Welcome to the New KCPHILNET

Transcription

Published Quarterly
www.kcphilnet.org
Ph. 816.235.6259
Winter 2006
Vol. 15, No. 1
Inside
COUNCIL UPDATE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN SURVEY
AWARDS LUNCHEON
NETWORKING TIPS
COMMITTEE CONNECTIONS
COUNCIL LEADERSHIP
PGS. 2-4
Serving the Sector
Welcome to the New
KCPHILNET
30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
LIBERTY MEMORIAL EVENT
THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY –
MORE THAN THE SUM OF
ITS PARTS
MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION
SPONSORS
The Council on Philanthropy starts the new year with a new Web site.
PGS. 5-7
The new fully searchable KCPHILNET does this in several ways:
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
2006 PROGRAM SCHEDULE
COMING ATTRACTIONS
BUSINESS BRAIN FOOD
COUNCIL EDUCATION SERIES
FUNDERS AFTER HOURS
EDUCATION SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
GRANTMAKERS EXCHANGE
PGS. 10-12
•
Content Management – The Council
manages site content, ensuring
that all information is current and
integrated with internal databases.
As a member, new contact information you provide on KCPHILNET
will appear within 24 hours in the
Council’s online members-only membership directory.
•
Foundation Directory – Starting with
100 local funders, the Council’s new
members-only Foundation Directory will within six months contain data on more than 600 local
funders and 200 national funders who fund in the Kansas City area. (See story on page 13.)
•
Training Calendar – More than ten organizations in Greater Kansas City provide training for nonprofits. The Council encourages these groups to list their training opportunities free of charge on
the KCPHILNET training calendar. The calendar is searchable by subject with links to sponsoring
organizations for more information and registration. The KC Events Calendar on KCPHILNET
will continue as a resource for nonprofits to publicize their events.
•
News and Information – The Council will now use advanced e-mail functionality to deliver
monthly e-Updates in compressed format. The new KCPHILNET features a Kansas City Star newsfeed, as well as the most recent and archived editions of Voice of Philanthropy and e-Updates.
•
Vendor Directory – This spring, the Council will launch a vendor “yellow pages.” In it, users
will be able to view a list of consultants, printers, caterers, florists and other retail categories that
provide services to nonprofit customers. Clicking to pages describing the services each vendor
provides, users can then link directly to the vendor’s Web site.
•
Bulletin Boards – KCPHILNET can host bulletin boards for the exchange of messages within
and among various groups. Development directors, for example, could have their own site within
KCPHILNET to post ideas, questions and answers. Members interested in this service are encouraged to contact the Council.
FOUNDATION NEWS
UPDATED FOUNDATION
DIRECTORY
PG. 13
PRACTITIONERS FORUM
EVERYTHING IS A BRAND
Launched in 1995, www.kcphilnet.org was one of the first Web sites created by a Greater Kansas City
nonprofit organization. As the Web address suggests, KCPHILNET’s purpose was and still is to provide
information, resources and connectivity to the area nonprofit sector.
PGS. 14-15
PERSPECTIVES IN PHILANTHROPY
CORPORATE SUPPORT FOR
THE ARTS
PGS. 16-17
Speak up
CHALLENGES OF ONLINE
FUNDRAISNG
PGS. 18-19
(Continued on page 2)
C O U NC I L
U PD ATE
(Continued from front page)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The new KCPHILNET will also introduce changes and enhancements to
JobSource.
With an average of 250 daily listings for the past several years, JobSource is
the area’s premier site for connecting nonprofit job seekers and employers.
JobSource gets more than 15,000 hits per week. On the new KCPHILNET,
JobSource will be fully searchable by job type and location.
Later this year, the Council will begin marketing JobSource to colleges and
universities, as well as communities outside Greater Kansas City, which
will expand the
service’s reach
and value.
The Council
has provided
JobSource free
of charge to the
community since
1983 by phone
and online since
1998. To cover
the cost of providing this and other member-focused services, such the
Foundation Directory, it has become necessary to charge a nominal fee for
job listings.
JobSource will continue to be offered at no charge to job seekers. With
the launch of the new Web site, the charge to list a job for 60 days will be
just $25, comparing favorably to other popular sites, which average nearly
$400 per 60-day listing and generally do not deliver candidates specifically
qualified and seeking jobs in the nonprofit sector.
The new
KCPHILNET
Web site was
designed and
implemented
by Red Dog
Software.
Headquartered in
Denver, Colo., Red Dog sells and implements customized Web site, portal
and extranet platforms based on its ReadyPortal proprietary framework.
“Our goal for the Council,” said Rajiv Chatterjee, Red Dog’s executive vice
president of business development, “was to create a Web site that has what
we call the ‘sticky factor’ – a site that people want to come back to time
and again.”
“Ultimately, we seek to strengthen the nonprofit sector, and our members
have told us that KCPHILNET is one of the most important ways we can
help them do that,” said Michelle Davis, executive director of the Council.
“That is why we started KCPHILNET in 1995, why we are investing so
much in it now, and why we will continue to do so based on the needs of
our members.”
Redesign and rebuild of the Council’s Web site are part of the Council’s
30th Anniversary Leadership Initiatives project. Many thanks to the following for their support of these endeavors: Francis Family Foundation,
Hallmark, H & R Block Foundation and William T. Kemper Foundation –
Commerce Bank, Trustee.
2
Voice of Philanthropy
“And the survey says…” In September
2005, an overwhelming 28 percent
of the Council’s membership and
other sector stakeholders responded
to our electronic Progress and Needs
Survey. If you are wondering what has
happened to the survey results since
September, you may be surprised to
know that they have not gone into a
black hole somewhere in cyberspace.
In fact, a dedicated team of individuals, representing all of our various
member categories, has been reading
Susan Melton
and analyzing the results, meeting and
developing a strategic plan for the
Council based on what YOU have told us is important to you, the member. Although the overall strategic plan is still being finalized, we have
already taken your comments and put them into action items through
improved programs and services that will be offered in 2006.
You told us that you valued access to information and education about the
nonprofit sector, and we have incorporated that in our 2006 programming.
We are also incorporating your comments in our Philanthropy Midwest
Conference planning. Your input will help enhance our efforts to provide
the most relevant, high-quality information and educational programming to the Council membership. This includes the long awaited updated
Foundation Directory, a new Vendor Directory and the new Nonprofit
Training Calendar. But we won’t stop there. The strategic plan will guide
the organization into the future with the input from you and best practices
in place.
I encourage you to take a look at these services plus the survey results on
the all-new Council Web site – www.kcphilnet.org. I also hope that you
will become involved with a committee. The survey gives us great feedback, but our committee members also provide important insight. Contact
the Council office or visit the Web site to learn more about the committees. And, if you haven’t already renewed your membership, please do so
now so that you won’t miss out on the excitement. This year’s membership
brochure has a handy tear-off panel with 2006 programs listed for your
convenience.
The Council truly is here for you, the member. Thank you for providing
us your input through the survey, and I look forward to seeing you at
Council activities this year. Council
on Phil anthropy
Mission
To strengthen the human and organizational capacity
of the nonprofit and philanthropic communities.
Vision
We envision inclusive and just communities
of generous, engaged citizens and institutions.
WINTER 2006
C O U NC I L
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
“Wow!” was the statement made by
Michael Greene, the Council’s first president, when asked to describe his
thoughts about the evolution of the
Council from 1976 to 2006.
Michael was one of nearly 200 attendees
at the Council’s 30th Anniversary
Celebration in December. If you weren’t
able to attend, we hope you’ve heard
what a great time was had by all. Past
volunteer leaders, past and 2006 Awards
Luncheon honorees, people that have
been members for years, new members
and even some people in our community
Michelle Davis
that are just learning about the Council
gathered to celebrate 30 years of strengthening philanthropy in Greater
Kansas City.
As part of the celebration of the Council’s 30th anniversary, in 2006 the
Council will also celebrate the dimensions of philanthropy. I checked www.dictionary.com and found dimensions defined in three ways:
1. A measure of spatial extent, especially width, height or length.
2. Extent or magnitude; scope.
3. Aspect; element.
By celebrating the dimensions of philanthropy, the Council hopes to drive
community awareness of the magnitude of philanthropy and the various elements that make up the nonprofit sector. We believe that raising awareness
will benefit us all by opening doors for new volunteers and financial supporters and encourage use of the various services being offered in our community.
