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Fundraising Best Practices

2011

Compiled by VISTA members at CASA of NJ 2008-2011

Best Practices for Fundraising

This Fundraising Best Practices guide was developed by CASA of New Jersey’s VISTA members (2008-2011).

Using their first hand experience VISTA members created best practices for fundraising, including guides to events, grant writing and more.

This guide is designed to provide you with a narrative, step-by-step guide for successfully completing a variety of tasks. Each section contains the necessary resources associated with that specific topic.

Enjoy!

EVENTS

5k 5K Best Practice 5K Budget

Dine Out To Donate Dine Out To Donate Best Practice

Dinner Dinner Best Practice Dinner Budget

Service a thon Service a thon Best Practice Service a thon Budget Service a thon Task List

Toy Drive Toy Drive Best Practice

Wine Tasting Wine Tasting Best Practice

Night of Beauty- Volunteer Recognition

Night of Beauty Best Practice

EVENT TOOLS

Processing Payments Processing Payments Best Practice Choosing a Merchant Processor Sample Merchant Processor Contract Sample Deposit Report

Raffle Raffle Best Practice Gaming Licenses Guide Reporting Raffle to the IRS Tracking Raffle Ticket Sales Unaccounted Tickets Report

Silent Auction Silent Auction Best Practice Sample Bid Sheet

Sample Credit Card Pre Registration Sample Donor Contract 1 Sample Donor Contract 2 Sample Item Description

GRANT WRITING

Calendar Grant Strategy 1 Grant Strategy 2 Creating Grant Seeking Calendar Sample Grants Calendar

MISCELLANEOUS

Acknowledgement letter Acknowledgement Letter Best Practice

Giftworks memorial fund Giftworks Memorial Fund Best practice

IRS Guidance – Charitable contributions

Charitable Contributions Disclosure Compliance Required Disclosures for 501 c 3 IRS Publication – Charitable Contributions Substantiation and

Disclosure Requirements

Photo Release Photo Release Best practice Sample Photo Release Form

Sample fundraising Plans Sample Fundraising Plan 1 Sample Fundraising Plan 2

Sustainable Funding and Benevon Benevon Overview Benevon Model Implications Ask Breakfast Best Practice Sample Breakfast Invitation Sample Breakfast Sponsor Form

Planning Tools Volunteer Position Checklist Ask Tracker Budget Template Choosing the Right Event Fundraiser Master Check List Fundraising Best Practice Mailing Steps


Part 1: Events


Events: 5K

Best Practice: 5K

*This document is laid out in process order, but many of these elements can and must occur concurrently.

Stage One: Find Members for an Event Committee and an Experienced Race Director

Objective: Event Committee

1. Recruit a diversity of local business leaders or people with interest in cause

2. Nominate two co-chairs to serve as leaders for committee Co-chairs take the lead on bringing in sponsors.

3. Hold monthly meetings

4. Divide into subcommittees for sponsorship, recruitment of participants, and race logistics

Objective: Race Director

1. Find someone with experience doing 5Ks to serve as a Race Director

Race Director should know the logistics of putting on a race. This needs to be done if it is your first year holding a 5K.

Stage Two: Race Course Logistics

Objective: Location

1. Identify self-contained locations in your area (e.g. office complexes)

2. Analyze which site would be best for your event

3. Communicate with onsite management

4. Receive approval and subsequent cooperation on logistics and resources from management

Objective: Race Course for 5K and Fun Run

1. Contact a race course management company

2. Have 5K course certified as 3.1mi and Fun Run course laid out as 1mi

3. Receive maps of both courses

4. Mark both courses with directional signs 2-3 days before event

5. Fun Run starts a half hour before the 5K It is optional to give out cheaper medals to children participating in Fun Run.

Objective: Timing of Race

1. Contact timing companies

2. Secure an experienced company who has done at least a dozen 5Ks

3. Give company names of running teams and their members

4. This information is used to determine team winners on race day.

4. Secure racing bibs 5. This can be done through timing company or through Runner’s World magazine.

Stage Three: Arrange Other Details Needed to Hold Race

Objective: Secure municipal permits

1. Need permit from township to hold event

Objective: Police and EMT support

1. Contact local police

2. Pay for pre-event and event traffic supervision by police

Objective: Portable toilets

1. Find a vendor Try Johnny On the Spot.

2. Confirm delivery the night before event

Objective: Food for Event

1. Identify local businesses which might donate 2.

2. Call businesses and ask who you can speak to about in-kind donations

3. This will give you the name of who to address a donation request letter to.

3. E-mail or send formal letters

Businesses will tell you what information they need in order to consider donating.

Objective: T-shirts

1. Get at least three quotes from vendors 2. Make sure to

get several style and fabric choices priced. Also make sure that you are quoted for the amount of each size needed.

2. Determine how many of each quantity to purchase

3. Include question about shirt size on registration form

Objective: Trophies

1. Secure bids from at least three trophy vendors Provide guidelines for what is needed and budget to each vendor.

Trophy Guidelines:

-trophies for first three places in each age group

-age groups are separated every five years from ages 10-70

-need sets of trophies for male and female winners

2. Overall male and female winners receive a present (e.g. decorative item like a vase or glass bowl or a gift certificate)

Objective: DJ

1. Find an appropriate location for DJ at the race site

2. Arrange for electrical connections through onsite management

3. Give DJ script for announcements Announcements: time left before race begins, to assemble before race, and race results

Stage Five: Registration

Objective: Pre-registration

1. Set up account with active.com through which people can register

2. Set up campaign homepage and race registration form through active.com

3. Decide if you are going to allow people to register as teams

4. Decide if race will be USATF sanctioned and if so secure USATF certification

To secure certification you must provide a map of race course and a sample of your registration form.

5. Consult with insurance provider and USATF for language on waiver to be included in active.com registration

6. Paper registration forms with waiver need to be available at site for day of registrants

Objective: Day of Registration

1. Have registration table for pre-registrants

2. Have table for walk-up registrants

3. Have table for team registration

4. Have table to hand-out T-shirts

a. Volunteers needed for tables:

Pre-registration: 4

Walk-up: 2-3

Team registration: 3

T-shirt: 1-2

Stage Five: Fundraising

Objective: Corporate Sponsorships

1. Develop a list of potential sponsors based on committee member connections and prior supporters

2. Have members of sponsorship subcommittee contact potential sponsors and give them sponsorship packet

This packet can be hard copy or electronic.

3. Have event committee members contact their personal connections

4. Make follow-up calls

Objective: Individual fundraisers

1. Individual fundraisers can create pages through general campaign page on active.com

2. Have staff, committee members, and board set-up fundraising pages

It may be difficult to get everyone to set up their own pages. So after a few reminders begin setting up pages for people and then e-mailing them their login information.

Objective: Mailing

1. Create list of people to send save-the-date card to from database

2. Secure race participation and non-participant donations

Stage Six: Marketing and Public Relations

Objective: Marketing Plan

1. Develop marketing and public relations plan with deadlines

a. Objective: Press releases

1. Write and distribute press releases to local news outlets

Objective: Advertisement

1. Secure event logo to be used when marketing event and on t-shirts

2. Identify running clubs to contact to post race info

3. Announce event in organization’s newsletter or to supporters via e-mail

Objective: Capturing Event

1. Hire or have donated photographer and/or videographer to record event for post-event media and website

Events: 5K

5k Budget

CASA Kids 5K

Expenses Amount

food, beverage 500

T-shirts 1700

Trophies, sponsor plaques 1900

Timer, race course 900

USATF certification 150

Advertising/Marketing (ad space, posters, save-the-date cards, postage) 3500

Permits, municipal police fees 400

Miscellaneous 250

Total 9300

Income Amount

Corporate Teams 860

Individual Donations 5,442.16

Individual Tickets 3,740.50

Corporate Donations 21450

Other 10155

Total

31,594.21

Events: Dine Out to Donate

Best Practice: Dine Out to Donate


Stage One: Strategic Conception and Development

Objective: Develop and coordinate a committee of decision-makers (e.g., board, staff, volunteers, donors, etc.)

1. Identify committee members 2. Coordinate meeting dates, times, locations and communication among the group 3. The committee will develop a strategic plan for achieving the fundraising goals to be accomplished by this event through event attendance, raffles, donations, etc.

Stage Two: Obtain Venue, determine percentage

Objective: Venue

1. Search and visit different sites that meet the needs of the event -e.g. location, capacity, extra space for info table, etc.

2. Weigh alternatives based on important factors -e.g. donation rate, availability and timing, prices, donated goods

3. - Obtain signed contract (a signed contract is of paramount significance) ; should indicate the percentage, the means of tracking guests, process for receiving donation after event.

4. - Be sure not to prematurely print event materials or disseminate event communications that could be invalidated by a change of the details within a contract.

Objective: Contingency Planning

1. Develop backup options and plans for the most important elements of the fundraiser in the event of emergencies, inclement weather, or unforeseen circumstances

Stage Three: Event Communications and Materials

Objective: Develop a Marketing Plan

1. Write press releases Write press releases to all daily newspapers listing time, location and price, do not write press releases to local dailies until contracts are signed.

Objective: Design & Distribute Event Materials

1. Design an event flyer or coupon if the restaurant does not provide you with one

-make sure to include the restaurant’s logo, name, address; also include the date and % that will go to your cause

2. Strategically place flyers at restaurant and at other local businesses 3. Have committee members, staff and volunteers distribute the flyers to friends and family

Objective: Manage Online Presence

1. Determine methods of online communication and marketing - Social networking sites, facebook, volunteer match, etc.

2. Update the organization’s website with relevant and updated event information; make sure that a copy of the flyer is available and easy to print 3. Email communications to your network -(E.g., save the date, event sponsor, important notifications, etc.)

Stage Four: Execute Fundraiser Objectives

Objective: Attendance

1. The key to making money with this event is attendance. If 100 people spend $20 each, most restaurants will give you around $400 (20%) 2. Ensure that all attendees have easy access to the flyer or coupon, or their meal will most likely not be counted

Objective: Games of Chance

Stage Five: Deliver Event

Objective: Location Setup

1. Layout entire room for the event, including banners, etc 2. Make sure CASA brochures and extra flyers are available

Objective: Host Activities

1. Conduct raffle - Please refer to the appropriate best practice document for the games of chance that you wish to conduct for more specific information.

a. Display prizes, descriptive materials, and auction forms, if necessary b. Provide appropriate materials for game winners

Objective: Capture Event

1. Assign staff member or secure a professional to take photos or video for future reporting on the event - Pull quotes and names of everyone in each photo must be listed. For the newsletter.

2. Prepare necessary equipment and electronic capabilities

Events: Dinner

Best Practice: Dinner



Objective: Develop and coordinate a committee of decision-makers (e.g., board, staff, volunteers, donors, etc.)

1. Identify committee members.

2. Coordinate meeting dates, times, locations and communication among the group.

3. The committee will develop a strategic plan for achieving the fundraising goals to be accomplished by this event through ticket sales, silent auction, ad sales, donations, etc.

Stage Two: Obtain Signed Contract(s) with the Venue, Food, and Alcohol Services

Objective: Venue

1. Search and visit different sites that meet the needs of the event.

4. Things to consider: capacity, parking, electronic capabilities, seating, excess space

2. Weigh alternatives based on important factors . a. Important factors include: the cost, geographic location, accessibility for attendees, accommodating needs of the restaurateurs, square footage

2. Obtain signed contract (a

signed contract is of paramount significance)

a. Be sure not to prematurely print event materials or disseminate event communications that could be invalidated by a change of the details within a contract.

Objective: Obtaining Food & Alcohol Vendors

1. Contact, via phone, owners and managers of locally privately owned restaurants that are willing to donate food. Follow up one week later with a contract and in person meeting, and a final contact, via phone one month prior to the event.

2. Depending on the application of the wait staff, whether it will be roving wait staff, or stationary, the venue may provide some servers and you’ll need less from the restaurant. The committee can decide on how many people are needed from each restaurant and what their purpose will be.

2. Obtain Alcohol vendors. There are multiple wine and microbreweries in and around northern NJ that may be willing to donate wine or beer for samples. They cannot donate closed bottles, but they can donate tastings of beverages. The same protocol for them would apply to their signed contracts, but you would need roving wait staff and menus/listed items.

3. Funders have been known to be dissatisfied when organizations provide open bars at their events. Take your audience into consideration and decide whether a sizable amount will be consuming alcohol. Other options do exist: wineries or microbrews provide the alcohol for free in exchange for the opportunity to market their brands.

3. Keep pitchers/ glasses of non alcoholic beverages available.

4. Many venues/party planning services will include this in rental. Obtain signed contract.

5.


1. Develop backup options and plans for the most important elements of the fundraiser in the event of emergencies, inclement weather, or unforeseen circumstances.

Stage Three: Data Collection & Communication Procedures

Objective: Arrange for a method of collecting donor and attendee data (e.g., donor database)

1. Develop procedures for how different donors will be addressed throughout preparations leading up to the event and after the conclusion of the event.

1. Some questions to address include: Who will receive thank you letters? How will ad purchasers be acknowledged? How will you create a mailing list for individuals who have contributed in several various ways?.

2. Develop letter templates for all anticipated post-event communications (refer to the “Follow-Up Communications” section below)

3. Devote staff time to data entry of all contributions and payments, including ad, sponsor, and ticket sales, and donor contact information and seating preferences.

2. It is imperative that your data collection is represented in a manner that will allow for the proper exportation of this information. You will need to address this early in the process of data collection in order to streamline follow-up communications.

a. Your data collection should

address all areas of contributions, which you intend to recognize in your follow-up responses whether they are thank you letters for in-kind items or tax receipts for ticket sales.

4. Please refer to the IRS guidelines for charitable contributions in order to calculate the tax-refundable portion of any sales at the event, games of chance conducted, or in-kind donations.

a. You will need to have available the tax-refundable portion of each ticket sale in case such questions are brought up by guests. You may want to include this information in the event program or other event materials. Additionally, you may want to address the time frame in which guests can

expect their tax receipts.

5. Run weekly paper reports to serve as a backup for your data in the event of hardware or software glitches

Additionally, be sure to update your database on a regular basis.

Objective: Processing Payments

1. Determine your methods for accepting payments 2. Checks, credit card, PayPal, cash, etc.

2. Address credit card payments & invoicing buyers 3.

3. Registration/sign-in table 4. Consider the location of the table, staffing, needs for registering guests and processing payments, and handing out drink tickets, seating assignments, and other literature, etc.

Stage Four: Execute Fundraiser Objectives

Objective: Sponsorships Obtaining an event sponsor early on in the process is critical to a successful event.

1. Pursue the strategy developed by the committee for achieving sponsorship goals

3. The presence of an event sponsor lends the appearance of a professionally run event, and therefore, helps to bolster ticket sales.

a. Develop sponsorship levels b. Table sponsors, silver

sponsors, etc.

c. b. Solicit identified targets c. (e.g., corporate or small

businesses, consistent donors, other key players)

i. It is preferable to be flexible

with the sponsorship levels. It is often in your best interest to negotiate with sponsors in an

effort to foster goodwill and positive relationships.

2. Be sure to meet the agreed upon terms of

sponsorship levels 3. Discuss the following items

with potential sponsors: ad specs, number of tickets, recognition awards, recognition in event materials and communications, display of other literature, signs, or banners

Objective: Ticket Sales

1. Pursue the strategy developed by the committee for achieving ticket sales goals.

2. Online sales method (e.g., PayPal, Network For Good) vs. person to person contacts, or both

3. You must have the capacity and ability to process payments online and manage the account. If you opt to focus on person to person sales, you must identify your sales persons and provide them with proper support including the appropriate event materials and communications.

a. It is preferable not to use

physical tickets for this event if you will be tracking the paid attendees in another manner such as a registration list. It will cut down on both staff time and expenses necessary for processing this element, in addition to attendee confusion.

Objective: Ad Journal

1. Pursue the strategy developed by the committee for achieving ad sales goals.

2. Set guidelines for ad specs (file formats) and set ad copy deadline based on production requirements.

3. Solicit identified audience (e.g., businesses, trustees, community contacts) to buy and sell ads.

4. Devote staff time and develop a method for the management of the ad journal

5. This could include any of the following: collecting the ads, making design adjustments, processing the payments, acknowledging the buyers, submitting the ads for printing in color or black and white.

Objective: Games of Chance You must secure a state

identification number and municipal license before conducting any games.

1. Identify the games of chance/ silent auctions, etc. to be conducted at the event

2. Follow the instructions and requirements set out in the “Games of Chance Guide.” Also, refer to the games of chance rules and regulations provided by the state commission.

2. Identify and obtain the appropriate materials for conducting the games

3. For example: auctioneer, horse wheel, ticket tumbler

4. a. Additional signed contracts

may be required for this equipment, or such services.

Stage Five: Event Communications and Materials


1. Write press releases 2. Write press releases to all daily newspapers listing time,

location and price. Do not write press releases to local daily papers until contracts are signed.


1. Determine methods of online communication and marketing

Social networking sites such as facebook, volunteer match, blogs

2. Update the organization’s website with relevant and updated event information

3. Email communications to your network For example: save the date cards, event sponsor advertisements, and other important notifications

Objective: Design Event Materials

1. Decide between in-house printing and professional printing (weigh the pros and cons of both options for each event material as needed)

a Devote time for any in-house printing of these items and/or mailings associated with the event

b. Solicit quotes from several printers before settling on one option

5. Take the turnaround time into account for the development, design, and/or printing of materials completed professionally.

i. Consider negotiating free

printing services in exchange for an ad for the printer’s business in your ad journal.

2. Design/develop appropriate materials 3. For example: tickets,

invitations, ad journal, seating chart, sign-in/registration form, drink tickets, canvassing forms, invite packets for board and volunteers, sponsorship forms, info sheets for live auction, silent auction, and

tricky tray items, invoices

Objective: Develop Materials Needed to Deliver the Event

1. Seating Chart 2. Begin development with the collection of attendee data. If the event has reserved seating record seating preferences and guests’ names.

You will need to know the

exact number of tables, their capacities, and their configuration in the room of the venue.

2. Registration/sign-in form 3. The form should address whether payment has been received, the seat number, the number of guests as needed and full names of attendees.

It is helpful to print a report of

your contacts in two differently sorted forms for the night of the event. One sorted by attendees’ last names, and one sorted by table numbers.

