollars.

Laura

We had sort of the opposite situation in our organization. There was a group similar to the one you describe made up of young professionals (more up and comers than movers and shakers) who got together to network and raise funds for the Cancer Society. They reached a point where their relationship with the Cancer Society was no longer satisfactory and they went looking for a more local group to support. The President of our Board of Directors knew someone in the organization and invited them to come to some of our functions. We have had a fabulous relationship ever since.

The Young Professionals Against Cancer hold monthly mixers and annual fundraising events and give us the proceeds. They provide volunteers for our activities. They provide in-kind donations, and I can think of at least four different corporate grants off the top of my head that came from YPAC contacts.

I'm not saying that you should find a similar professional group and steal them away from their current charity of choice. I'm just saying that Don is right, this type of group can be an enormous support, especially for a small all volunteer organization like ours. YPAC has raised about half of our annual budget for the last 3 years and provided us with many valuable contacts and resources.

Cheryl

How can I translate what you've written about corporate support on a local level to the national level?

I am a board member for a very small budget, but national charity (the Canadian Down Syndrome Society). We have member groups in each of the provinces and territories, but the ties are very loose.

What can we do to pump up our corporate support? Should we focus on partnering with our local groups, and have them do the "leg work" (like the cocktail receptions) for us? Generally speaking, when our local parent support groups raise money, it's their money. Occasionally, they will pass some money on to us, but it is not a requirement (and it doesn't happen very often - it's not like they're flush with money, either).

ANY ideas are very welcome - we do not (as of yet, I'm still trying to convince the rest of the board) have a professional fundraiser on staff.

Kim

I am not sure where you are located. However I am a Developmental Service Worker and my sister has Down Syndrome. I have a couple ideas for you:

1. Many colleges and universities have students who will be entering the field. IF your organization holds workshops for those students then instead of charging them for the workshop, they can bring someone who has their own business or names of people who are working in the corporate world who have children with other disabilities. (Corporate sponsors can see how you are improving and education the public)
2. Extend your audience to social workers, speech therapist, etc. Hold special events just for them. Everyone knows at least one person who works for a business.
3. You can combine efforts with the Heart and Stroke Foundation too. Pick related organizations.

That's it for my suggestions. Hope you can get some ideas.

Don

Good question! This is one question that I hope will generate some help from the class. My first thought is to take advantage of whatever relationship you have with local offices and ask for their help in moving your cause up the National Ladder.

Others?? Please Chime in!!

Gary

In terms of other methods for corporate partners, I've sometimes focused on opportunities to help them network through our organization. Just as having their company name associated with doing good, I think the opportunity to interact with each other can be equally valued.

Pam

What kinds of corporate or individual donor recognition events can a non-profit organization, with an extremely tight budget hold, that are nice, but don't cost an arm and a leg to put on?

Don

Last night's reception for about 100 folks cost us nothing and we actually took home about $1500. The guests each paid $15 for admission...and the restaurant "hosted" the event for our organization. It does take a little "schmoozing" with local hot spots to encourage them to "host" such an event, (see previous post) but it's not all that tough to accomplish.

In return for the $15, the guests enjoyed a couple of beverages of their choice and some great munchies while also networking with some of the areas top business folks. And all a "tax deductible" contribution to a Very Worthwhile cause.

Cheryl

Thanks for the ideas. How old is your sister?

My son, Patrick, learned a fair bit of sign language as a toddler, as a bridge while his expressive language was catching up to his receptive language. It certainly reduced the frustration he (and we) was/were experiencing - especially when he learned the sign for "more", "cookie" and "french-fries"!

The biggest problem we (at the CDSS) are having is that, as a national organization that does not have an established, national annual campaign, is that the task is so big. We do not have a fundraiser on staff (although I am working to change that! I think it is essential if CDSS is to survive, let alone thrive like I think it can) and our Executive Director and two staff persons are overworked as it is, with providing our services and finding the bits of funding that we do have.

All fundraising (with the exception of grant-making and project-specific funding) is being done in Calgary, where our office is located. We do a (very) small direct mail campaign.

Is it possible to run a national campaign without a staff member dedicated solely to fundraising?

Don? Kim? Anyone?

Don

Sounds like a challenge but...possible. I guess it all depends on how much work all others are doing.

Don

Let's take a day or two and go through an exercise.

Presumption: You are the recently hired Director of a small nonprofit in a mid-size town. You recognize the need to begin to solicit the assistance of corporate partners in your organization. Up to the point you were hired, there has been little effort expended at including business support as part of the annual budget of your organization. Your Board of Directors, (9 local and lightweight business leaders with a warm and fuzzy feeling about your cause) has asked you to come up with a plan to expand your "reach" into the corporate/business community.

Question: What are the first 4 things you would do to begin the process of attracting business support. You may make other presumptions as necessary. (I trust you'll all be reasonable) Try to keep in mind the principle of "Potential for Mass Effect."

