For those of you considering signing up for the Major Gifts Intensive 08, I have some good news from CFRE International.

They’ve approved the course for their continuing education points. Full participation in the Intensive will earn 8.25 points in “Category 1.B – Education” of the CFRE International application for initial certification or recertification.
AFP Canada ran a “Future of Philanthropy” advertising supplement in the Globe and Mail last week. If you missed it, you can download the whole thing here.
I can’t say that any of the information was especially surprising (this is an advertising piece after all) but there were some interesting stories. The thing I found myself doing most was looking at the ads from various nonprofits. Looking at ads side-by-side really helps you to see what works and what doesn’t. You be the judge, but my faves (they intrigued me enough to go to their websites) were from Bridgepoint Health and Alberta’s Promise. Apparently big, simple and kind of obscure works for me.

Some of you might have seen advertisements for (or even attended) a Grant Institute training program in Metro Vancouver in the past… If they come back again you might want to do some homework before signing up. The NonProfit Times has a story on the numerous complaints against them with Better Business Bureaus in the US. I’ve heard of similar problems with their programs in Canada. Buyer beware.![]()
Teams from Karyo Edelman are working with four Vancouver nonprofits to see how much good they can do in the next 48 hours. You can follow their progress online, through Twitter and with photos at www.thelittlegive.ca.![]()
Go St. Elizabeth’s and Team 3 — the saints!
For those of you in the Vancouver area, I’m offering something that might interest you this fall. It’s called Major Gifts Intensive 08. It’s a sort of butt-kicking major gifts bootcamp.![]()
When I teach or take workshops, I usually wish there was some sort of follow up so that people could be supported in applying the new ideas in their work. This program is going to combine workshop-style sessions, hands-on participation and individualized coaching (and no actual butts will be kicked). By the end of the Intensive, my goal is that participants will truly be ready to launch a major gifts campaign. I’m limiting it to 12 participants so that everyone gets a lot of individual time and attention.
Here are the details. To find out more or to register, please contact me at andrea@blueprintfundraising.com or 604-682-6582.
Session 1: Planning Your Major Gifts Campaign
September 16, 2008 / 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Session 2: Creating Your Case for Support & Building Relationships
October 7, 2008 / 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Session 3: Asking For Money & Working With Volunteers
October 28, 2008 / 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Coaching
Each participant will receive two hours of individual coaching by phone or email outside the sessions.
Location
Workshops will take place at Suite 400 – 21 Water Street, Vancouver. Refreshments and yummy snacks will be provided.
Cost
$685 plus GST per person if you register by July 31
$775 plus GST per person after July 31
Registration closes August 28
Discount of $40 per person for more than one from the same organization
Space is limited to 12 participants and you must register in advance
I’ll be teaching part of AFP Vancouver’s “First Course” again on June 26th and 27th, 2008. Sign up soon if you are interested in this course because it usually sells out. First Course provides an excellent overview of fundraising — perfect for anyone new to the field. You don’t have to be an AFP member to take part.![]()
You can register online through AFP Vancouver.
FIRST COURSE: A Course for Volunteers, New Fund Raisers, & Allied Professionals
Thursday, June 26 & Friday, June 27
Simon Fraser University, Surrey Campus
This is a two day workshop taught by experienced fundraisers that will provide an overview of fundraising techniques. The workshop is limited to 40 participants to facilitate group discussion and participation. Participants will receive a 450 page participant manual – a valuable reference on fund raising functions.
Early bird fee (until June 13th): $325 AFP Members / $375 non-members
After June 13th: $375 AFP Members / $425 non-members
The Canadian Revenue Agency wants to hear your comments on their proposed new fundraising guidelines. Among other things, the guidelines describe acceptable and unacceptable fundraising expense ratios (what a charity spends to raise a dollar). Here’s their evaluation grid:
Ratio of fundraising cost/fundraising revenue in fiscal period
Rarely acceptable: more than 70% (charity nets less than 30%)
Generally not acceptable: 50% to 70% (charity nets 30% to 50%)
Potentially not acceptable: 35.1% to 49.9% (charity nets 50.1% to 64.9%)
Generally acceptable: 20% to 35% (charity nets 65% to 80%)
Acceptable: less than 20% (charity nets more than 80%)
What do you think about these ratios? Is your organization operating in the “acceptable” range today? To figure that out you’ll have to read the guidelines because it isn’t a straightforward calculation. For example, fundraising from government and foundations should not be part of your calculation. And you should include non-receiptable donations.
I took part in a national conference call with CRA representatives yesterday (organized by AFP and Imagine Canada — thank you!). CRA seems to be aware of the many many legitimate reasons an organization might have an “unacceptable” ratio. For example, investing in a bequest program where all the expenses are incurred today but the gifts won’t be received until far into the future. They also acknowledged that start-up organizations or causes with limited appeal or low profile may have to spend more to raise money.
I encourage you to look at the guidelines and give your comments. I’m going to. Some of the conference call participants had great ideas. For example, should this be a rolling average based on several years rather than just one, to accommodate for extraordinarily good or bad years?
Although this evaluation grid is simplistic, I’m happy that someone is attempting to address the very real concerns that donors have about unreasonable fundraising expenses.
Here are a couple of recent articles about the guidelines:
Lessons in charity
Watchdog sets charity rules
New charity rules a good first step
All of us working in fundraising were probably fascinated by Oprah’s The Big Give program… I really liked the show, even though it was schmaltzy and completely over-run with SUV product placements. Inspired by Oprah and hopefully featuring fewer SUVs, local PR firm Karyo Edelman has just launched a cool new corporate social responsibility initiative.![]()

