BrickWays Hosts Movie Night Fundraiser
April 29, 2014
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Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Movie Night Fundraiser
TC Ticker
Monday, April 28, 2014
Challenge Helps Hungry
Grand Traverse Insider > News
Food Partners to benefit from Feinstein Challenge
BENZIE – For the 17th straight year, Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein is offering $1 million to nonprofit, anti-hunger agencies throughout the country and Benzie Food Partners (BFP) hope to again benefit from this special nationwide challenge.
The Feinstein Foundation will again divide $1 million among all those “Challenge” participating agencies that report their total donations received during March and April. The “Challenge” also will again recognize food product donations by crediting participating agencies $1 per item or pound donated during this time period.
Feinstein is founder of the Center For a Hunger Free America at the University of Rhode Island and the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tuffs University. Past Challenges have significantly raised awareness about hunger, and his on-going concern for the millions of hungry people in “the greatest country in the world” continues to make people aware of the need for change.
Challenge donors become a part of one of the most successful ongoing efforts ever to fight hunger.
This is the 17th year of participation for Benzie Food Partners and they are hopeful the 2014 challenge, March 1 through April 30, and their project to fight hunger in Benzie County will be as successful as in previous years.
“Our community has been very supportive of our efforts,” said Challenge Coordinator Linda Davis, and secretary/treasurer Jeffie Lynch-Jones.
“As we enter our 17th year of service in Benzie County with our user-friendly pantry, we are grateful for that support and shared concern,” they added.
The Food Partners pantry is located at 10907 Main St., at the southeast corner of Henry and Main streets in Honor. It is open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. The pantry is also available in emergency situations.
Donations to the pantry are used in Benzie County and may be sent to Benzie Food Partners, PO Box 598, Honor, MI 49640. In 2013, BFP distributed 90,099 pounds of food and personal care/daily living needs items to a cumulative total of 2,088 families or 5,898 Benzie County residents, including 1,519 children and 1,281 seniors.
For more information about the food pantry or other suggestions on ways to help, please call 231-325-2936 or 231-882-5234. For information on the Challenge, call 231-325-2133.
The Feinstein Foundation will again divide $1 million among all those “Challenge” participating agencies that report their total donations received during March and April. The “Challenge” also will again recognize food product donations by crediting participating agencies $1 per item or pound donated during this time period.
Feinstein is founder of the Center For a Hunger Free America at the University of Rhode Island and the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tuffs University. Past Challenges have significantly raised awareness about hunger, and his on-going concern for the millions of hungry people in “the greatest country in the world” continues to make people aware of the need for change.
Challenge donors become a part of one of the most successful ongoing efforts ever to fight hunger.
This is the 17th year of participation for Benzie Food Partners and they are hopeful the 2014 challenge, March 1 through April 30, and their project to fight hunger in Benzie County will be as successful as in previous years.
“Our community has been very supportive of our efforts,” said Challenge Coordinator Linda Davis, and secretary/treasurer Jeffie Lynch-Jones.
“As we enter our 17th year of service in Benzie County with our user-friendly pantry, we are grateful for that support and shared concern,” they added.
The Food Partners pantry is located at 10907 Main St., at the southeast corner of Henry and Main streets in Honor. It is open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. The pantry is also available in emergency situations.
Donations to the pantry are used in Benzie County and may be sent to Benzie Food Partners, PO Box 598, Honor, MI 49640. In 2013, BFP distributed 90,099 pounds of food and personal care/daily living needs items to a cumulative total of 2,088 families or 5,898 Benzie County residents, including 1,519 children and 1,281 seniors.
For more information about the food pantry or other suggestions on ways to help, please call 231-325-2936 or 231-882-5234. For information on the Challenge, call 231-325-2133.
Dockside launches Grass River fundraiser
April 27, 2014, Traverse City Record Eagle
Dockside launches Grass River fundraiser
TRAVERSE CITY — Business owner Gordon Schafer knows how important
Antrim County’s natural environment is to tourism and commerce.
Schafer owns the Dockside-Torch Lake restaurant in Bellaire and said that’s why he will — for the 15th year running — lead fundraising efforts for the county’s Grass River Natural Area during a special event at the restaurant May 6.
Click here for source.
Schafer owns the Dockside-Torch Lake restaurant in Bellaire and said that’s why he will — for the 15th year running — lead fundraising efforts for the county’s Grass River Natural Area during a special event at the restaurant May 6.
Click here for source.
Children's Museum Fundraiser
April 26, 2014, Traverse City Record Eagle
Great Lakes Children's Museum fundraiser tonight
TRAVERSE CITY — Tickets remain available for tonight’s Great Lakes Children’s Museum Gala Fundraiser.
