Our 2008 chapter goal is $2,450.  We are on our way, but could definitely use your help.  If we meet or exceed our goal, we will be eligible to receive 25% of the total gifts received through the Every Member Campaign Chapter Partnership Grant.  YOU helped us reach our goal in 2007, and we’re counting on you again this year! 

The Every Member Campaign is AFP’s annual campaign.  All local AFP chapters participate on behalf of AFP’s Foundation for Philanthropy. Contributions fund AFP strategic initiatives that advance philanthropy through ethical and effective fundraising.  We do this to achieve our mission to enhance philanthropy and volunteerism through programs of education, research and service that benefit those who lead, serve and support nonprofit institutions.  The National EMC goal for 2008 is $520,000.        

If you haven’t had a chance to submit your pledge or contribution, please visit our website at http://www.afpoklahoma.org/EveryMemberCampaign.asp. If you would like a form mailed to you, or if you have any questions, please contact Ms. Johnna R. Walker at johnna.walker@chickasaw.net.

Once again, thank you to our board members for leading the way and setting a wonderful example through 100% board participation!!  And thank you to everyone who has participated because you truly make a difference that will help our chapter!

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

CFRE Review Course in Oklahoma City!

On July 10 and 11, AFP Oklahoma will offer the AFP CFRE Review Course for members and non-members alike.  The AFP CFRE Review Course offers development professionals an opportunity to review the main components of a complete fundraising program. It is a two-day, intensive program that focuses on the terminology, organization and structure of a development operation. The Review Course can help lay the foundation for preparation for the CFRE Professional Certification Exam. 

The cost is $370 for AFP members and $410 for non-members.  The course will be held at the YMCA Association Offices in downtown Oklahoma City.  If you would like to register online, read the instructors’ bios or learn more about becoming CFRE-certified, please visit http://www.afpoklahoma.org/cfre.asp.

Audioconferences

AFP Oklahoma will offer four more audioconferences this year to help you build upon your fundraising knowledge base.  Audioconferences count as 1.5 points toward CFRE certification requirements.  There is no cost for members, a $10 fee for non-members and anyone is welcome to attend.  Bring your brown bag lunch and learn from some of the best practitioners in the fundraising business.  The audioconferences begin at noon and end at 1:30 p.m.  The schedule is as follows:

Date	Topic	Speaker	Location
Wednesday, July 9	Keep Your Donors-Part 1:  Building Donor-Centered Relationships	Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE	Oklahoma City Community Foundation 1000 N. Broadway Avenue
Wednesday, August 13	Four Tried-and-True Keys to Fundraising Success	Carole V. Rylander, CFRE	Butterfield Memorial Foundation 50 Penn Place 1900 N.W. Expressway, #310
Thursday, September 18	Keep Your Donors-Part 2:  The Secrets of Successful Communications	Tom Ahern, ABC	Butterfield Memorial Foundation 50 Penn Place 1900 N.W. Expressway, #310
Wednesday, December 10	Guerilla Tactics:  Motivating Your Board and CEO to Raise More Money	Paula K. Parrish, CFRE	Oklahoma City Community Foundation 1000 N. Broadway Avenue

These conferences were selected based on input from AFP Oklahoma members and non-members.  For full descriptions of the session topics and speakers, please visit: http://www.afpoklahoma.org/AudioConferences.asp.

If you plan to attend any of the audioconferences, please RSVP to Gayle Farley, Education Chair, at g.farley@occf.org.

KIRKPATRICK FAMILY FUND MATCH

The AFP Oklahoma Chapter has been given a tremendous opportunity from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund to take part in honoring Mr. Kirkpatrick’s remarkable philanthropic legacy.  We are eligible to receive a matching gift up to $5,000 from the Family Fund to our affiliated fund held at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.  

Your gift will help secure the future of AFP Oklahoma so that future generations of professional fundraisers can benefit from the mentoring, networking and educational opportunities that AFP provides.

You can make your gift directly to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, PO Box 1146, Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1146.  Or you can make a gift online at www.occf.org.  Be sure to designate your gift to the AFP Oklahoma Chapter fund.

RAISING PLANNED GIFTS BY MAIL

This article is excerpted from Larry Stelter’s new book, How to Raise Money by Mail, published by Emerson & Church. For more information about the book, visit www.emersonandchurch.com or call 508-359-0019.

By Larry Stelter

Despite the lack of confidence we sometimes feel about direct mail’s efficacy, the fact remains – it works. Maybe one day this will change – perhaps the Internet will come into its own as a fundraising medium. But for now, raising planned gifts by mail is a solid and revenue-producing strategy.  

However, unlike holiday greetings and change of address notifications, your planned giving mailings can’t be showered on the general population. Direct marketers often cite the 60-30-10 formula for determining a mailing’s success.

Sixty percent depends on the quality of the mail list; 30 percent is based on the content of the appeal; and 10 percent can be attributed to the design or format. Since marketing dollars are precious and your board’s expectations for results are high, don’t dilute your efforts by mailing to anyone other than your best prospects.

