Building for Your Department's Future - Starting With a Firm Foundation

Long term financial sustainability for any organization or family starts with a firm foundation. For many nonprofits, that foundation comes in the form of an endowment. As they grow, endowments provide ongoing and increasing annual operations support for your organization.

Think your fire association might want to look into an endowment fund? Consider starting that conversation with your local community foundation. They will be happy to share with you the unique tax advantages of the Endow Iowa program. If you establish your endowment through your community foundation, your donors receive credit for 20% of their donation off their Iowa income taxes in addition to the applicale federal deductability.

Potential donors/sources that may help get your endowment opened include:
1. Current members
2. A designation by your current members of all or a portion of any incentives or call reimbursement arrangement you may have with your city, county or township
3. Retired members
4. Your largest regular donors

To discuss options for communication pieces, campaign plans and more for starting your endowment, contact FlashPoint President Dawn Svenson Holland today.

When They're Lined Up, Share Your Numbers!

Many fire departments host yummy breakfast, lunch or supper events at their stations as a primary annual fundraiser and opportunity to connect with the community they serve. If your department isn't doing so already, use this opportunity to showcase and quantify your impact on the community.

Your impact piece should be clear, concise and an absolute maximum one page in length. Depending on your available resources, the format of your "report" piece made available at this event might be:
1. A postcard
2. A brochure
3. A "cowboy card" (size of one brochure column printed front and back)
4. A one page bulleted summary printed on your letterhead

Some information you might consider sharing on your report:
1. Open with a statement of thanks to your community (for paying taxes that support your operations, attending your event, etc.)
2. The number of volunteer hours given by your members in the last year (estimate this conservatively if you don't currently have a way to track it), including time devoted to training
3. The value of that volunteer time (any volunteer work for any organization is worth at least $11/hour)
4. The number of calls you responded to in the last year, broken out by categories like fire, rescue, medical, storm watch, etc.
5. A quick highlight of any major events and/or major equipment purchases in the past year
6. A general statement on what you plan to do with the proceeds from your fundraising meal
7. An invitation to the community to consider becoming members of your department. The parents asking the most questions when you show off the equipment to their kids are among your best places to start those conversations

To learn more about professional communication services available for your department, contact FlashPoint Fundraising President Dawn Svenson Holland today.