| January 2010 |
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In This Issue: Webinar: Getting Your Board Onboard with Fundraising - January 20 Motivating Board Members to Give First - Consultant Ruthellen Rubin Nonprofit of the Month: Nativity House Introducing GiftWorks Anywhere!
Getting Your Board Onboard With Fundraising
GiftWorks Offers Free Webinar to Kick Start Board Commitment for the New Year 
January 20th, 2010 Time: 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM EST The Subject: Boards today must look inward at their own productivity and responsibilities — it is not enough to commission strategic planning for the organization. One of their key responsibilities is to ensure the organization has the resources it needs to carry out its mission. In the social sector, it's all about fundraising. The Presenter: Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE, works with nonprofit executive directors, development directors, fundraising staff and board members to address short-term fundraising challenges and/or to design long-term strategies to build organizational capacity. Ruthellen is a member of the faculty of the Heyman Center for Fundraising and Philanthropy at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. SCPS faculty are internationally renowned leaders who bring academic and professional expertise to the classroom. Who Should Attend: This webinar is a terrific opportunity to get your board development committee, executive committee and staff together to collaborate and plan for success in 2010. Topics we'll cover:
Space is limited. Reserve your webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/607947561 System Requirements: PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista Macintosh(R)-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer Consultant's Corner:Success in Fundraising Starts with the Board of DirectorsBy Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFREThe last decade was characterized as a time of plenty in the charitable arena: plenty of good causes, plenty of organizations, plenty of government support, plenty of corporate and foundation money, and plenty of individual giving. Well, guess what? The party's over. Unquestionably, we are in the midst of a worrisome rebalancing and readjustment of charitable dollars. To succeed in this and the impending economic climate, nonprofits must renew their commitment to the basic fundamentals of fundraising. It starts with the board of directors. Make sure that your board members agree to adopt best practices with regard to their responsibilities. In the area of fundraising, this means that the board must ensure that the culture of philanthropy and the commitment to the case for support of the organization start in the boardroom. Before board members can turn to their loyal donors and new prospective donors, they must clearly and unequivocally demonstrate their own support of the organization. This has never been more important than it is right now. "The board must ensure that the culture of philanthropy and the commitment to the case for support of the organization start in the boardroom."Donations are down, government funding is tentative and foundations have less money. At the same time, the demand for services, scholarships, programs and advocacy is soaring. Funders are asking, "Is your organization a good investment for me?" Potential donors are asking organizations to demonstrate how they have planned to meet the needs of the community and simultaneously positioned themselves to survive possible funding cuts. It is vital for board members to publicly demonstrate their confidence in and financial support of their own organizations.Following are some tips for creating and maintaining the most valuable kind of board for your organization. 1. Board member giving One of the key responsibilities of every board member is to ensure sound resources and finances for the organization. That means the board is responsible for seeing to it that the organization has the funds to carry out its mission. Before board members can begin to fundraise externally, each must make a personal financial commitment. The old ideas — "I give my time, so I don't have to give my money," "I'm on a lot of boards, so I can't give much," "You should appreciate me for my good ideas ... that's enough" — are out. O-U-T ... out. Each and every board member must make a financial contribution annually that is personally significant and meaningful. 2. Annual board orientation No matter how mature, well-heeled or experienced your board is, there should be an Annual Board Orientation scheduled every single year. Ideally, this is when you bring in your new members, so everyone can start the year on equal footing. This is the time for a review of the responsibilities your organization has set forth for board members, reaffirmation of your board giving policy, agreement to a strategic fund development initiative and, above all, a recommitment to the mission of your organization. 3. Board expansion and diversification The dynamic nonprofit board enforces term limits, rotates leadership and actively recruits new members. Thereby the board enlarges its circle of influence, attracts new skill sets, expands funding sources and strengthens its organization. The responsibility for new-member recruitment must be shared by all. Each board member should be an ambassador for the organization and dedicate the time and energy to cultivating new members in much the same way you would cultivate a prospect for a major gift. 4. Contingency plan Every nonprofit organization, school, congregation and public benefit group should be actively rethinking its activities and creating contingency plans based on the new economic realities. Fiscal Management Associates and the Nonprofit Finance Fund offer tools, checklists, tips and a free webinar from their December 2008 event: The 2009 Nonprofit Economic Climate: Managing Through the Downturn. Take advantage of these free resources, and put these topics on your agenda for your next board meeting. "The elevator speech won't be enough in this environment."5. Board trainingBudget and plan for training sessions for your board members to continue to build the skills needed to create and articulate the case for support (the elevator speech won't be enough in this environment), and learn how to be strong ambassadors for your cause. Training will help them learn how best to support your organization's fundraising initiatives and ensure your development office has the resources and technology needed to succeed. Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE, is a consultant to nonprofit organizations specializing in fund development, technology and board training, and a professor of fundraising and philanthropy at New York University. GiftWorks Nonprofit of the Month:Nativity House, Tacoma, WA
 Tacoma's only daytime drop-in shelter for the homeless is Nativity House. Whether their guests need a meal, clothing, referrals to social services, or just a smile, the Nativity House staff members provide it. For thirty years, Nativity House has been driven by a mission to create trusting relationships and provide hope and guidance to challenge the homeless to improve their lives."With GiftWorks Volunteers software, we have been able to attract, schedule, and track the volunteers who are so important to our survival."
Deputy Director Cindy McNabb states: "We have been using GiftWorks since 2007. When Nativity House relocated to a new, much larger building in 2003, we were able to serve a greater number of guests, provide more meals (currently 80,000 per year), and in general be a safe, warm refuge during the day. However, the expanded services also came with an increased need for funding. After our conversion to GiftWorks, we found it much easier to manage and cultivate our donors' annual giving. Using GiftWorks, we have developed a very specific and direct method of contacting and customizing how we approach each donor. Using this method we have increased our individual donations and are reaching out to potential donors too."
"We have a large number of volunteers who donate a lot of time to Nativity House: cooking meals, sorting donations, talking and ministering to guests — volunteers are an important part of our mission. With GiftWorks Volunteers software, we have been able to attract, schedule, and track the volunteers who are so important to our survival." Some of the needs supporters respond to are: service hours; donations of hygienic supplies, clothing, and select food items such as coffee and eggs — especially in these hard economic times; attending the February Gala Auction or donating items to be sold. "Nativity House operates because our donors give," says McNabb. "Because they care, we are able to help so many who cannot help themselves. We are the hands that are guided by their hearts." "When we're asked 'What do you do? Are you a shelter?' the answer is: 'Yes, we are a shelter, but we are also so much more. We are a place of refuge, a place where you will be welcomed with a smile, a warm heart, and a come-as-you-are attitude. We are the only 'home' that many of our guests know." From its humble beginnings as a small store-front operation to the growing and vital institution that it is today, Nativity House is well deserving of selection as GiftWorks Nonprofit of the Month for January, 2010! To find out more, please visit www.nativityhouse.org or call (253) 779-9248. |
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