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.