Mo_Davies

Mo Davies & Associates

Helping you and your volunteers raise money









Effective Fundraising for Small Shops









By

Mo Davies, CFRE

Mo Davies & Associates









Mo Davies, CFRE, 4 Harris Park Drive, Toronto ON M1L 2Z9

Ph: 416-752-5855 E-mail: modavies@sympatico.ca

Contents

Part A Basic Concepts 3

Part B Raising Money from Individuals 7

Part C Raising Money from Associations 12

Part D Raising Money from Foundations 12

Part E Raising Money from the Business World 13

Part F Internet-based Fundraising 13



Recommended Reading 14



Appendix A Sample Networking Form 15

Appendix B Sample Proposal and Covering Letter for 17

Operating Support from Foundations

Appendix C Sample Proposal and Covering Letter for 23

Programme Support from Foundations

Appendix D Contents of a Basic Mail Package 30

Appendix E Sample Appeal Letter to individuals 32

Appendix F Generic Critical Path for Special Events 34









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 2

PART A

Basic Concepts









Competition

 Almost 80,000 registered charities

 Over 100,000 non-profits

 Government cutbacks continue.

 More asks from private sector

 School board and other non-traditional groups







Where the money comes from

 88% from Individuals

 5% from Corporations

 7% from Foundations







Where the money goes

 55% religion

 12% education

 12% welfare and other causes

 11% health

 10% arts and culture



Most Common Reported Fundraising Methods

 Unsolicited donations

 Special events

 Gaming

 Products

 Direct mail

 Board member fundraising









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 3

Revenue by Activity

 Direct mail – 18%

 Special events – 15%

 Planned giving - 12%

 Capital/endowment – 1%

 Gaming – 8%

 Unsolicited – 8%

 Products – 4 %





Accountability

 Demand for disclosure

 Cost-effectiveness

 Protection for donors

 Emphasis on ethics

 Law suits

 Fundraising profession regulation

 Charities closely monitored by Government



Basic elements in a case for support

 Background to organization

 Positioning

 Whom do you help

 How many do you help

 Impact on the community

 Achievements

 Services

 Specific programme/project for which you are asking money

 Fundraising goal

 Ask for a specific amount

 What will there donation accomplish – what is the impact on PEOPLE

 How gifts can be made

 What’s in it for the donor



Where can you raise money in the private sector?

 Individuals

 Corporations

 Foundations

 Associations









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 4

Cost to raise a dollar

Face to face solicitation/

capital campaigns 10 to 20 cents

Direct mail—renewal 20 cents

Direct mail—acquisition 90 to 1.25 cents

Special events 50 cents

Corporations 20 cents

Foundations 20 cents

Telemarketing 32 cents

Product sales 35 cents

Planned giving 25 cents

Gaming 23 cents

Workplace giving 7cents





Uncovering connections

As you know, almost everything in this world seems to revolve around whom you know

not what you know, and fundraising is no different.



To discover your connections have key people sit around a table and brainstorm whom

they know. The form in Appendix A can help guide that process. Adapt it for your use.





Donor relationship management

Saying thank you and keeping in touch with donors is the most crucial part in developing

a funding base. It is also the area which charities do poorly. Research done recently in

Canada has shown that something as simple as having board members call to say thank

you for their gift increases that donor’s lifetime value to the organization.





Evaluation

It is vital to evaluate all fundraising programmes you do to determine what the successes

and failures were, how to improve them and to decide if they are worthwhile doing again.

Of course you can only evaluate if you had objectives. So before implementing any

fundraising develop achievable objectives.



Basic data you should collect:

 Participants – number of donors making a gift

 Gross income – total contributions

 Total expenses – all fundraising costs



Then work out the following:







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 Percent participation – number of participants divided by total solicitations made

 Average gift size – total gross income divided by number of participants

 Net income – gross income minus expenses

 Average cost per gift – expenses divided by number of gifts

 Cost of fundraising – expenses divided by gross income

 Return no investment (ROI) - net income divided by expenses



Example

You mail 1200 letters. You get 120 replies, a total of $6000 for expenses totaling $1000.



You therefore have:

 10% (120/1200x100) participation

 An average gift of $50 (6000/120)

 Net income of $5000 (6000-1000)

 Average cost per gift - $8.33 (1000/120)

 Cost of fundraising – 16 cents to raise a dollar (1000/6000)

 ROI – 500% (5000/1000x100)



A plan

Finally develop a clear action plan which outlines what will be done by whom, by when.

Make sure it:



 Is diverse

 Is cost-effective

 Is time-efficient

 Reflects your needs – how much, when, visibility, education

 Takes into account the number of volunteers you have/can recruit

 Can be staffed

 Can be funded by upfront money needed



Once you now how much you need to raise there are various techniques you might

consider. Set your goals and choose the techniques, which use your resources in the most

cost-effective and time-efficient ways and remember to diversify.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 6

PART B

Raising Money from Individuals









Different Ways to Approach Individuals for Money

 Face-to-face solicitation  Fee for service

 Mail to friends, peers etc  Planned giving

 Direct mail campaign  Telemarketing

 Special events  Door-to-door canvass

 Coin boxes  Membership

 Products  Gaming



Mailings, Face-to Face Solicitation, Planned Giving, Special

Events, Products

Mailings

Pros

 Cost-effective

 Can make repeat requests

 Is fairly personal

 Measurable and testable

 Educational component

 Good for small/mid level donors

 Segmentation gives more personalization

 Results are trackable and repeatable

 Can be used for political work

 Can be a source of undesignated money

 Time-efficient



Cons

 Low response rate

 Increasingly competitive

 Donor fatigue

 Cost ratios are going up

 Somewhat impersonal

 Potential mail strikes

 United way organizations need to watch timing of mailings





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 7

Have Board and other volunteers mail a letter from themselves to a list of their contacts. This is

an easy and lucrative way to raise money. Someone drafts a basic letter, which each person can

adapt, if they wish, before they sign it.



