Sheree Cooper

Dr. Tamaki Onishi

PSC 650-02D

26 April 2021

Development Assessment & Recommendations for the Salvation Boys and Girls
Club of Greensboro

COVER MEMO

Positioning myself as a consult for the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of

Greensboro was an interesting experience, especially since I have a preexisting

relationship with the organization. As an employee of SABGC, I already have a

relationship with some of the inner-workings, but this experience has granted me the

opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. In my role with the SABGC, as

the Program Director, I am not constantly thinking about the resources involved in

putting together programs. Resource development is extremely important because

without it there would not be a program at all. It would not be possible, so learning and

implementing the steps to create sustainable resource development is invaluable. In my

first two portfolios, I have done a fundraising audit, created a case for support, and

developed some annual fund programs. My portfolios are not perfect, so this final paper

allows me the opportunity for improvement. Taking into consideration the feedback

from my professor, Dr.Onishi, and my nonprofit partner contact, Grace Thompson, I am

clear on the needed edits. The major changes and corrections between this final paper

and my previous portfolios are the inclusion of a total development plan, further

analysis and explanation of the fundraising audit, revisions to the case of support, and

the addition and further explanation of annual fund programs.

Development Assessment & Recommendations for the Salvation Army Boys

and Girls Club of Greensboro

UNCG: Nonprofit Management Certificate Program

Summer 2021
Introduction

In this course, PSC 650-02D Resource Development, I have learned and

developed my understanding on a plethora of topics regarding the concept of resource

development. I began this course by learning what is philanthropy and the many

misconceptions about the practice. After that, I began to learn more about the nuances

involved in resource development: how to understand donors giving motivations, the

best practices is to reach donors, and understanding the cost involved in order to make

informed decisions on the behalf of my current or any nonprofit organization. All of

these concepts that I have learned have truly given me a newly found knowledge that is

more than beneficial for my future in the nonprofit sector. The professional

development that I have been able to grow into has made me a more well rounded and

aware practitioner in this process. I am able to exemplify this in my final paper by taking

the critics of my instructor and my nonprofit partner to come up with practices and

solutions that will ultimately benefit the ones who I seek to serve. This paper begins with

a fundraising audit, and it continues with a case for support of the Salvation Army Boys

and Girls Club of Greensboro. Following this is my analysis of the total development

plan and the annual fund & other fundraising programs that the SABGC offers. Based on

my analysis of the giving programs, I will come up with recommendations that I believe

will ultimately benefit the organization.

Fundraising Audit

A fundraising audit is a crucial component of any nonprofit organization. It is

imperative to take inventory of all aspects of a nonprofit organization and the

fundraising practices are no different. Fundraising audits allow nonprofit organizations

the opportunity to identify and examine the internal and external factors that may
impact the organization's fundraising activities and abilities. Using this practice for the

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro, it is evident that they have two

major external factors. The first is competition with other nonprofit organizations, like

the YMCA and the City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department, that are doing

similar things in the community. This is competition because both of these

organizations are doing similar things as the SABGC at the moment; they all provide

education enrichment programming for youth. They are also all providing remote

learning spaces, so members are able to complete school work without physically being

at school. These similarities in programming leave donors split between the

organizations, looking for one that they have the most connection. This is the

organization that will get the donation that all are so desiring to get.The second is

complications that are derived by COVID-19 such as: the lack of possible donors/

decrease donation size due to the financial hardship and issues with program

participation because of safety concerns from parents.

The unprecedented financial hardships are an issue that was faced by many

including: previous/ consistent donors to the organizations and new prospective

individuals who would have given to the organization. This provides a smaller pool of

donations because there are simply not enough donors. This does not just impact

individual donors; large companies and corporations also felt the hit. Companies &

organizations that would have done large capital projects and partnerships are also

facing hardship due to COVID-19 and simply do not have the capital to donate or at least

not on the same scale as before.

The decrease in program participation is another external factor impacting

funding in a lot of organizations, including SABGC, because of the pervasive fear of

exposure that penetrates child development facilities. Honestly, many parents do not

feel comfortable enrolling their children into child development facilities because they

are not able to to supervise their children directly to make sure that they are safe. There

is absolutely nothing wrong with parents wanting to protect their children; however,

this provides a complication for nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army

Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro because many donors want to give to ensure an

impact, and if members are not involved, there is no impact. Donors do not feel the need

to donate, and that limits capacity further down the line.

