Reflections for the Ride Into 2012

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This last FlashPoint post of 2011 offers some reflection thoughts for the ride into 2012 for you and your good nonprofit work. Feel free to grab a piece of paper or open your favorite writing software. Writing out your thoughts will likely help flush through them.


1. Make a list of at least three things about your mission work that didn't go well in 2011.

2. Make a list of at least three things about your mission work that went exceptionally well in 2011.

3. Reflect on your mission in your own words and the people you are impacting with that mission. 

4. Use your answers to the above to select and write out what one thing you want to most focus on improving about your mission work in 2012.  

5.  Use your answers to the above to select what one success you want to most keep replicating in your mission work in 2012.

After you're done with your important reflection, FlashPoint would love any ideas you have on topics you would like to see explored in 2012. Click here to submit your thoughts. 

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Thank you for the lives you've saved and changed all year through your mission work! May 2012 be your best year yet for mission advancement! 

Do You Have Your Sales Tax Exemption Certificate?

Are you a IRS-recognized 501 (c) (3) nonprofit with all filings up to date with the State of Iowa and the IRS?

If so, do you have a current State of Iowa Sales Tax Exemption Form ready to give organizations you are doing business with?

It is important to note that exemption from state and federal income taxes does not necessarily exempt you from all sales taxes in the state of Iowa.  For more details, click here.

If you are making a purchase that is exempt from Iowa sales tax, you may not have needed this form when making governmental purchases. If you have your own nonprofit status, you will likely need this form on file for any purchases made by your IRS-recognized nonprofit. You may download the Iowa Department of Revenue Sales Tax Exemption form here. 

Plan to provide a copy of this form to all organizations you are making purchases from that are exempt from sales tax. 

Speaking of State of Iowa nonprofit issues, remember to file your renewal with the Iowa Secretary of State in the spring of every odd numbered year. This renewal involves reconfirming your organizational contact information and registered agent. To learn how you are currently on file,  search for your corporate name on the Secretary of State database here.


What has your experience been with State of Iowa nonprofit issues?


What tips do you have to share?

Create Your Department's 2012 Development Map Book Today

Your department's map book helps you navigate to calls and deploy emergency response resources as quickly as possible. Creating a 2012 development map book for your department can be one of the best time investments you can make to effectively navigate your development realities 

Recommended topics to cover in your plan include:

1. List established city, township or department income sources. If you're in Iowa and only have your budget confirmed through June 30, 2012, make note of that. Indicate expected income beyond that time frame if you can.

2. List planned expenditures in priority order.
3. Discuss planned supplemental fundraising activities with goals assigned.
4. Note of any focus areas for your supplemental fundraising activities to cover any gaps in governmental funding. The most specific you can be with donors on the impact of their gift, the more likely they are to respond.
5.  Outline planned communication and appreciation activities to engage and cultivate your department's donors and supporters.
6. Close with planned evaluation activities throughout the year to keep improving. 


Once you have written your plan, I recommend adopting it at a regular meeting and revisiting it monthly or quarterly to check your progress. Discuss what's not working and what is working. Make it an active part of your activities.

Once your development map book is established, it will be an easier document to update for 2013 and beyond. 


Additional recommended resources for creating your development map book include:
1. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University discussion of an annual plan.
2.  Six Steps to an Annual Fundraising Plan from About.com 
3. Contact FlashPoint Fundraising to request a free copy of the slides from their class presented in September 2011 on How to Write a Fundraising Plan.


What are your development plans for 2012? 
What are you concerned about?
What are you excited about?

The Spirit of the Season: Your Holiday Appeal Letter

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Everywhere you look, the landscape truly reflects the holiday spirit. The holidays are filled with opportunity to connect with the charitable spirits of your donors, supporters and community members. Many nonprofits receive a significant percentage of their gifts at holiday time through outreach with those to whom they are naturally connected.


The fundraising software firm Conivo recently released a survey forecasting holiday giving in the United States to exceed $48 billion this year. For more details on the survey, click here.

Whether you quickly put it together now or plan for it in 2012, consider a direct mail campaign close to the holidays. 

