Nonprofits: Develop your case for support (CFS)...

It is simple, right...everyone in your community is willing to support your nonprofit (NP) mission?  The answer, is, most likely, "Yes, it is a great cause."   Are you feeling the disconnect between mission awareness and the donations yet?

Put your best image forward

Community support for your mission is cultivated through relationship-building, visibility, credibility and community involvement -- and that is the external part!  Work takes place internally as well, i.e., mission awareness, media strategy awareness and compliance, social media program...just to name a few.

Here is a great test. Pretend you aren't in the NP sector. Decide to make a cash donation to a local non-profit.  What is it you want to know about that organization -- where does the money go; are they mission faithful; are they top-heavy with administration; how are they successful; do they have community support; how many volunteers; who is on the board; how are they funded?

Now answer these questions for your own organization and you are well on your way to building your own case for support CFS).  You want each and every staff member, board member and volunteer to have a good understanding of your mission and CFS -- and be able to communicate it.  Developing it doesn't have to be tedious, long and boring -- as a matter of fact, your CFS shouldn't be take all that long to explain -- the verbal portion -- 5 mins. A print version is another story.  Your CFS is what positions your NP for grants, fundraising, donations and planned giving and most importantly, community support.

Developing a Case For Support...some thoughts

•  Begin with your mission statement. You may want to reevaluate it. Many donors decide to give based on how your mission matches his/her values. Demonstrate how your NP addresses specific needs in the community – make it real for the donor.
• Provide statistics on the success of your programs and show long-term benefits.
• Impress a sense of urgency or “call to action” and tell them why keeping your doors open is good for the community.
• Generate excitement. Use short sentences and paragraphs. Highlight important information with bullets and in boxes. Refine, refine, refine…until the passion and commitment that everyone in your organization brings to the table, shines in every sentence.

Best wishes,
Nonprofits add strength to the community.
Diana

Year-End Appeal Letter...now or never!

It's October, folks -- time to put your strategy for year-end and or holiday appeal letters in place and get them in the mail by mid-November.  A well-thought out, brief and meaningful appeal letter can help make the difference for you this year.    

You will want to put your organization's fingerprint on the letter.  What does that mean?  I like to think of it as the "fingerprints of success".  Tell donors about your achievements and success in terms of the successes of those you have helped.  A well-crafted letter will help your potential donors see (and feel) the results of your organization's commitment within your community.  You want them to understand the strength you bring to the community and make an investment decision to help your organization continue its successes. 

And remember, donor investment is all about relationships -- take care of yours!  Phone calls, tours of your organization, meetings with other "investors", all help build the relationship between you and your current or potential donors. 

Fired-Up Fundraising features a great article on how to create a request letter to get the maximum results. 
Here is a link to the article...     http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/fired-up-fundraising/top-10-ways-to-screw-up-your-year-end-fundraising-campaign/165486260134695 

I wish you great success! 
DCR

New DCR art website launched

Hello, it has been awhile.  I am happy to say my new art website, http://www.dcrdesign.us/, has launched.  The site features my greeting cards and art -- a dream and goal accomplished!  Many thanks to Rice Agency for their beautiful and thoughtful web design.  Please take a look at my new site and feel free to comment on this site -- I would love to hear from you.  Thank you for your patience -- I will return posting at this site with tips on nonprofit fundraising and marketing ideas.  Here's to you!  Diana

New posts coming....

Break
My apologies, I have taken a brief break from this blog to put time into the development of my new website and blog, both featuring DCRdesign artwork and greeting cards.  I plan to revisit this site in the near future and post ideas for nonprofit growth.  Please visit my personal expression blog, The Many Avenues of Truth at http://www.dcrtruth.blogspot.com/ if you would like to leave a comment or have questions.

Regards,
DCR

How are nonprofits funded?

The green, green grass of funding...

Nonprofits, just like their for-profit partners, require funds to continue operations.  

How do nonprofits raise money to fund their operations?  If they are competitive and progressive in the nonprofit sector, they have a variety of funding resources that are evaluated and prioritized annually.

Resources

Individuals
According to the June, 2009 news release from the Giving USA Foundation, charitable giving in the United States exceeded $300 billion for the second year in a row in 2008. Donations to charitable causes in the United States reached an estimated $307.65 billion in 2008, a 2 percent drop in current dollars over 2007.  The 2008 number is the first decline in giving in current dollars since 1987.

Federal, State and Local Governments - typically through grant applications in the areas of social services and healthcare

Public and Private Foundations - grant applications

Community/Family Foundations - relationships and grant applications
 
Corporations - relationships and grant applications

Federated Funds - i.e. United Way - grant applications

Special Events - donor support through dinners, walks, auctions, etc.

Annual Fund - annual (or more frequent) appeal to community members

Membership Campaign - annual appeal to community members

Capital Campaign - usually a multi-year campaign to raise funds for capital projects or a specific project/event

Faith Community - individual or group donor support through funds or in-kind investment

Product/Services Revenue - sales of services, items, products

Planned Giving - often a large donation at the time of death or an immediate large gift

Endowment Income - funds that produce interest that is used to support the organization

Each resource has its advantages and disadvantages to the organization in terms of cost effectiveness, record keeping, accessability, risk, process, guidelines, requirements for board involvement , mission focus and requirements for donor investment. 

To be successful, a nonprofit must be positioned accurately, particularly for the fundraising effort.  The organization will benefit by knowing its own strengths and weaknesses.   

Five Moneymakers in Nonprofit Fundraising

With this blog, DCRinsights, I am able to share my knowledge about fundraising, marketing, grant writing, strategic planning, organizational development and merger, leadership and governance in the nonprofit sector.  My background includes 10 years as senior executive management for two human services organizations, providing services to over 25,000 homeless and domestic violence victims annually. 

I am in the process of developing this site as a vehicle to help nonprofit organizations increase their sustainability, donations, community position and media visibility.  My company, DCR Design, a division of Rice Agency, features a department with a profit and non-profit business consulting focus.  I am looking forward to sharing my insights with members of nonprofit organizations.

Diana Campbell Rice

Upcoming Topics

• How are nonprofits funded?
• Develop a Direct Mail Campaign
• Develop Your Case for Support
• Develop a Membership Campaign
• Choose Your Board Members Wisely
• Create Special Events

Recommended Reading

• Please scoll to the bottom of the blog for reading suggestions