Seminar in Mass Communication: Fundraising Fundamentals (FPC: 3100:0001) Fall 2015

Transcription

1 Seminar in Mass Communication: Fundraising Fundamentals (FPC: 3100:0001) Fall 2015 Class meets Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30 4:45 PM in 105 EPB (English-Philosophy Building) Instructor: Linda Wastyn, Office Hours: MW 2:00 3:00 TT, E322 AJB SJMC DEO: David Ryfe, E305B AJB Course Overview Nearly all nonprofit organizations rely on raised funds to survive and thrive. As such, everyone who works at a successful nonprofit organization needs to understand and embrace the basic concepts of fundraising. Working with a nonprofit organization, this class will explore the basic fundraising techniques that nonprofits typically use: donor research, annual fund campaigns (phone, mail, ), capital campaigns, events, cause-related marketing, grants, planned giving, and donor stewardship. In the end, students will understand when and how to use different fundraising strategies to meet an organization s goals. This course fulfills one of the core courses for the Fundraising & Philanthropy Communication Certificate. For more information about the certificate, check the General Catalog. Course Objectives Understand the role of fundraising in nonprofit organizations and society as a whole Learn the major fundraising methods (e.g., broad-based solicitations, major donor campaigns, special events, grants) and the benefits, drawbacks, and appropriate audiences of each Critically analyze fundraising messages to assess their appropriate for the intended audience and goals Develop strategic fundraising plan that leverages the organization s strengths to meet its fundraising goals Practices making asks in different fundraising contexts Fundraising Fundamentals (FPC 3100) is a required core course in the Fundraising and Philanthropy Communication certificate beginning with the current ( ) catalog. If you declared the FPC certificate prior to this year, you can count it as either core or elective credit. Contact Ann Haugland, FPC certificate coordinator (ann-haugland@uiowa.edu) to tell her how you will use it. Readings and Required Texts Sturtevant, W.T. (2004). The Artful Journey: Cultivating and Soliciting the Major Gift. 2 nd Ed. Chicago: Institutions Press. ISBN #

2 Other readings come from the following sources and are available on ICON Beem, M.J. and Sargeant, A. (2010). Planned giving. In Fundraising Principles and Practice, Sargeant, A., Shang, J., and Associates (Eds). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Berkshire, J.C. (2013, January 13). Half of fundraisers in the top job would like to quit: Dissatisfaction among fundraisers blamed on CEOs, The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Brooks, A.C. (2014, March 29). Why fundraising is fun, New York Times. Brown, M.S. (2014, Spring). The very best guidance on the annual fund, Advancing Philanthropy Brown, M.S. (2014, Summer). The right fit for events in your organization, Advancing Philanthropy Byers, P.Y. (1997). Organizational Communication: Theory and Behavior. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Cincotti, T. (2012). Donor Loyalty Face Sheet & Sample Materials. Downloaded from Collins, M.E. (2011, November/December). More than thank you, Advancing Philanthropy Collins, M.E. (2014, Summer). Join the crowd: How crowdfunding helps engage donors you wouldn t attract in other ways, Advancing Philanthropy Collins, M.E. (2014, Summer). Sold! Advancing Philanthropy Donahue, R.L. (2011). Special events. In Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Temple, E.R., Seiler, T.L., and Aldrich, E.E. (Eds). New York: Jossey-Bass. Dove, K.E. (2000). Conducting a Successful Capital Campaign 2 nd Ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Filla, J.J. (2013, Summer). Prospect research even with limited resources, Advancing Philanthropy Held, T. (2014, July 13). Charities like Facebook for rallying support by not much for fundraising, Philanthropy. High-Net-Worth Giving Increases in the United States (2015, Winter). Advancing Philanthropy, James, R.N. (2014, Winter). Brain studies and donor decision making: What do we know? Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2011, November/December). In the spotlight: How donor-recognition events can increase donor loyalty and boost giving by showcasing your organization s unique programs and services. Advancing Philanthropy