Potential message points for your direct mail letter include:

• A highlight of calls responded to and volunteer time committed in 2011
• Any stories from satisfied service recipients, with their permission of course
• Specific information on how funds donated will be used
• A reminder of how you are always ready to respond to the greatest emergency need, even if it comes in the middle of the holidays
• If contacting your entire tax base, information on how you've carefully allocated the "mandatory" gift of tax support 

Potential recipients of your letter include:

• Current and past donors and supporters
• Current and retired members
• Grateful service recipients
• Anyone in your coverage area

If you embark on a holiday campaign, make sure you are properly equipped to:

• Track every detail carefully
• Promptly and personally thank all donors for their forever impact on your mission
• Include your tax ID number for donor receipts for tax purposes if you are an IRS-recognized 501 (c) (3) nonprofit
• Use the current year's results as a building block to make next year's campaign even more effective. This should include the ability to thank a specific donor for an exact gift amount this year in future years

What has your experience been with holiday campaigns? 

Thanks for the good you do all year long!

Is the Time Right to Develop a Firm Foundation for Your Organization?

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According to Giving USA, the annual report on philanthropy prepared by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University for the Giving USA Foundation, in 2010, bequest giving in the United States increased 18.8 percent over 2009. This increase percentage is much more than the combined increase in the same time period of individual, foundation and corporate gifts. 

This stat may be an indication that the time is right for more organizations to consider endowments. Endowment accounts are a nice stepping stone towards a more firm funding foundation for nonprofits. Endowments may be setup where the interest is spent each year for general operational needs or restricted uses like training.

If you receive a bequest or other unanticipated funds, here are some sources for more information about endowments:

• Investment department of your local bank
• Leave a Legacy Iowa, a public service announcement focused organization you may connect with for a small membership fee
• Local attorney who works on estate planning 
• Other nonprofits in your community who have established endowments
• Your local community foundation. For more information on community foundations in Iowa, click here. 

Are you considering an endowment? Do you have one now? Share your thoughts and experiences below.

Cornerstones of Donor Respect

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Whether your current donors and supports are five or five hundred in total, there are several cornerstone ways you can demonstrate respect for them and their impact on your organization: 

1. Ensure that all people involved in a gift or other support of your organization are properly thanked.  Don't unintentionally overlook women in your acknowledgement as various studies show they are the driving force behind giving. 


2. Always acknowledge someone exactly as they want to be called. This goes for preferred first names, married couples who may have different last names, etc. A person's name represents the only collection of letters in the world that is truly and uniquely theirs.  How names are printed on a check is a good place to start for this. When in any doubt on how a person prefers to be called, ask someone who knows them well for confirmation. 


3. If you know when your supporters have special days are - birthdays, anniversaries, etc., be in touch with them to acknowledge the day. Don't worry about making an ask. Just acknowledge that you share in their joy. 


4. Ensure your supporters receive some sort of report on the impact of their gift.
 

In short, the time you spend keeping your donor list for communications is a trim, proper and accurate reflection of your donors is some of the best time you can invest in your fundraising. Respected donors are more likely to keep making their incredible support of your great work. 

How do you demonstrate donor respect?

Share a Local Legacy Story in Honor of National Philanthroy Day

On Tuesday and throughout the month of November, various Association of Fundraising Professionals events across the country will mark National Philanthropy Day ®. If there's an event near you and you are able to attend, you will likely find the experience inspiring as stories of local giving are shared.

This event and its associated activities celebrate the incredible gifts of time and treasure that are given each year to great missions like yours. National Philanthropy Day® celebrates the legacy of giving in the United States. much like authentic markers like the one pictured above celebrate the legacy of the fire service in our country. This event is appropriately celebrated just before loved ones will gather across the country next week to celebrate Thanksgiving.

How can you celebrate the spirit of giving this month? Consider the following exercises at your next meeting:

• Ask your members to share what or who inspired them to get involved in your organization.
• Share a story of a retired member and his or her impact on your organization. 
• Share the story of an historic or recent significant gift or bequest your organization received - who did it come from? What do you know about that person or persons? Why did they make the gift? What impact did that gift have on your operations? Is it an option to again that that person or his or her descendants for the impact of that gift?

