Establish awareness of nonprofit Friends Groups. For a Friends Group, it is important to match an individual’s needs and passions with the mission of the specific nonprofit. Assist individuals in establishing connections with nonprofit organizations via social networking sites, coffee shop meetings, and target market databases. Encourage nonprofit organizations to define Friends Group roles upfront and provide accurate estimates of individual time commitments. Facilitate consistent interaction between participants and members of organizations in order to sustain nonprofit Friends Groups. |
Sustainable Plan
To match all individuals who are interested in getting involved in the community with a non-profit organization whose mission is compatible with their passions/interests. Make sure everyone’s voice is heard from the bottom to the top.
VISION
- To connect all individuals who are interested in getting involved in the community with a nonprofit organization whose mission is compatible with their passions and interests.
OPERATIONS
- The nonprofit organization should elect a point person from within to organize and help keep the “friends’ group” motivated and involved. Individuals who are interested in getting involved should know upfront the time and financial commitment and they should not have to deviate from this. The point person at the nonprofit should also distribute a calendar of meetings with detailed agendas and a time line with ACTION ITEMS. Individuals who volunteer their time need to know their own time is appreciated and not being wasted. We presume that those who volunteer are doing so because they want to actually do something.
MARKETING
Have key leadership in the nonprofit organization go out in the community as ambassadors for the nonprofit so individuals are aware that various organizations exist and are in line with their personal interests.
- Relay information to personal networks/work colleagues
- Give presentations at colleges/high schools
- Blanket coffee houses and public spaces where potential interested individuals would spend their time
- Telemarketing campaigns
- Email blasts…calling for interested individuals
FINANCES
The nonprofit organization should provide seed money to help recruit new people into the organization. Individuals can also be asked to make a small donation the first year ($100-$500) and increase their support each succeeding year of membership.
Awareness Plan
Utilize social networking sites to keep existing members informed. Engage individuals while in high school and college and encourage them to join friends groups. Define roles in terms of expectations and time commitments. Have consistent meeting times. Match individual needs and passions with the interests of various organizations.
- Need Social networking sites
- Target specific individuals
- Establish connection to the mission
- Leverage existing members to spread awareness
- Make time to engage yourself to get involved
- Share human contact between groups
- Politics is distracting these groups, get buy in from each board
- Engage younger talent on substantive projects
- Cross training between various groups
- Have a complimentary friends group
- Create a database of friends
- Social networking and e-newsletters
- Need an Organizational Plan
- Open structure
- Interactions between participants and members of various levels
- Organize around Advisory committees
- Include multiple volunteers
Organizational Plan
Organize around an Advisory Committee with an open structure. Recruit and connect as many volunteers as possible. Facilitate interaction between participants and members of various levels within the organization.
Brian Broadbent / Julie Clark BVU:
- Linked business community to nonprofit sector
- Placed 1300 people, short term consulting, 90 teams of employees/volunteers
- Friends Groups: connect to mission of nonprofit, friend-raising, fundraising, a board focused on governance strategy
- Best practices for friends committees: purpose well defined, written statement of purpose, quality staff leadership, systematic selection process, continuing education, terms for the committee, recognize volunteers.
Marianne Campbell / Hearing & Speech Center:
- Engage and involve new partners
- Tell story, mission, program and services
John Farina, Red {an Orchestra}:
- Redefine, rediscover
- Brings you in center, does not have friends group, building to that
- Determine if a friends group right for your organization
Kathy Thompson, MOCA Local Cleveland special events manager:
- Year of discovery, define mission, what’s the interest with Mocha
- Passion and engagement for your cause
Michael Goler, Board of Directors Hearing & Speech:
- Junior board: reach out to wider community, financial support, view points/community input, way to involve next generation of leaders.
- Individuals are more connected to an agency if they start at junior level work your way up to parent board
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