Creating Investment Opportunities for Social Problems: Another Way to Respond to Your Calls

Slate Magazine and The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently released their Top 60 list of philanthropic individuals for 2009. These 60 leaders (think Bill and Melinda Gates, etc.) collectively gave $4.1 billion to nonprofit and charitable causes in 2009.

An analysis of the giving of these Top 60 seems to indicate major donors are looking more and more to invest in corrections for significant social problems.

What local social problems are you seeing in your fire and EMS calls? Iowa fire deaths in 2009 seem to indicate that working smoke detectors are not a current priority for many people in their homes. One fire department recently offered that a high number of their medical calls are young people getting into trouble with abuse of energy drinks.

Once you've identified 1-2 key local social problems you are seeing in your calls, what other organizations could you partner with in your community to positively address this issue? What level of investment do you need from the community to achieve a stretch goal of impact on this issue?

Once you have answered these questions, you have a foundation for a potentially successful fundraising campaign rooted in community collaboration and response to a local social need. You also have a campaign rooted in response to giving trends noticed in our nation's most significant donors.

You may read more about these Top 60 philanthropists here.

If you want to chat more about this idea, contact dawnsh@gmail.com.

Donor Care: Applying the Lessons of Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day just one day behind us, there are lessons from this holiday that can be applied to the ongoing process of fundraising for your department. I've often heard friends and family remembers remark how meaningful it is to them to receive a valentine from someone they care about. The positive impact of the simple act of contact with someone they care about is much sweeter than the chocolate cake pictured above.

Somewhere someone in your department probably has a list of recent community donors to your department. Maybe this list is the respondents to your latest direct mail campaign. Maybe it contains the addresses and donation amounts of those who put checks in the boot at your most recent pancake breakfast. Whatever details make up your most current list of supporters, find it. If you don't have a current list of donors, use a list of the highest property tax payers in your city, county or fire district.

From that list, find your largest supporter. Sometime this week, take one of the following actions:

1. Write a personal note just to stay thank you for their support of your department. Use an example or two of training, equipment or other development you've been able to do in the last year with their support.

2. Give them a call just to say thank you. Ask if they have any feedback you can take to the department on how you can serve even more effectively.

3. If you already know them well, schedule an in person connection over a cup of coffee, lunch or whatever works best for their schedule. Again, the purpose of this connection is just to stay thank you. If this is a donor, ask them for feedback on why they chose to give to your department over the many other options they have for sharing their treasure. If this is a donor or taxpayer, consider sharing a brief summary of your 2009 activities - calls completed, volunteer hours given to the community, etc.

Consider repeating this process once each month with one supporter. Consider eventually applying this process to each of your current and retired members. Make note of what you learn from your supporters with each contact. 

Organize a committee to ensure this Valentine's Day lesson remains a department priority. Making cultivation a regular part of your efforts will ensure a much easier time connecting your needs with donor passions when you need to directly ask for more support in the future. The results of regular supporter contact will be sweeter for you and your donors than all the chocolate cakes in the world. You and your supporters will find sweet inspiration in this ongoing connection.
 
Want to further discuss these ideas? Contact dawnsh@gmail.com.

Together: the Strength of a Unified Community Message

The Iowa Fireman's Association (IFA) does a phenomenal job of keeping Iowa's 20,000 firefighters, 90% of whom are volunteers informed on issues that impact public safety in our state.

A great example of such an issue is the Volunteer Firefighters Checkoff found on Line 58C of the Iowa 1040 form and Line 15of the Iowa Form 1040A.

The combination of the Veterans Fund and the Volunteer Firefighters fund builds on the natural connections between two heroic groups of dedicated public servants. It also provides an opportunity to promote this resource and all the amazing work you both do to your local community together.

In addition to the great information on the IFA website, consider connecting this week with a representative of your county Veteran's Affairs office, American Legion, VFW or other organization. Write a joint letter to the editor of your local newspaper that briefly summarizes why those funds are important and how they make a local impact. Offer contact information (if the newspaper allows) for anyone who might like more information.

In the letter, you may highlight the number of members you have, the number of calls you responded to in 2009 and the number of hours you dedicated to training. You may also illustrate how your department has gone above and beyond the call of the 24 hour training standard.

Your local Veterans contact may highlight the number of local Veterans who have been given a hand up in appreciation for their service through the Veterans Fund. Be sure to remind readers how contributions to the fund will be equally split between these two critical Iowa needs.

As Iowans are gathering their tax forms and updating their software or making their appointments, the time is right to use this no-cost tool to increase community awareness. The combination of the funds offers an excellent chance to present a unified message of support with your local Veterans' needs.

Questions? Want to chat more? Contact dawnsh@gmail.com today.

501 c 3 Important Application Filing Changes

Is your department still considering organizing your association as a 501 (c) (3)? As you've heard in training sessions, doing so is a natural extension of your existing commitment to thorough and comprehensive training and doing whatever it takes whenever it takes to honorably serve your communities. The status also opens doors for additional funding possibilities. In Iowa, filing involves being registered with the Iowa Secretary of State's office, obtaining an EIN number, as well as filling out IRS Form 1023 with detailed attachments and supplemental info.

Changes are coming in 2010 to the way the filing process works for charitable organizations with the IRS. Currently, charities with an average annual revenue of under $10,000 submit a $400 fee to the United States Treasury with their application. Charities with higher average annual revenue submit an $800 fee.

Later this year, that fee will be decreasing to $200 for all charities filing with the IRS, regardless of average revenue as long as CyberAssist software is used in the filing. If the software is not used, the filing fee will be $850 for all charities. An exact date in 2010 has not yet been set for the release of the software. When that date is confirmed, it will be posted to the IRS website through the link above.

Already have your 501 (c) and have questions about the redesigned 990 form you need to file each year? Take in the free mini courses on the IRS website:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=166625,00.html

FlashPoint offers not-to-exceed fees for assistance with 1023 paperwork. The fee includes project management of the process and availability to assist with questions that may come up from the IRS after filing. The fee depends upon how many steps leading up to and including the 1023 you need assistance with. For more information, contact dawnsh@gmail.com.