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.

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

Reminder

Have you talked to a donor today about how their donation was used?

Munson Cancer Center Underway

Munson Cancer Center Underway May 2, 2014

Munson officials and employees lifted the ceremonial shovels yesterday to mark the groundbreaking for the new Cowell Family Cancer Center located on the Munson Medical Center campus in Traverse City. Officials announced that $17.3 million in donations has been secured, led by a $5 million dollar gift from TC resident Casey Cowell. Cowell is a Detroit native. He co-founded U.S. Robotics in 1976 and served as CEO before the company merged with 3Com in 1997. Construction of the $45 million, 86,000 square-foot facility is expected to take nearly two years to complete. Source: TC Ticker, 2 May 2014, Permalink

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

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+

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/

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.

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

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:

• 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. 

So here is my first tip to start an estate giving program:

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.