June 2008 Entries
They just stumbled into it. He was having lunch with a guy who mentioned his collection of classic photographs. As it turned out, this wasn't just any collection of photographs. It was a great collection of photographs--mostly black and white, mostly historical in nature, and mostly focused on celebrities. So what do you do with a bunch of black and white photographs? Well, in this case you can donate them. The photos represent real value. It seems there's a real demand out there for those old time photos. Black and white. Historical in nature. Even the mundane. A...
posted @ Monday, June 30, 2008 12:00 AM |
The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) invites church and other non-profit leaders and board members to attend one of ECFA’s four regional meetings in July and August 2008. These workshops will provide valuable information for non-profit leaders and will be led by experts in the evangelical field. The speakers include Michael Batts and Gregg Capin, partners in their CPA firms; Tom Brandon and Jim Pluymert, partners in their law firms; Tom McCallie, McClellan Foundation officer; Lauren Libby, COO of The Navigators; Wes Wilmer, author and development officer with Biola University; Corey Odden, ECFA vice president;...
posted @ Monday, June 30, 2008 12:00 AM |
When I mention that my work involves working with nonprofit organizations, many people often look confused and ask, "So how do they make money?" It's a rather common misconception that the term "nonprofit" equals "no profit". However, this is not the case at all. Nonprofits simply rely more on donors and their contributions rather than seeking their own profit. With these misconceptions, much less the IRS rules or dismal economic predictions, making a profit or being able to meet budget can be a challenge for many organizations. In recent years though, a change has come about that may be helpful to...
posted @ Thursday, June 26, 2008 12:00 AM |
Fundraising in New York, a one day philanthropy conference, recently addressed the issues direct mail fundraising causes. Here are some experts' tips for fundraising by direct mail.
Length of letter depends on audience
Potential donors prefer longer letters (4 pages)
Current donors want shorter letters (2 pages)
Give letters a customized feel
Do not make it blatantly obvious that the letter is an all-inclusive, generic mailing
For example, a study showed that donors responded more positively to an annual campaign letter that did not just address them as “Dear members”
Be real
For example, fundraising letters with a real cloth ribbon received better responses than letters...
posted @ Wednesday, June 25, 2008 12:00 AM |
Summer is now in full swing. Life is busy yet not without fun. So what's going on at Christian Foundation Grants (CFG)? It's time for summer updates. We take pride in keeping our database filled with the most current information, such as sample grants and new foundations, in order to help you in your search for grants for your organization.
In our updates, one of the features we keep most current are "sample grants." Each of the foundations in our database files a Form 990 and we go through these 990's to determine what types of organizations they support. From there,...
posted @ Tuesday, June 24, 2008 12:00 AM |
The timeshare industry is booming. Across the country, there are 6 million timeshare owners. Some estimate the industry is growing by 20% per year. And why not?
Despite the recent decline in the real estate market, the cost of owning and maintaining a vacation home is simply out of reach for many. Even if a family could afford a vacation home, many would not want to swallow the entire elephant of the ongoing maintenance costs. A timeshare represents a good alternative. You can effectively buy time at a place where you want to vacation at a fraction of the cost. You...
posted @ Sunday, June 22, 2008 12:00 AM |
Maria Sue, Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest adopted daughter, tragically died recently. In response to this tragic incident many fervent prayers and generous donations have been poured out. Within two weeks after his daughter's death, over $310,000 had been given to the Maria's Miracle Fund. The fund is part of Shaohannah's Hope, an orphan care and adoption ministry started by the Chapman family. The ministry gives grants to help Christian couples seeking to adopt.
The Chapmans will be meeting with the ministry's board of directors to decide how to use this generous flood of donations. Scott Hasenbalg, the ministry's executive director, said, "We are...
posted @ Friday, June 20, 2008 12:00 AM |
A recent survey by Dunham & Co. revealed that nearly half of the Christian adults in the United States have reduced their charitable giving because of the economy’s decline, in particular, due to the rise of food and gasoline prices.
The people who most feel the economic pinch are those who are the most supportive of charitable organizations – those over 55 years of age.
The survey found that frequent church attendees are less likely to let the economy decrease their giving, while those who rarely attend church are more likely to let the economy affect their giving.
Even though families with larger...
posted @ Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:00 AM |
Joy Skjegstad is a grantwriter with 20 years of experience who has a heart for the part that Christian organizations play in their communities, and she wants to see them flourish. She has worked with hundreds of ministry organizations in her career, and has found that nonprofit ministries are generally less knowledgeable than their secular counterparts in “discerning which grant funding to seek, understanding how to build relationships with funders, and putting together proposals.” In her book, Winning Grants to Strengthen Your Ministry, Skjegstad clears some of the fog for Christian organizations so that they can partner with like-minded donors...
posted @ Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:00 AM |
Recently, there was an article published about wealthy online donors. These donors were grouped into three categories: “All Business,” “Casual Connectors,” and “Relationship Seekers.” While these donors do give online, they are rarely impressed with charity websites and their email communication. These donors have many expectations and suggestions about how charities can improve their online presentation.
Wealthy online donors want these items from the charities they support:
A year-end tax summary
A report on the projects their donation supported
A renewal option
The ability to control...
posted @ Tuesday, June 17, 2008 12:00 AM |
A recent issue of the Chronicle on Philanthropy (April 3, 2008) noted the changing world of fundraising. This changing world demands attention from ministries all across the spectrum.
Traditionally, ministry organizations have relied upon direct mail as a primary means of support. But direct mail is declining. Michael Hoffman of See3, a non profit consulting firm says, “Direct mail is on life support.”
