Case for Support - Black Georgetown Foundation

The Black Georgetown Foundation (Mount Zion / Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park Inc.) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in 2005 to jointly manage the preservation and commemoration of the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries. Active from 1808 to 1950 and historically African-American, the two cemeteries share a three-acre plot in Georgetown, Washington D.C. Despite being steeped in history, like many other African-American cemeteries wide-wide (as reported by the New York Times, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun among others) perpetual neglect has been widespread, disconcerting and in sharp contrast to the treatment of historically white cemeteries.

The Schott Foundation Case for Support

The Schott Foundation envisions a U.S. public education model capable of instructing, shaping, and developing the nation’s young people equitably and efficiently. The foundation’s goal is to position the country’s education model as a global example, demonstrating no matter how divergent the opinions and positions of political and economic actors, one shared objective is unwavering – an excellent public education for the nation’s youth.

Important Risks Schools Should Consider When Fundraising

Independent schools engage in fundraising for two main reasons: to fill the tuition gap and foster a philanthropic environment. The latter feeds into the former, but it also opens the door to larger, institution-altering gifts that can advance the school forward in exciting ways. The act of fundraising, however, does not come without its risks. When money is exchanged in any environment, unless there is a clear protocol and understanding for what that money will be used (and not used) for, the school can find itself facing some tricky legal and reputational risks.

Why Transparency Matters

Back in the 1950s, if your parents or grandparents wanted to help a nonprofit, they did something that sounds completely baffling - they mailed a check. Your grandmother would sit down in that cubby desk where the only house phone resided, coupled with important documents in the drawer. She’d pull out her checkbook, endorse the check, and then put on her best dress to head off to the post office to mail in her contribution. The notion of transparency and trust in the 50s (and up to the 90s one could argue) was more or less assumed.

Big Paws Canine Case for Support

Big Paws Canine, founded in 2008 in Aynor, South Carolina, provides service, therapy, and companion dogs to disabled veterans and former first responders. Steered by a Board of five and a volunteer staff of fourteen (and growing), Steve Slavik, Co-Founder and CEO is a law enforcement and Marine Corps veteran who in conjunction with Mary Salvik and Terry Brokenbough are steadfast supporters of veteran and first-responder support especially in the face of incidents and experiences that have impaired these brave men and women from leading what one would consider a normal, post-service life.

Documenting Your Assets

In the event of an emergency, keep important contact information at your fingertips should you need to reach anyone. This includes family, friends, your child’s school, your employer, and neighbors or homeowner’s association, if applicable. You can save this in a text or Excel file, include in your phone’s address book, or in any location you know will be accessible in the event of an emergency. Be creative, even if that means taking photos of business cards for trusted services like home repair and maintenance. Financial information is another often overlooked but a crucial lifesaver in the event of a disaster because you never know when you’ll need to access emergency funds.

Finding Local Emergency Shelters

No time is a good time for a disaster. We can’t prepare for all that life throws at us. But we can have a plan in place of where and when to go should a disaster touch down and we need to call on the services of an emergency shelter. Federal emergency shelters are life-saving refuges in tense times. However, not all disasters will warrant an emergency shelter. In fact, there are some critical first steps to walk through before the decision to pursue a shelter, so keep reading. Even if you never need a federal shelter, it’s still good to know where they are.

School Fundraising in Hard Times

Economic downturns are a fact of life. It’s normal to feel that once we pull out of a downturn the foreseeable future will be rosy and great. That is generally true, but another downturn always awaits. Recessions are a cyclical phenomenon. As an independent school leader, preparing for the inevitable is vital for the long-term health of your school. Advancement departments play a critical role in ensuring school financial sustainability. During an economic downturn, fundraising is indeed more difficult. But there are some interesting areas that can still move the donor needle.

Has Your School Considered the Power of Endowments?

When most development leaders think of an endowment, large universities with robust development departments come to mind. This may be true, but endowments are not reserved solely for universities. Schools are often reluctant to solicit funds specifically targeted for endowment. This may result from a lack of understanding. Schools, like other nonprofits, avoid accumulating “apparent wealth.” But endowments ensure your long-term stability, provide an added layer of support in the event your school experiences an unusual financial situation, and funding for specific programs or initiatives. In fact, over the past two years, schools with endowments were better able to circumvent the effects of the pandemic versus those that did not.

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