Your Area Service Clubs: Collaboration Opportunity?

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

Think about how much more effective you want your department to be in the next one to three years. What will it take to get there?

One idea to help move your mission forward is to have a conversation with the service clubs in your area. There may be emerging community needs you could work together to positively address. 

Try brainstorming at an upcoming department meeting the people who are involved in area service clubs. Call them up or schedule a meeting to discuss ideas. 

Ask if these service organizations ever allow speakers in to their meetings to talk about volunteer opportunities in the area. If they do, schedule a time to share your passion for the Fire Service. You may recruit new members in the process. 

If you need them, here are links to common area service groups that may be active in your area:

American Legion: www.legion.org

Elks Clubs: www.elks.org

Kiwanis Clubs: www.kiwanis.org

Lions Clubs: www.lionsclubs.org

Rotary Clubs: www.rotary.org

What collaborations with service organizations are working well in your community? Share your experiences in the commends below.

Help Hold Your Community High: A Fundraising Message Idea

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

Later this year the Keota Fire Department will join with thousands of other volunteer fire departments across the country as they prepare for their community pancake breakfast and golf tournament. The proceeds of these special events support fire department training and operations.

Often with such events, messages are prepared to reinforce gratitude to the donors who support the fire departments. Without such generous community donors, fire department mission progress beyond property tax proceeds would not be possible.

Here's one idea for a message and visual that might work well for your community event or fundraising campaign:

1. Stage a photo with members of your department similar to the example above. If you know of a grateful service recipient who would be willing, consider involving them in the photo.
2. Use a message something along the lines of, "Help us hold our neighbors high during their time of greatest need." Most people who have ever had to summon your response know it was an hour of greatest possible need.
3. Bridge to information the specific need (additional training, specific equipment, etc.) their donation will make possible.
4. Place this information on large posters and/or small printed take-aways throughout your event.

What fundraising messages are working well for your department?

Hometown Challenge Grant: An Alliant Public Safety Building Block

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketjim54/

Is your department in a market covered by Alliant Energy? If so, their Hometown Challenge Grant program is an excellent way to make your community safer and move your mission forward in 2011.

Through this program, grants of $1,000 to $3,000 are available to help fund a safety-related need in your community? Program parameters to follow include:

1. The need must be for a special, one-time safety need and not an ongoing funding need (such as paying off apparatus).

2. Use the Hometown Challenge Grant application to explain your plans for at least two other fundraising programs to match the amount you are requesting. 

3. Read and follow all program expectations. The details may be found here. 

4. If you are fortunate enough to receive a grant award, send Alliant a prompt and personal thank you. Find a way to recognize their contribution in your community. 

What public safety programs exist in your community that your fellow firefighters might benefit from? Share your experiences below.

What areas of the Midwest would you like future ideas and tips from? Comment below.

Have an incredible week!

Over a Cup of Coffee: The Best Time Investment You Can Make in Your Department's Unfunded Potential

One of the cornerstones of fundraising is often expressed as, "If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money." 

Asking in any fundraising program has its place and can be very successful. However, it's seldom appropriate to do so on the "first date."

Consider the following simple to implement idea to start laying the groundwork towards your department's unfunded potential:

1. Make a list of key names with experience with your department. These names may include:

• Council members and/or fire board members
• Local business leaders
• Active local volunteers
• Retirees from your department
• Regular donors to your department
• People who have benefited directly from your services

2. Try to have at least 25 names on this list.
3. Ask 1-2 other officers or active volunteers to join you in this efforts. Consider inviting someone from your Auxiliary, too.
4. Develop a list of 5-6 open-ended questions geared at gathering feedback on your department. Examples might include:

•  What strengths do you think XYZ Department has?
• What do you think XYZ Department should be working on?
• What if anything have you heard about our department you think we should be aware of in order to better serve the community?
• Recently, X happened (major call, bond issue, etc.). Any thoughts on that you'd like to share?
• What questions do you have for me about your department?  (use this opportunity to gently introduce topics in your top 3 current initiatives)

5. Schedule coffee (or other appropriate brief meeting) with one key contact per month. In doing so, let the key contact know you are gathering feedback to help create an even better department and you'd be honored by their feedback.


6. During the meeting, simply listen. Even if the feedback is negative, thank the contact for the feedback. Resist the urge to be on the defensive. If you have an annual report or regular email update list, ask the contact's permission to add their name to the list.


7. Upon returning from the meeting, find a way to thank the key contact for their feedback via phone call, email or, for the greatest impression, a personal note. 


8. Find a way to make historical note of the feedback through (at the bare minimum) an email. Basic donor and volunteer software systems are a best practice to add to your department. For more information on system options, contact Dawn Svenson Holland.


9. Repeat the outreach with the most passionate and fire department-connected contacts you meet at least once per year.


10. This outreach list is your key target list for your next capital or other community campaign.


What is working well for your department in terms of community feedback? Share your ideas below. 


Make it a great week!