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Summer 2001 Newsletter

Table of Contents

  1. Growing a Development Office by Leona Yez

  2. Will Power for Staff and Boards by Kathy Hawkesworth

  3. Canadian Forum on Volunteerism - 2001, Vancouver, August 16 - 18, University of British Columbia by Karen Spiess

  4. Seeking Common Ground by Zanne Cameron

  5. Volunteer Services in Health Care, Misericordia Community Hospital by Brenda Shim

  6. Interested in Making a Video for Your Non-Profit Organization? by Bev Kirchenberger

  7. Book Review: Charities and Not-for-Profit Fundraising Handbook by Donald J. Bourgeois

 

  1. Growing a Development Office by Leona Yez

Arriving in a new development office in a medium sized not-for-profit, two emotions cross one's mind – sheer panic at the magnitude of the job to be done and exhilaration at the open expanse of opportunities and challenges before you.

In 1997, prior to my arrival, Boys' & Girls' Clubs of Edmonton (BGCE) was fund raising between $170,000 and $200,000 annually. The organization had, to some degree, prepared itself for the establishment of a comprehensive development program:

  • The Board had approved the hiring of a fund raising professional and an assistant.

  • A fund raising committee of the Board was established.

  • There was strong name recognition through the international movement.

  • Three annual special events were in place.

  • There had been some success at applying for grants.

  • A fund raising database (Raiser's Edge) was in place.

  • A semi-annual newsletter was going out.

  • Casinos and bingos were used.

So . . . where does one begin. With a number of different audiences and countless tasks, the choices seem endless and all require the expenditure of limited resources.

Internal Audiences

Having the management, staff and Board on side is critical to the success of any development program, so that is where I began.

Executive Director/Board

  1. While the ultimate goal was to build endowment and create a Planned Giving program, there were a number of steps that had to take place first. Sharing long-term plans was critical to setting realistic expectations and maintaining good faith.

  2. Hiring a professional does not mean the Executive Director and the Board of Directors can abdicate their responsibility to ensure financial stability for an organization. On the contrary, the establishment of a comprehensive fund development program means more work for others in the organization as they respond to inquiries, help develop and test the case for support, establish communications with current and potential donors, brainstorm new prospects and, in some cases, make the actual ask.

    In order to appreciate the level of understanding and commitment, I met with each member of the Board one on one during my first few weeks at BGCE. This provided an opportunity to speak openly and establish direct contact with the Board.

  3. Before my arrival, BGCE believed that a deficit would motivate funders and donors to provide support. In reality they want to see their resources used effectively in a well-managed organization. Organizations choose to fund a certain level of programming – some of which is funded through core funders and the rest of which is funded through fund raised dollars. Moving the fund raised dollars to the revenue section of the income statements helped everyone to understand this concept. Boys' & Girls' Clubs of Edmonton went into the community to raise funds to support important and worthwhile projects – period.

  4. The importance of ethical standards and principals and good stewardship was stressed with the Board and Executive Director early in the process and continued to be highlighted throughout. Trust among internal and external stakeholders is critical to the success of any development program and cannot be understated.

  5. The expense of an entire development department was approved with cautious optimism. It was important to establish trust and provide added value to the organization. Maintain a very professional standard, listen carefully, provide advice when asked (this is an opportunity to educate and build on your relationship), become an integral part of the management team, and above all, follow through on any and all commitments.

Other staff

Fund Development is a function of an entire organization; developing a relationship of trust and under-standing with the entire staff is critical. Prior to my arrival, BGCE had hired a number of different individuals to help with special events and other fund raising initiatives. The position was never integrated into the overall structure of the organization and was actually seen as being elite in its role and relationship with the Executive Director. A number of elements came into play:

  1. Keep control of Fund Development activities centralized. (BGCE operates seven Neighbourhood Centres and a variety of other programs, each of which seeks support from the community in the form of gifts-in-kind. Shortly after my arrival I received several phone calls from local Safeway and Canadian Tire stores about the number of solicitations they had received from BGCE. I helped create a tracking system to ensure they each knew who was soliciting who and when. I helped them understand the importance of building relationships and developed form letters they could use to solicit gifts.)

  2. Seek advice regarding the development of the case for support, keep everyone informed and encourage conversation between line staff and donors when making site visits (after all, they are the people working directly with the kids – who better to tell the story).

  3. Work with the Finance Department to ensure accurate and appropriate reporting. Develop guidelines regarding the issuance of tax receipts and position descriptions to allocate responsibility for regulations and legislation.

