Association of Fundraising Professionals
WASHINGTON CHAPTER
WASHINGTON STATE MEMBER E-NEWS UPDATE:
Fall 2005 edition
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Table of Contents
- From the Desk of the President
- National Philanthropy Day, November 17: Celebrate Your Star Volunteers!
- The Hot Tip - AFP WA´s Monthly Fundraising Strategy
- Capital Campaign Pledge Payoff Act: Public Policy Update - Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005
- AFP Focus on Diversity: Expanding the Circle
- Annual Economic and Philanthropic Trends Luncheon: Thursday, Dec 1
- Need a Job? Need an Employee? We Can Make it Easier.
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From the Desk of the President
, CFRE
So what has your AFP membership brought you this month? Cutting edge major gift training, the latest in technology and fundraising that no development office can be without, fresh off the press news on the latest legislation that increases tax benefits for your donors between now and Dec. 31, the latest on PLUMS, and a built-in event to help you steward your donors and volunteers -- National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 17.
The season of Thanksgiving -- Remember the heart of what your donors care about
While the end of the year is always an intense time for fundraisers, these days it is even more important to keep yourself updated on the latest trends and issues affecting your donors as well as to stay in touch with the heart of your mission -- which is what your donors want to know about. I recently witnessed a donor who wanted to give significantly to three of his favorite causes. He asked all three to tell them where they were going, what they needed to get there. The two with seasoned development officers handed him a pledge card and an annual report. The one without a professional development officer took a week to collect their dreams and goals and then returned to meet with the donor. You can guess the end of the story: the donor funded the one with vision with a generous 10 year pledge, and to the others, checked off a modest annual giving level on the pledge card he had been handed.
Moral of the story: techniques make us efficient -- our heart makes us powerful. Your membership in AFP is designed to give you the latest information as well as community of professional fundraisers to keep you in touch with your own values and dreams.
A tool for you
I encourage you to use National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 17 as an integral part of your stewardship program. Keeping donors connected and our volunteers inspired is a challenge all of us have. This year, we are reinstating the Community Stars program that offers you the chance to recognize your donors in front of the community. Our goal is for National Philanthropy Day to became an integral part of every non-profit calendar and a time we bring together a diverse array of volunteers, donors and leaders to celebrate the power and potential of the non-profit sector.
Colliding Trends & PLUMS
Next month I will share with you the latest trends from the International Fundraising Congress held every October in Amsterdam (I encourage you to subscribe to the global newsletter of the International Resource Alliance. For now I will leave you with two opposing trends colliding into each other that every fundraiser needs to think about: 1) People are becoming more and more individualized - you can´t typecast or group people based on old stereotypes. You must get to know them - what they care about and what they value. 2) While people are becoming individualized, technology is going the other way - everything is coming together. Our donors will soon have one point of technology, such as their phone, that will control all forms of communication in a very personal way. To access our donors, they will need to allow us to access their personal technology - and they will only let us in if they know and trust us. Those who are successful in developing synergistic relationships with individuals in the future are those development professionals that stop letting techniques override their focus on PLUM: People Like U and Me. PLUMS don´t want to just be considered pots of money - they want to do more. And people who do more for your organization give an average of 20% more. PLUMS will judge our non-profit organizations by the recognition and stewardship they receive…especially around loyalty. If you don´t, they will go somewhere else.
More next month on international trends in major gifts that will affect all of us. For now, I look forward to seeing you on Nov. 17 and encourage you to get as much value as possible from your AFP membership. Check your new AFP WA website for information on the following:
- TECHNOLOGY: Nov. 9 & 10: e-philanthropy workshop
- CELEBRATION: Nov. 17: National Philanthropy Day
- TRENDS & COMMUNITY: Dec. 1: The latest Economic and Giving Trends
- WHAT WORKS: Jan. 27, 2006: Back by popular demand, the sold-out Penelope Burk, Donor Centered Workshop.
Best wishes for a prosperous holiday season. Please don´t hesitate to contact me with ideas and thoughts about 2006 programming and membership needs.
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National Philanthropy Day, November 17: Celebrate Your Star Volunteers!
This year, as we welcome you to National Philanthropy Day, we also invite you to recognize the contributions of your most important supporters. You know who they are: maybe it is an unsung hero, a board member, or a superlative donor. Invite them to National Philanthropy Day and honor them with our *Stars* program.
Finding creative ways to recognize our volunteers and donors for their invaluable contributions to our philanthropic community is important to all of us.
You can accomplish this in a very public way by recognizing your outstanding volunteers as *Stars* at this year´s National Philanthropy Day luncheon. Invite them to sit with you at the event, and honor them for only an additional $10 per ticket (tickets are $65). As a *Star*, your volunteer will:
- Be recognized in the program next to your organization´s name
- Have their name scroll on the screen during the luncheon
- Receive a commemorative gift as an ongoing reminder of how much their commitment to your organization is appreciated
Sound good? Here´s how it works!
- Fill out the Stars information on the RSVP card in the invitation you recently received
- If you did not receive an invitation, go to the home page of this website and download the RSVP form
- If you already sent in your RSVP form and want to add a Star, email us or call (206) 367-8704
Take us up on the offer; we´d love the chance to recognize the "Stars" of your organization, and to provide visibility for you!
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The Hot Tip - AFP WA´s Monthly Fundraising Strategy
Keeping In Touch...We all know that staying in touch with our donors is the most important way to keep them engaged. Even in this age of electronic communication, the most common way nonprofits keep donors informed are through printed newsletters. But how do you overcome the challenges of limited staff time to create a publication, and limited donor time to read it?
