Sharing fundraising info to other NPOs

As a new member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, I wrote up these notes for the Tucson Women's Chorus (TWC) http://www.tucsonwomenschorus.org.  I am also now a board member of TWC and have been a chorus member for the past two seasons.

I am learning as I grow in the co-chair role of TWC's fundraising committee.  So, as I share fundraising info with TWC, I thought it might benefit others among the Better for Us/BuildUP^ network to also have periodic fundraising info.

The Pima County Library's Non Profit Center is a good place to start (which I did), and I found the book, Forces for Good..., at their Himmel Branch Library.  http://www.pima.library.gov

Notes on Fundraising from the book, Forces for Good…  

There are six primary myths about what NPOs need to do in order to be successful:

1.      Practice perfect management

2.      Implement Brand Name awareness

3.      Create/produce break-through ideas

4.      Develop a textbook mission statement (successful NPOs have one but focus on program delivery rather than spend time on perfecting a mission statement)

5.      Demonstrate high ratings on conventional measurement metrics

6.      Have large budgets

Instead, successful NPOs perform these six elements:

1.      Advocate and Serve

2.      Make Markets Work by developing earned income and return on investments

3.      Inspire Evangelists*--volunteers are more than free labor; volunteers are engaged with the NPOs core values and mission

4.      Nurture broader NPO networks

5.      Master the art of adaptation

6.      Share leadership

*Volunteers are “transformed” by the NPOs effort through Rules of Engagement which are…

·        Communicate mission, vision and values to all volunteers and members

·        Create meaningful experiences for all volunteers and members

·        Cultivate a “face” of a superevangelist such as Jimmy Carter for Habitat for Humanity

·        Build a social network committed to the NPO

Compiled by Anita C. Fonte, 2018 Community Renaissance, www.communityrenaissance.webstarts.com 520.331.5582

Snapshots from 3/20/17 International Days of Happiness in Tucson

Our events kicked off at Cafe 54 with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild reading the City's Proclamation for Tucson's 3rd International Days of Happiness.

#HappyActs and Do Happy Today Happy Wall at Cafe 54.  This is one of thirteen Tucson Happy walls!

Columbus Library launched 2017 with their Happy Wall.  Photo by Tima Farhat, librarian

The Tucson Jewish Community Center started their Happy Wall during Rodeo Week (picture is from that week by Andrea Wright, JCC staff).  It continued through 3/20 and was an activity that helped boost happiness during bomb threats when the building was locked down for safety.

Limberlost Neighborhood Association serves as the 501-c3 for Do Happy Today and their event (with City of Tucson staff, Irene Ogata), took place on 3/19 at Limberlost Family Park.  City funded improvements to that park, including a FengShui Well-being Walking Path first featured in the 2016 Do Happy Today Celebration, will be dedicated in Fall 2017.

An example of one of 359 posts from the Downtown Pima County Public Library Do Happy Today and Live Happy #happyacts Happy Wall.

Each post was thematically counted by Community Renaissance in the Community Room, City of Tucson Ward 3 office which also hosted a Happy Wall.

A summary report of the data gathered from all of the Happy Walls will be available in May at www.communityrenaissance.biz