Southside Arts & Humanities Network

The new Board Leadership Certificate program launches this weekend with a three hour course on Organizational Development!

To learn more:

https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/php/board-leadership/program.php

Best,

Joanie

Informational Session: Board Leadership Certificate
Hosted by: The Southside Arts & Humanities Network, Graham School of General Studies and Arts & Business Council of Chicago

Develop the knowledge you need to become a successful board member of a small southside arts organization. The training you receive will enable you to make a positive impact while building your professional skills and civic responsibility.

When: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 12:00-1:30pm
Where: Graham School of General Studies, Press Building, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637 Room 201

Who: Individuals interested in becoming an effective board member for a small south side arts or humanities organization.

RSVP: joaniefriedman@uchicago.edu

Lunch will be provided (RSVP required)

The Southside Arts & Humanities Network (The Network) offers a Board Leadership program designed to leverage the University resources to provide participating South Side cultural organizations with talent for their boards. The Board Leadership program is unique in two ways: First, it aims to serve small and emerging arts and humanities organizations with annual budgets of less than $500,000. These organizations often have “working boards” that require dedication. Second, this program is “by the Southside, for the Southside” — with an emphasis on connecting the intellectual resources of the University of Chicago community with the cultural resources of local non-profits. The program will train participants and match their skills and interests with one of 10 selected small South Side cultural institutions.

For more information:

https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/php/board-leadership/

Dear Friends of the Civic Knowledge Project—Please note that our Great Conversation with Dean of the College John Boyer, scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 3rd, has been postponed because of likely severe weather conditions! We will reschedule this event for early spring! Thanks, Bart

Hello all,

Our Member Directory is now available online as a searchable database. Go to “2010 Member Directory” in the Links sidebar or just click below.

https://mahimahi.uchicago.edu/drupal/ckp/

Here are some more extremely useful guidelines for pitching to media outlets and creating a media plan for those who could not attend the Meet the Press Conference or did not take the hand-outs. Thanks again to Gordon Mayer and the Community Media Workshop.

PitchingGuidelines

iCreateMediaPlan2007(2)

Do & Donts-2-06(2)

The Meet the Press Conference was an unqualified success–well attended and very informative. Thanks to everyone who came out on Wednesday and to Little Black Pearl for the use of their wonderful space. Attached below is the powerpoint from Gordon Mayer’s talk.

Pitching 2.0 Civic Knowledge final

If your small south side arts or humanities organization is putting on a public event (performance or benefit) between March 31, 2010 and June 30, 2010, your organization may apply for up to $1000 to cover the cost of renting a space for the event.

In order to apply you will need to prepare the following information:

• Name of organization
• Name and contact information of individual who is applying
• Date of event
• Budget size of organization
• A budget for the space rental and location information
• A paragraph describing your organization’s work and how it connects to arts or humanities (theater, dance, music, film, history, language, philosophy etc.)
• A paragraph describing the performance or benefit (and how it relates to your art or humanities mission)

*Please note that the funds can only go toward the rental of a space. The Network will pay the hosting space directly, the funds will not be given to your organization. Equipment, food and other service fees are not eligible. Small organizations are defined as having a budget of less than $1 million dollars.

March 31st Space grant applications due

April 15 Space grants awarded

Applications can be mailed to: Joanie Friedman, 1115 E. 58^th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 or emailed to Network Coordinator, joaniefriedman@uchicago.edu.

Civic Knowledge Project website: http://civicknowledge.uchicago.edu

Southside Arts & Humanities Network blog: http://thenetwork@uchicago.edu

Elevator Speech

Introduce yourself, in relation to the agency

Hint: Let your passion show

Relate to the mission

Hint: Think big. Make an impact.

Illustrate the agency’s work

Hint: Use a story, a visual element

Identify the NEED

Hint: What would happen if your work wasn’t done?

Explain the support you rely on

Hint: Talk about money and time

Involve – What they can do to help?

Hint: Ask a question!

Case for Support

Why does the organization exist?

History; Mission

Need

Distinctiveness

Vision

What does success look like?

Goals & Objectives

What will you achieve and how?

Finances

Secured and unsecured

Leadership

Who leads the work to be done?

