Ventures in Philanthropy E-Newsletter: September 2008

	September 2008
President’s Message:
Welcome to our Ventures in Philanthropy E-Newsletter



	A few helpful hints:

End of Year Development Planning
Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE

As summer draws to an end and we feel the first hint of fall in the air, many development officers are starting to think about their year end giving plans. Although many nonprofits have just begun their fiscal year, their donors are thinking in terms if their year-end tax situation.

Fall has traditionally been a time when many nonprofits are gearing up for their special events, planning year end mailings and looking for ways to increase giving over last year’s performance. This year, perhaps more than ever, nonprofits need to think about how to work more effectively and more efficiently.

Make sure that your organization is completely transparent. Keep in mind the revised 990 form and the fact that completing it accurately and honestly is critical. Donors have easy access to your 990 form online at their convenience.
This is a good time to review your gift acceptance polices and stewardship policies and make sure they are legal, ethical and that they put the donors' interests first.
Another good step is to do an analysis of your special event fundraising. How much are you really netting on your special events, taking into consideration staff and volunteer time involved, and opportunities lost while focusing time and energy on events planning.
Focus on year end solicitation of major donors who may be in a position to need a tax deduction by making a gift before December 31.
Work on your year end phone and mail appeals. November and early December are typically good times to solicit donors for their year-end gifts, but you need to start the planning now, not mid November.
Be sure you have a strong case for support. If yours needs some beefing up, work on it now.
This is a good time to plan for staff development. If your staff needs specialized training, look at upcoming conferences and seminars that can help. Or consider having some one-on-one training and coaching for your staff from a professional consultant.
Build your board. Many nonprofits have terms ending in December and will need to find new board members for the upcoming year. If you don't have a year round recruitment process, now is the time to develop a list of potential 2009 board members and start talking with them about the possibility of their involvement on your board.
This may also be a good time to start developing a list of potential fundraising volunteers, especially your Development Committee. Assess your need for volunteers and develop position descriptions before identifying potential volunteers to fill those positions.
Don't forget to celebrate and take some time to relax before the busy holiday season ahead. One of my bosses had a tradition of giving every staff member a day off in December to shop, bake, wrap gifts, or just go get a massage and pedicure, whatever they wanted to do!

CAPITAL VENTURE 15^th Anniversary Celebration

We are wrapping up our own year-end here at CAPITAL VENTURE. Before we know it, our 15th year in business will come to an end and we will be into Year 16! We are still offering some benefits to our clients and friends. For example, our Board Boot Camp is being offered at a 15% discount throughout the end of the year. Before the end of 2008, we will be announcing some changes to our website and enhancing our Consultant on Call program. Watch for future developments which will be announced in our newsletter.

New Book Coming in 2009!
THE ESSENTIAL NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING HANDBOOK By Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE and Michael Sand, Esq. (To be published by Career Press) Getting the Money You Need from Individuals, Businesses, Foundations and Government Agencies
Are you a staff member, a board member or a volunteer of a faith-based, human service, arts or other nonprofit organization that needs additional funds to accomplish its mission? Are there not enough hours in the day to raise the funds your agency needs? Do you need a quick source of practical information about ways to raise funds? THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! This book is for individuals who are dedicated to helping their communities but who need useful recommendations on how to raise funds. Turn to one or more of over twenty chapters written by two of America’s foremost fundraising experts. Here are some of the topics:
	Developing a Fundraising Plan Asking for Funds from Individuals Raising Funds from Businesses Raising Funds from Foundations Raising Funds from Government Agencies Holding Special Events Conducting a Capital Campaign
And lots more! Watch for more info in future newsletters!

Stay Connected with Your Colleagues — Bookmark our Blog

We all want to hear from you. Visit our blog, the Fundraiser's Coffee Break, and share what is working and not working for you in your development career.

Technology Corner — Microsoft Word Compatibility Problems

As more people upgrade to Microsoft Word 2007, more questions are coming in about compatibility issues for the poor souls who receive the documents they produce with the mysterious *.docx extension. For whatever reason, Microsoft has made the *.docx the default in 2007, which cannot be opened by earlier versions. If you receive one of these documents and you have an earlier verison of Word, you have two options: 1) ask the sender to resave the document with a *.doc extension and resend it, or download and install the Microsoft compatibility pack for previous Office versions. The compatibility pack adds .docx support in Microsoft Word so you won't need to address the problem again.