Keep it simple! Donors want to hear how their money is being spent, and are basically curious about your organization. There are a few simple steps to follow in thinking about sending newsletters that are quick to create and easy for donors to read.
- Keep it simple - Your print newsletter does not have to be fancy. A simple, single page update designed on common software like MS Publisher, and produced in-house on a photocopier can save weeks in production time. It can also convey frugality. In Donor Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk warns that "perceived cost leaves a negative impression that can overshadow content."
- Keep it short - A two page newsletter, on the front and back of a letter page can convey as much information as a donor has time to read. Burk found that 68% of donors "would prefer to receive a short one-page bulletin" If you keep it short, you´ll not only save staff time and cost, but your donors will appreciate the length, and will be more likely to read the information you have sent.
- Keep it targeted - If you have a donor club, or if your constituents are making designated gifts, consider making a short newsletter solely for such a program. It will keep the donors informed about what they are most interested in, and also make them feel special.
- Keep it in the format they want - Know your audience. If your donors belong to a giving club, and expect to receive a glossy, high production newsletter that you´ve already promised, make sure to meet their expectations. If you are not sure if your donors will respond to a shorter newsletter, then ask their advice. Pick up the phone and call a sample of loyal donors. Then call a few donors that have been less involved. Ask them what they have time to read, what they like and dislike about the current communication, and what they are most interested in. Take good notes.
So, if you are struggling with producing a major newsletter, let yourself off the hook. The key to keeping in touch can be as easy as keeping it simple.
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Capital Campaign Pledge Payoff Act: Public Policy Update - Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005
, CFRE
You may have heard that legislation was passed recently to encourage CASH gifts to organizations providing relief to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. This legislation also encourages Americans to support to other charities by temporarily suspending -- through December 31, 2005 -- the 50% deduction limit of the donor´s adjusted gross income (AGI). The law makes no change in the tax treatment of gifts of stocks, bonds or other property.
In general, the legislation is very beneficial for high net-worth individuals. If you have donors that are saying, "I am all tapped out on how much I can deduct this year," urge them to contact their tax advisors to determine if they can benefit from this unique window of opportunity. Some donors may be able to accelerate their capital campaign pledge payments or make gifts from their retirement accounts without adverse tax consequences. The Chronicle of Philanthropy quoted a planned giving consultant who dubbed the temporary tax break "The Capital Campaign Pledge Payoff Act of 2005."
Additional information, including examples, can be found at Robert Sharpe´s website:
Learn more by reading this article by Frank Minton, President of Planned Giving Services, written for The Seattle Foundation.
Read The New York Times article "In Hurricane Tax Package, a Boon for Wealthy Donors."
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AFP Focus on Diversity: Expanding the Circle
On October 12th, over 50 people gathered for the People of Color in Philanthropy´s (PoCP) second annual "Expanding the Circle" event. The purpose of the event was to engage more people of color in the local philanthropic field. A panel of local leaders in philanthropy shared their experiences and insights with the audience. Panelists addressed jobs in fund development, grant making, and other areas of philanthropy.
The panel included Vaughnetta Barton of Philanthropy Northwest, Michael Brown of the Seattle Foundation, Chantel Walker of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, and Ray Li of the Northwest Development Officers Association. Panelists emphasized that philanthropy is a "passion job" and that many organizations are looking for applicants with a strong understanding of local community issues, with prior nonprofit experience, and with strong analytical skills. The panelists agreed that increasing diversity in nonprofit organizations and foundations is essential to guarantee well-informed and appropriate decisions affecting communities of color.
Audience members ranged from new job seekers and potential employers to active community members who were interested in learning more about the PoCP network. "Expanding the Circle" is one of two events hosted by the PoCP each year - a "Meet the Funders" event is also held annually to connect grantmakers and grantseekers in the Seattle area.
The People of Color in Philanthropy network seeks to promote racial equity and social justice for communities of color through philanthropy. Core members are people of color who are staff, members, or trustees of funding organizations in Washington State. Quarterly meetings and public activities are open to all people of color interested in philanthropy who support our mission. For more information on the network, please contact at Social Justice Fund Northwest.
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Annual Economic and Philanthropic Trends Luncheon: Thursday, December 1
, CFRE
Your AFP Washington Chapter presents its annual meeting at the Rainier Club featuring Steve Rhone, CEO of Wentworth, Hauser and Violich Investment Counsel and Carol Lewis, CEO of Philanthropy Northwest.
Mr. Rhone will share his insights on the U.S. and regional economy, and how it might affect the nonprofit industry in the year ahead. During his presentation, Steve will focus on the three key drivers for the coming year. He will also address how nonprofits may be impacted, and what you can do to maximize your fundraising opportunities.
Ms. Lewis will offer a sneak preview of new research on Northwest donors. She will discuss actual giving patterns and trend from 2004, and share her thoughts on what lies ahead. Carol will also probe how development professionals can make the most of relationships with local and regional donors.
Register for this event on our site today.
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Need a Job? Need an Employee? We Can Make it Easier.
AFP Web Team
Attention job-seekers and employers! Get results with openings posted online in our new job section. AFP is the connection between Washington’s finest fundraisers. Latest postings include: NPower, Director of Development; Women’s Funding Alliance, Associate Director, Annual Fund; Ballard Food Bank, Executive Director.