Even with a small list of donors you should segment by at least level of donation. Try to divide

your list into three ranges and then when you mail ask for differing amounts in each segment –

coupon and letter both reflect these differing amounts.



A fully developed direct mail programme with a number of acquisition and house mailings each

year usually requires help from consultants, upfront money to get started and about two years to

develop.





Monthly Giving

Pros

 Cost-effective

 Time-effecient

 Regular income – easier budgeting

 Increase life-time value of donors – by 3-5 times

 Generally undesignated money

 Saves paper

 Saves renewal costs



Cons

 Not very effective with small lists

 Donors move – need to stay in touch

 Takes time to grow

 Details need to be worked out at the bank

 Appeal more to younger donors



Talk to your bank about the cost of setting it up and then decide at what point it becomes cost-

effective for your mailings.



Personal Solicitation/Major Gifts

Pros

 High success rate

 Cost-effective

 Dollar raised per hour of effort is high

 Can raise large amounts of money

 The most personal approach

 Can upgrade donors

 Results in loyal donors over the years

 Good way to involve volunteers

 Can be designated or undesignated funds







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Cons

 Takes time to develop the relationship with the donor to its fullest

 Needs well-trained volunteers – one per 4 or 5 prospects

 Volunteers must have a well-developed kit

 Needs time to develop a list of prospects and information about them

 Staff time is required to prepare the kits, supervise and motivate solicitors



The definition of what is a major gift is relative to the range of donations to your organization.

For your organization it could be $500, for others $5000 and for still others $500,000.



This is the most cost-effective and under-utilized fundraising technique.



The ask is done by volunteers who have been trained by staff. You can do a simple pilot by

reviewing your donor list and selecting 5 of your top and loyal donors. Do research to find a

volunteer who knows them and to decide for how much they should be asked. Your first visit

may be more of a cultivation visit – bringing them up to date with your plans and progress. Take

them on a tour of your facilities/office.



Planned giving

80% of all planned gifts come from wills/bequests



Pros

 Big return on investment

 Easy to get a programme going

 Requires little initial financial investment

 Time-efficient

 Cost-effective

 Great income potential over next 20 years – 30 years



Cons

 The payback is long term - three to five years minimum

 The use of the funds will be directed by the donor

 Hard to predict the income

 70% of people do not have wills

 Some volunteers and younger donors find it morbid

 Works best with a loyal base of supporters

 Wills can be changed and contested

 Some people fear it is too technical to get into



Start with wills – use your newsletter, direct mail, website, and other vehicles to let your

supporters know you accept bequests. Tell stories of bequests you have received and how that

money helped your ―clients‖. Bequests are easy for small shops to implement.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 9

Special Events

Pros

 Fun

 Generate new contacts

 Increase public awareness

 Give present donors another opportunity to donate

 Can be opportunities for sponsorship

 Can be tailored to appeal to targeted populations

 Mobilize volunteers

 Ways to find new volunteers

 Can raise money

 Source of undesignated funds



Cons

 VERY labour and time intensive

 Not cost-effective - 50cent dollar

 Risk factor, especially for outdoor events

 Profit/person-hour is small

 Requires lots of planning to be successful

 Can lose money if not careful

 The wrong type of event can reflect badly on your organization

 May need to hire extra staff

 United Way members may have restrictions on timing





Not all small charities can/should do events. If you have no volunteers then most special

events would be very difficult to carry out. Do not get caught up in doing a number of

events - it is not the best use of your time. Doing one ―signature‖ events can be useful.

If you have volunteers who will do events with very little or no staff assistance then go

ahead.



Be cautious of doing special events to raise awareness or your profile. In large cities the

competition for media is great and you will be lucky to get coverage. Even if you do it

is questionable as to how much awareness is raised – very few charities seems to measure

it.



If your objective is to raise public awareness there may be cheaper more effective ways

to do it.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 10

Third Party Events

 Done by another support and no  You must not feel

organization and money from your obligated to accept

cheque given to you organization all third parties

 VERY cost-effective  If they want to use offers - if it doesn’t

 VERY time-efficient your logo, this must feel right, do not

 Make sure it is in be approved agree

keeping with your beforehand  Above all get a

image  Insist on seeing and contract signed

 Request a letter have final say on the outlining everyone’s

outlining the event use of your name, roles,

which clarifies the logo etc. etc. in all responsibilities,

expectations, if any, publicity, marketing duties outcomes etc.

on your organization materials before they etc

 Ensure the third go anywhere

party knows there  Check the receipting

will be little or no process



Clearly this is a great way to raise money. When the organization asks you to go to a cheque

presentation consider sending a trained Board member.



Products

Pros

 May be some name recognition

 Some volunteers prefer to sell things than ask for money

 Can complement an event or programme

 Undesignated funds



Cons

 Not cost-effective

 Not time-efficient

 Small profit margin

 Can takes lots of staff time - ordering, inventory and so on

 Can be left with unsold inventory

 Can easily take a loss

 Easy to price the product too low



Product sales are not recommended for small shops.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 11

PART C



Raising Money from “Associations”

Pros

 Cost-effective

 Lend a legitimacy to the organization/event

 Source of volunteers

 Prefer local projects and organizations

 Networking within the community

 Third party events

 Can be general operating support or designated



Cons

 They may be over-committed

 Limited size of gifts

 Can be a fairly long process



This can be an excellent source for small local charities. Try to recruit a service club member to

your Board for connections.





