Doc. #2008-37
CAYUGA LAKE WATERSHED NETWORK
Community Relations Committee
March 26, 2008

Present: Sharon Anderson, Ronda Fessenden, Steve Mount, Carmel Schmidt, Kevin Zippell

1) The working name of the committee shall be Community Relations until the Board makes some other designation.

2) It was suggested that the committee have a one page document with the name, mission statement, membership with contact information and the objectives for the year, once they are set.

3) Draft plan of work. The 2 main aspects of committee relations are fund raising and public relations. The committee brain stormed aspects of each the committee could be involved with in some way (hands-on, set policy, work with the Board, etc.): Sharon is to take the initial list, group them and flesh them out. See Addendum

4) ASSIGNMENT – all are to review the draft gift acceptance policy that Steve provided.

Agenda items for next meeting:
1. finalize the gift acceptance policy and forward as a recommendation to the Board
2. create a work plan for the committee by prioritizing and setting timeline and assignments

Location for next meeting: the Tompkins County Library. Meet in lobby and then move to a study room

Submitted by,
Sharon Anderson

ADDENDUM (post meeting)

Aspects of Community Relations – not necessarily in priority order. To be used to form a work plan (probably remainder of 2008 and 2009).
Fund Development

A. Mail solicitation:
1) new members – create a plan for recruiting new members
a. Define groups to target (lake shore property owners, people who rent slips on the lake, seasonal rentals and campgrounds especially people who come back each year, restaurants that rely on lake tourists and lake shore residents such as Lighthouse and O’Malleys.
b. Develop a strategy to reach them
2) renewals – done by office approximately bi-monthly.
a. Training for Board members on stewardship and cultivation starting with making phone call follow ups to thank members and after they are comfortable with that follow up with those who have not renewed
b. Add to membership materials a box with “please don’t acknowledge my gift publicly”.
3) review suggested amounts and recommend to Board
4) annual appeal – write and print in Oct. Mail between Nov 1 and 15. May want to target, with annual or special appeal a specific project – help us do a communications audit, marketing/branding campaign, redo the website.

B. Personal solicitation and Major Giving:
1) Outline the steps, with timeline, to betaken with assignments including:
a. research about donors that needs to be done
b. Board training
c. Scripts
d. Creating a “case” for giving
e. Schedule talks with potential donors
f. Develop plan for targeting and cultivating larger membership and annual donations

2) Stewardship and cultivation
a. Recognizing gifts with phone calls by Board members
b. Making people comfortable with giving
3) Gift acceptance policies
4) Create a fund raising plan
a. Planned Giving
b. Special giving
c. Naming opportunities
d. Sponsorship
e. Online giving (donations, renewal of membership?)

C. Tracking: revise database to improve tracking
· how, what and when people are giving
· donor retention- length of donation, when last contacted
· return on investment: (expect for every $100 raise, costs $4 on retention)
· what prompted them to give
· how do they want to be contacted
· if it is OK to publically recognize
· when were they last contacted
· what reports does the committee want to analyze membership

Public Relations
I. for the Aurora/Wells initiative
1) Announce to member announcing move, why, when
2) Call key donors to announce the new collaborative effort with Wells
3) Press releases
4) Special event/tour for selected donors
5) Open house in Sept
II Ten-year celebration -- how to weave into other events
III. General
1) Newsletter - quarterly
2) testimonials
3) Awareness events
4) Website
5) Coordinate with Outreach Committee and Decade 2/Board development of new mission statement and key activities
6) How and when to sent out copies of press releases?
7) Draft short speeches – (?for public events such as Lakefest, Wells events and fall conference?)

IV. Organizational Outreach: look comprehensively at our communications
1) Branding
2) How use the List serve more effectively?
3) New Brochure – purpose is to raise awareness and to get people to respond. -- should be part of larger organizational branding
4) Pitch statement