At educational programs, through Voice of Philanthropy and on the
Council’s newly redesigned Web site, we will celebrate the five dimensions of
philanthropy:
• BUSINESSES – On June 27, the Council will partner with The Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to present a panel discussion on The
Power of the Three T’s: Community Service
as a Part of your Business Plan.
Corporate and
Business Community
• FOUNDATIONS – In 2006, the
Council will present four
Funders After Hours programs
allowing area grantmakers
to share more about their
Individuals
funding priorities.
• INDIVIDUALS –
Individuals will be
celebrated at our 22nd Annual
Philanthropy Awards Luncheon.
U PD ATE
Capital Campaign Survey
As the economy was struggling in 2003 to recover from multiple setbacks,
funders asked the Council on Philanthropy to conduct a survey of capital
campaigns in Greater Kansas City. The survey indicated that more than 80
campaigns in various stages were underway. Many were struggling, and some
funders had advised organizations to wait to launch campaigns or at least lower
their goals.
The Council was recently asked by funders to conduct the survey again.
“We felt it would be beneficial to have some kind of forecast or view toward the
future,” said Sally Groves, program officer for the Hall Family Foundation. “We
asked the Council to conduct the survey because they have the reach across the
Kansas City nonprofit community.”
Organizations that have launched a capital campaign since January 2004 or
are planning to conduct one within the next five years (by 2010) were asked
to respond to the survey by January 13, 2006. Issues addressed in the survey
include:
• Campaign type and purpose
• Goal and percent raised to date
• Consultant involvement
• Leadership
• Previous campaign outcomes
Results will be posted on the Council’s new Web site in January 2006.
22nd Annual Philanthropy
Awards Luncheon
Seasons of Love
Enjoy Greater Kansas City’s oldest and largest event
honoring people and organizations who strengthen philanthropy.
May 12, 2006
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Muehlebach Tower – Kansas City Marriott Downtown
2006 HONOREES
Philanthropists of the Year
Bernadette and Dick Miller
Providers and
Recipients
Foundations
Business Philanthropist of the Year
Metcalf Bank
Volunteers of the Year
Nancy and John Dillingham
Supporting
Organizations
• SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS –
Organizations whose business purpose is to
strengthen area nonprofits will have new opportunities for
exposure through the Council’s Web site.
• NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (both providers and recipients of
services) – The Council is exploring creative ways to raise the visibility of
nonprofit organizations run by Council members.
Nonprofit Professional of the Year
Myra Christopher
Center for Practical Bioethics
HONORARY CHAIRS
Donald and Adele Hall
CHAIR
Alison B. Patterson
For information about luncheon sponsorship opportunities,
contact Sherri Lozano at 816-932-2977 or [email protected]
By driving community awareness of the dimensions of philanthropy, we
expect to raise support for us all. If you are interested in helping us pioneer
this project, please contact me at [email protected] or
816-235-6426. Great things are coming in 2006! WINTER 2006
3
C O U N C I L
Networking Tips
U P D A T E
Council Leadership
By Denise Upah
The Second Step in Purposeful Networking – Do Your Research
Networking starts with a list of people you’d like to meet.
Your list can be by name (i.e., John Smith), by characteristic (i.e., someone with a diabetic family member), or
by industry or profession (i.e., an accountant).
Then it’s time to do your research. Purposeful networking requires planning. Taking the time to get to know
someone at a deeper level is both appreciated and gratifying. Conversations will be memorable, thought-provoking and educational.
Denise Upah
Relationships are the foundation of networking. Be sincere. Ask meaningful questions. And, be prepared to share something about
yourself in return, to help them get to know you better.
Where do you go to get good information about what’s meaningful to someone?
Use your networking skills and ask someone who knows them personally. What
is important to them? What are they doing in the community?
There are also many great online resources for basic information. Peruse their
personal or company Web site. Google their name and find Web sites where
they are mentioned, articles where they are quoted, and other causes that
involve them. Another great resource is the local library’s online databases.
But what if you meet someone randomly and haven’t had time to do any
research? Ask questions that are great conversation starters or that allow you to
talk about something you’re personally interested in. For example:
• Industry issues: What are some of the greatest challenges your industry will
face in the upcoming year? How will these affect your business?
• Current events: How has your industry been affected by the recent hurricanes
in the Gulf area?
• Personal: Do you have any unique family traditions for the holidays? Do you
have special plans for spring break?
Planning ahead and doing your research will make every interaction with others
meaningful.
Denise Upah, owner of Six Degrees Solutions LLC, works with groups and individuals
to create strategic networking plans.
Committee Connections
Get involved in 2006! Join a Council committee and find out why so many of
Greater Kansas City’s most respected and successful nonprofit leaders have served
in the past. For information, contact the following committee chairs:
Program
Amy Mulligan – 816-501-4299, [email protected]
Rose Simone – 816-276-4218, [email protected]
Finance
Bernardo Ramirez – 816-421-1015, ext. 102, [email protected]
Board Development
Jerry Glazier – 913-794-3703, [email protected]
Gregory Glore – 913-791-0044, ext. 189, [email protected]
Awards Luncheon
Alison Patterson – 816-363-3316, [email protected]
Laura Berger – 816-513-5809, [email protected]
Seated: Susan Schneweis, Susan Melton, Nancy Kaiser-Caplan and
Wendy Doyle. Standing: Cindy Worthy, Pam Whiting, David Miles,
Virginia Gross, Gregory Glore, Jerry Glazier, Terry Ward, Jim Kanki,
Bernardo Ramirez. Not Pictured: Marcia Bailey.
The Council is pleased to announce the election of five new board members
for 2006:
Tyrone J. Flowers, J.D. – The headline on the August 7, 2005, Star Magazine
article about Tyrone just about sums it up: “Tyrone Flowers barely survived the
juvenile justice system. Then he was shot. Then he became a lawyer. Now he’s
helping KC youth find success.” Tyrone is the founder and executive director of
Higher M-Pact, which helps high-risk youth turn their obstacles into opportunities through programs to address their everyday needs.
Amy Mulligan – Amy is the director of Nonprofit Leadership Studies and
American Humanics at Rockhurst University. She also teaches and advises
undergraduates in nonprofit management. Previously, she provided fundraising
consultation and training to 48 Red Cross chapters in California. Amy holds
master’s degrees in integrated humanities and education as well as nonprofit
management. While serving on the Council’s membership committee, she
helped create the Nonprofit Career Network. This year, she co-chairs the program committee.
Donald R. Stebbins – Don is a leading marketer of educational resources for
corporations, major media and state and federal agencies, with extensive experience in managing community development projects. He became the education
partnership specialist for Partneships in Education, The Kansas City Star in
January 2004 after spending the previous 12 years as communications director
for Community Life Media in Santa Barbara and Albuquerque. The winner of
top marketing and media awards, Don holds a master’s degree in liberal education.
Phyllis Stevens – As the director of corporate relations for Bernstein-Rein
Advertising since 1993, Phyllis manages the agency’s delivery of pro bono services – last year valued at more than $750,000 in associates’ time – as well as
requests for financial support and associates’ involvement in the community.
Prior to joining BR, Phyllis served 13 years as development director for Swope
Health Services. She currently serves on the boards of Ronald McDonald House,
SAFEHOME, the Epsten Gallery at Village Shalom and on the Girls Scouts of
Mid-Continent Council PR Advisory Committee.
Gail Weinberg – Gail has been the financial resources development director of
the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City since 2000, where she and her staff
are responsible for the agency’s annual, special and planned gift efforts. For the
previous five years, she was director of marketing and development for Lakemary
Center. She has chaired the Council’s Philanthropy Midwest Conference and
served as a member of the Awards Luncheon Committee for several years. She
also serves on the advisory board of The Children’s Place, as a volunteer for her
synagogue and on the Sasone Committee, a program for Jewish children with
special needs.
Resource Development
Joy Byer – 816-756-1844, [email protected]
Sherri Lozano – 816-932-2977, [email protected]
Member Services
Nancy Kaiser-Caplan – 816-218-2646, [email protected]
Cindy Worthy – 816-561-5372, [email protected]
4
IN MEMORIAM
The Council marks with deep regret the loss of
Beverly Bodker
2001 Volunteer of the Year
December 14, 2005
WINTER 2006
3 0 T H
A N N I V E R S A R Y
C E L E B R A T I O N
30th Anniversary Celebration
The celebration on December 6 at the Liberty
Memorial was as much about visiting old friends
and colleagues as it was to share Mayor Kay
Barnes proclamation (see page 6), reflect on
highlights from the Council’s past, provide a
glimpse of new programs and services in the
future, announce 2006 Philanthropy Awards
Luncheon honorees and select three prize drawing winners.
