Estate Planning Letter? What else can we do?

[Ed Bos]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

[Alaric]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

Glad you think its good on them, I think it is disgusting and unethical to solicit members for money.  If we are that desperate for money then immediately cut all travel allowance for region and national staff (I pay for my own travel to events why shouldnt they).  Discontinue the salary for the fundraising guy, pay him a percentage of what he brings in, if he can't pay for himself then he is ineffective and shouldnt be there.  Raise dues, people who are willing and able will pay, people who are not won't.  Better than the begging bowl constantly being out.

[PA Guy]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

Glad you think its good on them, I think it is disgusting and unethical to solicit members for money.  If we are that desperate for money then immediately cut all travel allowance for region and national staff (I pay for my own travel to events why shouldnt they).  Discontinue the salary for the fundraising guy, pay him a percentage of what he brings in, if he can't pay for himself then he is ineffective and shouldnt be there.  Raise dues, people who are willing and able will pay, people who are not won't.  Better than the begging bowl constantly being out.

Every college, professional organization, alumni association and church I've attended or belonged to solicits money for endowments, PACs, scholarships or estate planning. I just don't see what the problem is. Some solicitations I ignore and some I give what I can. How is it unethical? What you find disgusting many others don't. "Begging bowl" is a little over the top don't you think? They aren't begging only offering an opportunity to give if you feel it. Obviously you don't so ignore it.

Have you put yourself on their do not mail list? I did and I have never received a solicitation from NHQ.

[Eclipse]

Have you put yourself on their do not mail list? I did and I have never received a solicitation from NHQ.

There is no option to remain on the mailing list for relevent information and still not
receive these types of messages, since this is not a "3rd party".

If you opt out of this, you're out of everything except renewal notices.

[Alaric]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

Glad you think its good on them, I think it is disgusting and unethical to solicit members for money.  If we are that desperate for money then immediately cut all travel allowance for region and national staff (I pay for my own travel to events why shouldnt they).  Discontinue the salary for the fundraising guy, pay him a percentage of what he brings in, if he can't pay for himself then he is ineffective and shouldnt be there.  Raise dues, people who are willing and able will pay, people who are not won't.  Better than the begging bowl constantly being out.

Every college, professional organization, alumni association and church I've attended or belonged to solicits money for endowments, PACs, scholarships or estate planning. I just don't see what the problem is. Some solicitations I ignore and some I give what I can. How is it unethical? What you find disgusting many others don't. "Begging bowl" is a little over the top don't you think? They aren't begging only offering an opportunity to give if you feel it. Obviously you don't so ignore it.

Have you put yourself on their do not mail list? I did and I have never received a solicitation from NHQ.

Other than the Red Cross, and I had this discussion with them as well, no organization for which I volunteer has asked me for money.  Not the Shrine, not my Fraternity, and not my Schul.  If CAP is so bad at budgeting they have to go to the membership for money, that's a problem.  And yes they are begging, by definition, really does no one have a dictionary any more?


beg
beg/Submit
verb
gerund or present participle: begging
1.
ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.
"I begged him for mercy"
synonyms:   implore, entreat, plead with, appeal to, supplicate, pray to, importune; More
ask for (something) earnestly or humbly.
"he begged their forgiveness"
synonyms:   ask for, request, plead for, appeal for, call for, sue for, solicit, seek, press for
"we begged for mercy"
ask formally for (permission to do something).
"I will now beg leave to make some observations"
2.
ask for something, typically food or money, as charity or a gift.
"a young woman was begging in the street"
synonyms:   panhandle, ask for money, seek charity, seek alms; More

[jimmydeanno]

Planned giving is a proven effective strategy for building endowments.  I have no problem with CAP asking me for money, afterall, if our own members aren't willing to support our organization and missions, why would anyone else?  Do our members not feel so strongly about what we do and accomplish that they want to see the organization continue into perpetuity? 

Believe it or not, outside of CAPTalk there are thousands of hardworking volunteers who have a deep fondness for CAP because they have been volunteering with the organization for a significant portion of their lives. Some for 50+ years.  That's significant, and it obviously means something to them. For me, CAP changed my teen years, and provided me with significant opportunities in my adult years.  It's the one and only thing that I have been doing continuously (in terms of membership type stuff) for over 15 years.  I'm young, so mind you that's nearly half my life I've been participating in our missions.

