Solstice Run Meets $30k Goal

June 30, 2014: TC Ticker of Traverse City Business Magazine
The recent Solstice Run – a 40-mile run through the night organized by TC-based On The Ground – met its $30,000 goal, officially launching Project Congo. The funding will launch programming in the Democratic Republic of Congo to raise awareness for female farmers and to make lives better for the Congolese women and their families. Permalink

Former Timbers Girl Scout Camp Permanently Protected

June 26, 2014: The Ticker of Traverse City Magazine

The approximately 250-acre Timbers Recreation Area – formerly the Timbers Girl Scout Camp for 50 years – will be turned over to Long Lake Township and open to the public by the end of August. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) confirms that a fundraising goal of $891,300 was met with just days to spare to permanently protect the recreation area. These matching funds followed a $2.1 million grant award from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in December 2012. The property includes nearly 9,000 feet of water frontage – 2,000 feet on Long Lake, the entire 20-acre Fern Lake within its boundary with 4,500 feet of shoreline, and approximately 2.400 on Page Lake. The property also features a network of two-tracks and trails with potential for future trails. Development of the property's management plan and activities will be conducted by the township with assistance from the conservancy. "The property was such a mystery," says Glen Chown, executive director of the GTRLC. "So many people around the lake had never set foot on it because it was a camp, and they respected the privacy of the Girl Scouts. It's so close to Traverse City and yet it's real wild country." Discussion about preserving the former Girl Scouts camp began in 2004, with negotiations to purchase the property from the Girl Scout Council in 2009. Interim buyers Don and Gerry Oleson purchased he property in 2012, holding it while the township awaited the decision on the grant award. Fundraising included an anonymous $150,000 match for all donations, a $25,000 match for donations made by, or in honor of, former Timbers campers and staff members, a $20,000 match for all donations made by Long Lake Association members, support from the Long Lake Foundation and the sale of the old troop house. Girl Scout alumnae also held a reunion and yard sale, with former scouts traveling from as far away as Alaska to support conservation of the property. Permalink

Donation Will Help Sheriffs Get New K-9

June 25, 2014: The Ticker of the Traverse City Business Magazine

The Grand Traverse Sheriff’s office says that a grant from the Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation will allow the department to purchase a new narcotic detection K-9 to replace the recently lost K-9 Yogi, which had served Grand Traverse County and surrounding areas. The Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation grant will cover the cost of the K-9 as well as all associated training. The narcotics detection K-9 is a multipurpose K-9 also able to search for missing persons, track criminals and provide officer protection. Permalink

Father Fred Raises $58k, Receives Additional $25k

June 25, 2014: The Ticker of Traverse City Business Magazine

Supporters of The Father Fred Foundation raised $58,103 during the five-week long Art Van Charity Challenge, good enough for sixth place and an additional $25,000 grant from Art Van Furniture. Organizations from all over the Midwest competed in the fundraising challenge, though Father Fred was the only northern Michigan charity. The donations will go toward Father Fred's housing assistance program with the grant further supporting housing efforts, as well as the food pantry and financial aid programs. Permalink

Fundraising Questions I'm Most Often Asked

From Harvey McKinnon, posted on Guidestar

June 2014

When you've been in this field long enough, and maybe have a few books to your credit, you're often invited to speak at conferences. It's a great way to stay in touch with the many wonderful people in this profession. I get to reconnect with the wise elders and meet the passionate newcomers.

Invariably at the end of my presentations I'm asked a number of wide-ranging questions. Many are highly specific, but others pertain to most every organization. Here are some of the questions I'm most commonly asked.

More click here

Cheers to donors via the Record Eagle

From Record Eagle Editorials and their "Cheers" Section
23 June 2014

To private donors who came up with $35,000 to pay for five water fountains/filling stations sprinkled around Traverse City.

The fountains are an innovative, albeit modest approach to stem the flood of plastic water bottles that fill city trash containers. Water will be available for a quick drink or to fill empty bottles.

Donors include the National Cherry Festival, Hagerty Insurance, CH2M Hill, at least one anonymous donor and Traverse City mayor Michael Estes and his wife Rhonda.

“The whole idea was to reduce the level of plastic water containers that sit in our public parks,” Michael Estes said. It’s a good idea that could and should catch on.

Click here

Run for Shelter - Record Eagle Story

June 23, 2014

Run for Shelter supports Goodwill Inn

BY KATE HANSEN chansen@record-eagle.com Traverse City Record-Eagle

TRAVERSE CITY — Community members will put their best foot forward for the homeless at the annual Run for Shelter race to benefit the Goodwill Inn.

“The Goodwill Inn is one of our neediest programs,” Events Manager for the Goodwill Industries Lilly Nowicki said.

Funds raised from the race set for Saturday will support more than 700 area homeless people by providing shelter, three meals per-day and one-on-one counseling with case managers to help with job placement, training, and finding permanent housing.

Donations from local sponsors will help cover event costs, including timing systems, T-shirts for participants and rental space, and ensure that the $30 registration fee for runners directly benefits a neighbor in need.
“We try to have sponsors on board to pay for the event so the registration fee is a direct donation to our programs,” Nowicki said.

In past years the Goodwill Industries partnered with other local agencies to host the race. Now, in their sixth year, they are organizing the event on their own and regular participants may notice some changes.
“We’ve made some adjustments to make the race more family friendly,” Nowicki said.