This year’s fundraiser kicks of at 6 p.m. at The Inn at Black Star Farms.
Matt Missias, president of the museum’s board of trustees, described the event as a “cocktail formal fundraiser” that includes a gourmet meal, wine and beer, and a live auction and silent auction.
Missias said the museum’s new executive director and new exhibits coming to the museum will also be revealed.
Tickets can be purchased at greatlakeskids.org.
Click here for source
This year’s fundraiser kicks of at 6 p.m. at The Inn at Black Star Farms.
Matt Missias, president of the museum’s board of trustees, described the event as a “cocktail formal fundraiser” that includes a gourmet meal, wine and beer, and a live auction and silent auction.
Missias said the museum’s new executive director and new exhibits coming to the museum will also be revealed.
Tickets can be purchased at greatlakeskids.org.
Click here for source
US Charity Donations Suggest Growing Confidence
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 10:30
--Biggest Growth Seen for Major Gifts; Community Donations Show Signs of Decline
PHILADELPHIA (MNI) - Charitable giving by U.S. individuals, foundations,
and corporations gained in the first quarter as stock prices rose and the job
market improved, but donations have not fully recovered to their pre-recession
level, fundraising professionals said.
Anecdotal reports from philanthropic trade groups and the leading academic source of data on the U.S. charity sector indicate that improving economic confidence among donors, especially those giving $1 million or more, is boosting the income of universities, hospitals, arts organizations and other recipients of charitable gifts.
There is some evidence that donations from those much lower on the income scale is declining, perhaps as a result of greater competition for limited funds, in a trend that could disrupt fundraising strategies in future, experts said.
But overall giving so far this year has continued the solid gains seen in 2013, according to preliminary indications ahead of the industry's annual data that are not published until mid-year.
Click here for more of article
Reality Check: US Charity Donations Suggest Growing Confidence
--Biggest Growth Seen for Major Gifts; Community Donations Show Signs of Decline
Anecdotal reports from philanthropic trade groups and the leading academic source of data on the U.S. charity sector indicate that improving economic confidence among donors, especially those giving $1 million or more, is boosting the income of universities, hospitals, arts organizations and other recipients of charitable gifts.
There is some evidence that donations from those much lower on the income scale is declining, perhaps as a result of greater competition for limited funds, in a trend that could disrupt fundraising strategies in future, experts said.
But overall giving so far this year has continued the solid gains seen in 2013, according to preliminary indications ahead of the industry's annual data that are not published until mid-year.
Click here for more of article
Local Crisis Services to Hold Telethon
Local Crisis Services to Hold Telethon
April 28, 2014
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Friday, April 25, 2014
Great Quote
Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead
This thought is at the core of all philanthropy. - Dave Eitland
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Changing the classic time, talent, and treasuer
By Glenn Taibl, Center for Stewardship, Luther Seminary, St Paul, MN USA
We were talking about Stewardship and Tom O’Brien suggested it was time to replace the classic three “T’s” of Time, Talent and Treasure with categories that would be more helpful in growing stewards. His suggestion was that we would be better served by three new “Stewardship T’s” of Thanksgiving, Trust and Transformation. I have revisited the conversation with Tom many times and I believe we are well served by interpreting Time, Talent and Treasure through the lens of Thanksgiving, Trust and Transformation.
Click here for more insights
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Turing Myths into Gifts
Greg Lassonde, www.greglassonde.com, is demystifying legacy giving to make it accessible to all including our staff and volunteers making legacy gift solicitations.
He defines then breaks 10 paradigms of "old school" planned giving and prefers the focus to be "legacy giving". His reshaping of the estate giving allows for many to be involved in the process and volunteers comfortable in asking for these kinds of gifts.
Check out his white paper of Legacy Giving - Click here
He defines then breaks 10 paradigms of "old school" planned giving and prefers the focus to be "legacy giving". His reshaping of the estate giving allows for many to be involved in the process and volunteers comfortable in asking for these kinds of gifts.
Check out his white paper of Legacy Giving - Click here
Monday, April 21, 2014
Where does my donation go?
I just ran across one of the best explanations of how donations are spent by a charity.
The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore Council has an excellent web site called "How the Cookie Crumbles" explaining where the money goes for their cookie sales.
Here is the site: http://gsmists.org/Product-Sales/2014-cookie-crumbles
The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore Council has an excellent web site called "How the Cookie Crumbles" explaining where the money goes for their cookie sales.
