The July 24-30, 2009 edition of the Denver Business Journal (page A7) had an article by Bob Mook, “Nonprofits hope to win big with high-stakes raffles.”  The article describes how many nonprofits are trying what he terms a go-for-broke fundraising strategy in these tough economic times through the use of high-stakes raffles. 

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver is organizing the Rocky Mountain Home Raffle.  Participants can win a ski home in Keystone, a loft in LoDo, or $1 million cash.  Tickets are $100 each and the number of tickets to be sold is limited to 27,500.  For a limited time, they are offering a buy a 3-pack of tickets for $275 or a 10-pack of tickets for $800 and SAVE.  To date, however, they have sold only 3,500 tickets but the grand prize drawing is not until late September so they remain hoeful they will sell out.  Early ticket purchasers are put in early drawings to collect prizes ranging from $1, 000 to $20,000, as well.  Guess you need to keep your fingers crossed NOT to win one of those as it probably decreases your chances of cashing in on the BIG prize!

The website states, “Your $100 helps Boys & Girls Clubs to build caring, responsible citizens and create a positive place, full of hope and opportunity, for every child and …enters you in the raffle to win a stunning dream home or $1,000,000 CASH. The Grand Prize Winner selects either the $1,000,000 Ski Home, the $1,000,000 Denver Loft or $1,000,000 CASH. Thousands of dollars in additional cash prizes will be awarded in Special Early and Multiple Ticket-Buyer Drawings. Your odds of winning a prize are at least 1 in 200, depending on the number of tickets sold.”

Even if all 27,500 tickets are sold in the 10 packs – that would mean $2.2 million raised.  Not sure how much of that has to go out in expenses but that is a nice chunk of change to work with, nonetheless.   And the odds of 1 in 200 seem much better than the Colorado Lottery!  My friend bought a ten pack and I bought myself a ticket, as well – why don’t you join us and support the Boys and Girls Clubs?  You can put three additional names on each ticket purchased, so this could be a nice gift for employee recognition purposes – maybe to honor their volunetering in the community!

The DBJ articles also gives tips for nonprofits considering running raffles of their own on the legalities involved.  I knew running a raffle required a special license but I did not know the organization needs to have been in operation 5 years to be eligible.  So be sure to do your research before jumping into the deep end of the pool!

I just made my 8th loan (this time to a female entrepreneur in Mongolia) using a revolutionary new website called Kiva (www.kiva.org).

You can go to Kiva’s website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business – like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks.  Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent – and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.
  
The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back – and Kiva’s loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

One of the things I really enjoy is getting the monthly update email from Kiva which tells the status of my microloan repayments.  This month, I had $17.66 payed back and I decided to reinvest it in another entrepreneur, which I did.  My loan selection criteria is as follows.  My first choice is a female entrepreneur in a country where I have spent time, usually a solopreneur, where I can easily see how the loan will increase her ability to expand her business and help support her family. To date I have made loans to 5 women in Peru, 1 in Pakistan, and 1 in Samoa – all places I have been.

So, I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Otgonbat Tseesuren in Mongolia, a place I have not yet been.  They still need another $2,025.00 to complete their loan request of $2,775.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!).  Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Otgonbat Tseesuren too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=125293

It’s finally easy to actually do something about poverty – using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they’re using it for.  And most of all, I know that I’m helping them build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world – one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

‘Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.’
– BBC

‘If you’ve got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you’ve now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.’
– CNN Money

‘Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.’
– The Wall Street Journal

‘An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity…All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.’
– Entrepreneur Magazine

I watched Maria Andros’ video on YouTube about YouTube and Twitter a while ago and decided that I needed to “take the plunge.”  After I set up my YouTube Profile and Channel, I went to browse the videos for Nonprofits & Activism and and noticed the green logo below.  Turns out that YouTube has a Nonprofit Program and gives tips for nonprofits on how to do a video campaign as a way to get the word out about their organization.  Very cool…and wow…do I have a lot to learn!