Mary

I would get a list of businesses in town, perhaps from the C of C, and have my board annotate the list. Even though my board members are lightweight business owners, they probably know others who are up the ladder.

Looking at these relationships, I would use the names in two ways: one is to strategize a first-tier approach to the businesses and secondly to watch for any larger business owners who could be brought on the board.

I guess that's only three steps. I'm simply applying principles of individual fundraising. Perhaps that thinking is too simple.

Don

Good Start!! Let's keep going!

Darla

I'm new to this class and this is my first time on board so I hope I don't make too many blunders.

1. Identify potential business to approach with a member of the board, they should know other business leaders in the community.
2. Develop a case statement, or a packet to show the prospective business supporters. You want a current picture of who your agency is, what they do, who they serve (mission statement) and then the human and emotional side of the agency with success stories, testimonials, photos and anything that would make the business want to support the good work you do. Finally, provide different levels of giving opportunities with dollar amounts and what the gift will give the business supporting you (what's in it for them).
3. Review your strategic plan that hopefully was prepared prior to your arrival. If no strategic plan exists, then work with the board to come up with a brief statement of where you want to go in the next 1-3-5 years.
4. Work with your board to solicit their support in your efforts. Since fundraising is about people and not causes then you need all the "people power" you can get since you are new to the agency and town.

These ideas may be too broad so I'm anxious to hear what others have to say.

Don

Darla...Welcome and thanks for your input. Blunders aren't possible in this group. Oh...wait. There was that one time that someone suggested that snow was preferable to endless sunshine.

Don

Hi Guys,

It's me....your Paradise-Bound Class Facilitator. This is just a reminder. We have a class exercise underway. The original premise was to put yourself in the position of new Director of a small agency in a small town. Your weak, but warm and fuzzy 9 person Board has indicated that you should go forth and make miracles happen within the corporate community, thereby generating a perpetual stream of money for the agency. (Of course in MY dream...I simply win the lottery and donate a goodly sum to the agency.)

The challenge to each of you is to come up with the four things that you would first do (utilizing the principle of "potential for mass effect") to begin to attract corporate interest in your organization.

Your organization is the ever popular "Save-a Snail" group. No doubt a misguided, but passionate offshoot of one of the many "green organizations" of the late 60s. Your mission is to help educate the world on the importance of snails and garden slugs in the world ecosystem. But....you need help...bigtime! Your cross town rival is the local nonprofit chapter of "Escargot Aficionados, Chapter #2," and they have the backing of many French restaurants as well as the dairies who produce all that butter....and the garlic farmers!! You must do something...and quick!! There are snails dying out there!!!!

Now's the time for action. Take your best shot. What are the first four things that you would do to begin to attract corporate sponsors?

Eve

My name is Eve and I too am new to all of this, so here goes.

First, I would arm myself with materials (scientific data- impressive but not overwhelming) extolling the benefits of the snail and garden slug.

Second, I would get the local business list from the local C of C and recruit the most charismatic board member to go with me and convince 5 successful and influential businessman that they needed to be on our new committee to raise funds and local awareness of this cause.

Third, To serve on this "prestigious" committee, the businessman must agree to directly fund or help raise a predetermined amount of money. These five committee members will have their name on a plaque in some prominent place acknowledging they were the first members of this group. I have now set myself up to rotate committee members and next year I can have a fundraising event acknowledging the first five committee members, unveil the plaque and announce new committee members. I also have set myself up for an annual fundraising event.

Fourth, take a vacation.

Don

Good Job, Eve! Clearly a workable plan. The snails may just stand a chance!

Can we presume that your vacation would bring you to Paradise?

Mary

I think Eve missed a step -- to win over the Escargot crowd by introducing them to imitation (soy) snails spiked with Viagra.

The Save-the-Snail Society, at least is the only one of its kind in town.

My organization (small independent school) is one of those green 60s things, except it was founded in 1997 by an aging hippie, and we are overshadowed by a well-established school a half mile away that courts prospective students with calculators and has long-established relationships with just about every business in the area.

Don

I like your soy snail...Viagra idea! Not that I need...uh...soy in my diet!!

How fortunate for you that you are unique in your area. How fortunate for those members of your Board and for those businesses that have the opportunity to support your school to be "breaking new ground" ...."to be catalysts for change".....to be "forward thinking"...and "entrepreneurial".

How fortunate for your students that they have the "benefits of a groundbreaking educational experience." I do feel terribly sorry for those students and supporters of the "old and ordinary" school down the block. What an opportunity you have!! (Perception is reality)

Mark

1. Find out if anybody on the board or related people know any corporate folks. Maybe have them look at the list of corporate members and see if there is any recognition of name.
2. Send members out or appointees to find out if the corporates "have any dreams of snails or could imagine a dream with snails & them".
3. Find out what would they want from the snail's dream.
4. Sell them the dream.