The Little Give will see $10,000 in cash, and a whole lot of time and energy, distributed to four worthy nonprofit organizations working to make a difference in the lives of children and youth.
Here’s how it will work: over a 48-hour period starting at 9 am on June 20, 2008, Karyo Edelman staff will be randomly divided into one of four teams, and tasked with creating something great for its nonprofit partner. The winner will be the team that makes the biggest impact – measured by things like leveraging Karyo Edelman’s cash contribution, bringing attention to what the nonprofit is trying to do, and making a difference in kids’ lives. One of the four nonprofits may emerge as Karyo Edelman’s ongoing CSR partner and become a pro bono client for the agency.
Visit www.thelittlegive.ca to nominate a Vancouver-based nonprofit organization (you can nominate your own organization).
To be eligible, you must be:
- A registered nonprofit organization;
- Based in Vancouver;
- Making a difference in the lives of children and youth (under 24 years old);
- Secular; and
- Available to work with a Karyo Edelman team on Friday, June 20.
I’m going to be presenting a new workshop for the Alliance for Arts + Culture on Tuesday April 8th in Vancouver. It is designed specifically for arts organizations, but the concepts will apply to any type of nonprofit organization… Hope to see you there!![]()
Conducting a major gifts campaign: A step-by-step guide
April 8 , 2008 • 9 am to 12 pm
The Alliance for Arts and Culture, Suite 100- 938 Howe Street
This workshop will guide you, step-by-step, through the planning and implementation of a major donor campaign. You will learn how to make a case for your financial need, create a gift chart, recruit a campaign team, identify prospects, develop effective solicitation tools and make “the ask. Real life case studies and examples will inspire you to create a major gifts campaign for your organization.
This workshop will be suitable for development staff, executive directors, artistic directors, board members and volunteers with at least a year fundraising experience and whose organizations already have a base of individual donors giving on an annual basis.
Workshop cost: $75 (+GST) for Alliance members and $100 (+GST) for non-members. Pre-registration and payment is required.
Please phone 604-681-3535 or email info@allianceforarts.com to register.
Vancouver’s first Net Tuesday gathering is happening tomorrow night and I’ll be there. You should come too!![]()
The event will feature a presentation on “Mobilizing Your Evangelizers” by GiveMeaning.com’s Tom Williams. Many fundraising professionals are experimenting with how to integrate online communities into traditional fundraising strategies — this is such an important topic for anyone working in fundraising today.
Vancouver’s first Net Tuesday event is this Tuesday, Feb. 5th! Every month, SOCIAL CHANGE MAKERS and WEB INNOVATORS come together at NetTuesday events to mix, swap stories, build new relationships, and collaborate on new ideas. Whether you’re working in the nonprofit/social change sector or Vancouver ’s technology hub – you’re invited to join us for great conversations, networking, and community building!
Our kick-off event will feature a presentation by Tom Williams of GiveMeaning.com – entitled “Mobilizing Your Evangelizers” – an overview of how nonprofits and social change groups can use the social web to engage members, reach out to new supporters, and explore new ways to fund raise. Followed by a presentation by Peter Endisch of the Wildlife and Environmental Activist Network, sharing his recent and unique experiences with social media and online tools. Plus a demo by the great folks behind LiveVote.ca and a conversation about how this Vancouver based startup can be used by the social change community.
This event is FREE and starts at 5:30, with presentations from 6-7pm. (approximately)
When: Tues February 5, 2008 @ 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: WorkSpace – Suite 400, 21 Water Street Vancouver
Contact: Joe Solomon @ 604-736-8512