Hearten Philanthropic Management
At Hearten Philanthropic Management we are dedicated to helping charities, businesses and individual donors make the most of their philanthropic efforts. We can help you wherever you are in Canada and have a network of experts ready to assist you in making your dreams come true.
About Gerry Backs
Gerry has over 30 years experience in the non-profit sector, helping organizations, donors and businesses with philanthropic engagement, capital campaigns, major gifts and legacy giving. Gerry has been directly involved in raising over $225 million. The largest capital campaign he worked was for $75 million for the University of Regina/Canada Games (that campaign ended up raising over $100 million).
Gerry received his Masters Degree in Philanthropy and Development in 2002 from Saint Mary's University, Minnesota and has delivered many workshops and seminars at the international, national and local level.
What we do
Capital Campaigns
Capital campaign can be your charity’s greatest fundraising effort, but it does not have to be painful. We can help make sure you are prepared and have a clear solid plan to meet your goals.
Feasibility Studies
A key element in any capital campaign is a solid Feasibility Study. It not only gauges public support and prepares your organization, but is also an essential way to enlist key supporters to your team. We can guide you through the process of making your Feasibility Study work for you.
Annual Campaigns
Every charity needs a solid Annual Campaign to keep services growing and the bills paid. We can help create or fine tune your annual fundraising and set you up for success.
Team Training
Do you have a good team that you want to be great? We can access your training needs and can build your capacity to deliver both services and donors.
Board Coaching
Most board members have little training in the essentials of leading a charity. They may be leaders of government or business, but leading a charity is quite different. We can get your board (and senior volunteers) to new peaks of leadership. We can also help them enjoy their duties as the key leaders of your charity.
Organizational Audits
Are you not sure what you need or what you are missing? We can help with full organizational or individual program audits to make your current activities more effective and your future clear.
Defining Your Community Focus
Do you want to make the best impact for your dollar? We can help your leadership define the path that is best for you, your employees and your community.
Sponsorship Program Development
Clearly defined goals, processes and resources are important for every part of your business. We can help you build a strong sponsorship program that is good for you and the community you support.
Program Audits
Do you already have a community support program and not sure how to make it work better? We can help you define what your public thinks, what your staff needs, and what your leadership has to do to make your impact the best it can be.
What are the most effective ways to give?
Donating to charities should bring you joy. Should you set up a Family Foundation? Should you set up a Donor Directed Fund at a community foundation? Should you give gifts that are used right away or are Endowed Funds best for your aims? Want to develop your family’s philanthropic culture in a way that lasts for generations? We can help you make the most of your donations, today and in the future.
How do you choose the most effective charities?
Do you ever wonder how effective the charities you support are? What is acceptable for administration and fundraising costs? Are the charities you support reporting what they do and spend accurately? We can help you find the answers you need.
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Thoughts and Articles
Sponsorships
The perspective from both sides
Sponsors are a great way for a charity to offset the costs associated with organizing an event, a program, or building a facility. In fact, for many events, sponsorships are the difference between an event resulting in a loss or bringing in revenue.
For a company, sponsoring an event, program, or capital project can connect them with target markets, improve community relations, and help build staff morale.
For many charities a sponsorship will be in support of a fundraising event, so today I will focus on event sponsorship.
The usual tactic charities take is to create multiple funding levels with various benefits attached to each level. This usually does not take into consideration the needs of individual businesses. Years ago, when working with sponsorship expert Brent Barootes, I learned to be effective you must customize each sponsorship agreement to each individual company.
How do you do that? First, look at all the opportunities your event offers from a business’s standpoint. Sponsorship opportunities can come in many forms, including:
• Exhibition space
• Event tickets
• Reception opportunities
• Speaking opportunities
• Direct communication with participants
• Brand promotion
• Banner placement
• Giveaways
• Contests
Having compiled all of these opportunities you then need to place a dollar value on each that corresponds to its marketing value to a company.
With that list made, you need to spend time learning what is important to the company. One company might want to entertain clients, so tickets to a VIP part of an event are most important to them. To others, those same tickets are a problem getting rid of. Maybe well-placed banners during the event or a speaking opportunity is what they want most. Each business will have different desires and outcomes in mind.
Think of it as supermarket with all the opportunities stacked on the shelves. The top-level sponsors get to go first and pick from the shelves what they want most. The next level sponsor goes next, and so on.
A good sponsorship agreement specifically offers targeted opportunities to the sponsor. Now, instead of shoe-horning a company into a category the charity made up, their partnership fit becomes apparent to both of you.
Now you have your sponsor and the benefits that they want. Next you must draw up a concise sponsorship proposal. You both need to have a thorough understanding of what it is being offered and the benefits you both receive in return.
Remember a sponsorship agreement is a formal offer to do business. Be sure to make a clear contract outlining the benefits, responsibilities, and timelines that you are both happy with, and have it signed by both parties.
Throughout the event continue to build your relationships with your sponsors and they will come back, year after year.
I hope that this article has inspired you to craft your own sponsorship approach. If you want to test drive your ideas, or have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at .
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