Stage Six: Deliver Event


1. Layout entire room for the event 2. Keep tables scattered throughout room, and moving servers. Do NOT keep the tables located along the walls.

a. Give restaurants plenty of time to get there and set up w/ food.

b. Make sure there are heated trays of food, where hosts can speak to patrons, while their food/drink is circulating. And servers can “re-up”

b. Allow for background music and a constant flow of conversation while food is being offered make sure there are both bar tables and sit down tables.

c. Please take the following into account: the space needed between tables for wait staff, access to restroom facilities and exits, mingling room around the bar or display tables, entryway space, proximity of the registration table to the entrance, proximity of the kitchen or potential noises to guests or entertainment. There should be no confusion once guests arrive, food should be hot and beginning to circulate at the announced time.

2. Double check electronic equipment setup and functionalities

Possible equipment include: microphones, projector, computer, sound

3. Display appropriate outdoor signage 4. Some appropriate signage includes: parking arrows, entrance markers and display materials.

Objective: Host Activities

1. Conduct silent auction 2. See the silent auction page.

a. Display prizes, descriptive materials, and

auction forms.

b. Provide appropriate materials for game winners

c. Some useful documents include: prize vouchers or prizes, payment forms

d. Please refer to the

appropriate best practice document for the games of chance that you wish to conduct for more specific information.


1. Assign staff member or secure a professional to take photos or video for future reporting on the event.

Record names of everyone in each photo. Record quotes when appropriate.

2. Prepare necessary equipment and electronic capabilities.

a.

Stage Seven: Post-Event Communications

Objective: Process Follow-Up Responses

1. Thank you letters and tax receipts to donors 2. Have appropriate templates based on the fundraiser and the amount donated. Use the list compiled at the event to draw from to contact thank you letters.

3.

2. Distribute prizes and/or congratulatory letters to prize winners

3. If prizes are not at the venue distribute prize vouchers and information about how they will receive their prize.

Express gratitude and/or report event successes to major contributors and sponsors

The objective is to repeat the sponsorship for next year or another event.

Events: Dinner

Dinner Budget

Sample Dinner Event Budget

Restaurant Tasting and Silent Auction

Expenses Category Amount Unit Total

Food & Facility $ 1,000.00 1 $ 1,000.00

Bartenders (2 for 4 hours) $ - 0 $ -

Plaque/ Awards presented $ 100.00 1 $ 100.00

Music $ - 0 $ -

Auction Items $ - 0 $ -

Printing (Invitations, Fliers, Program & Ad Journal) $ 100.00 1 $ 100.00

Supplies (Decorations, Centerpieces, Table Goods) $ - 0 $ -

Postage (used by board members) $ - 0 $ -

TOTAL $ 1,200.00

Income Category Amount Unit Total

Table Sponsor (includes 5 tickets) $ 200.00 0 $ -

Individual Tickets Sales $ 50.00 100 $ 5,000.00

Ad Journal Sales $ 50.00 29 $ 1,450.00

50/50 Raffle $ 5.00 175 $ 875.00

Silent Auction Total $ 75.00 15 $ 1,125.00

GROSS $ 8,450.00

NET $ 7,250.00

Event: Service –a- thon

Best Practice: Service-a-thon


A Service-a-thon is when a participating salon offers many of its regular services, including haircuts and blow dry, facial, massages, etc. for a discounted price and all proceeds for each service benefits CASA.


Objective: Develop and coordinate a committee of decision-makers.

1. Identify committee members. Committee members can be board, staff, community members, volunteers, donors.

2. Coordinate meeting dates, times, locations and communication among the group.

3. The committee will develop a strategic plan for achieving the fundraising goals to be accomplished by this event through attendees and sponsorships.

4. During the committee meeting establish if any of the members have a personal connection to a salon in the area or if they frequent a salon.

5. Establish a budget for the event.

Stage Two: Salon Participation

Objective: Venue

1. Search and visit different sites that meet the needs of the event

2. Some needs to consider include capacity, parking, electronic capabilities

2. Set up a meeting with salons that the committee has agreed to approach

3. After picking the salon make sure the roles and responsibilities of CASA and the salon are clearly defined and understood by both parties

a. Personal connections to board members, staff or volunteers will help to get meetings with the salons.

Objective: Food &Beverages/T-Shirts

1. Contact a local deli or restaurant to see if they would be interested in donating appetizers or light meals throughout the day. They would be mentioned in all press releases and be listed as a sponsor.

Delis or restaurants located close to the salon may be more likely to sponsor the event as their delivery costs would be kept low and they will receive attention from the local press.

If delivery is a barrier to securing a food sponsor, find volunteers to pick up the food for the day or can manage the table

during the event.

2. T-shirts are a great way to advertise CASA and the event. Also it allows you to give extra thanks and advertise for your sponsors. Handing them out for all attendees to take home can help the donors feel a part of the event and a supporter of the cause. Also having the staff, volunteers or salon workers wear the shirt during the event can help attendees identify who to talk to.

T-shirts can be expensive, especially when printed in more than one color. If you ask attendees to give their size shirt in advance to order enough of each size. Getting a t-shirt company or a sponsor to donate the t-shirts can save a lot of money and some donors like to see they paid for a good they can see.

Make sure your sponsor list is finalized before ordering your shirts, they usually take a week and a half to print.


1. Develop backup options and plans for the most important elements of the fundraiser in the event of emergencies, inclement weather, or unforeseen circumstances

Stage Three: Execute Fundraiser Objectives

Objective: Sponsorships Obtaining an event sponsor early on in the process is critical to a successful event.

1. Pursue the strategy developed by the committee for achieving sponsorship goals.

2. The presence of an event sponsor lends the appearance of a professionally run event, and therefore, helps to boost attendance and media coverage.

2. Develop sponsorship levels and packets to mail to all possible sponsors .

3. Emphasize the benefits of being a sponsor to potential sponsors.

3. Some benefits may include: recognition awards, recognition in event materials and communications, display of other literature, signs, or banners

4. Mail out the packets to all possible sponsors. a. Encourage the salon to have advertisement packets on hand before the event to hand them out to clients or business they work with who could be possible sponsors.

Objective: Attendees 1. Pursue the strategy developed by the committee for achieving maximum attendees.

a.

2. Develop a mailing list of all possible attendees. Your mailing list can include sending invitations

3. Send out invitations to your mailing list.

a. To save postage you can send out an electronic version to all the CASA volunteers and others in the CASA network.

4. It is also a good idea to ask the salon to hand out invitations to their regular clients. These clients will receive a discount on the services and be helping out a good cause.

to: all past donors, purchasing a mailing list and people that your boards, staff for volunteers suggest.

When sending invitations via e-mail it is good to send out a save the date e-mail then the invitations when the event gets close. You can also add a little blurb to the bottom signatures of your e-mails as a reminder.

Objective: Processing Payments

1. Determine your methods for accepting payments. 3. Some payment methods include: checks, credit card, PayPal, cash

2. Address credit card payments . 3.

3. Check in and donation table 4. Consider the location of the table, staffing, needs for checking in guests and processing payments and other literature.

4. Decide between online sales method and person to person contacts, or both

5. You must have the capacity and ability to process payments online and manage the account. If you opt to focus on person to person sales, you must identify your salespersons and provide them with proper support including the appropriate event materials and communications.

a. It is preferable not to use physical tickets

for this event if you will be tracking the paid attendees in another manner such as appointment list. It will cut down on both staff time and expenses necessary for processing this element, in addition to attendee confusion.

Stage Five: Event Communications and Materials


1. Write press releases 3.


1. Determine methods of online communication and marketing

2. Update the organization’s website with relevant and updated event information

3. Email communications to your network Some types of communication include save the date cards or emails and event sponsor advertisements.

Objective: Design Event Materials

2. Decide between In-house printing and professional printing (weigh the pros and cons of both options for each event material as needed)

a. Devote time for any in-house printing of these items and/or mailings associated with the event

b. Solicit quotes from several printers before settling on one option

6. Take the turnaround time into account for the development, design, and/or printing of materials completed professionally.

Stage Six: Deliver Event


1. Layout entire room for the event 5. Things to consider during room set up: appointment table, information table, display tables, centerpieces, chairs, podium, banners, display materials, any electronic equipment, and sponsor signage

2. Double check electronic equipment setup and functionalities

3. Display appropriate outdoor signage, if necessary 4. Some appropriate signage options are parking arrows, entrance markers and display materials


1. Remember throughout the planning of the event to contact all news media outlets and invite them to cover the event.

2. Prepare necessary equipment and electronic capabilities

a.

Stage Seven: Post-Event Communications

Objective: Process Follow-Up Responses

1. Thank you letters to all event attendees 4.

2. Thank the salon for hosting the event and get photo opportunities.

3. Taking pictures is important to remember because after the event you can send all media outlets any photos and write-ups about the event. This gives CASA exposure and the salon free advertising which is an added benefit of participating.

3. Express gratitude and/or report event successes to major contributors and sponsors & send thank you letters and pictures of the event.

4.

Events: Service a thon

Service a thon Budget

Event Budget for Service a Thon

Expenses

Decorations

Balloons $25.00

Paper supplies $15.00

Totals $40.00 $0.00

Publicity

Photocopying/Printing $200.00

Postage $50.00

Totals $250.00 $0.00

Miscellaneous

T-Shirts $400.00

Totals $400.00 $0.00

Refreshments

Food $150.00

Drinks $25.00

Paper Products $25.00

Totals $200.00 $0.00

Total Expenses $890

Events: Service – a -thon

Service-a-thon Task List

Task Date Who’s Responsible

Corporate Sponsorship

Revise “Save the Date” November 1st CASA (with salon approval)

Revise Full Packet January 1st CASA (with salon approval)

Print “Save the Date” December 15th CASA

Print Full Packets February 15th CASA

Mail “Save the Date” to past and potential

future sponsors

January 1st CASA

Mail Full Packets to past and potential future

sponsors

March 1st CASA

Display packets at salon April 1st Salon

Follow up with potential sponsors ongoing CASA

Print Sponsor signs May 1st

CASA

Display sponsor signs on stations, reception are,

etc.

May 15th Salon

Invitations/Postcards

Design Postcards February 15th Salon (with CASA approval)

Print postcards March 15th CASA

Distribute post cards to local stores – Borders,

Whole Foods, Starbucks, etc.

April 1st

CASA and Salon

Display post cards at salon April 1st Salon

Advertisement

Information on Website – “Save the Date” October 1st

CASA and Salon

Full Info on Website January 1st CASA and Salon

Email blasts – “Save the Date” February 1st CASA and Salon

Email blasts – Full Info April 1st CASA and Salon

Contact Z100 September 1st CASA and Salon

Press releases – contact 201, Bergen County

The Magazine, etc.

April 1st and May 1st CASA and Salon

TV – NY1 News, Channel 12, etc. April 1st and May 1st CASA and Salon

Task Date Who’s Responsible

Advertisement Continued…

Display Event Signs April 1st Salon

Secure table at Fort Lee Fair Day April 15th Salon

Raffle

Secure Raffle License January 1st CASA

Begin Soliciting Raffle items January 1st CASA and Salon

Display Raffle items and sell tickets May 15th Salon

Donations

T-shirts – secure donation April 1st Salon

T-shirt – finalize list of sponsors May 15th Salon

Food/beverages for event April 1st CASA and Salon

Paper products for event May 15th CASA

Big Check to write total on for photos – Sir

Speedy

May 1st CASA

Post Event

Thank you email to sponsors and participants June 3rd CASA

IRS thank you letter to sponsors and

participants

July 1st CASA

Events: Toy Drive Best Practices: Toy Drive using Toys R Us Gift Registry Although this is written specifically for the Toys R Us website – the steps can be applied to any story where an online registry is available. Other stores may have a larger selection for older children in an appropriate price range. Depending on the need of the children it may be more reasonable to work with a store like Target that could address multiple needs including clothing.

Stage One: Brainstorming and Organizing

Objective: Identify needs for toy drive

1. Run a full list of children in your caseload to identify age and gender. 2. Make a master list of the children you will be supplying gifts for. 3. Note if any child has special needs or special interests that could affect the toy they receive. 4. Make sure that your gifts are age, gender, and culturally appropriate. 5. Brainstorm what kind of gifts you will putting on the registry.

Objective: Set a timeline for program

1. Decide when you will be distributing the gifts and work backward. Give at least four weeks for the registry to be available and two weeks for shipping of items.

This may include other children living in the home not served by a CASA.

Check with the Case Supervisors to see what age children are or could benefit from a specific type of toy.

The purchaser selects shipping method, so shipping schedule can vary.

Stage Two: Creating the Gift Registry

Objective: Set up registry.

1. Visit www.toyrus.com 2. Select “Wish List” on the homepage. 3. Create a new wish list. 4. Complete the wish list registration.

Make sure to name your Wish List so that it will be easy to find online or in the store. Most donations will come from a direct link but some donors will have to search for the list. (Ex: Hudson County CASA Wish List)

Stage Three: Add Gifts to the List

Objective: Add a gift for each child.

1. Use the Toys R Us site to search for gifts for each child. 2. Decide the appropriate value of gifts to put on the list. 3. Add the gifts to the Wish List. 4. Add some extra gifts in case others are not purchased. 5. Check the wish list regularly to ensure that the list has enough gifts for prospective donors to choose from.

Depending on your donor base, gifts can vary in price but should be appropriate and realistic in price.

Stage Four: Add Gifts to Master List

Objective: Sync master list of children with gifts added to the registry.

1. Track the gifts that you added to the registry on the Master List of children’s names.

This can be done in a few different ways:

1. Putting the desired toy next to the name of the child.

2. Keeping a list separate list of the toys with their gender/age guidelines included.

Stage Five: Distribute Wish List

Objective: Send Wish List out so supporters can purchase gifts.

1. Send Wish List out in an email blast to let supporters know the purpose of the drive. 2. Encourage supporters to forward the list to their friends and family as well. 3. Post Wish List link on organization website, Facebook page, Twitter account. 4. Write a press release about the event and send it out to your local and community newspapers. 5. Consider taking out a small ad in a local newspaper or posting on community websites

We were concerned that the toy drive would detract from our Annual Holiday ask – however both asks were successful! Our Holiday Appeal was our most successful. Instead of donating to just one initiative, many supporters donated to both.

Stage Six: Receiving Gifts

Objective: Monitor Wish List and plan for gift arrival.

1. Toys R Us will not contact you when a gift has been purchased or shipped. It is important to monitor the Wish List to see what gifts have been purchased. 2. You may want to make a note of this on your Master List.

Stage Seven: Logistical Planning

Objective: Decide how you will receive and distribute gifts.

1. As gifts come in they will be assigned to a child on the Master List. 2. Once assigned, gifts should be wrapped and labeled with the child’s first name (last initial if there are duplicates). 3. Volunteers will pick up gifts in an allotted time frame and distribute to the children on their case. 4. CASA will host an open house night to allow volunteers to pick up gifts.

We combined the gift drive with a holiday appreciation party for our volunteers.

Stage Eight: Acknowledge Donations

Objective: Track donors and acknowledge donations

1. As each gift comes into the office the

packing slip will include the individual who purchased the gift. Compile these slips to record data. 2. Record the market value of the gift at the time it was purchased. 3. Log donation made as an in-kind donation in your donor database system with the value of the toy as the donation. 4. Send thank you note for the donation.

The packing slip from Toys R Us will not have the price listed – so you may want to add the price to the list of gifts as you note that they were purchased (as seen in Stage 5).

Events: Wine Tasting Best Practice: Wine Tasting Goals:

Create an opportunity for guests to network, have fun, and provide financial support for CASA of NJ

Areas of concentration:

1. Wine procurement 2. Committee structure and volunteers 3. Sponsorship and ticket sales 4. Generating additional income

1. Wine Procurement

Ideas: o Encourage creative, colorful, decorative displays o Ask for promotional items to give away as freebies o Solicit for corporate sponsorships

Tips: o Keep in mind that a “taste” is only a third of a glass o Have a variety of wines to sample; reds, whites, and a mix of varietals o Have a representative from the wine shop attend the event to assist with the tasting of their wines and to describe them to the guests o When using multiple vendors, take into consideration the number of stations you will be providing o Provide a “Questions at a Glance” sheet with wine facts for your donors o Include a silent auction with some of the wines featured; make sure you have enough wine

Proven Success: o Partner with a wine shop to secure all of your wines o The wine shop manager solicits donations from their distributors who will pour the wine at the event; the wine shop does all the work o Most wine shops will take orders for wine sales the night of the event o They will offer a discount to patrons who then pick up the wine in their store the following week

This gives your patrons an opportunity to buy a wine they like at a discount and increases sales for the wine shop

2. Committee Structure and Volunteers

Reference points for structuring a committee: o Schedule times to get updates from your committee o The size and scale of your event will determine the size of your committee o Keep everyone highly informed about the planning of the event

Avoid isolating anyone from the process o Distribute a roster of the Event Committee to each volunteer with contact information

o Be sure each member receives a job description for his/her committee

Example committee structure: o Chairman appoints chairs of each sub-committee who serve under him/her on the larger Event Committee o Committee chairs recruit other volunteers to join a committee:

Program/entertainment/prizes Committee Ticket sales Committee Corporate Sponsors Committee Site Arrangements and Logistics (food/site/decorations) Committee Budget/Finance Committee Fundraising (raffles, silent auction, etc.) Committee

Source of volunteers: o Past volunteers o Current donors and/or friends of CASA of NJ o High profile local ‘social butterflies’ of the community o Co-workers, neighbors, senior citizens, wine connoisseurs, members of local civic group (Kiwanis, Lions, etc.), social service agencies, offices, churches or synagogues, local businesses with corporate volunteer programs, colleges, bulletin boards in grocery stores

3. Sponsorship and Ticket Sales

Tips: o Solicit both companies that have given to CASA of NJ in the past and local businesses o Personalize the solicitation by confirming a contact name o Keep a supply of invites and sponsorship packages on hand o Just because someone is unable to sponsor you, doesn’t mean you can’t turn them into an attendee or direct donor o Types of corporate support:

Outright cash gift at a given sponsorship level Gift-in-kind pertinent to event production (food, liquor, music, decorations, advertising, transportation, hotel rooms) Matching gifts of employees

4. Generating Additional Income:

Secure corporate support for the event by creating a Corporate Sponsorship Package (see Texas CASA Ch.2) that lists the perks and premiums available at different gift levels

Build on a more exclusive and expensive event before or after the main event (i.e. add a VIP dessert reception)

Include opportunities for individual guests to become Patrons and Benefactors at an additional cost; give incentive of special mention in program, better seating, and/or tickets to a special reception

Sell merchandise relating to the event or your mission

Sell ads in your program

Hold raffle or silent auction in addition to your event

Turn your vendors into donors (i.e. if your event is at a hotel, get them to donate an overnight stay)

Proven success: the easiest and most exciting way to generate additional income for their wine event has been through silent auction

o Allow attendees to buy books about wine and cooking compliments of a local bookstore o Put several items together to create auction packages and increase the value

Furniture refinishing and designer bedding 4 new tires and auto detailing Tour of vineyard with case of wine

o Personalize your soliciting approach Use your own contacts and mailing lists Whenever possible, solicit in person with collateral material Follow up every solicitation you make

Events: Night of Beauty

Best Practice: Volunteer Appreciation Event- Night of Beauty

Volunteer Appreciation Event- To provide volunteers the recognition and thank you they deserve. Will show volunteers how much they are valued and appreciated and ultimately will help volunteer retention.