[Organization Name]: Individual Giving Fundraising Plan FY 09

Mission:             ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Agency Goals: [To provide food for ____ people this year]

1. [Provide _____ children with meals]
2. [Enroll _____ families in Food Stamps]

1. [Train _____ local agencies to serve food]
2. Other _____________[space, vehicles…]

Fundraising Goals:             To raise [$Total] in contribute income this year (of the $organizational budget)

• Mission:             $_________
• Program A:            $_________

• Program B:       $_________
• Capital:       $_________

Individual Giving Goals:

Individual Giving Revenue
	Actuals		Projected Goals
CAMPAIGN	FY07	(last yr) FY08	(this yr) FY09	(next yr) FY10	FY11
Board Giving	$	$	$	$	$
Direct Mail	$	$	$	$	$
Email	$	$	$	$	$
In-Person Solicitation	$	$	$	$	$
Fundraising Events	$	$	$	$	$
Telephone	$	$	$	$	$
Total Income	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total
Individual Giving Expenses
	Actuals		Projected Goals
CAMPAIGN	FY07	(last yr) FY08	(this yr) FY09	(next yr) FY10	FY11
Board Giving	$	$	$	$	$
Direct Mail	$	$	$	$	$
Email	$	$	$	$	$
In-Person Solicitation	$	$	$	$	$
Fundraising Events	$	$	$	$	$
Telephone	$	$	$	$	$
Total Expense	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total
Individual Giving NET
	FY07	(last yr) FY08	(this yr) FY09	(next yr) FY10	FY11
Total Income	$	$	$	$	$
Total Expense	$	$	$	$	$
TOTAL NET	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total	$Total

Mail Appeals 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Mailing List

• Identify prospects to receive the package
• Consider both renewal (past supporters) and acquisition (new supporters)
• Create one version of the letter, or customized versions for two or more segments

ü  The Package

• Appeal Letter

v Compelling. Focus on the cause (not the organization).

v Who will sign? Hand sign? Add note?

v Include a quote, call out, graphic, formatting, etc. (Some people will not read the letter, but might scan it)

v Include a “P.S.” (Some people will only read a P.S.)

• Reply Device (separate piece to mail back with donation)

v Should you ask for a specific dollar amount?

v Include vital logistics (Who should the check be made out to? Do you accept credit cards? Online Donations? Who to call for information?)

v Code the reply device in order to measure response/effectiveness

• Inner Reply Envelopes (for donor to mail back with donation and reply slip)

v Pre-address to your organization

v Consider applying postage (and the implications of including postage)

• Outer Envelope (to mail the package)

v Will you print names and addresses onto the envelope? Do you need labels?

v Will you use standard letterhead/envelope? Should you add a graphic or “teaser” to increase the open rate?

ü  Mail Date

• Print, stuff, and mail the packages. Note: this is the day your printer will break.
• Consider bidding large print jobs. (Find at least three quotes)

ü  Follow Up

• Informal

v Who knows the prospect and can follow up with a phone call, note, email?

v Utilize existing relationships with staff members, board member, volunteers

• Formal

v Consider a second mailing to non-responders

v Include a variation of the original package (same elements, new code)

ü  Tracking and Evaluation

• Track mail recipients through codes in a database or excel spreadsheet
• Measure response rate % (# people replied / # people mailed) and Average gift
• Measure the total amount raised
• Measure the total net revenue (revenue – expenses = net revenue)

Email Appeals 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Email ‘Mailing’ List

• Renewal and acquisition
• Brainstorm all potential segments (event attendees; advocates; volunteers)

ü  The Package & Technology

• Initial Email

v High readability

v Content: Use bullets, graphics, and stories

v Links: Embed 3 links to the same landing page/donation form within the text of the email, in addition to a donate now button

v Subject Line: Match to a clear call to action

v Layout: What will show in a preview pane, or on a Blackberry?

v Logistics: links for donated online, who checks should be made out to, mailing address, phone number for information

v Testing: Consider testing one element of your email (10/10/80 split)

• Landing Page/Donation Page

v Your email motivated the reader to click through. Does the landing page motivate them to give?

v Link results to dollars (Example: $50 feeds 60 people for one day)

• Thank You Webpage
• Thank You Email and/or Autoresponder

ü  Deploy Emails

• Strategically pick a day and date
• Watch unsubscribe rates after sending the email

ü  Follow Up (similar to mail)

• Informal

v Who knows the prospect and can follow up with a phone call, note, email?

