Laura's Blog
Laura's Blog
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Articles (2 articles)
- In February of 2007 I had the privilege of writing an article for the local newspaper highlighting the plight of the homeless and the struggle society has in responding and understanding. Fieldstone Alliance has put out some great articles together for nonprofits including Four Key Financial Reports that you can use. Samples of the reports are included in the article!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 @ 10:54:00 AM - 0 comments
I remember 9/11 when trucks poured onto the island filled with supplies from all over America. Most of what was inside was useless to meet the needs of the victims at Ground Zero. How did this happen? Pretty easily. People NEED to help so they fill up trucks and drive them. Did anyone ask? Nope. They just came anyway. This doesn't help. Or is that not obvious? Turns out it happens in every disaster. Check out Nancy Gibbs' advice in a recent time article.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1963749,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1963749,00.html
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 8:28:00 AM - Written by Laura Cootsona - 0 comments
The bottom line is there is a place for everyone in fundraising. Your leaders are all around you. Your team is the volunteer who answers the phone (first impressions are critical), the board member who is a Rotarian, your office manager who inputs your data. I guess my perspective could be considered skewed. The way I see it: everyone is a fundraiser. Everyone can tell your story and invite people by their example and their hard work to be a part of the vitality of the service you provide.
Now, having said that there potentially is a place for everyone, it is critical to recognize that most people will not agree with you nor will they feel qualified to help in the process of fundraising. So, the answer: proper selection, placement and training. Like any volunteer (or employed) labor, they don't come out of a box with the credentials they need. They may have a willing heart, but they need to have the right place in your system and the appropriate training to be effective. Part of the champion's job is to determine the variety of ways someone can be involved and the needed skills to be helpful.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 @ 4:40:00 PM - 0 comments
A great post from the Chronicle of Philanthropy...
April 28, 2009
Keep Dire Talk Out of Fund-Raising Letters
As the recession continues to squeeze donations to nonprofit organizations, fund raisers are feeling increased pressure to refer to their economic hardships in their written appeals to donors.
But is it really a smart idea to mention the recession in fundraising letters?
Two prominent direct mail fund raising experts answer that question with a resounding "no".
"I strongly recommend that you do not complain about how hard the recession is impacting your organization," said Mal Warwick, a consultant and author of the new book Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future.
Instead, Mr. Warwick told participants in today's Chronicle live discussion on direct mail appeals to focus their letters on what they're doing to adapt to the tough times.
"Tell your donors what steps you're taking to tighten your operations, trim costs, and deliver services even more efficiently to your beneficiaries," he said. "Tell them how much further their gifts will go now. And make sure they know that 'the need' doesn't simply continue but is more urgently and more widely needed than ever."
Groups that are facing large financial deficits should also resist the urge to cry poor, says Brenda Helget, program manager for annual giving and communications at Methodist Hospital Foundation, in Omaha.
Ms. Helget says telling donors about a financial deficit doesn't encourage them to give. It sends up a red flag that their donation might be going to support a group that isn't fiscally sound.
"Use emotion," she said. "Make it heartwarming-- numbers and statistics aren't heartwarming."
For more advice from Mr. Warwick and Ms. Helget on direct-mail strategies, read the transcript of the live discussion.
--Peter Panepento
April 28, 2009
Keep Dire Talk Out of Fund-Raising Letters
As the recession continues to squeeze donations to nonprofit organizations, fund raisers are feeling increased pressure to refer to their economic hardships in their written appeals to donors.
But is it really a smart idea to mention the recession in fundraising letters?
Two prominent direct mail fund raising experts answer that question with a resounding "no".
"I strongly recommend that you do not complain about how hard the recession is impacting your organization," said Mal Warwick, a consultant and author of the new book Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future.
Instead, Mr. Warwick told participants in today's Chronicle live discussion on direct mail appeals to focus their letters on what they're doing to adapt to the tough times.
"Tell your donors what steps you're taking to tighten your operations, trim costs, and deliver services even more efficiently to your beneficiaries," he said. "Tell them how much further their gifts will go now. And make sure they know that 'the need' doesn't simply continue but is more urgently and more widely needed than ever."
Groups that are facing large financial deficits should also resist the urge to cry poor, says Brenda Helget, program manager for annual giving and communications at Methodist Hospital Foundation, in Omaha.
Ms. Helget says telling donors about a financial deficit doesn't encourage them to give. It sends up a red flag that their donation might be going to support a group that isn't fiscally sound.
"Use emotion," she said. "Make it heartwarming-- numbers and statistics aren't heartwarming."
For more advice from Mr. Warwick and Ms. Helget on direct-mail strategies, read the transcript of the live discussion.
--Peter Panepento
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 @ 10:54:00 AM - Written by Laura Cootsona - 0 comments
This is the oldest fundraising adage out there. Yesterday's Chronicle of Philanthropy referenced a study about giving in the recession. Conducted in January by Cygnus Applied Research, the survey polled 17,365 people who had given in the past to charity. The respondents donated an average of $11,490 last year. These studies are fascinating as they appeal to our desire for tea leaves. Our desire to have a crystal ball and look ahead.
You should check out the post on their site for the full article (http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=7442), but be aware that there is still glimmers of hope.
Turns out that people keep giving to people in economic hard times.
While a recession may not seem like the ideal time to seek out new donors, many people in the survey (42.5 percent) said they would give to a charity they had not supported in the past if someone they knew was seeking the gift. Many donors (40.3 percent) said they were also willing to give for the first time if the charity was working directly to help people hurt by the recession.
Turns out that generous people stick with people they trust to give to truly hurting people. This gives me hope and reminds me to stick with relational fundraising. It is all about the people.
You should check out the post on their site for the full article (http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=7442), but be aware that there is still glimmers of hope.
Turns out that people keep giving to people in economic hard times.
While a recession may not seem like the ideal time to seek out new donors, many people in the survey (42.5 percent) said they would give to a charity they had not supported in the past if someone they knew was seeking the gift. Many donors (40.3 percent) said they were also willing to give for the first time if the charity was working directly to help people hurt by the recession.
Turns out that generous people stick with people they trust to give to truly hurting people. This gives me hope and reminds me to stick with relational fundraising. It is all about the people.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 @ 12:50:00 PM - Written by Laura Cootsona - 1 comments
Here is a common dilemma. The board meets for their monthly meeting and comes up with one more great idea. Or, the executive director and his trusted friend step into the conference room for a quick check-in. The result: another new idea. No problem. We'll just add it on to the list of other projects we have too little time, money, or staff to implement. What is a person to do?
Sound familiar. Oh ya.
We typically look around the room and try to rest our spinner on one of the staff or board already assigned to 16 other tasks. Instead, why don't we turn around 180 degrees and point outside? We might just locate the person to champion that new idea or test it or kill it. Even better, why don't we see if there is another organization, team, or committee that might use their expertise to combine with our enthusiasm?
Here's a tangible example. An organization wants to take their expertise and put it into the classroom. The organization with the expertise has no talent in writing curriculum. Now what? Let's find another group, maybe at our local university, to take on the transfer of knowledge to learning tool.
A collaboration is born.