With nearly 200 guests ranging from young professionals to icons of civic leadership, the
Liberty Memorial resonated with warm greetings and updates of personal and career news.
Live holiday music, complimentary drinks and
hors d’oeuvres and a continuous display of the
Council’s archival photographs dating from the
early 90s added to the entertainment.
The 30th Anniversary Celebration Event and
related programs planned for 2006 was chaired
by former Council Presidents Wendy Doyle and
Jim Kanki. Their committee included Debra
Box, Debra Foster, Jennifer Ingraham, Dianna
McKahan, Jan Murfield and Ami Swanigan,
with able assistance from the Council’s
Hospitality Committee, led by Joy Byer and
including Nathan Clements, Liz Gaume, Tanja
Heinen, Eugene Pal, Jr., Doug Riley, Linda
Roser, Jane Savidge, Sandi Shaw, Joe Sweeny
and Lucinda Noches-Talbert.
“I put this on my calendar some months ago, and I have
fought people and organizations who have tried to put
other items on my calendar on that day. I so much look
forward to seeing my friends and colleagues. As I have
said so many times, publicly and privately, the Council
on Philanthropy helped make me the fundraiser I am
today, and I would not be where I am today without the
support and friends I have gained from this outstanding
organization.”
Jeffrey Byrne
Past President, Council on Philanthropy
President & CEO
Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc.
Please see pages 6 and 7 for highlights of the event.
Founding the Council
The Nonprofit Community –
More than the Sum of Its Parts
Like most organizations, the Council on Philanthropy began with a vision.
Michael Greene’s vision – that development is about more than fundraising and
should involve more than fundraisers – was probably ahead of its time.
In 1976, when Greene helped found and became the first president of the
Council, he had been vice president for institutional advancement at the Kansas
City Art Institute (KCAI) for more than seven years. With responsibility for
eight departments and several volunteer groups, he recognized that the success
enjoyed by KCAI depended not only its professional fundraisers but on the support of volunteers, grantmakers, business people and civic leaders. He also recognized that bringing these often isolated segments of Greater Kansas City’s nonprofit sector together would strengthen the community as a whole.
When the Council was founded, fundraising as a profession was in its infancy.
Nonprofit management and leadership as a field of study was in the early stages.
Recognition of the nonprofit sector’s contributions to the social and economic
health of communities was sparse.
“What the Council did was create a presence of nonprofits in the view of grantmakers and the public,” says Greene. “It raised awareness that there is a community of nonprofits that is worth paying attention to.”
“The grantmaking entities had many demands without much ability to discriminate one organization from the other,” said Greene in a telephone interview
from his home in Pagosa Springs, Colo. “My hope, with others like Bob
Matthews and John Shehane, was that creating common ground would bridge
the distance and benefit the larger community.”
After leaving KCAI in 1977, Greene worked as a consultant and as owner-manager of Blood Pressure Control Training Centers of Kansas City. He later served
as managing director and as part-time development director for Cross-Lines
Cooperative Council in Kansas City, Kan., a church-funded poverty agency.
“My involvement in putting together the Council on Philanthropy not only
broadened my view of the world,” says Greene, 77, “but led to most of a lifetime
involved with nonprofits in many fields – religion, journalism, publishing, the
visual and performing arts, higher education, mental health, health care, community development, environmental and social concerns.”
As the Council enters its fourth decade, new generations benefit from the
insights of Greene and other founders who understood that collaboration is what
makes fundraising work and keeps institutions alive. Indeed, Greene’s son Denis,
founder of Church Development Foundation in Kansas City, is included in the
current Council roster of 800-plus members.
Michael Greene
WINTER 2006
5
3 0 T H
PROCLAMATION BY
MAYOR KAY BARNES
WHEREAS, the Council on Philanthropy will hold a
Winter Reception and 30th Anniversary Celebration at
the Liberty Memorial on December 6, 2005; and
WHEREAS, the Council on Philanthropy is Kansas City’s
primary resource for individuals and organizations in the
nonprofit realm, and provides information and education
for more than 850 members from 500 organizations
throughout the metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, the Council on Philanthropy was founded in
1976 by Michael Greene, Roy Morrill, John Shehane and
Jane White Brown. Since that time, the Council has
served countless people through its resource center, the
Web site JobSource, the Voice of Philanthropy and its
many workshops, programs and funders forums;
WHEREAS, the theme of this year’s reception is
“Highlights from the Past, Spotlight on the Future” and is
quite fitting given the history and success of the Council.
The work of the Council and its board of directors is an
important element in the City’s efforts to maintain and
promote the generosity for which this City is well known.
The Council’s board of directors includes Susan Melton,
Susan Schneweis, Marcia Bailey, David Miles, Wendy
Doyle, Jerry Glazier, Gregory Glore, Virginia Gross, Nancy
Kaiser-Caplan, Jim Kanki, Bernardo Ramirez, Michael
Snodgrass, Terry Ward, Pam Whiting and Cindy Worthy.
Jim Kanki, 30th Anniversary Co-Chair, Michelle Davis, Council Executive Director, Michael Greene,
Council Co-Founder and First President, Susan Melton, Council President, and Wendy Doyle,
30th Anniversary Co-Chair.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, KAY BARNES, MAYOR of
Kansas City, Missouri, do hereby salute the Council on
Philanthropy for its service to the people of this City and
to the philanthropic community as a whole. I proclaim
December 6, 2005, a day to honor and appreciate the
Council on Philanthropy.
22nd Philanthropy Awards Luncheon Chair Alison Patterson (far left) with 2006 Honorees:
Vicki Fisher and Cindy Green for Metcalf Bank, John and Nancy Dillingham, and Bernadette and
Dick Miller. Not pictured: Myra Christopher.
Marcia Bailey accepts a gift from Council President Susan Melton for
her service on the Council board of directors.
6
WINTER 2006
3 0 T H
Jane Wilson greets
Jeannette Nichols and
Mary Shaw Branton.
The Council Thanks
30th Anniversary
Celebration Sponsors*
Presenting Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Patrons
Tanja Heinen,
Kelly Finn,
Corinne Lattimer
and Stacey Viveros
Mary S. Branton
Jeannette Nichols
Friends
Bank of America
Commerce Bank
Jennifer Borron Furla
Pelofsky & Associates, Inc.
Elaine and Norman Polsky
Robert E. Miller Insurance Co.
Sheri and Bob Wood
Program Ad Sponsors
Jan Murfield and
Pam Whiting
Spelman Medical Foundation
Midwest Trust Co./Financial Counselors, Inc.
American Humanics
Kansas City Art Institute
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Individual Donors
Anonymous
Joy Byer
Michelle Davis
Wendy D. Doyle
Susan Melton
Alison B. Patterson
W. L. (Tom) Tompkins
In-Kind Donors
Boulevard Brewing Company
Glazer’s Midwest Kansas City
Hinckley Springs
Midwest Airlines
Montanari Fine Art Jewelry
Pepsi Americas
Southwest Airlines
* Ten percent of all sponsorship income
(nearly $2,600) donated to scholarships for
Council programs.
If you guys don’t want to name it Greater Kansas City Council on
Philanthropy, do you want to go with The Original John Shehane Group?
WINTER 2006
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8
WINTER 2006
WINTER 2006
9
E D U C A T I O N A L
P R O G R A M S
2006 Council Program Schedule*
One of the primary reasons the Council conducted a major online survey last fall
was to better understand members’ educational needs and logistical preferences.
The Council’s Program Committee took your answers seriously in developing the
program schedule below. Please call the Council at 816-235-6259 for more information or to find out about CFRE credit for Council programs.
January
18
Business Brain Food
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
GKC Chamber
Marketing Strategies for Your Nonprofit Brand
Paul Weber, Entrepreneur Advertising Group
31
Council Education Series
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Kauffman Conference Center
Plan the Work, Work the Plan: Writing and Executing a
Development Plan
Charles D. Brown, Charles D. Brown and Associates
February 16
28
March
7
29
April
May
7
Funders Forum (Open to Funders Only)
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Intensive Full-Day Workshop
Plan the Work, Work the Plan: Writing and Executing a
Development Plan
Business Brain Food
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
GKC Chamber
Why Development Professionals Fail and What to Do About It
Dan Stalp, Brooks Associates
Council Education Series – Breakfast & Beyond
7:30 – 9:30 a.m. (Part I) and 9:45 – 11:30 a.m. (Part II)
You Can Have It All: Recruiting and Training a Diverse
Fundraising and Governance Board (Part I)
Can’t We All Just Get Along? Strategies for Effective Board/Staff
Relations (Part II)
Carol Weisman, Board Builders, Inc.
