To celebrate SWTU’s 50th anniversary and start the next 50 years with some great projects, the Board launched an end of the year appeal to all our members. Without further ado, the results:
$10,135 in member donations.
$2,348 in expenses, consisting of
$122 in credit card fees
$720 for hats
$467 for postage
$1,039 for printing
$7,787 NET INCOME! (so far …)
Pausing now for celebration and thanks.
Some notes and thoughts. Seventy-six of just over 800 members donated. The average donation of $133 was extremely generous with several donations at or over $500. Every Officer and Board Member donated as we promised the membership.
All members on our rolls received an appeal letter and the Officers and Board Members attached personal notes to as many as possible. Every member who donated received a personalized thank-you letter.
In budgeting for this appeal the Board had estimated (with no experience to go on) that we would net between $7,500 and $8,000. As we reviewed membership lists we learned the membership processes run by National are not flawless. Some members, for example, who had signed up for automatic, annual renewal by credit card discovered that was not happening. Your membership is important to the Chapter so please keep an eye on your renewals.
Because we’re a wholly volunteer organization, this appeal demanded a lot of time on the part of the Officers and Board. Particular thanks to Amy Klusmeier and Pat Hasburgh who had to wrestle with membership rosters, labels, mailings, graphics and printing. Tom Parker had to receive, process and record all the donations, many of which came in over the holiday season. Then Mary Ann Doll, Topf Wells, Ben Lubchansky, Curt Riedl, Tom Thrall and Michael Williamson personalized the appeals.
Most local conservation and human service organizations who make such appeals have professional staff. Even though the boards of these organization often participate in the fund-raising, the staff handles all the logistics. We now certainly understand why. We probably will have appeals in the future but not next year. We’ll have to reflect on this year’s success and demands and think how better to pursue this in the future. Our guess is that we will need an ad hoc committee to assist the Board in the next appeal.
Thank you for your generous response to our appeal for funds.
>>>> See how the donations were put to great use!
Funding appeal a big success: Thank you!
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Last Updated: April 8, 2021 by Drew Kasel
To celebrate SWTU’s 50th anniversary and start the next 50 years with some great projects, the Board launched an end of the year appeal to all our members. Without further ado, the results:
$10,135 in member donations.
$2,348 in expenses, consisting of
$122 in credit card fees
$720 for hats
$467 for postage
$1,039 for printing
$7,787 NET INCOME! (so far …)
Pausing now for celebration and thanks.
Some notes and thoughts. Seventy-six of just over 800 members donated. The average donation of $133 was extremely generous with several donations at or over $500. Every Officer and Board Member donated as we promised the membership.
All members on our rolls received an appeal letter and the Officers and Board Members attached personal notes to as many as possible. Every member who donated received a personalized thank-you letter.
In budgeting for this appeal the Board had estimated (with no experience to go on) that we would net between $7,500 and $8,000. As we reviewed membership lists we learned the membership processes run by National are not flawless. Some members, for example, who had signed up for automatic, annual renewal by credit card discovered that was not happening. Your membership is important to the Chapter so please keep an eye on your renewals.
Because we’re a wholly volunteer organization, this appeal demanded a lot of time on the part of the Officers and Board. Particular thanks to Amy Klusmeier and Pat Hasburgh who had to wrestle with membership rosters, labels, mailings, graphics and printing. Tom Parker had to receive, process and record all the donations, many of which came in over the holiday season. Then Mary Ann Doll, Topf Wells, Ben Lubchansky, Curt Riedl, Tom Thrall and Michael Williamson personalized the appeals.
Most local conservation and human service organizations who make such appeals have professional staff. Even though the boards of these organization often participate in the fund-raising, the staff handles all the logistics. We now certainly understand why. We probably will have appeals in the future but not next year. We’ll have to reflect on this year’s success and demands and think how better to pursue this in the future. Our guess is that we will need an ad hoc committee to assist the Board in the next appeal.
Thank you for your generous response to our appeal for funds.
>>>> See how the donations were put to great use!
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