Here is the site: http://gsmists.org/Product-Sales/2014-cookie-crumbles
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #7
The Planned Giving Design Center is one of the best on-line resources and newsletters for the issues, topics, and concerns for gift planning. Sign up for their e-newsletter today. http://www.pgdc.com/
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #6
This might seem very basic.
I had the good fortune in the first week of my professional philanthropy career to literally sit at the feet of the master. I attended a Hank Rosso Fundraising School session in Minneapolis where I had the good fortune of speaking with him directly over the coarse of a week workshop.
Hank's advice was always, "The first gift to any campaign is yours." Americans in their DNA know if someone has "put their money where their mouth is." So yours is the first gift to any appeal that you make including estate and planned giving.
Yours is the first planned gift to your organization in your new post.
Go through the estate planning process first before you go out and talk with people so that you know what they will go through. Plan your planned gift to your organization. Either a bequest or beneficiary designation works fine.
Then you can look people in the eye and say that you have already have done this kind of gift.
peace+
I had the good fortune in the first week of my professional philanthropy career to literally sit at the feet of the master. I attended a Hank Rosso Fundraising School session in Minneapolis where I had the good fortune of speaking with him directly over the coarse of a week workshop.
Hank's advice was always, "The first gift to any campaign is yours." Americans in their DNA know if someone has "put their money where their mouth is." So yours is the first gift to any appeal that you make including estate and planned giving.
Yours is the first planned gift to your organization in your new post.
Go through the estate planning process first before you go out and talk with people so that you know what they will go through. Plan your planned gift to your organization. Either a bequest or beneficiary designation works fine.
Then you can look people in the eye and say that you have already have done this kind of gift.
peace+
How to Make the Case for Giving
Nice overview of developing a case for giving by Network for Good. Link below.
How to Make the Case for Giving
Download our guide and learn how to make the case for giving in 8 steps!Fundraisers can no longer rely on a simple ask to secure a donation. “We need your donation” is not compelling enough. So what do you say to your donors and how do you say it? Use these 8 steps as a guide to help your organization craft the case for giving.
This free guide includes these fundraising tips:
- Use storytelling to help your message come alive
- Get donors to give and give now!
- Find the right messenger to wield influence and build credibility
- Package your message for different channels
Download this free guide and learn how to craft your nonprofit's case for giving!
Click here for resource. Will need to do free registration. I find their news letter valuable.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #5
MarketSmart.com are creators of marketing tools for all kinds of fundraising. They put out insightful white papers and presentations on a variety of fundraising topics.
In the Planned Giving area, their download "Inside the Mind of a Planned Giving Donor" using Russell James's research is insightful.
Check it out at:
http://imarketsmart.com/russelljames/
In the Planned Giving area, their download "Inside the Mind of a Planned Giving Donor" using Russell James's research is insightful.
Check it out at:
http://imarketsmart.com/russelljames/
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #4
Jeff Wolf from the National Church Residences recommends the following books for start up gift planners:
My
“go to” expert on planned giving recommends the following:
Robert
Sharpe’s book: Planned Giving Simplified: The Gift, The Giver, and the Gift
Planner (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series)
Many
people like Debra Ashton’s book The Complete Guide to Planned Giving. It
is probably more technical.
For real
technical stuff, Planned Giving: A Guide to Fundraising and Philanthropy,
by Katelyn Quynn and Ronald Jordan
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #3
Writing about this kind of giving need not be complicated. Here is a short piece on my parish's website talking about estate giving.
http://www.gracetraversecity.org/serve/stewardship/estate-giving/
I posted it on the parish's Facebook page and put it out on my Twitter feed.
http://www.gracetraversecity.org/serve/stewardship/estate-giving/
I posted it on the parish's Facebook page and put it out on my Twitter feed.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #2
Here is the best overview on starting a planned giving program that is not a book:
http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/files/course_resources/establishing_a_planned_giving_program_regenovich.pdf
http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/files/course_resources/establishing_a_planned_giving_program_regenovich.pdf
Estates and Gift Planning and Tip #1
I was meeting with a friend of mine the other day who has the awesome task of encouraging estate giving in an organization that has not done it successfully before. I gathered some information that has helped me that I conveyed to him and now to you.
We have to remember that when we ask for a bequest that we are asking people to become like one of their children and be included in what they pass on to their family. This is an awesome responsibility and conveys a level of trust by a person that is remarkable. The biggest crime that charities and faith communities do to their donors, volunteers, and supporters is NOT to ask for giving in this fashion.
In doing this task, we are donor advocates first and promoting our cause second because of the trust that estate donors are placing in our hands. Note the Partnership of Philanthropic Planning Model Standards of the Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner to understand this role.
