Civil Air Patrol CITIZENS SERVING COMMUNITIES Fund Raising for Civil Air Patrol Units Dr. Skip Dotherow Director of Development

Development CITIZENS SERVING COMMUNITIES In today’s economic climate, we must not become reliant on the Government to take care of our programs. We must step out and become the masters of our destiny. “Nothing is worth doing unless the consequences may be serious” George Bernard Shaw

 When you are planning a function and realize that you are going to need external funds to make it affordable; take some time to do a little research on who will be the most likely person, group, company outside of CAP that would be most likely to support this. The local Community Bank may have a special fund to support “Youth activities”;

 What are the basic components of raising money:  Begin with a Mission Statement  What is the long range plan for the unit?  What is the greatest need we have today?  Do we have an audience to tell our story to? Development

 One of the greatest disappointments I face is when, after I tell them some of the great things CAP does, is for them to say CAP is one of the best kept secrets around.  Yes, I am asking you to “not keep a secret”. Development

 Tell the CAP story:  One of the best things you can do is tell a friend about your experiences with the Civil Air Patrol. When you come back from a week long encampment, you have many stories and generally want to share them with friends. Why not use those same stories to share with your local car dealer whom you are asking for a $ gift to support a cadet activity so the cadets will not have to come up with additional funds. TELL YOUR STORY Development

 Tie your story to the Long Range Plan of CAP.  75 years of service to our great nation, from coastal defense to cyber patriot, CAP has been an integral part of our nation’s defense infrastructure.  Be sure to include what your unit has done, for nation and most importantly, the state Development

 One of the most important principles of fund raising is to be specific in what you are asking the prospect to give to. Tell them why you are asking them to support this; “We need additional funds so we can put on this ______ at a cost that will allow us to have 10 more cadets/seniors participate than we otherwise will because the cost to attend will be too high for many of our members to attend.”

Arm yourself with a good story. If you recall, I said I do not like to hear people tell me what a well kept secret CAP is…well, I will wager that there are people in your community who do not know much if anything about your local squadron.. So….

Is there a company in town known for their support of _______; is there an individual who was a CAP member but is no longer. Focus on Fit.

What about grant writing?

 Writing grants is not a hard thing to do, it just takes time to do the research on the company you are writing to.  There are several good free sources for identifying companies and foundations.

 The Foundation Center 79 Fifth Ave/16 th Street New York, NY  Foundationcenter.org.  Also in Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington DC  San Francisco

 The Chronicle of Philanthropy 1255 Twenty-Third St. NW Washington, DC 20037

 “ This is a request to the officers of the XYZ foundation (or corporation) for consideration of a $5, grant to CAP SQ for the purpose of _________________. The total cost of this undertaking will be $__________.  In reviewing this proposal, the officers of the foundation may wish to note the following points:

 The following pages describe this project and the impact it will have on the lives of ___ young men and women who live in :”  Be sure to state the impact this will have on the lives of the cadets, the significance of CAP programs in building character and citizenship.

 Some final thoughts on CAP fund raising opportunities:  Before you try fund raising, you must be actively engaged in “FRIEND RAISING”.  Plan a time when you can invite some of your prospects out to an activity and see for themselves the type of work you are doing.

 Everyone likes to see what is going on.  No matter what your unit activity is, make sure you invite those who you would like to ask for support from to attend and become a part of the activity.

 Estate Planning is the air that will carry CAP forward.  Change lives with one sentence when you add a bequest to your will. Change lives with one sentence when you add a bequest to your will.  The CAP website has the tools to help you make decisions about your squadron’s future.

Make a Lasting Commitment to Service. As life changes, so do your priorities. Start with a plan that makes sense for you and your familyAs life changes, so do your priorities. Start with a plan that makes sense for you and your family Learn more about gift planning and the many benefits of different gift types.Learn more about gift planning and the many benefits of different gift types.

Thank you for the opportunity to talk a little bit about the raising of money for our units.

 Please feel free to contact me:  Dr. James E. Dotherow  Director of Development  105 S Hansell St  Maxwell, AFB, AL  ext 225

Go forth and slay the dragon!