Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Way to go, Google!
Recognizing the impact of a slow economy on charities, Google is donating $20 million to help!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Three Great Fundraising Resources
When asked, "What three books/resources would you recommend to a "nonprofit program manager" transitioning into fund development with an emphasis on individual giving?" Lawson Knight, Executive Director of the Blue Mountain Community Foundation answered, "Three books I have found quite helpful include:
- The Artful Journey by William Sturtevant. Very practical book on the nuts and bolts of major gift fundraising.
- Donor Centered Fundraising by Penelope Burk. Outstanding empircal data about donor behavior that makes it very clear how to develop and retain donors.
- Asking by Jerold Panas. It hass been my experience that my colleagues that transition from program work and/or grantwriting have the most difficulty "making the ask" required of major gift fundrasing for individuals. Panas is a real luminary and provides great counsel in this classic.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
What makes a philanthropist?
phi⋅lan⋅thro⋅py (noun)
According to Giving USA Foundation, 82 percent of charitable giving comes from individuals - people like us who want to make a difference.
Whether we give $10 or $10,000 - whether we donate our time, ideas and leadership, household goods and/or clothing - we are philanthropists in the purest sense. We show "altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement."
As we all weather the storm of a struggling economy, we can still be proactive in giving. Think about what is important to you and how you choose to give. Make a plan and keep track.
Even though I have a plan for my personal giving, for the first time in years I was able to donate just $50 to my favorite charity at their annual fund-raising event. I've donated clothing and household items throughout the year, but cash is tight right now - as it is for many. But nonprofits are generally good at stretching their resources. While my $50 may not be much, I know it will go far. It will be added to the other $50, $100, $1,000 gifts to amount to something bigger. And it will help my favorite charity in ways I cannot even imagine.
Do you have ideas about creative ways to donate? Share them here or email me at kate@donatewise.com
- altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
According to Giving USA Foundation, 82 percent of charitable giving comes from individuals - people like us who want to make a difference. Whether we give $10 or $10,000 - whether we donate our time, ideas and leadership, household goods and/or clothing - we are philanthropists in the purest sense. We show "altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement."
As we all weather the storm of a struggling economy, we can still be proactive in giving. Think about what is important to you and how you choose to give. Make a plan and keep track.
Even though I have a plan for my personal giving, for the first time in years I was able to donate just $50 to my favorite charity at their annual fund-raising event. I've donated clothing and household items throughout the year, but cash is tight right now - as it is for many. But nonprofits are generally good at stretching their resources. While my $50 may not be much, I know it will go far. It will be added to the other $50, $100, $1,000 gifts to amount to something bigger. And it will help my favorite charity in ways I cannot even imagine.
Do you have ideas about creative ways to donate? Share them here or email me at kate@donatewise.com
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Leadership in Action
Last week, I attended the YWCA of Walla Walla's Leadership Luncheon. The board of directors, staff and volunteers do a wonderful job putting together this annual fund-raising event. A delicious lunch in a beautiful place, coupled with a well-planned program, a touching "heartstrings" moment all help make the case each year to guests to support the YWCA - whose primary programs are domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and recovery. The keynote speaker, Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, spoke about women in leadership roles and redefining what we collectively think of as leaders. The event was thoughtfully planned and graciously delivered, as it is every year.
But what struck me this year was something I am not sure could have been entirely planned. It was a connection - the kind that all nonprofit fund raisers dream of. It was a connection between people and among them. I felt as though I was not sitting in a room with nearly 500 people hearing a story of survival, but rather sitting at my mom's kitchen table. It was a real connection that, after speaking with several people also in attendance, I know others experienced too.
As a last-minute change to the program, Executive Director Anne-Marie Zell Schwerin addressed the room full of people with a rarely-heard update about a former YWCA client and her family. The week before, Anne-Marie had been approached by a graceful young woman, asking if Anne-Marie recognized her, remembered her mother or her brother. As Anne-Marie began the story, I knew immediately who she was talking about and tears welled in my eyes.