25
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Business Brain Food
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
GKC Chamber
Tackling the Leadership Dilemmas of Nonprofit Organizations
Anne Yelderman, The Performance League
12
22nd Annual Philanthropy Awards Luncheon
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Downtown Marriott – Muehlebach Tower
23
Funders After Hours
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Union Station
Panel Discussion
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Make Your Opinion Count: Advancing Your Mission
Through Advocacy
Kim Carlos, KC Consulting, LLC
27
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
27
GKC Chamber of Commerce B2B Expo
Time TBA
Overland Park Convention Center
The Power of the Three T’s: Community Service as a Part of
Your Business Plan
Panel Discussion
July
20
Funders After Hours
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Union Station
Panel Discussion
August
16
Business Brain Food
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
GKC Chamber
Leading a Successful Capital Campaign
Jeffrey Byrne, Jeffrey Byrne & Associates
22
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Funders After Hours
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Union Station
Family Foundations Panel Discussion
13
3
June
September TBA Philanthropy Midwest Conference
October
11
Business Brain Food Over Lunch
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Kansas City Star, Topsy Conference Room
Focus Is Everything: $elling a Video-Quality Message on a
Snapshot Budget
Don Stebbins, Partnerships in Education, The Kansas City Star
24
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
26
7:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Go Team! Creating and Maintaining a Successful Team
Todd Long, William Jewell College Tucker Leadership Lab
November 9
Funders After Hours
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Union Station
Panel Discussion
December TBA Holiday Gathering
12
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
* Schedule subject to change. Visit www.kcphilnet.org for the most up-to-date information. Also, Grantmakers Exchanges, focusing on topics of special interest to grantmakers
from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. preceding Funders Forums, may be added to the schedule as
warranted.
10
WINTER 2006
E D U C A T I O N A L
P R O G R A M S
Coming Attractions
Business Brain Food
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the
Council, has created a new nonprofit track for its Business Brain Food Weekly
Educational Series. The partnership enables Council members to attend nonprofit
track seminars and workshops for the Chamber member price of $15 per person.
Contact Heather LeBlanc at [email protected] or 816-374-5472 for reservations. Please be sure to mention you are a Council member. These programs
offer excellent value, especially to small and mid-size organizations. Two programs
are scheduled this winter:
You can learn from big-brand organizations like Starbucks and the American Red
Cross how to connect with your community and constituency on many levels.
New trends in marketing technology make it possible for even the smallest nonprofits to promote their brand. You’ll leave this program presented by Paul Weber,
Entrepreneur Advertising Group, on January 18 at The Chamber with creative
ideas to apply to your organization.
Why Development Professionals Fail and What to Do About It
Why do people love to buy or, in your case, write checks or give their time to
your organization? Like any successful sale, your donor’s needs have to be met.
On March 29 at The Chamber, Dan Stalp of
Brooks Associates will explore attitudes, behaviors and techniques to identify what makes
your funders tick and motivates them to give
more time and cash to your organization.
Plan the Work, Work the Plan: An Introduction and
Optional Intensive Full-Day Workshop
Organizations that don’t have development plans – or don’t use them – are missing out on some significant benefits:
• Clear priorities
• Resources allocated for greatest return
• Volunteers and staff able to articulate key messages
• Staff that know and understand donors
• Public confidence
• Larger major gifts and higher total giving
Yet, according to the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, only 14 percent of organizations that participate in DonorEdge® have a development plan.
Funders are concerned about this and organization staff and volunteers should be
as well. In response, the Council will present a two-part program:
Intensive Full-Day Workshop – At the January 31 program, Council members
will be invited to sign up for an intensive full-day workshop on March 7, at
which Brown and a colleague will work with two individuals (a staff member and
volunteer) from 12 organizations to create, revise and complete their development plans. By the end of the day, participants will leave with a 15 to 20-page
operating plan tailored to their organization’s needs and resources.
To ensure personal attention, Brown will work with each organization in advance
to gather information they will need to complete their plan. Afterwards, he will
be available by e-mail for up to 30 days to answer questions regarding implementation and provide further information.
The total cost of the workshop is $275 per organization, which includes breakfast
and lunch. Registration is open to Council members on a first come first served
basis. Based on demand and feedback from this program, the Council will consider offering additional sessions later this year.
Funders After Hours
Family Foundations
Funders After Hours – one of the Council’s most popular programs – gives you the
opportunity to hear panelists representing area foundations describe their grantmaking programs and procedures and answer questions from the audience. The
program begins with a networking reception.
Last year, Funders After Hours programs, which are free to Council members and
$15 for non-members, sold out. This year we have scheduled four, with the first
on February 16, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Union Station.
You’ll want to register early for this program, which will feature panelists from
family foundations.
Family foundations are the fastest growing form of philanthropy. Experts project
the count by the end of 2005 to exceed 33,000 and attribute the growth in part to
technology money generated over the past decade as well as the transfer of wealth
now taking place from the World War II generation to baby boomers and beyond.
“Creating a family foundation is an important way families can pass values they
hold dear on to future generations,” says Jerry Kitzi, who is the executive director
of the Francis Family Foundation and will moderate the program.
With family foundations an increasingly important source of support for our
philanthropic community, this program will not only help you get to know the
panelists but provide insights on how best to approach others. Register at
www.kcphilnet.org or call 816-235-6259.
Development Plan Basics – On January 31, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the
Kauffman Conference Center, Charlie Brown, principal of Charles D. Brown
and Associates based in Palo Alto, Calif., will present development plan basics:
why you should have a plan, what you need to write one, who should be involved,
and what needs to happen to ensure the plan gets executed.
Charles D. Brown and Associates specializes in management consulting for nonprofit organizations. Brown’s background includes leadership staff positions with
Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, the Guggenheim Museum, A.T.
Kearney, Inc., The Lawrenceville School, The Pennington School and Princeton
University.
This program will be of value to organizations without plans, as well as those
whose plans have room for improvement (whose doesn’t?). The registration fee,
which includes lunch, is $20 for Council members and $35 for non-members.
Register at www.kcphilnet.org or call 816-235-6259.
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WINTER 2006
11
E D U C AT I O N A L P R O G R A M S
Education Series Highlights
Grantmakers Exchange
Fundraising Success Begins with Case for Support
Benchmarks Study Underscores Value of
Asset Diversification
“Fundraising,” says Dan Nicoson, “is about managing the process of getting the
right person asking the right prospect for the right gift for the right program at
the right time in the right way.”
The foundation of that process – as he explained at the Council’s October 25
half-day seminar on “Leveraging Resources for Fundraising Success” – is the
case for support. And the most important element of any case is the mission
statement.
“The mission statement – why you exist – is the single most motivating piece
of information for donors. After that, everything else just builds confidence,”
Nicoson told an audience composed primarily of individuals from smaller organizations for whom development is just one of several responsibilities.
Nicoson is vice president for advancement at Missouri Western State University
in St. Joseph, Mo. His seminar for the Council on behalf of The Fund Raising
School at Indiana University’s Center for Philanthropy introduced the constituency model, the development and planning process and roles of volunteers and
boards.
Also present at the seminar to receive certificates were graduates of the Council’s
2004 Fundamentals in Philanthropy program, which provided 40 hours of training
to volunteers and staff of grassroots organizations in governance, strategic and
business planning, marketing, collaboration and fundraising.
If there was one lesson from the Commonfund Institute’s 2005 Benchmarks
Study that Executive Director John Griswold and Managing Director William
H. Jansen wanted to emphasize to foundation executives gathered at the
Kauffman Foundation on October 25 for a Council-sponsored Grantmakers
Exchange, it was that diversification is one of the “free lunches of investment.”
“Diversification among asset classes and managers,” said Griswold, “is a key to
increase return and reduce volatility.”
The Benchmarks Study compares data from more than 300 foundations willing to share information on investment returns, strategy, portfolio breakdown,
number of managers and more. The Commonfund Institute is a membership
organization that helps endowments, foundations, healthcare organizations and
other nonprofits address their investment needs.