For more information on National Philanthropy Day®, click here. 

Share your stories in the comments section below.

FlashPoint Top Fundraising Tips Series: Post 5

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This update is the fourth in a series of blog posts adapted from the FlashPoint Top Ten Fundraising Tools and Tips first presented to the Marshall County Firefighters Association in June 2011.

10. Your personal support launches the credibility of your department's fundraising forward by leaps and bounds.  100% member giving at any level significantly builds credibility. No one knows better than you do how careful your department is with any funds entrusted to it and how worthwhile an investment in your department is!

If you don't believe enough in what you're doing to make a financial investment in it, why should anyone else invest? Your volunteer time is critical. Making a regular financial commitment to any organization you are so closely connected to builds on your incredible gift of time and enhances your mission in an equally critical way.

If you're fundraising campaign involves face to face asks, which represent the most effective form of fundraising, you will leave a strong impact on your prospect when you ask him or her to join you in making a commitment to your project. 

If you're looking for guidance on how much to give to your department, you are encouraged to give at a level at which you care how your investment is spent. 

One Iowa Fire department experienced great results when they mentioned in their annual community appeal letter that each member believed in that year's proposed project enough to personally contribute $100 a person to it.

For more information on how to communicate the impact of your volunteer efforts in your fundraising communications, click here.

For more information on FlashPoint strategic planning facilitation and/or custom fundraising training for your department, click here. 

What stories of member giving would you like to share from your department?

FlashPoint Top Fundraising Tips Series: Post 4

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This update is the fourth in a series of blog posts adapted from the FlashPoint Top Ten Fundraising Tools and Tips first presented to the Marshall County Firefighters Association in June 2011.

9. Consider mapping your fundraising universe. Remember it is finite.  Not every person gives to every cause. People give to the causes to which they are connected. Your universe may include (with possible overlap across groups, of course)
     a. Current members and their families
     b. Service recipients and their families
     c. Retired members and their families
     d. Widows or children of members
     e. Widows or children of service recipients
     f. Active community members who appreciate your mission
     g. Vendors who provide your goods and services
     h. Current or former donors
    i. Anyone else who feels a connection to your mission for any reason. Be on the lookout for these people
    who will typically self-identify during your community outreach

For more information on internal development tools to build your fundraising capacity,visit the Internal Exercises post that kicked off the FlashPoint updates for October 2011.

For more information on FlashPoint strategic planning facilitation and/or custom fundraising training for your department, click here. 

Who do you consider to be in your fundraising universe?

FlashPoint Top Fundraising Tips Series: Post 3

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This update is the third in a series of blog posts adapted from the FlashPoint Top Ten Fundraising Tools and Tips first presented to the Marshall County Firefighters Association in June 2011.

8. Start with an annual fundraising plan. Think of it as your department's funding map book. Build from there.  FlashPoint offered a class on this topic at the 25th CITA Fire School in Cedar Rapids on September 25, 2011.

Relying solely on government funding is not a viable way to build your department's sustainability. 

For more FlashPoint information on a fundraising plan, click here or you may find more thoughts on fundraising and development SOPs focused on your supporters when you click here.

If you'd like more detailed assistance in creating your annual plan, FlashPoint likes the following resources:

A. The Simple Success Fundraising Plan by Sandy Reese. For more information on ordering your copy, click here.

B. The Development Plan by Linda Lysakowski. For more information on ordering your copy, click here.

If FlashPoint were to write and offer an annual planning guide with turnkey information for you to fill in, would you be interested in purchasing a copy? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

FlashPoint Top Fundraising Tips Series: Post 2

 

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anneh632/

This update is the second in a series of blog posts adapted from the FlashPoint Top Ten Fundraising Tools and Tips first presented to the Marshall County Firefighters Association in June 2011. 

5. Ground breaking  industry work by Cygnus Research shows that donors feel best cared for and are most likely to continue giving when they receive:

     a. A prompt and personal thank you. For more information on this point, click here.

     b. Information on measurable results of their gift.  For more information on this point, click here.

     c. Donors are increasingly favoring local causes over others. It doesn't get more local than your  

     neighbor responding when you call 911 in the middle of the night!

