How Asking for Help Builds Community Support Rosemary Cameron

1. MAKE AND TAKE PROFITABLE NONPROFITS
FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND NONPROFIT MODELS
HOW ASKING FOR HELP BUILDS COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Rosemary Cameron, Consultant
East Bay Regional Parks (Retired)
rlcameron@comcast.net  (415) 218-5180
You know the drill..
1. Please sign in with your Agency Name and the
number of people attending the webinar from your
agency today.
2. Type the names of those wanting CEUs for this
webinar with CEU after their name. (Jodi Rudick,
CEU)
3. Have you downloaded and printed a copy of your
handouts?
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2. Rosemary Cameron
Public Affairs and
Fundraising Consultant
Who’s talking?
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3. DID YOU DO YOUR
PRE-WEBINAR ASSIGNMENT?
 In your FEEDBACK Box, please choose the best
response regarding the pre-webinar assignment…
A. All of the people in our group completed the pre-
webinar assignment.
B. Most people in our group completed the pre-webinar
assignment.
C. Some of the people in our group completed OR
REVIEWED the assignment.
D. Sorry, none of the people in our group completed or
reviewed the pre-webinar assignment.
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4. LET’S REVIEW - PRE-WEBINAR ASSIGNMENT
 I asked you to research some nonprofit
organizations/foundations/Friends Groups which
support parks and recreation agencies…
 Name of the
nonprofit:______________________________________
 Describe the type of support it provides (funds for capital
projects, land acquisition, education or recreation programs,
provides volunteers, etc.).
In your chat box – please list the
names of the nonprofits you or
others in your group researched AND the
types of support these nonprofits
offer.
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5. PRE-WEBINAR ASSIGNMENT – PART TWO
CLICK IN YOUR FEEDBACK BOX
TRUE or FALSE
Most or all of the people in our
group have or are currently
serving on a Nonprofit Board.
Please type the names of
some of the organizations
you serve. 5

6. Tried and true nonprofit models
Benefits and pitfalls of establishing a nonprofit
Requirements for forming a nonprofit
Why donors prefer giving to nonprofits
Alternatives to forming a nonprofit
Basic fundraising techniques
Here’s what we’ll be focusing on:
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7. AFTER REVIEWING THESE EXAMPLES…
What types of
nonprofits, if any,
do you already
have which
support your
agency? 7

8. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR HANDOUTS
 Outline notes
 Make and Take Staff Report
 Fill-in-the-blank format
 Feel free to customize
 Word version is included in your emails from
CPRS and iLinc
Any Questions Regarding
Your Handouts? 8

9. (See Make and Take Staff Report Section IV)
Nonprofit Models for Parks and
Recreation Agency Support
Foundations
Friends Groups
Operating Entity
Umbrella Organization/Fiscal
Sponsor Organization
Land Trust
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10. Regional Parks Foundation
The Regional Parks Foundation was established in 1969 to support the
East Bay Regional Park District. The Foundation’s mission is to support
our Regional Parks through fundraising that provides broader public
access, resource protection and preservation, education and
recreational programs, and the acquisition of parklands. One of the top
priorities is to ensure that underserved populations have equal access to
the East Bay Regional Park District’s parks, trails, programs, and
services.
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11. Friends of Oakland
Parks and Recreation
The FOPR bridges the gap between the
City of Oakland’s Office of Parks and
Recreation’s funding and the public’s need
for safe, clean, and well maintained parks
and recreation centers.
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12. Entertaining, Educating, and
Enriching through Powerful Live
Performances
Poway Center for the
Performing Arts
Foundation
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13. Established in 1976, SRI’s mission is
to sponsor, promote, and initiate
recreation and cultural and
educational activities for the
residents of the Southgate
community.
Southarea Recreation,
Inc.
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14. Partners of Parks
Partners of Parks
A Nonprofit Corporation Supporting Long
Beach Parks, Recreation and Beaches
Partners of Parks is dedicated to enhancing the
quality of life for residents of Long Beach by
supporting recreational, environmental, educational,
and cultural programs at parks, recreation facilities,
and beaches.
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15. San Francisco Parks Alliance
The mission of the San Francisco Park Alliance
(SFPA) is to inspire and promote civic engagement
and philanthropy to protect, sustain, and enrich
San Francisco parks and green open spaces.
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16. POST protects and cares for
open space, farms, and
parklands in and around
Silicon Valley.
Peninsula Open Space Trust
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17. Foundations/Friends Groups/Nonprofits
What do they all have in
common?
• Inform
• Involve
• Mobilize
Passi
ve
Volunteers
Small
Dependent
Active
Paid staff
Large
Independent
• Conduct
programs/events
• Raise funds
There’s no one model that’s right for every
agency and community.
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18. SEE MAKE AND TAKE STAFF REPORT SECTION IV - B
Which “model” or models appear to be
the most applicable and potentially
valuable to your community at this
time?
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19. 1. Provide
public
support for all
aspects of
Department
programs
2. Act as the
focal point for
stimulating
private sector
support
3. Act quickly,
aggressively,
and without
political
impediments
4. Hold
funds
beyond the
fiscal year
and outside
the general
revenue and
budgetary
process
5. Use
foundation
gifts as
matching
funds for
government
grants
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(See Make and Take Staff Report Section IV - C)
10 Ways a nonprofit can benefit a
park & recreation agency…

