News from IFC Canada
IFC Canada director, Mena Gainpaulsingh updates us on what’s been going on with IFC and fundraising in Canada…
Ethics and Corporate Sponsorship
I was delighted to team up with Chris Baylis, IFC Associate and Chief Blogger at The Sponsorship Collective to talk ethics with regard to corporate sponsorship and donations.
So many organisations do not have an ethical fundraising policy in place that guides them on the funds that the organisation is able to receive from companies. This can potentially be damaging, particularly if there is not an appropriate match, or agreement, between the organisation and the company with whom they have such a relationship.
Key things to consider when developing an ethical policy include:
• Is there a good brand fit between the company and your organisation? Do your values align?
• Does the fulfillment of your promises to the company relating to the sponsorship place a burden on the organisation that outweighs the benefit of the sponsorship?
• Do you have a process in place to properly assess gifts or sponsorship under the policy that is consistent and will ensure that the best interests of your organisation are properly considered?
A policy need not be overly detailed, but it’s good to start that conversation with your senior managers and board as soon as possible. You never know when you might need to use it.
You can read the full blog post here.
First Fridays Fundraising – Case for Support
We had a lively discussion at the last First Fridays on how to develop a compelling Case for Support for your organisation. We had the opportunity to look at some Case for Support examples from arts organisations to human rights charities and while preferences differed, there were some clear takeaways:
• Your Case for Support is an important fundraising tool for your organisation, particularly when asking others to advocate for your cause. By giving people (including your board!) the language and information they need to be able to talk confidently about the organisation, they are much more likely to talk to their friends and colleagues about the importance of the organisation.
• Your Case for Support should have impact, right out of the gate. People need to be moved right from the get go to want to carry on reading.
• Stories are important in a Case for Support to illustrate impact, but the document itself should have its own story “arc”, taking people on a journey that draws them in, moves them and takes them to the point where they feel compelled to give their support.
The next First Fridays will be on 5th June at 25One Community, 251 Bank Street (please note change of venue for June’s session). At our Fundraising Focus session we will be talking about how to develop your fundraising strategy. During this session we will cover the basics of a fundraising plan, we’ll revisit the case for support in the context of your plan, learn how to develop your donors lists and determine the different fundraising techniques you can put in place that suit your organisation. This session will be followed by our usual Q & A.
Please contact me to book your spot.
Full day Fundraising Training Programs
The IFC will soon be launching a series of half to full-day training courses on different fundraising areas. To ensure these courses can properly meet your needs, we need to know what you want to learn about.
– As fundraisers, what keeps you up at night?
– Which areas of fundraising in your organisation do you need to improve?
– Where do you feel that you are missing out on opportunities to raise revenue for your organisation?
If you feel that you could benefit from some dedicated training courses from the IFC, please let me know what we can do to help!