Don

Weather in Paradise today:

Forecast is for a high of about 80 degrees....light breeze... cloudless sky. 70% Chance of a few scattered Margaritas at sunset.

Kim

Don, I can safely smile and chuckle at your paradise weather report today as we are enjoying some long awaited sunshine, amidst the heaviest winter we've had in Southwestern, Ontario for many years. (Notice I don't mention the temperature ;-)

I'm new to fundclass (and my current position) as well, but here goes my reply to your class exercise regarding the plight of the "Save a Snail" group.

As the other responses have already outlined,

1. I would also obtain a list of businesses from the Chamber of commerce
2. The list would be brought before the board to assess any possible ties and or acquaintances of the board members with the local businesses that could be developed
3. I feel it would be equally important to have an action plan and approach in place that would support the board and your organization in it's attempts to contact the businesses. How can you make this issue of importance to the community? (Especially with the competition of the Escargot Aficionado's and restaurants). Snails aren't exactly cute and cuddly (like the polar bear cub). Visual examples of the effects on the ecosystem (somehow related to local environment i.e. agriculture - gardening and landscaping), a catchy byline or phrase (e.g. Sliding snail population results in sluggish harvest) and targeted marketing materials for the board members and your office to illustrate their mission with. Perhaps alternatives to snail/slug use in restaurants and grocers could be offered (although tofu-got doesn't have quite the same ring to it - but is equally as chewy)
4. From there you can take your package and board contacts and either through previously mentioned ideas such as networking meeting opportunities, or direct visits to local businesses, utilize your contacts and materials to begin developing a support network. Some reward system for the business involvement such as media promotion, press releases etc should also be established.

**************
Aside from the above exercise I have an additional question to put before the class. We fundraise in an area supported by United Way and that restricts our agency from seeking corporate sponsorship in terms of $$. I am however interested in seeking corporate support in terms of our volunteer programs and perhaps sponsorship of prizes, materials for draws and for local events. Any suggestions and/or success stories?

Don

Kim from SW Ontario recently posted an informative, creative and amusing response to the class exercise. Good Job, Kim. I wanted to include much of what you wrote in my response but...since so much was relevant, I thought I'd just reference it instead. Good Work! I particularly enjoyed the "Sliding Snail Population results in Sluggish Harvest," idea!

Kim also touched on something that might be worth exploring...and is actually an idea offered by my wife and VP.

Would it make sense to consider some collaborative corporate marketing approach with the snail eaters? Just a thought.

Mark

Once again, donors who care about snails probably French, or can we get them to care about snails, what's in it for them?

Don

Good Question, Mark. If we use the clues provided in the presumption...that is that the snail eaters are gathering corporate support from the dairy (butter) industry and the garlic farmers....what corporate types might be interested in preserving snails and garden slugs in the ecosystem?

Jen

Hi. I just joined FundClass. I have a suggestion for a step in this process of going after support. I know of a nonprofit in Cape Cod that was established to save scallops. One of the first things they did was launch an education campaign complete with a mascot "Seymour Scallop." Seymour appeared in parades, fairs, school events, etc. thus winning over the public, especially school kids who became a strong advocate for the organization. Local businesses could not ignore that!

The weather here is truly Paradise-esque...BIG snow storm today. Skiing will be awesome!

Don

Jen, thanks for the input. I can just see "Sammy the Slug" costumes. Even better... invent a new dance called the "Slug On a Hot Griddle." Maybe a little sideways from the topic but it just might garner some corporate interest.

Cheryl

Maybe look for corporate support from local gardening centers?

Not to mention publishing pictures of Bridget Bardot cuddling with a half-dozen snails

That's my .02 worth.

P.S. -24 degrees CELSIUS with the wind-chill today. Finally called a snowplow to clear the driveway (another 15 cm overnight). Florida's starting to look good. I just might be willing to get mugged or car jacked for a chance to get warm......nah!

Don

Cheryl, your idea to scope out the local garden centers sounds like a good idea. Now we're on the right track! Seek corporate support from those corporate entities who have a "dog in the fight."

With regard to your concern about being carjacked or mugged in Paradise....not to worry. For some undetermined reason, our muggers' preferences seem to favor German tourists and only a few tourist-type couples per year fall prey to that sort of thing. There is a much greater risk of becoming the victim of some short, blue-haired senior citizen who mistakes her giant car's accelerator for the brake pedal. One's defensive driving skills must be honed to a fine edge to even make it to work safely! The upside is, of course, that one arrives at one's office with such an adrenaline charge that productivity is WAY up for the first half of the day and the need for morning coffee no longer exists, thus adding dollars to your office's bottom line.

Christine

A reply to Kim in Ontario who wrote:

"We fundraise in an area supported by United Way and that restricts our agency from seeking corporate sponsorship in terms of $$. I am however interested in seeking corporate support in terms of our volunteer programs and perhaps sponsorship of prizes, materials for draws and for local events. Any suggestions and/or success stories?"