Reminding people that they are able to leave something to the organization (that they love and cherish) is not unethical or even wrongly directed.  It may be begging, but the organization can't expand it's missions and influence, reach new target areas, start new programs, etc., without money - that's a fact.  If our membership doesn't think that is worthwhile, I'm not sure why they're members.  Certainly, I get more than $38 dollars out of my membership each year.  The least I can do is give what I can.

[Alaric]

Planned giving is a proven effective strategy for building endowments.  I have no problem with CAP asking me for money, afterall, if our own members aren't willing to support our organization and missions, why would anyone else?  Do our members not feel so strongly about what we do and accomplish that they want to see the organization continue into perpetuity? 

Believe it or not, outside of CAPTalk there are thousands of hardworking volunteers who have a deep fondness for CAP because they have been volunteering with the organization for a significant portion of their lives. Some for 50+ years.  That's significant, and it obviously means something to them. For me, CAP changed my teen years, and provided me with significant opportunities in my adult years.  It's the one and only thing that I have been doing continuously (in terms of membership type stuff) for over 15 years.  I'm young, so mind you that's nearly half my life I've been participating in our missions.

Reminding people that they are able to leave something to the organization (that they love and cherish) is not unethical or even wrongly directed.  It may be begging, but the organization can't expand it's missions and influence, reach new target areas, start new programs, etc., without money - that's a fact.  If our membership doesn't think that is worthwhile, I'm not sure why they're members.  Certainly, I get more than $38 dollars out of my membership each year.  The least I can do is give what I can.

I have a big problem with it.  If the parasites need more organism, let them pay for it.  I have been doing CAP since 2009, I spend a lot of money for the privilege of doing so. If they need more money my suggestions stand.

[Eclipse]

Reminding people that they are able to leave something to the organization (that they love and cherish) is not unethical or even wrongly directed.  It may be begging, but the organization can't expand it's missions and influence, reach new target areas, start new programs, etc., without money - that's a fact.  If our membership doesn't think that is worthwhile, I'm not sure why they're members.  Certainly, I get more than $38 dollars out of my membership each year.  The least I can do is give what I can.

$38?  Must be nice. 

I'd be willing to bet I'm into CAP for at >least< $20K of real spend probably a lot more (albeit deductible), not to mention the uncountable hundreds of hours.  I'm not unique, probably at the mid-range for the active members of my wing.

Alaric's being more direct then me, but just because something isn't unethical doesn't make it not distasteful.
There's no problem making this an option, but the repeated solicitations are the issue.  I think I've received
4 emails or mailings this year on this or the CFC, and nothing on mission, purpose, or strategic plan.

Granting the benefit of the doubt to the fundraising arm, being they are just doing >their< jobs,
why aren't the other, mission-focused directorates being visible and communicating at least as
>much<.  That's where a lot of the heartburn here is.

[jimmydeanno]

You don't belong to any professional organizations that ask for money from you for different causes?  I get hit up by several, several times a year, for scholarships, etc.  All of them have planned giving options.  All of them have membership dues that cost me more than my CAP dues, and I don't get to do anything but attend a presentation here and there.

Certainly, many of us have spent a significant amount of money on CAP, whether it be putting a tank of gas in a van or buying cadets ice cream after an activity.  The point remains that the purpose of a membership is to ensure that the organization can continue on.  We have dues, yes, but it's readily apparent by looking at our annual budget that our dues would have to be significantly higher to keep our organization afloat if it weren't for the influx of money from the U.S. taxpayer. 

I hear about how much people put into their local units and how they are "tapped out."  Funding locally is the easiest thing to fix and something that is directly in each of our control.  But a bbq at National Headquarters isn't going to bring in the amount of money the organization needs to continue on the path of its strategic plan, it will get a squadron through the year, though.

"I didn't join CAP to have barbeques or solicit funds" doesn't resonate with me, because as a member I feel obligated to help the organization move forward.  I can't do "what I joined to do" without the organization being here, so if that means that I need to cook a few burgers once a year, then so be it.  If I think that teaching cadets to fly is a really important thing that our organization should be doing, then I'm going to have to cut a check.  If we're passionate about our missions, we need to find ways to support the cause, not just insult those who are making the effort we aren't willing to do ourselves. 

