Congressional District Programs
"Empowering People to Help People"

Getting Started

   Let’s say that you agree that the needs are great. Greater than the resources you have ­ and you decide that you will try to increase those funds. Although there is no hard and fast rule to getting a program started, our thirty years of success has given us some guidelines.

1. Begin Your Program at CDP: Easily done by filling out the application on our website, add $285 and e-mail it to us, or download and fax, or mail with a check.
2. Sketch Out Your Ideas: Put the ideas you have, with a detailed bio of yourself, down on paper. Develop a letterhead. If you are going to convince people to help you, they are going to look at you and your ideas.
3. Present Your Paper to All: These people initially should be your close friends, relatives and associates. They will tell you what they think about what you are planning. And don’t be discouraged. There are a lot of really important projects out there that are unpopular with the masses of people but somehow you are going to have to come up with some seed money to get started. Friends (family donations are not allowed) gladly give to these projects especially when they see the good you are preparing to accomplish.

Fundraising We Frown Upon

      Now that you have a bit of seed money raised from others and you would obviously like to raise more, there are two thoughts that might cross your mind.

1. Non-Contributor Mailings ­ “Let’s get a good list of addresses and mail them a request for funds,” you might hear someone say. This is called Non-Contributor Direct-mail Solicitation and it is frustrating and unproductive these days. People are just not giving money to direct mail appeal letters, especially if they’ve never heard of you before. And since the cost of such mailings is so high, you cannot really tell the truth to the prospect and have a hope of his writing a check to you.
   
   
2. Non-Contributor Telephoning ­ The other thought on which we frown is, “Let’s get a good phone list and telephone our request for funds.” This is called Non-contributor Telephone Solicitation, and although not quite as frustrating and unproductive as (1) above, it has the added detraction of being annoying to the recipient.

      Now this doesn’t mean that we absolutely forbid NON-CONTRIBUTOR SOLICITATION, but the participating program must have funds set aside for this purpose, so that we can be honest and tell the prospective donor that a significant part of his contribution will actually do the intended work.

Direct Solicitation

      If you followed the suggestions above, you already have some experience in direct solicitation. You invited 10 or more to serve with you on your Advisory Committee, and they agreed to stand up and be counted on your letterhead, to give you counsel when asked, and to help solicit funds from their friends.

A Note About Control

      You do not lose control of your program by bringing on an Advisory Committee. The person signing the Application is our Key Person. He or she is the Manager of the Program. This is the person we will contact and the one who is authorized to request transactions within a Program. The Advisory Committee that the Manager selects is only advisory, and in case of disagreement, the CDP Board of Directors will ultimately consider only the wishes of the Manager. One reason that the CDP Board might overturn the wishes of the Manager is if we believe that what this person is contemplating is either illegal or contrary to CDP Policy.

      All Direct Solicitation should be done with the participation of the Financial Professional. And if it includes the direct participation of the Donor or his or her key staffers, so much the better. I will tell you a quick story:

When I was VP for Development of a small college in Palm Beach, a volunteer came wagging in the office waving a $10,000 check. We cried, we did not cheer, because we knew this donor. We knew that with proper assistance from a financial professional that gift would have been at least $100,000.

    As you might suspect, one of the key objectives of Congressional District Programs is to involve the ideas, judgment and especially the sales ability of the Financial Professional in the flow of funds to charitable organizations. Here’s how it works.

1. You identify a potential contributor in a distant location.
2. You locate a NACEC member on our website nearest by zip code.
3. Call the NACEC member and tell him or her about your project.
4. See if the NACEC member will call on your prospect.
5. Remind the NACEC member of our Harvester Plan. If they are able to raise a gift for you, we take 20% and put it into their Special Nominating Account (SNA) for their past and /or future assistance to you. Or they can just donate it back to your foundation.
6. Follow up to make certain that they did what they agreed to do.

      Another aside about Direct Solicitation: Direct Solicitation, in which the Manager of a charitable project directly asks another person to participate with him or her is precious. First of all, it was recognized by early observers of Democracy in America as being a unique American phenomenon ­ the originator of a project went everywhere BUT to the government for assistance. I also feel this is where our Creator wants to place the responsibility for social action: Squarely on the shoulders of the caring donor. I often opine that the God we serve is fully capable to accomplish anything He wants in the world without our help. He allows us to labor with Him in the Vineyard, not because we get better or more grapes, but because of what it accomplishes in our own lives.

