Development for Conservation CoronaVirus and Fundraising Presented - - PDF document

Development for Conservation

David Allen | David@DevelopmentForConservation.com | 608-239-5006

CoronaVirus and Fundraising

Presented at

New York Land Conservation Conference - 2020

May 2020

David Allen, Development for Conservation

5/7/2020 1

Agenda

• Warm‐up – Silver Linings
• Fundraising and COVID
• Strategic Planning
• Planned Giving
• Discussion

Bit.ly/NYSummit‐Silver Bit.ly/NYSummit‐Notes

5/7/2020 2

Dealing with COVID‐19

What we can learn from 2009:

• Relationships with donors matter
• Donors cut by giving to fewer
• rganizations
• We still need to ASK

Dealing with COVID‐19

What we can learn from 2009:

• Foundation support substantially dried up
• Did not rebound until 2011 or later

Dealing with COVID‐19

The Agitator:

Can Your Organization Raise Money Now?

• Emphasize benefits from Nature and

getting outside

• Open up trails and preserves
• Communicate

5/7/2020 3

Dealing with COVID‐19

Clairification (Claire Axelrod):

Coronavirus Fundraising: Steal These Ideas!

• Don’t pretend things are normal
• Be honest.
• Ask for the urgent help you need.
• Stay as upbeat as possible.
• Thank, thank, thank.

Dealing with COVID‐19

Recommendations:

• Communicate on the phone, email, social

media – make it personal

• Be honest – don’t pretend things are

“normal”

• Stay Upbeat

Dealing with COVID‐19

Recommendations:

• Operate assuming “normal” is in 2021
• Plan the remainder of 2020 with no

assumptions for travel or gathering

• Get creative

5/7/2020 4

Dealing with COVID‐19

• Bayou Land Conservancy

– Shadowed a Land Steward on a monitoring visit on video – Facebook Live “Ask the Ecologist” to keep people engaged

• Westerly Land Trust

– Live‐streaming the release of a red‐tailed hawk on one of the preserves – Promoting a Trails app

Dealing with COVID‐19

• Mississippi Valley Conservancy

– Sent caring email out to all members

I have come to really enjoy your soothing and kind messages. I'm equally enjoying exposing friends to trails (while socially distancing) and feeling their new enthusiasm and relief from the stressors of our time. Thanks for reaching

• ut and all that the MVC does to protect our

beautiful "backyard".

Fundraising Events

• Ask a donor to cover the event’s NET
• Substitute a Non‐Event
• Use the time to build more substantial

relationships with donors

5/7/2020 5

CARES ACT

• Allows $300 per person above‐the‐line tax

deduction for those who do not itemize.

• Increases the AGI limits for those who do

itemize cash donations to charity from 50‐ 60% to 100%.

Important / Not Urgent

• Strategic Planning
• Deep analysis
• Fundraising Planning
• Planned Giving
• Database Cleanup

Our Strategic Plan

• Goal #1 – Save the World
• Goal # 2 – Increase Membership
• Goal #3 – Raise as much Money

as Possible

5/7/2020 6

Strategic Planning

Mission Strategy (Direction, Activities) Plans (Measurable in Time & Scope) Budget Fundraising Goal Strategy (Direction, Activities) Plans (Measurable in Time & Donors) Budget

Total expenses less $$ from other revenue sources.

Strategic Planning

• Engage donors up front
• Take the time to deliver consensus as well as

a plan

• Take Fundraising OUT of the Strategic

Planning Process

• Calculate what success will cost – then finish

Raise it once

• Capital

–Land –Buildings –Equipment –Endowment

Raise it every year

• Operations

–People –Utilities –Supplies –Travel

5/7/2020 7

Planned Giving

Five Elements

• Marketing
• Affinity Group
• Board

Participation

• Stories
• Stewardship

Marketing

• Ubiquitous
• Soft

Appreciated Assets

• Stock and land are two common examples.
• If the donor sells the asset and gives the

money, they get a tax deduction for the gift (assuming they itemize).

• If the donor gives the asset, they get the

same tax deduction PLUS they avoid the capital gain tax.

5/7/2020 8

What you can do NOW

• Pay attention to your website
• Develop policies covering Gift Acceptance

and Unrestricted Bequest Distribution and make sure your Board fully understands both of them

• Donor Stewardship

My Favorite Distribution Plan

• 70% into Board Restricted Operating

Endowment

• 20% into President’s Discretionary Fund

for high‐risk, high‐reward projects that might not otherwise get budgeted.

• 10% for Planned Giving Marketing

Legacy Match

• Donor provides Match Fund gift – money

to be received NOW

• Each new legacy gift matched 10% from

the Match Fund

• Commonly has a floor (e.g. $500) and a

ceiling (e.g. $5,000)

DAVID ALLEN

I am a non-profit organizational development consultant. I work with nonprofit organization boards to help their members learn how to be better leaders and advocates. My background includes 30 years working in membership fundraising, major gift development, communications, and marketing. I worked for about half that time for Nature Conservancy (TNC) chapters in Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. In addition to my duties for the individual chapters, I served TNC as an internal fundraising consultant and major gift development trainer. In 2000, I served as the vice-president of operations for the Wisconsin-based, international conservation organization Sand County Foundation, a position I held through mid- 2009. Gathering Waters Conservancy, a land trust service agency based in Wisconsin, called me in 2004 to ask whether I would be interested in teaching a seminar for Wisconsin land trusts on major donor development. From 2004, then, through 2009, I consulted on a nights and weekends basis with just a few clients each year. In March of 2009, I launched my consulting business full-time using the name Development for Conservation. Also in 2009, I partnered with Nancy Moore to form Conservation Consulting Group. Together we help land trusts prepare for accreditation by providing assessment, strategic planning, and leadership coaching services. I consider myself a strategic thinker, problem solver, facilitator, educator, and program developer who brings a particular passion for conservation and the environment. Practice Competencies Fundraising Organizational Development

• Development Audit
• Strategy Development
• Strategic Fund Development Planning
• Practice & Process Assessment
• Staff/Board Training and Development
• Problem Solving Facilitation
• Major Gift Coaching
• Marketing
• Capital Campaigns: Feasibility, Planning, Management

David Allen Development for Conservation

David@DevelopmentForConservation.com 608-239-5006 608 West Dean Avenue Madison, WI 53716

www.DevelopmentForConservation.com