Night of Beauty- For our event we chose a night where our volunteers could get together, relax and be pampered. A beauty consultant was on hand to provide make up and skin care tips to volunteers. This was not a fund raiser in any way; no purchase was required by volunteers. CASA provided wine and cheese.

1. Objective: Conception and Development a. Identify planning committee (board, staff, volunteers, ect.). b. Develop a plan and goals to be accomplished by this event. c. Establish if anyone has a personal connection to a beauty consultant or salon/spa.

2. Objective: Date and Time a. Set date and time of event (remember to keep in mind holidays, other CASA events, and committee member’s/CASA volunteer’s schedules).

3. Objective: Consultant a. Search for either a Mary Kay or Avon representative, make up artist, or salon/spa cosmetologist who can volunteer their services free of charge. b. Set up a meeting with consultants. c. After choosing a consultant make sure the roles and responsibilities of CASA and the consultant are clearly defined and understood by both parties.

4. Objective: Venue a. Search for a venue that is free of charge and has easily accessible bathrooms (committee member’s house, CASA office, county administration building, ect.) b. Decide on Venue.

5. Objective: Refreshments a. Decide if you want to provide dinner, dessert, appetizers, ect. depending on the time of day of the event. b. Decide if you want to purchase refreshments or try to get them donated. c. Contact a local deli, restaurant, or grocery store to see if they would be interested in donating refreshments.

6. Objective: Attendees and Invitations a. Decide if you want to send out paper invitations or electronic invitations (remember to keep in mind cost of invitations and postage). b. Develop a mailing list of all possible attendees (addresses or e-mail addresses of current volunteers, staff, and board members). c. Make invitations or e-vites (sample on page 3). d. Send out invitations to all possible attendees.

7. Objective: RSVPs a. Wait for RSVPs. b. Make a list of attendees.

8. Objective: Communication

a. One week before event send out an e-mail reminder to all possible attendees that have not RSVP’d. b. Contact beauty consultant to confirm date and time of event.

9. Objective: Deliver Event a. The day before event make a list of everything you will need to bring to event (paper plates, utensils, cups, paper towels, cork screw, ice, makeup remover, signage, ect.). b. The day of event bring all items on list and buy refreshments or pick up donations. c. Set up venue. d. Display appropriate outdoor signage if necessary. e. Greet consultant and guests. f. Hand over the event to the consultant.

10. Objective: Capture Event a. Take photographs of the event. b. Use photographs in newsletter and website.

11. Objective: Post-Event Communications a. Send “Thank You” letters to the consultant, all attendees, and anyone who donated or contributed to the event.


Part 2: Event Tools


Event Tools: Processing Payments

Best Practice: Processing Payments

Objective: Obtain a merchant account This process usually takes less than

two weeks to set up after you send in

your information.

1. Processor shopping suggestions Please be aware of the different fees

associated with processing credit card

payments. Be sure to compare

different processors’ fees, and factor

this into your budget.

a. Talk to your bank Oftentimes your bank may be able to

offer you a merchant account.

However, your bank is likely to offer a

turnkey package, which may be the

easiest option, but not necessarily the

most cost-effective.

b. Use ChasePaymentTech This processor is one of the largest

and is known for having some of the

best rates. Please refer to

http://www.chasepaymentech.com/.

c. Or, Google the phrase “merchant processor” This search will provide other

processors whose rates you can

compare to each other.

Please view the attached worksheet

for your use in comparing different

processors’ rates.

5. Transaction Types and Associated Fees

a. Retail card swipe transaction - The credit/debit card

is swiped by the cardholder into the terminal.

These transactions typically carry the

lowest fee.

b. Manual entry with address verification services (AVS)

AVS means that you are entering

their address and zip code in

addition to the card information.

This is safer than a transaction

without this information. The safest

transaction is a retail card swipe.

c. Manual entry without address verification services These transactions typically carry the highest fees.

6. Execute contract with the processor of your choosing At this point you would need to give

them authorization to access your

account.

You can decide which card types you

would like to accept for processing

(i.e., Visa, MasterCard, etc.

American Express typically has

higher rates.).

Objective: Obtain a credit card terminal b.

1. Purchasing options c.

a. You don’t need to obtain your terminal directly from

your processor.

d. You can buy a new or used terminal,

lease one, or get one off of Ebay or

other Internet-based terminal

provider.

e.

b. However, the terminal must be a model that is used

by the processor.

f. There are hundreds of different

terminals (manufacturers, models,

etc.). Please get this information

from your processor before

obtaining a terminal. The processor’s

software must be compatible with

your terminal.

g.

c. When obtaining your terminal, speak with your

processor about the various options that can or

cannot be supported by the terminal you are getting.

For example, will you be able to accept store

transactions if your terminal is not connected to a

telephone.

h.

2. Process i.

a. Your processor will set up an appointment for you

with their customer service to walk you through the

process of downloading their software onto your

terminal.

j. This will happen beforehand in

preparation for the event.

k.

b. It is critical that you have as much information about

the cardholder as possible to eliminate a chargeback

(when a credit card company withdraws the money

for a transaction from your merchant account and

l. It is suggested that you provide an

area on your paper payment form

for creating a rub of the credit card,

which proves the card’s presence

and its use for a transaction.

deposits it in a consumer's account following a

dispute over the use of that credit card) to the

merchant (you).

Furthermore, it is very important to

follow the rules and procedures of

your merchant processor in order to

avoid a chargeback.

m.

c. Funds are typically deposited into your account

within a day or two, which would be stipulated in

your contract.

n.

Objective: Obtain an online account via PayPal o.

1. Please visit www.paypal.com and click on “Merchant

Services” to view your options.

2. If you click on “On your website” you will see two specific

options.

a. Website Payments Standard – buyers enter credit

card info on secure PayPal pages; free setup; no

monthly fees; transactions fees: 1.9% - 2.9% + $0.30

USD

b. Website Payments Pro - includes a Virtual Terminal,

which can accept payments for orders taken via

phone, fax, and mail; free setup; $30/month;

transaction fees: 2.2% – 2.9% + $0.30 USD

3. PayPal provides a user-friendly signup system to implement

these options.

Please follow the instructions

provided.


Choosing a Merchant Processor

Processing Payments Worksheet

This worksheet can be used to compare the different rates and fees associated with merchant processors.

Transaction Fees Other Fees

Processor Name Card Swipe AVS Standard Enrollment Transaction Monthly Other

Chase Paymentech 2.27 % 2.62 % 3.06 % ----

Debit: $0.20 + Debit network

fees $3.50 See

sample

. % . % . %

. % . % . %

. % . % . %

. % . % . %

. % . % . %

Event Tools: Processing Payments Sample Merchant Processor Contract

American Society of Association Executive Program ASAE Schedule A-Pricing Sheet

Application/Enrollment No Charge

Discount Rates: Credit Check

Cards Cards

Visa/MasterCard/Discover Retail Card Swipe Trans. 2.27% 1.84% Transactions captured and settled the same day.

(Visa CPS Retail & MC Merit III & Discover PSL Retail)

Visa /DiscTrans. (with Address Verification Services) 2.62% 2.25% Mail/Phone trans. captured & settled within 2 days.

V/M/D Standard Transactions 3.06% 2.64% Transactions settled more than 2 days after

capture.

(Visa EIRF, MC Keyed, MC Merit 1, Discover BSL, Commercial/Business Cards)

JCB 3.25%

Revolution Money 0.50%

Per Transaction Fees:

MasterCard/Visa/Discover Waived

PIN Debit Transaction Fee $0.20 + Debit Network Fees

Authorization Fees: (Per Transaction)

MasterCard/Visa/Discover Waived

American Express $0.15

Voice Authorizations $0.55

Monthly Account Fees: $3.50

Merchant Supplies: Included

Manual Imprinters: $25.00

Miscellaneous

Chargebacks $15.00 Per Occurrence

POS Equipment:

Complete List Available upon Request for purchase or lease

Orbital Virtual Terminal: (Internet)

One Time Set Up Fee: $100.00

Monthly Service Fee: $25.00

Per Item Fee $0.10

PC Software $370.00 Go PC Charge Pro (w/dial or netconnect –internet)

Additional Information About Your Fees

Interchange

A significant amount of the fees that we charge you for processing your Payment Transactions consists of charges that we must pay to issuing banks (or that are otherwise

charged to us by Payment Brands) under the Rules. These charges are often referred to as "Interchange fees", or simply "Interchange". Interchange fees are set by the Payment

Brand based upon a series of Interchange levels that they establish and modify from time to time. Thus, the Interchange fee charged for a given transaction depends on the

Interchange level applicable to that transaction; and that Interchange level depends on a number of factors established by the Payment Brands, such as the type of Payment

Instrument presented, specific information contained in the transaction, how and when the transaction is processed, your industry, and other factors. For a transaction to

qualify at any specific Interchange level, the applicable qualification criteria must be met. Note that Payment Brands regularly add new Interchange levels, and change the

Interchange rates and qualification criteria for existing Interchange levels.

Capitalized Terms: Please review the definitions in your Agreement so that you understand the capitalized terms we use in the pricing schedule. The capitalized term "Payment

Brand" has the same meaning as the term "Payment Brand" or "Association" in your agreement. The capitalized term "Rules" has the same meaning as the term "Rules",

Association Rules", or "Regulations" in your Agreement. The capitalized term "Payment Transaction" has the same meaning as the term "Payment Transaction", "Card

Transaction", or "Sales Data" in your Agreement. The capitalized term "Payment Instrument" has the same meaning as the term "Payment Instrument", "Card", or "credit card"

in your agreement.

Please contact Paymentech’s ProActive Sales Group at:

1 800 772-4383 X._______________________________________

Signature Date


Sample Deposit Report

Date

Check

Received

From

Description Amount Donation SponsorshipTicket

Sales

Raffle

ProceedsOther

subtotals

totals

Sample Deposit Form

Event Tools: Raffle

Raffle Fundraiser Best Practices

Planning phase – many decisions will be determined by your fundraising goal

o Address the following questions to designate and conceivably achieve a fundraising goal

How much money would you like to raise?

How many volunteers, trustees, or staff do you have to help meet that goal?

How many tickets will be sold?

What will the price of each ticket be?

Will a maximum amount of tickets be designated?

How many tickets will each seller need to sell to reach the goal?

Will trustees be required to commit to a goal of tickets sold?

o Other elements:

Identify method of printing tickets and associated costs

Identify sales method (designate sellers, other)

Develop marketing plan and account for associated costs

Plan the actual drawing portion of the fundraiser (in-house or venue)

Execution phase

o Secure raffle prizes (donated or purchased)

o Design, print, and distribute tickets

o Design, print, and distribute marketing materials

o Collect ticket stubs from sellers and/or individuals

o Data entry can begin at this point (donor info entered into database)

o Carry out the drawing of the raffle

o Contact the winner of the raffle

Sample Timeline

o Planning meeting: brainstorm prize ideas; assign members to research prizes

o Planning meeting: report on progress with potential prizes

o Finalize prize decisions

o Finalize dates and logistics of ticket sales, drawing, and giveaway

o Gather smaller gifts as secondary prizes

o Design raffle tickets (number each ticket for tracking purposes)

o Get quotes and print raffle tickets

o Distribute tickets and keep a record of which tickets are given to which sellers

o Communicate with sellers for updates on ticket sales

o Have a mid campaign committee meeting; report on how ticket sales are going, how to

boost sales in needed.

o Set a due date (before the giveaway day) for the sellers to turn in the money and tickets

(both sold and unsold). Place sold tickets in a safe holding area.

o Hold the drawing of the prizes

o Distribute all prizes

Event Tools: Raffle

A Simple Guide for Applying for Gaming Licenses for Fundraising Events

*For inquiries, consult the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) (http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/lgccc.htm) or the city clerk’s office (http://www.state.nj.us/nj/govinfo/county/localgov.html#16) of the township in which the games will be conducted. Refer to the LGCCC Rules & Regulations (http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/lgccc/lgccc.pdf) for specific details on the type of game to be conducted, and also, the accompanying fees.

In order to conduct a game of chance (50/50 raffle, merchandise raffle, bingo, etc.) in the State of New

Jersey you must obtain both an identification number from the state, Legalized Games of Chance

Control Commission (LGCCC), and also, a gaming license from the municipality in which the games will

be conducted. You will find all of the necessary resources to obtain these two items on both the

websites and links provided in this document. Please refer to the following instructions for more

specific information on achieving these objectives.

Objective: Obtain a state identification number

1. An application and instructions can be obtained online at:

http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/lgccc/inapbier.pdf.

You must apply for an identification

number from the commission before you

can conduct any game of chance in the

State of New Jersey.

2. A completed application will consist of a nonrefundable,

biennial registration fee of $100.00, a copy of your

constitution and bylaws, a list of the names, addresses and

ages of all officers and trustees of the organization, and a

copy of the articles of incorporation.

The $100 fee must be in the form of a

certified check or money order made

payable to: Legalized Games of Chance

Control Commission, P.O. Box 46014,

Newark, NJ 07101.

Allow several months for this registration.

Note that if approved, it is only valid for

two years.

Objective: Obtain a raffle license from the municipality where the

games will be conducted (e.g., where the raffle will be drawn)

5. This application can be obtained online at:

http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/lgccc/raffleapp.pdf.

Note: Every municipality uses the SAME

application for a raffle license, but the

process for submitting the application

varies for each municipality, so check with

the city clerk’s office for details.

6. Each application must include four copies, including four

original notarized back pages.

Attorneys qualify as notaries in the State

of New Jersey. Keep this in mind when

starting the application process as it can

be time consuming.

7. One application must be filled out PER game of chance,

even for the same event.

(e.g., a 50/50 raffle and hole-in-one

conducted at the same event requires

two separate applications for a total of

eight copies).

Please note that final designs of raffle

tickets for raffle games of chance must be

submitted for approval before use.

8. Each application must include two checks; one made out to

the LGCCC and one to the appropriate township.

p. Refer to the LGCCC Statutes and

Regulations for the appropriate fees.

q.

9. Submit your municipal application two months before the

date of the event where the games will be conducted.

There is a fixed turnaround time of 14

days for the application from the date of

submission. The extra time accounts for

unanticipated delays, or for amending

your application should there be any

changes to the original information

provided.

6. Note: There is a separate process and

application for amending the original

application. Only approved applications

can be amended; thus, you must wait for

the first application to be approved

before you can proceed. There is a fixed

14-day waiting period for the amended

application to be approved.

6. Objective: Deliver games of chance and report on progress 7.

1. The commission requires the display of their “1-800

Gambling” poster at the event where the games of chance

are being conducted.

8. This poster is available at the

commission’s website, which is:

http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/lgccc.htm.

9.

2. You must report back to the LGCCC on the operations of

the games of chance conducted after their conclusion. 2. Different reporting forms are available

depending on which game was

conducted. These forms are available on

the LGCCC website

(http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/lgccc.htm).

3. See attached examples for both state and municipal

applications, state application instructions, required ticket

information and important subchapters of the LGCCC

Statutes and Regulations, including “Applications,” “License

Issuance” and “Conduct of Raffles.”

Event Tools: Raffle Tracking Raffle Ticket Sales

Program

Name

Starting

Ticket

#

Tickets

Sold

Tickets

Returned

Unaccount

ed Tickets

Amount

Raised

0 0 0 -$

Ticket

Number

Ticket

Status

0 Name Atlantic Bergen Burlington Mercer Middlesex Monmouth

1 Starting # 1 351 701 1051 1401 1751

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 0 raffle tickets. You entered information for

Instruction 2

For every ticket you must enter one of the following designations:

- Enter "1" for a sold ticket OR

- Enter "0" (zero) for each unsold ticket being returned to CASA of NJ OR

- Enter "x" for each unaccounted ticket

Instruction 1Enter your Program Name and Starting Ticket # to correctly populate the spreadsheet.

Event Tools: Raffle Unaccountable Tickets Report for CASA Flyaway - Getaway Raffle List all unaccounted tickets by ticket number (or number sequence, i.e., 0901-0910). This list should include all tickets other than those which have been sold or returned to CASA of NJ for processing. If you entered your complete ticket data in the Raffle Tickets Sold by Program spreadsheet there is no need to duplicate that information in this form. Simply sign below and send this sheet along with the rest of your raffle package to CASA of NJ. Please enter ticket numbers in numerical order.

Ticket Number Ticket Number Ticket Number Ticket Number Ticket Number

I am unable to account for the CASA Flyaway – Getaway Tickets either listed above or included in the 2010 Ticket Sales Spreadsheet. However, I attest that none of the listed tickets were sold – they are simply unaccounted for due to being misplaced, lost, destroyed, or other reason. __________________________ Participating Program Executive Director Date

Event Tools: Silent Auction

Best Practice: Silent Auction



Objective: Establish a committee for the silent auction

1. Identify and recruit committee members including board, staff, volunteers and donors

2. Coordinate meetings

3. Define members tasks

4. Develop a strategic plan for fundraising goal

Stage Two: Location and Contract

Objective: Venue

1. Find a site that meets the needs of the event 2. Things to consider include: cost,

parking accessibility to attendees,

comfortable location, and hours of

operation

2. Review the floor plan a. Things to consider: décor,

welcoming/registration area,

microphones, electrical outlets, table

arrangements and building exits.

3. Obtain and sign contract to secure site 3.

a. b.

Stage Three: Market Segment

Objective: Identify target market

1. Compile a list of businesses whose products and services

will appeal to your audience.

3. 4. Use county directories to find local

businesses and also the donor

database.

2. Ask committee members for business referrals to contact

for donations.

3. Committee members should identify

business contacts they have

established a relationship with whose

goods and services are marketable at

a silent auction.

3. Target local businesses in the communities of committee

members.

4. 5.

Objective: Contact businesses

1. Prepare a general appeal letter to raise awareness of

CASA mission and solicit donations.

Sample wording : “A generous gift will

enable CASA to recruit, train and

supervise volunteers who advocate for

children in foster care.”

2. Mail, email or fax your letter and include a brochure about

the CASA mission, vision and statistics of results.

10. Use various forms of communication

to disseminate information about

CASA and the fundraiser.

11.

3. Call potential donors within three to five days to

introduce yourself and follow-up. Make an appeal for a

donation

Let donors know that their donation

and company name will be noted in

our Silent Auction program and visible

to attendees.