Fund Development Committee of the Board

I was very fortunate to have a small, but dedicated, Fund Development Committee. These key individuals were full of enthusiasm and truly understood the importance of relationships. However, they had been repeatedly disappointed as a result of limited staff knowledge and support.

  1. Building trust is the primary objective early on. Follow through on every little detail in a timely and effective manner, listen, listen, listen, ensure that the volunteers feel they are in control (they take both the credit and the responsibility) and let them know that you are there for them.

  2. Engage in meaningful activities. Set lots of small, achievable goals to ensure a taste of success.

  3. Harness enthusiasm, help to set direction and provide professional advice. However, leave the final decisions to the volunteers – they are in control.

  4. Develop policies to help ensure ethical and legal standards and set guidelines for gift acceptance, donor recognition, etc.

Note: The Fund Development Committee encouraged each member to take responsibility for an "event". This worked well when the Committee was small however, it had the potential to create more events than was practical and created a barrier to Committee involvement in development programs with less measurable goals.

External Audiences

The primary external audiences for BGCE were current and potential donors and funders.

  1. Revamp the semi-annual newsletter and annual report to focus on stewardship. Ensure donors know how their support is making a difference.

  2. Create a consistent donor recognition program to ensure donors feel appreciated and to encourage others to give. Include both personal acknowledgementand public recognition. (At BGCE we delivered thank you’s personally whenever possible, giving us an opportunity to seek input and listen to our donors. Board and committee members participated when appropriate.)

  3. Publicity not only helps to develop new donors, it also helps make current donors feel good about their support. Develop relationships with individual media and always ensure a "real" story with great photo opportunities.

What Else . . .

Set priorities – in particular limit the number of special events as they are so time consuming. Your new Fund Development Committee will likely think in terms of events, as opposed to a comprehensive development program – harness that energy and ensure both your time and theirs is used effectively.

We have all been taught to personalize solicitations. In fact, many parts of the case may be generic and used over and over again. Keep in mind that while you may get tired of using the same words over and over, your audience probably hasn't seen them before.

Your database is critical to your success. Purchase appropriate hardware and software. Avoid "home grown" programs. Be sure you have support staff to manage the database, provide adequate training and use your database to its fullest potential. Set up your data so you can get the information you need out of it, do it NOW, and do it RIGHT.

Ensure you have a budget for advertising. Publicity is hard to get for those warm and fuzzy stories. You have much more control over the message with paid advertising. Leverage your advertising budget with a corporate partner. They will benefit from having their name associated with yours and you both win. (BGCE ran a campaign with Investors Group with the slogan "Investing in all Kids". This was a good fit for both and resulted in a marked increase in volunteer inquiries and funds coming in from new donors.)

Apply for grants from the obvious prospects. Failing once or even twice does not mean you should give up. Make sure you talk to the staff at these organizations, ask questions, find out why you were turned down and go on from there. You have a good case – you know it – others will too.

Direct mail is an expensive, but critical means of building your database and communicating with your donors. Ensure an aggressive "ask" in the letter and mail to everyone on your database (with the exception of foundations and larger corporations). Your donors are not exclusive to a special event or campaign (caution: you do have to be time sensitive on occasion). Don't "save" donors for the big ask. Most who are able will give annually and then again for a specific project.

Create unique opportunities for donors to give more significant gifts. (BGCE created a share offering in one of its programs. Shares were represented by individual youths in the program and a lunch provided an opportunity for shareholders and beneficiaries to meet.)

Build in time and budget for research – don't think you will go to the library – you won't.

Use consultants where appropriate. We can't all know everything and a consultant can save you time and add credibility to your planning.

Be careful to manage the type of funds raised – organizations very quickly become dependent on operating revenues, their appetite for current dollars is voracious. The problem is you will then not have any time to dedicate to Planned Giving and endowment, which over the long term will stabilize funding and ensure continued services into the future.

Planned Giving is an important goal. However, an organization must be ready and the process cannot be rushed. At BGCE we had just recently approached some of our closest friends and had been successful in revealing three planned gifts just before my departure.

In addition to launching a Planned Giving program, it was important to demonstrate internal commitment to building endowment. To this end, set a policy to invest a percentage of any annual surpluses into endowment. (BGCE established a Fund at the Edmonton Community Foundation, taking advantage of low administration fees, expert investment advice, awareness through their publicity and an increased return on investment brought about by pooling funds.)

