Take Your Fundraising from Good to Great With enough money to make it to the Emerald City. Jen Benson, Development Director March 17, 2015

Session Objectives Define GREATNESS –How would GREAT fundraising help your chapter achieve GREATNESS? Develop your case for support –What is special about your chapter? Develop your elevator speech. Share Fundraising Ideas and Resources Head down the yellow brick road to Fundraising GREATNESS!

Central Office Fundraising GREATNESS Defined Income meets expenses every year at the Central Office. We focus on building and diversifying our funding streams, building new relationships and stewarding existing relationships. Our fundraising efforts are supported by a strong board of directors and fundraising committee that assists in the identification, stewardship and cultivation of new and major gifts. Long-term donors commit to planned gifts that sustain the organization. All staff has an understanding of our budget, fundraising and a philanthropic mindset. Our processes for receipting and recognizing gifts are streamlined and solid, we avoid misplaced checks and errors, we have a reconciliation process that identifies missed gifts within 30 days of receipt. Donors give to TeamMates because they feel their gift is needed, valued and put to good use and they know this because we communicate regularly with a healthy mix of stats and data as well as photos and stories. Chapters have the knowledge, tools and support they need to build resources locally.

You Define Fundraising GREATNESS What does an ideal financial picture look like for your chapter? Why do you need funding? What do you need to make this happen? Who needs to be on your bus? How will you get them on your bus?

TeamMates Mentoring Program Case for Support What is the mission of TeamMates? What is the history of your chapter? Who does your chapter serve? How many kids do you serve? What is your budget? What do you need money for? In what schools do your matches meet? What do matches do when they meet? What are your chapter’s goals for the next couple of years?

TeamMates Mentoring Program Case for Support Why is TeamMates important in your community? Talk about the impact – grades, attendance, behavior, HOPE. How does having a mentor improve the life of a TeamMates youth? How does TeamMates strengthen your community? What sets you apart from other youth-serving organizations in our community? What value does TeamMates bring to the community? What stories can you tell me about the impact of TeamMates?

Elevator Speech – WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU? TeamMates is a school-based mentoring program. We match volunteer mentors with youth in grades 3 through 12 and they meet for an hour each week. We are in more than 130 communities, including almost every school building in Omaha and in Lincoln. We were founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne in 1991 and we serve more than 7,000 young people in Nebraska, Iowa and San Diego. (about 20 seconds) TeamMates is a school-based mentoring program. We match volunteer mentors with youth mentees in grades 3 through 12 and they meet for an hour each week at the mentee’s school. During their meeting, mentors and mentees spend time playing games or shooting around in the gym, working on homework or just sitting and talking. We are in more than 130 communities, including almost every school building in Omaha and in Lincoln. We were founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne in 1991 and we serve more than 7,000 young people in Nebraska, Iowa and San Diego. The goal of our program is to see youth reach high school graduation with a plan for some kind of post-secondary education and we provide support to the mentor and mentee so they can realize that dream. Any kid can have a TeamMates mentor, the only requirement is that they have to want to have one. (about 45 seconds)

Fundraising Activity Ideas Concession Stands Candy Machines Bake Sale School Dance Football Raffle Ice Cream Social Pancake Breakfast Business Opening Stadium Seats Split -the-Pot Coffee Sales Gift Wrapping Coin Challenge Restaurant Night

Grants Search your community in to review 990 tax returns for foundations in your area. Look for local companies who may have grant programs – Wal-Mart, Monsanto, DeKalb, John Deere. Before applying to any foundation that could reach outside your community – talk to Jen.

Donors Barn Party Ask Events Letter-writing campaigns or annual fund drives Major gifts Donor communications –Thank, steward –Report donation to Central Office –Don’t inadvertently restrict the gift

Resources on Coordinator’s Playbook Visit “How to Manage” Fundraising –Fundraising 101 slideshow. –Forms – chapter planning forms and donor forms to be submitted to Central Office for each gift. –Special Events – including Barn Party and One Hour Walk toolkits. –Grant writing, research and management. –Donor cultivation and stewardship.