So some things that guide me:
Every letter that is sent out to a donor should have a P.S. encouraging estate giving. This is how at my charity we do that:
P.S. Help seniors and others forever. Please consider a bequest to the Grand Traverse Pavilions Foundation, EIN 38-3359796.
We have to remember that when we ask for a bequest that we are asking people to become like one of their children and be included in what they pass on to their family. This is an awesome responsibility and conveys a level of trust by a person that is remarkable. The biggest crime that charities and faith communities do to their donors, volunteers, and supporters is NOT to ask for giving in this fashion.
In doing this task, we are donor advocates first and promoting our cause second because of the trust that estate donors are placing in our hands. Note the Partnership of Philanthropic Planning Model Standards of the Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner to understand this role.
So some things that guide me:
- people want to give this way but they don't think they know how.
- most people in this country do NOT have wills or trusts and thereby allow state law to dictate their final wishes. Charities and faith communities that they have supported all their lives with their time, talent and financial resources are not included in these state generated estate plans.
- much of the work is "seed planting" by giving people information that they may or may not use.
- you can't guarantee results in estate giving because most people will not tell you their plans before their death.
- most charities and faith communities do NOT provide to their important supporters the basic information on estate giving to their organizations.
- most charities and faith communities do NOT encourage their people to give estate gifts.
- most board members do NOT realize that people have to die to gain these gifts and this is very hard to measure until after the fact.
- most board members do NOT realize that people will give to multiple causes in their estate plan not just their organization.
- most charities and boards do NOT have a plan for how undesignated estate gifts will be used to advance the charity and its future.
- there is more money than God that will be transferred between the generations in the next 20 years. Some estimates are $41,000,000,000,000 US ($41 trillion) so there will be plenty for everyone.
- Charities and faith communities MUST secure a signed document or digital recording of donor intent for any major and estate giving for the sake of donor's wishes being honored.
- Charities and faith communities need to honor people who are giving this way while they are alive.
- Donors need to consult with their professional advisers before making this kind of gift.
- most estate gifts will come in the form of bequests and beneficiary designations.
Every letter that is sent out to a donor should have a P.S. encouraging estate giving. This is how at my charity we do that:
P.S. Help seniors and others forever. Please consider a bequest to the Grand Traverse Pavilions Foundation, EIN 38-3359796.
Friday, April 4, 2014
How many charities in our region?
| Non-profits in our region | |||
| Number | |||
| County | Number | Filed | Number |
| of registered | 990s | of | |
| Nonprofits | 990EZ | Congregations | |
| Antrim | 126 | 30 | 23 |
| Benzie | 109 | 33 | 15 |
| Grand Traverse | 516 | 176 | 69 |
| Kalkaska | 53 | 7 | 9 |
| Leelanau | 114 | 29 | 12 |
| Wexford | 169 | 32 | 36 |
| Totals | 1087 | 307 | 164 |
| http://nccsweb.urban.org/ | |||
| From the National Center for Charitable Statistics | |||
| 04-Apr-14 |
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Becoming a more effective giver....
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Good blog ... I am sharing it....
If You Like This Blog… Would You Please Share It?
Ok. I admit it.
This is a promotional post.
I’m trying to grow my blog list. I think the information is pretty dandy. Do you?
If you agree, please share and promote the link to SmartIdeas to one, two, 10 or 20 of you bestest friends.
Who knows, they might be really glad you did!
April 4, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
ONCE, I asked a class full of inspiring social entrepreneurs — all with business plans and ambitions to start nonprofits — how many of them were looking forward to fund-raising. Exactly zero hands went up. The consensus was that raising money might be a necessary evil, but it was a distraction from a social enterprise’s “real” work.
To their disappointment, I told them that today, soliciting donations is often the single biggest part of a nonprofit leader’s job. For example, I lead a research institution in Washington. Private philanthropy makes up our entire budget, so I travel every week, and the majority of my time is spent fund-raising.
Sound like fun? Actually, it is. Here’s why.
More click here
Quoted from the Planned Giving Design Center e-newsletter - click here
One of the first Major Gifts meetings or Special Events to Solicit Funds
King David wants to build the Temple to God in Jerusalem. Here is the meeting as recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,[a] stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents[ of refined silver,for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen.
Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.
[A talent weights about 27 tons]
Bible Gateway at click here
David
- makes his own gift first
- willing to share what he gave to people
- assembles the key people
- states the case for the campaign
- shares what he has given
- asks for the gift
- people response
- everyone rejoices