permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Gee, I wish someone had handed me a set of tools like this to work with 
when I was younger. Feel free to bend and shape your own requirements.
Keith


Introduction

   Fundraising can be daunting for those who are not used to it.
   However, it is crucial to the development of any non-profit
   organization, including Post Carbon Institute and the Local Groups
   within the Relocalization Network. For this reason,
   we want to make sure that all Local Post Carbon Groups are set up
   for success!

   The Fundraising Toolkit for Local Post Carbon Groups contains
   advice, templates and examples based on successful
   fundraising techniques. This package is designed to help your Group
   set up fundraising systems which will allow you to
   tap into the resources required to make your vision a reality.

*The Basics: If You Need Money [or just an Income] , You Have To Ask For It*

   *The number one impetus for people who have contributed to
   non-profit organizations
   [or to your personal well-being] is that they are asked!*

   Create a fundraising plan

       The more proactive, organized and prepared you are, the more
       opportunity you will have to successfully
       engage potential donors. Every plan is different but you may
       want to start by:

           . Defining what you want to achieve and by when. Work
           backwards from these goals
           . Establishing how much money you need to achieve your goals
           . Developing Wish Lists of items that your Group needs
           . Creating a basic fundraising proposal that you can tailor
           for different potential funders

   Do Not Fear Rejection

       We have been raised to be anxious about money, so it is natural
       that many of us get anxious about fundraising. The fact of
       the matter is that some people will say no when you approach
       them for money. You can assume that for every three to ten
       people you ask, only one person will actually donate...and that
       is a generous estimate. There is no way of getting around
       rejection in the fundraising arena. The only way to deal with
       rejection is to:

           . Have high hopes and low expectations
           . Maintain an unwavering belief in your cause. Keep the faith!
           . Stay close to your purpose. Do not switch gears as a last
           ditch effort to keep the potential donor interested.
           . Gracefully accept rejection when you encounter it.

   Build Relationships With Donors

       This is the essence of fundraising: it is an exchange between
       people who care about a cause and want to address it. Your
       group is doing work that other people could not do alone and
       donors are, in a sense, compensating you to do that work.
       Foster those relationships and turn donors into lifetime friends
       of your Local Post Carbon Group. This important aspect of
       fundraising is touched upon in more detail later in this package.

   Funding sources

       There are several ways for an organization to generate funding.
       This includes securing money through:

           . An Earned Income
           . The Public Sector
           . The Private Sector

   Earned Income

       Some organizations secure some of their funding through earned
       income, such as the sale of books, buttons, t-shirts or other
       related items. This can help organizations increase their
       financial stability and reduce their reliance on grants and
       individual
       donations.

       However, please be aware that for non-profit organizations,
       earned income can only constitute a small percentage of total
       income. Please consult your federal tax laws for more detailed
       information.

       Accounting for your current sources of earned income will help
       you to understand what type of funding you will need to
       pursue in order to close the gap between what you have and what
       you need. This is an important step in preparing a
       funding proposal to present to potential donors in the public
       and private sectors.

   Public Sector

       Funding under this category comes from the government. You will
       most likely be asking for funding from local and, possibly,
       national government entities through grant applications. Only
       apply to grants that are in line with your Local Group's vision.
       *The last thing you want is to receive a grant that requires you
       do work in an area that takes your focus away from your
       identified goals.* Applying to grants is addressed in more
       detail later in this information package.

   Private Sector

       This category includes individuals, businesses, foundations and
       other grantmaking organizations. The majority of funding
       for most Local Post Carbon Groups will come from the private
       sector. Individual donations are particularly important, as
       approximately 85% of all contributions to charitable
       organizations in the U.S. come from individuals. For this reason
       it is
       worth developing a good system for attracting and maintaining
       individual donors. The rest of this information package
       focuses on private sector donations.


