October 2018

Over the last 30 years, Kinetic has attracted 19 consultants who have been recognized by their communities, states, and the nation as a Fundraiser of the Year. Kinetic has more Fundraisers of the Year on our team than any other fundraising counsel in the world. Now, Louis J. Gehring joins other Hartsook Fundraisers of the Year including Matt Beem, Murray Blackwelder, Bud Cooper, Norma Murphy, Terry Snapp, Davoren Tempel and others from around the country.

To learn how we can help your organization, contact Kinetic at info@kineticfundraising.com.

Formerly Senior Vice President of Shawnee Mission Medical Center Foundation, Louis J. Gehring has joined the Kinetic team as an Executive Vice President following his retirement at the Foundation. Under Gehring, the Foundation has been a Kinetic client for 12 years, completing four successful campaigns raising nearly $100 million. In 2009, he was honored as the Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year in Kansas City by the Mid America Chapter of AFP.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial (Kansas City) houses the world’s second-oldest and most comprehensive collection of World War I artifacts. Now, the Hall Family Foundation has pledged $550,000 for new chillers and air handlers to be installed. Chillers and air handlers, which must run continuously year round, control humidity and air temperature; and since these changes can negatively impact the Museum’s irreplaceable artifacts, the addition was significant in protecting and ensuring a tangible legacy for future generations. Go here to read more on this gift. Following the conclusion of Kinetic’s non-resident counsel contract and the successful completion of a $25-million campaign, the Museum has chosen to engage Hartsook to conduct its next campaign study.

Ronald McDonald House (Wichita, Kan.) received a $650,000 J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation challenge grant to help construct the nonprofit’s new facility. The grant, subject to the organization raising $3.4 million, was more than fulfilled. In fact, the campaign goal was exceeded and the organization raised over $3.9 million to construct a new, 20-bedroom Ronald McDonald House to serve thousands of children and their families.

Welcome House, Inc. (Kansas City) is committed to providing a high-quality, moral, and open residential program to recovering alcoholics and drug-addicted men facing the difficult transition from treatment, incarceration, and homelessness to reintegration back into society as productive citizens. Kinetic has been retained to support the organization’s efforts to renovate its residential facility and build a new facility onsite to support its very successful recovery programs.

Camp Tecumseh (Brookston, Ind.) received a $2.5-million endowment matching gift from an anonymous donor. The gift represents a one-to-one match up to the total, which will be used to grow the Camp’s deferred giving program. Camp Tecumseh’s site spans 660 acres and serves over 36,000 people annually. Its top-ranked summer camp programs, outdoor education field trips, and retreats and conferencing options are firmly rooted in Tecumseh’s values.

Labette Community College (Parsons, Kan.) was awarded Community Service Tax Credits from the Kansas Department of Commerce. Tax credit awards are distributed based on the needs of a proposed project and rural areas—like Parsons, Kan.—are eligible for a seventy percent credit. The college received $250,000 in tax credits, which were accessed in a record six-weeks’ time. Labette Community College is currently in its second campaign with Kinetic. Its current campaign is for an expansion of the college’s gymnasium that is being renovated into an Athletic and Wellness Complex.

NonProfit Pro selected National WWI Museum and Memorial President and CEO Matthew Naylor as its 2018 Executive of the Year. Matthew joined the National WWI Museum and Memorial as President in 2013. Under his leadership, the museum and memorial has achieved unprecedented success, breaking records for attendance, educational/community event participants, website traffic and media/social media impressions in each of his first four years as President and CEO.

In Nobody Wants to Give Money Away! ASR Media), Kinetic Chair Bob Hartsook, details his nine principles for raising major gifts, starting with, “Nobody wants to give away money.” Learn the principles that helped him raise billions of dollars. Go here for a special price of $10 (plus shipping and handling).

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: What would you say constitutes a strategic fundraising plan and why is it so important?

A strategic plan is the most powerful device in your fundraising tool box. Take time to develop or update the organization’s purpose and vision for the future. If you’re not sure how to get started, imagine you are holding a celebration in ten years. What accomplishments would you like to be celebrating then? Now use that to back in to an action plan, along with the funding you’ll need to fulfill these goals. Involve key constituents in the planning process. Their insights can help build consensus and, at the same time, reinforce their commitment to the mission. Develop a budget to achieve your goals: “No money, no mission.” Be detailed with your plan and hold the organization accountable to the budget you create. Knowing exactly what you need and how the money will be spent is very important to donors, and a strategic plan will help provide an alignment of your goals and resources.

Relationship building applies to foundations, just as it does to individuals. The same principles are true for foundations as they are for donors: genuine, heartfelt relationship building is vital. Go here to learn how to approach and cultivate foundation gifts.

Kinetic Executive Vice President Norma Murphy was formerly Vice President of Development for the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas. She also was Development Director for Rainbows United of Wichita, a preschool for children with disabilities, where she completed the organization’s first capital campaign six months ahead of schedule and 10 percent over goal. Norma serves on a national committee for the American Association of Grant Professionals, and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she was named the 2004 Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year and Kinetic’s Outstanding Fundraising Consultant in 2005. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University.

Kinetic Fundraising, Inc. speakers are members of the Kinetic team of professional fundraising consultants who have, in their collective careers, raised more than $231 billion in their 300-plus years of experience. To schedule a Kinetic consultant to speak at your conference or organization, email Tammy at tammy@kineticfundraising.com.

Kansas City
November 14, 2018
2018 KC National Philanthropy Day
Starlight Theatre
Lead Sponsor: Hartsook

Grapevine, Texas
February 1, 2019
IGNITE 2019: Conference
Sustainable Fundraising
Karin Cox

Inverness-shire, Scotland
February 4-6, 2019
The Great Fundraising Masterclass
Adrian Sargeant

London
February 7-8, 2019
LSE Annual Behavioural Public Policy Lecture
Grantham Centre
John List

Inverness-shire, Scotland
February 4-6, 2019
Think Double! Fundraising Masterclass
Adrian Sargeant

Past stops on the tour