Fundraising Confessions of a Former Camp Fire Girl

In most nonprofits, board members need to fundraise to provide for the financial sustainability of their organizations. But how?

Fundraising Confessions of a Former Camp Fire Girl
9 mins read

Looking at fundraising as both a camper and as a foundation president.

Carrie Avery is both a foundation president and a volunteer fundraiser. In this First Person Nonprofit article she looks at fundraising from both angles:

Growing up in Southern California, I loved being a Camp Fire Girl: the beach camping trips, my uniform with its red neckerchief, earning beads by doing science experiments and helping elderly people… it was all good.

Every year, our group leader told us that if we wanted to continue to enjoy these privileges, we needed to do something for the Camp Fire Girls: sell candy. So each spring, I would trundle around the neighborhood pulling my brother’s red wagon behind me, peddling Mint Sticks (yum) and Fruit Jellies (kind of gross).

Like Camp Fire Girls on a spring day, many board members can think of many things they would rather do than ask people for donations to a nonprofit on whose board they serve. When is the last time you heard a board member say, “I just love development! Can I be on that committee?” I thought so. I myself would rather redraft the bylaws.

But the fact remains: in most nonprofits, board members need to fundraise to provide for the financial sustainability of their organizations. But how? There are many approaches, depending on the board member and his or her contacts, willingness, and available time. It also depends on the culture of the organization and whether or not they have development staff or a development plan.

Overcoming my fundraising reluctance

To overcome my own fundraising reluctance, I use the tactic of teaming up with staff to make personal calls on prospective donors. I’m on the board of a national resource center located on the East Coast that has a strong online presence. They want to raise funds from new sources in California, where I live. Here’s how we teamed up:

First, working with a senior staff member, we came up with a list of prospects at family foundations (she did most of this work). I let her know when I was available and she set up several meetings, most of them with people I know, although many only slightly.

We had different goals for different visits: in some cases it was just to acquaint the prospect with the organization; in other cases it was to request a $1,000 grant.

In a few cases we were seeking multi-year operating support in the $10,000 – $25,000 range. We made six visits over three days (no red wagon, though!). The result: one $1,000 grant, two $20,000 grants, and one commitment to make a $1,000 grant next year. We also had some truly interesting discussions and set the stage for future contact.

In a staff-board tag team, we each play a role. My role was to demonstrate volunteer commitment to the organization and talk about why its work is important to me. The staff person is the brains of the visit, the one who can answer detailed questions and follow up with additional information. It’s a good combination, and it’s a hundred times easier than if I had to do it alone.

From my point of view as a funder

From the funder’s point of view I can also attest that this is an effective fundraising method. In my day job as a staff member and trustee at the Durfee Foundation, I sit on the other side of the table. It is rare that I get to meet board members when I am on site visits, but I am always impressed by that extra show of dedication when I do meet one.

A couple of years ago, I went on a site visit to Circle of Friends at Santa Monica High School, which works with developmentally and physically disabled students who are isolated from the rest of the school community. Circle of Friends trains mainstream students and teams them up with disabled students to have lunch on certain days of the week. From this simple beginning, friendship and support develop, resulting in disabled students become integrated into the life of the school.

At this site visit, I enjoyed talking with the founder and the student volunteers. I was also impressed that a board member showed up, a man whose disabled daughter had gone through the program. His presence was brief, because as a volunteer he had to take time away from his job to come to our mid-day meeting, but he gave me a picture of the impact of this program on a family and the dedication it inspires.

Circle of Friends received a two-year, $50,000 grant from Durfee to expand into more schools, as well as to hire a paid mentor to work as an organizational consultant. I can’t say that the board member’s presence was the deciding factor in our funding decision, but it certainly helped me get a strong and favorable experience.

The power dynamic shifts

It’s good for me to be both a grantmaker and a volunteer fundraiser. I learn some very important lessons every time I switch roles. Durfee is an endowed foundation, and we don’t need to ask for money. It’s easy to become complacent about how well we do our work because, frankly, no one is going to tell us otherwise. It’s good for me to be reminded of what it is like to sit on the other side of the table… it’s not always the most comfortable place.