Kim, I suggest talking with your United Way folks about an exception to the cash fundraising restriction. At my last non-profit (supported in part by United Way) we wanted to hold a corporate campaign during the prime United Way fundraising season (Sept.-Oct.) because it would coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month . . . we presented our plan for the campaign and they permitted us to hold it without hesitation. They even gave us a list of corporations in our county that they had unsuccessfully tried to court as United Way donors. Remember, United Way exists to make YOUR development work easier, without member agencies they wouldn't exist at all. Make it a two-way partnership.

P.S. Just went for a midnight snowshoe last night . . . beautiful full moon reflecting on fresh powder up here in Vermont!

Eve

I don't know of any restriction on in-kind contributions. In the past I've found that sponsors are often more willing to contribute in-kind. Hope this helps.

Don

Good idea, Eve! Christine, great information! Thanks!

Don

Good Morning,

Thanks for all the great input into this class! I especially appreciate your indulgence of my "tongue-in-cheek" Paradise Weather reports.

There is another area we should spend a little time in, with regard corporate support and that is in Board Development. While several of you have mentioned it, and it has been "talked around"...we might spend a few days discussing the benefits and challenges of Board Building as it relates to corporate involvement. I'm on the run at the moment and haven't been in my office all day but hope to begin to spend some time on this over the next few days.

Off to the Dolphin Races for now.

Eighty-three Degrees and a light Breeze. Alright...alright! I have to confess. Sometimes, I do miss snow and seasonal changes. I become bored with the scenery of a state that is so flat... that standing on a tuna can permits an unobstructed few for 300 miles. Happy now????

Don

Su, I was extremely impressed with the length, breadth and depth of your recent post. Frankly, I have no option but to bestow upon you the titles of Master of Slime, Doctor of Slugology! Your post was impressive and I bow to your recently gathered knowledge. Kidding aside, you did manage to zoom in on one of the major points associated with attracting a corporate partner. That is to find one who has a business reason to connect with your cause. Warm and fuzzy aside, the decision to become involved with a charity is often a decision measured by economic, PR, and/or political yardsticks.

Congratulations and thanks loads for the informative and entertaining information! Shame on you for sitting in the back of the class, listening! Next time, don't stay so darned quiet for so darned long!!

Su

Dear Margarita by the Sea,

Thank you kindly for your generous bestowments.

Sincerely yours,

Su Snail
President & CEO
Slug and Slime
CORP

P.S.
So not to start off with a lurking reputation, I must confess, I haven't had the chance to closely follow the class for months. I just made my way through zillions of FundClass messages and was very pleased to not only file my "IN" box but to be present in such a fun class.

Looking forward...

Don

Well....it's the end of a long day and I've managed to get back to the office only to face immeasurable embarrassment. For the past 20 minutes, I have been gazing upward, watching what I firmly believed to be a UFO. I took several photographs and was just about to dial 911 to make a report. Imagine my embarrassment to learn from a passing Canadian tourist, that what had captured my interest was a natural phenomenon, apparently called... a cloud!

Paradise weather report.....cloudy. Temperature 84 Degrees.

Have a great evening and arm your wit to prepare to discuss Board Development as it relates to Corporate partnering.

Arthur

Don: Perhaps the tropical weather is starting to affect you. I invite you to Los Angeles where just yesterday we had snow for a short while. There's nothing quite like a good freeze to make you slurp down the coffee and dream of ways to squeeze additional dollars out of people, which brings me to the subject of Board Development. (Nice Segue, huh?) My organization was originally chapter-based and was then reorganized to regions, each with a Board. The majority of my Board is made up of the elderly retired chapter members whose general idea of giving is less than $1000 and then only if that includes two tix to the Annual Gala Dinner. I have been brought in to raise the level giving exponentially (at least that's what they tell me). I've told my Exec Director that we need to drastically change the composition of the Board but neither he nor they are very well connected. I'm afraid I won't be able to gain enough members to create a critical mass to be successful...HELP

Don

Thank you for providing the perfect question to permit us to begin our exploration of Board Development as it relates to Corporate partnering. First, let me say that Board Development is a class topic unto itself. I'm certain that if I was to search the fundclass site, I'd probably find that someone has done a class on the topic. (I'll do that later). So...with that disclaimer, let's move forward keeping in mind that our particular focus should be on how Board development may assist us in connecting with corporate partners.

OK...now...allow me to be the first to break my own rule. In my position, I work closely with my Chair and one other person on my Board (we call ourselves the Board Recruitment and Retention Committee) to strategize on who to target for our Board Membership....and then we go and make our best case to attract them.

Let's begin with the strategy part. I've spoken to my counterparts around the country and the topic of Board Development seems to be the one thing that none of us can agree on. I believe that's because Boards, by nature, should be dynamic and not static. The needs of your organization may change from time to time and the makeup of your Board should change with the needs of the agency. That being said, there is one thing upon which most of us would agree. Boards should in some way, be able to provide significant resources to the agency. Basically, "Give, Get...or Get out of the Way."

