Dave Curry
Concept Thirteen - Revitalizing District Foundations
You Gotta' Spend Money To Make Money:
District foundations can be our "best kept secret".
Although foundations and districts sit as separate entities,
they both serve the same clientele, district members. Therefore,
there are mutual benefits to be gained by both working together.
There are a few exceptions, but most district foundations
focus on "legacy" efforts (endowment programs),
while district programs generally focus on projects with more
immediate gratification/results. Here I present three ideas
that I hope will start a brainstorming session in your district
to establish or rejuvenate relationships with foundations
so that we can help each other in our journeys, and generate
more excitement for both.
First and most important, foundations and districts need
to put a "face" on their efforts. There are many
ways to do this, but the point here is that donors want to
support someone in need, not just add something to a total.
The best way to do this is to show the faces of those who
are being helped. Whether by video, power point presentation,
or photographs, it does not take a lot of words to touch a
lot of hearts. Montana has a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation
that focuses on students that have received scholarships,
kids at our orphanage in Vietnam, and our Project Life (suicide
prevention) effort. The Foundation President in Texas/Oklahoma
handed me a great DVD that showed the faces and voices of
students who had just received scholarships. This made it
pretty easy for me to contribute to their foundation later
that day. The best way to get the information out is to show
a presentation at a mid-year or District Convention and then
give it to Lieutenant Governors to show at each club in their
division. It advertises the district, the foundation, and
the causes of both.
Second: In every club there are individuals who are attracted
to efforts that are helping people now, while others want
the sacrifice of their efforts & money leaving a lasting
legacy through endowments. One way to encourage both groups
to participate in an effort is to offer a fundraiser that
interests both. Consider a 50/50 fundraiser where half the
proceeds go to a heartwarming cause (last year we built an
orphanage in Vietnam), and half go to the district endowment
program for a foundation effort (sponsored youth scholarships
for example). Both causes are advertised, both efforts supported,
and more folks are interested and actively participating.
Third: Sometimes you have to reenergize the relationship
between your Foundation and District. The district has a closer
relationship with district membership, while the foundation
has project funding and support. Consider creating a district
foundation fund that supports a District Governor's effort.
Our foundation has a "K Family Children's Fund"
that is financed by an annual raffle for a bronze sculpture.
The proceeds go to a children's effort usually at the discretion
of the District Governor. This makes the Governor more aware
of the need to support the foundation, and allows the foundation
to continuously put on a "new face" as they support
a new cause every year. Another idea? Once the cause is chosen,
consider efforts where the foundation matches contributions
up to a certain amount. More folks are involved and both the
cause and the foundation are advertised and supported.
Some additional considerations:
· Offer grants for individual clubs. This will encourage
club support/involvement.
· Have a 50/50 raffle for the foundation and give 50%
of the money received by a club back to a cause of their choice
if the club collects 150% of the their target for that effort.
· Give a Foundation Exceptional Service Award to Lieutenant
Governors who encourage the most foundation support and the
most support per capita that year. Remember, it is the Lieutenant
Governor who is the direct contact with clubs. Consider a
similar award for club presidents.
Effective leaders increase their sphere of support and involvement.
Mutually beneficial efforts between districts and district
foundations lift both up and encourage more understanding,
humanitarian efforts and commitment to our causes.
For more information contact:
Name: Dave Curry
Address: 1204 W Woolman
 Butte,
MT 59701
Phone: (406) 723-8067
email: Dave Curry
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