They came to the YWCA more than a decade ago, literally running for their lives. And I was there.
In 1998, I was the Assistant Director of the YWCA of Walla Walla, writing grants, designing newsletters and event materials, putting together presentations - basically, a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Growing up, my mother was a domestic violence advocate, so while I'm not a direct victim of abuse I have seen first-hand the effects of abuse on women and their children. And while working at the YWCA was a natural fit for me, it never got any easier to see new faces come through the front door.
I remember when this particular family arrived and I remember their circumstances as if it were just last week. The whole family was terrorized. They had all suffered abuse at levels that no one should even have to imagine. Death threats and unrelenting violence kept them from leaving until one day they simply "vanished" - never to return to the only home they'd ever known. The son was so badly damaged at the hands of his father that his own mother feared how, or if, he would grow up. The little boy's face suddenly appeared in my mind - I remembered his dark eyes and how hard it was for him to smile.
As Anne-Marie continued the story, I looked around the room to see if what I was feeling was just because I remember the family's faces or it was something more. And it was definitely something more. It was palpable.
"The family stayed at the YWCA longer than most - they were in hiding in a place no one would ever think to look. When they finally moved into transitional housing, they continued to stay involved with the YWCA support groups." The room was absolutely silent.
"The mother remarried a few years ago to a wonderful man. Her daughter has grown into a beautiful and kind young woman and is now enrolling in college." All eyes were on Anne-Marie.
"The son, who was at one time a severe risk of violence, is now finishing high school and has continued therapy, becoming a kind and gentle young man." No one moved - even with plates of food right in front of us, the entire room was completely motionless.
In that moment, we all - all 450 of us - knew we were making a difference by supporting a cause that meant something to us. We had a connection - to the story and to each other. Following up with Anne-Marie after the luncheon, she said she felt it too.
While my experience was also a personal one, and I may have had a more direct connection to the family in the story, I knew in that moment that I was one part of the solution for that family and for the YWCA. I loved that I was part of that group of people in that room at that moment, hearing that story. Realizing just how important it is to support causes that touch us.
What's your moment? Share it here or email kate@donatewise.com.
Manage your donations online - FREE!
But what struck me this year was something I am not sure could have been entirely planned. It was a connection - the kind that all nonprofit fund raisers dream of. It was a connection between people and among them. I felt as though I was not sitting in a room with nearly 500 people hearing a story of survival, but rather sitting at my mom's kitchen table. It was a real connection that, after speaking with several people also in attendance, I know others experienced too.
As a last-minute change to the program, Executive Director Anne-Marie Zell Schwerin addressed the room full of people with a rarely-heard update about a former YWCA client and her family. The week before, Anne-Marie had been approached by a graceful young woman, asking if Anne-Marie recognized her, remembered her mother or her brother. As Anne-Marie began the story, I knew immediately who she was talking about and tears welled in my eyes.
They came to the YWCA more than a decade ago, literally running for their lives. And I was there.
In 1998, I was the Assistant Director of the YWCA of Walla Walla, writing grants, designing newsletters and event materials, putting together presentations - basically, a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Growing up, my mother was a domestic violence advocate, so while I'm not a direct victim of abuse I have seen first-hand the effects of abuse on women and their children. And while working at the YWCA was a natural fit for me, it never got any easier to see new faces come through the front door.
I remember when this particular family arrived and I remember their circumstances as if it were just last week. The whole family was terrorized. They had all suffered abuse at levels that no one should even have to imagine. Death threats and unrelenting violence kept them from leaving until one day they simply "vanished" - never to return to the only home they'd ever known. The son was so badly damaged at the hands of his father that his own mother feared how, or if, he would grow up. The little boy's face suddenly appeared in my mind - I remembered his dark eyes and how hard it was for him to smile.
