FUNdraising?
Fundraising – although the word begins with FUN, I am not sure that was my first thought when I was asked last year to lead the newly formed GMN Fundraising Team. The team started as a subcommittee of the Board of Directors Finance Committee – since the Finance Committee is in charge of the oversight of the organization’s funds, it must know how to raise more money for GMN…right? For the most part, the Team consists of members with a background in finance - people who get excited about accounting for money and creating and analyzing reports. Raising it was something new for us, but we were up to and even a little excited about the challenge.
As we started reaching out to fellow GMN members, it was clear that they are passionate about the organization’s mission; spend time volunteering, connecting with, and learning from other members, and willingly share information to assist their colleagues. Our charge was to determine how we could turn that passion and commitment into greater financial support for GMN. The Board was supportive and committed from the very beginning, even adopting a policy requiring all GMN Board Members to make an individual contribution beyond the amount their organization was contributing. We felt it was important to put our money where our mouths were and lead by example.
As most of you know, GMN is structured as a nonprofit organization with members (rather than as a membership association), and we are committed to maintaining a voluntary dues structure for our members. We must however, raise sufficient funds to support our programs and operations. As grants managers, most of us know something about the financial health of the nonprofit organizations we support – and as GMN members, we would want our own organization to maintain the same financial health we look for in our grantees.
By now you should have all seen the April email requesting financial support for GMN. You might have noticed a new approach to the request – the creation of the Contributing Organization Member. What exactly does that mean, and why should you support GMN as a contributing organization?
Starting in 2010, organizations that meet or exceed the annual contribution levels will receive all of the individual member benefits plus the following additional benefits for their GMN member employees:
- A free one-year subscription to the GM Guide, the collective knowledge of the grants management community
- Reduced rates for GMN's annual conference and other events
- Access to the GMN member community, GMN publications, and all other programs, resources, and services
Since the Contributing Organization Member option was introduced, a number of grantmakers have made donations. To find out why, I reached out to two longtime – more than 8 years – members who have been strong advocates for GMN, Julie Brooks Nyquist of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Vivian Walker of the Home Depot Foundation. I wanted to learn what made their foundations decide to increase their financial support, and continue to advocate for GMN as Contributing Organization Members. First, I thanked them for their organizations’ generous support; and I asked what motivated it. Julie explained that the Knight Foundation increased its support as a direct result of our campaign. She shared with me that her organization values the online network of members for guidance and the ability to access ongoing education for knowledge and skills development. The Knight Foundation wanted to take a leadership role in becoming a contributing member as another way to encourage grants management professionals in its region to become members.
Vivian loves the online community -- having a national resource of people to ask questions of and share information and collaborate with allows her to stay abreast of trends in the field. I was especially pleased to hear Vivian say that the Home Depot Foundation was happy to give back to an organization that has provided so much support to the philanthropic field.
Have you and your organization benefited from GMN programs, products, and services? Have you advocated with your organization for a contribution to GMN? If you have, then I thank you on behalf of the fundraising team and the entire board. If not, we hope that your organization will follow the Knight and Home Depot Foundations’ lead by making a financial contribution to GMN today. Maybe you did not see the email, maybe it is stuck in your “to do” box, or maybe you are waiting until your new fiscal year begins. Wait no more!