         Building your donor base

   Current Donors

       Current donors have already expressed an interest in helping
       your Group (and Post Carbon Institute as a whole) achieve
       its goals. Statistics show that if someone has donated to an
       organization before, they will most likely donate to that
       organization again. This is an important piece of information to
       cultivate in the fundraising process because lifetime donors
       to an organization make up a huge chunk of individual donations
       to non-profit organizations.
       The key to encouraging people to become lifetime donors is
       creating relationships with existing donors that tie them further
       to your Group and its overall purpose. Customize a highly
       personalized approach to engage in a give-and-take dialogue with
       your donors by:

           . Inviting them to Group events
           . Giving them a call on a regular basis or when you come
           across something that might be of interest to them
           . Meeting them for coffee and a chat about what is going on
           with the Group
           . Sending them newsletters or regular updates
           . Thanking them for their contributions in a timely fashion
           [See the Thank You Template included in this package]
           . Holding free feel-good cultivation events to show them
           your appreciation (and to meet their friends -- potential
           firsttime
           donors!)
           . Getting creative with how you engage in dialogue with them

       You can get as creative as you want in regards to how you engage
       in dialogue with your current donors. Just ensure the
       dialogue allows you to:

           . Keep track of their preferences and actions
           . Ask for feedback
           . Incorporate what you have learned into your next
           conversation with them
           . Keep donors up-to-date on everything about your Local
           Group and the Relocalization Network including, but not
           limited to, what type of funding is needed to attain your
           specific goals

   New Donors

       The first step in getting potential first-time donors is to
       educate them about your organization. This education should
       include:

           . A brief history of your Local Post Carbon Group, the
           Relocalizaton Network and Post Carbon Institute
           . A basic statement of programs and services offered
           . A breakdown of numbers (ex. people served, budget size)
           . A Group and organization vision for the future and an
           outline of what is required to achieve that vision. Identify
           the gap.
           . An emotional hoo

       Initial contact with potential first-time donors can take place
       in a number of ways including, but not limited to:

           . Public screenings of the End of Suburbia (see
           www.endofsuburbia.com for more information)
           . Presentations aimed at raising awareness
           . Lunch meetings with member(s) of your group
           . One-on-one meetings
           . Following up thoroughly on a request for information
           . Guiding them through the website

       Always ensure you have a system of capturing names, addresses
       and e-mails (with permission, of course).
       Follow up with potential first-time donors within a week of
       their education. This will provide you with the opportunity to:

           . Thank them for participating in the educational session
           . Ask them to share their thoughts about the session
           . Listen to what their specific interests are in the Group
           . Ask whether they see themselves being involved in the Group
           . Ask whether they know of anyone else who would be
           interested in hearing about the Group and its mission

       Make the ask....i.e. ask. Timing counts a lot at this stage.
       Once a potential first-time donor has been educated and you have
       followed up with them, you are at an appropriate stage to ask
       for money. Use the information you have gathered about them so
       far in order to determine how their contribution can best serve
       both the Group and the donor. Lay out the different methods of
       donating:

           . Specific Amounts: explain your financial needs in general
           and specify which ones are related to their interests
           . Levels of Donation: explain what certain contribution
           levels can typically do for the Group
           . Multiple Year Pledges: explain how this type of funding is
           best for helping to support the operating needs of the
           Group

       To help with the collection of pledged donations, you may wish
       to create a donor pledge sheet. Just remember that the
       donations you collect will not be tax-deductible unless your
       group has charitable status or can find a fiscal sponsor who
       does.

See our Post Carbon Institute Sample Funding Pledge Sheet for ideas on
how to set up your own pledge sheet.

       Keep track of your donors. Make sure that you maintain a donor
       tracking system. Knowing who speaks to donors
       in what way and how often will help you learn more about how
       your Local Group relates to its donors. This, in turn, will help
       you learn how to develop and maintain strong relationships with
       loyal donors. It will also give you a list of regular donors,
       who you can use to ask for future support and link you to more
       potential-first time donors. Tracking donors over time
       increases the likelhood of developing a strong base of lifetime
       supporters.