I am planning a Technology Toolbox session for 100 AmeriCorps program staff in DC next month.  We are going to have some great presenters talking about how to use social media and other technology tools not only for resource development and fundraising but awareness building, volunteer and member recruitment and training, communication, program management, etc etc.  It is going to be exciting.  Some nonprofits are already really savvy about tech tools but I would venture to say most are not yet!  And they need to get on the train or they will be left FAR behind!!

So…are you a business person that gets this stuff?  A great pro bono service you could offer your favorite cause or nonprofit would be to help them think through a basic strategy and get them hooked up with the basics – like Facebook, YouTube, etc.

Have you heard of ServiceNation?  Because of my work in National Service, I have heard about ServiceNation since its inception and have been watching its work and growth with great interest.  Last year, representatives made a presentation at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Atlanta to all the AmeriCorps grantees in attendance.  The energy about what they were doing was great – I even had one of their reps, a young man from Alaska, come to my session on measuring the impact of nonprofit programming and ask for a few minutes to share about more about ServiceNation with participants.

From their website, “This campaign now focuses on building a national grassroots movement aimed at inspiring widespread public support for increasing voluntary community and national service opportunities, solving problems with proven service strategies, and elevating service as a core ideal of civic engagement. ServiceNation encourages all Americans to step forward and take the lead in bridging our divides, strengthening our communities, and building a more vibrant democracy.”

Especially given the economic times in which we find ourselves, ServiceNation is a movement which deserves our support.  Check them out and join me in signing their Declaration of Service. 

You can also find ways to volunteer through their partnership with Network for Good and USA Freddom Corps, as well.  Within 20 miles of my office, there were 1820 opportunities – so surely there is something for everyone that wants to get more involved.

I am reading a book by Dave Evans, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, because I am trying to get up to speed on using Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media for business purposes.  Wow – what a lot to learn!!  The exercise for Day One involves reviewing blogs and wikis to learn about them.  One of the examples given was the wiki for One Laptop per Child (ONLP).  I had heard of the program before but really did not know much about it.

According to the wiki, the mission of OLPC is “One Laptop per Child creates educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”

The website gave the following update: “OLPC launched its second Give One, Get One (“G1G1″) program on November 17, 2008, following last year’s popular program which supported the production of over 150,000 XOs. This year the XO laptops will be shipped to donors through Amazon.com, and the program includes Europe. Visit laptop.org/xo.”

For $199, you can give a child in a developing country a laptop.  The Amazon page says:”Why give a laptop to a child in the emerging world? If you replace the word “laptop” with “education” the answer becomes clear. You don’t wait to educate until all other challenges are resolved. You educate at the same time because it’s such an important part of all the other solutions.  The XO laptop was designed especially for children. So no matter who they are or where they live, this computer has the perfect features and software to get them excited about learning. Just imagine how the world would change if every child had the tools to unleash their full potential.”

What a great project and such a low “ticket price.”  Check it out at www.laptop.org and perhaps your business can join the effort and give the gift of education. 

…And I still don’t really get wikis…

Got a little time – want to help an emerging entrepreneur from the comfort of your own office?  Today I got an email from MicroMentor seeking new mentors.  MicroMentor is a nonprofit program that connects emerging entrepreneurs with volunteer business professionals in mentoring relationships.

(more…)

The effect of hard times on nonprofits is clearly a hot topic.  There was an article by Kevin McCoy and Oren Dorell in today’s USA Today, titled “It’s a hard time to be a charity.”  The article starts by discussing the impact of the Freddie Mac financial woes on its charitable arm and thus the nonprofits and programs that received funding from them. 

The article goes on to state, “The economic crisis threatening the nation with the worst recession in decades has set off tremors among non-profits and charities large and small that rely on donations from Wall Street, industry and average Americans.  The potential impact is just now taking shape, because 2009 grants from many philanthropic foundations are still being set and the end-of-year holiday giving season is opening. Although it’s difficult to draw broad conclusions from reports by individual charities, many non-profits say they are feeling an economic pinch.”