6. The more specifically speaking to needs your fundraising communications can be, the more effective your results. For more information on this point, click here. 

7. Gathering and sharing stories (with HIPA compliance, of course) from volunteers and those you serve creates emotional connections with your current and prospective supporters. For an example of such stories, click here or click for second story, or, finally, click here for a third example.  

For more information on FlashPoint strategic planning facilitation and/or custom fundraising training for your department, click here.

FlashPoint Top Fundraising Tips Series: Post 1

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This update is the first in a series of blog posts adapted from the FlashPoint Top Ten Fundraising Tools and Tips first presented to the Marshall County Firefighters Association in June 2011. 

This series includes significant links to previous FlashPoint blogs. For more information on FlashPoint strategic planning facilitation and/or custom fundraising training for your department, click here.

1. Everything about effective fundraising is built about the lives you save and change every day in your call response. Make this a central theme of your written and verbal communication activities for your fundraising. Click here for more thoughts on the lives your work saves and changes.

2. The most effective fundraising happens in follow up to great strategic planning. For more thoughts on this process, click here.

3. According to an 2010 giving patterns study by the GivingUSA Foundation, 73% of giving in the United States comes from individuals, 14% from foundations, 8% from bequests and 5% from corporations. Focus your fundraising efforts accordingly. 

4. Call reports and donor tracking should be equal priorities. For the full details on this top tip, click here.

What are your favorite fundraising tips? Share them below.

Internal Exercises to Build Your Fundraising Capacity

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The tremendous work you do to save and change lives offers great opportunity to connect donors and your mission. Where do you start to develop that capacity? The following internal exercises can lay a firm foundation for expanding that capacity. It typically works well to tackle one exercise per meeting. 

1. Conduct a written survey of all your current members that confirms:

     a.  Their employer (including if they are a retiree)

     b.  Whether their employer offers any grant program and who to contact for further details

     c.  Whether their employer offers any matching gift program and who to contact for further details

FYI, you may find in this outreach that 501 (c) (3) status is required by the employer to qualify for any of their programs.

2. Assign a volunteer to be a story guardian. Have that volunteer interview willing members who have stories to share that illustrate the impact of your great work. Aim to have 3-5 touching stories in the hopper at all times for potential fundraising communication use. For an example of such a story from the Decorah Fire Department, click here.

3. Gather three to five members with strong community knowledge and appreciation. During the meeting, brainstorm as many answers as possible to the following questions:

     a. Who has supported our organization in the past?

     b. Who do we know particularly appreciates our work?

     c. Who in the community would we like to have know our mission more?

     d. How might we involve these people more without initially asking for a gift? Activities might include:

         i. Offering a tour of your department

         ii. Conducting a Citizen's Academy for greater understanding of your work

         iii. Offering non-response volunteer opportunities with your organization 

         iv. Gathering this support list just to ask their input on your plans

What ground work are you currently laying for expanding your fundraising capacity? Share your experiences and thoughts below.

Does Your Message Soar?

Photo credit: www.cedarpoint.com

It's a warm September afternoon. You're enjoying family time at Cedar Point. You and your family are thrilled to get right on the Skyhawk, the ride pictured above. 

As the ride takes, off, happy, energetic Josh gets on the broadcast system, "Hello and welcome to the Skyhawk. You are about to enjoy the world's  tallest and fastest swing. With today's fun at Cedar Point, you will reach speeds of 60 miles per hour and heights of 125 feet. It's what you imagined you might do on your swing in the park as a kid. Welcome to the fun!"

Josh's deep smile transferred to his message. His message added depth, breadth and credibility to the Skyhawk swinging experience.  Josh and his message soared.

How are you transferring your passion for Fire and EMS service to those around you?

What message that soars are you sharing about the lives your mission saves and changes? 

Are you able to communicate the value you bring in three sentences or less? 

Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences below.

FlashPoint offers communication services to help your message soar. Email us or call us at (319) 775-5210 to discuss options for  taking your communication to new heights. 

United Way Campaigns in Your Community: A Fundraising Opportunity?