PART D



Raising Money from Foundations

Pros

 Cost-effective

 After an initial investment of time for research it is time-efficient

 Foundations are in the business of donating money

 If your organization falls within their parameters there is potential for a substantial

amount of money for a minimum time investment

 They mostly have clear guidelines and application procedures

 A grant can give you credibility with other funders

 Can raise operating funds or designated funds



Cons

 Chances of success are fairly low

 Large grants for projects are primarily one-time

 Their deadlines for applications may not coincide with your need for money

 May take a long time to get a response

 A few may not fund United Way organizations





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Foundations are for many small shops a very good way to raise funds. You may require some

initial assistance from a consultant to get the research done and help write templates for

proposals. Staff or a trained Board member should make a call before mailing anything to them

– to confirm spellings, deadlines, their requirements and to schmooze – first step in relationship

building.



PART E

Raising Money from the Business World

Pros

 Cost-effective

 After an initial investment of time for research it is time-efficient

 Potential for annual support

 Adds credibility when approaching other potential donors

 Good source of in-kind gifts

 Can give organization good profile with company’s staff and customers

 Might be able to tap into company’s media buys

 Can be a source of volunteers



Cons

 Conservative giving patterns. Give to "safe" organizations

 May want a lot of control in any partnership

 Chances of success are low

 More likely to want to partner with large organizations

 Shrinking pot

 United Way organizations have restricted lists



Corporations make donations out of their donations budget, their marketing budget and in some

cases their foundation. Many corporations also have matching funds – if an employee makes a

donation the corporation will match it. Some corporations will make a donation if one of their

employees is a volunteer with your oganization. It is important to look for connections into

corporations.





PART F

Internet-based fundraising

I would not recommend setting up a website for the sole purpose of raising money.



Direct donations

If you have a website make sure you have a donations page and have it prominently on the home

page. Two clicks maximum to get to the donation page. If you can accept credit card donations





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so much the better. If you do not have a website there are a number of sites which accept

donations on behalf on many different charities (e.g. Charity.ca)

You must make sure that you promote this way of giving money on all your other publications.

You need to drive people to the site.



Corporate advertizing

This works for larger websites with lots of traffic – it is not an easy sell.



Selling products

Some organizations such a World Wildlife Fund sell a lot of products on their website. However

products in general are not an efficient way to raise money and I would not recommend small

charities getting into products.



Volunteer recruitment

If you have site post volunteer positions that you have



Gathering gifts in-kind

Again, if you have a site list goods and services would like people to donate.









Recommended Reading

 Fund-raising Fundamentals: A Guide to Annual Giving for Professionals and Volunteers by

James M. Greenfield published by Wiley and Sons

 Fund-Raising Cost-effectiveness: A Self-Assessment Workbook by James M. Greenfield

published by Wiley and Sons

 Thanks: A Guide to Donor-Centred Fundraising by Penelope Burk published by Burk &

Associates

 Building Foundation Partnerships" The Basics of Foundation Fundraising and Proposal

Writing by Ingrid Van Rotterdam published by The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy

 Fundraising for Non-Profit Groups: How to get money from corporations, foundations and

government by Joyce Young and Ken Wyman published by Self-Counsel Press

 The Fund Raiser's Guide to the internet by Michael Johnston published by Wiley and Sons









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 14

Appendix A

Sample Networking Form



Name: ________________________________________________________



Address: ______________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Phones: Home: ________________________ Work: ___________________



Fax: __________________________ e-mail: __________________



Occupation: ___________________________________________________



Present employer: _____________________________________________



Previous employers: ___________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________





Service clubs/organizations you belong to, or have contacts in:



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________





Connections with corporations/businesses/business associations/foundations:



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Professionals you know (doctors, lawyers etc.): _______________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Media connections: _____________________________________________







Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 15

_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Union connections: ____________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Church connections: ____________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



―Celebrities‖/public figures you have connections to: ___________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Political connections: ___________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________



Potential volunteers: _____________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 16

Appendix B

Sample Foundation Appeal (Operating) and Covering Letter





May 25, 2000



Ms Rebecca Thomas

CIBC World Markets

The CIBC Wood Gundy Children’s’ Miracle Foundation

BCE Place, PO Box 500

161 Bay St., 7th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S8



Dear Ms Thomas:



I am asking The CIBC WOOD Gundy Children’s Miracle Foundation to consider a grant of

$4758 to XXX to help three young people and their families overcome their very real problems.



XXX was established in 1989 to provide counselling services to very high-risk youth and their

families in the Blake Boultbee area of East Toronto. It is the only agency in the area directly

serving the 14 to 25-year-old high-risk children and youth in this capacity. Forty percent of our

clients are young women.



Today we receive lots of referrals from across the city as our reputation continues to grow as the

agency that has success working with the hardest-to-serve youth and families, and as schools and

other organizations, which are losing most of their support services, reach out to XXX resulting

in many new working relationships.



I project that we will work with close to 100 clients in the year 2000/2001 at a modest cost of

$1,586 per client. This cost generally breaks down as follows: 80% counselling and direct

service, 5% transportation (TTC and travel to sessions, jobs, appointments, school), 10%

emergency and miscellaneous needs/expenses (food, clothing, medical, personal hygiene needs),

and 5% administration. Almost insignificant compared to the $81,000 required to keep a youth

in the criminal justice system for one year or the $36,500 to keep a high-risk youth in the child

welfare system.



