Winter 2009
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Winter 2009 |
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From The PresidentWhat a year it’s been. Not only did we help our clients reach fundraising goals and celebrate our 20th anniversary, we also made presentations at 32 conferences and workshops from Atlantic City to New Orleans. Everywhere we went, the focus was the economy’s effect on fundraising. But all year long, we saw evidence that people are still giving. Among our clients, a hospice house and free clinic surpassed their capital campaign goals, a private school launched a planned-giving program that has already seen success, and another client opened a new facility debt-free. In the work we do with nonprofits through The Norfolk Foundation, we just learned that the four organizations we began working with in 2008 all raised more money in 2009 than they did the previous year. Has it been easy in this economy? No. But can you still raise money? Without question, yes. Even in a challenged economy, Americans remain amazingly generous. Now that we’re seeing signs of a recovery, remember that you still have to do the things we emphasize in our counsel and trainings. To learn more, see our interview with Dr. Patrick Rooney and Wendy’s article below.
On behalf of all of us at The Curtis Group, happy holidays and thanks for reading.
W. Keith Curtis, President Interview with Dr. Patrick RooneyBy Nancy Chapman, Communications Director  On Nov. 12, severe flooding from a nor’easter forced the cancellation of the National Philanthropy Day event in Hampton Roads. As the presenting sponsor and member of the Giving Institute, The Curtis Group had helped bring in Dr. Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, as keynote speaker. Because he was unable to make his presentation, we asked Dr. Rooney a few questions for our newsletter. The Curtis Group: What are the biggest challenges facing fundraisers in 2010? Dr. Patrick Rooney: It really still is the economy. Americans are committed to nonprofits and very philanthropic in general, but we know that changes in giving are directly related to the economy. When the stock market grows and personal income grows, charitable giving grows. Personally, I think the recession has ended or it’s about to, but we won’t know that officially for some time. People won’t start increasing their giving until the economy becomes more stable. TCG: What guidance would you give development professionals during this period of economic recovery? PR: They need to be mindful of where households, corporations, and foundations are with respect to their own needs. You have to meet people where they are. We’ve had a number of high-net-worth individuals tell us they’re not taking on new philanthropic considerations right now. But certainly don’t stop asking because we know that if you stop asking, people stop giving. We’re looking at this as a period of continued cultivation with our donors. You don’t want to go away because if you forget about your donors now, they may forget about you later. TCG: How do you see philanthropy changing over the next decade? PR: I think we’ll see a continued democratization of philanthropy in that many people will be engaged with nonprofits and giving, and that’s all to the positive. But it’s also likely that the concentration of income and wealth will continue, which means major and planned gifts will play an increasingly important role for nonprofits.
There will also be more online giving. Right now it’s a small part of total giving, but I think it’s a generational thing and people are becoming more comfortable shopping and giving online. I think the number of nonprofits competing for charitable giving dollars will continue to grow, and there will be an increasing demand to know the impact of gifts. Measuring impact is hard work for nonprofits, but it will be a growing reality. We need to determine how we talk about this in a more substantive and meaningful way.
Board development can help members become better leadersBy Wendy McGrady, Vice President As nonprofits realize the need to diversify funding sources, they’re placing a greater emphasis on making sure their boards are well trained to play their critical role in the fundraising process. Yet many are finding that board members have never asked for a major gift or are in need of a refresher course. That’s where we come in. With the economy making funding needs a higher priority, we’ve received more requests for board development services. In the past several months we’ve provided training for the boards of ForKids, American Academy of Audiology Foundation, Lord Fairfax Community College, and others. And they’re telling us that the return on their investment in this training has been terrific. Marie Finch, ForKids’ board vice president, says the training was “invaluable for our board.” She also noted, “It has been helpful to have our entire board on the same page as far as fundraising goes.” Tom Steffens, board president of ForKids, adds, “Even our most seasoned board members and fundraisers walked away from the training with a much greater sense of how to approach prospective donors and especially how to make the ask.”
Through our Board Development services, The Curtis Group can spend a few hours or a few days educating your board on topics such as “The Role of the Board in Fundraising” or “How to Make a Major Gift Ask.” Contact us to find out how we can help instill in your board members the confidence they need to become strong leaders.
Client Success Story: Lackey Free ClinicBy Wesley Stanley, Marketing Director & Campaign Consultant  The Curtis Group is proud to have assisted Lackey Free Clinic of Yorktown, Virginia, with the planning and management of its Capital and Endowment Campaign over the past three years. We are pleased to report that the campaign’s initial $1.5 million goal, which was determined by a feasibility study, has been exceeded by almost $100,000 and that the organization is moving toward a new goal of $2 million. The money raised will go to expand the clinic’s programs, staff, and facilities, as well as grow the organization’s endowment. Our consultant Diane Cavazos, who worked closely with Lackey on its campaign, credits the organization’s exceptional leadership with exceeding the campaign goal during these challenging economic times. “This achievement truly says something about the relationships the clinic’s staff and volunteers have built with their donors,” Cavazos says. “Even in difficult times, they’ve stood behind the clinic financially.”
Yet the clinic’s Campaign Steering Committee chair, Dave Anderson, still asserts, “If we, as an organization, were left on our own to reach our funding goal, we would probably not have succeeded. The Curtis Group was critical in helping the board stay on task to reach our goal.”
Nonprofit News
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