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As fall approaches, today's topic explores a potential fundraising connection that may benefit your good work for the community.

If your community and/or employer conducts an annual United Way campaign, chances are you will be hearing about your opportunity to give during 2012 soon. 

If your fire or EMS organization or association  is an IRS-recognized 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, did you know you can participate in your local United Way campaign? 

United Way focuses on human service needs in the community. Because of this, it is not widely advertised that those who pledge to each campaign have the option of designating their gift to any 501 (c) (3) organization that the donor chooses. 

If you weren't aware of this and it applies to you, here is a list of recommended action items with your new knowledge:

• Make sure your members and supporters are aware that if they are pledging to a United Way campaign, they have this option.
• If possible, work with those who conduct your local United Way campaign to learn exactly what steps a donor needs to take to designate their contribution to your organization.
• Know that there will be an administrative fee that applies to pledge payments when they are processed by United Way. There will be also be some delay in the payments being transferred to you by United Way due to operational realities of payroll processing. 
• When you receive pledge payments from United Way, thank your donors with either a phone call or note. Work with your local United Way campaign to identify the donors if this information is not provided to you.
• If your organization receives pledge payments from United Way, respond to any requests from the local campaign for more information or reporting promptly.  

The United Way moves human service needs forward in communities across the country. As admirable as that is, the final decision on where a most generous gift of treasure goes should always rest  with the donor. If you or others you know are so inclined, use the upcoming United Way campaign to donor designate to your favorite 501 (c) (3).

Please share any United Way campaign experiences you have in the comments section below.

Remembering All Those Lost Ten Years Ago Today: A Story You Might Not Have Heard

No singular day of our generation is more galvanized into our collective mindset than the September 11 terrorist attacks memorialized today on their 10th anniversary. 

For those in the Fire Service, the memory is particularly poignant as the 343 members of the FDNY are remembered, along with all of those they had hoped to save. It's the most hallowing possible reminder of the risk that's always there when you sign into the emergency response family. 

In the aftermath of the attacks, you may or may not have heard the story of photojournalist Bill Biggart. I encourage you to read the full story and appreciate his photo essays by clicking here. 

Bill was not far from the first tower when it fell. After being overtaken by the dust cloud, he photographed the devastation all around him. Wendy, his wife, reached Bill on his cell phone shortly after the first tower fell. He told her not to worry, he would meet her in 20 minutes at his studio. “I’m safe,” he assured her, “I’m with the firemen.” It was the last time they ever spoke. About 20 minutes later, the second tower collapsed. Bill’s body was found in the rubble four days later, along with six rolls of film and 150 digital images.

To view some of images Bill took when he was with the firemen, click here. There are a number of other photo essays available on his site here.

To visit the FDNY home page, click here.

Thank you, Bill, for being "with the firemen" and sharing the story of such a stunning day through your lens. Wendy and family, our thoughts are with you and all those who lost loved ones ten year ago. We pray for your continued strength.

You are welcome to share any thoughts, memories or anything in the comments below.

Where Can You Add Extra Sprinkles to Your Service?

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Last weekend, the Hiawatha Fire Department kicked off its MDA Fill the Boot drive in advance of Labor Day Weekend to give volunteers who travel over the holiday an additional chance to contribute to the campaign. 

On that Friday night, three Hiawatha Fire members, Jake Hatch, Josh Holland and Eric Hoover broke a volunteer value record by bringing in $250 for MDA for each hour they volunteered at the Boyson and Robins intersection in Hiawatha. 

By the second shift on Saturday, the intersection volunteers looked they could use a little pick-me-up. Queue Culver's in Hiawatha.  It was peanut butter frozen custard day Saturday! A casual conversation with the Culver's staff yielded the information that the custard was headed for the dedicated MDA volunteers.

When the cups of custard were prepared, Culver's had added extra peanut butter sprinkles to the top of each two-scoop cup. They delivered the extra sprinkles with the widest possible smile and asked that their appreciation be passed on to the volunteers.


The smiles on the volunteers' faces were equally wide when they were surprised with the custard and the "extra sprinkles" and good wishes from the staff at Culver's.  This simple gesture had tremendous impact on a demanding weekend for the campaign volunteers.