The objective of XXX is prevention. We work to help at-risk youth and children turn their lives

around and prevent them from becoming burdens on society. By the use of intensive one-to-one

counselling and therapy, intensive family counselling and therapy, group counselling and crisis

intervention we offer options to these at-risk young people. Young people like Bob (not his real

name.)



Bob was a 15-year-old resident of the Blake/Boultbee community who used to pop in and

out of our office. He eventually opened up to me asking for help with his violent behaviour

and lack of self-esteem and motivation. He had had numerous violent incidents and was





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 17

seriously concerned about his relationships with peers and most importantly, girls. He also

was having tremendous difficulty staying in school.



I discovered that Bob had suffered years of abuse at the hands of his stepfather and was

seriously behind at school.



During his first year at XXX there were a number of incidents that created personal turmoil

for Bob, including criminal charges and numerous battles with his family. But during this

same time period I managed to keep him in school. I also began to work deeply on self-

esteem issues and the trauma he had experienced as a child. Bob had entered into a serious

relationship with a girl and wanted to ensure that he did not repeat the abusive behaviour he

had experienced in his own life.



After three years of regular counselling sessions Bob has almost completed his high school

diploma, is working part-time, and is living independently, and non-violently, with his

girlfriend. He is surviving and contributing to society and looking forward to finishing

school, working in the world of animation and continuing to have healthier relationships.



And this is just one of our many successful stories.



Our growing list of funders includes the Counselling Foundation of Canada, the F. K. Morrow

Foundation, the IOF Child Abuse Prevention Fund, the Lunenfeld Foundation, the Lunan

Foundation, the Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation, Green Shield Canada, Commercial Union, the

Raptors Foundation, Avon Canada, Imasco, the McLean Foundation, Riverdale Share Xmas, The

Royal Bank, the Tippet Foundation, the Henry White Kinnear Foundation, the Rotary Club of

Toronto Charitable Foundation, the Harold A. Kopas Charitable Foundation, the City of Toronto

and a growing list of individuals.



Thank you for considering this request. If you have any questions, please call me at 416-465-

1410.





Yours sincerely,







____________

Rod Cohen, Executive Director and Counsellor



Enclosures

Most recent audited statement and the 2000/2001 budget

Board of Directors

Testimonials









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 18

Introduction

XXX a charitable, community-based outreach service, was established in 1989 to provide

counselling services to very high risk youth in the Blake Boultbee area of East Toronto—an area

which a 1988 study revealed had a very high incidence of criminal activity.



The majority of these kids, 40 % of whom are women, have been thrown out of school, been in

trouble with the law, abuse drugs and alcohol, live in violent domestic circumstances and have

been abused. Their role models, in many cases, are unemployed, abusive parents and these

young people know no other way to live.



The objective of XXX is to help very high-risk young people turn their lives around and prevent

them from destroying their lives and becoming burdens on society.



XXX is the only agency in the area directly serving the 14 to 25-year-old high-risk children and

youth. Highly skilled, professional staff works intensively with these young people and their

families, helping them to overcome their difficulties and achieve their potential. The average

length of time each client spends with the counsellor at BBYOS is between 2 and 5 years.



XXX works in a community that has a disproportionate number of low-income families and

battles incredible stresses and demoralization caused by and related to living in poverty. In the

midst of this environment XXX strives to provide non-coercive service stressing autonomy and

choice, building a foundation from which young men and women can be empowered to make

healthy life choices and embark on a process of growth and change.



XXX addresses these young people’s feelings of frustration and anger by helping them first

understand their poverty and second get out of it.



This means stressing the importance of education and helping them find jobs or assisting those

who have dropped out of school return and counselling them to overcome their fears and

anxieties about formal schooling.



It also means counselling them about substance abuse, anger management and, very importantly,

the development of healthy relationships.



XXX will see about 100 clients in 2000/2001 at a cost of $1,586 per client—modest compared to

the $81,000 it costs to keep a youth in the criminal justice system for one year and the $36,500 to

keep a high risk young person in the child welfare system.



XXX is directed by a six-person volunteer Board of Directors made up of area residents, service

providers, ex-clients and businesspeople.









Issue





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A report, Toronto Youth Profile, released in March 2000 says that 300,000 of Toronto’s young

people are living in crisis. It reports that poverty, homelessness, unemployment and single

parenthood are on the rise among the City’s 15 to 24 years olds and that many of them feel a

sense of hopelessness about a society that does not seem to care about them.



It reveals the following alarming statistics:



 In 1996 there were 16,000 families headed by young people, 8000 by young women.

 In the first quarter of 1999 the unemployment rate for young people between 15 and 19 was

15.8% and the rate for 20 to 24 year olds, 11.6%.

 10,000 youth are homeless for at least part of the year.



Due to financial cuts less time is being spent in schools on sexual health, substance abuse and

violence and there is a lack of recreational opportunities, all of which, the report speculates, may

be contributing to the growth of gangs across the City.





Objectives

XXX objectives include:

 To provide counselling services to very high-risk youth and their families.

 To prevent young people from getting into trouble with the law, abusing alcohol and drugs,

and getting involved with violence.

 To help young people find jobs or stay in school.

 To help homeless youth find homes.

 To help young people develop healthy relationships.

 To help at-risk youth turn their lives around and prevent them from becoming burdens on

society.





Youth and Family Services/Programmes

The problems and issues these young people and families face are tough and take time to resolve.

XXX uses intensive individual and family counselling and therapy, group counselling, crisis

intervention, emergency assistance and advocacy. Over time through mostly one-to-one

counselling these young people gain trust in the counsellor and that’s when progress is made.

The services provided by XXX are as varied as the clients themselves but the following are some

of the most common.



 Stressing the importance of education and working with kids to make sure they stay in school.