“This is the worst fundraising environment I’ve ever worked in,” says Jeffrey Towers, chief development officer for the American Red Cross, which won promises of $100 million from Congress this month after 2008′s hurricanes, tornadoes and floods depleted the group’s disaster-relief reserves.  The Red Cross is suffering as much as a 30% drop in responses and contributions from new donors, and corporate donations are “coming in at lower amounts.”

The article ends with “”Many charities are between a rock and a hard place, being asked to do more with less,” says Ken Berger, president and CEO of Charity Navigator, a large independent U.S. charity evaluator.

If there’s any so-called bright side, he says, it’s that the economic crisis could force redundant, inefficient or otherwise weak charities to merge with stronger organizations or simply shut down, reducing the competition for contribution dollars.”

It is an interesting article, you should read it.  Click here.

I was checking some facts about giving in the US for my book this morning and I found a press release issued September 19, 2008 from Giving USA Foundation about the impact of recession on giving levels.  It stated,”What really happens to charitable giving when the economy is roiling? A new report from Giving USA Foundation examines the topic from the aspect of past recessions and economic slowdowns, and discovers that while there is an impact on giving, it’s not as dire as conventional wisdom would assume.

“When the economy is uncertain, as it is in 2008, non-profits and others naturally assume the one sector that will be heavily impacted is philanthropy,” said George C. Ruotolo Jr., CFRE, chair of Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits and past chair of Giving USA Foundation. “With history as our guide, we know that’s not true. In fact, while charitable giving is impacted by recessions and/or economic slowdowns, it’s not by nearly as much as one might expect.”

Read the whole release and see what you think.  Of course, this was issued before the big slide on Wall Street…so I wonder if it will still hold true?  At Denver’s Two Percent Club event this week, business leaders certainly were concerned that the 40 percent reduction in foundation assets due to recent Wall Street events would significantly impact their ability to give in future years.

Last week I was in DC helping run the State Service Commissioner Institute presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Project TASC of JBS International, and the America’s Service Commissions.  As I sit here, back in Denver I am amazed that after my 14 years of working with state service commissions and AmeriCorps, how many people are still unaware of them.  When I mention that I train and consult with AmeriCorps, I often still have to say, “you know…it is the domestic Peace Corps.”  It is still a bit of a well kept secret and that is a shame.  One of the topics I have done extensive work on with AmeriCorps programs nationally is performance measurement and evaluation.  So what I know to be true is that the vast majority of these programs are providing fabulous service to their communities and making a significant impact - because I have helped them figure out how to measure it!

What is AmeriCorps? 

For those of you that don’t know, AmeriCorps is a National Service program that places members (aka volunteers) at nonprofits and state/local government agencies, often in teams, to provide volunteer service addressing identified community needs.  Full-time members give 1700 hours of their time, receive a tiny monthly living stipend, and at the end of their service commitment an educational award of $4725 to pay for additional schooling or past educational debt.  While the majority of members are in the 20′s, there is no upper age limit and it is not uncommon to see 20 somethings working alongside people in their 40′s, 50s, and 60s from a wide range of backgrounds!  The monthly stipend is great, in my opinion, as it levels the playing field allowing people of any financial background to participate – not just those whose parents can afford to support them while they serve!

AmeriCorps programs are designed by community agencies to meet specific local needs in the areas of education, environment, public safety, human needs, and disaster services.  Members provide direct service working with the beneficiaries of their hosting organization doing such things as tutoring students having trouble in school, running afterschool programs, cleaning up neighborhoods, developing neighborhood watch programs, assisting communities hit by disasters, running food pantries, and building homes – just to name a few.  All AmeriCorps programs are required to provide direct service to the community, provide the necessary training for members to effectively provide their service and become more civically engaged, develop partnerships among community organizations, and recruit other community members to get involved as volunteers. 

AmeriCorps is one of the National Service/volunteer programs funded by the federal government.  However, it is interesting to note that AmeriCorps programs are required to match the federal funds they receive with resources generated locally – basically dollar for dollar.  State-based AmeriCorps programs are designed locally and state commissions are able to tailor the allocation of their AmeriCorps resources to insure they meet that state’s most pressing needs.