As Anne-Marie continued the story, I looked around the room to see if what I was feeling was just because I remember the family's faces or it was something more. And it was definitely something more. It was palpable.
"The family stayed at the YWCA longer than most - they were in hiding in a place no one would ever think to look. When they finally moved into transitional housing, they continued to stay involved with the YWCA support groups." The room was absolutely silent.
"The mother remarried a few years ago to a wonderful man. Her daughter has grown into a beautiful and kind young woman and is now enrolling in college." All eyes were on Anne-Marie.
"The son, who was at one time a severe risk of violence, is now finishing high school and has continued therapy, becoming a kind and gentle young man." No one moved - even with plates of food right in front of us, the entire room was completely motionless.
In that moment, we all - all 450 of us - knew we were making a difference by supporting a cause that meant something to us. We had a connection - to the story and to each other. Following up with Anne-Marie after the luncheon, she said she felt it too.
While my experience was also a personal one, and I may have had a more direct connection to the family in the story, I knew in that moment that I was one part of the solution for that family and for the YWCA. I loved that I was part of that group of people in that room at that moment, hearing that story. Realizing just how important it is to support causes that touch us.
What's your moment? Share it here or email kate@donatewise.com.
Manage your donations online - FREE!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
When Giving Gets Tough
Why is it so important to think about where your donations go? Especially when the economy is struggling? The answer is simple: Need goes up, while what we have to give decreases.
According to the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI), giving in America is down 6% since the summer of 2008. Yet homelessness, domestic violence and hunger are up. Reuters reports a 12% increase in homelessness and the National Domestic Abuse Hotline has seen a 21% increase in calls since this time last year. Nationwide, more people are coming to food banks. Demand for emergency food assistance rose by 30%, according to Feeding America, a national hunger relief charity.
The good news is that while we may reduce the amount we give, we are unlikely as a society to stop giving completely, based on a study by the Center for Philanthropy Panel. Thinking about what is important to us is the key in identifying where to donate when we can. Eight in 10 Americans donate in one way or another according to a USA Today/Gallup poll. And figures show that charitable giving accounts for 2% of our gross domestic product - higher than any other country in the world.
My parents were both social service workers, and I grew up with a very real awareness of many struggles that families faced. As an adult, my personal giving plan has direct ties to the experiences I witnessed. I have strong connections with organizations like the YWCA and the local community foundation, Blue Mountain Community Foundation. And while I'm not in a position to give monetarily right now, I'm happy to be able to donate my time and professional services as a designer and writer (which reminds me that I need to finish that newsletter).
The point is that every little bit helps. And during a tough economic time, identifying who, where and how you can give is even more important. That's why I created DonateWise.com - to help people identify what is important to them and help them to be proactive. When giving gets tough, it is even more important. For more information, visit DonateWise.com - I'd love to welcome you to the community!
According to the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI), giving in America is down 6% since the summer of 2008. Yet homelessness, domestic violence and hunger are up. Reuters reports a 12% increase in homelessness and the National Domestic Abuse Hotline has seen a 21% increase in calls since this time last year. Nationwide, more people are coming to food banks. Demand for emergency food assistance rose by 30%, according to Feeding America, a national hunger relief charity.
The good news is that while we may reduce the amount we give, we are unlikely as a society to stop giving completely, based on a study by the Center for Philanthropy Panel. Thinking about what is important to us is the key in identifying where to donate when we can. Eight in 10 Americans donate in one way or another according to a USA Today/Gallup poll. And figures show that charitable giving accounts for 2% of our gross domestic product - higher than any other country in the world.
My parents were both social service workers, and I grew up with a very real awareness of many struggles that families faced. As an adult, my personal giving plan has direct ties to the experiences I witnessed. I have strong connections with organizations like the YWCA and the local community foundation, Blue Mountain Community Foundation. And while I'm not in a position to give monetarily right now, I'm happy to be able to donate my time and professional services as a designer and writer (which reminds me that I need to finish that newsletter).
