Session Title: Year Around Fundraising

September 24, 2013

Elisa Lewis, Executive Director

Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra

Today’s Agenda

Year around fundraising

Your Organization’s Economic Engine

Fundraising without really fundraising

Donor solicitation – “minor gifts”

Year Around Fundraising

Do I really need to fundraise year around? YES you do!

It’s about more than money

Community Connection

Volunteers & Staff

Sponsorships

In-kind support

Yield = a better, more stable donor base and cash flow

It’s about more than money

It’s about:

Establishing your organization as an integral

part of your community

Getting more people involved in your

organization

Building relationships

Community Connection

Are you connected?:•With other non-profits?•With your chamber of commerce?•With local businesses?•With your “general public?”•Your city council?•Your local school district?•Are you giving back?•NEVER try to function in a vacuum! Sometimes you have to “steam roll” your

way in … nicely. MVYSO at 4th of July

Volunteers & StaffHave the right people on your bus and treat them well!

Get the “wrong” people off of your bus!

Know your weaknesses & staff accordinglyLet your volunteers know what you need:

•You are not Super Man or Wonder Woman

•Volunteer Skill Set Survey

•When you utilize a volunteer’s gifts, they are motivated

Your Organization’s Economic Engine

What keeps your organization in business?

What do we do?

What are we the best at?

Where do we get our funding?

What do we do that is of monetary value to someone else?

How much of your day to day operations yield revenue?

Do we know our cash flow highs and lows and are we planning accordingly?

What we learned:•A strong student base was most important•A strong student base = a stronger donor base•Grants are great, but not something to rely on

Source: “Good To Great” by Jim Collins

Fundraising without really fundraising

Making your day to day operations pay off

What are you doing that is of monetary value? Are you charging for it?

What unique thing are you providing that your community needs?

Are you duplicating services?

What should you charge for what you do? Are you underselling organization?

Are you spending your time on what’s most important for your organization and what your organization is best at?

Sponsorships

Who are your community connections?

For which business do your members or volunteers work?

Do you know which donors work for businesses that do gift matching?

Do you have a sponsorship program?

How are your sponsors recognized?

In-Kind Support

• What are you paying for that someone might be willing to donate?

• What can you offer in exchange for the donation?

• Can you barter for

what you need with a business?

Don’t forget to give & give back!It pays off in the end!

Minor Gifts

They really add up!Small donations of $250 or less can add up.

•Do you have a process that makes it EASY for people to donate to your organization?

•Do you have members asking for donations?

•Do you do an annual sponsorship drive?

•Do you have a donation jar out at events? Or do you have a suggested donation for your events?

•Do you invite people to round up when you sell them something?

Pros & Cons of Minor Gifts

Cons:

More thank you notes

Sometimes more work spreading the word about a drive

More work reporting & bookkeeping

Pros:

Much more stable way to raise money

When a “minor gifter” decides not to give, your organization isn’t out a large sum

Minor Gifters tend to repeat their donations

What NOT to do when it comes to year around

fundraising

Fundraisers that are a lot of work and yield small profits (i.e. car washes, bake sales, etc.) *unless they are for a purpose other than fundraising or tied to another fundraiser

“Emergency” Fundraisers

Burn out your donors

Burn out your members with too many fundraisers

• PLAN Ahead!• Communicate your

fundraising plan to your members so they know what to expect

• Get buy in on additional fundraisers

• Combine little fundraisers with big fundraisers

• Keep other people involved• Train and Cheerlead!• Reassign

counterproductive people

• PLAN AHEAD!

Keeping Fundraising In Perspective

Resources

Books:

Good To Great by Jim Collins

Trial & Error, a little bit of crazy and a lot of determination