[MSG Mac]

If Doctor Dothrow would come up with a Paid Life Membership, (which was authorized by the May 1991 NEC) I would be interested. Otherwise my dollars will be spent locally.

[PA Guy]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

Glad you think its good on them, I think it is disgusting and unethical to solicit members for money.  If we are that desperate for money then immediately cut all travel allowance for region and national staff (I pay for my own travel to events why shouldnt they).  Discontinue the salary for the fundraising guy, pay him a percentage of what he brings in, if he can't pay for himself then he is ineffective and shouldnt be there.  Raise dues, people who are willing and able will pay, people who are not won't.  Better than the begging bowl constantly being out.

Every college, professional organization, alumni association and church I've attended or belonged to solicits money for endowments, PACs, scholarships or estate planning. I just don't see what the problem is. Some solicitations I ignore and some I give what I can. How is it unethical? What you find disgusting many others don't. "Begging bowl" is a little over the top don't you think? They aren't begging only offering an opportunity to give if you feel it. Obviously you don't so ignore it.

Have you put yourself on their do not mail list? I did and I have never received a solicitation from NHQ.

Other than the Red Cross, and I had this discussion with them as well, no organization for which I volunteer has asked me for money.  Not the Shrine, not my Fraternity, and not my Schul.  If CAP is so bad at budgeting they have to go to the membership for money, that's a problem.  And yes they are begging, by definition, really does no one have a dictionary any more?


beg
beg/Submit
verb
gerund or present participle: begging
1.
ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.
"I begged him for mercy"
synonyms:   implore, entreat, plead with, appeal to, supplicate, pray to, importune; More
ask for (something) earnestly or humbly.
"he begged their forgiveness"
synonyms:   ask for, request, plead for, appeal for, call for, sue for, solicit, seek, press for
"we begged for mercy"
ask formally for (permission to do something).
"I will now beg leave to make some observations"
2.
ask for something, typically food or money, as charity or a gift.
"a young woman was begging in the street"
synonyms:   panhandle, ask for money, seek charity, seek alms; More

Alaric,

Ohhhhhh, quite the scholar aren't you. I choose to contribute to a couple of flight scholarships and I bought a couple of bricks at NHQ to remember a couple of former cadets that didn't get to come home from RVN. I hope that doesn't offend your sensibilities. We get it, you don't like solicitations you have told everyone this on several occasions, get over it.

You mentioned the Shriners. Are you a Shriner? How do they support their hospitals? I believe the Shriners offer estate planning etc. through the Donor Relations office.

[James Shaw]

I have no angst with anyone trying to raise funds. It is an individual decision to support or not.

But I want to know  that they appreciate my time as well as my money before they get either one.

[FW]

^Well said, Jim.  I am constantly inundated with requests for funds from my High School, College, and Dental Schools.  I'm asked to give to my Fraternal Organizations on a regular basis. My "Shul" send me letters for "donations" every other week.  The ARC asks; not only for money, but for blood as well.  We all know what CAP asks for.  Asking to contribute more is part of the fabric of life. It's just our job to decide who we give our hard earned cash and effort. 

Now, to the OP, the guide to raising money for CAP can be found in CAPR 173-4.  Most ideas have been discussed over and over.  It's not the ideas which we lack, it's the success.  Discussing ways to be successful is another topic. Maybe, by going over every thread on CT, we can get some idea of why success is just beyond our reach... :angel:

[JeffDG]

I have no angst with anyone trying to raise funds. It is an individual decision to support or not.

But I want to know  that they appreciate my time as well as my money before they get either one.

I would appreciate if they would acknowledge my intelligence a bit.

I'm still wrapping my head around how I can help my daughter by diverting part of her inheritance to someone else.

[Alaric]

As pointed out by Eclipse in http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18665.0, I also received the CAP Estate Planning Letter.

I assume this is an outright attempt by CAP to get more of our hard-earned money from us, even after we pass away.

Good on them.

I assume some folks aren't interested in seeing any more of their personal treasure diverted to CAP than they currently do, and that led me to a curious line of thinking...

Let's list 101 fundraising ideas for CAP. I understand some people were less interested in supporting the Mary Feik Scholarship, so let's come up with a list of over 100 potential (and practical) sources of revenue for the organization that we all enjoy.

What's your best idea? I'll think hard about my own recommendation before I post it as well.