If you are an organization starting out on the Fund Development process, you will be involved in special events whether you like it or not. A few thoughts:

Keep it special – use your organization's culture to set the tone

Set objectives – do NOT use "awareness" as an objective. Keep the Board and volunteers focused on the real reason you are doing an event – to build relationships with future prospects by assigning specific prospects to specific volunteers.

Create Ownership – volunteers want to feel they have control over the event and its outcome.

Involve Beneficiaries – at BGCE, our most successful event in terms of long term relationships was our golf tournament, where our members caddied for the golfers (5 hours with these kids quickly reveals the need).

Make it fun and memorable.

Boys' & Girls' Clubs of Edmonton now raises over $750,000 per year, an increase of 375% over three and a half years. About 35% of those funds are derived through Annual Fund campaigns and are directed to program operations, 15% through special events, 13% through gaming, 24% through capital grants and 13% through operating grants.

Leona Yez is Director of Communications at the Edmonton Community Foundation. She can be reached at 780-426-0015 or by e-mail at lyez@ecfoundation.org .

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  1. Will Power for Staff and Boards by Kathy Hawkesworth

Many not for profits do not have the resources to implement a full planned giving program. However, it is still possible to offer your donors the opportunity to include your charity in their wills. To do so effectively, you (and your board!) must take steps to ready your charity to receive such gifts. Outlined here are just seven of these steps.

What gifts will your charity accept?

Not all gifts come in the form of cash and some gifts come with strings or liabilities attached. Your board needs to establish gift acceptance policies to pre-determine the sorts of gifts the charity is prepared to accept.

For example, what if:

  • the will asks you to use a gift to fund a program that is now obsolete

  • the property given is private company shares that can't be readily converted into cash or a house with a huge mortgage.

Gift acceptance policies should also identify who in your charity is to decide if a gift is to be accepted.

How will gifts made in wills be used?

It is essential that the board understand that where a donor stipulates a purpose for a gift, the charity has two choices:

  • Use the gift for that purpose, or

  • Decline the gift.

However, often donors do not stipulate a specific purpose. In that event the board should have a plan in place for how such gifts are to be used. For example, the charity could choose to create permanent endowment funds with these gifts which then creates a permanent, predictable base of funding for the charity in years to come.

Ensuring the necessary processes to establish and administer a gift are in place

Does your charity have the policies, financial controls and procedures, resolve and the resources to ensure that the essential elements can be properly handled?

Policies, financial controls and procedures:

The ethics of receiving a gift, in a will or otherwise, requires that the gift be used for the purposes for which it was intended and that conditions placed on the gift are met. The board has a role to play in establishing financial controls and procedures to ensure accountability for all gifts received.

Resolve:

The Board must commit to making resources available to ensure that:

  • fund development staff and those receiving donor and advisor questions (e.g. receptionists) are able to provide the information necessary for wills to be drafted correctly

  • finance staff and those issuing charitable donation receipts are able to handle the gift and the receipts correctly.

Resources:

If your board is committed to creating permanent endowment funds with will gifts but does not have the resources to administer either the gifts or the endowments, other alternatives are available. Community foundations exist to create and manage endowment funds. Your charity could create designated funds at a community foundation. This may provide similar or improved benefits for your charity, while reducing or eliminating the administration efforts and costs.

Patient investment with realistic expectations:

A gift in a will reflects a strong personal commitment and great trust in your charity. It takes time to develop such a special relationship with your donors. Hopefully, these special donors will live long and satisfying lives. Combine these two elements and it becomes apparent that this is not the sort of endeavour that your charity can "try-out" for a one or two year period to see what happens. The timeframe involved is many years. The returns, when they come, are extraordinarily generous. The board’s patience and continued strong support is key.

Personal involvement:

Your board has a role to play in making the contacts necessary to develop close relationships with donors: opening doors for the fund development staff and volunteers, being ambassadors for your charity and/or being active participants in recognition and information events.

Leading by example:

One of the most effective ways to let donors know about the opportunity to include a gift to the charity in a will may be to talk about gifts you already know about, and often these first revealed gifts are from members of your Board. Board members including the charity in their own wills sends a strong message that such an opportunity exists and that the charity is worthy of such support.

Keeping wills on the agenda:

Developing the necessary friendships with your supporters is ongoing (and pleasant!) work that needs the constant support of your board. If it falls off the board’s agenda, it will not have a meaningful place in your charity’s operations with the result that your charity will not benefit from these gifts of a lifetime.