Now, back to strategy, as it applies to Board building. With an assessment of your agency's needs in mind, consider what professional and fiscal resources you need to attract. Does your agency need to build credibility? (Remember Mary's problem with her school being overshadowed by another, more established school?) Let's talk about that one point because building agency credibility and attracting even ONE prominent and visible Board Member can have much "potential for mass effect."

Success breeds success. That is...once you are able to land that first big fish, and provided they have been properly recruited so that they understand their role as "bait" for others, (come on...this is flattering to them....go with me on this)! They will then be able to make strategic introductions and attract others within their circle of influence.

So, in your strategy session, try to think of one person in your community who is visible, prominent and has access to wealth and credibility, AND...someone who you actually believe can be had! This is usually a person who already serves on a number of Boards and is already too busy. That's your target!!

Prepare your approach. One approach is often not enough. For goodness sake, do some reasonable homework on the person and their business.

What sorts of things do you think you might want to know about your "target?"

What sorts of qualities should this person have?

What might be the rationales that you would need to present to a person of this caliber to convince them that they should accept a Board Seat for your small and less-than-prominent, Save-the-Snail group?

I'm gonna' try to bail out early today (not likely but...I can dream) and slip over to the West coast of Florida and do some serious kayaking. There are a couple of hidden mangrove areas just begging to be explored. You all have my permission to take off early today too. Tell 'em I said it was OK!

Have a great weekend!

Mary M.

Wow Su!

I was quite impressed with your eco-snail-slug post. One post and you have a fan club and a bunch of snail/slug advocates, I would guess. I would find your case for support of the slug industry worthy of my $$. If you followed that by telling me that you would do a mass mailing of say.. 12K pieces with inclusion of my logo, a few PSA's promoting my participation and high profile event for my employees to attend at the hippest raw bar in town.. I'd give you even more $$. :)

Caroline

We are a small agency in Toronto that has been providing important services for seniors and adults with disabilities/illness for 35 years. I am the first FR person the agency has ever had. We are trying to build our profile and want to institute an honorary board of high profile people. We have the list, how do we approach?

Don

Caroline...try to hang with us for the next few days because that's what we'll be discussing in class.

Mary R.

During my first few months in a similar situation (org. was est. in 1911, providing foster care, adoption, counseling services, I was the first fundraiser), we hosted a "Lunch & Learn" for area business leaders (big names in the community). We invited people (with a letter from our Exec. Dir.) who may never have heard of us. We even invited people who we never dreamed would be interested in us, but still they were powerful in the community.

We served lunch, and gave a short presentation about our org. We also handed out lots of info. And, even plugged open seats on the board.

The event was very successful.

Ann

I usually keep my mouth shut because I am SUCH a novice it is frightening. I have NOTHING to contribute (except my ears!) but I am learning. I've been on the list for about 3-4 mos. & I'm progressively learning more & more. I'm really looking forward to the series on building a good board. That seems to be the basis of the whole thing.

I work in a very unrelated field with not ONE iota of FR experience & a relatively new member of a very stagnant board as regards FR. One of the problems with our board is we all come from different parts of the country & Canada. We do our meetings once a month via teleconference. The last time we met face to face was at a first conference set up for the purpose of education AND so those having this condition would have an otherwise unavailable opportunity to see this condition at work.

Nystagmus, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term is a rare visual condition that affects the individual's ability to focus. Anyway, I'll ask questions when I think it's apropos to the discussion. I have a ton of them, but I'm not organized enough & don't want to take the focus off the discussion.

I'm extremely grateful for this board.

Mark

Hey, we'll have to have a beginner's mind to make fundraising work. Experts eliminate possibilities. How else can we learn what our donors want and how to satisfy them through our programs unless we are willing to be ignorant.

Don

Hi Guys,

It's me...the class facilitator who is desperately trying to bail out for the weekend. I just wanted to clarify the "Board Building" question. Next week, as we wind up this topic on Attracting and Retaining Corporate Sponsors/Partners....we will discuss the benefits associated with attracting Board Members who are in corporate positions allowing them to access their corporations for your organization's benefit.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Board Building is a topic, which could easily sustain an entire class. I hear rumors that a Board Building class could happen in the near future so bear with me if I limit our discussion of Board Development.

Have a great weekend!

Su

I am wondering how to offer ideas when first off, I need to have some parameters, because as a twenty year old arts organization in a large city, I assume we have many different approaches than would a smaller organization use or need and/or a group located in a village would have different needs and approaches. The board building approaches would also differ depending on the type of organization, in the Arts for example, we have a very large approachable community, and many corporations that are art based, and therefore would be interested in the work we do. There are also regional variables, cultural variables, and so on..

I totally agree with your previous message Don:

I believe that's because Boards, by nature, should be dynamic and not static. The needs of your organization may change from time to time and the makeup of your Board should change with the needs of the agency".

