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Just as all nonprofit organizations need a mission statement and (ideally) have a strategic plan, they need to be able to articulate to donors why they need financial support and what gifts will be used for. This is your case for support. If your organization has ever written a grant, you have the start of a case for support. You’ve probably had to answer questions about who you are, what you do, and why you need financial support. That’s exactly what your case for support includes.
Click here to read the full blog post at PANO.org. While it’s widely accepted that ensuring necessary resources for an organization is a key responsibility for nonprofit boards of directors, it is often something people struggle with in the real world — especially when it comes to fundraising. But fundraising doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it’s made out to be. In fact, effective fundraising can be possible without anyone ever making the ever-so-intimidating in-person ask.
Click here to read the full blog post at BoardSource.org. In this "micro-learning" video produced by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Stephanie shares why your organization should have a development plan.
Click here to access the video. If you’ve ever googled “nonprofit and scandal” or “charity and scandal,” you were probably shocked at the number of results. There are some bad apples out there. Unfortunately, scandals and wrongdoing receive the bulk of media attention, and this can tarnish the sector.
Click here to read the full article at CharityChannel.com. Why is a book written by an ethnographer about a candy company being reviewed in Advancing Philanthropy? Because according to the author...
Read the full text here.  Giving is big business...One presenter, Stephanie Cory, urged attendees to reinforce that all members of an nonprofit organization can act as ambassadors.
“No one is going to donate to you if they haven’t heard of you,” said Cory, who provides training and consulting to nonprofits. Read the full article in The Morning Call here. Engaging board members productively in fundraising is a common challenge. The emphasis is on productively. After all, our organizations do not need board members selecting napkin colors for a gala or organizing a restaurant night that raises $200. Our organizations need board members who truly embrace their role in fundraising and are engaged at an appropriate level.
Read the full version as it appears on CharityChannel.com here. Emotional intelligence isn’t a new concept. It’s been around since the 1960s and was popularized outside academic circles in the 1990s by Daniel Goleman. It’s a topic we can all benefit from understanding and applying—at work and at home. While the book’s focus is on work and mainly in the business sector, there are many takeaways that apply to the nonprofit sector and our interactions with donors and coworkers. Other takeaways can be applied to our personal lives.
Read the full review as it appears in Advancing Philanthropy here. In their preface, the authors promise a book with useful, real-world examples of how to develop evaluation designs and apply the findings. They also promise a broad and deep review of available resources as well as an analysis of the findings from a study on advocacy and policy change (APC). They deliver on these promises in a book that, while not a page-turner, would be a helpful resource for the staff of any organization involved in APC.
Read the full review as it appears in Advancing Philanthropy here. When a book is brought back for a fourth edition, you can have confidence in its quality, and this book is no exception. The reader is told in the preface “this is a how-to book” and “completely updated to include both online and offline strategies.” Both are true; however, offline strategies remain the book’s primary focus.
Read the entire review as it appears in Advancing Philanthropy here. If you serve on a nonprofit board, you’ve probably seen those fellow members who look like a deer in the headlights when presented with financial statements. Maybe that’s even you. While everyone is recruited to serve because of a unique skill set, it’s important for all board members to understand the financial statements presented to them.
As best practices and BoardSource tell us, providing oversight is one of the board’s three key roles. This includes maintaining financial accountability of their organizations. Board members are trustees of their organization’s assets and must ensure the organization is well managed. Financial statements show whether this is the case. Read the entire article here at www/boardsource.org. Quoted by HealthZette magazine, Stephanie shares her thoughts on being selective about which organizations to support.
"Give if the cause matters to you," Stephanie Cory, a fundraising consultant in Wilmington, Delaware, said. "Don't give if it doesn't. Simply be honest with those asking you. You don't want an organization to waste its resources soliciting you, especially if you have zero interest in it. Let them know." Read the full article here. How many organizations have invested significant time and money in developing a strategic plan that ends up in a drawer until someone says, “We need a new strategic plan”? Too many.
Recognizing this fact, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, also known as DANA (www.delawarenonprofit.org), in Wilmington, Del., introduced a new way of looking at strategic planning—through the lens of Jim Collins’ principles in his bestselling book Good to Great (HarperBusiness, 2001) and accompanying Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great (HarperCollins, 2005). Read the entire article here. Stephanie was recently interviewed by a new fundraiser. Read her thoughts on best practices.
Beyond not asking for donations often enough or clearly enough, what’s the #1 fundraising mistake small nonprofits make? Is it the same mistake as larger organizations, or are their challenges entirely different? Many small nonprofits focus too much energy on grants and not enough on individual giving, particularly major gifts. Are you familiar with the Giving USA data that shows the vast majority of gifts come from individuals? Larger nonprofits tend to have dedicated major gifts staff while smaller ones have generalists who often don’t have the time to devote to major gifts. I’m not familiar with the Giving USA data in particular, but I have heard that the majority of gifts are from individuals. I’d be curious to move beyond simply not having enough time and dig a little deeper into the psychology here. I know making the ask can be uncomfortable or nerve-wracking for a lot of people. Does working on grants just feel more productive than spending time on individual gifts—even though it may not be as effective—or are there other common fears and mental barriers around asking for donations? If so, how do you help people overcome them? “Where do you see yourself in five years?” It is a common interview question you most likely have been asked at some point in your career. For many fundraisers, the real answer is often moving up the ladder toward the positions of chief development officer (CDO) or chief executive officer (CEO). However, for other fundraisers, that is notthe ultimate goal. The goal is finding their niche in a different role.
Sometimes, if you are one of the fundraisers who aspires to find the right fit for yourself versus climbing to the top, it can be lonely. You wonder if you are the only one out there. It is not a topic discussed at AFP networking events and other gatherings of fundraisers, despite the fact that every nonprofit can have only one chief executive and one chief development officer. Executive transitions are never easy, even when they are planned, which is critical to success. Equally important is thinking about what will happen with the retiring, moving on or otherwise displaced executive. You may be thinking, “What’s the problem? Doesn’t he or she merely get a send-off party and then leave for a new job or a life of leisure?” Not necessarily.
Read the entire article here. “I already paid my dues. Why am I being asked for a donation?” For membership organizations, this can be a feared response from members. However, a well-crafted case for support and creative approaches to fundraising can help change your membership’s culture into one of philanthropy.
“Don’t make fundraising a surprise,” says Beth Brodovsky, president of Iris Creative Group, a consulting firm specializing in strategic membership communications. “Let members know up front that you’re a fundraising organization. Show pride in what you’re doing through member-funded programs.” She recommends that membership organizations develop a strong case for support that can be used to guide communications. Read the entire article here.  “I think one of the challenges is, just because someone didn’t act on something right at that time doesn’t mean they don’t remember the organization and something couldn’t happen later.” – Stephanie Cory, Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware
In this session, Beth speaks to Stephanie Cory, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware. Beth and Stephanie discuss everything ranging from running a chapter of a national organization to creating accountability among your organization’s volunteers. Beth wants to know how you can help a board member become more proactive in your organization, and Stephanie has the answers. She also gives invaluable tips on how you can use social media sites you are probably already using to attract new volunteers. Are you on LinkedIn? You can use it to find new people who would be interested in your organization! Find out:
Access the podcast at http://iriscreative.com/dp005/ The Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) offers consultative services to nonprofits that are looking to develop their board's governance, including strategic planning, development and fundraising, and Best Practices implementation with Standards for Excellence. These services are by contract at special rates for DANA members. Stephanie Cory is now available to provide these consulting services. Learn more about DANA at www.delawarenonprofit.org.
Quoted by NetCredit.com, Stephanie shares tips for maximizing the value of in-kind donations.
If you can afford a big-ticket donation (either monetary or non-monetary), keep in mind that there will be paperwork involved. “For items worth $5,000 or more, there is IRS Form 8283 that must be completed by the non-profit, and an appraisal may be required for the donor to deduct the value of the donation,” non-profit professional Stephanie Cory explains. “Donors should always speak to a CPA for guidance for high-value donations.” Read the full article here. Quoted by U.S. News & World Report, Stephanie shares her thoughts on how donors can best help nonprofits with their gifts:
Charitable Giving Gone Awry: 5 Mistakes to Avoid Donating unusable items or giving with strings attached doesn’t help nonprofits By Susan Johnston December is prime fundraising season for nonprofit organizations, both because of the giving spirit of the season and the chance to score a last-minute tax deduction for those who itemize. A 2012 survey by market research company Ask Your Target Market found that 40 percent of respondents who sometimes give to charity said they are more likely to give during the holiday season than they are the rest of the year. A new grassroots movement called #GivingTuesday aims to do for nonprofits what Black Friday and Cyber Monday have done for retailers by kicking off the end-of-year giving season and raising awareness about philanthropy on social media. The second annual #GivingTuesday began on Tuesday, Dec. 3, and many organizations are still actively soliciting donations for their campaigns. The Junior League of Wilmington has named Stephanie Cory of Wilmington as its new president and announced the members of the 2013-14 Board of Directors. Cory epitomizes the mission of the League, which is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
"We have such an exciting year ahead of us,” Cory said. “We have the Heart of the Home® Kitchen Tour celebrating its 10th year as well as our League celebrating its 95th anniversary." Wilmington, DE - BoardSource is pleased to announce that Stephanie Cory has been named a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer. She joined this select group of expert trainers after completing a rigorous application and certification process and is now certified to deliver BoardSource’s signature nonprofit governance trainings with an emphasis on Delaware and surrounding areas.
For nearly 25 years, BoardSource has been supporting and promoting excellence in nonprofit board service by providing cutting-edge thinking and resources on board effectiveness and by engaging and developing the next generation of board leaders. The BoardSource Certified Governance Trainers are a select group that is proficient in board governance topics, advanced facilitation techniques, and the BoardSource training methodology. Stephanie is now certified to offer governance training among nonprofit organizations using BoardSource-approved curriculum in the following areas: roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards, board-staff partnership, board structure, board’s role in fundraising, the board-building cycle, and board performance assessment. BoardSource has long recognized the critical role that boards play in overseeing their organizations’ mission, finance, and strategic direction. With nearly 25 years of hands-on experience working exclusively with nonprofit boards, BoardSource has become the go-to resource for funders, partners, and nonprofit leaders who want to magnify their impact within the community through exceptional governance practices. BoardSource supports a community of more than 60,000 individuals with customized diagnostics, in-person and virtual trainings, and original publications. BoardSource is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.boardsource.org. To learn more about these trainings or schedule one, contact BoardSource or Stephanie Cory. |