Step 9: Raise Funds

Purpose: To obtain financial support and donation of goods and services for the Community Access Program

a. Cultivate relationships with organization, foundations and businesses.

Identify the appropriate person in the organization who can help you garner support. This could be the manager of a small business, a marketing person in a larger business. Invite him or her to your mailing list and meet to discuss potential interest.

b. Develop a “turnkey” proposal

Compile a basic set of materials with consistent language and up-to-date information about your computing programs. That way you can ensure a consistent message and more efficient response to funding opportunities.

A proposal should include:

1. A cover letter
2. An overview of the service to be provided and justification  (such as statistics or anecdotes)
3. A work plan or statement of activities to accomplish goals and objectives
4. Contact information

Include other materials with the proposal, such as a list of board of members, a list of past contributors, a fact sheet and any other materials you’ve produced, such as a newsletter or flier.

Many organizations, foundations and business have a standard way they like their grant requests to be written. Be sure to know their exact preferences and application deadline.

Nothing will hinder a sincere, well-designed proposal more than mistakes. No matter what the format is, your proposal must be free of typographical, grammatical and factual errors.

c. Give potential funding sources a menu of options of how they can support the CAP site.

There are many ways organization, foundations, and business can support your CAP and its public access computing program.

These might include:

• Project or event underwriting—An organization can for all or a major portion of the costs of producing fundraising or community events, public service announcement, newsletters and brochures to support your efforts to raise funds.

• In-kind Support—Businesses with limited cash resources, or those prohibited from making cash contribution can often donate products or services.

• Cause-related marketing—A business can tie product sales to donation. For example, every time a local computer store sells
a certain software package, the computer store donates a dollar amount to support the library’s public access computing program.

• Employee volunteers—Business can support community activities by offering their employees as volunteers, often on company time. These volunteers may provide expertise in administration, fundraising, public relations, marketing, and information technology.

• Board membership—Many business leaders in your community may have time or expertise that they can contribute to your board. You can call on your board members to help expand your reach by introducing their associates to your cause or by lending their name to your projects.

d. Recognize your funding support publicly.

A thank-you letter to donors should be just the beginning. Other means of recognition include:

• Using their name and/or logo in places where CAP patrons will see it
• Mentions in press release
• Mentions in newsletters
• Presence and recognition at events
• Awards at an annual meeting or a special awards program

e. Share the success of your CAP’s program with the organization that supports you

Many funding sources require official updates on the results of their grants. Even if they don’t, make sure you communicate how their support benefited the community. You might even consider asking your patrons to write letters of thanks that list the benefits of the program. This will help these donors make an affirmative decision the next time you ask for support.

Step 7: Develop Effective Partnerships

Purpose: To Identify opportunities for partnerships and to create a list of organization, foundations and businesses with which to pursue relationships.

a. Create a list of potential partners for specific projects and target the best opportunities.

Groups to consider include

• Your schools,
• Post secondary institutions,
• Major manufactures or business concerns: restaurants, travel agencies, data services, police
• Local businesses organizations,
• Specific government agencies,
• Religious institution,
• Community-based organization, foundations, and civic clubs,
• Local or regional telecommunications providers

Take the time to research these organizations and businesses to determine joint interests as well as potential conflicts. What are their services? Who is their target audience? Do they currently work with other organization on projects? Try to find out as much as you can about each potential partner.

Think outside the box. If you could partner with any organization, business or nonprofit, which would you choose and why? At the same time, a good, short list of active partners is better than a long inactive list.

b. Think of benefits that you can offer partners

Do the brainstorming about what CAP can offer potential partners. Be creative: you have more to offer other organization than you think.

c. Prepare an information sheet on your CAP site and ways in which partners can be involved.

The simple overview should be no more than two pages. It should include information about CAP site program, a small number of statistics on your communityÂ’s access to computers and how many people use the computers and a list of ways in which partners can help.

d. Find a contact person at the organization, foundation or business and meet with that person whenever possible.

Meeting in person is time-consuming, but has many benefits. By meeting face-to-face, you will be able to communicate your key message points more effectively and get the potential partner excited about working with you. While you may not have time to meet with every company or organization on your list, try to meet with your top choices.

e. Follow up, follow up and follow up

It is essential that you follow up after each contact with a potential partner. Do not wait for them to call you back. The more you follow up, the more successful your partnerships will be.

Your first follow-up should be in the form of a thank-you letter after you have met with or spoken to a potential partner.

f. Create a simple letter of agreement.