External factors are not the only thing impacting a nonprofit organization’s

fundraising potential; internal factors play an impactful role as well. In regard to the

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro, the major internal factor is

competition between departments with the Salvation Army of Greensboro. All

departments within the Salvation Army of Greensboro have been put under immense

financial strain and restrictions because of the lack of donations in the organization

overall. Departments are competing for resources within the organization, and that

limits the potential for the Boys and Girls Club department to thrive. The current system

utilized to manage the budget is designed to create stability within the whole

organization; however, it also creates issues when departments try to go above and

beyond their budget capabilities because they were given more funds. This may seem

strange, but with a little more explanation, it should become clear. The way the

budgeting system is designed, the Boys and Girls Club department is budgeted $1

million annually to cover all expenses between the four club locations. $500,000 of that

money comes directly from the Salvation Army account, and the other half is earned

through donations, grants, and partnerships such as United Way, Taco Bell, Home
Depot, etc. If donations given to the Boys and Girls Club department exceeds the

$500,000 documented in the budget, the overage amount will be deducted from the

department account and allocated to another department who has not met fundraising

goals. This prevents the department from ever having over $1 million dollars in

expenditures which can be good since it maintains a balanced budget for the overall

organization, but it prevents departments from making much needed improvements

that were denied in the large scale budget. This creates an internal struggle within the

organization because departments put pressure on one another to make their

fundraising goals, so they can keep their own money. Also it creates frustration between

employees because it seems that their efforts in producing donations are in vain because

they are not able to see the benefit of the effort to their department. By looking into all

of these factors, it is now practical to create a solid case for support.

Case for Support

A case for support is nothing but beneficial to nonprofit organizations (Sargeant

& J). A solid case drastically increases fundraising potential because its goal is to engage

and empower donors to support the organization. A solid case should spark a sense of

connection between the organization and prospective donor while informing them about

the mission and actions of the organization. The case for support for the Salvation Army

Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro is attached below.

Children are not just our future; they are our NOW! Children represent the

trajectory of our nation, and it is imperative to give them a strong, healthy, and positive

foundation to build their futures upon. This responsibility is enormous, but the

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro is here to aid in this incredible task.
We have been a staple in the Greensboro community for decades, and its impact has

positively influenced the lives of thousands of youth.

We understand that children have multiple facets, and we provide outlets to allow

them to explore their interests. With four club locations, we provide a variety of

programming including much not limited to: music, art, coding, healthy habits, street

smarts, cooking, and basketball. We provide nurturing and caring staff that are able to

relate to youth while providing the mentorship needed for them to grow and develop

into caring, responsible, and productive citizens. Our ultimate goal is to provide youth

with the optimal experience for them to have a positive and productive childhood that

will allow them to take the lessons that they learn to advance them in their adult lives.
 Our mission and our goals are possible; however, we are depending on you. You

are what stands between our members being confined within a negative toxic home

environment and a warm and welcoming Boys and Girls Club environment. You are

what stands between our members failing and falling drastically behind in school and

the tutoring resources that they most desperately need. You are what stands between

food insecurity at home and a healthy snack, warm meal, and food to take home after

school. You are the catalyst for change, and we need you. Our children need you.
 Your monetary donations go to providing the much-needed programming

resources we use in the clubs, and they go towards outside resources that our members

and families need such as family counseling and childhood therapy. You can donate

programming resources directly to our main site, Reynolds Unit, at 1001 Freeman Rd.,

Greensboro, NC, or you can donate monetarily via check to the same location or on our

website SalvationArmy.com. Our organization needs you, but most importantly,

members need you!

Total Development Plan Assessment

A total development plan assessment is a must for any nonprofit organization.

They have to be able to unbiasedly look at their standings against the prerequisites for

successful nonprofit funding. The prerequisites for successful nonprofit funding are

governance, management, programs and service staff, and fundraising staff. The

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro would rate well on the prerequisite of

governance. This organization has a thorough layout for leadership and governance.
Each individual club has a Unit Director, and the clubs that have larger attendance have

an assistant Director known as the Program Director. There is also an Athletics Director

who is responsible for large scale athletics programs that influence the entire

organization. All of these directors answer to the department head, the Operations

Director. They are responsible for keeping the clubs in order, distribute funds, compile

the budget, solicit donations and grants, and they advocate on behalf of the organization

to the board and the council. The board and the council are high ranking officers that

work to advocate for the SABGC in the community, solicit funding and opportunities,

and more. Management for the organization is good as well because it follows the same

structure as governance. In terms of program and service staff I would rank the SABGC

at 50%. This is because even though the leadership staff in the organization is constant,

the individuals, program aides, who are conducting the day-to-day program activities

are not secured. There is a lot of turnover in this position with most people not lasting 6

months or more. This is due to the miniscule compensation in comparison to work

responsibilities and occurrences. In relation to fundraising staff, I would rank the

SABGC at about 75% because they have a whole position whose major responsibility is

fundraising; however, it could be more effective if they add another position in that

capacity or add another role where they take burden off of the Operations Director, so

they can focus on fundraising. Doing this assessment on the Salvation Army Boys and

Girls Club of Greensboro is necessary. Only by doing this are they able to identify the

areas for improvement and work to better the organization.

