If a nine and six year old can understand ways to help individuals, why is it so hard for the government to grasp it.  I think it is because a child thinks of one action at a time and government overwhelms itself to solve it all at once.

Deinstitutionalization was hail in its day as the greatest achievement of providing mental health individuals with equal rights. Has the achievement of this new found liberation improved individual treatment or allowed government a means to lower their costs to the mentally ill? What government has learned since the closing of many mental health institutions is that without community resources that provide services to track outpatient access, regular medication treatment and resources for involuntary commitments when an individual is unable to control ones behavioral, there will be failure.

The evolution of the governments requirement for health insurance plans to include mental health services on parity with other services  should begin to show measurable outcomes in the coming years on whether such an act was sufficient.  The next evolution in treatment will be to what degree does treatment have to be available equally.

I would suggest that the key to success will be providing families the ability to choose their clinical service providers whom are most convenient to their lives and met the service plan needs. Our choice as consumers goes a long way towards accepting the outcomes each of us may experience in regards to our choices.  Life is not perfect and neither are human beings. If things do fail, blaming another persons for those directed for an individual does not solve the current problem. Therefore, a team approach which includes an individuals primary medical professional provides for ownership as a group.

Massachusetts recently was mandated to offer children mental health services in their community and not institutional care. How will a persons geographic location effect the outcome?  Since children mental health services are being pushed to be more in the community I would suggest learning from the past of how adults are now service in the community.

One point of view can be found in the book “The Insanity Offense” by E. Fuller Torrey.

Effective communication to an individual will ultimately provide the means of successfully raising support for the nonprofit.

Face to face while labor intensive is the best approach for increasing current individual supporters to become major donors.  Remember that ten percent of the individual donors give up to 80 percent of the money.  This is the area that Management and the Board should being spending their time when dealing with fund raising directly.

There are four basic means for the individuals to make a donation and make a difference for the nonprofit.

1. Give Cash
2. Donate items for an auction or donate items on nonprofit need list
3. Provide in-kind support such as pro bono work or cover costs of an event or initiative.
4. Be a volunteer or provide employees to volunteer

Remember when an individual says NO it may really mean maybe or later.   You at least got to talk to the person.  That is a good beginning.

Invite the individual to tour the programs and see the impact of the nonprofit.  In a face to face do not overwhelm the Individual with people.  It is best to consider only bringing one other person.

Building relationships is not about treating everyone the same.  It is about sustaining nurtured friends and creating a sense of community.

pic by Bert in RI

How about tax credits to invest in college loans.  Know how to leverage your first years of employment in canceling loans. A tax cut for employees whom come to work for the organization.

Boston University, Worcester State College and Bay Path College have concentrations in their MBA programs for nonprofit leadership.  Nonprofits should reach out to these schools and let their students know about college reimbursement programs you may offer as part of recruiting staff.

For more information about what keeps MBA’s away from careers at nonprofits check out the Boston Business Journal post of June 13, 2008.

Sports events so much more fun to watch in HDTV but I doubt it improves the survival of charities begun by athletes.

The Boston Business Journal profiles several foundations and offers some great advice to Athletes whom wish to make an impact and are thinking of setting up their own foundation.   Click here for the link.

To make sure I can get what I want I give my parents hints.  For my birthday I would like a computer.  For school I need to be able to do research.  I will not  crash your computer if I have my own.  The computer screen will not get messed up.  This drawing of the car is from a Play Station game I want.  It has lots of cool cars.

From Papa:

Just like knowing the interests of our children, nonprofits need to know the interests of their current and potential donors.  There is nothing worst than showing a lack of interest in whom the donor is.  Did you do your homework about the donor?  Do you have talking points of interest to establish a personnel connections. Have you gathered information to create a profile on the donor and feel there is sufficient information to interact with the potential donor.  Play to the donors strengths and interest.  Remember you need to be in contact seven times to maximize the communication and increase results.   You do not ask for money every time.   Try an Internet search on the person and see what comes up.

Bill Gates will leave Microsoft as a full time employee on Friday, 33 years after he started the company, to concentrate on his work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  To read more about this click here.

pic by Ben Lawson

Nonprofits leave too much money on the table by not reaching out to individuals.   You never know who is going to give unless you ask.

Because Individuals give 84% of the donation to nonprofits.

Keeping your current donors should be your highest priority.  Why, because studies show that up to 50% of your new or increased giving is offset by discontinued donors or a donor giving less.

Knowledge about donors is golden, but it is worthless if the nonprofit does not record it.    Stop depending on a specific individual to have the information and make sure it is recorded in a data base kept by the nonprofit and the organization leadership can access it.

Instead of complaining people are doing something by volunteering.  Is your organization known to this pool of volunteers?

5.3 million people or close to 6 percent of people between the ages of 44 and 70 are turning to charities, governments, schools, or other institutions that benefit society as their choice for a second career.

pic from Flickr by Robin Hutton

So many people have very recently become interested in helping out their community. Unfortunately regardless of how simple a task one may want to find it often is difficult to know where to start. In this article, a New Bedford company that will start you out is highlighted.

 The approach comes down to five simple options.

1. Direct Face to Face contact
2. Telephone contact
3. Special Event
4. Direct Mail
5. On line fund raising

The higher the donation being solicited the more personnel that the approach is going to have to be.

There are five factors to calculate when planning the personnel approach. Is it realistic for the Chief Executive of the nonprofit organization and/or Board President to spend up to 25 % of their time contacting potential big donors?  Is it realistic that the amount of time is available for contacting 8-12 individuals a week over a 40 week period?  Is it realistic to target 320-480 individuals? What does the organization know about the potential donor to make a connection to the potential donor?  What is the organization going to do to recognize the donors?