As you look towards the rest of 2011, what can you start doing today to add "extra sprinkles" to the emergency response experience for your fellow members, your patients and your community? Share your ideas and thoughts in the comments section below.
 
If you're interested in more information the strong connection between MDA and the Fire Service (both volunteer and career), click here. 


If you're interested in more information on how you might make a difference for people impacted by more than 40  debilitating muscular diseases during the 2011 Labor Day Telethon being broadcast tonight, click here.

Incident Reports and Donor Tracking: Equal Priorities

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Incident reports are one of your highest priorities. They are critical to meeting your legal requirements and ensuring that record of each call is always available.  Getting call experiences down on paper/in software quickly enhances the accuracy and clarity of your reports. Each call report should combine with the others for a strong record of the emergency response needs in your area. 

How does the current state of your donor records compare to the state of your call reports? 

Chances are most of your fundraising is handled by one or two volunteers. Those volunteers have developed excellent connections in the community. For example, one volunteer may know off the top of his or her head exactly what each of the 15 businesses who gave items for your community meal raffle gave in each of the last five years. Other donations may come in unsolicited from grateful service recipients throughout the year. These supporters may be known only to your treasurer. 

If the above paragraph sounds like reality for your department, consider how you can take steps to put donor tracking on an equal priority level with your incident reports. Examples of such steps may include:  

1. Create and update a spreadsheet kept at the department once a month with information on any cash or in-kind support your department receives. Record relevant known personal information like family members' names and birthdays. Ensure everything in the record is something you would be proud to show to your donor. Ask your treasurer to back fill as much historical information on this as you may have available.

2. Use this list for targeted outreach at least twice per year to thank these donors for their historical support. This could be in the form of a postcard, phone call or other outreach that you choose. It's must more efficient to renew a historical donor who has already shown you love than acquire a new donor.

3.  Appoint a fundraising officer and report on your results each month at your meeting. This will help keep fundraising more at the forefront of everyone's minds.

4. Create and execute on an annual fundraising plan for your department. Much like your SOPs and SOG's, this approach will give you a clearer strategy and a stronger fundraising program that matches your current needs.

What's working well at your department in terms of donor tracking? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

The Honor of the Fire Service: What's Your Story?

It was Saturday, August 11, 2011. Between the Iowa State Fair, the Goodyear Knoxville Nationals and the Iowa Straw Poll, Central Iowa was literally overflowing.

That day, I witnessed many wonderful volunteers at the Hall of Flame impact the youngest fairgoers with their passionate, energetic fire safety education. Kudos to everyone connected to the Iowa Firefighters Association who make this incredible outreach a reality!

At the end of a long Hall of Flame day, I headed to the home of kind and generous friends in the area who provided me a few hours sleep before a 2nd day of helping the best volunteers in the world, those connected to the Iowa Fire Service.

It was past 10 p.m. when I arrived at their house. I tried the softest possible knock at the locked door to avoid exciting or hopefully even waking their three amazing boys. No such luck. Almost five year old Sam led the stampede of excitement to the front door.

As Sam peered out the window onto the lit porch, he hollered at the top of his lungs, "Mom, did you order a firefighter?" It took me a moment to realize that all Sam could see in the darkness was the Hall of Flame volunteer t-shirt logo like the one pictured above.

In less that five years, little Sam has come to respect the honor of the fire service and recognized the connection through a logo in the dark. Every time someone of any age recognizes the uniforms you may wear to calls, you become a part of that same rich history tied to the honor of the Fire Service.

There's a sacred trust that comes with that honor.

When was the last time you were unexpectedly reminded of the sacred trust and honor of the Iowa Fire Service? Was it on a call? Was it during training? Was it in some donor support?

Share your story below.

Thank you for your role in the honor, the sacred trust of the Iowa Fire Service!

Everyone is Served: A Fundraising Message

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Fundraising messages should be carefully planned to appeal to the motivations of your donors and your unique characteristics. Those messages should appeal to both the heart (through stories) and the head (through impact and results information).