Commonfund projects a 6.6 percent overall return for various asset classes over
the next 12 to 24 months (ranging from 2 to 4 percent for fixed income to 9 to
11 percent for distressed debt). Noting that such returns will be insufficient for
many foundations to cover at least five percent spending plus administrative
costs, Griswold and Jansen made these recommendations:
• Adopt disciplined rebalancing of portfolios for increasing returns over time.
• Consider the opportunity costs of being overly liquid.
• Focus board and investment committee attention on policy issues, risk management and oversight; leave implementation to staff.
• Fundraising of unrestricted endowment or permanent funds for existing programs may improve financial health.
“In the tough environment we’re now in,” said Jansen, “spend time not on
what securities to buy but where you should be putting money broadly and
what policies you need to achieve your goals.”
FUNDAMENTALS IN PHILANTHROPY GRADUATES –
Seated: Farah Abdi and Tyrone Flowers. Standing: Wanda Winters, Katrina Wilson,
Jane Wilson, Melissa Robinson, Diane Houk and Mark Porter. Not pictured: Diana
Aguirre, Cheryl Benson, Alexis Boatman, Lynette Commodore, Chris Jehle, Carolyn
McGlothen, Lyda Owens, Lynn Russell, Ethel D. Smith, Kristy Childs, Gregory Wayne,
Cammie Willis and Michael Wilson.
Funders participate in Funders Plus Grantmakers Exchange, sponsored by the Council,
to learn more about investments.
Rose Simone (Council Program Co-Chair), Michelle Davis (Council Executive Director),
Harold Johnson, Dan Nicoson (The Fund Raising School at Indiana University's Center
for Philanthropy), Kristy Bailey (Council Project Coordinator), Gail James, Melissa
Robinson and Susan Carman.
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WINTER 2006
F O U N D AT I O N N E W S
Finding Money
Council Launches Updated Online Foundation Directory
Starting in February, Council members will begin to have access to an unprecedented amount of up-to-date information to help them find local and national
funders that support their causes and programs.
By this summer, the Council on Philanthropy’s Foundation Directory, online at
www.kcphilnet.org, will include data on more than 600 local and 200 national
funders who fund in the Kansas City area.
“The Council has invested in updating and expanding information in the
Foundation Directory because our members have told us how important and valuable this resource is to their missions,” said Council Executive Director Michelle
Davis.
Council members logging on to the new Foundation Directory will be pleased to
find these features:
• Up-to-date information on Greater Kansas City foundations, including
funders not previously listed in the directory and the elimination of funders no
longer active in the area.
• Foundations that have a record of supporting organizations in Greater
Kansas City but do not reside in the area, including foundations as large and
well known as Ford, Carnegie and Gates and as obscure perhaps as the Michael
Pursley Memorial Foundation, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., which helps school
districts obtain materials to prevent suicide.
• Ability to search foundation profiles by funder’s name, home city/state,
geographic focus, interest area, type of support, special population interests,
trustees/directors, funder type, relationship to corporation, corporate industry,
online application availability, total giving, total assets, establishment year, and
a text search (including overview and sample grant serarch). When available,
each grantmaker’s profile will link to its Web site, online application form and
most recent 990 PF, the financial activities report which foundations must submit annually to the IRS.
• Ability to search 990PFs, thus avoiding the cumbersome process of downloading the form from GuideStar, which can run up to 2,000 pages, and sifting
through the document to find out, for example, what programs the foundation
funds in Kansas City. Updates will be available online when the IRS or the
funder makes them available.
Working with Access Philanthropy, a Minneapolis-based company that specializes
in the development and sale of geographic and interest-specific grantmaker databases, the Council is committed to keeping the Foundation Directory not only
up-to-date but providing additional background and insights about funders.
“The Foundation Center has a good database, but it just includes information that funders give them,” says Steve Paprocki, managing partner of Access
Philanthropy. “So if, say, a funder doesn’t want you to know that it makes grants
to schools, that information may not be in the database even though it’s important for you to know.
“We’ve created the Council on Philanthropy’s Foundation Directory for fundraisers, not funders, so it probably provides the most detailed information people can
find.”
Access Philanthropy updates information in profiles once every three months
and surveys all funders annually for updates, when available, on sample grants,
detailed interest area information, Web page and e-mail addresses, phone numbers, detailed contact information, average grant sizes, business notes, detailed
overviews with specific program information when applicable, special population
group interests, percentages of giving by interest area, sponsorship information
and annual giving history.
The database is available free of charge to Council on Philanthropy members 24
hours a day, seven days a week. Access Philanthropy will also provide online
tutorials and in-person workshops on directory use for Council members.
The annual cost of individual Council memberships ranges from $75 to $105 –
far less than you would pay to subscribe to GuideStar, the Foundation Center or
other similar services that don’t include training and networking opportunities.
FOUNDATION DIRECTORY
TASK FORCE – Council Executive
Director Michelle Davis, Phyllis
Meiners, Bob Buchanan and Rebecca
Morrison celebrate the successful launch
of the directory at the Salty Iguana.
Task force members not pictured include
Sonia Cruz, Leigh Klein, Mark Shapiro
and Marie Whitmer.
WINTER 2006
13
P R A C T I T I O N E R S
F O R U M
Everything is a Brand
By Jeff Bremser, Executive Vice President, Bernstein-Rein Advertising
EDITOR’S NOTE: Practitioners Forum is a new feature the Council is piloting in
this issue in Voice of Philanthropy. From time to time, we will ask an expert to discuss
a particular issue or challenge in philanthropy and invite you, our readers, to respond or
elaborate on the subject in a subsequent issue of the Voice.
In this issue, we asked Jeff Bremser, executive vice president at Bernstein-Rein
Advertising, for his insights about branding nonprofit organizations. Now we ask you to
tell us in a short piece (about 500 words), how you developed your brand. How does it
support your mission? What are its limitations? What tactics do you use to share it with
your constituents?
Please contact Trudi Galblum,
Voice of Philanthropy editor, at
[email protected] by February
3, 2006, if you would like to share
your answers to these or related
questions in the spring issue of the
Voice.
E
verything is a brand these
days. Donald Trump is a brand.
Tiger Woods is a brand. Kansas
City is a brand. Catholicism is a
brand. It may be marketing buzzword overkill, sure, but there’s
truth in the hype.
The fact is any commonly shared
image in the minds of more than
a few people can be considered a
brand. And any conscious effort
behind implanting and reinforcJeff Bremser
ing such an image is branding.
It’s not just for cattle anymore.
It’s for every organization that cares about what the people it cares about think.
Wal-Mart, the store, might be down the street. But Wal-Mart, the brand, is all in
your head. What do you think of when you hear the word, see the name, pass the
truck on the highway? All the thoughts, emotions, connotations, implications,
extensions, real-life experiences, remembrances, sights, smells, sounds, colors,
shapes, feelings that people associate with you equal your brand. Some of these
elements you can control, some you can’t.
Profit-seeking organizations expend vast sums on the care and nurture of their
brands. If they act as if it’s their most valuable asset, it’s because it surely is. The
product Coca-Cola is a few pennies worth of colored, sweetened, carbonated
beverage, hardly remarkable. In fact, as is often proven in taste tests, even its
most ardent admirers can’t single it out from a competitor. (Same thing for beer,
potato chips or air travel for that matter.)
But the brand Coke is, well, to borrow a word from another mass over-advertiser,
priceless. It’s certainly worth many times more than all the material assets owned
by the company. Anybody with money can build a bottling plant. Building what’s
arguably the most recognized brand in the world – now that’s a daunting task.
How can a not-for-profit organization hope to compete with the mega-marketing
done by mass advertisers for the limited shelf space in the minds of the public?
Isn’t it all spoken for by now?
Brain Capacity Unlimited
Well, it turns out, there seems to be way more brain capacity in our heads than
anyone ever imagined. The brain is by far our least understood organ though
probably only second most discussed. And the more we find out about its workings, the more we discover we hardly know the right lobe from the left.
For example, brain cells aren’t dying by the billions with every breath as we
used to think. We’re actually creating more of them the more we use our brains.
Brains are all about creating connections between and among the myriad bits
of information constantly flowing in courtesy of our senses and the many times
more stored bits of memory, short-term and long. Brains devour information and
process, sort, evaluate and analyze it constantly during our every waking and
unconscious moment.