4. Create an excel spreadsheet with business name, contact

person, address, email, telephone number, fax number

and comments.

1.

2.

Stage Four: Donations

Objective: Receiving donations

1. You will receive donations in the mail, via pay pal or by picking

them up. Upon receipt, send thank you letter to donor.

Objective: Monitoring donations

1. Record description of donated items and market value on

excel spreadsheet.

2. Safeguard all donations in file cabinet.

5. 6.

Stage Five: Marketing Plan

Objective: Bundling, packaging and displaying donations

1. Group two or more auction items together and package as

a single item, price accordingly.

5. 6.

2. Make sure the presentation of the items are appealing to the eye.

3. Display items in colorful and coordinated wrapping paper,

boxes or baskets and arrange on a table covered with

fabric or nice table linens

a. b.

4. Create a flyer with the description of each item and display

it in a clear frame

b. c.

Stage Six: Fundraising

Objective: Ticket Sales

1. Committee members should pursue a strategy for break

even ticket sales

Members must sell a defined number

of tickets to the silent auction.

Objective: Silent Auction bids 4.

1. Create a list of bidding instructions and rules for those

who attend the auction.

2. Items under $100.00 are bid in

increments of $10.00. Items over

$100.00 are bid in increments of

$25.00. State if there is a minimum

bid.

2. Include a copy in the invitations and distribute to all attendees at the door of event

Objective: Cashiering/ Payment Processing

1. A volunteer will bring the silent auction winner, bid sheet

and item to the front desk for check out

2. The winner has the option to pay by credit card, cash or check

3. Use staff member at the front desk to process credit card,

cash or check transactions

4. 5.

4. Credit card receipts are stapled to the bid sheets and

receipts are given for check and cash payments

a.

d.

Stage Seven: Thank You letters

Objective: Follow up acknowledgement and communications i. ii.

1. Send thank you letters to donors for cash, in kind and service donations. Include receipt, date, cash amount or retail value of item.

2. Send a note card to express appreciation for donors

contribution to event

3. 4.

E vent Tools: Silent Auction

Sample Bid Sheet

“TITLE OF EVENT” Silent Auction

Item Description:_____________________________________________________

Item Value: ______________

Minimum Bid: ____________

Minimum Bid Increments: _____________

Bidder Number Bid


Credit Card Preregistration

Full name:________________ SA # _________

Credit Card #: _________________________

Expiration Date: ________

Month/Year

Credit Card Preregistration

Full name:_______________ SA # __________

Credit Card #: _________________________

Expiration Date: ________

Month/Year


Sample Donor Contract 1

“Stand Up for a Child” Silent Auction Donation Contract Item Information Item Description (e.g., restaurant gift certificate)

Estimated Retail Value

Date Received

Donor Information Name

Company Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone E-Mail

Authorized Signature

Solicitor

Please note that if you are donating a service to CASA and would like to learn the name of the auction winner of the donated service you may contact our office after the event.

Check if applicable:

If the item does not sell, I would like to have the item returned to me rather than donating it to CASA a future event.

*** Please return contract no later than date ***

*** Donations must be received by date ***

Contact Information Your name

title, “Stand Up for a Child”

email

fax number

Or mail to: address

For more information about the event, please visit website

CASA is a non-profit organization #EIN

http://www.casamercer.org/


Sample Donor Contract 2

GUILD & EVENT NAME

Address • City, State Zip • Tel: xxx-xxx-xxxx • Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx

DONATION FORM

Guild Representative:

(Please type or use ball point pen)

NAME:

ADDRESS & DAY TELEPHONE:

Donor Information:

DONOR NAME – FOR CATALOG: (Name as it

should appear in catalog)

DONOR CONTACT NAME:

TELEPHONE: FAX:

EMAIL:

DONOR ADDRESS:

CITY: STATE:

ZIP:

Item Information:

ITEM NAME:

DONOR-ESTIMATED VALUE: (Must state dollar

amount)

ITEM DESCRIPTION – INCLUDE QUANTITY, SIZE, COLOR, NUMBER OF PERSONS, WEEKS, DAYS/NIGHTS

AND ALL RESTRICTIONS:

DONOR SIGNATURE & DATE:

MARK APPROPRIATE BOX:

___ Item accompanied form ___Donor

provides Certificate

___ Item needs to be picked up ___Committee to

create Certificate

___ Delivery of item by Donor ___Promotional

material provided by Donor

For office use only:

TRACKING NUMBER:

CATALOG

NUMBER:

NOTES:

PLEASE RETURN YOUR DONATION FORM BY DATE

Fed Tax ID#: xx-xxxxxxx • Your donation may be tax deductible • Check with your tax advisor


Sample Item Description

Riviera Blue Backpack

By Vera Bradley

This sleek and modern backpack by well known designer Vera

Bradley has adjustable straps with four exterior pockets and

two interior pockets. Functional features and chic details make

this backpack practical as well as pretty.

Donor: Charmed by Claire

Minimum Bid: $50

Value: $84


Part 3: Grant Writing


Grant writing

Creating a Grant seeking Calendar

by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO GrantStation

Adopting a Process – Part 1

Too often we identify a grant maker for a particular project just because a staff member walks in our

door and says, “Can you find me funding for this project?” Or we draft a grant request because a board

member brings a copy of a request for proposals to a meeting and says, “I think we could get this

money.”

Too seldom do we actually create a calendar that builds a grant seeking schedule around a set of

projects identified by the board of directors or executive director.

This series of articles will help you establish an annual grant seeking calendar that will keep your grant

seeking focused on those programs and projects that need the funds. Making use of this calendar will

allow you to say “no” to grant opportunities coming across your desk that may side track you from your

overall plan.

Chasing money is just about the biggest black hole there is in the nonprofit world, and many of us risk

falling into it. The first step in developing a grant seeking calendar is to design a request for proposal

(RFP) decision matrix that will help you pre-screen potential grant makers. Establishing basic criteria for

judging whether a grant opportunity is worth your organization's investment of time and energy is a

true time saver.

The next step is to identify the projects that need funding in the next six to 18 months. (Be sure to

review your general operating budget to see if there will be a short fall, as you may want to include

seeking grant funds to supplement your general budget as well.)

You will then need to complete a two-page Project Description Worksheet (explained in more detail

later in the series) for each project that requires grant support. These worksheets will facilitate the task

of identifying potential grant makers, which is a manageable process using the searchable databases on

the Grant Station website.

After you’ve come up with a list of possible grant makers it’s time to draft an overall grants strategy for

each project. Each of these specific grants strategies will feed into the longer-term grant seeking

calendar.

I prefer to establish an 18-month grant seeking calendar. However you can set whatever timeline feels

workable for you and your organization.

If you keep updated copies of each Project Description Worksheet in a three-ring binder you can use it

for quick reference when talking with staff, board members, and grant makers. You can also take the

binder to your board meetings and pass it around for board review. It’s a good way to keep the board

aware of the work you’re doing in the grants arena.

The Project Description Worksheets will need to be “tweaked” from time to time as grant makers are

identified and grants are awarded or denied. You'll also be adding new projects and deleting projects as

you go along. These are working documents which are meant to change. The grant seeking calendar will

also be revised often, reflecting the changes to your Project Worksheets.

Building a grant seeking calendar does take time, but once you have all the pieces in place you will find it

is fairly easy to adjust the calendar, and to continue to extend the calendar as you go forward.

Remember that this is an organic document that will change over time

Developing a Decision Matrix – Part 2

Before you begin to create a grant seeking calendar you will need to develop an analytical tool that can

help you make decisions about which grant makers you should pursue and which ones you should put

aside. This tool does not cost money, it just takes time.

You can refer to this tool as the Decision Matrix. This matrix can be applied to Requests for Proposals

(RFPs) or grant application guidelines. It can be built in Excel, Apple Numbers, or any other spreadsheet

program. The matrix is comprised of rows and columns, and relies on simple addition and subtraction to

reach a conclusion or “score.”

As you build your grant seeking calendar you will find it difficult to make clear decisions on the grant

opportunities you identify unless you have established basic criteria for assessing each opportunity. This

is where the Decision Matrix can be of great help.

The matrix will establish a set of criteria (rows), each assigned a weight (column), which, when applied,

will influence your decision on whether to add this particular grant maker to your grants calendar. This is

somewhat subjective, but less so than you might imagine if you give careful thought to each criteria, the

weight it carries, and the final score.

It doesn't take much time to develop a matrix, but it is important to do some research regarding

application processes so that you can establish a solid set of criteria. You may want to engage staff or

board in a discussion to make sure you’re covering all the aspects of applying for a grant.

Building the Matrix

Start by defining the matrix components (criteria and weight). Each of these components can be as

complex or as simple as necessary. It’s smart to develop one matrix you can use for government grant

proposals and one for private funding, as the processes and the importance of different criteria (such as

relationship to the grant maker) can vary depending on the type of grant maker.

Here are three steps to get you started:

1. Develop a set of decision criteria. Breaking the criteria into subjective and objective criteria can help guide your thinking. An example of subjective criteria would be: Relationship with the Grant maker. An example of objective criteria would be: Matching Funds Required.

2. Assign a weight to each criterion based on its importance in the final decision. Provide a key to the weight system you select for easy reference. For example, a “0” weight means you either don't have the information to assign a weight, the criterion is not relevant, or the criterion is neutral. You may decide that an important criterion for any grant proposal you submit must be that it complements or strengthens the organization’s mission. That criterion then deserves a heavier weight then others.

3. Decide what total score gives you the green light to move forward with a grant proposal.

This process can take a while. You want to make sure you’re judging each opportunity carefully.

Here’s an example of a very simple matrix that includes fairly standard criteria:

Criteria Weight

Subjective

Relationship with grant maker 5

Compliments grant maker’s goals -5

Builds on organization’s mission 5

Likelihood of award 5

Competition for award 0

Objective

Eligibility 5

Serves community 4

Serves targeted population 4

Sufficient funds to meet need 3

Matching funds required 0

Administrative costs allowed -3

Adequate time to respond 3

Required outcomes achievable 1

Audited financials required 5

Project plan prepared 5

Partners required 0

Total Score 37

The key may look something like this:

Key

0 = neutral

1 - 5 = positive

Minus 1 - 5 = negative

Apply = score of 35+

Do not apply = score of 34 or lower

The critical part of this matrix is the criteria. The criteria will change based on each organization's

situation. For example, if you're an all-volunteer organization you may give a different weight to the

“adequate time to respond” criterion than if you have a dedicated grant writer.

Obviously there will be times when you will move forward with the application even though the score is

lower than you’d like. Nonetheless, I encourage you to develop a set of criteria to create a decision-

making matrix and use it whenever possible.

One final word about developing the matrix. It is important to establish your organization’s criteria and

get it approved by your director, fundraising committee, or board of directors. Buy-in from leadership

will allow you to make quick decisions when new opportunities present themselves.

Identifying Needed Funding – Part 3

As mentioned earlier in this series, one of your first tasks in developing a grants calendar is to identify all

of your organization’s projects and programs that need support so that you can focus both your grants

research and proposal writing on specific goals.

Once you have determined what you want to fund and approximately how much money you will need,

the next step is to fill out a Project Description Worksheet for each identified project and program. You

won't be sharing these worksheets with anyone outside the organization, so don't spend hours writing

them. They are only used to guide your grants research.

Here is a Project Description Worksheet template (DOC) that you can use to draft a description for each

program or project that will require grant support in the next 12 to 18 months.

The following is an example of a completed Project Description Worksheet:

Project Title: Carver County Watchable Wildlife Area

Lead Staff Person: Mary Jane Hoffman, Environmental Education Coordinator

Project Description: We have 310 acres that is adjacent to the Carver County Park which was donated to

our organization in 2008. This acreage is rich in wildlife including several bald eagle nests and a hot

springs that attracts numerous animals from the surrounding county park. The main objective is ongoing

protection of this wildlife habitat and developing it as an environmental education resource. We need to

design and print educational materials specifically for this Watchable Wildlife area.

In addition, in order to make this area universally accessible, we need to develop a parking area and

trail-head facilities. Much of the trail itself will be boardwalk. There needs to be signage throughout the

area for the safety of all visitors.

The Need: This newly donated 310 acres will augment the 500 acre county park, and provide the

opportunity for residents and visitors to experience the outdoors and view some of the most interesting

large mammals and bird life in this part of the country. The tri-county region (total population is 87, 699

covering 7,210 acres) only offers one other set of public trails (total of 2.5 miles) that are universally

accessible, yet our demographics clearly indicate that 15,356 or 17% are physically disabled.

Relationship to Past Projects: This is the second Watchable Wildlife area we’ve established in the tri-

county region. The first area was opened to visitors in 1994 and was funded mainly through state

funding. It has been the most heavily used recreation site in the tri-county region since it was opened.

Budget Summary: The total estimated budget for this project is $160,000 (includes planning,

development, and three years of trail and trail head facilities maintenance).

Planning $5,000

Parking area $40,000

Trail-head facilities $60,000

Signage $9,000

Educational materials $11,000

Three-year maintenance contract $35,000

http://www.grantstation.com/includes/tracks/grantseeking_calendar/calendar1.doc

Total Budget $160,000

Key words:

1. What is the geographic focus of this project (if any)?

Carver County, Arkansas

2. What areas of interest are we covering with this project?

Environmental education

Trails

People with disabilities

Physical fitness

Safety

3. What type of support do we need for this project?

Project planning

Infrastructure (ingress, egress, parking)

Facilities and buildings

Project support

Maintenance

This two-page worksheet is used to guide your funding research for each project. Take some time to

develop these worksheets. If you expect a general operating shortfall, or if you always plan for a

percentage of your budget to be covered by grants, be sure to complete a Project Description

Worksheet for general operating funds as well.

The next step in building a grants calendar is to identify those grantmakers that are most likely to fund

the projects summarized in the worksheets, creating a grants strategy that supports each project. In the

next article we’ll talk about doing the grants research and sculpting a strategy for each project.

Generating a Grants Strategy – Part 4

Cynthia M. Adams will be teaching an interactive webinar on

Creating a Grant seeking Calendar on February 25.

Click here to learn more and sign up for this webinar

After you have developed a Project Description Worksheet for each project or program for which you

need funding in the next 12 to 18 months, you will then launch into an extensive grants research phase.

http://www.grantstation.com/Programs/WebinarOrder/Webinars.aspx#ID70

The trick is to stay focused, researching only one project at a time. A disciplined approach will help you

complete this task quickly.

Start your research by looking at all government funding sources. Refer to the key words you listed on

the Project Description Worksheet to guide your research. Begin with local government and state

funding agencies and move on to federal agencies. You can use the GrantStation searchable database of

State and Federal Grants & Loans to make the search quick and easy.

Doing government research upfront accomplishes two things:

1. Government funding is often “one stop shopping.” In other words, it should be a large enough grant award to cover most, if not all, of the project costs (although some government grants require a non-government match).

2. If you can’t identify any government funding, then when you apply to a private grant maker you can add a statement such as, “After researching potential government funding sources, we have determined that at this time there are no government programs that will support this project.” This statement underscores the importance of the role that private grant makers play in this project.

To do your local government research, go to the municipal or county/borough website to see if any

grant programs are available that might work for your project. Most likely you’ll already know if there

are local government grant programs that you can apply to, but it’s always good to double check. A

phone call to local government offices can save computer time, so you might want to make a few calls to

find out if there are any funding programs relevant for your project.

After you have done your local government research, move on to state agencies. If you are a Member of

GrantStation go to State Grants & Loans and select your state in the drop down box. Check through the

entire list of state funding links provided because GrantStation not only lists state agency grant

programs, but also quasi-state grant makers such as the arts council, humanities forum, children’s trust,

and housing finance agencies.

Once you have done local and state government research, it’s time to review federal opportunities. If

you are a Member of GrantStation, begin by going to the Federal Grants & Loans section of the site. As

you can see, the federal funding opportunities are organized by deadline date. The main menu gives you

a brief 12-month overview of upcoming deadlines, and there is also an "Ongoing" section that

summarizes programs that have multiple deadlines. You can do a "word search" in any one of these

categories using the key words you identified on your Project Description worksheet.

The next step is to dive into researching U.S. Charitable Giving grant makers using Advanced Search on

GrantStation. This database profiles grant makers that are actively participating in the grant making

process. This research should help you identify a solid set of potential grant makers for your project.

As you compile a list of potential grant makers, government or private, save or print the basic

information, including deadline dates for letters of inquiry and full proposals, descriptions of the

program, average grant amounts, and any specific requirements (some programs require a non-

government match, a collaborative approach, comprehensive evaluation component, etc.). Be selective

as you develop this list, only adding grant makers whose funding guidelines fit your project.

If you are a Member of GrantStation you can review a step-by-step tutorial on how to do funding

research by logging in and selecting Search Tips.

Target the Right Grant makers

At this juncture you will be making lots of notes about each grant maker such as where they give, how

much they give, who they generally make grant awards to, etc. For private grant makers, most of this

information is available in their record in the U.S. Charitable Giving in GrantStation. You can uncover

more information by digging deeper into grant maker websites, annual reports, etc., or you can request

the most recent guidelines and reports. I prefer to review annual reports, as opposed to IRS Forms 990,

because the reports provide a better “feel” for what the grant maker is trying to accomplish. It gives me

a sense of their priorities during the past year, and what their vision and objectives are for the future.

For government funding you should carefully review the complete grant announcement or Request for

Application (RFA). Once you’ve read over the application guidelines, you might also review the enacting

legislation that allocated funds to this particular program. This should give you a fairly complete picture

of what they want to fund and what outcomes they expect.

Once you have done all of this preliminary work, it is time to start making phone calls or sending out

email inquiries. You should double check each potential source to make sure the objectives of the grant

maker reflect the objectives of your organization or proposed project. Phone calls will help you

eliminate grant makers that don’t quite fit your project. Narrowing your approach to a specific set of

grant makers is the set up for developing your grants strategy and grants calendar.

In addition to looking for cash grants, be sure to identify product donations, technical assistance, or

donated in-kind services that will help you move the project forward. In the example used in Part Two (a

small conservation organization in Arkansas establishing a Watchable Wildlife Area to serve a tri-county

region) the preliminary research identified the National Park Service Assistance Program to help with

http://www.grantstation.com/Members/Research/conduct_search.asp

the planning process. This technical assistance program, while not a cash grant, will provide the

organization with a planning document that can then be used to secure cash grants.

What’s your next step? Run each of the grant makers remaining on your targeted list through the

Decision Matrix (developed in Part Two of this series). Eliminate those that don’t meet your basic

criteria, whose deadlines may be too close, or their requirements too much for your organization at this

time.