      Direct Solicitation directly touches hearts. It is truly a “people to people” bond. Therefore it is precious. At risk of offending, I will say that what I like about Direct Solicitation is that it puts the Donor in intimate touch with the project. And what I don’t like about omnibus organizations is that it removes the Donor from intimate touch with the project. We need that personal touch.

Event Fund Raising

      The perfect way for a Foundation to grow, until its name and program become well-known, is through Event Fund Raising. We offer teaching through our Fund Raising Library for only $9.95 on CD. We also have this information available on audiocassettes and booklets, which you may copy and return to us.

Success Story

A charity conducted an event where they picked up a golf pro in a rented helicopter and flew him to the fifth hole of a nearby golf course that was closed on Monday, but open to them by prior arrangement. Meeting him on the tee of the fifth hole and having agreed to donate $5,000 each to that Foundation, were four players. What excitement as the helicopter descended. What a photo opportunity for memory lane, and what a joyous experience it was for the grandchildren and friends that were there.

The one hole finished, the helicopter took him to another golf course where three holes in succession were peopled with four contributors each. He played 18 holes at 7 golf courses that day. The Foundation paid the helicopter $10,000, paid the golf pro $50,000 (a good payday, don't you think?) and netted $300,000 for the Foundation that day.

      The reason Event Fund Raising is so perfect is that it often does not require a commitment to the charitable endeavor to coax participation from a prospective donor. They are coming to attend the Gala, to run in the Marathon, to watch the Theater presentation, or participate in the Golf Event. The above example illustrates this point: Sometimes people don’t need to know the charity to want to contribute!

      Event Fund Raising affords a marvelous opportunity for you to build support for what you are doing. You should build into the activity a time when your words may be heard and your literature (especially with a commitment card) can be seen. People in America aren’t as stingy as statistics might indicate (Commerce Department figures say that Americans give a mere 1.67% of their disposable income). My opinion is that Americans are tired and disillusioned about the things charities are doing with their money, and usually welcome the opportunity to participate with their friends in exciting projects that touch their lives.

      You will need some help in conducting most events, so that’s why we suggest (among other reasons) that you build your Advisory Committe to a convenient size.

Grants From Foundations

      I know, I know. There are hundreds of thousands of grantmaking Foundations out there, who (grantwriters would like you to think) are just waiting for your application. It is true, there are hundreds of thousands of such Foundations out there, but (a) they already have an agenda, (b) they have planned ahead for at least a year or more, and (c) for each grant they make, they turn down hundreds. Being a new program "on the block" even though you have the prestige and financial solidarity of Congressional District Programs behind you, it is still very difficult to get a grant.

      This doesn’t mean you should not try. Go see them personally. As you experience success with your operations, keep them informed. Try to make the acquaintance with important staffers. Eventually you may succeed. It is not just “who you know.” But you should make an effort to see who is on the Board of Trustees, and who is on the staff. With help from the inside, your application may rise to the top of the pile.

      And you have help from CDP: remember, you are a “Project of CDP.” This means something to a foundation staffer when they are contemplating making a grant to you. They have to ask, “will all this money be eaten up in administration?” With CDP they know the cost will be very small.

Typical Grant Proposal

      In any typical grant proposal (and we have participated in the construction of hundreds) you may need:

1. A copy of your program application to us.
2. A copy of your certificate indicating that your project has been accepted as a “Project of CDP.”
3. A write-up of what you do and specifically what you will do with the grant from them.
4. A write-up of the personnel involved. Include staff bio for specific tasks and a proposed budget.
5. A copy of CDP's IRS determination letter (also available under the "Financial and Legal" link at the top of this page).
6. A copy of our Articles of Incorporation (same place).
7. Our Form 1023 (same place).
8. A copy of the last two years of the CDP financial statements.
9. If your program has already been with us for at least a year (also if you have switched from NHF), we can run a detailed report of your transactions by accounting code. This will tell you to which areas you have directed your program funds (i.e., how much on postage, consulting fees, program expense, etc.). You can request this by calling us at 800-986-4483. You can also inform the grantor that CDP will provide detailed accounting reports to them about how the grant money is being used once the grant is awarded to your foundation.
10. A list of our Board of Directors.
11. Send a copy of your final proposal to CDP to file with your program information with us.