       Foundations and other grantmaking organizations

           Fundraising tactics aimed at foundations and other grant
           making organizations require finding a 'good fit' between
           the goals
           of your Group and the requirements of the particular
           foundation or organization. Remembering the common principle
           that
           not all of your fundraising attempts will be successful, you
           will need to ask as many potential donors for money as possible.
           Finding foundations that fit. In order to find a 'good fit'
           there are a few things that you can do:

               . Develop, maintain and update a list of potential 'good
               fits' in your area.
               . Subscribe to a server that lists foundation profiles
               [A good example is the Foundation Center at
               http://fdncenter.org ]
               . Mine your contacts to find out whether they know
               anyone influential who could help achieve the goals of the
               organization; ask for an introduction.
               . Make sure that you discuss the mission and goals of
               the Group candidly with your own contacts so that they are
               well-versed when talking to others.
               . Approach community funds through one of its members
               who would likely advocate the goals of your Local Group
               and Post Carbon Institute. Use your contacts for an
               introduction and remember that grants or donations
               typically go
               to organizations that the community fund is tied to in
               some way.
               . Remember that foundations want their contributions to
               have the largest possible impact. For this reason, you
               may want to emphasize that your group's resources will
               be shared among an international network of over 100
               other Loc al Post Carbon Groups and that, in this way,
               your successes will help many other communities.
               Once you have made and cultivated contacts for potential
               'good fits', it is time to write and send them funding
               proposals.
               Don't forget to tailor your proposals to each individual
               funder.

See our Post Carbon Institute funding proposal template for more help 
writing funding proposals.

       Businesses

           Soliciting funding from businesses can be tricky because
           they often have a large set of criteria that an organization
           must
           meet before they commit to a donation. They may not view a
           potential partnership with the Post Carbon Institute and your
           Group as beneficial to their overall image or may not find
           our mission conducive to the way they wish to continue running
           their business. You can start by making a list of local
           businesses that have demonstrated a concern related to any
           of the issues
           that your Local Group addresses.

       Conclusion

       This information should help to start you and your Local Group
       on the path to fundraising success. If you have any questions
       about this package or need more fundraising support, please
       contact our Development Coordinator at
       members@postcarbon.org or by phone at 604-736-9000.
       Good luck!!


Appendix A:

   DONOR PROSPECT PROFILE TEMPLATE

       Profiled by:

       Date:

       Context:

           . Include a brief statement about the relationship between
           the potential donor & your organization (i.e. who referred
           them to you or how they became interested in your Local Group)

       Current activities:


           . Include the donor's current jobs, volunteer activities

       Boards he/she currently sits on:

       Organizations he/she currently funds:


           . Include all charitable donations, political contributions,
           and anything else you can find

       Past activities:


           . Old jobs, past involvement with other organizations, books
           written, talks given, etc.

       Education:

       Personal:
       . Include anything else that is relevant to your donor's
       interest in your Local Group


Appendix B:


   DONOR THANK YOU LETTER TEMPLATE

       [Print on your Group's letterhead, if you have one]
       [address]

       [Date]

       Dear [addressee],
       Thank you so much for your generous donation to [Local Group
       name here]. We are extremely appreciative of the support
       you have shown for our group.
       With your gift, we will be able to [insert use of funds here].
       The ability to [sum up outcomes and/or positive benefit of the
       activity which you will be undertaking] is critical, and we are
       grateful for the opportunity to continue doing so. Thank you for
       helping to ensure the success of our group's mission. Your
       invaluable support helps us grow and develop.
       We will be sending you an update in [date 9 months from receipt
       of funds, if the donor is reasonably large] to let you know
       how we have been making use of the funds you so kindly provided.
       Please do not hesitate to contact me personally at any
       time if you have any questions or would like further information.
       Yours truly,
       [Contact person]
       [Title]
       [Contact information]