3 Lagasse, P. (2012, July/August). A holistic approach: How fundraising skills and the right touch in building relationships create the perfect balance, Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2012, September/October). Point of impact, Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2014, Summer). Brilliant ideas: How to create an unforgettable and successful event with multimedia, community engagement and spotlighting your programs, Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2014, Fall). More than the sum of the parts: What makes a fundraiser? Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2014, Winter). Semper Fidelis: How strategically stewarding your loyal donors will help your organization succeed with the ongoing shifts in charitable giving. Advancing Philanthropy Lagasse, P. (2015, Winter). See the light: How a culture of philanthropy in your organization can make a difference in morale, board motivation, and donor retention, Advancing Philanthropy Levy, B.R. (2014, Summer). Special events bane or boom? Advancing Philanthropy Lindsay, D. (2015, August 3). Ín search of the great fundraisers: Who s got the right stuff? Chronicle of Philanthropy. Mann, T. (2007). College fundraising using theoretical perspectives to understand donor motivation, International Journal of Educational Advancement 7(1): More to Giving than Checkbook Philanthropy (2015, Winter). Advancing Philanthropy 13. Ott, J.S. and Dicke, L.A. (Eds) (2012). The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector 2 nd ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Prince, R.A. and File, K.M. (1994). The Seven Faces of Philanthropy: A New Approach to Cultivating Major Donors. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Purvis, J.D. (2011). Telephone solicitation. In Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Temple, E.R., Seiler, T.L., and Aldrich, E.E. (Eds). New York: Jossey-Bass. Reich B. (2011). Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Ross, B. and Segal, C. (2009). The influential fundraiser: Using the psychology of persuasion to achieve outstanding results. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Rosso, H.A. and Grammage-Tucker, M. (2011). The annual fund. In Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Temple, E.R., Seiler, T.L., and Aldrich, E.E. (Eds). New York: Jossey-Bass. Ruffalo Cody (2014). Multichannel focus, Direct Mail Tips. Sagrestano, B.M. (2014, Winter). Concierge stewardship, Advancing Philanthropy

4 Sagrestano, B.M. and Wahlers, R.E. (2013, Winter). Reinvent individual-gifts fundraising, Advancing Philanthropy Sargeant, A., Shang, J., and Associates (Eds). (2010). Fundraising Principles and Practice, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Sharma, R. (2014, Summer). Leveraging social media for your next fundraising event, Advancing Philanthropy Smith, Ronald D. (2013). Strategic Planning for Public Relations 4 th Ed., New York: Routledge Temple, E.R. and Nathan, S.K. (2010). Ethical fundraising. In Fundraising Principles and Practice, Sargeant, A., Shang, J., and Associates (Eds). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Vassallo, R. (2012, September/October). Mobile momentum more than giving, Advancing Philanthropy Wagner, L. (2015, Winter). No magic just magical alignment, Advancing Philanthropy Warwick, M. (2011). Direct mail marketing. In Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Temple, E.R., Seiler, T.L., and Aldrich, E.E. (Eds). New York: Jossey-Bass. Wastyn, M.L. (2009). "Why Alumni Don't Give: A Qualitative Study of What Motivates Non- Donors to Higher Education," International Journal of Educational Advancement 9(2): Williams, C. (2014, Summer). What should you expect from events? Advancing Philanthropy Williams, K.A. (2015, Winter). Think. Say. Do.: How to build a philanthropic culture in your organization. Advancing Philanthropy Assignments/Grade Allocation Students must submit all written work in Microsoft Word (unless otherwise indicated) via the class ICON site (unless otherwise noted). All of my grading assumes that you produce professional, high quality, work, free of spelling and grammatical errors. Please proof your work carefully. Assignments must be turned in on time unless you make prior arrangements. Late work will lose one letter grade for each day it is late. In-class Projects (DUE as noted; 30 points each; 20% of final grade): We will complete the following assignments in class on the date noted. Only in exceptional circumstance can you make up these assignments. Contact me in advance if you an emergency arises. Otherwise, plan your schedule accordingly to assure you can attend class on these days. Analysis of the Profession (DUE: September 22 at 5 PM via ICON): Each student will interview a fundraising professional as broadly defined to include individuals who specialize in a particular aspect of fundraising (annual fund, major gifts, special events, grant writing) or those who raise money as part of a larger job (often executive director or director of marketing or communication). The interview should cover questions regarding the person s education and 4