In our organization it is absolutely true that our board works best when it is dynamic and not static and that the needs of our organization have changed over the years.

Do you want us to describe to the class how our boards work? For example, we have two boards, one is a day to day working board and the other is an advisory board. Also, considering that it looks possible we will have a class focusing on board building in the future, what would you like to hear from us in this last week of your class? Much thanks for all the fine work.

Windy and blue sky in Montreal this morning.

Mary M.

Hello again fundclass,

My belief is that whether you are working to promote snails and slugs or any other program and/or service...it is important to view programs and services as a "product" that needs to be marketed to the public so that they're aware that it exists (branded).

In my last post, I told Su that she had "attained my corporate support" because she sold me on her mission. Then, as a business person, I told her that I would give her more money if she were to promote my corporate participation utilizing the direct mail approach, event recognition...on and on.. cause marketing.. a huge topic of it's own. The "retain my corporate support" part of the equation would be based on how well she marketed my business/promoted my company's participation to snail/slug lovers around the globe.

The most successful non-profit organizations are those that run themselves like a business and formulate a (3-5yr) strategic plan and it's good ole counterpart, the development plan. Now, one good board is an ace in the hole, because as Don said, one good board member is "bait" for others of the same caliber. One good board member and you're well on your way implementing your fund development plan, selling your product. But, many times those good board members won't even give you a meeting.

However, if non-profits pooled the resources that they have (it only takes paper and stamps to promote your mission) and strategically planned the best use for them, I would say to promote yourself (org.) as an entity worth supporting. Rather than take the poor me approach take the approach that you and your existing board are a "collective, collaborative entity" which translates to "people power" a.k.a. "purchasing power". Hammer prospects to death with direct mail branding. Don't ask for money or support. Remember, building a relationship with donors comes first. Market your business to them as they would like to have their businesses marketed.

I would even be so bold as to say that "Visibility = Success" in many peoples minds. A case in point, .com companies sinking their venture capital into advertising during the super bowl, big money = wow! Successful company if they can afford that! Now many of these companies are closed. They obviously didn't have a strategic plan. Non-profits should and should also work within their budgets and be creative on how to create a "huge presence" for themselves in the community (a collective force to be reckoned with). Make corporate supporters/high profile board members "want" or "need" to support you.

If you read between the lines of my last post, you would have seen a corporate funder (me) tell Su (slug agency director) that her marketing of snails was worthy of an investment of my marketing budget. Chances are I would also nominate one of my executive level people for her board to give guidance and direction to them because they are non-profit and probably don't have enough support in that area. After all, they will be spending my money for their upcoming outreach/marketing/fund development campaign and now my corporation has a vested interest in making sure that the org that I'm supporting is going to be successful with their 100K - 30M campaign.

Don

As we begin our last week of class, I wanted to spend some time discussing the importance of Board Building ... but only as it applies to attracting corporate partners for your organization.

From the comments over the past few days, it is apparent that building Boards is a topic, which is of significant interest to all. While I do enjoy this topic, and have considerable and painful experience and many opinions on this topic....it will be my job, CORRECTION .... all of our jobs, to try to maintain our rather narrow focus this week. I will look forward to the full class on Building Boards in the future.

Now....with the disclaimer out of the way, let's take a swing at this!

When it comes to attracting a corporate sponsor, it certainly helps if one of their top executives serves on your Board of Directors/Advisors.

Since our discussion of attracting a Board Member for the purpose of also attracting his company, has the potential for expanding exponentially, maybe we'll use our presumptive snail scenario to help us get going and stay on track.

Remember, you are the recently hired director of a small non-profit. Your task is to educate the world on the benefits of snails and slugs in the global ecosystem. Your task is made more difficult because the cross-town organization, "Escargot Aficionados, Chapter 2" is well established and well supported by the dairy industry (butter) and a strong coalition of garlic farmers. Corporate dollars seem to be flowing into their organization but you have yet to begin to attract any corporate support at all.

Calling upon the comments and class experiences of the past couple of weeks, we already know that we should target corporations who may have an interest in what we are trying to do. Thanks to your able colleague and research geek (and I mean that with all possible affection), Su, you have learned that there may indeed be organizations and/or industries that could be interested in your cause and organization.

Your goal is to capture at least one of the top executives from one of the targeted corporations to serve on your Board. Where should you begin? Remember the following:

1. What does your organization have to offer the organization or executive you have in mind. (What's in it for them?)
2. Clearly define the expectations, both long and short term, of the Board Member and his/her corporation.
3. How is your "target" selected? What should be the criteria for him/her and their corporation.

Well, how should we proceed? Let's get going! I smell snails cooking down the street!!

Annoying Report from Paradise:

Spent the warm and sunny weekend on the Gulf Coast of Florida, kayaking and riding my motorcycle. Daytime temps hit the mid 80s. Expected temps today 80 more 80s. Thinking about riding my motorcycle to Key West this weekend. Sure beats shoveling snow!