Glad you think its good on them, I think it is disgusting and unethical to solicit members for money.  If we are that desperate for money then immediately cut all travel allowance for region and national staff (I pay for my own travel to events why shouldnt they).  Discontinue the salary for the fundraising guy, pay him a percentage of what he brings in, if he can't pay for himself then he is ineffective and shouldnt be there.  Raise dues, people who are willing and able will pay, people who are not won't.  Better than the begging bowl constantly being out.

Every college, professional organization, alumni association and church I've attended or belonged to solicits money for endowments, PACs, scholarships or estate planning. I just don't see what the problem is. Some solicitations I ignore and some I give what I can. How is it unethical? What you find disgusting many others don't. "Begging bowl" is a little over the top don't you think? They aren't begging only offering an opportunity to give if you feel it. Obviously you don't so ignore it.

Have you put yourself on their do not mail list? I did and I have never received a solicitation from NHQ.

Other than the Red Cross, and I had this discussion with them as well, no organization for which I volunteer has asked me for money.  Not the Shrine, not my Fraternity, and not my Schul.  If CAP is so bad at budgeting they have to go to the membership for money, that's a problem.  And yes they are begging, by definition, really does no one have a dictionary any more?


beg
beg/Submit
verb
gerund or present participle: begging
1.
ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.
"I begged him for mercy"
synonyms:   implore, entreat, plead with, appeal to, supplicate, pray to, importune; More
ask for (something) earnestly or humbly.
"he begged their forgiveness"
synonyms:   ask for, request, plead for, appeal for, call for, sue for, solicit, seek, press for
"we begged for mercy"
ask formally for (permission to do something).
"I will now beg leave to make some observations"
2.
ask for something, typically food or money, as charity or a gift.
"a young woman was begging in the street"
synonyms:   panhandle, ask for money, seek charity, seek alms; More

Alaric,

Ohhhhhh, quite the scholar aren't you. I choose to contribute to a couple of flight scholarships and I bought a couple of bricks at NHQ to remember a couple of former cadets that didn't get to come home from RVN. I hope that doesn't offend your sensibilities. We get it, you don't like solicitations you have told everyone this on several occasions, get over it.

You mentioned the Shriners. Are you a Shriner? How do they support their hospitals? I believe the Shriners offer estate planning etc. through the Donor Relations office.

I am a Shriner, and I have never received a letter soliciting funds.  Shrine hospitals are supported through donations and a per capita tax on the membership.  If people want to donate, they are welcome to, but we do not get solicited for such.

[James Shaw]

^Well said, Jim.  I am constantly inundated with requests for funds from my High School, College, and Dental Schools.  I'm asked to give to my Fraternal Organizations on a regular basis. My "Shul" send me letters for "donations" every other week.  The ARC asks; not only for money, but for blood as well.  We all know what CAP asks for.  Asking to contribute more is part of the fabric of life. It's just our job to decide who we give our hard earned cash and effort. 

Now, to the OP, the guide to raising money for CAP can be found in CAPR 173-4.  Most ideas have been discussed over and over.  It's not the ideas which we lack, it's the success.  Discussing ways to be successful is another topic. Maybe, by going over every thread on CT, we can get some idea of why success is just beyond our reach... :angel:

Thanks Fred.

I get those requests just like you do from School, Fraternal Organizations, and Veterans groups. I appreciate all of their efforts and their missions. We have to pick and choose which ones we contribute to and that often changes.

I have no issues with giving money or donating items to an organization if I have knowledge of how my money is going to be used to support the organization directly and not provide money for a year end bonus to one of their leaders. If my child needs something for group participation, then I will do my best to get it for him. If we have a cadet that needs money to go to encampment then we can help with that as well. It is easier for me to internally justify the number of hours I have to work to help make it happen. I like to see the end result.

The basis and premise for me starts with my sons, both have benefitted from the program and as long as they participate then I am sure I will be at least at the squadron. My oldest son is in the Marines and benefitted from CAP and my youngest is in the 9th grade. Then it moves to helping other cadets succeed along the way. I enjoy it. Out of the ribbons I have the Encampment Ribbon is by far one of the best and hardest to earn.

The last part is my time......I can get the money back eventually, but I cant get the time back.