After you have come up with a final list of the best possible grant makers for your identified projects, it

is time to draft the grants strategies. Each project that requires funding (even general operating

support) will have its own strategy which will feed into the comprehensive grants calendar.

Building a Grants Strategy – Part 5

After you have narrowed the field to the best possible set of grant makers for your projects and

collected background information on each grant maker, your next task is to build a grants strategy

around each project.

The idea behind a strategy is to build in enough funding to absorb any denials, so the total amount

indicated in your strategy will often add up to more then the amount needed for a specific project. You

may find that you don’t have to submit the last few requests in your strategy if your initial grant

proposals are successful.

Here is a sample strategy:

Grant maker Amount to request Deadline

NPS – Rivers, Trails & Conservation Tech Assistance Open

First National Bank of Arkansas $ 4,500.00 Quarterly

Arkansas Power and Light $ 4,500.00 Quarterly

The Arkansas Trail Society $ 9,000.00 Feb 8, 2011

National Recreational Trails Program $50,000.00 May 2011

USDA – Public Facilities Grant $50,000.00 May 3, 2011

Alfred Logan Family Foundation $25,000.00 May 7, 2011

Arkansas Wildlife & Recreation Program $20,000.00 June 15, 2011

Benjamin Family Trust $18,000.00 June 17, 2011

The Conservation Fund $45,000.00 June 21, 2011

The Founders Trust $85,000.00 July 18, 2011

The following information about the targeted grant makers will help in the design of an overall grants

strategy:

1. From our research we know the NPS Technical Assistance Program can provide the planning document that is critical to moving this project forward. We have talked with the NPS program officer and it appears we meet all of their criteria for assistance. This application process only requires filling out the proper forms and showing support from our Board of Directors. There is no deadline, and the turn around time is about six weeks. We can place a value of approximately $5,000.00 on the development of this plan.

2. The two local businesses identified do not have deadlines, but they both review grant requests quarterly. From our discussions with these businesses we know that once we have a plan in place we can submit the planning document, along with a cover letter, as our grant request. Securing $10,000.00 in local support for this project will help motivate other grant makers’ involvement, so we want to secure this money up front.

3. The Arkansas Trail Society is a natural partner. It is important to not only secure funding from this source, but also their endorsement of the overall project. Support from this statewide trail society will help leverage a larger commitment from the National Recreational Trails Program. Once the planning document is completed, and local funding committed, we will apply for a $9,000.00 grant to match local support. (This is our first real deadline, so we will have to build the rest of the grants strategy from this set date, forward. As part of our research we will know when we can expect announcement of the Arkansas Trail Society grant, let’s just say March 2011. At this point we will have secured the planning document, and about $18,000.00 in grant awards.)

4. Both the National Recreational Trails Program and the USDA Public Facilities Grant applications are due in May. Using the planning document prepared with the assistance of the NPS, and having demonstrated local and regional grant support of the project for about $18,000.00, we can request support from USDA, and potentially come up with a one to one match via the National Recreational Trails Program.

5. If we have not secured enough funding from the grant makers identified and are running out of options, then we will prepare a larger grant request to The Founders Trust in mid-July.

The overall idea is clear: secure any non-cash donations (and label that donation with a “value”), identify

and secure local and/or regional funds, and then start applying for the larger grants using non-cash

donations and grant awards you’ve secured so far as leverage.

Preparing the Grant seeking Calendar

The next step is to integrate each grants strategy into a working calendar. This is actually fairly easy

considering the amount of work you’ve accomplished getting to this point.

Each strategy identifies a set of grant makers to whom you will apply. Try working backwards from the

deadline date to create a work schedule that will provide plenty of time to prepare each proposal.

At times you will identify the same grant maker for more than one project. As part of your research (see

Search Tips in the previous article) you should have a conversation with the grant maker to determine

which project they might be most interested in funding. It’s possible that the grant maker will be

interested in both projects, particularly if you are applying at two different times within the 12 to 18

month working timeline you’ve established.

My rule of thumb is to submit your grant request two weeks before the due date. Submitting early

increases your chances of funding. Let’s say something is missing from your package, or there are

specific questions about the request. The grant maker is more likely to contact you for clarification if you

have submitted well before the due date. If your proposal arrives at the last minute with dozens, if not

hundreds, of other proposals, the request goes through the in-take process without any special

attention. Submitting early also builds credibility for your organization and demonstrates that your

request isn’t a last minute appeal but part of an overall strategy.

With the two week “rule” in mind, a proposal to the Arkansas Trail Society, due February 8, 2011 would

show up as “due” on the grants calendar as January 25, 2011. It usually takes about two or three weeks

to draft the proposal and gather the attachments, and two weeks to polish a well-drafted grant request.

Following is a sample entry on the grant seeking calendar for the Arkansas Trail Society grant request:

Grant maker Start date Draft date Submission date

Arkansas Trail Society December 15, 2010 January 9, 2011 January 25, 2011

Occasionally there will be other deadlines that are critical to note on your calendar such as “Request

letters of support” or “Get collaborative to sign the Memorandum of Understanding.” Be sure to include

these dates in the calendar.

It’s important to make your calendar as detailed as possible so that you don’t have to scramble to get

essential items together at the last minute. Forgetting small details, such as a signed Memorandum of

Understanding with your collaborative partners, can hold up the submission of a request.

Here's a template for your Grant seeking Calendar (DOC) and some points to keep in mind when working

with it:

Treat the deadlines on your grant seeking calendar as if they are written in stone. You will probably have dozens of deadlines for proposals and for grant reports to meet during the course of a year. A schedule committed to a calendar will be a lifesaver.

Post your grant seeking calendar on the wall (in your office or in the hall outside your door). This will make it obvious to everyone who comes into your office that your schedule is full and that you don’t have the time to prepare a grant request that is not on your schedule.

Keep your grant seeking calendar up-to-date by removing proposals that have been submitted. It is helpful to move submitted requests to a grants tracking form in order to keep track of all of the grant requests that are denied and those that are funded.

It is common knowledge that getting a grant request funded can be tough. Here is a quote that you

might want to post near your grant seeking calendar to keep everyone’s expectations in line.

“On average foundations award grants to between 5% and 10% of those who apply, and in many cases

less.”

However, it is also important to remember that people give to people. A strategy behind every project

demonstrates that you have a vision, which encourages grant makers to join you in making that vision a

reality.

http://www.grantstation.com/includes/tracks/grantseeking_calendar/calendar2.doc

Grant writing

Grant Strategy sample 1

Project Description Worksheet:

A Guide for Researching Potential Grant makers

Project: Lead Staff Person:

Project Description:

The Need:

Relationship to past projects:

Budget Summary (list large line items):

Total budget for this project is: $ Specific line items include:

Key words to use for research:

1. What is the geographic focus of this project (if any)?

2. What areas of interest are we covering with this project?

3. What type of support do we need for this project?

Grant Writing

Grants Strategy sample 2

Project:

Lead Staff Person:

Grant maker Start Date Draft Date Submission Date Other Dates to

note

Grant writing: Calendar

Sample Grants Calendar


Part 4: Miscellaneous


Miscellaneous: Acknowledgement Letter

Best Practice: Thank-You and Acknowledgement Letter


Stage One: Identify the type of acknowledgement required.

Objective: Collect proof of donations and determine how it should be acknowledged.

1. Collect the proof of attendance or donation.

2. Determine if the donation is a donation by an individual, an organization, a winning auction bid, or a grant or pledge.

The donation may be considered quid pro quo: if this is an item sold above market value and the difference between its market value and the amount it was purchased for is designated as a charitable contribution.

An entire donation amount will be considered tax deductible if no goods or services where exchanged in return for the donation.

If the donation is a payroll deduction pledge, the organization is required to send a card or letter to the donor acknowledging that the donor will not receive goods or services in exchange for their payroll deduction...

If someone was a participant at a CASA sponsored event and no charitable exchange of money occurred at the event above and beyond the ticket cost, the person would receive a thank you letter only acknowledging their participation in the event.

3. Determine if the donation was made in honor or in memory of

anyone.

4. Determine if the entry requires the creation of a new or custom

letter, and check to see if there are any specific directions for writing the acknowledgement letter.

1.

2.

3. Key reasons why a donor must receive an acknowledgement letter for their donation:

A donor must have a bank record or written communication from a charity for any monetary contribution before the donor can claim a charitable contribution on his/her federal income tax return.

A donor is responsible for obtaining a written acknowledgement from a charity for any single contribution of $250 or more before the donor can claim a charitable contribution on

Objective: Identify and create appropriate donation acknowledgement letter based on IRS and State guidelines and/or individual donor specifications.

Stage Three: Create acknowledgment letters

1. Determine if the donation is by an individual, a family, a company or a community foundation, or if it is a pledge or part of an employee giving campaign.

2. Refer to the Internal Revenue Services Publication 1771 for specific rules and regulations for acknowledging charitable donations.

3. If the donor has any special directions for acknowledging the donation follow those alongside the IRS regulations.

4. See below the four different types of acknowledgement letters:

his/her federal income tax return.

A charitable organization is required to provide a written disclosure to a donor who receives goods or services in exchange for a single payment in excess of $75

A donor must receive acknowledgement of their donation by January 31 of the year following the donation. It is best to get the letter to the donor as soon as possible so they will have it in hand before they file their tax return.

4.

5. The IRS requires the following to be in an acknowledgement letter:

6. 1. Name of the organization.

7. 2. Amount of cash contributed.

8. 3. Description (but not

value) of non-cash contribution.

9. 4. Statement that no goods or services were provided by the organization in return for the contribution, if that was the case.

10. 5. Description and good faith estimate of the value of the goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution.

11. It is optional to include the local CASA programs EIN number on the receipt.

Acknowledgment Letter

This type of letter is used to acknowledge donations from individuals and households. If the donor is making the donation in honor or in memory of someone, or is making the donation in part of a local CASA program fundraising appeal, make sure to acknowledge that in the letter.

[Donation entry date]

[Donor name]

[Street name]

[City, State, Zip Code]

[Formal Donor Salutation],

Thank you for your support of [Local CASA program name]. Your generous donation will assist in our efforts to provide a well-trained CASA volunteer to every child in out of home placement.

This letter acknowledges that you have received nothing in return for your tax-deductible contribution of [Full donation amount] made to [Local CASA program name] on [Donation date].

Thank you once again for helping us make a difference for children at risk.

Sincerely,

[Executive Director Name] Executive Director [Local CASA program name]

According to the Internal Revenue Service, [Local CASA program name] is required to provide its contributors with a written disclosure statement for participation meeting certain criteria. For your tax purposes, [Local CASA program name+’s tax identification number is: XX-XXXXXXX. The amount indicated above is tax deductible to the full extent by law. Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation and the percentage of contributions received by the charity during the last reporting period that were dedicated to the charitable purpose may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is available on the Internet at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. Registration with the Attorney General does

12. The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs requires that all printed donation solicitations and receipts from charities have a disclaimer saying exactly:

”Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation and the percentage of contributions received by the charity during the last reporting period that were dedicated to the charitable purpose may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is available on the Internet at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement.”

not imply endorsement.

Employee Pledge Payroll Deduction

Make sure to have all information and/or directions for acknowledging pledges and payments to make sure they are being acknowledged in line

with the company and IRS standards.


[Donor name]

[Street name]



Thank you for your support of [Local CASA Program]. Your generous contribution will assist in our efforts to provide CASA volunteers for New Jersey’s foster children. Thank you once again for helping us make a difference for children at risk. This letter acknowledges that you have received nothing in return for your tax-deductible donation of [Total deductions for the year], made to [Local CASA program] through the [Company Pledge Campaign Name] in [The Year of Pledge and/or Payments]. We thank you for your continued support and commitment

Sincerely, [Executive Directors Name] Executive Director [Local CASA program name]

According to the Internal Revenue Service, [Local CASA program name] is required to provide its contributors with a written disclosure statement for participation meeting certain criteria. For your tax purposes, [Local CASA program name+’s tax identification number is: XX-XXXXXXX. The amount indicated above is tax deductible to the full extent by law. Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation and the percentage of contributions received by the charity during the last reporting period that were dedicated to the charitable

purpose may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is available on the Internet at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement.

Community Foundation Acknowledgment Letter

(The acknowledgement letter/s can vary greatly depending on the instructions of the foundation. The foundation letter is not a tax letter, but it is used as an official acknowledgement of the receipt of grant money. Be sure to follow the directions carefully when drafting the letter.)


[Grant Administrator Name]

[Foundation Name]

[Street name]


[Formal Donor Salutation], This letter acknowledges the gift of [Donation Amount] by the [Fund Name] of [Foundation Name], made to [Local CASA program name]. Thank you once again for helping us make a difference for children at risk. Thank you once again for helping us make a difference for children at risk.

Sincerely,

[Executive Directors Name] Executive Director [Local CASA program name]

. Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation and the percentage of contributions received by the charity during the last reporting period that were dedicated to the charitable purpose may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is available on the Internet at

http://www.njconsumeraffairs/

www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement.

Quid Pro Quo and Difference Auction Acknowledgment Letter

The letter needs to describe the goods and services purchased and include an estimate of their value. The value of the item needs to be assigned by its donor. The letter also needs to explicitly describe the portion of the final purchase that was charitable (beyond the value of the item purchased.)


[Donor name]

[Street name]



Thank you for your participation in the [Auction Name] benefitting [Local CASA Program Name]. Your contribution will assist in our efforts to provide a well-trained CASA volunteer to every child in out of home placement.

This letter acknowledges your tax-deductible contribution of [Difference between the winning bid amount and the item’s estimated value+ for the portion of your winning bid of [winning bid amount] over the auction item’s estimated value of *Auction item’s value+ as part of the *Auction Name] on [Auction Date]. Thank you once again for helping us make a difference for children at risk.

Sincerely,

[Executive Director Name] Executive Director [Local CASA program name]

According to the Internal Revenue Service, [Local CASA program name] is required to provide its contributors with a written disclosure statement for participation meeting certain criteria. For your tax purposes, [Local CASA program name+’s tax identification number is: XX-XXXXXXX. The amount indicated above is tax deductible to the full extent by law. Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable

solicitation and the percentage of contributions received by the charity during the last reporting period that were dedicated to the charitable purpose may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215 and is available on the Internet at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement.

Miscellaneous: Giftworks Memorial Fund

Best Practice: Giftworks Memorial Fund

Approximate time: 10-15 minutes per donation for existing donors

15-20 minutes per donation for new donors

**Tribute cards should be sent out the day the donation is received**

**Thank you letters should be sent out the day the donation is received or the next day**

1) Receive donation card in mail a) Check to see if any boxes are check on the back in the “ Please contact me section”

i) If the first box (a supply of donation envelopes …) is checked off supply the donor with the number of envelopes they requested with their thank you letter.

ii) If the second box ( I would like to volunteer …) is checked off record their information and pass the information along to the Recruiter/Trainer

iii) If the third box (Please add me to your …) is checked off when entering their information on Gift Works check off the boxes Newsletter and Fundraisers (1) If they are a new donor when you add them you will be prompted to add them to these

lists (2) If they are an existing donor on the left hand side of their information you can click

“Add to mailing list” iv) If the forth box ( I would like to have a …) is checked off record their information and pass

the information along to the Recruiter/Trainer b) Take the check or cash out of the donation card

i) Stamp the check with the “for deposit only” stamp ii) Open Gift Works to record the donation in the database

(a) Search to see if a profile for the donor already exists (i) If the donor exists

1. Click add a donation on the left hand side of their profile 2. Follow in instructions to enter the gift information. When the Donation

options section comes up check off the box “This gift is in honor of….” ; then click (In honor of [Donor/ Funders Name.]

(ii) If the donor does not exist 1. Click add a new donor 2. Follow the instructions to create a profile for the donor 3. Then follow the instructions above : 4. (i) If the donor exists

iii) Give the check or cash to the Case Supervisor for her to record in Excel c) Get a blank tribute card

i) Look at the donation card to find out how to fill the tribute card out (1) On the inside bottom half of the donation card the donor will circle one occasion

(Birthday, Holiday, to honor etc….) or they will write in “other” (a) If they chose to make the donation in honor of someone they could circle

“Memorial” then below they could write the name of the person they would like the card to be in memory of

(2) The first line of the of the tribute card where it says [Donor/ Funders Name] to benefit [CASA Program Name] gratefully acknowledges a contribution…..” is where you write the information you found in the above (1) & (a) sections

(3) You can find the information to fill out the second line of the of the tribute card, where it says “from”, by looking at the inside bottom half of the donation card where it says “ Sign Tribute card from”

(4) Check on the donation card to see if the box for “Please disclose donation amount to designee” is checked off include the amount in the tribute card

(5) Address the tribute card and send it out (a) Write the date the Tribute card went out on the donation card

d) Open the event-specific thank you letter template document on the server. i) When you open the document you will see three sample letters:

(1) The 1st letter is for donors who are making just one donation (a) Change the date of the letter to the current date (b) Change the formal salutation and address (c) In the first sentence of the letter following “to benefit *CASA Program Name+ Court

Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)…” (The sample letter will say in memory of...) change to the information you filled out in the tribute card ( directions can be found above at c) (2)

(d) The last paragraph that starts “This letter also acknowledges that you have received nothing in return for your tax-deductible contribution of….” Enter the amount that the donation was made for

(e) Print out the letter on CASA letterhead (f) Give to the Executive Director to sign (g) Put the letter in a CASA envelope and address the letter using the address and

salutation that was used above in (b) (2) The 2nd letter is for donors who are making more than one donation

(a) Follow the above (a) and (b) (b) The last paragraph that starts “This letter also acknowledges that you have received

nothing in return for your tax-deductible contribution of….” Enter the amount of the total of both donations

(c) In the table under the last paragraph enter the date the donation was received, then the amount of the donation, and finally who the tribute was made for (i) Repeat these steps for however many donations the donors made

(d) Follow the above (e) through (g) directions (3) The 3rd letter is for the funders

(a) Change the date of the letter to the current date (b) In the table at the end of the letter enter the date the donation was received, then

the amount of the donation, and finally who the tribute was made for (i) Repeat these steps for however many donations the donors made

(c) Follow the above (e) through (g) directions ii) Date the donation card indicating when the thank you letter was sent out

2) File the donation card in the filing system for this fiscal year. Check to see if the donor has other donation cards for this year and paperclip them together.

Miscellaneous: IRS Guidance

Charitable Contributions Disclosure Compliance


Required Disclosures for 501c3 organizations


IRS Publication 1771 – Charitable Contributions Substantiation and Disclosure

Requirements

The text of IRS Publication 1771 has been copied below for your convenience. Original publication available at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf

IRS Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions–Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, explains

the federal tax law for organizations such as charities and churches that receive tax-deductible

charitable contributions and for taxpayers who make contributions.