Let’s make it simple. Start by limiting your list to people who have met one basic criterion: Anyone who has made at least two gifts of any size to your organization (more about this in a minute).

Note some of the folks who will not make the cut:

    ·         -Wealthy, philanthropic people in your community who have never given to your organization.

 ·         -Everyone who attended your last auction, had a few drinks and spent more than they intended.

 ·         -People who have made only a single contribution of any amount.

 ·         -Your parents, friends or random family members who, again, fail to meet the basic criterion (OK, you can include your mom).

 Once you’ve assembled an initial list, refine it based on the following characteristics.

Age

Age 55 is a magic number in the gift planning business. It’s the point, we’ve determined, where people seem most open to learning about and acting on philanthropic opportunities. The sight of their AARP card no longer stings, retirement is a welcome topic, their kids are leaving or already gone, they’re ready to burn the mortgage papers, and a fair amount of sentimentality is setting in.

If you’re largely clueless about the age of the people in your database, consider conducting an age overlay. This involves matching your list of names and addresses against those on a list provided by a company specializing in gathering key data on households nationwide. These companies pull information from various public sources and can help you fill in the gaps without violating any privacy laws.

Loyalty and Affinity

Perhaps you’re wondering why it’s important to mail only to people who have made a second gift. People make donations for lots of reasons: peer pressure at a golf event, as a memorial for an elderly neighbor, or because an adorable five-year-old knocked on the door asking. Typically, before donors are willing to make a planned gift, they must be connected – in most cases passionately connected – to the work and future of your organization and believe they can have a real impact on your mission. The best indicator of this is continuing support, not a one-shot gift.

It’s tempting, I know, to include the entire class of ’73 or that sweet couple who have attended the annual gala for the past two years. But if they haven’t made a single donation, don’t waste your limited marketing dollars soliciting them for planned gifts.

Size of Gifts

Note that when I suggested you mail to people who have made at least two gifts I said gifts of any amount. Yes, any amount. I’ve yet to find any statistical data correlating the size of a donor’s annual gift to his or her potential to make a planned gift. This is true, in part, because most planned gifts are made from assets (e.g. appreciated securities, retirement plan assets or real estate holdings) rather than yearly income.

Further, planned gift donors come from all walks of life, not just wealthy backgrounds. We’ve all heard stories about the small donor who gave $25 per year for 20 years, then quietly left his or her entire multimillion-dollar estate to charity.

I’ve seen both extremes when analyzing an organization’s planned giving mailing list. Some are too broad in scope – including too many people without a strong connection to the organization. Others are too narrow – including only those donors who are very old or have previously given a very large gift.

For example, I worked with a hospital that had been mailing a planned giving newsletter for several years with little response. I asked the development director who was on the mailing list. The hospital was definitely working the 55 and older crowd, but its loyalty criterion was a bit off. It had a minimum level of $2,500 in annual giving before donors were put on the mailing list!

I explained that the profile of a planned giving donor includes more than the wealthy and suggested the hospital expand its list. About 18 months later, I bumped into the development director, who reported that responses more than doubled since dropping the $2,500 minimum.

Help! I Can’t Afford My Mailing List

When money is a major constraint, narrow your list according to the following formula:

    ·         Pull the records for prospects aged 55 or older and look for donors who, in terms of their giving history, strike a balance between longevity and consistency. For example, pull the names of anyone who appears on your annual giving rolls for three of the last five years. Can you afford to mail to that list?

 ·         If the answer is no, then narrow the list further to those people aged 55 or older who have made at least four gifts at any time in the past seven years.

 ·         If you’re still over budget, focus on those who have made gifts in five of the past eight years or mail to those who are age 60 or older instead of 55.

 In short, keep experimenting until you reach a target list size that falls within your budget.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Director of Development – Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics

Experience in statewide networking, major gifts, annual fund raising, corporate and foundation support, and general knowledge of planned giving and development records and research.  Degree required.

Send letter of interest with resume and three references to:

President

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics

1141 N. Lincoln Blvd.

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

or e-mail to personnel@ossm.edu. EOE

Associate Director of Institutional Advancement and Alumni – St. Gregory’s University

Qualifications include an assertive, personable self starter with proven selling skills/experience to assume a position in institutional advancement in a non-profit fundraising office.  Although experience in fundraising environment is preferred, selling or marketing experience could provide the necessary required background. The ideal candidate will have direct responsibility in developing and nurturing prospective donors; making and closing gift requests; and stewarding the donors.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the right individual to advance in a career in philanthropy/fundraising.  Bachelor’s degree required, Masters degree preferred.

Send cover letter, resume and references to hr@stgregorys.edu or St. Gregory’s University, Human Resources Director, 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee, OK  74804.  EOE

 

Please visit the AFP Oklahoma website regularly for new job postings.

 

 

 

e-mail: afpoklahoma@gmail.com

web: www.afpoklahoma.org

PO Box 217

Oklahoma City, OK 73101

 

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