Fund Development at Skills Society 2022 AGM Report
Hi I’m Carmen Norris and I’ve been a member of the Skills Society board for 5 years. In more recent years, I’ve been part of the fund development committee where we’ve been working to move the needle on Skills Society’s strategic priority to increase financial resiliency. As you might remember from last year’s fund development report, we have been exploring and seeking to better understand the difference between fundraising and fund development (checkout a recap of some of the differences between these two approaches in the breakout box below). This has been important foundational work as we move ahead in developing a fund development strategy and culture within Skills Society.
Reflections on some of the work that’s brought us here
Reflecting back on the last year I am amazed by the amount and quality of work the fund development committee has achieved! We began by drafting a mandate statement and developing an action plan. Adopting a mindset of learning and curiosity we launched a discovery phase exploring three main areas of focus:
This piece was written by Carmen Norris, member of the Skills Society board fund development committee.
1. Fund Development Culture
We were so fortunate to learn from the Fund Development Survey Report produced by 2020-21 Board Intern Folakemi Jolaoso, which offers valuable insights into the existing fundraising/fund development culture within Skills Society. This report helped us to understand perspectives of our Skills
community towards fund development, where we might improve, and opportunities to tap into. One key learning the report revealed, is that there is strong buy-in from staff to act as an ambassador or contribute their time for fund development activities, but they could benefit from tools or guidance on how to best tell the Skills Society story. Our board interns are truly the best and every year I learn as much from them (if not more) as they do from us!
Building off Fola’s work I conducted an interview with members of Skills leadership to learn more about the past and current fundraising culture within Skills Society. We learned that Skills Society is well poised for changes in this area, recognizing that fund development is a long game strategy that takes time and sustained effort, but are optimistic for change and excited to dig in.
2. What Others are Doing Well
Thanks to the tremendous work of fellow committee member Kate Gunn, we conducted an enviroscan of fund development strategies across a number of comparable non-profit organizations. All participants praised Skills Society for embarking on this shift and journey into fund development, an approach that resonated with their organizations. Many common themes bubbled to the surface during her conversations which she distilled into a number of possible actions for the committee to take in the future.
Key takeaways include:
Fund development involves the whole organization, including the board! We aim to expand board capacity and comfort with fund development including recruitment of new board members with expertise in the field.
To hire or not to hire? Many organizations recommend hiring dedicated fund development staff. There is no silver bullet or right answer to this question but different options to consider, given timing, goals, and organizational culture of Skills Society.
Get support! Organizations recommended consulting agencies and foundations that can offer professional and financial support for organizations like ourselves to further their fund development initiatives.
3. Developing Narrative
Crafting narratives for the purpose of fund development is tricky business and we wanted to unpack what makes a really good story that compels people to give. Fellow committee members Darcy McDonald and Debbie Royer researched this topic and uncovered some refreshing insights:
We are not starting from scratch. Skills Society already has a rich collection of stories. In developing a narrative for the purpose of fundraising and fund development, we can leverage our existing body of work.
One thing Skills Society does extremely well is human-centred design. Staff work hard to ensure the people we support have as much agency and control in planning and shaping what their support from Skills looks like. So it’s only natural that we would consider taking a human-centered approach to fund development, exploring ways to put our donors at the center of our fund development narratives.
Following this vein, I recently had the opportunity to take a design thinking course in which I explored the use of storytelling to compel potential donors to make financial contributions to Skills Society. Asking for money is hard and motivating folks to get excited about what you’re saying and be inspired enough to take action is not an easy task. But with a few expert tips and a bit of practice I was able to create a narrative I am now comfortable sharing and can easily articulate to friends, family and colleagues who are curious about Skills Society. Through this course I also came to a deeper understanding of the financial, political and social tensions that exist around supporting people with disabilities. Through my lessons I am left with a greater appreciation for the work Skills Society commits to on a daily basis and how they continually go beyond providing basic needs to seek out innovative ways for the people they support to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Skills Society doesn’t settle for the ‘good enough’ life. They support people with disabilities and their pursuit of the ‘good life’!
Exciting things on the horizon
Over the next few months, in collaboration with a professional fund development consulting company, Skills Society will be developing a sustainable, multi-year fund development plan. Through further collaboration we will be exploring grant opportunities and continued involvement from the board to ensure Skills Society is set up for sustained success in the fund development arena. It’s truly an exciting time and I’m honored to play a role, however small, in the financial evolution of Skills Society.
As a friend of Skills Society, you are a partner in building a more inclusive society and helping to shape a world where love, belonging, and living the ‘good life’ is a reality for people with developmental disabilities. As we increase Skills Society’s capacity to develop funds, we invite you to join in on the journey. Two ways you might do this are watching for updates and supporting different aspects of our fund development plan as they are released or sharing about the work of Skills Society with your networks.
Donor Recognition
We are grateful to our greater community members and committed partners for joining us in our vision to foster a community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity and rights. We give our heartfelt thanks for your generous support!
Donors 2021/2022
Anne-Marie Kallal
Carol Ewanowich in honor of Graeme Szelewicki
David Gunn
Elizabeth Huzar
Kate Gunn
Marla Smith
Pat Conrad
Patricia Stackhouse
Rob Rubuliak
Robert Herring
W. David Sharp
Grants & Endowments
Edmonton Community FoundationCommuniTEA Infusion Project: $10,000
RBC Foundation: $10,000CommuniTEA Infusion Project
Royal Alexandra Hospital Employees’ Charitable Donation FundOutreach Emergency Fund: $2,000
Skills Society Cable Family Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community FoundationInterest earned in 2021: $8,337
Skills Society Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community FoundationInterest earned in 2021: $10,395
Telus Community FundVirtual Community Building Initiative: $8,000
Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue
Christmas stockings and meals for people supported by Skills Society’s Outreach program
Donor Contributions in Action
Sometimes helping people thrive starts with ensuring people’s basic needs are met, and that they have a safe and comfortable place to call home. We are grateful to have received a generous contribution from the Royal Alexandra Hospital Employees’ Charitable Donations Fund in support of the Skills Society Outreach Emergency Fund. Through the use of these funds and a donation from the Ramada Hotel, Yellowhead Trail, six people supported by Skills Society’s Outreach program who were in need received mattresses and box springs. We would also like to express our gratitude to the dedicated Skills Society Outreach staff, Larry James and Felix Dubourdieu-Greig for connecting with the Ramada and helping deliver the mattresses.
“This funding is essential for us to help people have quality lives and remain housed. We can do better than just survive, let’s thrive.” – Lasha, Manager of Community Supports
Larry and Felix
Felix, Sarah, and Larry
Shane