1. FBEA CONFERENCE 2011 - FUNDRAISING & FINANCE JEOPARDY!
Shelburne Farms and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters teamed up to present an interactive
workshop designed to uncover some of the do’s (and don’ts) of fundraising and financial reporting.
Come prepared to test your skills in a fun “game show” format and share your knowledge about
grant writing, reporting, budgeting, bookkeeping, events and annual appeals. Co-presented by:
Sue Dixon, Shelburne Farms sdixon@Shelburnefarms.org
Eliza Dodd, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters eliza.dodd@gmcr.com
A few resources for fundraising and financial information:
Association of Small Foundations
http://www.smallfoundations.org/
Amnesty – Our Movement Must be Funded
http://www.amnesty-volunteer.org/usa/southRTG/Fundraising/TOC/index.html
Board Source
http://www.boardsource.org/
Burke Blog – Penelope Burk “Donor Center Fundraising”
http://www.burksblog.com/
Charity Channel
http://charitychannel.com/
Foundation Center
http://foundationcenter.org/
Cooperating Collections of the Foundation Center
http://foundationcenter.org/collections/
Free Management Library
http://managementhelp.org/nonprofitfundraising/
Fundraising BLOG for Nonprofits
http://managementhelp.org/blogs/fundraising-for-nonprofits/2010/03/29/basic-fundraising-
philosophy/
GuideStar
http://www2.guidestar.org/rxg/analyze-nonprofit-data/index.aspx
Strengthening Nonprofits – Building Multiple Revenue Sources
http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/BuildingMultipleRevenueSources.pdf
Third Sector
http://www.tsne.org/site/c.ghLUK3PCLoF/b.1352209/k.B068/Nonprofit_Capacity_Building_Lead
ership__Management_Support.htm
The Nonprofit Center
http://www.nonprofitcenterboston.org/site/c.ddKGIQNuEmG/b.1363307/k.A14/Bostons_Home_fo
r_Social_Change_Nonprofits.htm

2. FUNDRAISING & FINANCE JEOPARDY! - QUESTIONS ANSWERED
ANNUAL
• Annual giving to an organization generally increases after a capital campaign.
• Make it easy for people to support your organization: insert donation envelopes in with
your publications, design “donate now” options into your website and electronic
communications, and distribute donation envelopes with outreach material on information
racks and information tables.
• 73% of the $200+ billion raised in the U.S. during 2010 came from individuals.
• Annual meeting is held to keep key stakeholders and donors engaged and apprised of their
organization’s financials and activities. It can be as a fun and festive way to highlight your
organization’s recent accomplishments.
• The scale of gifts is typically pyramid-shaped with most donors giving at basic levels and
fewer at the highest levels. This tool is crafted new each year to help estimate the number
of donors needed at what giving level.
BRIGHT IDEAS
• The most effective way to fundraise - better than bake sales, better than barn dances – is
simply to ask people for their support of your mission-driven work. When talking to
potential supporters always have the answers to the 10 most difficult questions that you
might be asked about in your back pocket.
• Warren Buffett or Bill & Melinda Gates collectively made the largest bequest in the history
of philanthropy: $31 billion dollars, yet it is not realistic that high profile benefactors will
support all organizations, better to engage local supporters who benefit from your programs
and understand their impact.
• Bequests are sources of long-term legacy support for your organization. Donors must work
with their own attorney to draft a bequest but your can provide specific bequest language –
including the legal name and address of your organizations, to encourage and make it easy
for your supporters to include your organization in their estate plans.
• Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 allows
individuals 70½ and older to distribute (up to $100,000) tax-free from what pot of money
(Hint: intended for retirement) direct to charity. This tax advantage will only be valid
through December 2011.
FINANCE
• After two consecutive years of decline, charitable giving is up by 3.5% in the U.S. during
2010.
• Never offer performance-based compensation for fundraisers, it is considered unethical by
the AFP (Associate of Fundraising Professionals) code of standards.
• Form 990 must be filed annually by public charities and foundations with annual gross
receipts of $25K+. This public document contains a list of trustees, recent grants and other
useful information for foundation research
• When it comes to raising money, it is essential that you know and understand your annual
operating budget, which delineates the cost of your operation and how the money to cover
the cost is to be generated.
• Return on Investment (ROI) is a comparative measure of the amount of funds raised for
each dollar spent on fundraising activities.

3. GRANTS
• The Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org/) provides FREE access on its website
where anyone can look up foundations and link quickly to their websites and most recent
Form 990. – Bookmark it!
• Always leverage your organization’s foundation contacts: if you, other staff or board
members have a personal connection with a trustee or program officer you will often
benefit from soliciting their input, advice or guidance prior to submitting your proposal.
• Overhead or indirect expenses are generally calculated as a percentage (often 10% to 25%)
of the total budget in a grant proposal, to cover organizational costs that can not be directly
written into the proposal such as heat, lighting, electricity, financial oversight, information
technology, etc. Some foundations do not allow overhead expenses.
• The foundation program officer reads your reports and assesses progress towards goals.
Whenever possible, get to know him/her and consider him/her a project partner; meet them
or talk by phone; keep them informed, provide opportunities for them to learn about the
impact (and challenges) of your work.
• Your grant proposal has the most chance of success when: project goals and objectives of
the grantee and those of the granter are in agreement, and the recipient has convinced the
provider that the proposed plan described for bringing about the goals is reasonable and
will be successful.
RELATIONSHIPS
• Face-to-face solicitations are the most effective way to gain support for your organizations.
• Companies and corporations contribute less than 5% of total dollars raised by nonprofit
organizations. Corporate support is often relationship based or from a marketing budget
and tied to a specific geographic area of operation.
• Board of Directors should be one of your best fundraising tools because they know and
understand your organization, as volunteers and as donors, and are connected within your
community.
• Association of Fundraising Professional (AFP) is an organization that fosters the
development and growth of the fundraising profession, fosters high ethical behavior in the
profession, and preserves and enhances philanthropy and volunteerism.
MISCELLANEOUS
• More than 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations are registered with the IRS.
• When speaking to major donors always allow your enthusiasm shine!
• Case statement is a concise document explains your organization’s mission, activities and
funding needs to potential donors. It should be reviewed and updated in advance of a
significant fundraising campaigned.
• The word “philanthropy” was coined 2,500 years ago by the ancient Greeks,
etymologically it means “the love of humanity.”
Sue Dixon, Shelburne Farms sdixon@Shelburnefarms.org
Eliza Dodd, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters eliza.dodd@gmcr.com