Don

For those of you waiting to hear the "magic formula" for attracting a top-level corporate executive to your Board, you will find this post particularly disappointing. If there is a magic formula, I don't know what it is. What I do know is that by applying several basic principles, tying them all together, and persevering....it will happen.

While I'm not aware of a "secret formula"...I am aware of a "secret alternative."

Remembering that the goal of this task is to secure ongoing corporate support for your organization through a relationship with one of their top executives and presuming that for whatever reason, you haven't had success...THEN...try to get their spouse involved. If you can land the spouse of the person you have targeted, you may actually be in a better position than if you had actually landed the executive. (think about this for a minute)

Also, you may consider a lower level position within the same company to at least get your foot in the door.

One more thing! Once you have successfully landed one of your targets, your task will be to keep him/her meaningfully involved with your mission. This process will vary from person to person but should be carefully considered and executed.

Has anyone had any experiences with the "bank shot" approach of recruiting a spouse?

Mark

I agree with Don that the spouse approach can be helpful BUT dating the daughter isn't!!!!!:)

Kim

Thanks for all the replies to my last posting; they were very informative and helpful!

Onto the class discussion, now Don, I find it hard to compete with kayaking and cruising on your motorcycle although I was bailing water for a couple of hours out of our basement this week and that was indeed very wet ;-) and theoretically was deep enough to float on.... but I still take heart in the brief glimpses of sunshine (I totally ignore the icicles on the window sill) and the first signs of spring approaching (after all Wiarton Willie, our groundhog hero, has spoken).

As for corporate sponsorship.... we are now armed with all that information, thanks to Su and several ideas of approach. I would probably aim for the agricultural based companies. They are always looking for ways to increase yields and promote their products. One of  the board members perhaps has an acquaintance in the company and can arrange an initial contact. (If this wasn't an option I would arrange either a personal visit based on the important information we have to offer or a social gathering/workshop based on the materials we have gathered) I would make sure that my materials are professional and accurate as well as my presentation method.  

I believe the corporation(s) would be interested as it supports their well being. The board member tie in gives them direct input into the campaign and puts their "face" both corporately and personally into the mix. The presentation would cover both, the campaign information & approach as well as the benefits of joining the board. Collaboratively we could work together both to promote alternatives that still utilize butter (dairy) and garlic so that we aren't alienating that segment (i.e. tofu, veggie) and to educate the public on the damage caused by excessive harvesting of the snail population. You could probably enlist support through corporation tie ins such as the garden centers and co-op outlets etc., farmer's too. Besides we need a chance to use that catchy byline and "slug" it out with the escargot aficionado's.... "crop sales going at a snail's pace" etc.. the mascot etc... all the "warm, fuzzy" stuff that would make the corporation look good while still maintaining it's bottom line of increased revenue. Plus it would help to make the issue "personal" to the public. As you have mentioned in previous postings we would also have to be persistent and prepared to spend some time educating and encouraging involvement. 

Now I'll sign off and go back to watching for some stray sunbeams to come my way....

Don

Kim...thanks for some great information! A thoughtful post, indeed! And don't be too envious of all the "paradise reports. "From time to time...it rains....really hard....and the wind blows...really hard...and these storms have names.

Tom

There is no magic, Grasshopper. There are three things you can do to find and bind a powerful corporate warlord to your cause. They are:

network...

Network!

And of course.......

NETWORK!!!!!!

Ninety-nine percent of finding a corporate champion is finding out enough information about potential champions to locate the very one that will respond to the appeal of your cause, climb on board, broadsword in hand and begin fighting for you. That will inevitably be someone for whom your cause resonates a responsive chord. In this practice case we're working on, I'm afraid, you're looking for someone whose life was saved by a slug or who has a family member who was saved by a slug or who owes his livelihood to slugs. You may also be looking for someone who is one of those "accidental" corporate types who doesn't fit in with the button down corporate world and who would love to adopt a weird cause like "save the slug" just to drive his accountants nuts!

Whatever the personal motivation, he or she is going to have to have a powerful attraction to the cause of saving slugs to make this a successful alliance. Let's face it, slugs are not the kind of cause that engenders a lot of sighing and hand wringing like, say, starving children or battered women. Nobody has much sympathy for snails and their kin. Most of us have tried the salt thing just to see if it works and we don't want to be reminded how that childhood experiment turned out!

This cause will probably live or die on a corporate or society champion. Don't overlook that backdoor either. High society types almost always have corporate connections and often they can compete at executive arm twisting right alongside the best corporate raider on the planet.

Without a high powered individual on the board, I wouldn't bet a whole lot of money on this cause surviving. Contrary to popular mythology (engendered by us nonprofit consultant types I'm afraid) not every nonprofit is going to make it. Some causes are just too weird to ever engender public support. They either have to draw government funding or die. Hey, some of the weirdest grants out there have been funded by the federal government, so don't fold up your slug-infested tents till you give them a shot. Otherwise, network like there's no tomorrow and be patient. I've been networking one issue around my neck of the woods for two years now and we're just lately seeing some movement toward solving the problem.