Kathy Hawkesworth is Director of Planned Giving, Edmonton Community Foundation. She can be reached at 780-426-0015 or by e-mail at khawkesworth@ecfoundation.org.

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  1. Canadian Forum on Volunteerism - 2001, Vancouver, August 16 - 18, University of British Columbia by Karen Spiess

This Forum, hosted by Volunteer Canada offered an amazing venue for delegates to hear stimulating speakers such as John Ralston Saul and Kumi Naidoo and to network and debate important issues. It began with the AGM of Volunteer Canada followed by the unveiling of the latest NSGVP statistics (see page 9). Four statements were debated by panels in plenary followed by small group discussions amongst the delegates. The topics under discussion were as follows:

  • Volunteers deserve to receive tax benefits for their donated time and expenses.

  • By putting an economic value on volunteer hours, we compromise the essence of time freely given.

  • A truly effective and well-managed society would not need volunteers to provide essential services.

  • Altruism is on the decline as volunteers are motivated primarily by vested interest.

The general response to these statements was that there was an extensive bureaucracy required for completing the task of Tax Benefits for volunteer time. The need to record hours, etc. was important on a general numbers basis for funders, statistics and recognition of volunteers. Reimbursement of volunteer’s expenses was favourable and perhaps monies could be made available to organizations to ensure this happens.

It was indicated that no time is given freely, but that volunteer time is cultural currency given to the community. The question of what are essential services was raised and the conclusion to statement #3 was a "Truly effective, well managed democratic society requires a volunteer component." Volunteerism provides an opportunity to be involved in a democratic society. Altruism is alive and well as indicated by the delegates. Volunteering is a mutual beneficial exchange and altruism is not exclusive of other motivators. "I do what I do because I am Canadian."

A featured presenter was Mr. Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General and CEO of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, who spoke on Putting People at the Centre: Voluntary Action Shaping Social and Economic Change. His thought provoking address outlined 10 challenges facing organizations around the world.

Governance - need for elected leaders to engage in dialogue with organizations. There is a challenge with governments that reduce democracy only to voting. This is a violation of true democracy.

Definition - Civil Society has become a highly used term with many interpretations. Is there a value base in the work we do? The time has come for a set of universal minimum values.

Globalization - We must think globally and act locally, our actions impact others in the world. There is growing inequity between the rich and the poor.

Social Inclusion – Look for the success of the most vulnerable in society. Gender equality is still low with only 7% of women in leadership positions. Young people are a serious demographic imperative. Where will our future leaders come from, particularly in view of the various wars and the aids epidemic.

Accountability - With greater influence must come greater accountability. Where do you derive the mandate to do the work you do?

Partnership - Challenges will not be met by one sector, but needs three sectors working together.

Collaboration/Coordination - Dialogue with other sectors. Look at contradictions and seek common ground utilizing specialization. Do not sacrifice individual motives, but begin to integrate.

Bridging the Gap – There should be no division between social activism and volunteerism. Everyone is seeking improvement and the direct service sector has the knowledge of what is needed.

Maintain Dignity - Respect the people we serve. " I am because You are" - South African Proverb.

Searching for a new Paradigm - Think outside the box. Be innovative, think beyond the rules.

Mr. Naidoo concluded with a story from South Africa of a friend who said the biggest commitment he could give was his life. We were reminded that not giving your life, but giving the rest of your life was the greatest gift. Commitment is ongoing. "Stay the Course."

The Canadian Forum on Volunteerism was a wonderful opportunity to sit down with others and discuss philosophical issues. I suggest you might enjoy this type of a discussion with colleagues over coffee. Take the four statements from the conference and give it a go. We would be interested in hearing your comments.

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  1. Seeking Common Ground by Zanne Cameron

Strength matching strength is what good alliances are all about. To further this end, on June 6th and 7th the Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (CCSE) held a workshop, Strategic Alliances: Seeking Common Ground. The CCSE developed the workshop to explore and help develop strategic alliances between the for-profit (FP) and not-for-profit (NFP) sectors. As government plays less of a role in funding the NFP sector, the demand for the FP sector to be socially responsible has grown. This has created a convergence where to affect positive social change, stronger alliances and creative relationships between sectors must be formed. The CCSE is thrilled to have made this step towards bringing stakeholders in social entrepreneurship together.