20. 6. Provide
access to
programs and
grants other
foundation
funds that are
not available to
government
agencies
7. Allows
use of
nonprofit
postal rates,
which saves
on bulk
mailing
costs
8. Make
advance and
capital
purchases
outside the
lengthy bid
process and
handle
emergency
purchases in a
timely manner
9. Be a visible
advocate for the
organization with
regard to the
governing
authority, the
general public,
and the private
sector
10. Provide
funding to a
campaign to
support a
city/county/
special park
district ballot
measure
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10 Ways a nonprofit can benefit a
park & recreation agency (cont.)…

21. Use it to fund PR expenditures, such as
buying tables for community events
Builds relationships between public agency and
business/corporate or other community leaders
Provides funding for “scholarships” for low income
program participation
Allows focus on a single important project or
program that already has, or could have, broad-
based community support
Nonprofits can help build community
support and involvement too!
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22. Now that we’ve looked at the
benefits a nonprofit can deliver to
parks and recreation…
Share a few of the ways a
nonprofit could help YOUR
department?
WHAT DOES YOUR
DEPARTMENT NEED?
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23. Why do you think that is?
Please share some reasons.
DO YOU REALLY NEED TO FORM A
NONPROFIT?
No! Gifts to public agencies are tax
deductible.
But, some donors don’t want to give to a
public agency.
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24. Perception that charitable
contributions cannot be dedicated
to a specific purpose
Perception that gifts will “get lost” in
the General Fund
Public agencies are not easily,
quickly, and graciously able to say
“thank you”
Donor “psychology”
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25. ARE YOU A GIVER?
What motivates you to
donate to a nonprofit?
Type your answer in the
chat box.
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26. What’s the #1
rule of
fundraising?
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27. What’s the #1 rule of fundraising?
People give to
people! 27

28. OTHER FUNDAMENTALS OF FUNDRAISING
 Clarity of purpose – define the project or
program for which funds are to be raised
 Know your community values/interests –
needs are perceived differently by different
people at different times
 What motivates donors?
Charitable nature – to help where it is needed
Participation in a winner
Recognition
Tax deductibility of gift 28

29. (See Make and Take Staff Report Section IV - D)
Nine things that are required to form a Nonprofit
1. Have a clear idea or
mission of what you
want to accomplish
2. Recruit a dedicated
group of interested
volunteer/board
members
3. Have realistic goals
for success
4. Develop a commitment
to success by staff, and a
clear understanding of
support needs
5. Articles of
Incorporation and
By-Laws
29

30. What ELSE is Required to Form a Nonprofit?
6. Have a good
bookkeeping or
financial person
7. Understand the
challenges of operating a
nonprofit as to the
administrative
requirements (record
keeping, financial
reporting, IRS rules, etc.)
8. Have a good
attorney
9. If you start this as a
“staff driven” organization,
make sure there is one
person in charge that has
this as their main job
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31. Staffing and/or
active and
sophisticated
volunteer efforts
A fundraising
plan
Formal procedures
and ongoing record
keeping (policies,
procedures, meeting
minutes)
Financial
record
keeping/book
keeping
Annual audit
Errors and Omissions
insurance for board
members at minimum,
possibly other liability
insurance
(See Make and Take Staff Report Section IV - E)
What’s required after a nonprofit
has been established?
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32. You must overcome
the perception that tax
dollars support public
agencies and asking
for donations is
inappropriate
Staff time involved
Legal/accounting
issues
The funds you
raise may not
justify the level of
effort involved
What could possibly go wrong?
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33. YES! Fiscal Sponsorship
Resources:
www.fiscalsponsorsdirectory.org
www.grantspace.org
www.councilofnonprofits.org
www.sff.org
This sounds like a lot of work –
is there another option?
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34. Got Questions?
Please type in the chat box…
Or press *7 on your phone to
unmute and talk to
Rosemary.
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35. Contact Rosemary
ROSEMARY CAMERON
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONSULTING
rlcameron@comcast.net
415-218-5180
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36. FEEDBACK PLEASE…
MULTIPLE CHOICE…
I think my agency is ready
to explore developing a
nonprofit entity.
A. Definitely
B. Maybe
C. Probably not
D. I’m still confused 36

37. FEEDBACK PLEASE…
HOW STRONGLY DO YOU AGREE WITH
THIS STATEMENT?
“This webinar gave me the
information and tools to take
next steps to develop a
“profitable nonprofit.”
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38. NEXT MONTH’S WEBINAR…
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Make and Take – Planning for the
Future
Planning for the Future applies to everyone
and will be taught at an intermediate to
advanced level
Mike Shellito, Consultant
Formerly with City of Roseville (Retired)

39. WHERE WILL YOU GO FROM HERE?
In the chat box please
complete this sentence…
As a result of
this webinar I/WE…
.
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