 Advocating for kids who have been thrown, or dropped, out of school in order to get them

back in as well as working with the kids to overcome their problems with formal schooling.

 Breaking the cycle of poverty through employment counselling to help them find and keep a

job or enrol in appropriate job training courses.

 Finding independent living quarters for kids who have to get out of a violent home situation.

This is becoming more difficult due to the severe lack of affordable housing and landlords’

reluctance to rent to these young people in what is now a ―landlords’ market.‖







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 Preventing crime by working with the young people to address their behaviours which are

detrimental to themselves and the community.

 Working with families in crisis due to conflict between the parents and the young people.

 Provision of food, clothing, TTC tokens, school supplies and assistance with buying

prescriptions and needed over-the-counter medicines.

 Preventing drug abuse through counselling and information.

 Counselling intensively those with addictions to break their habits.

 Counselling teenage parents to develop a healthy and safe environment for their babies to

grow up in thus breaking the cycle of violence.

 Preventing violence and abuse through anger management counselling.

 Working with young people who have been physically or sexually abused.

 Preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and developing of healthy sexual

relationships.

 Working with the families around drug abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and destructive

patterns of behaviour.

 Advocating for these young people within the criminal justice system and continuing

counselling sessions for those in jail.

 Collecting and distributing clothes, toys and food for families in need especially around

Christmas time.

 Working to help these young people develop healthy, personal relationships.





People who Benefit

Youth

Originally XXX was set up to work primarily with high-risk young people (males and females)

12 to 25 years of age that reside in and around Blake-Boultbee Metropolitan Toronto Housing

Authority housing project. It is now seeing a dramatic rise in the number of referrals from other

agencies, the police, child welfare organizations and, most significantly, the local schools. These

referrals now account for 50% of the client activity. These young people can be characterized in

the following ways:



 From all ethno-cultural backgrounds and socio-economic situations.

 Often display very hostile and confused behaviours and attitudes.

 Many are homeless.

 A significant number of them suffer various degrees of depression and other psychosocial

barriers.

 Many are ex-offenders.

 Most indulge in anti-social behaviour.

 Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, self-abuse, violent outbursts and criminal behaviour

are common.

 Many are chronically unemployed.

 Most live in dysfunctional families from which they learn their behaviour patterns.

 Many are functionally illiterate.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 21

Families

XXX is seeing more family breakdowns than ever before. These families are consulting XXX

on situations that arise due to conflict between parents and children.



The families come from different socio-economic situations and ethno-cultural backgrounds.



Outcomes in 1999/00

For XXX a successful outcome is having these troubled young people stay in counselling for as

long as it needs. The following statistics represent those young people who ―stuck with it‖

throughout 1999/00. Most of the youth have more than one issue with which they want help so

these numbers will add up to more than the number of individual clients serviced.



 80% of the kids stayed out of trouble with the law while involved with XXX.

 75% of the kids who wanted to go back to school were helped to do so by XXX

 80% of those who wanted to (and were able to) live in their own place did so with XXX help.

 80% of the kids looking for work found jobs or job training opportunities with help from

XXX counsellors.

 11 young people attended Life Skills Sessions and learned how to shop for and cook

nutritious meals on very limited budgets.

 7 young people were counselled while in prison.

 13 teenaged parents attended sessions on parenting skills.

 27 were given food in emergency situations.

 26 were given basic clothing items they could not afford to buy.

 85 were given TTC tokens to get toXXX , school, jobs, job interviews and XXX-organized

recreational events.

 35 were counselled for drug use.



Request

XXX projects to work with 100 clients in 2000/2001 on a budget of $158,695—$1,586 per client.



XXX is asking The CIBC Wood Gundy Children’s Miracle Foundation to consider a grant of

$4758 to Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service (BBYOS) to help three young people and their

families overcome their very real problems.





Appendix C

Sample Foundation Appeal (Programme ) and Covering Letter



May 25, 2000



Ms Rebecca Thomas

CIBC World Markets

The CIBC Wood Gundy Children’s’ Miracle Foundation

BCE Place, PO Box 500

161 Bay St., 7th Floor





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 22

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S8



Dear Ms Thomas:



I am asking The CIBC WOOD Gundy Children’s Miracle Foundation to consider a grant of

$4758 to XXX to help three young people and their families overcome their very real problems.



XXX was established in 1989 to provide counselling services to very high-risk youth and their

families in the Blake Boultbee area of East Toronto. It is the only agency in the area directly

serving the 14 to 25-year-old high-risk children and youth in this capacity. Forty percent of our

clients are young women.



Today we receive lots of referrals from across the city as our reputation continues to grow as the

agency that has success working with the hardest-to-serve youth and families, and as schools and

other organizations, which are losing most of their support services, reach out to XXX resulting

in many new working relationships.



I project that we will work with close to 100 clients in the year 2000/2001 at a modest cost of

$1,586 per client. This cost generally breaks down as follows: 80% counselling and direct

service, 5% transportation (TTC and travel to sessions, jobs, appointments, school), 10%

emergency and miscellaneous needs/expenses (food, clothing, medical, personal hygiene needs),

and 5% administration. Almost insignificant compared to the $81,000 required to keep a youth

in the criminal justice system for one year or the $36,500 to keep a high-risk youth in the child

welfare system.



The objective of XXX is prevention. We work to help at-risk youth and children turn their lives

around and prevent them from becoming burdens on society. By the use of intensive one-to-one

counselling and therapy, intensive family counselling and therapy, group counselling and crisis

intervention we offer options to these at-risk young people. Young people like Bob (not his real

name.)