The workshop, held at the U of A School of Business Stollery Centre, drew forty-one participants from both sectors, along with CCSE representatives and facilitator, Teresa Halkow. With a mix of discussion, exercises and educational sessions, some of the walls came down between the ‘two solitudes,’ of the FP and NFP sectors. Most importantly a non-partisan atmosphere was created where people could safely put their cards on the table and freely share ideas.

To kick off the seminar, the Dickensfield Community Partnership, an amazing example of cross-sectoral strategic alliances, gave a presentation of how such alliances are making a dramatic difference to a community in dire need. The Dickensfield Community, with the collaboration of 24 public, FP and NFP organizations moved from the 7th highest crime rating in Edmonton, (out of 32) to 27th. All partners worked from their strengths and all partners gave their unqualified commitment to one clear goal. Trust between partners and the ability to put aside competition for funding were pointed out as key elements to the success of these alliances.

With this moving beginning to the workshop, the stage was set for participants to let down their guard and openly engage each other in a meaningful way. "What was exciting for me was how people from both sides of the table opened up with each other in discussion," says Sharon Pangman, Associate Director of the CCSE.

"It was a rare opportunity for me to meet with my clients when I’m not asking for something," says participant George Andrews, Vice President of the United Way. "We all want a caring and vibrant community," says Andrews. The workshop, he felt created a ‘safe’ arena where some assumptions were broken down on both sides, and participants could let their hair down a bit and really learn about each other’s strengths and resources. "We forget that there’s people behind the institutions," he says.

The CCSE in partnership with Volunteer Calgary will be conducting a similar workshop in Calgary early in 2002. For more information, contact Sharon Pangman at 780-492-0187.

A copy of the summary report of the June 2001 workshop can be found at www.ccsecanada.org.

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  1. Volunteer Services in Health Care, Misericordia Community Hospital by Brenda Shim

Background

The 1950s and 1960s across North America saw the beginning of the hospital volunteer movement. Interested and concerned members of the community, adults and students alike offered their services. In order to co-ordinate the activities of this growing number of people, departments of volunteer services were formed in many urban hospitals. In 1968 the Misericordia Hospital officially created the Department of Volunteer Services and appointed its first paid Director of Volunteer Services in an organized program in a health care institution. It was the first hospital in Edmonton to form such a department, the first such association to be established at an Alberta hospital and possibly the first one in Canada.

In 1970, Beau Geste Coffee Shop opened. The Misericordia Hospital Voluntary Association (MHVA) replaced the Women’s Auxiliary and worked in close association with the hospital.

In 1995, the Misericordia Hospital Voluntary Association (MHVA) and the Volunteer Network Association of the Edmonton General and Grey Nuns Hospital officially merged to become the Caritas Volunteer Association (CVA).

Today the businesses that are operated on the Misericordia Site by the Caritas Volunteer Association (CVA) are:

*Beau Geste Coffee Shop, Gift Shop, Flower Shop, Telephone and Television Rentals. The mission is to generate revenues to complement and support the activities of the Caritas Health Group, and to enhance resident care and comfort.

The Department of Volunteer Services is closely associated with the Caritas Volunteer Association (CVA). The goal of the department is to recruit and maintain an effective and satisfied group of volunteers who may be assigned to help in any requesting department of the hospital as well as in the CVA project areas.

Department of Volunteer Services

The Purpose of Volunteer Services:

In keeping with the mission of the Caritas Health Group our purpose is, "to support the Misericordia Community Hospital by enhancing and extending the services that are provided to our patients or clients, by promoting and enabling community interaction through volunteerism."

  • The main functions of our Volunteer Services Department are to:

  • Recruit, interview, orient, train and place volunteers in appropriate areas.

  • Assist the Caritas Volunteer Association in promoting and developing their projects.

  • Work with community agencies to assist them in meeting their goals.

  • Develop volunteer outreach programs.

  • Support and enhance all services offered through the departments at the Misericordia Community Hospital and Health Centre, as appropriate.

My experience

… Since working in Health Care I’ve learned:

  • that I am no longer a one-person department – I am blessed to have two full-time paid staff and a summer student . . . I have a team.

  • with competent staff in the department it is less intimidating to work with a large volunteer population.

  • that no matter what industry one comes from prior to working in Health Care, we are all in the business of service.

  • to be fiscally responsible and accountable for a large budget.

  • to look beyond Volunteer Management. If I want to increase volunteer recruitment, awareness, and support … involvement in peripheral activities internally and externally increased our profile. Furthermore, this affects the department’s sphere of influence and brings about better utilization and appreciation of volunteers.