Appendix C:


   FUNDRAISING PROPOSAL TEMPLATE


       Post Carbon Institute

       Post Carbon Institute is a non-profit think, action and
       education tank offering research, project tools, education and
       information to implement proactive strategies to adapt to an
       energy constrained world. The development of Post Carbon
       Institute came out of a concern for the environmental, social,
       political and economic ramifications of global over-reliance on
       cheap energy. Our main response to these concerns is the
       strategy of Relocalization, which aims to rebuild societies based on
       the local production of food, manufactured goods and energy, and
       the Relocalization of currency, governance and culture.
       The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community
       energy security, strengthen local economies, dramatically improve
       environmental conditions and foster social equity.

       An Imperative to Act

       Relying on a system of cheap energy and globalized trade has
       many negative implications. These include climate change
       and environmental degradation; the erosion of small businesses
       and the diversion of profits away from local communities;
       loss of energy security and increased geo-political conflict;
       the proliferation of suburbs and resulting social dislocation; and
       increased dependence on oil, a finite resource which many
       experts predict will hit its global production peak before the end
       of this decade.

           [You may want to add more information to this section which
           addresses the foundation's
           area of focus. For example, if a potential funder is
           concerned about local food production, you
           might want to talk about the fuel used in fertilizer &
           transportation and the environmental
           benefits of local farming. If a funder is concerned about
           climate change, you can focus on the
           emissions reductions that come from decreased energy
           consumption.]


       The Response- Relocalization

       Relocalization provides community solutions to these significant
       challenges by allowing community members to source
       essential goods and services much closer to home and, as a
       result, dramatically reduce their overall energy consumption.
       Each individual Relocalization response has additional positive
       benefits. For example, making food or manufactured goods
       locally reduces the amount of energy intensive long-distance
       shipping that is required to bring products to consumers.
       Producing local renewable energy decreases the need for
       large-scale polluting sources of energy, such as oil, nuclear,
       natural
       gas and coal. In addition, linking communities' outputs to their
       capacity for local energy production will encourage them to
       stay within their local limits to growth, reducing environmental
       degradation and climate change.



   The Relocalization Network

       Post Carbon Institute supports the Relocalization Network, a
       growing network of Local Post Carbon Groups and
       Relocalization Network affiliates all over the world which are
       working to prepare their communities for an energy-constrained
       future. These community-based groups receive guidance,
       educational resources and electronic infrastructure from Post
       Carbon Institute. The Groups work within their communities in
       cooperation with local governments, businesses, nongovernmental
       organizations and educational institutions to put the concept of
       Relocalization into practice.

       While working primarily within their communities, these groups
       also share knowledge, experience, and educational resources
       with the all of the other Local Groups within the global
       Relocalization Network. Local Post Carbon Groups are experimenting
       with Relocalization projects with the aim of developing viable
       solutions to the challenges of peak oil. All successes and
       failures are valuable contributions, helping the network develop
       a comprehensive Relocalization strategy.

       [Insert your Local Group's name here]

           [Here, you will want to describe a bit about your group
           including its most recent
           accomplishments, current activities and future plans. Make
           sure to tailor the information to
           appeal to the particular funder you have in mind each time
           you write an application.]


       Appendices

           [You should include a copy of your project's budget, overall
           goals, timeline, specific tasks and
           deliverables, along with a listing of key project staff or
           board members and their relevant
           qualifications. You may also want to include a list of past
           funders and information about your
           fiscal sponsor or charitable status**.]

           ** Note: Fiscal sponsorship is when a charitable
           organization contracts another nonprofit
           organization without charitable status to do some of its
           charitable work. This allows
           organizations without charitable status to accept tax-exempt
           grants. For more information
           about fiscal sponsorship or charitable status, please
           consult a lawyer specializing in non-profit
           tax law.

--
Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting

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