Bob was a 15-year-old resident of the Blake/Boultbee community who used to pop in and

out of our office. He eventually opened up to me asking for help with his violent behaviour

and lack of self-esteem and motivation. He had had numerous violent incidents and was

seriously concerned about his relationships with peers and most importantly, girls. He also

was having tremendous difficulty staying in school.



I discovered that Bob had suffered years of abuse at the hands of his stepfather and was

seriously behind at school.



During his first year at XXX there were a number of incidents that created personal turmoil

for Bob, including criminal charges and numerous battles with his family. But during this

same time period I managed to keep him in school. I also began to work deeply on self-

esteem issues and the trauma he had experienced as a child. Bob had entered into a serious

relationship with a girl and wanted to ensure that he did not repeat the abusive behaviour he

had experienced in his own life.







Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 23

After three years of regular counselling sessions Bob has almost completed his high school

diploma, is working part-time, and is living independently, and non-violently, with his

girlfriend. He is surviving and contributing to society and looking forward to finishing

school, working in the world of animation and continuing to have healthier relationships.



And this is just one of our many successful stories.



Our growing list of funders includes the Counselling Foundation of Canada, the F. K. Morrow

Foundation, the IOF Child Abuse Prevention Fund, the Lunenfeld Foundation, the Lunan

Foundation, the Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation, Green Shield Canada, Commercial Union, the

Raptors Foundation, Avon Canada, Imasco, the McLean Foundation, Riverdale Share Xmas, The

Royal Bank, the Tippet Foundation, the Henry White Kinnear Foundation, the Rotary Club of

Toronto Charitable Foundation, the Harold A. Kopas Charitable Foundation, the City of Toronto

and a growing list of individuals.



Thank you for considering this request. If you have any questions, please call me at 416-465-

1410.





Yours sincerely,







____________

Rod Cohen, Executive Director and Counsellor



Enclosures

Most recent audited statement and the 2000/2001 budget

Board of Directors

Testimonials

Introduction

XXX a charitable, community-based outreach service, was established in 1989 to provide

counselling services to very high risk youth in the Blake Boultbee area of East Toronto—an area

which a 1988 study revealed had a very high incidence of criminal activity.



The majority of these kids, 40 % of whom are women, have been thrown out of school, been in

trouble with the law, abuse drugs and alcohol, live in violent domestic circumstances and have

been abused. Their role models, in many cases, are unemployed, abusive parents and these

young people know no other way to live.



The objective of XXX is to help very high-risk young people turn their lives around and prevent

them from destroying their lives and becoming burdens on society.



XXX is the only agency in the area directly serving the 14 to 25-year-old high-risk children and

youth. Highly skilled, professional staff works intensively with these young people and their





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 24

families, helping them to overcome their difficulties and achieve their potential. The average

length of time each client spends with the counsellor at BBYOS is between 2 and 5 years.



XXX works in a community that has a disproportionate number of low-income families and

battles incredible stresses and demoralization caused by and related to living in poverty. In the

midst of this environment XXX strives to provide non-coercive service stressing autonomy and

choice, building a foundation from which young men and women can be empowered to make

healthy life choices and embark on a process of growth and change.



XXX addresses these young people’s feelings of frustration and anger by helping them first

understand their poverty and second get out of it.



This means stressing the importance of education and helping them find jobs or assisting those

who have dropped out of school return and counselling them to overcome their fears and

anxieties about formal schooling.



It also means counselling them about substance abuse, anger management and, very importantly,

the development of healthy relationships.



XXX will see about 100 clients in 2000/2001 at a cost of $1,586 per client—modest compared to

the $81,000 it costs to keep a youth in the criminal justice system for one year and the $36,500 to

keep a high risk young person in the child welfare system.



XXX is directed by a six-person volunteer Board of Directors made up of area residents, service

providers, ex-clients and businesspeople.









Issue

A report, Toronto Youth Profile, released in March 2000 says that 300,000 of Toronto’s young people are

living in crisis. It reports that poverty, homelessness, unemployment and single parenthood are on the

rise among the City’s 15 to 24 years olds and that many of them feel a sense of hopelessness about a

society that does not seem to care about them.



It reveals the following alarming statistics:



 In 1996 there were 16,000 families headed by young people, 8000 by young women.

 In the first quarter of 1999 the unemployment rate for young people between 15 and 19 was

15.8% and the rate for 20 to 24 year olds, 11.6%.

 10,000 youth are homeless for at least part of the year.



Due to financial cuts less time is being spent in schools on sexual health, substance abuse and violence

and there is a lack of recreational opportunities, all of which, the report speculates, may be contributing to

the growth of gangs across the City.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 25

Objectives

XXX objectives include:

 To provide counselling services to very high-risk youth and their families.

 To prevent young people from getting into trouble with the law, abusing alcohol and drugs,

and getting involved with violence.

 To help young people find jobs or stay in school.

 To help homeless youth find homes.

 To help young people develop healthy relationships.

 To help at-risk youth turn their lives around and prevent them from becoming burdens on

society.





Youth and Family Services/Programmes

The problems and issues these young people and families face are tough and take time to resolve.

XXX uses intensive individual and family counselling and therapy, group counselling, crisis

intervention, emergency assistance and advocacy. Over time through mostly one-to-one

counselling these young people gain trust in the counsellor and that’s when progress is made.

The services provided by XXX are as varied as the clients themselves but the following are some

of the most common.



 Stressing the importance of education and working with kids to make sure they stay in school.

 Advocating for kids who have been thrown, or dropped, out of school in order to get them

back in as well as working with the kids to overcome their problems with formal schooling.

 Breaking the cycle of poverty through employment counselling to help them find and keep a

job or enrol in appropriate job training courses.

