Return To Programs Page      eClub One - Archive Articles List
 

We hope you enjoy the programs at eClub One

Reprinted By Permission - Copyright
Boulder Daily Camera
Making Money Matter
Enid Ablowitz

Donor Homework

After Labor Day, several things happen:  fashionistas won’t wear white shoes, missed field goals are rehashed, and fundraisers get in high gear.

How will you respond?  Start by knowing in advance what you care about, why you care, and how much you care. Do your homework before you get those calls or letters and you will feel more confident and satisfied in your responses.

Here are some tips to assure that your giving is effective:

1)      DO NOT CALL  If you get a call and the request for funds is not for something that matters to you, tell the solicitor what your focus is, and ask them to remove your name from their list.

2)      REMEMBER THE ELVIS PRESLEY SONG  If you get mail appeals you don’t want, “return to sender.”  For letters from organizations you support, let them know when you prefer a prompt and how often to avoid solicitation overkill.

3)      GET THE FACTS  If you don’t know about the organization but you think you could be interested, ask for more information or check their website to see if there is an alignment of values.  Learn about their mission, programs, and especially about their fiscal accountability.

4)      PROTECT YOURSELF   If you are giving on the web, be sure the site has the appropriate security to protect your financial data.  Giving this way can be very convenient, but be sure the organization is known to you.  Protect yourself from scams or “phishing.”

5)      BUILD RELATIONSHIPS  Significant gifts are generally made person-to-person.  If you want to give well, connect with the organization’s professional or volunteer leadership.  Your giving will be more personal and satisfying and you’ll be able to see your gift at work.

6)      LEVERAGE YOUR GIFT  Find out if your company has a matching gift program.  What a wonderful way to make an even larger gift for an even larger impact.  Some companies even allow employees to take time off to volunteer, another terrific way to give. 

7)      PASS ON TAX SAVINGS  You might be able to make a bigger gift than you thought if you take into consideration the ways the government encourages giving through income tax charitable deductions.  Figure out your net cost, then increase your gift by the amount of the reduced taxes.

8)      COMMIT FORWARD  If you are being asked for a larger gift than you have given to the organization in the past, consider making a pledge over a 2 or 3 year period and becoming a more committed donor.  Your satisfaction will multiply as your investment in the outcomes grows. 

9)      SPECIFY  Speaking of larger gifts, you may want to designate your giving for a specific purpose that you can monitor. General support is fine but for significant investments, you may want to be able to see demonstrated impact.

10)  INVEST IN THE FUTURE  As your financial commitment and involvement in an organization grow, you might want to assure that your gifts will continue to impact the organization in the future.  Two ways to do that are to create (or add to) an endowment that will provide benefit in perpetuity, or make a bequest for a special purpose that you have selected in advance.  Either way, you will be leaving a legacy that reflects your commitment to the mission.

As donors, you can do it YOUR way.  You can control how you are asked to give, to whom you give, when you give and what you give.   Prepare to give—be proactive, and you will discover the joy and the satisfaction of making a difference.

Enid Ablowitz is Vice President for Advancement at the University of Colorado Foundation, Inc., and Director of Advancement for the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities.  She can be reached at enidablowitz@hotmail.com

Now that you have completed this program, you have these options

To do BOTH use the Critique E-mail first, then return and click on the Make-Up Request Form

The content of programs appearing on the eClub One Make-Up website are the opinions of the authors and may or may not be shared by members of Rotary eClub One. These programs are presented by Rotary eClub One for use by site visitors, just as any program that might be presented at a Rotary meeting anywhere in the world.

© 2007 eClub One District 5450
Solution Services Inc