Humans seem able to make room in their minds for whatever they want to keep
there. And if you can put yourself across as an interesting enough proposition,
you can go right up there alongside the Cokes, the McDonald’s and the WalMarts in the minds of the audiences you care about. People are not overly eager
to learn and remember every detail about your organization, but given a compelling, focused, well-crafted story they can easily keep the broad-stroke essentials of
your brand in mind.
People don’t generally put conscious effort into the storing of brands. They really
couldn’t avoid the process if they wanted to. Their senses pick up the brand
images that are constantly in the air, on the air, everywhere. And their brains
replicate and store and replay them – indiscriminately, sometimes. Ever had that
annoying song in your head you couldn’t get out?
My image of Coca-Cola
might not perfectly mesh
with yours but we can
expect it to be reasonably
close. The universality
of human nature is what
makes communication
possible. If what I think
of as green (a brand, for
sure) weren’t reasonably
close to what you think,
how could we ever pick
out wallpaper?
“Humans seem able to make room in
their minds for whatever they want to
keep there. And if you can put yourself
across as an interesting enough proposition, you can go right up there alongside
the Cokes, the McDonald’s and the
Wal-Marts in the minds of the audiences you care about.”
Brands become the property of the brain holder. But you control much of the input – the look and feel
and sound and style, all factors that can go into the making. If you are sloppy and
inconsistent with what you can control, you can hardly fault your audiences for
what they make of your brand in their heads.
Name, Look and Message
Start with the basic elements. Have a clear and unambiguous name if at all possible. Something like Children’s Mercy Hospital – it’s impossible not to know
what that’s all about. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre used to be the Missouri
Repertory Theatre. The management felt the name was misleading. The theatre
really belonged to the whole Kansas City area, not the state of Missouri. They
did the research to prove a new name would be beneficial and, once the board
approved, the organization changed its name, its logo, its colors, its signage and
its attitude as well.
Another well-known organization, March of Dimes, carries another kind of
name, one with great historical significance and tremendous good will attached
but that no longer suggests the mission of the organization. Who wouldn’t want
to stick with a name with such wide brand recognition? But it takes national
14
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P R A C T I T I O N E R S
advertising and constant reminding to get people to forget their old ideas and
understand the new mission of today’s March of Dimes. Changing perceptions
is certainly the hardest job in marketing. Don’t try it at home.
March of Dimes created a strikingly beautiful and suggestive new logo to go
with its new brand. Or rather they had one of the top ad agencies in New
York do it for them.
And that’s the second thing you need to remember in branding your nonprofit. Make sure you have a well-crafted and consistent look to all your
visual communications. Signs, letterheads, business cards, Web sites, newsletters, ads – if these things aren’t well executed, they can do more harm to your
brand than good.
Don’t let somebody’s niece make your logo – unless she happens to be good
enough to get paid to do such things for a living. Even if you don’t have a lot
of money, you can likely get some professional help very reasonably. Just ask.
Advertising agencies and design firms like to help worthy causes, if not on a
completely pro bono basis, at dramatically reduced rates. On the other hand, if
you’re paying all your other suppliers, don’t make the designer who’s making
you look your best be the only one who’s working for nothing.
A great look is only important if your message is coherent. People need to be
able to grasp and retain what it is you’re all about. And so you need to have
a brand that’s definable in a simple sentence or two. UMKC has had branding success in recent months by referring to itself as a “universe of knowledge
in a city of opportunity.” The school is connected to the city in a unique
partnership that’s beneficial to both parties and students alike, making it a
great place to “get a life.” A university is the opposite of simple. It’s incredibly
complex. But the essential message is memorable and easy to grasp: universe
+ city = UMKC.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for whole families to stay
when kids are undergoing extended medical treatments away from home.
The mission is simple and compelling, no ambiguities. The Heart of America
Shakespeare Festival produces free, professional performances of Shakespeare
in the park. Its new branding theme is “Free Will.” There’s no rule that says
you can’t try to be clever and clear at the same time.
Who Cares?
A final thing to remember about brands is, not everybody and her brother
needs to know you. You’re not Wal-Mart or IBM or Coca-Cola. You don’t
need to be a household name in every single household. You have to know
your target audiences. There are people you need to know. And you need
them to know you. You already know a lot of them. They’re your members,
benefactors, trustees, directors, friends and supporters. You have their names
in your databank. You can and should talk to them as often as possible in as
many ways as possible. Every bit of communication adds to your brand. Or
detracts.
There are also a lot of people you don’t know who have the same attitudes
and characteristics and would be prime candidates to become your ardent
supporters if only they had the slightest inkling who you are and what you are
all about. But this is still a relatively small, very definable audience and one
that’s a lot more reachable than you probably think. Media professionals can
find them watching TV, listening to the radio, using newspapers or magazines
or the Internet. The thing is first you need to figure out who they are. Then
you can start trying to open a dialogue with them. Professional research, marketing and data people again would love to help. Ask them.
And you don’t need to consider only paid media as a way to brand your
group. Get to know the editors, producers and reporters in the various print
and broadcast media. Become a source of information to them and you could
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F O R U M
become one they call for background and expert opinion. If your organization is
about something, has a clear mission and definable brand, you are the kind of source
media outlets are always looking for. Again, you could benefit greatly by enlisting the
help of professional public relations people. Maybe there are some you already know
who would love to help if asked.
Just remember, every visual, every written word, every appearance or mention in the
media is a piece of the building material that goes into your brand. You need to take
the effort to make every piece the best it can possibly be. Build your brand just the
way you build your reputation, one day at a time.
Pillars in Philanthropy
The Kansas City Business Journal’s 2005 Pillars in Philanthropy, which
accompanied the November 11 edition of the newspaper, featured a fullpage ad sponsored by Sprint about the Council
on Philanthropy.
Pillars in Philanthropy is a Business Journal initiative to bring business and nonprofits together.
It provides Business Journal readers – 51 percent
of whom serve on one or more local boards –
with information about Kansas City’s philanthropic organizations and their impact on the
community. The Council thanks Sprint for helping tell Business Journal readers know how we
can help them and the organizations they represent better serve their clients and communities.
ADVERTISE IN VOICE
OF PHILANTHROPY!
Read by more than 2,000 decision makers for
schools, health care institutions, social service
and cultural organizations.
For ad rates, call Trudi Galblum
(913) 649-3538
[email protected]
15
P E R S P E C T I V E S
I N
P H I L A N T H R O P Y
Corporate Support for the Arts
Will they carry the baton to the finish line?
“On the flip side, we’ve had investors that have been so impressed by our support
for the arts that they’ve actually invested additional money with us for that reason. So frankly it’s helped our bottom line, although that’s not why we do it.”
“The arts are a huge driver of tourism,” says Gary Gradinger, immediate past
president of the Kansas City Business Committee for the Arts (KCBCA), sponsored by the Arts Council. “When businesses wonder why real estate in the
Crossroads developed so well, I think they begin to understand that the creative
energy there had a lot to do with it.”
KCBCA grew out of a search, led by Henry Bloch and David Oliver, for ways to
increase business involvement in the Arts Council and the arts community.
“The board looked at several models and liked the BCA model,” says KCBCA
Program Manager Liz Albers. BCA, founded in New York in 1967 by David
Rockefeller, focuses on what the arts can do for business as opposed to the other
way around. KCBCA is one of only 11 regional BCA affiliates. Its 100 members
pay $100 to $2,500 in annual membership fees depending on company size to
access benefits designed to stimulate economic development, workplace creativity and business prosperity:
• Networking and educational luncheons
• Employee programs to bring or perform their art in the workplace
KC IN THE BCA TEN – William M. Lyons, president and CEO of American
Century Investments (far left), accepted a BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the
Arts in America award, sponsored by the national Business Committee for the Arts, from
Trisha Brown, founder of the Trisha Brown Dance Company, and Leonard Slatkin, music
director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
• Employee visits to studios, galleries and rehearsal facilities
Kansas City is working hard to become a mecca for the arts, and corporate support has been a big ingredient in its success to date.
• Discounted tickets for employees
• Last October, American Century Investments headquartered in Kansas City
was honored as one of the top ten companies supporting the arts in America
by the national Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) and FORBES
Magazine.
• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art raises about $1.3 million in annual
operating revenue from corporations and, according to Director of External
Affairs Peter Hansen, expects that amount to increase significantly when the
new Bloch Building opens in 2007.
• “Small firms are big arts patrons,” reads an October 29, 2005, headline in The
Kansas City Star business section. In the article, Diane Stafford reports on
companies that commission and display the works of local artists in their galleries, lobbies and offices.