 Finding independent living quarters for kids who have to get out of a violent home situation.

This is becoming more difficult due to the severe lack of affordable housing and landlords’

reluctance to rent to these young people in what is now a ―landlords’ market.‖

 Preventing crime by working with the young people to address their behaviours which are

detrimental to themselves and the community.

 Working with families in crisis due to conflict between the parents and the young people.

 Provision of food, clothing, TTC tokens, school supplies and assistance with buying

prescriptions and needed over-the-counter medicines.

 Preventing drug abuse through counselling and information.

 Counselling intensively those with addictions to break their habits.

 Counselling teenage parents to develop a healthy and safe environment for their babies to

grow up in thus breaking the cycle of violence.

 Preventing violence and abuse through anger management counselling.

 Working with young people who have been physically or sexually abused.

 Preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and developing of healthy sexual

relationships.

 Working with the families around drug abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and destructive

patterns of behaviour.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 26

 Advocating for these young people within the criminal justice system and continuing

counselling sessions for those in jail.

 Collecting and distributing clothes, toys and food for families in need especially around

Christmas time.

 Working to help these young people develop healthy, personal relationships.





People who Benefit

Youth

Originally XXX was set up to work primarily with high-risk young people (males and females)

12 to 25 years of age that reside in and around Blake-Boultbee Metropolitan Toronto Housing

Authority housing project. It is now seeing a dramatic rise in the number of referrals from other

agencies, the police, child welfare organizations and, most significantly, the local schools. These

referrals now account for 50% of the client activity. These young people can be characterized in

the following ways:



 From all ethno-cultural backgrounds and socio-economic situations.

 Often display very hostile and confused behaviours and attitudes.

 Many are homeless.

 A significant number of them suffer various degrees of depression and other psychosocial

barriers.

 Many are ex-offenders.

 Most indulge in anti-social behaviour.

 Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, self-abuse, violent outbursts and criminal behaviour

are common.

 Many are chronically unemployed.

 Most live in dysfunctional families from which they learn their behaviour patterns.

 Many are functionally illiterate.



Families

XXX is seeing more family breakdowns than ever before. These families are consulting XXX

on situations that arise due to conflict between parents and children.



The families come from different socio-economic situations and ethno-cultural backgrounds.



Outcomes in 1999/00

For XXX a successful outcome is having these troubled young people stay in counselling for as

long as it needs. The following statistics represent those young people who ―stuck with it‖

throughout 1999/00. Most of the youth have more than one issue with which they want help so

these numbers will add up to more than the number of individual clients serviced.



 80% of the kids stayed out of trouble with the law while involved with XXX.

 75% of the kids who wanted to go back to school were helped to do so by XXX

 80% of those who wanted to (and were able to) live in their own place did so with XXX help.







Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 27

 80% of the kids looking for work found jobs or job training opportunities with help from

XXX counsellors.

 11 young people attended Life Skills Sessions and learned how to shop for and cook

nutritious meals on very limited budgets.

 7 young people were counselled while in prison.

 13 teenaged parents attended sessions on parenting skills.

 27 were given food in emergency situations.

 26 were given basic clothing items they could not afford to buy.

 85 were given TTC tokens to get toXXX , school, jobs, job interviews and XXX-organized

recreational events.

 35 were counselled for drug use.





Issue

Many of the young men and women BBYOS sees, some of whom are teenage mums, come from

backgrounds where fast food is the norm and meals are not provided with any regularity. As a result most

of the young people BBYOS helps to start living independently do not know how to shop cost-effectively

or cook nutritious meals on their tight budgets.







Life Skills Programme

To help these young men and women, XXX has begun a pilot Life Skills Programme in partnership with

the Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre. The main focus of this Programme is to teach

budgeting, shopping and cooking on tight budgets. However other positive effects will include raising

their self-esteem and helping them develop healthy relationships as they relate to the instructors and the

other people in the Programme.



The Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre runs a community kitchen and is donating the time of

their nutritionist to run these sessions. A XXX staff counsellor assists. The Eastview Neighbourhood

Community Centre has also donated a stove to BBYOS for this programme.



The sessions take place at XXX from September to June twice a month—one for the young men and one

for the young women. This year’s objective is to have eight participants (four young men and four young

women.)



It is a hands-on course—they do the cutting, preparation and cooking. They learn about correct storage

methods and different cooking techniques. In the first 20 minutes they learn about the meal they will be

preparing and the nutritious values of the ingredients from the Canada food guide.



There is no fee for the participants—they cannot afford one. XXX supplies the food and pays transit costs

for women who have to travel to get to the Programme.







Budget

Food and materials $2,400





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 28

* Nutritionist $3,500

Transportation $400

Staff time $1,850



TOTAL $8,150



* Donated by Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre



Therefore XXX has to raise $4,650 for the Life Skills Programme.





Request

XXX is asking The Henry White Kinnear Foundation for a grant of $5,000 to support the Life Skills

Programme.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 29

Appendix D



The basic mail package contains









 A letter

 A reply coupon

 An outside envelope

 A return envelope

 An insert – optional



The letter

 Write a two page letter (or three IF you have something to say!)

 The content must explain why the agency deserves support

For example:



your donation of $50 will------

your donation of $25 will --------

 It is a personal letter so indent the paragraphs.

 Make it sound like it is being written to one person only.

 Count the number of times you use the word ―you‖—there should be many more than the sum of

―we‖, ―I‖, ―the Chapter‖.

 The person who signs is very important.

 There must be a PS - which basically summarizes the reason for the letter.

 Use short sentences and paragraphs.

 You must ask for a specific amount of money or a range. If you can segment your list into potential

giving ranges this range can vary—the response coupon needs to match, of course.

