Blueprint Fundraising

Vancouver Foundation 2010 application deadlines

It is great to see the Vancouver Foundation coming back to a regular schedule of grant making. Their 2010 deadlines have been announced here. First deadlines are for letters of inquiry for Arts & Culture, Education and Youth, Children & Families on February 10, 2010. Most the other programs have a deadline of July 23, 2010.

We made the list (of stressful jobs that pay badly)

CNNMoney.com has an uplifting feature on Stressful Jobs that Pay Badly and fundraiser is number 7. We are in the company of social workers, special event coordinators, news reporters, assisted living directors and high school teachers.

Things have really changed because not too long ago, fundraiser made it on the 2009 list of America’s Best Careers, according to US News & World Report.

There is also a list of Least Stressful Jobs, just in case you are looking for a career change.

Thought for the day

“It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weathering the Storm: the state of nonprofits in BC

The Vancouver Foundation has just released Weathering the Storm, a look at the state of nonprofit organizations in British Columbia today.

So many organizations are feeling the strain of funding cuts and decreased giving — this report confirms just how hard the sector is being hit. It is very worthwhile reading, especially to understand the context for fundraising and organizational management these days. Even if the economy is improving, 2010 is not going to be an easy year. More layoffs, budget cuts, closures and mergers are on the horizon. Click here to download the full PDF report.

From the press release…

Key findings of the survey were:

• Almost every charity was impacted in some way by the economic downturn in 2009. However, certain organizations – smaller charities, arts and culture and environmental groups – were the most negatively impacted by drops in their revenue base.
• Overall, more than half of all charities (53 per cent) experienced a drop in revenue in their 2009 fiscal year, with the average decline being 19 per cent.
• For certain charities, the bigger challenge this year was the increased demand on their services. Social service and health care organizations were both significantly affected by a jump in demand for services.
• Many charities dealt with this year’s budget challenges by looking for new sources of revenue (62 per cent) or undertaking more fundraising (58 per cent). This means that more organizations are searching for what is, essentially, a shrinking pool of funds.
• One-quarter (25 per cent) of charities surveyed had to layoff staff in order to cope. Of those who did reduce their roster of employees, the average reduction amounted to a 21 per cent cut to their total workforce.
• Looking forward, charities are not overly optimistic about 2010. Most anticipate they will continue to experience a drop in key revenue areas, while some also predict a marked increase in demand for their services.
• Half of all charities feel they are either “not prepared” or only “somewhat prepared” for the challenges of 2010. Several charities reported they had already cut to the bone, and there was no more left to cut: any further erosion of their revenue would likely lead to closure next year.

“We chose the name of this report very deliberately,” said Faye Wightman, CEO of Vancouver Foundation. “The experience that charities, including ourselves, have been through this past year is equivalent to a hurricane plowing through the community. Now the storm may be passing but it has left a lot of devastation in its wake. There is much repair and rebuilding that needs to be done. And some structures are now so fragile they could collapse at the first gust of wind. We expect 2010 will be harder than this current year for many charities.”

A generous donor… you don’t want to meet

Here’s a little video from The Onion, just in time for Halloween…

Anonymous Philanthropist Donates 200 Human Kidneys To Hospital

National Philanthropy Day

Canadian Heritage has officially named November 15th, 2009, National Philanthropy Day in Canada. There are celebratory events planned all over the country (and beyond). Read all about them.

If you are in the Metro Vancouver area, a Philanthropy Day lunch will take place on November 10th at the Westin Bayshore. Tickets and details can be found here. It’s a great event for saying thank you to your donors and volunteers.

I’ve always liked the slogan: “Change the world with a giving heart.”

Time to speak out about BC’s cuts

If you work in the nonprofit world in BC (and if you are a person who cares about culture, the environment, seniors, homelessness, libraries, people with disabilities or just about anything else that matters in our community), you are probably worried about the massive cuts being made to gaming grants and other provincial programs.

I urge you to speak out and express your concerns to the government, through letters to politicians or through the provincial budget consultations on now. The deadline for public input on the budget is October 23, 2009. You can answer their survey, make an online submission or sign up to take part in a public hearing. All the details can be found on the government’s budget consultation page.

If you want to express support for arts and culture, here is a sample letter you could send. Here’s some news about the impact of cuts on the environment. And here’s the latest on cuts to domestic violence prevention programs. And here is an op-ed on how gaming was intended to support community organizations, but that promise is being broken.

Free webinar from AFP

The Association of Fundraising Professionals is offering a free 90-minute webinar presentation on “Understanding CRA Fundraising Policy & How it Impacts Your Fundraising” on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, at 1 p.m. Eastern time. This is a chance to hear some expert opinion on the recently released “Revised Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Guidance on Fundraising.”

Click here to find out more and to register.

The speakers, Ken Mayhew, a member of the AFP Canadian Government Relations Committee and chief development officer of the MS Society of Canada, and Terrance S. Carter B.A., LL.B., trade-mark agent, managing partner of Carters Professional Corporation and a member of AFP, will present material that will give participants a better understanding of the CRA guidance on fundraising process, purpose and application. There will be a Q and A session at the end.

Change of address

I’m sad to report that WorkSpace, the shared office where I’ve been based for the last couple of years, is closing. So Blueprint has a new mailing address — please update your records:

54 – 1101 Nicola Street
Vancouver, BC V6G 2E3
Canada

Phone and fax remain the same.

Thanks for the coffee and conversation, Dane!