Band to Inauguration
One of the six chapters in my book, Winning Gifts, is titled: Make Your Case.
I’m an absolute maven and champion for the importance of great case statements and stories to motivate donors, volunteer fundraisers, and staff.
Here’s a recent example that confirms my theory (by the way, I may be prejudiced by the story as I am a marching band nerd from high school, clarinet and drum major, and from college, saxophone and drum major).
The New York Times reported that donors had contributed $130,000 to help the Blue Eagles from South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia accept an invitation to march in the Obama inauguration parade on January 20th. 90 bands were selected from 1,300 applicants. South Cobb High School has a great band tradition that had fallen on hard times before new band director Zachary Cogdill came 4 years ago and brought the program back to power. More than 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches and over 90% come from single-parent households. Many students work part-time to support their families.
The band had only weeks to raise the money but a popular Atlanta radio show helped promote their cause and people responded. The school’s website got more than 16,000 donations bringing in more than $70,000. 86 companies have offered in-kind donations and local military contractor Lockheed Martin donated $20,000.
So what are the winning case elements here? Why do donors feel like this is a Winning Gifts proposition?
- A great opportunity for a successful program
- An inspiration leader in band director Cogdill
- An authentic and urgent need
- Visibility of the case, this time through the radio station
- A website to capture donations
- And, now a national newspaper story
And, oh yes, it’s a marching band.
Permanent Link: Donors Still Respond to Great Causes
http://majorgiftsguru.com/2009/01/donors-still-respond-to-great-causes.html
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