 Convey a sense of urgency.

 Print on both sides—environment.

 Use a font that looks like a typewriter.

 Use bullets.



The response coupon

 Give option boxes —the amounts should be quite close together.

 You can send different ranges to different people by segmenting your list according to their perceived

ability to make a donation.

 Name, address, and phone number on the coupon

 Have an affirmation statement like: Yes! I want to……



Outside envelope

 Use a teaser if possible or use the name and address of the letter signer on the outside.





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 30

Enclosure

 Enclose a brochure or other print material piece.



Reply envelope

 At least include a self-addressed return envelope.

 Consider putting a stamp on any potentially high donors to whom you mail.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 31

Appendix E

Sample letter



November 26, 2000



Dear

I am, as you probably know, on the Board of XXX—a registered

charity. An organization I am totally committed to. An organization

that works with really tough kids—kids who have already been, or

almost certainly will be, in trouble with the law. Kids whose lives

are unimaginable to most of us. Kids who somehow have survived

intolerable circumstances but, who without help—the kind of help only

XXX can give them—will end up in a life of crime if not dead of a drug

overdose or some violent act.



We have two professional counsellors on staff who work with these

kids. The process is not quick—the average involvement with XXX is

between 2 and 5 years.



Our staff deal with issues such as domestic violence, family

breakdown, anger control, self abuse, substance abuse and so on.

Through intensive one-to-one and family counselling they work to help

resolve these problems and get the kids back in school, into jobs or

job training. They help them lead independent productive lives.



Take the case of Nancy (not her real name). She was referred to

us by the Vanier Women’s Correctional Centre. She was 15 and had been

jailed for assault and robbery for the third such charges since she

was 13!! She had constant violent outbursts and was considered

unmanageable—she had been kicked out of three schools.



The counsellor at XXX discovered that Nancy had suffered years of

abuse at the hands of her family and was functionally illiterate.



During her first year and half at XXX there were three more

criminal charges and numerous battles with her family. But during

this same time period XXX managed to get her back into school and

helped her find her own place in MTHA housing.



After three years of at least twice a week sessions, she now has

a part-time job, attends literacy classes and goes to school.



Nancy is surviving and contributing to society and looking

forward to finishing school and holding down a full-time job. This is

remarkable progress.



And this is just one of our many successful stories.



People like Nancy is why I remain involved with XXX—the results

are remarkable and there are so many more kids who need our help.





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 32

Of course, everything we do requires money. It costs us about

$1500 per client per year—cheap when you consider it costs over

$80,000 per year to keep a kid in jail.



So I am asking you to join me in making a donation to help kids

like Nancy survive. And make no mistake about it—it is survival we

are talking about.



Can you afford $35, $50, $75 or more to give other kids like

Nancy a chance. A chance at a better life.



Thanks very much and happy seasons greetings.





Yours truly,





PS. Thanks you for your support. Please use the enclosed envelop.









Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 33

Appendix F



Special Event Generic Critical Path

This is only a rough guide. Clearly it is impossible to write one critical path for all the different

types of events.



In general:

 Start with the event date and work backwards

 Plan for the what-if, the unexpected

 Ensure all interdependent tasks are in the logical order

 Take into account busy periods in the office

 Overestimate the time required

 Include a do or die date

 Pad the time between interdependent tasks





E(Event)-24 to 18 months

 Do feasibility studies and choose the event. Length of lead time depends on

how complicated the event is.

E-12 months

 Choose committee chair

 Do job descriptions

 Recruit a celebrity chair

 Strike the committee

 Delegate tasks

 Establish goals and objectives, budget, ticket prices

 Check legalities: permits, licenses, liability, police, ambulance

E-11 months

 Establish date and location-sign contract

 Confirm celebrities, entertainment and so on-sign contracts

 Do a critical path

 Establish a do or die date

 Brainstorm things that can go wrong and plan for them

 Establish the logo, theme, slogan, graphic design

 Solicit sponsors





Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855 34

 Solicit ads for the event programme

 Brainstorm additional ways to raise money

E-10 months

 Plan the PR campaign

 Seek an advertizer for the back of the tickets

 Try to get in-kind goods and services

E-9 months

 Brainstorm list of potential ticket buyers/participants

 Fax a ―mark your calendar‖ notice to potential major participants

 Make a list of businesses to approach for prizes/auction items





E-8 months

 Decide on menu

 Finalize ticket selling strategy

 Put the record system in place

 Finalize all marketing materials





E-7 months

 Print sponsor sheets, posters, letterhead, certificates

 Start collecting prizes/auction items

E-6 months

 Mail letter to potential participants

 Encourage challenges

E-5 months

 Recruit and train volunteers for follow up phoning

 Tickets to printers

 Establish ticket outlets

 Begin follow-up phoning to the mailing

E-4 months

 Programme cover (at least) to printers

Start mailing out tickets









--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855

E-3 months

 Do a site check

First news release out

Get required signage ordered

Add message onto voice mail about the event

E-2

 Finalize contents for the programme

E-1 month

 Second news release out

 Confirm participants

 Confirm details at site

 Arrange media interviews

 Double check equipment requirements

 Recruit volunteers for the day

E-2 weeks

 Put together the media packages

 Do a dry run

 Third news release out

 Inside of the programme to the printers

E-1 week

 Train volunteers for the event

 Do a detailed agenda

 Do name badges

 Develop detailed check list (shadow agenda) for the day

Event

 Collect names

E+2 weeks

 Get all records in shape

 Thank you letters and tax receipts out

 Victory celebration for the volunteers

 Evaluation









--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36

Mo Davies, CFRE, & Associates 416-752-5855