You can download the converter by clicking here. It's a fast and easy installation that includes compability support for PowerPoint and Excel 2007 as well Word 2007.

Consultant Profile: Lourdes A Chávez, Consulting Associate

Lourdes has been the Director of Museo Interactivo de Tijuana A. C. where she was responsible for coordinating the board agreements regarding the children's museum project. She created regional and local relationships with corporations and foundations, hired and trained a staff of seven in local fundraising and oriented board members in resource development responsibilities. Lourdes organized special events and capital campaigns, coordinated grant funding of $10 million USD, and worked with the government to obtain a contribution of $500,000 USD per year during six years. She serves as a volunteer for Fundacion Castro Limon pro ninas con cancer where she is a member of a professional, voluntary and philanthropic team where she is responsible for international relations and fund raising events.

Lourdes has received education in philanthropy and fundraising through numerous AFP International conferences and hemispheric conferences, the Mexican Center of Philanthropy, and the University of Monterrey, Mexico. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business from the University of Baja California, is an active member or the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), was co founder of Association of Fundraising Professionals in Tijuana B.C.

Special thanks to Lourdes for her dedication and commitment
to the success of CAPITAL VENTURE clients!

We will be featuring each of our consultants in upcoming issues of Ventures in Philanthropy.

To read more about our other nationally based consultants on our website, please click here.

Useful Resources

You may order The Development Plan, Recruiting and Training Fundraising Volunteers and other books recommended by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, and learn more about our recommended fundraising books by visiting our website: www.cvfundraising.com/resources/cvbooks. CAPITAL VENTURE has updated our Training Catalogue, which is available by email. We offer a wide variety of workshops for groups such as AFP chapters, statewide associations, national organizations, Dioceses, United Ways and Centers for Nonprofits. If you would like to receive a copy of our offerings, please contact cvlinda@cox.net.

Training Opportunities

Pressed for time? Travel budget limited? Check out our website for the great webinars presented by Affinity Seminars on various topics of interest to development professionals.

Another excellent resource for nonprofit webinars is Charity University. You'll find six sessions I've recorded there that are now available on demand, along with the presentations of some of the most respected fundraisers in our profession. I'll be presenting four live audio conferences this fall for Charity Channel. You'll find the dates and details listed in the Upcoming Presentations section below.

This fall, CAPITAL VENTURE will be launching our own special training videos, so be sure to check next month’s newsletter for more information.

UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS
September 8 , 2008 AFP Fort Worth The Development Plan & Involving Board, Staff & Volunteers Fort Worth, TX Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration September 15, 2008 Charity Channel The Development Plan: Foundation for Success Audio Conference Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration September 17, 2008 Central PA Planned Giving Roundtable Financial Advisors & Development Professionals—Strategic Collaborations Lewisburg , PA Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for details September 19, 2008 AFP North Central Ohio Keynote Address: The Development Plan Akron, Ohio Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration September 22, 2008 PANO The Development Plan & Involving Board, Staff & Volunteers Harrisburg, PA Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration 0000	September 23, 2008 PANO The Development Plan & Involving Board, Staff & Volunteers Bethlehem , PA Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration September 26, 2008 AFP Las Vegas Essentials of Fundraising Course: Major Gifts Las Vegas, NV Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration September 29, 2008 Charity Channel Building a Board of Extraordinary Fundraisers Audio Conference Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for details October 13, 2008 Charity Channel Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign? Audio Conference Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for Details October 27, 2008 Charity Channel Organizing Your Capital Campaign Audio Conference Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for Details
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CONTACT U S
CAPITAL VENTURE
Advancing Philanthropy through Consulting and Training for Nonprofits
Offices throughout the United States
	Administrative Office: P O Box 731 Reading, PA 19607	Executive Office: 10245 S. Maryland Pkwy., Ste. 1188 Las Vegas, NV 89183 866-539-9990 toll free 702-892-0955 voice 702-892-0655 fax
CAPITAL VENTURE Associates are located throughout the United States. Call to find the one closest to you. (866) 539-9990 toll free
Email: info@cvfundraising.com Website:www.cvfundraising.com
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