What is a State Commission? 

There is a bipartisan State Service Commission in every state in the country except South Dakota, as well as Guam and American Samoa.  In 1993, Congress passed the National and Community Service Trust Act that created the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer and oversee National Service. CNCS is the umbrella agency for the old ACTION Agency programs – VISTA and Senior Corps (RSVP, Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions) – plus the newer AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs.  As part of the Act, any state that wanted to receive federal AmeriCorps funds based on a population-based formula needed to establish a state service commission.  Commissioners are appointed by the Governor and commissions are run by a small administrative staff.  State Commissions basically have two main mandates.  The first is to administer the AmeriCorps program in the state to insure it meets critical local needs and second is to promote service and volunteerism as a way to address local issues.  Commissions are usually housed within state government (often in the Governor or Lt. Governor’s offices) or can be stand alone 501(C)(3)s.

Why should you care?

If your company is looking to get more involved locally or at the state-level with well run nonprofits and their programs, the executive director of your state’s service commission is a great person with whom to talk.  S/he will know about opportunities to volunteer in your community, regionally, and/or at the state level.  S/he can also point you to specific programs that could use your business savvy and resources to build their capacity to do even more good in the community.  Also the reach of commissions is wide – if you support their efforts, it is a great way to get your company’s name out there in a positive way!

AmeriCorps programs go through an extensive review and training process so you know when you choose to support one of them, they have been VERY carefully vetted!

The enthusiasm AmeriCorps members have about what they are doing in local communities is absolutely infectious.  It always reminds me that I need to get out and do more volunteer work myself.  Interviewing members for various evaluations I have conducted, I am constantly amazed at how much they have learned about local issues and how to be part of the solution, not just sit around and complain. 

Get involved!  To find your state’s commission, go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact/statecommission.asp.  From there you can click to go to your state commission’s home page which lists all the local AmeriCorps programs.  Be sure to call the commission’s executive director if you have questions or want to know more about how to get involved.  I know them all – and there is no finer group of people on the planet in my view.  And…feel free to tell them I recommended you call!

Last year, the Corporation for National and Community Service (the federal agency promoting service and volunteerism for which I have been a trainer/consultant for 14 years) and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation launched an exciting new initiative, A Billion + Change to increase corporate pro bono service in support of nonprofits nationally.

I was in DC this week helping run the State Service Commissioner Institute for governor-appointed representatives from Commissions on National and Community Service that promote service and volunteerism and administer AmeriCorps at the state level.  Shannon Maynard,  Executive Director of the President’s Council, did an update on Pro Bono for the commission executive directors that I was unfortunately unable to attend but I picked up one of the extra brochures on the initiative that she left behind.  I am in the process of trying to set up an interview with Shannon who I have known for years to get more specifics of the initiative so I can share the details with you.

In the meantime, here is a brief overview.  The brochure cover gave a definition of pro bono: “Pro bono service uses the specific skills of professionals to strengthen nonprofits and communities in need.  Latin “for the public good,” pro bono refers to professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service.”

“Why Pro bono?  Pro bono service is a powerful way for companies to increase their value.  Once the sole purview of law firms, pro bono service combines business strategy and corporate giving to achieve meaningful results for communities.  For decades, businesses have given financial contributions and organized volunteer projects, but the concept of providing and applying corporate expertise and intellectual capital to the world’s biggest challenges is gathering tremendous momentum.”

The brochure goes on to state…”extensive research proves that pro bono:

• benefits your bottom line
• attracts investors
• improves your market share
• builds your brand
• expands your ROI on corporate philanthropy
• enhances your recruitment and improves staff morale.”

In my forthcoming book, Strategic Business Philanthropy, I have a whole section which outlines the myriad ways businesses can engage strategically with nonprofits to maximize impact for both organizations.  Pro bono service is of course one important way that companies can share their expertise and perhaps make a greater difference than they could through checkbook philanthropy alone.

What specialized skills do you have as a company that you could offer to strengthen the capacity of a nonprofit whose work and mission you believe in?