Federal Charity Drive Raised $197-Million in 1997
The federal government’s charity drive brought in $197.1-million last year, an increase of $3.5-million over 1996. The gain marked the second time in a row that giving to the Combined Federal Campaign has risen. The increase will be welcome news to the thousands of charities that depend on the…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Alternative Funds Make Slow Progress in Quest to Solicit Corporate Workers
The federal government’s charity drive has long offered a major lift to fund-raising federations that compete with United Way. Since 1980, the federal drive, which last year raised $197.1-million, has allowed many types of federations to seek money from government employees. But non-United Way…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Charities find success with drives that have modest fund-raising goals When officials at the University of Iowa decided last year to refurbish the women’s softball complex, they decided not to wait until their next full-fledged capital campaign to raise the money. Instead, they started a one-year…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Non-Profit Groups Try Using Technology to Pep Up Their Annual-Fund Drives
As non-profit organizations try to come up with ways to breathe new life into their annual-giving campaigns, some are turning to technology. Mississippi State University has a Web site (http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/annual) that includes an annual-giving page that allows donors to give on line by…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Charities apply same techniques used to seek big gifts Two years ago, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo decided to recast its annual campaign. The institution realized it made little sense to refer to an annual campaign when it was seeking money from alumni and other loyal…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
New Survey Details the Giving Patterns of Homosexuals
Homosexuals donate equally to gay and non-gay causes, aside from their giving to AIDS organizations, a new survey has found. The survey looked at giving and volunteering patterns among more than 2,200 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and “transgendered” people whose names appeared on mailing lists of…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Local United Ways Experiment With New Approaches to Distributing Money
For the past several years, United Ways around the country have been undergoing mission makeovers, looking for ways that they can play a more active role in solving local problems instead of just raising money for health and social-service groups. And, as the 1997-98 fund-raising campaign totals…
By Marilyn Dickey and Jennifer Moore
United Way Sees End to Dry Spell
Giving rises 4% to 5% nationwide as new strategies begin to pay off United Ways around the country are celebrating a campaign season that they say marks a clear end to a long stretch of weak returns. Based on preliminary results released by United Way of America, gifts to the roughly 1,400 local,…
By Marilyn Dickey and Jennifer Moore
Strategies That Charities Can Use to Improve Board Members’ Fund-Raising Skills
Assembling a group of first-rate trustees is only half the battle for a board that wants to expand its fund-raising potential. All too often, charities fail to train new board members in development or to keep them engaged in the charity’s mission, say experts. The following tips can help reinforce…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
It often takes more than wealth for a trustee to be effective in raising money for a charity During Carol Weisman’s service on the board of the Family Resource Center in St. Louis, the organization sought to expand the number of trustees -- largely as a way to improve its fund-raising capabilities.…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy