Washington Children's Hospital to Receive $150-Million From United Arab Emirates

Here's a link to an article I commented on Wednesday, 9/16/09:



http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/9515/washingon-childrens-hospital-to-receive-150-million-from-united-arab-emirates



(My comment is No. 3 after the end of the article. )



Washington Children's Hospital to Receive $150-Million From United Arab Emirates
By Holly Hall


The Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, plans to announce Wednesday that it has received $150-million from the United Arab Emirates.


The donation, one of the biggest a charity in the United States has received from a foreign source, comes at a time when most wealthy American donors are pulling back. Only two other gifts of $100-million or more have been made so far this year, compared with 21 gifts of that size last year. Such sluggish giving is a key reason why a growing number of American charities are seeking money overseas.

July 23, 2009 Kent Dove - A Blueprint for Fundraising Success in Any Economy

I joined an audience of AFP members and non-members for Kent Dove's recent webinar, "A Blueprint for Fundraising Success in Any Economy: Creating a Sustainable, Comprehensive
Development Model." Dove offers an amazing array of insights based on many years of successful higher education fundraising. Here are a few nuggets of knowledge for you to integrate into your planning:

1. Focus on assessing the needs, choosing the right methods for raising funds, and the best process for evaluating effectiveness


2. Volunteers are integral to a successful program. When engaging volunteers in fundraising, dedicate adequate resources and guidance to help them be successful.


3. Focus your annual fund development on acquiring new donors, getting donors to repeat, and upgrading current donors.


4. Above all, keep stewardship top of mind when creating your strategy.

While I found great value and nuggets in the presentation, I felt it would have been helpful to have more acknowledgement of the current recession and suggestions for countering its effects.


Dove's authored many books including, Conducting a Successful Fundraising Program, which has proven useful to me in working with organizations and budgets of all sizes. The book has a place of honor in my office. This book is included on the reading list for the CFRE exam.


I'm not suggesting, "Fundraising by the Book," but rather to utilize the best tools to develop a comprehensive strategy that will help your organization reach its potential.

Networking and Educational Resources for Grantwriting in Portland, Oregon!

This post is offered in answer to the many requests I received recently for information about two groups (and I've added two more) who are terrific resources for grantwriters in and around the Portland, Oregon metro area:

American Association of Grant Professionals: http://www.grantprofessionals.org/

The next meeting of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Chapter will be in early May. Send your email and I'll see that you receive a notice with all of the meeting details.

Faith-Based Grant Writing Consortium: http://www.multnomah.edu/Contributors/PagesNewsEvents/GrantConsortium/GrantConsortium.asp

This group meets twice annually to gather professionals who as staff or volunteers seek grants on behalf of organizations with faith-based mission. The next meeting will take place on Wed. 7/15/09 from 9:30 - 12:00 p.m. at Multnomah University at 8435 NE Glisan Street in Portland, Oregon.

Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO): http://www.wvdo-or.org/

This group offers educational and networking opportunities for members and non-members. Visit the website to learn more about upcoming meetings.

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): http://afporegon.afpnet.org/

This international organization (more than 30,000 members and growing) offers local networking and educational programs for members and non-members. Members are able to access national research and tools for fundraising including grantwriting. Visit the website to learn about upcoming events.

Stay tuned to my blog - better yet add me to your RSS or follow me at http://www.twitter.com/adeptdiva for more Fundraising Savvy! Look for me on LinkedIn!