v Utilize existing relationships with staff members, board member, volunteers

• Formal

v Could consider a re-send of the original email to non-openers. Remember that some emails register as not opened, although they may have been read in a preview pane or on a Blackberry.

v Consider a second email (new version) to non-responders

v Use a variation of the original email

ü  Tracking and Evaluation

• Open Rates: # Opened / # Delivered
• Adjusted Click Through Rates (Action Rate): # Click Throughs / # Opened
• Adjusted Response Rate: # Actions / # Click Throughs

Note: At the Greater Chicago Food Depository, we use a 20/20/20 rule for fundraising emails: 20% open rate, 20% Adjusted CTR, 20% Adjusted response

In-Person Solicitation 101

ü  Case for Support

ü  Timeline

ü  Goal: Set a goal to ask ______ people for support by__________

ü  Solicitation Teams

• Primary Relationship-Builder

v Who will be the person primarily working one-on-one with the prospect?

v Consider fundraising staff, program staff, management, board, volunteers

v This person may or may not be the person who asks for money

• Coordinator

v Who will keep track of all the prospects? Where each prospect in the cultivation stage? Who has been solicited?

v This person is usually a staff member or 300% dedicated volunteer

• Solicitor (may be primary relationship builder; may be another person)

v The best solicitor may be a volunteer

v The best solicitor may be the Primary Relationship Builder

v The best solicitor may be a staff member, board member, or other volunteer (working with the Primary Relationship Manager)

v The solicitor must have made a personal gift

• Other roles: researchers, volunteer leaders, organizational leadership (e.g. Board chair or executive director); administrative support

ü  Leadership Giving: Set high expectations!

ü  Prospects

• Identify a list of  people/organizations who have interest in your mission, have affinity with your cause, or have capacity to give
• Qualify each prospect. The qualified prospects are your working “prospect list” and are those you are cultivating. Qualify prospects through research, phone calls, or future cultivation attempts.

NOTE: Work with a manageable number of prospects. Too many is overwhelming; not enough will limit the amount raised.

• Assign each prospect a primary relationship-builder
• Personalize a strategy for each prospect. Outline a cultivation plan with specific relationship-building steps (timeline, activities, who does what) and a solicitation goal (date, amount). This strategy will be a living document and change as the relationship develops.

In-Person Solicitation 101 (cont)

ü  Cultivation

• Overall Goals are to

v Involve the donor with your mission, and/or learn why they are involved

v Identify a solicitation amount, and what to ask for

v Assign a solicitor

v Know when to disqualify a prospect

• Strategies/Stewardship Plan

v Make a list of cultivation strategies. Assign a set of strategies to each prospect. Each strategy should be a step towards solicitation.

v Say thank you and talk about your mission

v Ask constituents why they are involved

v Make phone calls. Send emails. Write notes. Invite to events.

v Set meetings. Ask each person you meet with “Who else should I talk to about supporting this work?” and set meetings with these people. Ask for the new person’s phone number and email, saying “Can I use your name?”

ü  Solicitation

• Assign a solicitor and determine who else should be present for solicitation
• Train the solicitor to ask for a gift

v Review the case for support

v Write solicitation scripts

v Practice by role-playing

v Consider attending a training

• Set a meeting. Ask for a gift. Stop talking. When asked, answer questions. Thank.

ü  Create a tracking system.

• Track each step, potential to give (capacity), and any other important information learned in relationship building. Create a spreadsheet with columns such as:

v Biographical Info

v Business Info

v Philanthropic Info

v Giving History (last gift & date; largest gift & date; cumulative giving amount)

v Areas of Interest (mission-related)

v Primary Relationship Builder

v Solicitor (if different)

v Gift Request Amount

v Solicitation Date

v Program to Solicit

v Status

v Last Contact

v Date of Last Contact

v Next Step

v Date of Next Step

v Comments/ Notes

ü  Stewardship: Send thank you letters and develop a stewardship plan for your donor.

The Southside Arts & Humanities Network’s hosted “Meet the Grassroots Fundraisers conference” last Thursday, December 10th at the
Experimental Station.

The conference drew more than 40 participants who attended workshops on grassroots fundraising, earned income and assessment. Many thanks to the instructors: Jackie Kaplan, Shannon Stubblefield, Lori Baptista, and panelists Christy Uchida, Marguerite Horberg and Jon Pounds.
If you would like more information, please contact Joanie Friedman at joaniefriedman@uchicago.edu.