Many Kansas City area arts groups enjoy strong corporate support. And with
good reason.
Good for Business
Arts and cultural organizations in the Kansas City region generate an economic
impact of more than $279 million each year, according to a study conducted
in the spring of 2005 for the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City by
Americans for the Arts. Support for the arts not only increases tax revenues
and supports artists and nonprofit organizations but also serves as a significant
income source for restaurants, hotels, retail stores, parking garages and other
businesses.
“We believe support for the arts makes communities more livable,” says
Randy Williams, director of community investments for American Century
Investments. “It attracts people to the community, which contributes to our
ability to select and retain employees. We’ve had employees tell us they want to
work for a company that supports that kind of culture.
16
• Partnership Awards honoring businesses that develop a mutually beneficial
partnership with an arts organization or artist
• Displays of art in member company buildings
360° Architecture, a BCA member headquartered in the Freight House District,
enjoyed national recognition for its role in initiating Avenue for the Arts, an
outdoor exhibition of contemporary art in the downtown area around 10th and
Central. “Involvement in the community arts scene brings a real sense of pride
to our employees,” says James Calcara, managing principal of the firm.
The Plight of Small Organizations
Clearly, major institutions and expansion projects could not succeed without significant support from the business community. Those leading the charge to raise
$45 million for the Performing Arts Center by February 1, 2006, are banking
that corporations will be among those stepping up to the plate.
DonorEdge® statistics released last summer by the Greater Kansas City
Community Foundation show a high degree of fluctuation in foundation and
corporate support for the arts since 2000, with a significant drop in the percent
of funding between 2002 and 2003.
Where corporate names are most conspicuously absent are on the donor lists of
smaller arts and cultural organizations.
Yvonne Jameson raises $350,000 to $400,000 annually for the Unicorn Theatre.
The theatre is also about a third of the way toward a $2.25 million capital campaign goal.
“Overall, we’re very lucky at the Unicorn because we’ve managed each year to
increase the amount that’s been given,” she says. “But we have very few corporate supporters.”
In FY 2004-05, nine corporations contributed $44,000 in operating support to
the Unicorn, with an additional $70,000 provided by corporate foundations.
Jameson believes lack of support from corporations has a lot to do with the
thought-provoking subject matter of many of the Unicorn’s plays and musicals.
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P E R S P E C T I V E S
I N
“We touch on a lot of controversial topics – race relations, gender identity,
social justice and injustice – that aren’t necessarily pretty,” she says. “It’s a lot
harder for a corporation to go out a limb to support a show like The Laramie
Project when it can support the Nutcracker.”
Small arts organizations also have a hard time competing for dollars because
they have fewer resources to devote to fundraising.
“Fundraising gets short shrift because so much effort has to go into marketing
the show,” says Jameson. “It doesn’t matter how much you raise if you don’t sell
tickets. Besides, there’s only one of me and only so much I can do, so you go
where the return is greatest. You can make a lot of calls on corporations and get
nothing or write one good grant proposal and get a significant amount from a
foundation.”
P H I L A N T H R O P Y
St. Paul’s Episcopal
Day School staffs up
with JobSource!
“We’ve had many qualified
applicants and better results with
JobSource than the newspaper.
JobSource is more targeted
toward people who want to work
in our environment. What a
great service you provide to the
nonprofit world!”
– Elizabeth Barnes
Head of School
Looking for Return on Investment
Last year, out of $234,000 in total income, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra
raised $17,000 from corporations.
“Here’s the problem,” says Fran Hess, development director for the orchestra.
“Many corporations, if they’re going to make a contribution, want some perceived marketing value. They want their name to appear in front of X number
of people.”
Writing in The Wall Street Journal on October 8, 2005, Douglas McClellan,
editor of artsjournal.com, addressed the problem Hess describes. He suggests
that, as the arts landscape has become more crowded and competition for both
attention and money has grown more intense, the nonprofit model has become
less efficient as a means of raising working capital.
“Corporations,” he says, “that once were strongly motivated to support the arts
out of a sense of public good increasingly see arts funding as an exchange of services capable of delivering a tangible return like any other transaction.”
Elizabeth Barnes (top left) with staff members hired
through JobSource
JobSource on www.kcphilnet.org
• More metro area nonprofit jobs listed than any site
• Produces targeted, high-quality candidates
• Fast, easy, convenient and effective
That’s a big reason why special events are an important element in the fundraising plans of arts organizations and, for that matter, all nonprofit organizations.
“Where corporations are outstanding is when you have a special event,” says
Hess, who also finds corporations more likely to give when the request comes
from an employee. “It’s a perk for their key staff,” she says, “so it behooves nonprofits to reach out and get these people attending their events and sitting on
their boards.”
It’s an approach the Nelson adopted more than 20 years ago, when Henry Bloch
started the museum’s Business Council.
“The Business Council is one of our greatest assets for building corporate support,” says Peter Hansen. “For many, it’s their first contact with the museum. It’s
a way to engage corporations and an avenue for building a longer-term, deeper
relationship.”
Business Council members enjoy programs such as Cocktails with the Curator,
the Annual Business Council Dinner, private tours and trips. Annual membership fees start at $3,000. Last year, revenue from dues jumped $200,000, which
Hansen attributes to volunteer engagement. “We have a steering committee
whose critical charge is to recruit new members and upgrade existing members,”
he says.
Some, like Gary Gradinger, believe the arts are beginning to define Kansas
City. Corporations are a big reason why, and their support for anchor institutions such as the Nelson, the Kansas City Symphony and the Lyric Opera has
been integral to what has been achieved thus far. But beginnings are just that
– beginnings. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent corporations
will help carry the baton to the finish line.
WINTER 2006
17
S P E A K
U P
What challenges and successes have
you encountered in online fundraising?
Libby Knox
Doug Riley
EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Giving USA, donations on the Internet have
grown from approximately half of one percent of total giving three or four years ago
to two percent today, with online gifts averaging $116 compared to $89 for offline
credit card gifts. Total volume of online giving is still a small percentage of the total
but growing at a rate where it will soon become consequential. Voice of Philanthropy
asked three individuals to share their experiences in the new frontier of online fundraising.
LIBBY KNOX, President
Knox Creative, Inc.
Online fundraising holds so much promise for so many nonprofits, so it’s important
that organizations think it through and plan a successful program. Many nonprofits
are challenged when they don’t approach online fundraising comprehensively – as
the relationship communications enterprise that it really is.
Those that are having success with online fundraising – even small nonprofits – are
those that understand that cultivating relationships carefully will yield the best
rewards.
This means providing donors and prospects with real information and education.
This is what moves them. It means keeping people informed, thanking them genuinely, and not asking for something every time we hit the send button.
Successful online fundraising efforts share these best practices:
• A commitment to relationship cultivation. E-mail and Web sites can accelerate
and develop valuable relationships with prospects and donors.
• A well-planned Web site, with strong content and functionality.
• A robust e-mail communications effort, with relevant content that connects emotionally and drives traffic.
• Integration with offline fundraising strategies. Direct mail, phone, events and personal communication are still part of the equation.
• Sustained promotion. Coordinated online and offline strategies must continually
drive the right people to your Web site.
18
Vanessa Van Goethern-Piela
This is no small task. Online fundraising requires a real commitment and investment.
Many nonprofits are challenged with a chicken-and-egg situation, without enough
resources to devote to sustained online fundraising. But they can begin to see incremental success when they make changes to their Web site and begin permissionbased electronic communications.
Ultimately, the dramatically lower cost of communicating electronically with supporters means that we can take better care of them. We can share compelling information, engage them in volunteer and advocacy efforts, and connect more powerfully
with them. The depth and value of the relationship takes on an entirely new aspect
at this point.
Nonprofits who cultivate respectful online relationships with their constituents are
growing their membership, advocacy, volunteer and donor relationships. They are
carefully moving stakeholders from mail to online relationships where appropriate,
and gaining permission to communicate electronically. By respecting their constituents’ communications preferences, organizations can cultivate more personal relationships and improve loyalty to their brand.
In addition to more traditional online fundraising, there are also innovative ways
to raise money online through regular business operations. The Kansas City Sports
Commission is helping other nonprofits engage more people in healthy sports and
fitness activities through an online event registration system. The system not only
makes it easy for participants and volunteers to register, but simplifies a very timeconsuming process for nonprofits. The registration system supports fundraising and
can generate revenue for nonprofits, while saving them significant operational
expense.