After a partner says “yes”, create a simple letter that outlines what both sides agree to do. While not legally binding, this will be a good tool to summarize the responsibilities of each partner. Keep this letter as a reference in case your contact at the organization or business changes.

g. Take rejection graciously

If a potential partner says” No”, you should still thank the contact for his or her time and continue to keep that organization informed about your activities. You never know when another opportunity might present itself. And remember, a rejection is directed to your project rather than to you personally.

h. Tips for successful partnerships:

• Remember that you are presenting organization, foundation and business with an opportunity. Explain how the partnership will demonstrate good corporate citizenship and generate community goodwill

• Passion and commitment sell. If you are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with others, it will come across when approach them

• Be concise. Keep your initial conversation short and to the point. Organizations, foundations and business what to know the basics: who you are, what you want, what it will cost them and what they will get in return.

• Start small and build your relationship. The important thing is to convince the potential partner to take a first step, no matter how small, toward supporting your cause.

• Forming partnerships takes time. Start early! It is not unusual for months of calls and information exchange to take place before an organization, foundation or business gives you the green light for involvement. Each has its unique decision-making process and cycle. Your patience and persistence will pay off.

Step 5: Make Visible to the Community

Purpose: To keep official and influential community members informed of CAP accomplishments and challenges

a. Update letters might work for you

An updated letter may be a good idea, which can give local officials and supporters more detailed information about the CAP site.

b. Finalize the mailing list

Send updates to who might influence budgetary and policy decisions, who have supported the CAP or who have expressed interest in future support. Add the local media to the mailing list.

c. Set a timeline

Decided in advance when you plan to send letters throughout the year. While you may not be able to send the updated letter every quarter, at the minimum try to send one at least once a year.

d. Write a concise letter

Your letter should be relatively short; one page is enough. A typical letter might include the following elements (See for specific example)

• An explanation of why you are writing
• A description of successes of the previous quarter
• An explanation of upcoming issues and ongoing concern
• A conclusion that thanks readers for their support and interests and encourages them to visit CAP site

e. Show up and speak at community meetings and functions

On a regular basis, attend community meetings and make two or three points.

Sample points could be:

• The brief description of CAP site
• A summary of how many people are using the computers and for what purposes
• The biggest challenges to sustaining the CAP site and how the CAP site hope to overcome it

f. Get visible

Look for opportunities where each one could make an announcement about the CAP site.

For example, a volunteer could promote the CAP site during the announce session of a church service. Or a staff member could remind other parents at a PTA meeting that the computers are available for children to use after school. These types of announcements can also be informal; tell your neighbor at the supermarket or at the theatre.

Step 3: Develop a Contact List

Purpose: To develop a comprehensive list of contacts who can play a role in supporting and promoting CAP site.

a. Brainstorm a list of influential members in the community

These people may have access to funding sources, make decision that affect CAP site and talk to other influential community members on a regular basis.

When these key contacts know about your services and importance, they will be more willing to support CAP site and share the information of CAP site with other members of the community.

The contact might include:

• Community groups (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, small business organization)
• School officials
• Directors of local social service organizations (e.g. local Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, the department of senior services, the country employment office)
• Individual donors and/or foundations
• Local elected officials (e.g., city council members, country commissioners, legislators)
• Libraries and museums
• Major manufactures or business concern in or near neighborhood: restaurant, travel agencies, data services, police, etc.
• Members of the media: local newspaper, cable access stations, magazines, circulators of advertising, billboard companies.

b. Find contact information for these persons and organizations by looking up the contact info on the Internet or in the phone directory. Call each one to confirm the contact information and let him or her know that you might be sending newsletter or invitations to an event. This call will help to start up a relationship.

c: Create a “Key Contact List” on your computer for easy access and updating.

Step 1: Goals and Challenges

Purpose: Develop a plan to build and sustain your Community Access Program

Before starting any of changes activities, it is crucial that you first define what you want to accomplish and then identify challenges and solutions.

• Have a Good Definition of “Sustainability”

Sustainability means more than having enough funding for your program to survive. It might include:

a. Independence
b. The ability to replicate programs
c. A sense of community ownership
d. A strong program and organizational identity
e. The ability to expand services
f. Meeting a community’s needs
g. Integration with other programs in the organization

• Define your goals

What would you like your CAP site to look like? Who will provide the main support for the technology and the staff? Who will be the major users of CAP sites? What benefits do you expect the community to gain from the service?

• Develop a Meaningful Mission Statement

Think of your CAP’s mission as centered on something other than technology is always more sustainable. By keeping your focus on your core mission and addressing basic needs in your community, you will more trusted than if you recreate your organization every few years to address funder’s latest issue of the day.

• Identify Potential Challenges

There are many factors to consider here: expansion plans, necessary upgrades, the need for securing technical support, ongoing volunteer and staff training, possible budget cuts and fund raising.

• Develop possible solution to these challenge and plans to reach your goals

What resources can you find or leverage to help you sustain your CAP sites?