There are recordkeeping and substantiation rules imposed on donors of charitable contributions and

disclosure rules imposed on charities that receive certain quid pro quo contributions.

a donor must have a bank record or written communication from a charity for any monetary contribution before the donor can claim a charitable contribution on his/her federal income tax return

a donor is responsible for obtaining a written acknowledgment from a charity for any single contribution of $250 or more before the donor can claim a charitable contribution on his/her federal income tax return

a charitable organization is required to provide a written disclosure to a donor who receives goods or services in exchange for a single payment in excess of $75

More on recordkeeping, written acknowledgments and written disclosures is addressed in this

publication.

The rules in this publication do not apply to a donated motor vehicle, boat, or airplane if the claimed

value exceeds $500. For information on vehicle donations, see IRS Publication 4302, A Charity’s Guide to

Vehicle Donations, and IRS Publication 4303, A Donor’s Guide to Vehicle Donations.

For information about organizations that are qualified to receive charitable contributions, see IRS

Publication 526, Charitable Contributions. Publication 526 also describes contributions you can (and

cannot) deduct, and it explains deduction limits. For assistance about valuing donated property, see IRS

Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.

Recordkeeping Rules

Requirement

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any contribution of cash, a check or other monetary gift unless

the donor maintains a record of the contribution in the form of either a bank record (such as a cancelled

check) or a written communication from the charity (such as a receipt or letter) showing the name of the

charity, the date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution.

Payroll Deductions

For charitable contributions made by payroll deduction, the donor may use both of the following

documents as written communication from the charity:

A pay stub, Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or other employer-furnished

document furnished by the employer that shows the amount withheld and paid to a

charitable organization, and

A pledge card prepared by or at the direction of the charitable organization.

However, if a donor makes a single contribution of $250 or more by payroll deduction, see Payroll

Deductions under Written Acknowledgment for what information the pledge card must include.

Written Acknowledgment

Requirement

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor

obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient

organization. An organization that does not acknowledge a contribution incurs no penalty; but, without

a written acknowledgment, the donor cannot claim the tax deduction. Although it is a donor’s

responsibility to obtain a written acknowledgment, an organization can assist a donor by providing a

timely, written statement containing the following information:

1. name of organization

2. amount of cash contribution

3. description (but not the value) of non-cash contribution

4. statement that no goods or services were provided by the organization in return for the contribution, if that was the case

5. description and good faith estimate of the value of goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution

6. statement that goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits (described later in this publication), if that was the case

It is not necessary to include either the donor’s social security number or tax identification number on

the acknowledgment.

A separate acknowledgment may be provided for each single contribution of $250 or more or one

acknowledgment, such as an annual summary, may be used to substantiate several single contributions

of $250 or more. There are no IRS forms for the acknowledgment. Letters, postcards, or computer-

generated forms with the above information are acceptable. An organization can provide either a paper

copy of the acknowledgment to the donor, or an organization can provide the acknowledgment

electronically, such as via an e-mail addressed to the donor. A donor should not attach the

acknowledgment to his or her individual income tax return, but must retain it to substantiate the

contribution. Separate contributions of less than $250 will not be aggregated. An example of this could

be weekly offerings to a donor’s church of less than $250 even though the donor’s annual total

contributions are $250 or more.

Contemporaneous

Recipient organizations typically send written acknowledgments to donors no later than January 31 of

the year following the donation. For the written acknowledgment to be considered contemporaneous

with the contribution, a donor must receive the acknowledgment by the earlier of: the date on which

the donor actually files his or her individual federal income tax return for the year of the contribution; or

the due date (including extensions) of the return.

Goods and Services

The acknowledgment must describe goods or services an organization provides in exchange for a

contribution of $250 or more. It must also provide a good faith estimate of the value of such goods or

services because a donor must generally reduce the amount of the contribution deduction by the fair

market value of the goods and services provided by the organization. Goods or services include cash,

property, services, benefits or privileges. However, there are important exceptions as described below:

Token Exception — insubstantial goods or services a charitable organization provides in exchange for

contributions do not have to be described in the acknowledgment.

Good and services are considered to be insubstantial if the payment occurs in the context of a fund-

raising campaign in which a charitable organization informs the donor of the amount of the contribution

that is a deductible contribution, and:

1. the fair market value of the benefits received does not exceed the lesser of 2 percent of the payment or $96, or

2. the payment is at least $48, the only items provided bear the organization’s name or logo (e.g., calendars, mugs, or posters), and the cost of these items is within the limit for “low-cost articles,” which is $9.60.

Free, unordered low-cost articles are also considered to be insubstantial.

Example of a token exception: If a charitable organization gives a coffee mug bearing its logo and

costing the organization $9.60 or less to a donor who contributes $48 or more, the organization may

state that no goods or services were provided in return for the $48 contribution. The $48 is fully

deductible.

The dollar amounts are for 2010. Guideline amounts are adjusted for inflation. Contact IRS Exempt

Organizations Customer Account Services at (877) 829-5500 for annual inflation adjustment

information.

Membership Benefits Exception — An annual membership benefit is also considered to be insubstantial

if it is provided in exchange for an annual payment of $75 or less and consists of annual recurring rights

or privileges, such as:

1. free or discounted admissions to the charitable organization’s facilities or events 2. discounts on purchases from the organization’s gift shop 3. free or discounted parking 4. free or discounted admission to member-only events sponsored by an organization, where

a per-person cost (not including overhead) is within the “low-cost articles” limits

Example of a membership benefits exception; If a charitable organization offers a $75 annual

membership that allows free admission to all of its weekly events, plus a $20 poster, a written

acknowledgment need only mention the $20 value of the poster, since the free admission would be

considered insubstantial and, therefore, would be disregarded.

Intangible Religious Benefits Exception — If a religious organization provides only “intangible religious

benefits” to a contributor, the acknowledgment does not need to describe or value those benefits. It can

simply state that the organization provided intangible religious benefits to the contributor.

What are “intangible religious benefits?” Generally, they are benefits provided by a tax-exempt

organization operated exclusively for religious purposes, and are not usually sold in commercial

transactions outside a donative (gift) context. Examples include admission to a religious ceremony and a

de minimis tangible benefit, such as wine used in a religious ceremony. Benefits that are not intangible

religious benefits include education leading to a recognized degree, travel services, and consumer

goods.

Payroll Deductions

When a donor makes a single contribution of $250 or more by payroll deduction, the donor may use

both of the following documents as the written acknowledgment obtained form the organization:

a pay stub, Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or other document furnished by the employer that sets forth the amount withheld by the employer and paid to a charitable organization, and

a pledge card that includes a statement to the effect that the organization does not provide goods or services in consideration for contributions to the organization by payroll deduction.

Each payroll deduction amount of $250 or more is treated as a separate contribution for purposes of the

$250 threshold requirement for written acknowledgments.

Unreimbursed Expenses

If a donor makes a single contribution of $250 or more in the form of unreimbursed expenses, e.g., out-

of-pocket transportation expenses incurred in order to perform donated services for an organization,

and then the donor must obtain a written acknowledgment from the organization containing:

a description of the services provided by the donor

a statement of whether or not the organization provided goods or services in return for the contribution

a description and good faith estimate of the value of goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution

a statement that goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits (described earlier in this publication), if that was the case

In addition, a donor must maintain adequate records of the unreimbursed expenses. See Publication

526, Charitable Contributions, for a description of records that will substantiate a donor’s contribution

deductions.

Example of an unreimbursed expense: A chosen representative to an annual convention of a charitable

organization purchases an airline ticket to travel to the convention. The organization

does not reimburse the delegate for the $500 ticket. The representative should keep a record of the

expenditure, such as a copy of the ticket. The representative should obtain from the organization a

description of the services that the representative provided and a statement that the representative

received no goods or services from the organization.

Examples of Written Acknowledgments

“Thank you for your cash contribution of $300 that (organization’s name) received on December 12, 2009. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.”

“Thank you for your cash contribution of $350 that (organization’s name) received on May 6, 2009. In exchange for your contribution, we gave you a cookbook with an estimated fair market value of $60.”

“Thank you for your contribution of a used oak baby crib and matching dresser that (organization’s name) received on March 15, 2010. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.”

The following is an example of a written acknowledgment where a charity accepts contributions in the

name of one of its activities:

“Thank you for your contribution of $450 to (organization’s name) made in the name of its Special Relief Fund program. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.”

Written Disclosure

Requirement

A donor may only take a contribution deduction to the extent that his/her contribution exceeds the fair

market value of the goods or services the donor receives in return for the contribution; therefore,

donors need to know the value of the goods or services. An organization must provide a written

disclosure statement to a donor who makes a payment exceeding $75 partly as a contribution and partly

for goods and services provided by the organization. A contribution made by a donor in exchange for

goods or services is known as a quid pro quo contribution.

Example of a quid pro quo contribution: A donor gives a charitable organization $100 in exchange for a

concert ticket with a fair market value of $40. In this example, the donor’s tax deduction may not exceed

$60. Because the donor’s payment (quid pro quo contribution) exceeds $75, the charitable organization

must furnish a disclosure statement to the donor, even though the deductible amount does not exceed

$75.

A required written disclosure statement must:

inform a donor that the amount of the contribution that is deductible for federal income tax purposes is limited to the excess of money (and the fair market value of property other than money) contributed by the donor over the value of goods or services provided by the organization

provide a donor with a good-faith estimate of the fair market value of the goods or services

An organization must furnish a disclosure statement in connection with either the solicitation or the

receipt of the quid pro quo contribution. The statement must be in writing and must be made in a

manner that is likely to come to the attention of the donor. For example, a disclosure in small print

within a larger document might not meet this requirement.

Exception

A written disclosure statement is not required:

where the goods or services given to a donor meet the “token exception,” the “membership benefits exception,” or the “intangible religious benefits exception” described earlier

where there is no donative element involved in a particular transaction, such as in a typical museum gift shop sale

Penalty

A penalty is imposed on charities that do not meet the written disclosure requirement. The penalty is

$10 per contribution, not to exceed $5,000 per fundraising event or mailing. An organization may avoid

the penalty if it can show that failure to meet the requirements was due to reasonable cause.

Further Information

Written acknowledgment — Detailed rules for contemporaneous written acknowledgments are

contained in Section 170(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 1.170A-13(f) of the Income Tax

Regulations. The “low-cost article” rules are set forth in Section 513(h)(2) of the Code. This information

can be found on the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov.

Written disclosure — Detailed rules for written disclosure statements are contained in Section 6115 of

the Internal Revenue Code and Section 1.6115-1 of the Income Tax Regulation. The penalty rules are

contained in Section 6714 of the Code. This information can be found on the IRS Web site at

www.irs.gov.

IRS publications — Order publications by calling the IRS at (800) 829-3676. Download IRS publications at

www.irs.gov.

IRS customer service — Telephone assistance for general tax information is available by calling IRS

customer service toll-free at (800) 829-1040.

Exempt Organizations customer service — Telephone assistance specific to exempt organizations is

available by calling IRS Exempt Organizations Customer Account Services toll-free at (877) 829-5500

Exempt Organizations Web site — Visit Exempt Organizations Web site at www.irs.gov/eo.

Exempt Organizations Update — To receive IRS Exempt Organization’s EO Update, a regular e-mail

newsletter with information for tax-exempt organizations and tax practitioners who represent them,

visit www.irs.gov/eo and click on “EO Newsletter.”

Stay Exempt (www.stayexempt.org) — An IRS interactive web-based training program covering tax

compliance issues confronted by small and mid-sized tax-exempt organizations.

Miscellaneous: Photo Release

Best Practice: Photo Release

1. If necessary, finish arranging the event that CASA children will be present at. Also if necessary, hire a

photographer. Check with your volunteers first—one of Hudson County CASA’s volunteers is a professional

photographer who helped us out on National Adoption Day.

2. Have a photo release prepared which mentions your organization by name and is very detailed, covering all of

the different situations in which the photograph or video may be used. See the form used by Hudson County

CASA for an example.

3. Hudson County CASA’s policy is to bring a packet of the printed out photo release forms to any event involving

the children we serve where a photographer is also present. We then make a point of meeting with the parents

or guardians of any CASA children and ask them to sign the release so that we can take photos. Most of the

parents/guardians are happy to sign, in my experience.

4. If a parent or guardian will not sign, don’t force the issue at the event—respect their decision. You can send

them a polite email or give them a phone call later to see if they are willing to change their mind.

5. If a form is unsigned after an event because you couldn’t find a parent or guardian, but you do have pictures of

the child, ALWAYS follow up by mail, email, and/or phone and get a signed photo release form before using the

pictures!

6. Use the pictures to raise awareness and support for CASA!

Miscellaneous: Photo Release

Sample photo release form

<Your organization name> Video Permission and Consent/Release

I, , hereby grant to <your organization name> the absolute permission

and rights for (circle one) myself/son/daughter/ward to <your organization name> to use the still photographs, digital

photographs, videotape, and/or motion picture film made of my likeness, poses, acts and appearances, and the sound

records and print materials made of me and/or my voice for use in connection with any and all program(s) and materials

produced by, or on behalf of <your organization name>. Said permission allows <your organization name> to use these

likenesses in any form in the editing, production, copyright, copying, broadcast, publication or distribution of said work,

or in any manner related to the advertising and promotion of said work, throughout the world forever in any and all

media now known or hereafter devised.

I hereby grant my full permission to <your organization name> and discharge <your organization name> its employees,

agents, producers, licensees or assigns, from any and all causes of action and claims that may result from the use of my

likeness or voice in connection with the result of photographing, videotaping, or recording likenesses of me or my voice.

I also hereby waive any right that I may have to inspect and/or approve any use of my likeness or voice in any draft,

finished product, written materials, or advertising copy that may be used in connection with production, copyright,

copying, advertising or broadcast via cable, broadcast television, satellite, Internet or other media of said videotape, and

that said permission allows <your organization name> its employees and contracted photographers and video producers

full rights to use any portion of this tape in any format as described above in editing and production of public relations

and marketing materials.

Subject Date

Parent or Guardian (if subject under 18) Date

Address City, State, Zip

Phone

Miscellaneous: Sample Fundraising Plans

Sample Fundraising Plan 1

GOALS

I. Begin five (5) year plan to decrease reliance on Grants, and increase funding from private donors and corporate sources.

Current Allocation:

80% Grants

10% Individual/Corporate Donations

10% Special Events

Allocation Goal:

50% Grants

35% Individual/Corporate Donations

10% Special Events

II. Investigate additional resources needed to assist ED in obtaining Grant and other funding.

III. Increase Trustees’ involvement in Fundraising

INITIATIVES

I. Individual Donations – Increase reliance on individual and corporate donations by:.

A. Continuing to encourage Trustees’ personal donations B. Direct mail donations – Holiday Letter/card

1. Enlist board members to review mailing list and weed out non-contributors 2. Require each board member to add a minimum of 10 names to the mailing list (people they will

personally contact as a follow up to the Holiday card)

Ask volunteers to provide names and to send out cards to their friends/family (instead of providing the names to us)

II. Special Events - Continue Comedy Night and Service-a-thon and new event(s) in the fall: A. Miniature golf outing B. Wine Tasting C. Birthday Party for CASA

III Grants

1. Review available information resources (i.e. computer databases, consultants, etc.) and determine where to obtain best information for future Grants.

2. Educate Committee and Board members on Grant Writing.

3. Increase Board and Finance Committee involvement in Grant procurement. Increase resources available to the Executive Director in Grant writing. Board members to initiate direct contact with Grant decision makers, where possible.

4. Renew Current Grants, increase Grant amounts where possible

IV Corporate Giving :

1. Purchase list of corporations/business in county 2. PR committee to create solicitation letter and packets to send to those on list 3. Create Speakers Bureau to make presentations

V Other/Interest

1. Maximize interest on surplus funds – See investment policy

Miscellaneous: Sample Fundraising Plans

Sample Fundraising Plan 2

Fundraising Plan: FY x-x

Developed By: Executive Director

Submitted To: Fundraising Committee

Goal:

It is the intention of the fundraising committee to ensure that CASA maintains and increases its diversified fundraising

sources in order to support the growing needs of the organization. It is our goal to increase our income so that we can

meet our budget and increase our reserve. Specifically we will work towards the strategic plans goals of building a six

months reserve within the next five years.

In FY 07-08 it is our goal to raise $X to support our budget and to raise an additional $X to increase our reserve for a total

of $X. At FYE 06 we had $X reserve. It is our goal to increase this reserve to $X. We believe this is a challenging, yet

attainable goal. The plan is dependent upon the utilization of key staff members, committee and board members as well

as implementing the plan outlined below

Personnel to support Fundraising

I. Staff

A) Development Director In August 2007 the Development Director resigned. The Executive Director in consultation with the Fundraising

Chair and Board Executive Committee has decided to re-define the position in hopes of finding a candidate that

better fits our needs. We plan to hire in January 2008.

B) Assistant Executive Director This position supports the efforts of this committee by performing all grant related activities. Grant research,

grant writing and grant reporting. We rely on and will support this position. Additionally, the AED will prepare

and execute appeals and newsletter mailings.

C) Executive Director

We will rely on the experience and skills of the Executive Director to lead our fundraising efforts for the

immediate future. In the first half of this fiscal year she will take over the staff position on Special Events

Committee and maintain and cultivate relationships with corporate and individual donors as appropriate.

II. Board & Volunteers

A) Board Fundraising Committee

With the strength and leadership of the Board Development Chair, we will utilize the resources and expertise of

the committee members. Presently this committee is only made up of 3 members, we are fortunate that they

are dedicated and experienced but would like to increase the number of individuals.

B) Special Events Committee

We have a committed group of 10-12 “Special Events” Committee Members. This committee originated as the

“Cool Night of Jazz” Committee but as our schedule of fundraising events has grown, our committee chose to

stay together and continue to work on each event. This is largely due to the dedication and leadership of our

Fundraising Committee Chair. We believe we should keep this committee functioning as one – our

communication and efforts are streamlined and effective. And this committee’s overall dedication continually

grows. We will ensure the staff listens to and supports this committee and keeps them informed and motivated.

As suggested by our Consultant, we will prepare a “Special Events Best Practice Policy”. The intention of this

policy will be to ensure appropriate accounting for all significant decisions, expenses and income related to

special events. The Executive Committee will remain responsible for final approval on all event decisions and

the details of event practices will be formalized in the policy to be completed in January 2008.

C) Marketing Committee We hope to organize and start a marketing committee by FYE 2008. This committee will be made up of

experienced marketing and public relations professionals throughout the community. The intention of this

committee is to expand our marketing efforts, help us determine the most efficient and effective way to spend

our advertising dollars. We hope this committee will meet 3-4 times per year.

