[YL] November Monthly Funding Tip

[William Schmid]

November Funding Tip

 

The Finance Project is pleased to announce the next installment in a
series of monthly funding tips
<http://www.financeproject.org/special/irc/monthlyFundingTips.cfm>  for
youth programs.  These tips cover different financing strategies to help
programs finance and sustain their work.       

 

Tip: Conducting Community Fundraising to Generate Revenue for Mentoring
Programs

 

Mentoring organizations can use fundraising as a critical means by which
to achieve sustainability.  In addition to increasing revenue and
in-kind support, successful community fundraising can bring in new
volunteers, community partners, board members, and, perhaps most
importantly, stronger community commitment to the organization's mission
and the young people being served.  While fundraising can lead to
additional revenue and opportunities for organizations, it can also
impose significant costs (e.g., time, resources, staff expertise,
organizational capacity, etc.)  This may be especially true for
mentoring programs.  According to a www.mentoring.org
<http://www.mentoring.org/>  survey, 78 percent of program coordinators
found fundraising to be "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult."  


To overcome these barriers and facilitate the fundraising process,
several steps can be taken, including: 

 

*	identifying programs gaps;
*	having justification for holding a fundraiser in the first
place;
*	identifying a target audience;
*	identifying costs and benefits;
*	generating board members' interest and commitment to fundraising
goals;
*	cultivating and nurturing relationships with current and
potential donors;
*	developing staff and administrative capacity;
*	building a volunteer base;
*	and aligning fundraising strategies with available
organizational resources.  

 

Example from the Field: Accessing Funds at the Local Level to Support
School-to-Work Activities

Friends of the Children (FOC), a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit
organization, has provided mentoring to at-risk youth for the past 15
years.  With a unique staffing structure supporting paid and
professionally trained mentors, the organization makes 13-year
commitments to each child from the start of kindergarten to high school
graduation.  In close partnership with the school district, FOC serves
more than 300 youth in more than 100 schools in five counties throughout
the metropolitan area.

 

With more than one-third of its revenue coming from fundraisers, FOC has
created multiple avenues by which individuals, corporations, and
foundations can support the organization.  The organization's 9th annual
Friend Raiser, for example, generated more than $1 million, with more
than 700 of Portland's business and community leaders donating food and
drinks, bidding on silent auction items, and watching live concerts,
performed by youth within the program.  A combination of small and large
annual events has helped generate vast corporate and community support
and has raised the organization's visibility within the city's many
professional and social circles.  For more information, visit 
http://www.friendsofthechildren.org/aboutus.html. 

 

 

 

  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


For more information on this financing strategy and the various
strategies that can be used to support mentoring programs, see the
Finance Project's publication, Finding Resources to Support Mentoring
Programs and Services for Youth, 
http://www.financeproject.org/publications/FindingResources-MentoringPro
grams.pdf.  

 

Within the Youth Programs Resource Center
<http://financeproject.org/index.cfm?page=31>  you will also find an 
online clearinghouse
<http://www.financeproject.org/special/irc/monthlyFundingTips.cfm> ,
jointly developed by The Finance Project and The Forum for Youth
Investment.  The clearinghouse contains a wealth of information and
resources for supporting and sustaining youth programs and initiatives.
It is designed to help you learn about data, tools, policies, practices,
financing strategies, coordination efforts and technical assistance
resources developed by organizations in the field that aim to improve
the lives of youth.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

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