Tips for Non-Profits in Tough Times

Joy – the emotion of great happiness

Having had to overcome the challenge of paralytic polio at the age of 5, I did not experience the unbridled joy of childhood. I had many physical problems as a result of the polio and childhood abuse which dampened my ability to feel the sense of sheer joy and exhilaration with life’s simple pleasures. But as Tony Robbins says, ‘It’s never too late to have a happy childhood’. I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by joy.

As I write this I have a smile on my face and my spirit is soaring as I reflect on recent events overflowing with joy. School is back in session and we are so blessed to live in a neighborhood where we can see the kids walking home from school with their moms. On the first day of kindergarten, this precious angel comes running up to my daughter and me when she spotted us sitting outside on our lawn. With her beautiful big blue eyes she regaled all the events of her first day of school. She told us about her teacher, had her mom show us her folder and with confidence in who she is as a divine child, she told us how many friends she made and ‘it’s only the first day you know.’ Her smile was infectious as was her sense of joy and wonder and discovery.

This past Saturday I was incredibly blessed to share in the joy of the Cycle for Life event to raise money for the Tufts Childrens Cancer Center. As a volunteer, I kept focusing on good weather, good weather, good weather but it was not meant to be. There were torrential downpour but the weather could not dampen the spirit of the riders.As the cyclists returned from there 25 mile ride,there were expressions of sheer joy and exhilaration. One rider, a three time cancer survivor commented she felt like a kid again; another rider did a ‘dance’ on her bike in the middle of the pouring rain. Everyone was already soaked to the skin so what did it matter if we were all out in the pouring rain? The children who were patients of the Tufts Childrens Cancer Center were relishing their hot dogs at the post ride barbeque seeing scores of bike riders splashing through puddles and wearing smiles of satisfaction on their faces. The pain of the challenges were transformed by the communal sense of joy.

It is so easy to lose the unbridled joy of childhood. As adults we grumble about the weather and heaven forbid we should get wet and splash in the puddles. When is the last time you sang the song, “If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops oh what a joy it would be. I’d stand outside with my mouth open wide. I wouldn’t care if I never went inside….” Why do we get so bogged down by our adult concerns and lose that carefree sense of making angels in the snow or running around in the rain with a sense of reckless abandon? When is the last time you sat your butt down in the sand to make sand castles?

Here’s to everyone feelin’ like a kid again. Here’s to soaking up precious life moments to let the unbridled joy and love flow through us and out into the world.

Mary McManus,post polio survivor and Boston Marathon finisher is the author of “New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World.” She generously donates 20% of book proceeds to Spaulding Rehab’s Polio Fund. You can contact her at www.newworldgreetings.com Tips for Non-Profits in Tough Times19051Tips for Non-Profits in Tough TimesNow that summer is over, many companies especially non-profits are refocusing on their fall and winter fundraising activities, which have never been more important to their survival. Because of thenew realities (harsh economy, need for discretion in events and entertaining, changes in funding parameters)we are already seeing more and more companies cancelling their usual high-profile sponsorships, entertainment expenditures and events not only to save money but to save face as well. Yet, with core services being cut, non-profits must be more creative than ever in raising funds and reaching donors. Parties, dinners and special events are often the best way to do that.

It’s a challenging situation but it’s not an impossible situation. While many regional events and production companies can serve as resources about the changing landscape, the following are some tips of how non-profits can maintain visibility and raise money, without breaking the bank.

Tip: Don’t cancel your event — your audience may think you’ve gone out of business, making further fundraising more difficult. In other words, evaluate how important your event is to your future and find the best way to proceed.

Tip: You can still hold a quality event even if you cut back on the frills. Yes, any production partner will work with you to cut costs and help you to produce a quality event. For example, Angel Flight Northeast (which provides free air transportation and travel for those in need of life-saving medical care) needed to produce their annual fundraiser Evening of Angels, saluting their valuable volunteers and, more importantly, using the event as their core annual fundraiser for donors. As the economy has changed in the past few years, Angel Flight Northeast worked with their staging company to trim line items, tightened the production itself, and, streamline Angel Flight’s efforts to maintain contact with donors and supporters. Says Angel Flight Northeast’s President Larry Camerlin,We have to stay in touch with donors and pilots in order to stay viable. This is our one fundraising event of the year. It’s critical to continue doing it.

Tip: Salute volunteers, keep morale high, and stay in touch with donors and sponsors. It is important to hold events for the people involved in your organization – young leaders, volunteers and staff, not to mention potential funders. In addition, a high-profile keynote speaker can be used to generate national PR and good will.

Tip: Some trade organizations must produce events in order to remain viable and to grow: For example, since technology is changing at warp speed these days, it is imperative for technology related organizations to hold events several times a year for various purposes including keeping members abreast of the latest information.

Tip: For some non-profits, an annual gala is their only major opportunity to showcase their services to their donors and potential donors.Even if the dinner is no longer three courses, even though the bar is no longeropen, even if the evening is no longer black tie but is now less formal, a non-profit’s annualgala is still important in terms of communication with the organization’s funder, prospective funders and celebrities.

As we said, challenging times, yes, but not impossible times. These examples prove that theshow can go on despite a tough economy.

For more information on how non-profits can succeed in planning fundraisers and events contact Patricia Basteri, president of massAV, New England Largest Event Staging Company, pbasteri@massav.com.