In 2007, a survey of 72 of the nation’s largest charities found that there was 6.2% drop in the response rate by donors. This was on top of a 10.4% drop in 2006. What accounts for this drop...
posted @ Monday, June 16, 2008 12:00 AM |
The June 12, 2008 issue of Newsweek reports on the coming charity crisis.
There is little doubt that the United States economy is struggling. Many sectors of the US economy are down: housing, banking, construction, finance. It all creates a ripple effect. Unfortunately, as Newsweek reports, many view charity as a luxury. The check to charity is what many do when the bills are paid.
For charities like the Salvation Army that rely upon the middle class as their key donors, they face particular difficulties. Rising gas prices are particularly hitting the middle class. This leaves them with less to give,...
posted @ Saturday, June 14, 2008 12:00 AM |
Wealthy donors are actually quite active online, writes Joanne Fritz in analysis of a study by Convio, Sea Change Strategies and Edge Research. These three companies studied individuals who make four-figure or higher annual donations to charities. Of these donors, 25% percent of them have salaries over $200,000, while 50% of them have salaries over $100,000. There are three groups that these donors fall into: “relationship seekers,” “casual connectors,” and “all business.”
The “relationship seekers” want to connect emotionally with your organization online. They are the youngest group of wealthy online donors with 42% of them being in between the ages...
posted @ Friday, June 13, 2008 12:00 AM |
In a recent article, the Nonprofit World listed 25 ways to reduce costs. Here are 10 of those suggestions.
1) Utilize the Board of Directors. Not only should your board help raise and save money, but they should approach their own contacts to find more donors and sponsors for your organization.
2) Talk to Local Businesses. Approach area businesses and ask to include your fundraising requests in their mailings.
3) Re-evaluate Your Paper. Up to 30% of your mailing cost is due to your paper. Buy inexpensive paper with a lower weight to reduce postage costs. Explain to your donors that you...
posted @ Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:00 AM |
When you’re creating a campaign, a feasibility study will tell you the funds you’re likely to raise and how long it may take. A good study will address these issues and will bring to your attention ways that your organization’s success can be maximized.
First, your study should address the issues of how supporters view your vision, a way to ensure that everyone agrees on that vision, what supporters see as being your organization’s strengths and weaknesses, and the best way to highlight your strengths and face the weaknesses. What are the best methods of marketing your mission to...
posted @ Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:00 AM |
When raising online funds, you should keep in mind that maintaining a blog is a vital part of your efforts. Here are nine ideas on writing a successful blog.
1) Read other blogs. In order to write meaningful blogs, you must understand the current issues in the non-profit sector. A feed aggregator is a useful tool which reads the blogs you specify and displays all the updated content in one browser screen. Bloglines (www.bloglines.com) and Google Reader are common aggregators.
2) Blog daily. A steady reader base is formed by consistent blogging. Mix articles about issues that affect your organization with...
posted @ Tuesday, June 10, 2008 12:00 AM |
In order to receive a grant from a Christian foundation, the essential element is a clear message.
A clear message means that you have a clear mission, vision and objectives. I like for mission and vision statements to be 20 words or less. The vision statement ideally should have "jazz"--it should elements of transformation. In other words, why will the world be different because of the work of your ministry. There are many complicated versions of what a vision statement should be, but I describe it simply as "what only God can do."
A mission statement on the other hand is...
posted @ Sunday, June 08, 2008 12:00 AM |
Information taken from PINC Giving blog
In a world that continues to increase in its love and dependence on online technology, it is important for nonprofits to use these resources. With many social networking sites, blogs, vlogs, and personal webpages, your opportunities are close to limitless.
The most important part of tapping into this online world is the viral quality of the web. By “word-of-mouth” through forwarding an email, sending a video, or posting a blog there is potential for exponential growth in those who become interested in your ministry.
Many successful events and campaigns have been organized online. However, Nicco Mele, who...
posted @ Friday, June 06, 2008 12:00 AM |
When people think of foundations, they think of them as grantmaking organizations. This article will address the different foundation types.
Generally, a grantmaking foundation is what is known as a private foundation. A private foundation typically is established by a single family or a company. It sets up its own corporate status and establishes its own tax exempt status before the Internal Revenue Service. As such, it also establishes its guidelines for making grants. Those guidelines may be written down and very firm. On the other hand, I've seen some foundations who have a "we know it [what we want to...
posted @ Friday, June 06, 2008 12:00 AM |
There are many donors and resources for foundations to utilize, but what will compel those people to give? Sometimes, it comes down to the simplest things. People want to hear your story, to hear about tiny miracles, to get a sense of your passion. It is one thing to provide statistics, but often the connecting point for donors are those small stories.
The David and Lucille Packard Foundation conducted a survey to see how much individuals knew about the foundations serving in their community. The general result was that these foundations were “little known among key players in the efforts they...
posted @ Thursday, June 05, 2008 12:00 AM |
Fifty-four percent of Americans believe “the United States rates unfavorably in the eyes of the world,” or so a recent Gallup poll revealed. While we are so often told to think that the rest of the world views us negatively, the facts tell a different story: Americans are generous and a sizeable portion of that charitable giving is influenced by the private (often religious) sector.
The Index of Global Philanthropy states that in 2006 (the latest year information was available), the United States government gave $23.5 billion to developing countries. When combined with all funds, both public and private, the United...
posted @ Wednesday, June 04, 2008 12:00 AM |
How do you find a Christian foundation that will support your work?
There are over 80,000 foundations in the country today. Some of them do not accept applications. They give only to those organizations which they choose to support. Generally, the only way an organization might receive a grant from one of these foundations is if you know someone on their board.
For those that do accept applications, the majority of those foundations do not identify themselves as Christian or as supporting Christian organizations. The fact that they do not identify themselves as Christian, however, does not mean that a Christian...
posted @ Monday, June 02, 2008 12:00 AM |