      You have a better chance of getting a grant with CDP support because they feel more comfortable with our administrative supervisory expertise. Our administrative costs are usually less than 2% of gifts.

   Do your research on the Internet. You will save a lot of time and energy if you can look up what the grant requirements are BEFORE you create your proposal. Here is a (short) list of Internet resources that you can use when searching for grant assistance.

• American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel
  AAFRC Member Firms are distinguished as leaders in advancing philanthropy and assuring the highest ethical standards and professional practices.
  
  
• Association of Fundraising Professionals
  For more than 40 years, AFP has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising.
  
  
• Benton Foundation Best Practices Toolkit
  What it takes to design & fund an effective communications technology strategy, including planning, audience development, message shaping, evaluation and funding.
  
  
• Better Business Bureau
  The Better Business Bureau includes reports on charities.
  
  
• Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
  Increasing the understanding and improving the practice of philanthropy through research, teaching, and public service.
  
  
• Chronicle of Philanthropy
  The Newspaper of the Non-Profit World
  
  
• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)   
  An international education association.
  
  
• Council on Foundations
  Supports foundations by promoting knowledge, growth and action in philanthropy.
  
  
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
  The Kauffman Foundation strives to identify unfulfilled societal needs and to develop, implement and/or fund breakthrough solutions.
  
  
• Foundation Center   This site provides information on the materials of the Foundation Center, listings of foundation sites, corporate sites and how to write a grant proposal.
  
  
• GrantStation
  GrantStation does not simply collect and warehouse data. Instead, the company researches funding sources by interacting directly with funders nationwide. Member nonprofits have access to the industry's most up-to-date contact information, an accurate understanding of corporate funding philosophies, and valuable information on the most effective way to work with that particular funder.
  
  
• GuideStar
  The Donor's Guide to the Nonprofit Universe
  Offers a free searchable database of reports on the finances and programs of more than 700,000 nonprofit organizations, current news on philanthropy, features and informational articles, and links to other sites concerned with philanthropy.
  
  
• Helping.org
     Nonprofit portal site sponsored by the AOL Foundation.
  
  
• IRS
  This Information for Tax-Exempt Organizations page features articles, resources and a searchable database of the cumulative list of exempt organizations.Also, download IRS tax forms and publications here.
  
  
• Leave A Legacy
  A community based program to help people learn about charitable giving through a will or from an estate. Read about the national program.
  
  
• Maine Philanthropy Center Index of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Web Resources
  This well maintained site is as an excellent resource for a multitude of different fund development sites.
  
  
• National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS)
  NCCS is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society.
  
  
• National Committee on Planned Giving
  Professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing and administering charitable planned giving.
  
  
• Newtithing Group
  Philanthropic research organization that seeks to help donors determine how much they can comfortably give to charity.
  
  
• NonProfit Gateway
  A network of links to Federal government information and services. You can go to just about any government site from here.
  
  
• Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
  Dedicated to connecting and supporting individuals and organizations who empower nonprofits to use technology to achieve their missions.
  
  
• Philanthropic Initiative
  A nonprofit organization offering philanthropic design and management services to corporations, foundations, individuals and familites. Connducts educational programs and research studies to help donors make giving more effective.
  
  
• Regional Association of Grantmakers (RAGS)
  Helps grant makers practice more effective philanthropy and provides a forum for promoting to inspire and enhance leadership and capacity in promoting the public good.
  
  
• Women's Philanthropy Insititute
  The Women’s Philanthropy Institute works to raise awareness of women as donors and encourages women to increase their charitable giving.
  
  
• World Wide Web Resources
  Michigan State University A collection of Internet resources related to funders, financial aid, fundraising, etc. This site developed by library staff covers everything from how to write a proposal to researching government grants. Very complete information.
  
  

If any of the above links become broken or outdated, please send an e-mail to cdp@nhf.org.