One phrase I've often heard growing up and living around the Fire Service is your don't get to choose your victims. Calls can range from including combative drunks to heart attack victims to someone trapped by a fire, with almost endless possibilities in between. No matter what the contributing circumstances, you do your best to help.

Put another way for fundraising messages, everyone is served through your emergency response efforts. There are no income or enrollment qualifications. Your resources simply spring into action in response to anyone's 911 call in your coverage area. 

You continuously train and stand ready to respond when the 911 call comes. You try to be at your best when your victim and his or her loved ones are having the worst day of their lives. Thank you for that! 

Emergency response is a special calling where everyone is served. Try bringing that theme out more in your fundraising communications and see how the community responds. 

Share your experiences with and thoughts on this theme in the comments section below.

Want Better Fundraising Results? Elevate!

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Would you like to increase your organization's fundraising effectiveness? One small change can help increase your results. Elevate primary responsibility for fundraising activities to an officer and/or board position.


What kind of person would be a good candidate for this leadership role?

1. Someone who is particularly fond of interactions with and connections with others
2. Someone who likes making people happy and showing appreciation 
3. Someone who is organized and can be counted on for follow through 
4. Someone who is motivated by seeing results
5. Someone who enjoys recruiting others 

Once you find the right fit for this position, you may find it beneficial  to keep someone in the position for more than one year for continuity. 

Once this position is established, include a report on fundraising strategies, activities and goals at each of your business meetings.  This will help keep fundraising top of mind in every member's minds. These reports might include:

1. Encouragement to members to help thank your supporters. This may be as simple as having members sign thank you notes to the donor who gave in kind support to your community meal
2. Gathering of ideas for ongoing development outreach

What's working well at your organization in terms of fundraising responsibilities? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Mapping Connections: A Tool for Your Development Efforts

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There are times when the mere mention of the topic of fundraising seems overwhelming. It is often incorrectly perceived as a sale process. 

Effective fundraising is really about building connections with those naturally connected to and passionate about your mission. An effective way to start this perception shift in your department is to organizing a "mapping connections" meeting.

This could be done with all of your members or a smaller group of members if that would be most effective for you. You may consider adding family members of your current members, retirees and any others who come to mind when you think of the topic of "passion for our mission." 


When you gather the right group for your department, assign one person the job of recording the proceedings. If possible, have a large wall-sized sticky note pad to work on. 

Consider mapping out the following connections during the meeting:

1. Where are our members currently employed? Do any of these employers have matching gift, grant or other community support programs we might qualify for?

2. Who are our historical donors? Hint: it will be worth every effort you make to gather this information from treasurer or other records and record support details in a format that can be easily backed up against future computer crashes, etc.


3. Who are our champions in the community? Who do we know truly appreciates and feels connected to our mission? 


4. Who are current members and retired members, (including any descendants who remain connected to us)? Fundraising campaign credibility begins with volunteers who are willing to contribute financially to their mission work at any level. More on this in a future blog post. 


Once this information is mapped out, find 1-2 volunteers who are willing to organize these contacts into one usable, preferably electronic format. This list will be the starting point for future fundraising campaigns.

The Trends in Donors' Hearts: Part II

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As recently reported by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the company Russ Reid conducted a detailed survey on donor motivations. This Part II post examines what makes an organization a favorite of donors. You may sign up for your own copy of the report's executive summary here.

The most important factor to donors in selecting their favorite causes to donate to is trustworthiness. This is followed by the type of work an organization does, and whether or not a donor identifies with the mission. Additional factors include:

1. The organization's financial efficiency
2. Donors' seeing the results of the organization for themselves
3. The people the organization serves
4. Effective communication with donors
5. How the organization's work affects the donor or someone the donor knows 

Want to raise your organization to favorite status among your donors? Consider the following ideas:

1. Host 1-2 small social events during the year where your volunteers and your willing patients/service recipients share the impact your organization has on their lives and their safety.
2. Make sure your public communication demonstrates the efforts you make to spend every dollar like it's $10. Donors and taxpayers expect nothing less these days.
3. Develop and implement a communication plan with your donors that ensures at least three personalized outreaches per year. 
4. When a donation is graciously made to your mission, personally acknowledge the donation within 48 hours

What are your donors who already have you as one of their favorite organizations sharing with you? Share the inspiration in the comments section below. 

