expanding developmentportfolio

MAXIMIZING WHAT YOU HAVE

Joy Sylvester-Johnson

CEO, Rescue Mission of Roanoke, Inc.

WHO ARE WE? • Christian Crisis Intervention Ministry

• The largest homeless shelter in the state (441 beds)

• Hospitality dining room ministry (331,486 meals in 2012)

WHO ARE WE?

• Clothing ministry (28,665 items distributed to 3,823 households in 2012)

• Legal clinic ministry

• Healthcare ministry • Medical • Psychiatric • Vision • Dental

WHO ARE WE?

• Adult learning center

• Therapeutic art studio

• Camp and retreat center

• 5-phased residential recovery program

• Targeted program for the chronically homeless

WHO ARE WE?

• 2013 Operating Budget $4,506,603

• 6,297 households, businesses, churches, and civic groups

• 16,402 donations

• 2.98% donations made on-line Individuals

Foundations

Businesses

Bequests

Churches

Associations

Trusts

Other

WHO ARE WE?

• 110 Employees

• 4,000 volunteers

• 112,470 volunteer hours equal to 56 FTEs

WELLS FARGO VOLUNTEER DAY

Helping hurting people in Jesus’ name

• Physically

• Emotionally

• Socially

• Spiritually

How do we communicate who we are to our community: those we serve and those we wish to attract to help us serve.

Make sure your organization has transparent and accessible numbers.

Nametags help us

collect

demographics

NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT!

• Monthly financial statements

• Annual audit

• 990 available on the internet

COLLABORATION

Collaboration is more than a word.

No agency can do everything!

COLLABORATION

• Mental Health America • Living Well Series

• Roanoke City Police and Sheriff’s Department • Engaged Presence Walks

• Interdiction Program

• Badges and Breakfast

• Notre Dame University • Interns

• Orvis • 20 tons of merchandising going to the landfill each year

• Their donations to us have diverted 80 tons of product

• Annual retail of their donations $2.1 Million

COLLABORATION

• Numbers may tell a story to a forensic accountant, but most of us need more than numbers.

• Tell your story!

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER • Annual cost $38,800

• Distributed to 18,000 households

• Always include a return vehicle

• 36.6% distributed electronically

• 489 electronic donations in 2012 totaling $126,041.03

TAKE PICTURES!

• Action shots

• Close ups

• Get good light

• Organize the photos

• Get signed releases

• Get everyone to take pictures

• Keep a narrative for the pictures

• Call in a pro when you need that one good shot

WRITING FOR THE NEWSLETTER

• Use a familiar format

• Use engaging writing styles

• If you cannot write, find someone who can

• Proofread twice!

• All staff could/should be contributing

USE A RETURN VEHICLE

• Make it as easy as possible for the donor to respond

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

• 36.6% receive our newsletter electronically

• 2.98% donated electronically

• 489 donations

• $126,041.03

TWO POWERFUL WORDS

• Hand signed, hand stamped.

• No one ever complains that an organization thanked them too much.

• Major donors receive an “insider” visit or an invitation to lunch

HELPING MEDIA HELP YOU

• Press Releases

• User friendly

• Suggest a lead line or

caption

• Include a color picture

• Include quotes

Matt:

Check out spacing issues

-Joy

Matt:

Need to mention

volunteers from Greene

Memorial UMC will be

there to assist with all the

little princesses, cowboys,

witches and goblins to

have a safe trick or treat

experience

-Joy

Matt:

OK to send!

-Joy

HELPING MEDIA HELP YOU

• Never say “no comment”

• Direct and lead the story in the way you want it to go

• Train staff

• Look into the camera

• How to smile when talking

• How to smile and be stilled when backed into a corner

• If you have bad news … tell the truth. Then counteract it with good news.

• It takes 100 good stories to balance one negative story.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPECIAL EVENTS

The best event is one that someone does in your behalf.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Curt’s mile of pennies

• $16,014.25

• Working on mile 19

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Follow the 80/20

• Good events involve volunteers, educates, and uplifts those who involved as well as those who were not there but heard or read about it through the media.

THE MANY LIVES OF AN EVENT OR IMAGE

Silent Witness Campaigns


Christmas Card

• 172,000 to be mailed

• 27 cents per card

• Raised $118,000

• 486 new donors


40th anniversary 45th anniversary


50th Anniversary

Soup, Soap and Salvation


55th Anniversary

Kazoo Band

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING

Drumstick Dash PSA

Dash t-shirts through the years …

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING

PJ Parade

FACEBOOK STATS

Happy

Coats-giving

Events are wonderful … and awful.

• Have to meet the 80/80 rule

• Choose the best of the best

• Never let an event become your focus

Every clinic should have a weekly tour event.

•Certain points made on every tour

• Include special or specific things that are customized for your group

• Keep it moving, interesting, pleasant, fun

Who is out there talking for your organization?

• Never turn down an opportunity to speak

• Send your best speakers out

• Your best volunteer and your biggest donor may be sitting in the next meeting …

EARNED INCOME PRACTICES

• Thrift Store recycling

• 278,715 pounds of textiles

• 11 vehicles

• 24,902 pounds of metal

• 52,505 pounds of cardboard


• 2nd helpings

• Shop

• Gallery

• Cafe


1. Do not let your earned income activity become your main mission. Do not let the “tail wag the dog.”

2. Make sure your earned income activity is consistent with your main ministry.

3. Let the ethics of your mission inform and dictate the ethics of your earned income practices.

KEEPING THE BOAT AFLOAT The Development Team

KEEPING THE BOAT AFLOAT

• Get a crew to row your boat! • Grants: 32 applications, 18 awards, $147,575

• Volunteer Coordinator/Grant Manager wrote the foundations

• CEO dressed it with the stories

• Graphic Artist supplied the pictures

• Drumstick Dash (our Signature Event) • HR Officer serves as Dash Director

• Assisted by Development Assistant

• EVE Network participation

• Pastors Lunch and Learns • Collaboration with two local churches who pay to bgring in

the Speakers

KEEPING THE BOAT AFLOAT

• Volunteer Appreciation

• Church Secretary Appreciation

• Happy Coats-gibing

• Pajama Parade

• Social Media

• Very Beary Christmas Program

• Shelter Gift Boxes

• Back to School Blast

• Souper Bowl

• Trunk or Treat

• Work Days

• Greek Festival

• Permanent Art Collection

NOT EVERYTHING WORKS

Most of us cannot work any harder than we already are. So we have to work smarter. And we have to work together for the benefit of the people we serve.