5 preparation for their job, their job roles and tasks, necessary skills and anything they wish they knew when they started in the profession. We will present short (3-5 minute) summaries of what you learned in class on September 22. The papers will earn up to 25 points with 5 points for the presentation. Major Gift Ask (DUE: November 3): We will invite major gift and fundraising professionals to class and you will ask them to make a gift to the organization of your choice in a mock scenario. Nonprofit Projects (DUE as noted; 50 points each; 50% of final grade): Each person will choose a nonprofit organization to work with during the semester. Working with that nonprofit, you will develop a fundraising plan that contains the following elements: Strategic Fundraising Plan (DUE: October 1): This plan provides the foundation for all of the other plans. It must run at least one year and can run up to 5 years depending on the needs of the organization. It contains: o The mission and vision of the organization o A brief history of the organization including a more extensive fundraising history o The fundraising goals for this plan o Analysis of the fundraising capacity and constraints of the organization (e.g., number and experience of professional fundraisers, volunteer structure, quality of data, etc.) Annual Fund Plan with sample ask (letter, or phone script) (DUE: November 17): Building on the strategic fundraising plan, this plan focuses on the annual fund or broad-based appeals to the entire (or a segmented portion of) the donor base. It contains: o A description of the technique(s) used (e.g., phone, mail, ) and a rationale for each approach o A calendar of appeals for one year with the theme or project identified for each appeal and a rationale for this frequency and timing o A sample ask (letter, or phone script) for ONE of the appeals Major Gifts and Stewardship Plan (DUE: December 15): Create either a major donor solicitation plan or capital campaign plan for engaging major donors. It contains: o Ways to identify major donors from among your donors o Ways of identifying potential major donors new to your organization o A mechanism to track major donors through the major donor cycle (e.g., Moves Management) o A sample cultivation and solicitation plan for one hypothetical major donor including persons responsible for each step in the plan (fundraisers, staff, volunteers) and a timeline o Different stewardship for donors at different giving levels (identified in the plan) o Stewardship of volunteers o Multiple thanks or touches throughout the year (minimum of 7) including an immediate recognition after receiving a gift 5

6 All individual projects must be completed in Word and submitted via ICON. They will likely run 3-5 pages and may include references to class readings as appropriate. You may but do not have to research beyond the class reading list. In addition to describing the different elements of the plan, the A project will include a rational for why you recommended a particular approach. All projects should be of sufficient quality to share with your organization. Online Discussions (DUE: Weekly; 10 points each; 10% of final grade): Nonprofit organizations and fundraising news and research appear in the literature almost daily. Therefore, during the semester, you must keep up with industry developments by following publications and websites such as Advancing Philanthropy, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Philanthropy News Digest, or Philanthropy Journal. Some of these have daily or weekly new briefs to which you might consider subscribing. If you find others, please let me know and we can evaluate their value in following as well. On even weeks (see schedule), each student will start a discussion on ICON s discussion page on an article of interest by writing a brief description of the article followed by your analysis of its implications for nonprofit fundraising, especially the nonprofit with whom you work during the semester. On odd weeks, each student will read and comment on at least three posts by other students. The goal is to have an online discussion of these topics that we also bring into the classroom. Midterm (DUE: October 8; 100 points, 15% of final grade): Exams will test knowledge of fundraising theory and practice as presented in assigned readings and class discussions. We will discuss the specifics of the exam s format prior to it. Attendance/Participation (DUE daily; 5 points each, 5% of final grade): As adults, you have the responsibility to come to class. From my experience, however, students with poor attendance receive lower grades as they miss much of the class discussion that can clarify the readings and expectations and enhance overall learning. A workshop-based class such as this one requires attendance and active class participation, and much of the knowledge you gain will come from your active participation in class. If you desire a passing grade, come to class and participate fully. If you cannot attend a class session, please let me know as soon as you can (before the class you miss rather than after). For classes that you do miss, you must make up any missed work including getting notes from classmates. I will assess attendance and participation with 5 possible points each class that you make up. Excessive use of cell phones, and other electronic devices will lower your grade for that class. 6

7 Class Schedule and Assigned Readings This syllabus, readings, assignments and due dates may change throughout the semester as communicated in class or posted on ICON or the class website. When in doubt, ask! Classwork assumes that you have completed readings by the start of the class indicated. Wk Date Topic/Assignment Due Before Class* 1 August 25 Class Introduction Review Syllabus on ICON August 27 Introduction to Communication READ: Byers, pp September 1 Nature of Nonprofit READ: Ott & Dicke, Intro, ch. 1-3 Organizations September 3 Overview of Fundraising READ: Sturtevant, ch. 1-2 Lagasse, A Holistic Approach 2 Lagasse, More than the Sum Brooks, Why Fundraising is Fun Berkshire, Half of Fundraisers Lindsay, In Search of Great Fundraisers IDENTIFY nonprofit for assignments September 8 Ethics of Fundraising READ: Sturtevant, ch. 10 Temple & Nathan, Ethical Fundraising 3 September 10 Strategic Fundraising Planning READ: Sturtevant, ch. 5, 13 Williams, What Should you Expect Smith, Organizational Analysis September 15 Donor Motivation READ: Prince & File, Seven Faces High Net Worth Giving More to Giving Mann, College Fundraising 4 Wastyn, Why Alumni Don t Give Sagrestano, Reinvent Individual-Gifts James, Brain Studies September 17 TBD Guest Speaker on Donor Motivation September 22 Fundraiser Interview Reports DUE: Fundraising Interview Paper and Reports 5 September 24 Identification: Donor research READ: Filla, Prospect Research September 29 Attention and Cultivation READ: Sturtevant, ch. 3, 6 October 1 Solicitations: The Case for READ: Ross & Segal, Making Your Case Support Dove, Building and Stating your Case 6 Reich, Shift Your Language Wagner, No Magic DUE: Strategic Fundraising Plan October 6 Grants READ: Sargeant & Shang, Grant Fundraising 7 Iowa Arts Council, Grant Writing Tips October 8 MIDTERM EXAM 7