For example, when I am seeking funds, the power dynamic shifts. Sometimes it’s subtle, a note of impatience or dismissiveness on the part of the funder. Sometimes the power imbalance is right in your face, like the time a potential major donor to a building project that would benefit inner city children walked into the meeting barking into his Bluetooth device, and continued his conversation for several minutes while we waited for him to finish.

We didn’t even get the grant. I keep these experiences in mind when I?m meeting people in my foundation role. How would I want to be treated?

And a few practical tips from my experience in different roles:

Tips for executive directors: Ask all of your board members why they volunteer themselves to your organization. You may be surprised to discover some of the answers, and their stories could be helpful if you bring them on a fundraising visit.

Not every board member will be an asset on a fundraising visit, but consider the ones who have potential and develop them. If you’re worried about giving up control or concerned that the board member’s presence would have limited utility, you might ask the board member just to pop in on a meeting to shake hands with the funder and say a few words.

Tips for board members: You know that you’re supposed to help the organization fundraise, and you probably feel guilty that you haven’t done enough. Tell your executive director that you are willing to go on donor visits, offer ideas for connections, but let the E.D. make the ultimate decision about what to do.

Tips for funders and donors: If a nonprofit executive who has an appointment with you asks if you would like to meet a board member, say yes. Meeting board members and learning why they are involved can give you a new perspective on the organization. It’s also good due diligence.

After all, boards are an important component of the leadership of any nonprofit organization, and the more you learn about the board, the better you are able to assess the organization. And if you serve on a nonprofit board, volunteer to go with the executive director on a fundraising visit. It will offer you a new perspective on your work.

Finally, when I’m on a fundraising call, there are times when the prospective donor asks astute questions and provides a new perspective to me on the organization. Interactions like these make me a better board member. And there’s nothing like success to make me willing to do more fundraising.

It’s a sweet feeling to hear from a donor that he or she will make a significant multi-year commitment to the organization — almost as good as getting that new patch to sew on my uniform.

About the Author

Carrie Avery is the president of the Durfee Foundation, a family foundation based in Los Angeles, California. She serves on the Ethics and Practices Committee of the Council on Foundations. Carrie authored The Guide to Successful Small Grants Programs: When a Little Goes a Long Way, and serves on the boards of several community nonprofits.

Articles on Blue Avocado do not provide legal representation or legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for advice or legal counsel. Blue Avocado provides space for the nonprofit sector to express new ideas. Views represented in Blue Avocado do not necessarily express the opinion of the publication or its publisher.

17 thoughts on “Fundraising Confessions of a Former Camp Fire Girl

  1. Great article. Intro caught my eye.
    I had the pleasure of meeting Carrie when she spoke at The Philanthropy Workshop West.
    Cathy Krinsky
    Board Chair, Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
    Former Girl Scout

  2. Great article and well-rounded from all aspects of fundraising! I look forward to passing this on to our board — it’s a polite and gentle reminder to them how important their participation in the fundraising process is.
    Martha Baker, ED
    Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation
    Julian, CA (mountains of San Diego)

  3. Thank you for the advice! What would you say to smaller nonprofits who may not have the right connections with the foundations in order to even get that first scheduled meeting? As an ED myself, I always find it hard to even get 5 minutes on the phone with a Program Director, nonetheless get a meeting with them.
    Any advice for smaller seeking nonprofits?
    Thanks!
    Gina Rosales
    Executive Director
    Funkanometry SF Dance Company

    1. Dear Gina,
      There’s no doubt that it’s difficult for smaller nonprofits that do not have an existing relationship with a foundation to get a foot in the door. First, look at the funding history of the foundations you are targeting to make sure that you have a shot. Do they fund other groups that do work similar to yours? Do they show an openness to working with smaller NPOs? At the Durfee Foundation, our Springboard Fund focuses specifically on young organizations in L.A. with budgets of less than $100,000 that are poised to make the next step in their development. See if there are funders in your area that have a similar focus.
      Use your staff and board to see where there might be connections. Pass around lists of staff and trustees at foundations and ask if they know anyone. You might be surprised at unexpected connections that could open the door a tiny bit.
      And ask your current funders if they know anyone else who might be interested in supporting your organization. If funders are connected in their community, they might know the funding sources that have a focus similar to theirs.
      Good luck!
      Carrie