Plan:

In this fiscal year (x) we plan to accomplish this goal by:

Grants: $x

State Funding: $x

Special Events: $x

Corporate &

Community Giving: $x

Individual Giving: $x

Board Giving: $x

I. Grant Funding: Total: $x

We recognize that we have not been aggressively researching new grant opportunities and are committed to

begin being more aggressively researching opportunities in this fiscal year in order to benefit in the next

calendar/fiscal year. We are vigilant in our grant reporting timelines and responsibilities and will continue to be

meticulous and respectful of these. We appreciate these donors and will recognize their contributions publicly

and appreciate them personally as appropriate.

A) Research Specific New Grants:

1. CDBG. This grant is one that most other CASA programs around the state benefit from. We have applied twice and have been unsuccessful. We have been told this is very political. Therefore, we will research how to be in a better position to make a connection

B) Research Grants 1. We have the opportunity to use www.grantstation.com for a month 2. We are part of the Stockton Collaboration 3. We will use resources of nonprofitcenter.org

C) Cultivating Grantors: 1. VOCA 2. IOLTA 3. UW 4.

II State Funding Total: $x

We are in the fortunate position to be collaborating with CASA of NJ who has been extremely successful in securing

state funding. We have been the recipients of increases throughout the last few years and recognize that this funding

source is not necessarily stable from year to year. It is paramount to our organization to ensure timely reporting,

support the efforts of CASA of NJ, and maintain a general positive collaboration. This funding source requires us to plan

and execute our program growth efficiently and effectively and we will continue to do this. Specifically we will

1) Maintain a positive working relationship with CASA of NJ 2) Ensure timeliness and accuracy in our granting reporting requirements 3) Appreciate and acknowledge the work of CASA of NJ 4) Plan our growth appropriately to ensure financial success

III Special Events Total: $x

We recognize that special events are friend-raising events. Our goal is to increase the awareness of CASA while

cultivating relationships at an individual and corporate level. We are committed to hosting “Voices for Children” Auction

and Benefit in the Fall and Wine Tasting in the Spring. We consider these two events to be our “anchors” and will give

serious consideration to events that are mission driven or will serve a greater good (statewide marketing) or small

events that will not encumber the staff or committee members

Presently, we believe our special events for the upcoming fiscal year will consist of

A) Annual event Goal: $X November 15, 2007

We recognize that we have a committed group of committee members who are dedicated to the growth

of the CASA organization and the Auction. We plan to increase the net to this year while cultivating

committee relationships and recognizing the cost to staff.

B) Annual event 2 Goal: $X May 22, 2008

This event has relatively little expense to the staff time and the cost benefit analysis seems extremely

positive. Therefore we will continue to host the event and maintain a fundraising presence in our

county. We have a goal of $20,000 for the event.

C) Additional Event Goal: $x To be determined

We recognize there will be need to host an additional event this year if and when:

1. CASA of NJ’s marketing for “salon day” will lead to greater community awareness 2. CASA of NJ’s golf outing will be positive for the cost/benefit to our organization 3. a third party presents itself as a viable option to raise money for the organization with little cost to the

staff 4. our fundraising for the year is not successful and we need to increase income

III. Corporate Giving Goal: $x

We have been successful with corporate giving that we have invested time in pursuing. However, each year we believe

we “leave money on the table” by not soliciting corporate partners we anticipate or by not following up appropriately.

Our corporate giving is made up by a variety of sources: a) event sponsorship b) corporate grants c) corporate

partners.

This year we plan to target the following new donors for event sponsorship:

Current Event Sponsorship:

1. List sponsors here

For Corporate Giving/Grants:

2. Company 1 – We have done preliminary research with this funder. This corporate grantor is said to fund where their employees fund. We have received dollars from their employees and meet their initial criteria we therefore believe we should pursue this further

3. Company 2 – We have met with corporate and believe we will receiving funding within the next two to three years.

IV. Community Organizations ($x)

To date we have been successful in securing community/church organizations giving by working with them through a

program viewpoint. We are appreciative and ensure their recognition. This constant interaction has allowed us to

maintain relationships and increase giving amounts. Oftentimes these organizations look to support us in ways other

than financial dollars and we are committed to thinking creatively to meet their needs. We plan to continue with this

approach in this upcoming year. Specifically:

A) Current or Previous Funders:

1) List current or previous funders B) United Way Goal: $X

This relationship has been challenging. While we depend on their $x grant opportunity and value the legitimacy of the

“partnership agency” status, we have conflicted with the organization over special events and corporate sponsors.

Hopefully, these issues have been resolved and we can have a more positive and mutually beneficial relationship in the

upcoming year.

V. Individual Giving ($xS) We have successfully increased our individual giving by increasing our donor database and increasing the levels at which

individuals give. We have adopted the Benevon “Raising More Money” Model of Fundraising. While we have suffered a

set back in our potential to fully develop this model with the loss of our Development Director, we plan to continue to

follow the model to the best of our ability. Specifically, staff will attempt to re-vamp current “Information Session” to

become a “POE” in order to more effectively introduce new individuals to the organization in its entirety.

1) New Donors

Increase new potential donors in system by 300 i. 80-100 new people event 1 ii. 30-40 new people event 2

iii. 30-40 new people additional events iv. 100-120 new people referrals speaking engagements POE etc.

Maintaining & cultivating relationships with potential givers a. Informational Mailings

i. CASA of NJ newsletter 4 per year ii. Recruitment Materials 2 per year

b. Appeal Mailings i. August, December, April

c. Invitations to events i. Auction-October, Open House – January, March

d. Phone Calls inviting to POE/Ask Breakfast i. To Be determined based on hiring of ED

2) Current Givers

Maintaining communication with givers o Informational Mailings

CASA of NJ newsletter 4 per year Recruitment Materials 2 per year

o Appeal Mailings August, December, April

o Invitations to events Auction-October, Open House – January, Wine Tasting-March

o Phone Calls inviting to POE/Ask Breakfast To Be determined based on hiring of ED

Appropriate Appreciation for giving ii. Thank you letters w/in one week of giving

iii. Thank you phone calls monthly iv. Recognition at one of two Appreciation Events as appropriate

2) Cultivate Relationships as appropriate: a. At Fundraising Committee Meetings we will review individual levels of giving and decide on course of

action in an effort to meet strategic plan goal of $250 level of giving b. Invite to Free Feel Good Events (Swearing In, Appreciation Brunch) c. We will make phone calls to 500 individuals in our database

3) Board Giving: We are dedicated to 100% board giving. In the last fiscal year 90% of our members gave. This ranged from $50

to $2500. It is our goal to increase the minimum gift to $200 and to increase the average gift to $1000. We will

do this by having all Board Members sign “board membership agreement letters” by January 2008.

Miscellaneous: Benevon

Benevon Model Overview

Disclaimer: This document is only to be used internally for not-for-profit and educational purposes, compliant with the

Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Civil Code, 17 U.S.C. § 107. The terms Benevon®, Point of Entry®, Ask Event®, Free

Feel-Good Cultivation Event®, and Emotional Hook® are registered trademarks of Benevon and all rights of the copyright

holder are reserved. For more information on the Benevon Model of fundraising, go to www.benevon.com.

Organizations can cultivate individual donors strategically as a way of raising funds that allows for an organization to

create long-term sustainable funding for itself. One of the most popular methods for creating sustainable, individual

donor based funding is called the Benevon Model. In contrast to when an organization only asks for money when it

needs it the most, the Benevon Model allows an organization to establish a relationship with its donors that creates

long-term sustainable funding for the organization.

With the Benevon Model, the organization builds a relationship with a potential donor over time before asking him or

her for money. The process starts when the donor is first introduced to the organization through a Point of Entry event

(POE) that informs the donor of the organization’s work and mission. Contact is first continued with the donor through

follow up to the POE event and is then maintained through continued conversation and feedback. When it seems that

the donor has become comfortable with the organization and its work, the organization then asks the donor for money.

The model puts conversation and relationship building first as a way to create a two-way dialogue with donors and allow

for them to give on their own terms. When there is a dialogue, it allows for feedback from both parties, creating a level

of ease that results in a much more relaxed environment when it comes to asking a donor for money.

The success of this model relies on the fact that only the people who want to give to the organization are ever asked for

money. This comes from the strategic development of relationships with potential donors. When the organization has

cultivated a relationship of trust and commitment from potential donors, the organization can then work with these

donors to start giving, and in effect initiate long term giving commitments from them. Once these donors are giving

regularly to the organization, they are also encouraged to recruit other donors to the cause. If this is successful, it

ultimately allows for the organization to have a broad base of donors who are giving regularly.

As a step-by-step process, the implementation of sustainable funding looks like this:

1. A potential donor is first introduced to the organization through a Point of Entry event.

● The donor is given an overview of the organization, its mission and work.

● The organization shows how its work is emotionally compelling to both donors and the community. For CASA

programs, the emotional connection can come through having an adult who was a former foster youth, or a

former CASA volunteer speak at the event. It is necessary to comply with all privacy laws as those involved with

the court have special protections.

● The organization must then capture the names, email addresses and phone numbers of all guests in order to

allow for a follow-up conversation to be initiated by the organization.

2. The organization begins a two-way dialogue with a potential donor.

● Ask potential donors for feedback on the POE they attended. Ask potential donors what they want out of their

involvement with the organization and also ask how the organization can work to meet their future giving

needs.

3. Create giving commitments to generate life time donors.

● The levels of annual giving by donors to the organization become the basis of multi-year giving pledges.

○ When it comes time to ask donors for money, it is necessary to let the donor know that his or her giving

commitment will impact the organization in the long-run.

○ One way to create giving levels specific to CASA is to suggest certain amounts based on the cost of

providing advocacy for one child. For example, let people know that if they give $xx.00 amount, they will

be “sponsoring” a child by donating the cost of providing advocacy for a child for one full year, or for six

months, etc.

● With the Benevon Model, it is recommended that the organization asks a donor for a multi-year giving pledge

the first time the donor is asked for money. It is also necessary to acknowledge these donors involved in long-

term giving commitments as being a part of the non-profit's family in order to let them know the importance

and impact of their giving.

○ It is important to always give people the option of giving what they feel they can. Never exclude people

who only want to donate one time. On pledge cards, etc. both multi-year pledges and one time

donations should be options.

4. Introduce others to the Organization. Donors who are most passionate about the organization are the most willing

to invite their friends to start giving as well.

The purpose of holding these events is two-fold:

1. To reconnect long-term donors to the facts and emotions that make the organization unique.

2. To allow long-term donors to introduce their friends to the organization, and also allow for the organization to

begin to cultivate these friends into potential donors.


The Benevon Model’s Implications for Local CASA Programs

Disclaimer: This document is only to be used internally for not-for-profit and educational purposes, compliant with the

Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Civil Code, 17 U.S.C. § 107. The terms Benevon®, Point of Entry®, Ask Event®, Free

Feel-Good Cultivation Event®, and Emotional Hook® are registered trademarks of Benevon and all rights of the copyright

holder are reserved. For more information on the Benevon Model of fundraising, go to www.benevon.com.

Most charitable organizations rely on individual giving to fund their day to day operations. According to research

conducted by the Giving USA Foundation (http://www.givingusa.org/), out of the $303.75 billion given to USA charities

in 2009, $14.1 billion was given by corporations, $23.8 billion was given in bequests, $38.4 billion was given by

foundations, and $227.4 billion was through individual donations.

One may initially assume that most organizational funding comes from grants, however that is incorrect. Organizations

require grant money to fund specific projects and organization initiatives, however regardless of this, most money going

to charities still comes from individual giving. Individual giving accounted for 75% of all money contributed to charities

in 2009, while giving from foundations and corporations only contributed 17% of the total amount. If an organization

relies on grant money for most of its funding needs, the organization’s fund development staff are in effect only tapping

a fraction of their organization’s funding potential.

Most CASA programs are largely dependent on grants and government money. Focusing on individual giving can add a

sustainable revenue stream to the program. Also, individual donations are usually unrestricted, unlike grants, and

therefore can be applied to whatever program area needs funds. In addition to monetary donations, creating

relationships with individuals who are invested in CASA can bring many new resources into the organization including

potential board members, volunteers, or corporate sponsorship opportunities.

The Benevon Model guides charities to tap the resource of sustainable donor based funding. By focusing on generating

individual giving over multi-year periods, these charities can eventually work to replace a portion of their grant funding

with funding from individual donations. CASA is a community-invested charity that can benefit from the implementation

of the Benevon Model. Since local CASA programs work and are invested in their respective communities, they have the

potential to create strong, local donor bases. At the beginning of the implementation of the Benevon Model, CASA

programs can work to engage their prospective donors through Point of Entry (POE) events. These events require an

effective design to sell the mission and work of CASA to prospective donors. These events can utilize the presentation of

speeches, video, and dialogue to engage potential donors. These events prime the potential donors on CASA and allow

them to get comfortable with the organization before they begin giving.

An organization does not need to completely overhaul its development calendar in order to successfully implement the

Benevon Model. Each step of the model can be implemented at a pace and an order set by the organization. As an

organization builds its donor-driven sustainable funding base, it will gradually become a larger part of the development

plan and may eventually replace grants as the organization’s primary source of funding. This may take years to

accomplish, however over this time the organization can revise its development plan to better accommodate long-term,

sustainable donor giving.

When it comes time to ask for giving commitments, the program must ask for these in a way that puts low pressure on

the donor. One of the ways CASA programs have asked for donations from potential donors in the past has been

through an “Ask Breakfast.” An “Ask Breakfast” involves inviting a group of potential donors to a breakfast event about

CASA, where the attendees learn about CASA but also are encouraged to begin contributing. Once a local program has

built relationships with its donors, the program can encourage these donors to connect their friends with CASA. This will

build a strong local donor base that can potentially sustain the CASA program over the course of its organizational

lifetime.

Miscellaneous: Benevon Best Practice: “Ask Breakfast” An “Ask Breakfast” is a fundraising event that is part of the Benevon Model that allows for an organization to ask for giving commitments of potential donors in a structured environment. This event occurs after the potential donor is first introduced to the organization through a Point of Entry event. The breakfast should only be scheduled for an hour, so the focus is less on the participant’s time and more on selling the organization’s mission. The “Ask Breakfast” is free for all participants; however the focus is on captivating donors with the event to the point where they feel compelled to give to the organization. Keep in mind that the “Ask Breakfast” should be “cause-based” - meaning, the focus is entirely on the CASA program, its mission, goals, and needs. All speakers should have a strong connection to the program. Staff, board members, and volunteers should be present to connect with guests and answer questions about CASA. In order to have an effective “Ask Breakfast,” it is necessary to plan the event far in advance. The organization needs to identify what planning is required in order to have a successful event. This involves asking the following questions:

● When and where will the event be held?

● What are the costs involved in holding this event?

● How will event sponsors be approached?

● Who will be invited?

● How will volunteers be recruited and coordinated?

● What is the schedule for the day of the event? Once these questions have been answered, the organization can begin to implement planning for the event. 9-12 Months Before Event Choose your exact date Book your location Work this timeline backwards from that date 6 Months Before Event Design and produce invitations and/or “Save the Date” postcards Send out corporate sponsor request letters Price and select the menu Secure audio/visual equipment if necessary Prepare a video (if you chose to use show one) Begin securing Table Captains:

- Table Captains are people who are closely involved with your program and who are willing and able to invite friends, co-workers, etc. to join them at the program. They also will hand out and collect pledge forms during the breakfast and will serve as a representative of your program seated at the table. Preferably, table captains are high-level volunteers who are excited to play such a role in a fundraising event. But, if you are pressed for table captains, board members, committee members, and staff can be used.

90 Days Before Event Confirm all Table Captains. As each Table Captain signs on, give or send them a Table Captain Welcome Packet which includes:

1. Table Captain Welcome Letter 2. Sample script for inviting their guests 3. Table Captain job description 4. Guest List Form (with deadline) 5. Form to list those unable to attend (to receive information or to be invited to a Point of Entry

Event.) 6. “Save the Date” postcards or invitations - Postcards or invitations should make guests aware this is a fundraising event

(while also stressing that it is free to attend and a donation is not required). For example: “There is no charge to attend. Attendees will be asked to consider making a donation or pledge to CASA. There is no obligation to make a donation, and no minimum gift.”

Assign each Table Captain a “friendly reminder person” who calls the Table Captain every 1-2 weeks to check in with them about the status of filling their table. Exactly 3 weeks before event All guest lists are due to the event organizers. Ask the Table Captain to fax them to you including the ones that have been only partially filled. You should keep track of names, addresses, and phone numbers, recording them in a database or excel spreadsheet. It will give you an idea of where you stand. Start working on event materials such as designing the program and creating sponsor signs to place around the room. Obtain quotes from different printing companies. If you have to rush to print materials close to the day of the event, it will cost more money. 2 weeks before the event You should have 80% of the completed guest list. Focus on the remaining Table Captains. If necessary, the senior staff person in charge of the event may need to call them to assess whether they will come through. Tell them you need to give the venue a guest count. How many people do they intend to bring? 1 week before the event Have your friendly reminder people call their Table Captains to ask them to personally reconfirm each guest. Then get realistic about your guest count. If necessary, combine two Table Captains into one table. Expand other tables to 12-14 tables. Make your seating plan for the event. Assign table numbers to each Table Captain. Choose who sits at the front tables, sides, back, etc. Leave some empty seats at the back table, if possible, for latecomers, surprise guests, and event volunteers to come in and enjoy the event after they have finished their duties. 2 days before the event Give final meal count to venue/caterer Day before the event Print out the name tags with table numbers. Alphabetize so they can be easily displayed for guests to pick up.

Night before the event Set up the room, put table numbers on each table with centerpieces, programs, and other decorations. Decide which table to set up for more than 10 guests. Set up and test any electronic equipment such as a projector for showing a DVD and the microphone for speakers to use. Have Table Captain Packets (manila envelopes with their name and table number) assembled and ready to be given to each Table Captain as they arrive. Packet includes: 1. Pledge cards in individual envelopes 2. Pens 3. Table Captain Instruction Sheet Spread out nametags on nametag table with large alphabetical signs posted above them or you may choose to have volunteers sign guests in. Set up “Questions and Concerns” table for latecomers or last-minute newcomers. The table is managed by 2-3 high-level volunteers whose job is to get those people sorted out and into a seat as quickly as possible. Set up any other informational table you may want to have in the lobby with displays about your program, T-shirt sales, etc. The Event Make sure staff, volunteers, or board members who are staffing the event arrive early to check in and welcome all guests. Place appropriate signs or staff members in the parking lot or by the entrance to make sure guests can easily find the venue and come in through the “check-in” area. Assign a staff member or professional to “capture the event” by taking photos or videos (be aware of possible release issues associated with this). The Program: - The board president and/or executive director should welcome all guests - There should be a clear and concise explanation of CASA’s mission followed by short impactful speeches from those close to/affected by CASA (e.g. volunteer, birth mother, someone working in the court system). “The Ask”: - The executive director, board member, etc. should clearly state the “ask” (i.e. “If you would like to give, please direct your attention to the pledge card in front of you” and clearly explain how to fill out the card and the various giving options - “sponsoring” a child, giving a one time gift, pledging an amount, etc.) - After they have been filled out, table captains or volunteers should collect the pledge envelopes so that guests know the donations and pledges are being collected immediately and are in good hands Follow - Up Consider having volunteers or board members assist with follow-up responses by writing thank you letters, stuffing envelopes, or making follow-up phone calls to ensure that the response is timely. Schedule ahead of time for volunteers to come in the week following the event.