8 Wk Date Topic/Assignment Due Before Class* October 13 Annual Fund READ: Rosso, The Annual Fund Brown, The Very Best Guidance 8 October 15 READ: Ruffalo Cody, Multichannel Focus Warwick, Direct Mail Marketing Purvis, Telephone Solicitation October 20 Crowdfunding and Online Giving READ: Collins, Join the Crowd Held, Charities Like Facebook 9 Vassallo, Mobile Momentum October 22 Major Gifts READ: Sturtevant, ch. 4, 7 October 27 READ: Sturtevant, ch October 29 PREPARE Major gift practice ask November 3 DUE: Major Gift Ask In Class 11 November 5 REVIEW: Sturtevant, ch. 6 November 10 Capital Campaigns READ: Dove, Key Components 12 November 12 No Class: GPA Conference November 17 Planned Giving READ: Beem & Sargeant, Planned Giving 13 DUE: Annual Fund Plan November 19 Evaluating Fundraising READ: Legasse, Point of Impact Effectiveness November 24 November 26 No Class: Happy Thanksgiving! December 1 Stewardship READ: Sturtevant, ch. 12 Cincotti, Donor Loyalty Lagasse, Semper Fidelis 14 Sagrestano, Concierge Fundraising December 3 READ: Collins, More than Thank You Burk, TBD December 8 Special Events READ: Donahue, Special Events Levy, Special Events Bane or Boom Brown, The Right Fit for Events Sharma, Leveraging Social Media 15 Collins, Sold! December 10 December 15 Creating a Culture of Philanthropy Lagasse, Brilliant Ideas READ: Williams, Think. Say. Do Lagasse, See the Light DUE: Major Gift and Stewardship Plan due by Midnight 8

9 The Iowa Dozen In this course, we emphasize the bolded aspects of the Iowa Dozen. We learn: to write correctly and clearly to conduct research and gather information responsibly to edit and evaluate carefully to use media technologies thoughtfully to apply statistical concepts appropriately We value: First Amendment principles for all individuals and groups a diverse global community creativity and independence truth, accuracy, fairness, and diversity We explore: mass communication theories and concepts media institutions and practices the role of media in shaping cultures 9

10 The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Policies and Resources Administrative Home The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the administrative home of this course and governs matters such as the add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other related issues. Different colleges may have different policies. Questions may be addressed to 120 Schaeffer Hall, or see the CLAS Academic Policies Handbook at Electronic Communication University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to their University of Iowa address Faculty and students should use this account for correspondences (Operations Manual, III.15.2, k.11). Accommodations for Disabilities A student seeking academic accommodations should first register with Student Disability Services and then meet privately with the course instructor to make particular arrangements. See for more information. Academic Honesty All CLAS students or students taking classes offered by CLAS have, in essence, agreed to the College's Code of Academic Honesty: "I pledge to do my own academic work and to excel to the best of my abilities, upholding the IOWA Challenge. I promise not to lie about my academic work, to cheat, or to steal the words or ideas of others; nor will I help fellow students to violate the Code of Academic Honesty." Any student committing academic misconduct is reported to the College and placed on disciplinary probation or may be suspended or expelled (CLAS Academic Policies Handbook). CLAS Final Examination Policies The final examination schedule for each class is announced by the Registrar generally by the fifth week of classes. Final exams are offered only during the official final examination period. No exams of any kind are allowed during the last week of classes. All students should plan on being at the UI through the final examination period. Once the Registrar has announced the date, time, and location of each final exam, the complete schedule will be published on the Registrar's web site and will be shared with instructors and students. It is the student's responsibility to know the date, time, and place of a final exam. Making a Suggestion or a Complaint Students with a suggestion or complaint should first visit with the instructor (and the course supervisor), and then with the departmental DEO. Complaints must be made within six months of the incident (CLAS Academic Policies Handbook). Understanding Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students, faculty, and staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold this mission and to contribute to a safe environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment should be reported immediately. See the UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual Harassment for assistance, definitions, and the full University policy. Reacting Safely to Severe Weather In severe weather, class members should seek appropriate shelter immediately, leaving the classroom if necessary. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. For more information on Hawk Alert and the siren warning system, visit the Department of Public Safety website. For more information visit: 10