The point is that every little bit helps. And during a tough economic time, identifying who, where and how you can give is even more important. That's why I created DonateWise.com - to help people identify what is important to them and help them to be proactive. When giving gets tough, it is even more important. For more information, visit DonateWise.com - I'd love to welcome you to the community!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Why the SendOutCards connection?
Well, it's simple really.
I developed DonateWise.com to be a resource for businesses, nonprofits and individuals to help manage their giving. As my mom always said, "A big part art of giving or receiving is being grateful".
So early on I thought I should add a feature to DonateWise to allow Nonprofit members to be able to easily send thank-you cards to their donors and maintain relationships; to allow business to send postcards about new products, events and special offerings. When I heard about SendOutCards I thought, "Why reinvent the wheel?" SendOutCards prints and mails for its members (even gifts and gift cards), so it just made sense. I signed up as an "Entrepreneur" (my account can be found at http://www.sendoutcards.com/donatewise) to allow DonateWise members to have a free Gift Account. Members can always upgrade their own accounts if they want to, but if simply sending cards and gifts is what they need, it just makes sense to make that option available.
Personally, I've found that my SendOutCards account is a pretty handy business tool, as well as keeping me on my toes for important family happenings. I'm notoriously bad about remembering birthdays - I'll admit it and my siblings would agree. But with the SendOutCards reminder feature, I find that I'm much better about remembering special days throughout the year. Check it out at www.sendoutcards.com/donatewise. Or send me an email at kate@donatewise.com to learn more!
I developed DonateWise.com to be a resource for businesses, nonprofits and individuals to help manage their giving. As my mom always said, "A big part art of giving or receiving is being grateful".
So early on I thought I should add a feature to DonateWise to allow Nonprofit members to be able to easily send thank-you cards to their donors and maintain relationships; to allow business to send postcards about new products, events and special offerings. When I heard about SendOutCards I thought, "Why reinvent the wheel?" SendOutCards prints and mails for its members (even gifts and gift cards), so it just made sense. I signed up as an "Entrepreneur" (my account can be found at http://www.sendoutcards.com/donatewise) to allow DonateWise members to have a free Gift Account. Members can always upgrade their own accounts if they want to, but if simply sending cards and gifts is what they need, it just makes sense to make that option available.
Personally, I've found that my SendOutCards account is a pretty handy business tool, as well as keeping me on my toes for important family happenings. I'm notoriously bad about remembering birthdays - I'll admit it and my siblings would agree. But with the SendOutCards reminder feature, I find that I'm much better about remembering special days throughout the year. Check it out at www.sendoutcards.com/donatewise. Or send me an email at kate@donatewise.com to learn more!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Introducing a new way to manage your donations
Getting lots of requests for donations? Manage them easily with a FREE account at DonateWise.com!
Basically, it works like this:
Step 1. A guy walks into a bar.
Step 2. Guy asks the bartender for a donation
Step 3. Bartender simply says, "We manage our giving through DonateWise.com"
Step 4. Guy goes to DonateWise.com, looks up the bar's account and views their giving profile, which is based on a patented 8-step process.
Step 5: Guy makes a request online; Bartender receives request notification via email
Step 6: Bartender logs into DonateWise.com, views all requests, makes his donations and easily tracks his giving for tax season.
No joke. It's that simple. Sign up today at DonateWise.com!
Basically, it works like this:
Step 1. A guy walks into a bar.
Step 2. Guy asks the bartender for a donation
Step 3. Bartender simply says, "We manage our giving through DonateWise.com"
Step 4. Guy goes to DonateWise.com, looks up the bar's account and views their giving profile, which is based on a patented 8-step process.
Step 5: Guy makes a request online; Bartender receives request notification via email
Step 6: Bartender logs into DonateWise.com, views all requests, makes his donations and easily tracks his giving for tax season.
No joke. It's that simple. Sign up today at DonateWise.com!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)