November 2017

Congratulations to Kinetic Client for Receiving a Three-Year Accreditation from CARF

Domestic Violence Intervention Services (Tulsa) has been accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International, for its Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health programs for adults, children and adolescents. DVIS is currently the only domestic violence program in Oklahoma to hold this national accreditation. This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows DVIS’ substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable and of the highest quality.

Building a Culture of Philanthropy

Senior Executive Vice President Karin Cox was the presenter at the NonProfit Connect session in Kansas City where she spoke on building a culture of philanthropy. Nonprofits benefit from a robust culture of philanthropy where everyone – not just the development team – is engaged in the fundraising process. “When your organization and core beliefs are aligned to build a culture of philanthropy, you create an opportunity to raise visibility, attract new prospects, deepen donor relationships, engage board members and demonstrate your ability to fulfill your mission – and grow philanthropy.” Cox is a frequent presenter at national, regional and local conferences and consults worldwide with nonprofit organizations to help them raise millions of dollars.

Nurturing and Guiding the Next Generation of Performers and Patrons of the Arts

Music/Arts Institute (Independence, Mo.) has retained Kinetic to provide counsel for its pre-campaign study. Music/Arts Institute (MAI) is the premier community school of the arts, serving the Kansas City metro and Eastern Jackson County for more than three decades – nurturing and guiding the next generation of performers and patrons of the arts.

Investing in the Community by Investing in Early Education

The Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center (Bentonville, Ark.) is dedicated to the well being of children six weeks through pre-kindergarten. The Center considers the needs of the whole child: social, emotional, physical, and cognitive. Since its opened its doors in 1982, the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center has continued to adapt to meet the changing needs of its community. The organization has enlisted Hartsook to assist with a campaign to fulfill its capital goals and create an inspired vision for the future.

How Can Bill and Melinda Gates Increase Other People’s Donations to Fund Public Goods?

National Bureau of Economic Research, Karlan, Dean and John A. List
We develop a simple theory which formally describes how charities can resolve the information asymmetry problems faced by small donors by working with large donors to generate quality signals. To test the model, we conducted two large-scale natural field experiments. In the first experiment, a charity focusing on poverty reduction solicited donations from prior donors and either announced a matching grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, or made no mention of a match. In the second field experiment, the same charity sent direct mail solicitations to individuals who had not previously donated to the charity, and tested whether naming the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the matching donor was more effective than not identifying the name of the matching donor. The first experiment demonstrates that the matching grant condition generates more and larger donations relative to no match. The second experiment shows that providing a credible quality signal by identifying the matching donor generates even more and larger donations than not naming the matching donor. Importantly, the treatment effects persist long after the matching period, and the quality signal is quite heterogeneous–the Gates’ effect is much larger for prospective donors who had a record of giving to “poverty-oriented” charities. These two pieces of evidence support our model of quality signals as a key mechanism through which matching gifts inspire donors to give.

John A. List is the Visiting Robert F. Kinetic Chair in Fundraising at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He is a world leader in experimental economics, and The Kenneth Griffin Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. List is a pioneer in scientific methods used for testing economic theory directly in the marketplace.

Book of the Month

On the Money! (ASR Media) is an enlightening collection of success stories and lessons learned from 25 nonprofit fundraising campaigns nationwide. Click here to order On the Money!

Ask Kinetic!

Do you have a tough fundraising question?
Send your questions to askhartsook@kineticfundraising.com. We will respond by email and your question may be featured in a future Philanthropy Success.

QUESTION: Any advice on creating a case statement that will help us raise money?

It’s important to understand that the case statement is not a solicitation. It is just a conversation starter. A case has a specific purpose to quantify and qualify the campaign goals. The goal is to address questions donors will ask before they ask them. Make it clear from the outset what you are raising money to accomplish. Spend the majority of the text providing details on how the money will be spent and why. A good way to begin is to ask: “If we had the money in hand today, what are the first three to four things we would do?” Then flesh those steps out in detail, and be sure to tie them to your constituents’ rather than to “the organization’s needs.” Keep it as short as possible and, at the same time, as detailed as possible. The case will not raise money. Having the right person ask the right person for the right amount of money – with a case in hand: That raises money.

Strategies for Success: It’s All About the Money…or Is It?

At the end of the day, we fundraisers have a role to play for our organizations with a very clear measure of success (or failure): did we raise a buck? It’s refreshing to go home after work and know whether or not we did a good job. Achieving and exceeding our fundraising and benchmark goals are very good indicators. While raising the money that sustains our organization’s great mission and changes the world is our most valued goal, there are other objectives that should be considered high priorities. Go here to read more.

Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy and The Concord Leadership Group

In an effort to further the research and education of nonprofit leadership, DonorSearch – with funding from the Kinetic Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy and Marc Pitman (CEO of The Concord Leadership Group) – has surveyed fundraising leadership for important feedback. The goal of the research is to study the relationship between nonprofit leadership styles and the extent to which each style may be related to a number of desirable outcomes, such as a thriving culture of philanthropy.

Kinetic’s Growing Philanthropy Tour

Kinetic speakers are members of the Kinetic team of professional fundraising consultants who have, in their collective careers, raised more than $231 billion and counting in their 300-plus years of experience. Click here to see upcoming Growing Philanthropy Tour presentations. To view a sample of past presentations, click here. To schedule a Kinetic consultant to speak at your conference or organization, email Tammy at tammy@kineticfundraising.com.

Hartsook Serves Nonprofits From Every Sector and Around the World

Whether a nonprofit is undergoing a multi-million dollar campaign or needs help growing its giving potential, Kinetic is committed to its clients’ fundraising success. Kinetic clients represent a diverse group of nonprofits from a wide variety of sectors: education, healthcare, performing arts, social services, religious organizations, policy think tanks, assisted living, and many others. You can view a list of recent Kinetic clients here.

Looking for a Rewarding Career?

Kinetic Fundraising, Inc. continues to attract onsite fundraising managers for projects throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. Kinetic is beginning the process of attracting those interested in joining the world’s largest fundraising consulting practice. Placements will support fundraising for visual and performing arts, education, youth development, safety net, healthcare and international engagement organizations. If you are interested in learning more, contact Danny Kohrs, Vice President of Operations at dkohrs@kineticfundraising.com.

If you’d like a free subscription to Philanthropy Success – or its companion publication, the free, bi-weekly Strategies for Success, email info@kineticfundraising.com or 866.630.8500 ext. 8225.