Web Exclusive: Small Scope, but Not Small Time
Local nonprofits can capitalize on their community connection.
April 2007 By Christine Weiser
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Community-based organizations come in many flavors: small, large, health-centered, arts-centered, etc. They’re as varied in scope and size as the communities they represent. But they do have one thing in common: They are distinctly qualified to directly impact their surrounding cultures.
“Community-based programs are unique to fundraising efforts because of the potential impact they have on emerging and existing issues within their specific community — and also because of the organizations’ vast knowledge and connection to their community,” says Monique Hanson, chief development officer of the YMCA of the United States.
Identify trends
As in other sectors of fundraising, development directors must be aware of trends in social giving and tap into those trends that apply to their cause. CBOs are competing with national nonprofits for dollars in their community, and they need to find creative ways to stay on the donor radar, even when tsunamis and hurricanes are gaining national attention.
“When we compare our group to larger ones like the Red Cross and United Way, we see they are getting the bulk of the contributions,” says Lucia Ortega Villasana, director of development and marketing for STAND! Against Domestic Violence in Concord, Calif. “We have to remind our donors that we’re here because of a need that came out of the community.
“You have to look at social trends and correlate those trends to your work, but don’t change your mission,” she adds. “In our case, domestic violence has not changed for 30 years, but we remind donors this problem still exists and we tie this into social trends. We advise our public about changes in domestic violence issues over the past five years, such as MySpace and cell phones that keep abused partners on an electronic leash. You have to be savvy and tap into every resource that substantiates your need.”
Liz Callahan, executive director of The CBO Center, a management-support organization that provides training and consulting services to increase the effectiveness of nonprofits, agrees that CBOs are challenged to align themselves with trendy fundraising causes, such as homeland security. She recommends being creative about your cause’s link to these trends, but to be careful about “mission creep.”
“You don’t want the funders driving the mission,” she says. “There are plenty of places that see a pot of money out there and want access to it, so they may start serving that population. They get funding for things that are not entirely a fit, and once the trend changes, they may have hired staff and invested in other resources they can no longer use.”
“Community-based programs are unique to fundraising efforts because of the potential impact they have on emerging and existing issues within their specific community — and also because of the organizations’ vast knowledge and connection to their community,” says Monique Hanson, chief development officer of the YMCA of the United States.
Identify trends
As in other sectors of fundraising, development directors must be aware of trends in social giving and tap into those trends that apply to their cause. CBOs are competing with national nonprofits for dollars in their community, and they need to find creative ways to stay on the donor radar, even when tsunamis and hurricanes are gaining national attention.
“When we compare our group to larger ones like the Red Cross and United Way, we see they are getting the bulk of the contributions,” says Lucia Ortega Villasana, director of development and marketing for STAND! Against Domestic Violence in Concord, Calif. “We have to remind our donors that we’re here because of a need that came out of the community.
“You have to look at social trends and correlate those trends to your work, but don’t change your mission,” she adds. “In our case, domestic violence has not changed for 30 years, but we remind donors this problem still exists and we tie this into social trends. We advise our public about changes in domestic violence issues over the past five years, such as MySpace and cell phones that keep abused partners on an electronic leash. You have to be savvy and tap into every resource that substantiates your need.”
Liz Callahan, executive director of The CBO Center, a management-support organization that provides training and consulting services to increase the effectiveness of nonprofits, agrees that CBOs are challenged to align themselves with trendy fundraising causes, such as homeland security. She recommends being creative about your cause’s link to these trends, but to be careful about “mission creep.”
“You don’t want the funders driving the mission,” she says. “There are plenty of places that see a pot of money out there and want access to it, so they may start serving that population. They get funding for things that are not entirely a fit, and once the trend changes, they may have hired staff and invested in other resources they can no longer use.”
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