Sandy

I can't help but mention that in this particular case study you might want to find a graduate of the University of CA Santa Cruz, since their school mascot is the Mighty Banana Slug! Now there is a place with great weather (not so hot as FL) and gorgeous views (but not much in the way of organized, competitive sports). Not to mention those redwoods, home of the lovely banana slug! Their slug store (i.e. bookstore) has great stuff for "your cause": http://slugstore.ucsc.edu/

See, this corporate stuff isn't all THAT hard! :-)

Don

"Whatever the personal motivation, he or she is going to have to have a powerful attraction to the cause of saving slugs to make this a successful alliance."

Hi there Tom and Class...your Paradise bound class facilitator here! Tom, at the risk of starting an interesting conversation, I tend to disagree with your thoughts above. While many individual non-corporate types are drawn to a cause because they're warm and fuzzy, my experience has been that corporations often lend their credibility and spend their dollars on causes that may improve their bottom line or significantly improve their image.

Hence, the snail and slug brigade may wish to take a swing at garden stores, mulch makers, fertilizer manufacturers or any other corporate entity that may have some interest in maintaining the ecosystem. They may not have to necessarily embrace the snail/slug idea in a vacuum. You certainly have some great thoughts but for the sake of discussion, I would like to convey the message that we should seek a company that has something to gain.

Remember, we're seeking a Board Member. The fiscal responsibility of the Board member is assumed.

Don

You represent another fine example of what I refer to as the "cold and dark syndrome." You're amazing. But, and I think I speak for the entire class...seek professional help at your earliest convenience!

That said...Su once again makes the strong point that there is value in
researching corporations who may have a reason to connect with your cause. Even if your cause is somewhat obscure, it may often times be easier to solicit interest from a corporate sponsor than it is to try to dredge up some warm and fuzzy community goodnick!

One more thing! Board Building is a process that occurs by adding one person at a time. It may take several years to achieve your goal. Start with just one... and leverage their involvement to attract others. Last year, our organization produced a video to assist with our capital campaign. I had our camera crew go the offices of some senior executives that serve on my Board and film their scripted endorsements of our organization. Their corporate logos were prominently displayed and their names and titles were placed on the screen as they were talking. Now, I have a great tool to use to attract other corporations who may want to schmooze with my existing Board members.

Imagine this! Several years ago, I landed the Chief Financial Officer of a major software company, closely tied to Microsoft. This is a huge organization with a worldwide presence. My thinking went something like this.

What other large corporations would like to do business with "my guy?" I then telephoned my next target and said something like, "You may have heard that John Doe, the CFO for ABC software recently joined our Board of Directors. I'm hosting a small reception to welcome him and thought you might like to attend." I then make similar calls to 5-6 other top-level execs at other organizations we are considering for Board Seats. They all want to spend time with my "bait" person. They are thinking..."Wow! I've been trying to see this
guy for months. What a stroke of luck."

We develop a social relationship first, and gradually begin to educate the next corporate "targets" about our cause. As I've offered before, our "cause" may not be warm and fuzzy, but it may not matter. Corporations are motivated differently.

These days, one of the biggest benefits of a corporation partnering with my organization is that the Board Members now get to interact and conduct business with each other. I seriously monitor and consider the business profiles of each prospective Board Member before drawing a bullseye on their chest.

I have a Board Meeting tomorrow morning. I'll be spending most of my day preparing reports. UGH!

Art

Bravo, you are a far better man than I. It is a humbling experience to be GEEKED OUT, but I believe your posting says it all!

P.S. You have too much time on your hands!

Don

This will be the ending message for this session of Fundclass "Attracting and Securing Corporate Sponsors/Partners"

Over the past few weeks, I have truly appreciated the collective knowledge of all who have participated in this class. I have been humbled, on many occasions, by your wisdom and wit. The time spent with you has been stimulating and great fun and has allowed me to occasionally break away from managing budgets and contracts, cash flow, staff, volunteers and Board Members as well as many hours spent chasing donor dollars, grant writing, etc. It has also permitted another outlet for my wacked-out sense of humor.

My appreciation extends to the Fundclass Administrators for encouraging and supporting this process and for allowing me this opportunity to learn from each of you. It's been fun!

To those who have "lurked" in the back of the class....I've occasionally done that myself. It's OK. A little voyeuristic...but OK.

And I'd like to leave by repeating something extremely important. This is an urgent message to our very special class "slug and snail research geek", Su, please... for your own good....seek professional help ASAP. (Come on...I'm just kidding around here!)

So Long and Grins, :-)

Don Murray

Weather in Paradise at this moment. Partly sunny...warm breeze off the ocean...temperature 81 degrees. 100% chance of Frozen Margaritas in about an hour. I have to be home by 9 PM to catch tonight's "West Wing."