  • that Advocacy for volunteers is an important skill to have and must be fostered. Advocating for volunteers in the long-run allows the volunteer department to increase its level of influence and respect from others, thus it is more appreciated. Increasing awareness and educating others about volunteer effort makes the setting more volunteer friendly and allows for more effective utilization of volunteers. Consequently, there is less recruitment, more retention and more motivated volunteers…happy long term volunteers.

  • to work in an unionized environment. This emphasized the necessity and importance of clear and concise job assignments and descriptions.

  • Community Partnership: I learned that participating in leadership roles in the community such as chairing committees or serving on boards has a positive effect. It increases the level of respect and appreciation for the volunteer department. The more branding of our name (Misericordia Volunteer Dept.), the more leverage and active voice in the decision making that will eventually affect our department.

  • that serving on internal ad-hoc committees for the organization i.e.…Wellness Committee, Lobby Committee, Hope Committee, Internal / External Mission Committee, Prime Time Conference for Women Committee, Interagency Committee, etc. increases the awareness of our department…more awareness … more networking… more support for our purpose and mission of volunteer effort.

  • "Working in a health care volunteer department is like having a very large and diverse extended family. Everyone gathers for the same cause; to provide care, comfort and support to our patient's and their families. This is all accomplished without any remuneration or expectations on the volunteer's behalf. These unselfish acts of kindness witnessed each and everyday, gives me the renewed warmth and sense of pride of belonging to the Caritas family". Quote by Betty-Lynn (Assistant, Volunteer Services).

Brenda Shim is Manager, Volunteer Services, Misericordia Community Hospital. She can be reached at 780-930-5753 or by e-mail at bshim@cha.ab.ca.

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  1. Interested in Making a Video for Your Non-Profit Organization? by Bev Kirchenberger

Shortly after accepting a new position as a Coordinator of Volunteers, I was informed that there was grant money available to produce a video for the Volunteer Department. Not knowing where to start, I decided to ask friends, work contacts and to do some research. I quickly discovered that one of the best forms of multimedia production is through a video. In fact, video production is one of the most effective forms of visual and verbal communication today.

I asked myself the following questions. What content would be viable to our organization? The content needed to be adaptable and useful for purposes such as marketing, recruitment and orientations. Who would be our target audience? The focus of the video would require information to inform potential volunteers, the community and others about our organization and purpose. Volunteers and staff members might be asked to be involved in the video.

The next step was to consider a script. I decided to write my own script. By doing this, I was able to determine what, where and how the scenes were presented. Who better to understand the organization and our function than myself? One of my concerns was to have the resources in place for future growth and/or changes. Programs change and these concerns needed to be considered. Who was going to narrate this video? A narrator can be hired or you might consider a switchboard operator; they have excellent choices for such a project. Are you thinking about music? Upbeat and/or tranquil? Many production companies retain copyrights of various types of music. Finally, do you have a time frame? Days? Months?

After you’ve answered some of these questions, the next step would be to arrange an interview with a couple of production companies. Ask companies to see samples of their video work. Ask to be involved in the pre-production and the post- production processes. Production companies will share their guidance and creativity to complete a project that will meet your needs and most of all, be effective! The end product is something you want to be proud of.

This was a rewarding experience for our volunteers and myself! We are proud of the finished product and the hard work that went into the making of our video!

Bev Kirchenberger is Coordinator, Volunteer Services for Sturgeon Community Hospital. She can be reached at 80-460-6375 or by e-mail at bkirchen@cha.ab.ca.

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  1. Book Review: Charities and Not-for-Profit Fundraising Handbook by Donald J. Bourgeois

Developed in consultation with the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, this text addresses a multitude of topics on the subject of fundraising. Beginning with the definitions of charitable and not for profit, Donald J. Bourgeois leads us through ethical standards, compliance with the law, risk identification and management, registration as a charity, financial accountability and finally, the internet and charitable and not-for-profit websites.

The text addresses particular fundraising topics such as: types, risks and benefits of charitable gaming, risk management of special events and the legal and accounting considerations of planned giving.

The first in a series to be published to assist the sector in adapting to its evolving roles and accountabilities, this easy-to-read, informative handbook is an essential resource for any non profit agency.

This publication can be ordered from LexisNexis Butterworths, 75 Clegg Road, Markham, Ontario L6G 1A1, Toll-Free 1-800-668-6481, Fax: 905-479-2826, www.butterworths.ca.

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