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Monthly Archives: March 2018

How nonprofits can successfully execute a capital campaign

Rachel Owens0 Comment

When your not-for-profit desperately needs a new facility, costly equipment or an endowment, a capital campaign can be the best way to raise funds. But to be successful, a campaign requires strong leadership, extensive planning and dedicated participants.

Leading the troops

Capital campaigns generally are long-term projects — often lasting three or more years. To carry out yours, you need a champion with vision and stamina. Consider board members or look to leaders in the greater community with such qualifications as:

  • A fundraising track record,
  • Knowledge of your community and local issues,
  • The ability to motivate others, and
  • Time to attend planning sessions and fundraising activities.

Most capital campaigns require a small army to raise funds through direct mail, email solicitations, direct solicitations and special events. In addition to staff and board members, reach out to current volunteers, like-minded community groups and clients who’ve benefited from your services.

Approaching donors

Identify a large group — say 1,000 individuals — to solicit for donations. Draw your list from past donors, area business owners, board members, volunteers and other likely prospects. Then narrow that list to the 100 largest potential donors and talk to them first. Secure large gifts before pursuing anything under $1,000.

Be sure to train team members on how to solicit funds and provide them with sample scripts. To help volunteers make effective phone solicitations, record a few calls and play them back for the group to critique.

Focus on execution

It’s important to ensure that key constituents share your fundraising vision and strategies for reaching the campaign’s goals. Break down your overall goal into smaller objectives and celebrate when you reach each one. Also regularly report gifts, track your progress toward reaching your ultimate goal and measure the effectiveness of your activities.

Also pay attention to how you craft your message. Potential donors must see your organization as capable and strong, but also as the same group they’ve championed for years. Instead of focusing on what donations will do for your nonprofit, show potential donors the impact on their community.

Many measures of success

You’ll know you’ve reached your goal when you’ve raised a certain dollar amount. But don’t forget about other measures of success, such as return on investment or percentage of past donors contributing. We can help you identify the most valuable metrics to make your capital campaign a success. Contact Langdon & Company today!

© 2018

Now may be a good time to start a paid family and medical leave program

Rachel Owens0 Comment

 

Does your organization have a formalized program under which it offers employees paid time off for an illness or family emergency? If not, there’s now an excellent reason to consider establishing one: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed late last year, created a tax credit for qualifying employers that begin providing paid family and medical leave to their employees.

Qualifications and percentages

The credit is available only in 2018 and 2019. To qualify, employers must grant full-time employees at least two weeks of annual family and medical leave during which they receive at least half of their normal wages. In addition, all less-than-full-time qualifying employees must receive a commensurate amount of paid leave on a pro rata basis.

Ordinary paid leave that employees are already entitled to doesn’t qualify for the tax incentive. For example, if you already provide full-time employees with, say, five days of paid sick time per year, you can’t claim the credit for that paid time off. Similarly, if you’re already subject to mandatory paid sick leave requirements by your state or local government, you won’t be able to claim the new tax credit for leave paid under those requirements.

Employees whose paid family and medical leave is covered by this provision must have worked for the employer for at least one year, and not had pay in the preceding year exceeding 60% of the highly compensated employee threshold.

The credit is equal to a minimum of 12.5% of the employee’s wages paid during that leave. That credit amount increases to the extent that employees are paid more than the minimum 50% of their normal compensation, to a maximum of 25% of wages paid. The maximum amount of paid family and medical leave that can be eligible for the tax credit is 12 weeks per year.

Competitive advantage

Establishing a paid family and medical leave program can boost morale and serve as a point in your favor when competing for job candidates. But additional rules and limits may apply beyond the points discussed here. Please contact us for further details and assistance.

© 2018

When does professional association management make sense?

Pam Williams0 Comment

If your new or fast-growing not-for-profit could use an extra pair of experienced hands, an association management company (ACM), with its turnkey infrastructure, might be able to help. AMCs are paid to manage your nonprofit’s business, leaving you to concentrate on its mission.

Business on their mind

Your organization can rely on an AMC for help with recruitment, employee benefits, training and other time-consuming tasks. Most AMCs provide their services based on a flat fee or monthly retainer. Their clients share overhead costs, so you pay only for the services you need. For example, you can contract with an AMC to provide technology and website support rather than hire a full-time IT staffer.

AMCs support an array of nonprofits, including trade associations, professional societies and charitable organizations. Many serve as the organization’s headquarters, providing it significant savings on space and equipment costs.

Assessing needs

Can you use AMC services? Identify your nonprofit’s requirements through an organizational audit. Your board can then decide which needs should be fulfilled by current employees and which could be outsourced to an AMC.

Next, find a vendor. The AMC Institute lists members on its website at amcinstitute.org. It provides other resources as well, in some cases for a fee.

Choose three or four firms based on the types of services they provide, years of experience and cost. Then conduct in-person interviews, paying particular attention to the types of client the AMC serves and whether its culture is similar to your own. Be sure to check references before settling on a firm.

Growing pains

Whether you need help with your new or growing organization or have specific service needs, a professional AMC could be a solution. We can help you conduct an organizational audit to pinpoint which services you might be able to outsource.  Contact us for more information.

© 2017

Boosting the matching gifts your nonprofit receives

Pam Williams0 Comment

Corporate matching can double the value of donors’ gifts — a bonus no not-for-profit organization can afford to pass up. Are you doing everything you can to educate your financial supporters and their employers about matching gifts?

Encourage donors and employers

Most matching programs are managed by HR departments, which provide employees with matching gift forms. Typically, the employer sends the completed forms, along with the matched donations, to the charity the employee has chosen. Dollar-for-dollar matching is most common among participating corporations, but some companies offer more, others less. Many match donations to any nonprofit, but some are more restrictive.

To encourage increased matching gifts, draw up a list of employers in your area that offer matching. Typically, you can find this information in annual reports, on company websites or by calling companies’ HR, PR or community relations departments. If the company operates a foundation, its matching program may run through that entity.

Once you have a comprehensive and accurate list, post it on your website’s donation page. Also use the list to reach out to existing donors you know work for those companies. All of your nonprofit’s solicitations should encourage supporters to check with their employers about the availability of matching.

Set up your own program

If, despite your nonprofit’s best efforts, matching gifts only occasionally trickle in, consider creating your own matching pool. Ask board members and major supporters to match donations during a certain time period, for certain populations or for a minimum donation amount. For instance, your board might match all donations from new contributors in February or a major donor might commit to match gifts made at your annual gala.

Also keep in mind that some charitable foundations will match gifts to jump-start a fundraising effort or major campaign. Such an arrangement might be easier to set up than securing a large employer to donate to your organization.

Be persistent

Gift-matching enables donors to make larger contributions than they can manage on their own. Knowing their gift will be matched, they might even bump up the amount. Therefore, do everything you can to foster matching gifts. Contact us for more information.

© 2018