Whether you’re considering a “chaperoned” fundraising system like this one or a
more straightforward online fundraising effort, remember that relationships are at the
heart of your success. The better you cultivate your relationships, the more successful
you’ll be.
Earning and maintaining the trust and confidence of donors – especially in an
online environment – requires a commitment to true relationship communications.
Organizations who embrace this will see long-term rewards from their stakeholders.
DOUG RILEY, Executive Director
Kansas City Anti-Violence Project
The Kansas City Anti-Violence Project (KCAVP) is only three years old and is a
grassroots nonprofit organization that helps lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender folks (LGBT) who have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or
hate crimes. When we formed KCAVP, we knew that technology would be the key
to making KCAVP grow and spreading the word about our mission.
WINTER 2006
The KCAVP Web site went live in mid-2003, but we only began taking online
payments in mid-2004. We had merchant bankcard services to accept credit cards,
but did not have the ability to take payments online. Therefore, we signed up with
PayPal and Network for Good, two online payment gateways.
The challenge with those gateways was that neither made it easy for the Web site
user to donate to KCAVP. Both PayPal and Network for Good required the user to
register with their service. Users didn’t want to take the time to sign up, nor did most
of them know who Network for Good was so there was a credibility factor. In the
year we had both gateways on www.kcavp.org, not one user gave using Network for
Good, and we had less than 10 donations with PayPal. This was frustrating considering our Web site receives from 5,000 to 6,000 hits per month.
While we knew our online fundraising was not where we wanted it to be, we also
had other issues. As an organization that provides social services and promotes social
change, we want more of our constituents involved with influencing legislation that
affects LGBT violence, distributing information about current issues and other volunteer activities.
We decided to pursue one solution to online messaging, advocacy and fundraising.
The solution we chose is GetActive, a constituent relationship management system.
GetActive enables nonprofit organizations to better communicate and develop relationships with their communities. GetActive’s engagement solutions helped KCAVP
reach out to constituents with compelling information about our mission and objectives and encourage them to respond by making donations, signing petitions, sending
letters to elected officials, becoming volunteers, and telling friends about the good
work of the organization they support.
With the GetActive suite, all activities and transactions of each member, including
when e-mails are sent and opened, are tracked in one central database. This enables
us to see a complete view of every single supporter. We can gather specific and
detailed information about our constituents and then use that information to reach
out with more targeted and personalized messages to further develop relationships
with them over time.
GetActive’s solutions for e-mail newsletters, online fundraising and online advocacy
gave us the tools we needed to better communicate with supporters, grow our base
of supporters through peer-to-peer communications, and engage our community to
more loyally and consistently support the mission of the organization they value.
GetActive enables nonprofits to become less reliant on direct mail campaigns, which
are time consuming, costly, difficult to track and ineffective.
Sending our constituents a consistent branded message that makes it easy for them to
take action works whether that is signing a petition against LGBT violence, sending
e-mails to legislators to pass the Violence Against Women Act, or donating online
in one step. In the time we have had GetActive, our list has increased by 25 percent
and our online donations have increased 80 percent. Overall, our board of directors is
very pleased with GetActive and looks forward to what it can do for KCAVP.
VANESSA VAN GOETHERN-PIELA, Associate Director of Development
DeLaSalle Education Center
We finally hired an ad agency to help us meet our needs. I am usually the first one
to say, “I think I will just design that myself so we don’t have to hire an expensive
designer,” but I highly recommend bringing in the pros for your online needs. It is
easy to talk yourself into trying to learn how to use Web site design software (it can’t
be that hard, can it?). But no matter how proud you might be of your first stab at a
brand new design that you spent 40 hours putting together, it will never look as sharp
and dynamic as one that a professional designer will develop for you.
When we sent out an e-newsletter announcing our new site, I was sure we would
have 20 online donations right away. Three weeks later, we finally got our first donation and two weeks after that, an employee made the second online donation. We
have had our new site and online giving capacity for five months, yet only 10 or 12
people have donated online, at least two of which I have encouraged over the phone
to use the service for their convenience.
We had done everything right, hadn’t we? A great site with emotional appeal, three
different places to donate on every page, a site that matched our brand, easy-to-use
navigation, brief articles, opportunities to interact…why aren’t people rushing to our
Web site to read about our important mission and making a donation?
I knew the answer was consistency. Driving traffic to your site in a variety of mediums, asking for funds in a variety of ways, communicating with your supporters and
building your e-mail list all must happen consistently in order to be successful in
online fundraising.
This consistency is challenging, especially for fundraising professionals who wear
multiple and diverse hats. Many development officers are grantwriting marketing
gurus who double as planned giving specialists that occasionally plan events and hold
press conferences. However, by incorporating simplicity into what you are already
doing, you can avoid wearing yourself out.
Here are five simple ideas to implement now to increase Web site traffic and online
contributions:
1. Make sure your Web site is in the “signature” of your e-mail messages (you can ask
for support here, too).
2. Have your Web site prominent on your letterhead.
3. Remind donors they can donate/register online when sending newsletters, direct
mail, event invitations, annual reports and all types of e-communications.
4. Grow your e-mail list by collecting e-mail addresses everywhere: online, at events,
during meetings, in your e-communications, on your direct mail remittance forms,
etc.
5. Use viral e-mail when you send e-communications. This fancy way to forward or
“tell-a-friend” allows you to capture information. Ask the pros for help.
As online giving becomes more accepted by the general population, development
professionals need to be ahead of the curve and ready to raise money online. You may
not get 20 people logging on to your site to make a donation the next time you send
out your e-newsletter, but have patience and, most importantly, be consistent.
As a small to mid-sized organization, DeLaSalle was a little slower than some larger
agencies to jump into online fundraising. While we recognized the importance of
making this an option for our tech-savvy donors, it took some time before we were
ready to commit to the necessary financial and staffing resources to create a site
that was compelling enough to make people click that “Donate Now” button and
advanced enough to accept donations and gather the donor information we wanted.
WINTER 2006
19
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
September – December 2005
Lynn Alexander, The Celli Group
Donna Amato, Pets for Life, Inc.
Diane Burnette, Main Street Corridor Development Corp.
Sherry Fontaine, Park University
Angie Geyer, Life Christian Academy
Patty Hasselbring, Consultant
Terry Heckmaster, Freeman Foundation
Krista Hurd, Northland Early Education Center
Robin Rowland, Humane Society of Greater Kansas City
Robert Salsman, R.T. Salsman Caterers
Michael Schumann, YMCA of Greater Kansas City
Jolene Shaw, Friends of Gilda’s
Justin Shaw, The Bohemian Gallery
Andrew Stith, Cristo Rey Kansas City
Leslie Strube, Union Station Kansas City, Inc.
Jody Worrell, Achieving Milestones, Inc.
COUNCIL CALENDAR
Business Brain Foodi
JANUARY 18, 2006
8:30 – 10:30 a.m., GKC Chamber
Paul Weber, Entrepreneur Advertising Group
$15 (Council members only)
Council Education Seriesi
JANUARY 31, 2006
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Kauffman Conference Center
Plan the Work, Work the Plan: Planning &
Executing a Development Plan
$20 Council members, $35 non-members
MARCH 7, 2006
Intensive Full-Day Workshop
$275 (Council members only)
Funders After Hoursi
FEBRUARY 16, 2006
4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Union Station
Family Foundations
Panel Discussion
Free to Council members, $15 non-members
Funders Forumi (Open to Funders Only)
FEBRUARY 28, 2006
10:00 – 11:00 a.m., Kauffman Conference Center
No registration necessary
COUNCIL ON PHILANTHROPY
P.O. BOX 5813
KANSAS CITY, MO 64171-0813
PRESIDENT
Susan Melton
VICE PRESIDENT
Terry Ward
SECRETARY
Gail Weinberg
TREASURER
Bernardo Ramirez
Past President
Wendy D. Doyle
BOARD MEMBERS
Jerry Glazier
Gregory Glore
Virginia Gross
Tyrone J. Flowers, J.D.
Nancy Kaiser-Caplan
James S. Kanki
David Miles
Amy Mulligan
Susan Schneweis
Donald R. Stebbins
Phyllis Stevens
Pam Whiting
Cindy Worthy
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Michelle Davis
Project Coordinator
Kristy Bailey
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT
Trudi Galblum
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jay Henning
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
KCMO
Permit No. 117

Welcome to the New KCPHILNET

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