Annual Fund Strategies

Annual fund strategies are vital to nonprofit success. Nonprofit organizations,

such as the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro, have to raise money in
order to operate and meet their mission. This forces them to think of effective and

creative ways to get funds which is where annual fund strategies come into play. SABGC

has to think of their current donor base and think about the individuals they want to

bring into that base. The SABGC currently does a good job with some of its programs

such as their annual event “Chips for Children” that is sponsored by BluSky. “Chips for

Children '' is a casino style fundraiser where people are able to gamble money in vegas

style games like black jack and roulette, but the proceeds go to SABGC. They also

auction off programs where people bet to be the one to pay for it, and in return, they

receive a donated service like pool cleaning, lawn services, and more. This program has

been extremely lucrative consistently raising over $150,000 even at the start of the

pandemic.

Although the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro has a strong

foundation in annual fund strategies, there is always room for growth. The annual funds

that I would be recommending and explaining are solicitation letters to individual

donors, phone fundraising campaigns, e-philanthropy/ social media, email/ letter

campaign, large community events, and planned giving.

Solicitation Letter to Individual Donors

Creating a solicitation letter for individual donors is one of the earliest

constructed annual fund programs, and it is extremely important for nonprofit

organizations to do. Solicitation letters allow nonprofit organizations the opportunity to

gain funds by utilizing effective communication skills. The purpose of a solicitation

letter is to gain monetary funds; however, that is not the only goal. Another goal is to

create a connection between the individual donor and the nonprofit organization. To

draft a strong, concise, and compelling, solicitation letter, a nonprofit organization

needs to follow a specific 13 point checklist. The checklist includes things like a greeting,

reader recognition, and suggested gifts. All of the points are crucial in order to create an

effective solicitation letter. Overall in this program, approximately 100 letters will be

compiled each year, and the human power to fold, seal, and stamp those envelopes will

be available during an all staff meeting. The plan for the letter creation would be to have

the letter drafted by the department’s operations director, Grace Thompson. Each letter

could then include a piece of art created by a member in the club. This would increase

the personal connection between the recipient and the organization, and that would

hopefully also increase the proclivity of gifts returned from each letter. The preparation

should start in August which is good because it will lead up to a board meeting that will

happen in September, where the board will be able to approve the letter. The solicitor on

the letter should be the Boys and Girls Club operation director, Grace Thompson. Grace

Thompson is the best choice because she is the highest-ranked person in the

department. The letter should be mailed out by late October, early November. This

timing lines up directly with the holiday given cycle people. This is when the letters can

begin, but in order for the program to be successful, one letter will not suffice. This

process will repeat quarterly in alignment with board meetings.`

Phone fundraising campaigns

Phone fundraising campaigns with this nonprofit organization are not the most

practical annual fund program to implement. This is because there is no extra staff to

implement the program. Staffing is scarce at the moment, and because of funding

issues, the ability for individuals to go overtime in order to potentially gain money is not

a risk they are willing to take. However, it would be an interesting annual fund program

to implement. The organization, as a whole, has done things like this around Christmas
time, and it has provided lucratives returns. The only way for this event to be practical is

for it to be done during a period of club closure like the 4th of July week where members

will not be in the building but staff has the option to come to work. Below is an attached

phone fundraising campaign script.

E-Philanthropy & Social Media

Social media is another fundraising strategy that would be beneficial to the

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro. Utilizing the plethora of platforms

that are at its disposal, the fundraising potential is practically limitless. Using social

media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the Salvation Army Boys and

Girls Club of Greensboro is able to build up a following and potential donor base that

can give via online events and independently on donation links. Social media is an easy

way to connect with the community without having to interact with them directly in

person. It is cost-effective and an extremely practical way to spread a message and

mission out quickly. E-philanthropy and social media is meant to be engaging just like

these potential posts.

○ Our sports program needs your help. Donate now!

●

○ Our STEM program is in need of resources. Donate now!

○ Support our members by showing love to our basketball program.

 ●

○ Healthy habits start here. Save a life and give to our cooking program.

