Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE

Purpose:

• To introduce participants to one of the major responsibilities of a board member.
  To encourage board members to view this responsibility as both necessary and fun.

Lecturette:

Introduce the “G.A.P.s of Fundraising” by explaining:

G is for Gives time:

A board member contributes time to raise money for the organization: time after work, after school, on the weekends and in the early morning and or late evening.

A is for Announces the mission:

A board member must know the organization well and be able to speak clearly about its mission, its operations, its needs for money and its plans to use that money.

P is for Provides the dollars:

A board member needs to support the organization by making a financial contribution to it. It is not the amount of dollars but the fact that, when asking others to give, you can say, “Yes, I have contributed. Will you please join me in supporting the organization?”

The “GAP” theory of fun-raising fills the “gaps” in an organization’s budget with funds not generated by grants and/or user fees.

 

Activity:

1. Ask participants to brainstorm about community resources and people from whom they might be able to “fill in the gaps” of their budget.
   
   
2. Write these ideas on a flipchart. Examples might include: banks, wealthy citizens, city government departments or foundations (youth may not know about these.)
   
   
3. Give a brief lecturette on the reasons why Boards raise money: the organization’s internal and external needs:

   Examples:
   
   INTERNAL NEEDS

   1. Operating funds

   2. In-house resources such as books for library
   
   3. Staff salaries

   4. Equipment needs
   
   EXTERNAL NEEDS

   
   

   1. Scholarships

   2. Recognition
   
   3. Ways and means events such as a dance to raise money for a food bank

4. Help youth make the transition to their own experiences. Ask them to share some of the fundraising they have done. “Remember the Girl Scout cookie sales, band candy sales that went door-to-door, and magazine subscriptions or car washes for cash to pay for band or sports camp?” Youth are experienced fundraisers!
   
   

5. Hand out the “My Personal Contribution as a Board Member” worksheet. Each participant should find a quiet place to com¬plete the worksheet. Facilitator might ask some of the partici¬pants to share their contributions. This is optional.
   
   

6. Gather participants into small groups and give each group a “Fun-Raising Worksheet” and a “Fun-Raising” assignment:
   
   GROUP A: Board needs to raise funds for the Youth as
   Trustees Recognition Event.
   
   GROUP B: Board needs to raise scholarship monies to award Post-Secondary Education scholarships to Youth as Trustees participants.
   
   GROUP C: Board wants to plan a spring dance with the Student Council, which will serve as a fun-raiser for both organizations.
   
   GROUP D: Board would like to develop and print a “How-To Manual” for applying for Youth as Trustees funds.
   
   Note: Groups may select their own fundraising activity rather than using the ones listed. Encourage them to think of both internal and external needs for raising funds.

 

Processing Questions:

1. Ask the groups to make a presentation to the large group with their plan for fun-raising.
   
   
2. The presentation might be a role play in which they ask for the funds or products from their plan.
   
   
3. The large group then decides whether or not they will provide the funds for the activity or event.
   
   
4. After the short presentations and vote, ask the group:
   
   a) What did the group do or say that helped determine whether or not you would contribute?
   b) If funded, why did you vote for the activity or event?
   c) If not funded, what else might the group have done to
   change your mind?