Send out “thank you” letters and tax receipts to donors (everyone who donated or pledged) within one week of the event if possible. Consider also following up with thank you calls to donors who made significant contributions or pledges. Seek feedback from volunteers, board members, guests who attended the event. Did they enjoy the speakers? Did they learn more about CASA’s mission? Would they like to become more involved with CASA? How could the event be improved? Publicize success/gratitude through press releases, newsletters, website, Facebook, etc. Evaluate how the event went with staff, board members, and event planners. Share feedback and discuss what went well and what improvements are needed for next year.


Sample Breakfast Invitation


Sample Breakfast Sponsor Form

CASA Connection Breakfast

Sponsor Form

Contact Name __________________________________ Phone __________________

Contact Title _________________________________ _ Email __________________

Company Name __________________________________

Address __________________________________

__________________________________

SPONSOR LEVELS

Recognized on event signage, in event program, and on website homepage and Corporate Sponsor page

● Champions Circle $3,500 or greater

● Leaders Circle $2,500 - $3,499

● Patrons Circle $1,000 - $2,499

Recognized in event program and on website Corporate Sponsor page

● Friends Circle $500 - $999

● Community Circle $100 - $499

I am not able to sponsor this event. Please accept my donation of ________.

Please make checks payable to: CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties, Inc. 18 Cattano Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 All gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Please Return By DATE

Guests attending the Breakfast

Company Name: ______________________________________

Contact Person: ______________________________________

Phone: ________________ Email: ______________________

Please list names of guests attending:

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Please Return By DATE

Miscellaneous: Planning Tools

Volunteer Position Checklist

Here is a list of types of volunteer activities you may find useful in organizing your special event:

Overall Event Coordinator

Beer/Wine/Liquor Coordinator

Car Parking Organizer

Clear up Crew

Decorations Coordinator

Emergency Crew (in case of no-shows)

Entertainment Coordinator

Financial Management/Accounting/Banking

Food Coordinator

Graphics Designer: ensure coordinated theme

o printed materials

o decor

o costumes (if any)

Media Liaison

Patrons/Head Table Coordinator

Person to get licenses, permits, check laws

Production Coordinator

o printed program

o invitations

o tickets

o posters

Program Committee

o determine agenda

o arrange speakers, and so on

Publicity Coordinator

Secretary

Security people

Signs/Directions Aide

Solicitors of in-kind donations

Souvenir Supplier

Special Arrangements Aide

o access for the disabled

o child care

o sign language interpretation

o special diets

Technical Equipment Aide

o sound equipment

o lighting equipment

Ticket Sellers

Union clearances

o for musicians, actors

o for serving staff, if needed

Ushers/Hosts

Volunteer and Donor Recognition Coordinator

Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator

Welcoming Committee

Miscellaneous: Planning Tools Ask Tracker

Miscellaneous: Planning Tools Budget Template

CASA Fundraiser

Fundraiser Budget Summary

Expenses Category Total

Personnel

$ -

Travel

$ -

Food, Drink & Facility

$ -

Entertainment

$ -

Supplies, Printing & Mailings

$ -

EXPENSE TOTAL $ -

Income Category Total

Sponsorships

$ -

Event Tickets Sales

$ -

Games, Auctions & Other

$ -

GROSS TOTAL $ -

NET TOTAL $ -

NOTE: The "Total" fields in this budget are automatically populated by the totals from the "Expense Detail" and "Income Detail" tabs. Please do not directly input numbers into these fields.

Miscellaneous: Planning Tools Choosing the Right Event The right fundraising event should fit your... Human Resources (volunteer and staff)

o Talents o Time available o Interests o Contacts

Financial Resources

o Available Front Money/Investment Capital o Goals for needed net income

Organizational Image

o Preferred profile o Ethical limitations o Specific message to communicate o Seriousness/Fun style

Audience

o Interests o Availability o Ability to pay/donate o Long-term connection o Demographics (age, gender, income)

Timing

o Advance planning time o Competing events o Seasonal suitability

In order to choose the appropriate fundraising event for your organization, be clear about:

Your purpose in sponsoring an event The prospective audience for your event Your organization's resources (money, time and people) to produce the chosen event

The following questions can guide you to make the best decision about what kind of event you should sponsor:

1. Do you have clear goals for staging a special event?

Is the purpose to raise money? Assuming one of your purposes is to raise funds, it is important to determine when the funds are needed and what your financial net goal is. The strategy to raise significant dollars will be considerably different than one to generate a few hundred dollars. As a basic rule of thumb, match the event to your financial needs and timeline. Is the purpose to generate new donor prospects or volunteers? In most successful fundraising events, one of the goals is to attract new volunteers and money to support the organization. Otherwise you may be redirecting money previously given to the organization through other avenues and overtaxing current volunteers. Is the purpose to increase public awareness of your organization? If you want to increase the visibility of the organization, the event should be held where many people are exposed to the name and mission of your organization and great efforts should be aimed at good media coverage. Is the purpose to bring attention to your cause or mission? Too often the population served by the organization is confused with the audience for an event. Although the two should be compatible with regards to the basic values of the organization, the audience of your event may be significantly different than the clients you serve. David Nelson, author of Getting the Payoff from Special Events, distinguishes between two major types of events — those that raise more money and those that raise more public awareness. He divides these into Type A and Type B. Type A events generally raise more funds and gain less public awareness and have the following characteristics:

o High individual cost to participate o Smaller attendance o Lower administrative and advertising investment o More donor prospects o Greater loyalty to the organization by those attending

Type B events generally raise visibility but may require high investment of time for the financial return to the

organization and have the following characteristics:

o Low individual cost to participate o Larger attendance/higher visibility o Higher administrative and advertising investment o Fewer donor prospects o Less loyalty to the organization by those attending

2. Do you have access to appropriate attendees, sponsors and underwriters? Wanting to stage an event will not guarantee success unless you have connections to and the interest of appropriate attendees and financial underwriters. Ask yourself: Who would be the natural choice of event participants for the organization? It is also important to know if any other community activities will be competing with your event for the audience, volunteers and donors you will be targeting. There may be other activities going on in a community at the same time, but the important issue is whether your target group will have too many competing activities on or around the same time of your event. Many communities have groups that keep community calendars. Check out other potential competing activities and make certain that as soon as you know the date of the event you get it on the calendar and get the word out so that others will not plan competing events.

3. What event can meet the goals and reach the targeted market? Most events will fall under one of the following categories:

Audience Participation Events require that you attract people, generally through ticket sales. Examples

are dances, decorator showcases, art appraisals, celebrity cook-offs. For some organizations these are

perfect events because they have a dedicated group of volunteers who enjoy the social nature of

sponsoring such an event and the collective contacts to create good press coverage and sell many

tickets.

Food and Drink Events feature a meal or have special food served. Examples include wine-and-food

events, "roasts" of special people, luncheons with fashion shows, events featuring ethnic foods, tea

parties and restaurant openings. These generally require extensive preparation and attract people

through ticket sales. Many of these types of fundraisers become signature events for an organization

and are held annually, with potentially great financial returns. The costs to sponsor these events are

closely tied to how much of the food and beverages can be donated for the event. As with all such major

events, people attending may consider this their major gift to the organization for the year. Thus you

may be simply getting their annual gift at an event rather than through a solicitation. This is not

necessarily bad, particularly if event costs are low. People are more likely to donate to a cause in a social

setting, for example, while competing for auction items, than they are to respond to direct, one-on-one

solicitation. This is particularly true in the case of auctions when items are donated by well-known

community residents.

Holiday and Special Occasion Events are held to celebrate the season while raising funds for the

organization. However, since volunteer time is often limited around holidays, preparations for the event

should be scheduled as far ahead as possible. Events range from doing a day of gift wrapping for

donations, to organizations sponsoring a community July Fourth Fireworks.

Merchandise Events are those that feature the sale of products or services. Examples are antique

shows, flea markets, book and plant sales, arts and crafts fairs, and garage sales. You can create your

own or rent a space at a show. Organizations that make the most money on these types of special

events are often those that coordinate a large event and reap a portion of the profits and entry fees of

all participants.

Entertainment Events probably carry the highest risk but can also produce some of the highest returns.

Success is affected by the cost or donation of the "name" entertainment, how many tickets must be sold

to break even, how much money is needed up front, and whether there are back-out clauses with

facilities if you determine an event will not be profitable. Weather can also be a factor if the

entertainment is to be out of doors. Probably the safest of these types of events is a preview or a

premier showing of a play or popular movie, where the organization reaps the profits from the evening's

entertainment. A current fundraising trend is for groups to partner with one another in sponsoring

events.

Athletic Events such as marathons and 10K runs are increasingly popular. However, there is now great

competition for participants because of the proliferation of so many excellent events. Organizations that

have successfully attached themselves to marathon events that contribute funds to nonprofit causes

have reaped significant funds with minimal labor. To set up a local athletic event, takes considerable

contacts and should only be considered if you have access to the talent that will make certain the event

is professionally managed. Large athletic clubs in your community are a good place to start. Most of the

money is raised through pledges and you need a way to ensure that the pledge money is given to the

runner, walker or biker prior to the event. Risk management and insurance have become significant

issues in athletic events, further substantiating the need for the event to be proficiently run.

Non-events- These are invitations for your donor to stay at home and pay for the privilege of not

attending an event that is never staged. Some of these invitations have been very cleverly presented,

requesting that you contribute the costs of renting a tuxedo, the new gown, the ticket, the purchase of

raffles, the limo and any other possible expense you might have incurred had there been an event. You

can check off which items you would have purchased and write a check to the organization for that

amount. Sometimes the organization plays on the fact that you must be tired of going to events and

thus they are doing you a favor by allowing you to stay home. Some include a tea bag and suggest that

you have a nice cup of tea by the fire. It is a clever fundraising method but be certain that the mailing

goes to a broad range of people, not just your members, or it may be perceived as your annual drive. If

so, you are redirecting money, rather than earning new money.

4. Is the event appropriate to the organization's purpose and mission? Although the participants attending an event are frequently not the organization's clients, it is important that the theme of the event compliment the services and programs of your organization. The most creative events incorporate the organization's mission into the event theme.

5. Is the staffing adequate? Before committing to a fundraising event, be certain that both volunteer and salaried staffing are adequate. Is there an effective leader, agreeable to chair the event? Often an event will have two chairs with distinctly different jobs: a celebrity chair and an organizing chair. The celebrity chair agrees to be associated with the event, make some important contacts, sign some letters endorsing the event or encouraging people to attend and will also attend the event. The organizing chair coordinates the considerable details associated with producing an event. Is there an adequate pool of volunteers to plan and carry out the event? As with all volunteer positions, each volunteer should be doing a job that brings mutual benefit to both the volunteer and the event. Has the amount of staff time that will be needed for the event been clearly established? Those planning for the event should present a realistic proposal regarding the projected time that staff will be supporting the event. Determine if this timing conflicts with other known busy times for the organization. As much as possible, event chairpersons should arrange for the preparation details to be handled separately from the daily running of the organizations. If the event involves selling tickets to get people to attend, do you have people (board, volunteers, staff) who can be successful at this? Don't just assume that somehow tickets distributed to board and volunteers will automatically get sold.

6. Is the projected budget aligned with your goals? After expenses, do you project a profit that will fulfill your financial goals? Does the budget give actual costs for all possible major expenses and does it reflect opportunities for underwriting and sponsorships that could significantly lower actual costs? It is helpful before agreeing to stage an event to get some major underwriters

on board. This will play a role in convincing your board to give the green light to the event. Costs for insurance, taxes and permits should be researched before the decision is finalized — not come as a surprise when you are in the middle of planning. Often these line items alone determine whether an event is financially feasible. Some organizations have insurance policies, which, for a small extra premium, cover an event, or you can buy a rider policy for the event only. Always get advice from your insurance agent. Does the organization have the cash that will be needed up front to put on this event? The organization may need to take the money from a reserve account, as the money from events generally comes in at the very end of the effort. This is another point at which major sponsors can be very helpful in providing funds to underwrite your early expenses. Or you may alter how you market your tickets. Is there an escape plan if activities and planning are not proceeding as scheduled? In major event planning there should be plans to cut your losses by a certain date by canceling the event if most indicators point in that direction. It is sometimes better to cancel than to carry through with plans, particularly if your losses will be significantly larger if you proceed.

7. Are there clear expectations of the work for the event required by paid staff and board members? As an event is being discussed it is important to be very clear about expectations of the staff, board members, and any volunteers who will become involved. Do not allow poor planning to leave roles and responsibilities unclear. In small, grassroots organizations there is a tendency for everyone to pitch in and help out; but you must analyze the true cost of the event when this is occurring. Not only may the event be costing too much, your mission and cause may suffer as time is redirected from client services to events. The sooner you can build a network of reliable, talented volunteers, who enjoy event planning, the better your organization will be served.

8. Will the event have a planning/oversight task force or steering committee, including appropriate representation from the staff, board and volunteers? Those who are considering an event need to have key members of a task force selected. This leadership team will guide and drive the event and will have a great effect on its eventual success.

9. Is there adequate time to prepare for the event? Major fundraising events take considerable planning time. It is best to allow one year for planning, with the evaluation session often being the first planning session for the following year. Smaller events or ones in which you simply participate may take less time, but they will invariably bring in less money and may be time-intensive for a short period of time. Events are generally not a good strategy if significant money is needed within a short time frame. It is important to consider whether this event has the potential to be repeated and expanded. Often the first year will take considerably more time and effort than subsequent years. Thus, if you know that the event will only be possible to stage once, it should have the promise of great returns.

10. Will the benefits of this event or activity be worth the time and effort put in by staff and supporters of the organization? Ultimately this is the bottom line for deciding whether or not to sponsor an event. Analyzing the organization's goals for the event, one must ask, "Is this event the most economical and effective way to meet these goals?" We must be determined at the outset that time will be spent productively and judiciously. Too many boards never discuss this ratio and end up with a considerable up-front investment of time that does not bring significant return to the organization. It's critical not to overlook this issue. However, the true benefits of many events come after they are over, when new prospects have been acquainted with your organization and are now possible candidates to assist your program as volunteers, donors or both.

Facility-Indoor

o Usable square footage

o Location of loading dock and hours

o Lighting controls/power availability/supplemental power

Facility-Outdoor

o Water source

o Power supply

o Type and sizes of tents

Security

o Type of security

Armed/unarmed

Plainclothes/uniformed

o Number of security checkpoints/roaming

o Consumption of alcoholic beverages

Parking

o Define parking for staff, rigs, trailers

o Define parking for guests

o Define traffic pattern

Transportation

o Type and number of vehicles

o Driver instructions/exact routes

o Signage

Restroom Facilities

o Permanent or convenience

o Location and number of units

o Supplies

Lighting for Load In/Load Out

o Existing or temporary

o Location

o Power needed

Emergency Risk Management

o First aid/EMS/fire marshal on-site

o Fire extinguishers, type and quantity; chain-of-command

o Flame-resistant materials only

Permits and Licenses

o Off-premise beverage license

o Sound permits/special effects permits

o Parking permits

Insurance

o Proof of liability insurance

o Proof of workers' compensation

o Proof of liquor liability

Overall Power Requirements

o Functional lighting/decorative lighting

o Caterer requirements-oven, coffeemaker, etc.

o Entertainment

Equipment List-Rentals and Purchases

o Tables/chairs

o Stage-type, size, height

o Tenting-type, size, color

o Miscellaneous

Decor

o Entrance

o Ceiling

o Stage

Site Plan

o Conceptual

o CAD drawing of tables, staging, etc.

o CAD drawing of lighting and technical plan

Audiovisual

o Sound requirements

o Screens-type of projection, size, quantities

o Lighting-functional/ambient

Entertainment

o Dressing rooms for talent

o Performance schedule

o Hair/makeup/costuming requirements

Food and Beverage

o Guest ratio for buffets and bars

o Walk-up bars or cocktail service

o Define traffic flow

Staff

o Hosts/hostesses

o Directions

o Registration

Signage

o Alpha signs for registration

o No smoking

o Restrooms

Special Services

o Special trash pickup

o Lift operators

o Disabled needs

Contingency Plan

o Rain/flooding

o Loss of power

o Speaker/emcee/entertainer cancels

Additional Indoor Facility Elements

o Usable square footage

o Location of loading dock and hours

o Lighting controls/power availability/supplemental power

o Facility contact

o Space capacity

o Floor plan/room dimensions, ceiling height, HVAC system, smoking/nonsmoking, exits, entrances

o Water source available

o On-/off-site catering

o Kosher facility

o Disability access

o Green room

o Kitchen facility-available equipment, location, size

o Available storage

o Available staging

o Lost and found-items, children

o Signage-traffic control

o Decor rental available

o Adult-to-child ratio

o Liquor licenses

o Trash disposal-dumpsters, recycle, portable restrooms

o Ingress and egress

o Union house

o Dressing rooms

o Parking-size, location (guest), location (staff)

o Valet service

o Coat-check service

o Overnight accommodations

o Room dividers

o In-house support

o Decor restrictions

o Setup/breakdown hours

o Contract development-deposit requirement, contract, raid date

o Pre-convention meeting

o In-house audiovisual equipment list


Fundraising Best Practice


Mailing Steps

Steps:

Identify target recipients

Research and collect recipients’ names and mailing addresses

Identify a printer, quotes for the service, and all mailing supply needs

Represent data in an import-friendly manner

Clean up data before importing (eliminate extra spaces, characters, or double entries)

Check for missing data (zip codes)

Save file and open software

Import file into software

Double check new contact records

Make any necessary changes to the database specific to the mailing

Create layouts to accommodate mailing (for envelopes, letters, etc)

Before printing, adjust properties/settings (printer name, copies, records to print, paper size, display format,

etc)

fundraising best practices 2011 compiled by vista members ... · this fundraising best practices...

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