E-Mail/ Letter campaign

An email or physical letter campaign is another fundraising program that could

work for SABGC. This program would be very cost-effective if they decide to use email as

the basis of communication as opposed to physical letters; however, either way, it is

something that this organization should look into implementing. The organization is

already creating monthly newsletters that are distributed to parents, so this information

can just be dispensed to potential donors to allow them to get a glimpse of the day-to-

day of the organization. This would allow them to build their connection with the

organization that will hopefully lead them to contribute monetarily to its benefit. The

emails will be sent at the beginning of each month, and they will include ways to donate.

If this organization is using physical letters I would recommend that this only happens

quarterly to diminish the amount of upfront cost that it would take to the organization. I

will recommend that the letters are folded and put in envelopes during an all staff
meeting which would allow this to be completed rather quickly, so it does not cost many

man hours which would add to the upfront cost of the program.

Large Community Events (Spring Festival)

As mentioned earlier, the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro does

have another large scale annual event called “Chips for Children”. This casino themed

event is targeted towards a middle aged and older demographic who have the monetary

means to gamble and bid on games and programs. This event is extremely successful;

however, it does not have to be the only annual fundraising event. The Salvation Army

Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro needs to include another annual program that will

reach a wider demographic that can breed stewardship and community. This event

could be a Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival idea would be successful because time wise it should not

interfere with other events and fundraising that the SABGC or the general Salvation

Army of Greensboro has going on. The goal for this event would be to use money for the

SABGC while creating a sense of fun and connection. The theme of the event would

obviously be spring. The general targeted population would be regular donors/

volunteers, new prospective donors, and new prospective members of the SABGC.

Having all of these stakeholders in a room allows them the opportunity to interact and

understand the organization and mission from each others’ perspective. The Spring

Festival would be a free entry event, but certain parts of the event would be obtained

through purchase only. For example, food and raffles would require ticket or cash buy

in, but games, such as jumbo soccer, would be free. The agenda for the event will also be

free flowing just like a regular carnival; people will be able to move around the event as
they please. Marketing for the event would be through weekly email updates to the

donor list and weekly social media posting with this flyer.
This large scale event would be extremely beneficial to the Salvation Army Boys and

Girls Club of Greensboro. It has the potential to raise a lot of money and build an even

stronger community.

Planned Giving Program

Planning giving programs are a great fundraising choice for the Salvation Army

Boys & Girls Club of Greensboro. Taking into consideration the age demographic of

many of their donors, planned giving is a practical approach of soliciting donations. The

practice of planned giving is easily marketable because it would be targeted towards

long-term donors. The obvious tax advantages is a fiscal motivation to ease people into

giving, and explaining their positive long-term impact on the organization is the

emotional motivation to give. There are many planned giving programs; however, I

believe that there are two planned giving programs that would be an asset for SABGC to

promote. These are insurance and wills. Life insurance is a good planned giving

program because it allows the donor to get a charitable income tax deduction and

additional deductions when they pay on the policy annually (UNCG Office of Planned

Giving). This provides a mutually beneficial relationship between donor and

organization. Wills are another great planned giving program because aid the donor’s

family in reliving tax burdens while increasing funds available to the nonprofit

organization (UNCG Office of Planned Giving). This is another reciprocal transactional

relationship that helps all involved including the SABGC.

Conclusion

Resource development is a life source for all nonprofit organizations. It allows

nonprofit organizations to have the opportunity to receive the much needed funding in

order to operate and engage in their communities. By utilizing resource development,

nonprofit organizations are able to engage recurring donors while widening their base/

donation potential by using new and innovative ways of connection. Understanding

current and potential donors’ motivations and demographics allows a nonprofit

organization to craft a concise, engaging, and effective campaign to solicit donations.

Taking all of this into consideration, the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of

Greensboro is no different. I have implemented my newly obtained knowledge about

resource development and have developed an analysis of the Salvation Army Boys and

Girls Club of Greensboro. My analysis of this organization has allowed me to conduct a

thorough fundraising audit, create a case for support, analyze their total development

plan, and examine their existing fundraising practices while giving recommendations

that would improve fundraising potential and revenue. Ultimately, with or without my

recommendations, SABGC is a great organization doing good work in the community.

They have a solid base of support in the community, but continuing to empower and

enable all youth is a mission that anyone can get behind. Resource development is just

the tool to get their money where their passion is.

 Work Cited

Boys and Girls Club of America. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from

https://www.bgca.org/about-us

Cooper, Sheree. (2021, April 2). Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro:

Grace Thompson (Operations Director) Interview [Personal interview].

UNCG Office of Planned Giving. (2021). Gifts of Insurance. Retrieved April 28, 2021,

from https://uncggiftplanning.org/?pageID=138

UNCG Office of Planned Giving. (2021). Learn About Wills and Bequests. Retrieved

April 28, 2021, from https://uncggiftplanning.org/?pageID=138