The Trends in Donors' Hearts: Part I

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As recently reported by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the company Russ Reid conducted a detailed survey on donor motivations, with a particular focus on why donors make more than one gift. You may sign up for your own copy of the report's executive summary here. 

The report includes reasons donors cited for giving a second gift to a nonprofit they donated to for the first time:

1. The organization explained its specific mission to me.
2. The organization made me feel that my gift really made a difference.
3. The organization gave me information about exactly what my gift helped accomplish.

If you haven't already done so, take a moment to gather all the information about donors to your organization for at least the last three years into one central location. Discuss how you might apply these principles with your current donor base. You might:

1. Call donors 1-2 times per year just to say thank you and give the information cited above.
2. Send a personal note to donors 1-2 times per year covering the same info.
3. Send a card at thanksgiving indicating your gratitude for your donor's generosity.

Applying these principles might inspire the great honor of a second gift from your incredible base of donors. 

What's working well on these principles at your organization? Share your experiences below.

Fundraising Costs: Some Thoughts on Percentages

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There may come a time when your department, community or another nonprofit you're connected to may need to hire a professional fundraiser on retainer to coordinate a fundraising campaign. How should that person be paid?

The international Association of Professional Fundraisers, (AFP) includes 28,000 members across the world. Their members are prohibited from accepting percentage-based compensation or finder's fees. The reasons why include:

1. IRS-recognized 501 (c ) (3) nonprofits are prohibited by law from operating for any private benefit. Having a fundraiser's pay directly to the amount raised could be construed as undue benefit for that employee or contractor.

2. As explained in the 2001 AFP Ethics Committee position paper on the topic,  "Charitable organizations rely on donations voluntarily given. There is no comparable exchange in the business world. In a commercial transaction, tangible value passes directly from one party to the other for a stated price.... The motivating factor in charitable behavior is social benefit. What may be proper motivation in commerce is inappropriate in the nonprofit sector."

3. Because the primary motivation of charitable behavior is social benefit, it's reasonable to expect the best possible work from any fundraiser you hire regardless of his or her direct personal stake in the outcome. 

4. Hiring fundraisers for your campaign based on a clearly-outlined monthly retainer, project or hourly fee ensures the focus remains where it should be: on your donors and volunteers who make your progress and mission work possible. 

5. Effective, committed fundraisers know their real role is to help you and your organization "open" gifts from donors connection to your mission, not employ commercial sales tactics and put his or her own interests first. 

The bottom line:  If hiring a fundraiser for a campaign, project or any other reason is in your future, do not agreed to compensation that based on a percentage of the funds raised.


Do you have any experience in this area you would like to share? Please add them to your comments below.

Supporter Acknowledgement Tools: Are They Part of Your SOPs?

 

What happens right now when your department or organization receives a check from a donor?

Having a supply of some kind of notes to show appreciation for your supporters should be part of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's). For details on the importance of thank you notes from from a previous FlashPoint blog post, click here. 

At Coggon Fire & Rescue, Treasurer Lee Oksendahl and the team have a supply of the cards above ready to go when a donation comes in. When they receive a check or can otherwise verify the source of the donation, they fill out the card shown above and specify the amount given.

This acknowledgement arrived personalized  in the mail three days after the donor sent a small donation to the Coggon team. This prompt, personal thank you demonstrated respect and appreciation for the donor in a way that is relatively rare anymore among the busy realities of volunteer-driven nonprofits.

Want to follow Coggon's example? They found their cards at www.lynncard.com. In addition to checking out that website, here are some options for your own thank-you card supply:

1. Consider ordering from an area printer. This could be a printer you are either aware of or perhaps one of your members works there.

2. If you don't have the skill set among your volunteers or their families, work with a local business or high school class to design the card. 

3. If you have a connection with someone who has a color printer in their home, consider offering print cartridges to help with the cost of printing a nice, basic piece to show proper appreciation to your donors.

Have you added a prompt acknowledgement to your supporters to your SOP's yet? 

What's working well for your department in terms of showing appreciation to your donors?