  4. From the Board perspective: a great piece that I hope will give us all a boost of encouragement and confidence to cultivate donors and make the ask. I am also wondering how as a Camp Fire Girl you grappled with the reality that most of the young-girl-service-organization-sweets dollars were going to the Girl Scouts. Life lessons for the smaller non-profits?
    Pam Johann
    Berkeley, California

  5. Dear Carrie.
    WoHeLo from Camp Fire USA Patuxent Area Council. Your comments brought back warm memories of selling Camp Fire Candy and really brought home the point of fundraising. As Camp Fire USA moves into its 100th year, we are reconnecting wtih alumni stories. This is a great one. Thank you for sharing and then pushing us further
    Rosemary Pezzuto, CEO, Camp Fire USA Patuxent Area Council

    1. WoHeLo to you, too, Rosemary! (For those of you who never participated in a Bluebirds "flying up" ceremony, WoHeLo is the virtually uncrackable secret code for the the Camp Fire mantra, Work-Health-Love.)
      Congratulations on the 100th Anniversary!
      Carrie

  6. What a delight to find this article, Carrie, and a very useful one at that! Will share this with the organizations seeking to transition from reliance on primarily public (government) funding to engaging their boards more effectively in finding and securing financial (and other resources!) in the private sector. The field is very fortunate to have you as both a philanthropist and nonprofit board member!
    Warm regards,
    Heather Tunis
    Program Officer
    First 5 LA

  7. Hi, Carrie,
    What a great article! I plan to share it with our board and fundraising committees (comprised of both board and non-board members). You demonstrate the importance of board and volunteer involvement in development, that successful development efforts can’t be shouldered by staff alone. More importantly, your message that fundraising isn’t as scary as it seems was wonderful. Great staff can have all of the tools that a volunteer needs to be successful – but it’s the volunteer’s passion for the organization which always counts the most.
    Lynn Eve Komaromi
    Director of Development
    Berkeley Repertory Theatre

  8. Hi, Carrie,
    What a great article! I plan to share it with our board and fundraising committees (comprised of both board and non-board members). You demonstrate the importance of board and volunteer involvement in development, that successful development efforts can’t be shouldered by staff alone. More importantly, your message that fundraising isn’t as scary as it seems was wonderful. Great staff can have all of the tools that a volunteer needs to be successful – but it’s the volunteer’s passion for the organization which always counts the most.
    Lynn Eve Komaromi
    Director of Development
    Berkeley Repertory Theatre

  9. WoHeLo from Heart of Oklahoma Council located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma! I had to laugh as you described your candy sale dates – right outside my door is about 1000 cases of Camp Fire candy that is being distributed to soldiers serving us overseas. The Mint Patties are still really good!!!
    We struggle with board fundraising – most do not feel qualified to take the step and ask for a donation and some do not feel that their friends have the means to be significant donors. I’m of the opinion that we can use $5 as much as $50,000! I use a lot of articles from this wonderful resource in board meetings – your article will be a hit next month I am sure!!!
    Kim Kamp Leslie
    CEO – Heart of Oklahoma Council
    Camp Fire USA

  10. Great article with a catchy title–I went to it right away. Very practical and usable advice. Thanks.
    Former ED of a Camp Fire Organization
    Wendy Betts
    Casco, ME

  11. o-he-lo as well fellow Camp Fire Girl! I sold my fair share of Camp Fire Mints too–one year in the snow covered parking lot at Crystal Mountain, Washington. I coveted having a ceremonial gown decorated with beads galore!I can only hope the ED and Board members of the non-profit I used to work at will read and implement the excellent suggestions you offer in your article.Mary HarvillSpokane, WAhttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/aug/01/very-02/

  12. I am so curious. where./ when is it you sold “mint sticks” not mint patties? I was a Camp Fire girl in the 50’s & have nw er seen a mint stick. Thanks, Elaine

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *