- Sign your grant award contract and return it to the Gay & Lesbian Fund Grants Manager ASAP.
- Notify your Board of Directors to let them know about the challenge component opportunity and get their buy in to help meet the challenge.
- Use the resources that are part of this section and integrate ideas into your development plan
- Create a plan on how to meet your challenge component, considering various means to meet the challenge over the course of the 12-month grant cycle. Remember, this can include direct mail campaigns, announcements at special events, newsletters, holiday greetings, website announcements, blast emails, face-to-face solicitations, social media, workshops, and seminars. Work with your board to engage them in this process; it is a great way for them to help raise money for your organization.
- Use the Gay & Lesbian Fund logo on printed materials and website whenever possible to help market the challenge component opportunity.
- Review challenge component reporting requirements and follow procedure when submitting invoices for payment on the challenge component. Call your program officer should you have any questions.
- Say Thank You! Donors want to know their contributions have made a difference and should be thanked for helping you meet the challenge component. When you recognize donors, they feel closer to your organization and are inclined to continue giving. Think about asking Board members to make some calls to key donors to thank them for their donations
- Create strategic follow-up procedures to retain new donors acquired through the challenge component to further engage them in your work.
- Share your best practices with your Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado program officer, including any creative or innovative ways you may have met the challenge component. Your success is a valuable resource to others!
If planning to use an event to market the Challenge Component:
- Be sure your event planner and the person in charge of following through on sponsor recognition are familiar with the sponsor benefit requirements associated with your grant award.
- Incorporate the challenge component opportunity in event invitations. People unable to attend the event still have the opportunity to contribute toward the challenge component. Be sure to remind donors to check their companies “matching gift” programs to see if their company will match their personal donation.
- Choose an enthusiastic, articulate person to do the live-ask at your event, such as a Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado representative, your organization’s Executive Director or board president, or a recipient of your organization’s services.
- Schedule your live-ask at the most opportune time during an event, such as immediately following a poignant video or personal story that underscores the importance of your work. Your program officer can be a valuable resource for “best practices” suggestions.
- Make it easy for your event attendees to donate. Provide pens, pledge forms, and envelopes; assign table captains to encourage participation and follow-up on collecting donations; and engage easily identifiable volunteers to approach each table, collect contributions, and offer immediate thanks.