She attributed the changes to the increase in the number of runners for this year’s race. Currently there are 125 participants registered and the Goodwill Industries hope to have at least 200 runners by race time.
The race will start at Willow Hill Elementary, 1250 Hill Street in Traverse City on Saturday at 9 a.m. Runners and walkers are encouraged to bring children, pets, and friends.

Those interested in supporting the Goodwill Industries through this event can visit www.goodwillnmi.org/runforshelter for more information.

Giving USA 2014 Report Highlights

click here for site.

The Giving USA 2014 report Highlights provides an overview of key 2013 data. The Giving 
USA 2014 report Highlights is instantly downloadable.

Some of the highlights:

Who gives the $335.17 billion in 2013?

72%   Individuals
15%    Foundations
  8%    Bequests
  5%    Corporations

I wonder if we should have our fundraising plans shaped to spend 72% of our time with individual donors?

The dead still out pace corporations in giving.

Rotary Announces $210k in Grants

From TC Ticker, Note link below June 11, 2014

Rotary Charities of Traverse City has announced 11 grants totaling $210,000 for its Spring 2014 grant cycle. They are all single-year capital or program grants. The recipients are below: Area Agency on Aging: $10,000 program grant Area Seniors of Bellaire: $5,000 capital grant Conservation Resource Alliance: $25,000 capital grant Elmwood Charter Township: $20,000 capital grant Grace Episcopal Church: $20,000 capital grant Lakes to Land Regional Initiative: $35,000 program grant Leelanau Conservancy: $30,000, capital grant Mt. Holiday: $10,000 capital grant Northwestern Michigan Fair: $15,000 capital grant Peter Dougherty Society: $15,000 capital grant Traverse Health Clinic: $25,000 program grant To learn about each group's plans for the grant money, click here. The next opportunity to apply for funding is September 2. Permalink

Newsletters in the Modern Era

The necessities of newsletters today for charity are that they provide constant communication, consistent release of timely information, and continual thanks for service and gifts no matter the form of gift.  

The stories could be as simple of a picture with a short paragraph by-line under it or full fledged articles broken up by thumbnail pictures and pull quotes. 

If I were going to design a monthly philanthropic newsletter for a charity, I think it would have the following stories:

·         Lead with a donor profile and why they gave to your organization.

·         Have a composite or real beneficiary story of someone who benefited from your program.

·         Profile of a volunteer who is helping your program.

·         Staff profile giving some up-to-the-minute information on your cause or field of service as an expert.

·         Featured program and how giving helps to advance the program.

·         News about key donations and donated dollars at work.

·         Review of key events or sponsored outreach programs.

·         Calendar of events that donors might participate.

·         Listing of new donors.

·         Philanthropic officer describing a way of giving.

·         The CEO having an article or a picture where mission is in action.

·         Pictures showing how your celebrating the activity of your mission.

In this day and age, newsletters can be traditional printed and designed format, or electronic working on all platforms like e-newsletters, blogs, websites, twitter links, etc. 

In all newsletters they have to be visually pleasing and picture laden. In the electronic environment, your newsletter could be broken up to appear weekly with a differing parts of the list above happening throughout the month.

All stories need to focus on the mission you are about and the impact you are making to your service area or people.

Fri, April 04 2014

What Cap’n Crunch Can Teach You About Fundraising

By Caryn Stein

 

Have you ever felt like you were being watched in the supermarket? 

In a new study from Cornell Food and Brand Lab, researchers found that characters featured on kids’ cereal boxes make incidental eye contact with children and cereals aimed at adults make incidental eye contact with adult shoppers. Cereals presumably marketed to children (think Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Trix) were found on lower shelves, and the gaze of the characters on these cereal boxes look downward at an angle of 9.67 degrees.  

More - Click here

TC Boom Boom looks for donations to Boom Boom

From TC Ticker enewsletter on 2 June 2014 ...

Funds Needed to Help Fireworks June 2, 2014

Believe it or not, the 4th of July holiday is just over a month away and the TC Boom Boom Club is actively raising funds to put on a brilliant fireworks display over West Grand Traverse Bay. According to club spokesperson Tim Hinkley, it costs $45,000 for a 30-minute show – an amount the nonprofit hopes to raise via support from municipalities, businesses and individuals. The Boom Boom Club was formed back in 2001 to build grassroots support for the annual celebration. Great Lakes Fireworks of East Jordan puts on the display. Donations to help the city celebrate the 4th can be made here. Permalink

Cherryland Humane Society needs $500,000

From the TC Ticker e-newsletter 2 June 2014

Humane Society Facing Closure, Needs $500k June 2, 2014

By Lynn Geiger

For the second time in three years, the Cherryland Humane Society is facing a desperate financial situation and possible closure. The board of directors says it needs to raise $500,000 to keep the more than 60-year-old nonprofit animal shelter afloat and caring for the 60-plus animals currently lodged there. Letters have been sent to previous donors and other fundraising activities are in the works while the board explores “numerous ways to ensure financial stability going forward.” Local veterinarian and Board President David Burke says donations are down considerably, costs are up and the organization has enough money to operate “another three or four months.” If funds don’t materialize, he sees two choices: cut operational hours and staff or close down completely. More here