Effective fund-raising for non-profit camps

Camping Magazine, March-April, 1998 by Paula Larson

The camp director is CEO and CFO, personnel director and operations manager, trainer and motivator, psychologist and troubleshooter, and mediator and planner. Few other professions require a director who has such a broad set of skills. Tirelessly and with a calm smile, you manage the dozens of tasks that camp incorporates. One of those tasks for nonprofit camps is fund-raising.

Think for a moment about what extra money could accomplish at your camp. You could construct a new building, pay for a ropes course, make scholarships available for low-income campers, fund a kitchen expansion, buy program equipment, pay for a specialized staff member for a new activity, or fund outreach activities in the winter. The sky's the limit - if only you had the money.

Imagine the Possibilities

Sit for an hour some quiet morning and make a dream list of what you want for your camp. Post the list somewhere visible and spend some time imagining where your camp would be if all the items were fully funded. You would probably have a higher enrollment if you offered ropes course programming. With another building, you could add another unit of campers. With more winter outreach, you could identify and serve more campers.

Your list of fund-raising goals should include both physical improvements to the property and buildings and activities or programs that can be added or expanded with more equipment or staff. It's an exciting prospect to consider what else your camp could offer - if only you had the money.

Identify Fund-Raising Sources

Once you've listed your dream projects, identify potential donors or sources. You could establish or expand fund-raising events. You could institute an annual fund, or annual appeal, where you ask members, camper families, and other friends of your organization to donate something each year. Other sources could include corporate gifts, foundation grants, and significant individual gifts. You'll want to consider asking for gifts of cash, items you need for camp, and volunteer time to provide you with money-saving services like printing or an annual electrical inspection.

After you've gotten some of the basics, such as an annual fund and several successful special events, in place, you'll want to consider establishing a planned-giving program so that people can leave you gifts of life insurance or give you a portion of their estate in trust.

The task of fund-raising with all the options available can seem daunting. To fund-raise effectively, you need to target your efforts, maximize your time, and raise funds with quality.

Target Your Efforts

Spend your time pursuing only those funding possibilities that are likely to net you excellent results. For example, instead of spending twelve minutes each to prepare the same fund-raising packet for ten local companies, use 120 minutes to write one individualized and exciting request to a company that you've researched and that you think might really want to help your camp.

Having a contact helps. Check with the members of your board of directors to see what prominent local individuals they might know or what companies they have contacts to. Ask if you can mention the board member's name in your proposal to the individual or corporation.

Partner with other organizations

Cooperate with other nonprofit organizations and work with them to partner initiatives that will enhance your fund-raising position. If you need another building at camp, find an agency that will help pay for it in exchange for a few weeks of reserved time each year. Sponsor a large fund-raiser with another nonprofit and divide the proceeds.

Maximize Your Time

Do something each day to further the primary mission of your camp. For example, call someone and ask for help, write one additional grant, cultivate a new potential donor, or recognize a recent donor in the hopes they'll support you again the following year. Maximize your efforts and be sure to set aside time each day to take a significant step in fund-raising.

Invest time in your public relations efforts. Get your camp's name in the media as often as possible. Name recognition and a positive image in the press will help legitimize your cause to potential donors. Contributors want to jump on a successful bandwagon.

For your fund-raising events, think big! Instead of spending time on a fund-raiser you think might net $1,000 for your camp, spend your time on a fund-raiser that you hope will net $10,000. You'll be surprised to find that it takes the same amount of time to raise $10,000 as it does to raise $1,000.

Involve staff

Involve everyone affiliated with your camp in fund-raising. It's a team effort and many hands make lighter work. Your campers can help by getting auction donations or by selling fund-raising products. Parents of campers may have corporation contacts for you. Your board of directors should lead fund-raising efforts with their own donations of money, items, or time.

If no one on your staff has the time to do fund-raising, find a way to add some staff time or a new staff member. A lot of nonprofit organizations are in the cycle of barely surviving financially because there's not enough money to hire someone to raise funds. Consider writing a grant to get funds to employ a development professional for six months. The results of successful fund-raising will help your entire organization blossom again.