If an organization cant appreciate the estimated $10,000 worth of time I give each year then why would I give more? (Not necessarily CAP but in general).

[LSThiker]

I am a Shriner, and I have never received a letter soliciting funds.  Shrine hospitals are supported through donations and a per capita tax on the membership.  If people want to donate, they are welcome to, but we do not get solicited for such.

My hospital and the Shriners Hospital next door are partnered together.  We share personnel, research space, and other items.  Although it is funny how fast we distance ourselves when the other does something wrong (like immoral animal experiments by Shriners).  Anyway, about 1 or 2 times a year, I get an email through my work email asking for donations to Shriners Hospital.

As a state hospital, we also get asked to donate to our hospital every year.  Our current employee charitable campaign is at $468,328 and represents 23% of our employees. 

I have gotten asked by the Veterans Affairs (which I pay taxes), the various professional military societies, the frat, my last few universities (mostly state sponsored schools), my alumni organizations, my old ROTC program, the city fire department (which I already pay taxes), the city police department (which I already pay taxes), the four professional societies that I pay membership to, and a whole host of other organizations that I belong/once belonged to. 

CAP is no different in this case.


As a funny story, I told our university president that I could easily find a way for the university to save over $450,000 a year.  He was not happy with my solution of cutting the President's and VPs salaries by 15% each.

[NIN]

Development is a tricky tightrope to walk.

It varies, wildly, by type of organization, mission, audience, "membership," etc.  (I used to be an IT director for a private 4 year college, so I worked with the development folks a lot on grants, etc).  That said, development in Higher Ed is substantially different than development for, say, a local human services non-profit, which is in-turn different from your national membership organization, and is also different from a separate foundation funding the non-profit, etc.

The larger problem has more facets:

1) It does not seem, at the rank-and-file membership level, that we have an understanding on any kind of strategic direction/programming/capital projects that we have earmarked for the "non-DoD" development funding we might get.  What will we do with the money we get.  this is a national-level strategic issue (long term) and requires communication with stakeholders both internally and externally. 

Should CAP have its own endowment to fund operations separate from DoD/USAF funding? Should Civil Air Patrol embark on a 10 year multi-million dollar capital fundraising effort to build a headquarters "elsewhere"? Does CAP want to fund a  program to built in situ/ab inito pilot development among senior members?  Buildings for subordinate units like the ATC cadets in the UK have?  (these are just examples I'm making up off the cuff, BTW)   Who the hell knows because our strategic direction doesn't seem to have much coherency beyond a year or so, and then its still strictly "We have multiple directions.." 

That the message to the membership as to "what these funds are for/why we need these funds" is muddled is clear even from earlier  posts in this thread.  And as we all know, in the communication process, if the receiver gets the wrong message, the first place to look is at the message the sender puts out. (see, all that training does come in handy!)

2) You raise development money in a membership organization where the members already contribute time, money, effort, etc into the organizational mission accomplishment differently than you do, say, a membership organization that is an umbrella or advocacy group for a particular cause, sport, illness, etc.

You can't always go to the membership base in a participatory volunteer organization (CAP, Red Cross, etc) who are already spending (potentially) both hundreds of dollars of their own money and hundreds of hours of their own time on a yearly basis and say "Hey, give us some more, eh?"

This is knowing your audience, and I don't think our development efforts reflect that, again, as evidenced by the utter disenfranchisment of the previous posters.

3) Audience segmentation is key.  In a school environment, you hit your alumni base for endowment/development fund, but you hit corporate folks for a different set of funds or different purpose. We didn't go to HP or Cisco or Microsoft for an in-kind donation using the same messaging we used to speak to the alumni, nor did we go to local IT businesses & organizations with the same funding message.

I don't know a lot about non-profit development apart from what I see in different organizations that I belong to (CAP, USPA, right now, and the college before that), but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we're alienating a LOT of our active, participating, contributing membership with this constant shilling for dollars from people who already contribute a lot.

[AirAux]

Sure, I am ready to donate more money since I have only been giving for 35 years.  And what do I get?  Because I am old and fat, I get to wear a distinctive uniform that makes me look like and feel like I don't relly belong.  Morale not so much anymore.  I think part of the letter noted it would be used to increase diversity among senior members.  Yeah, great, so we pay their way on board and then how do they buy a uniform and all the other crap to be able to participate?  Just what we need, more diversity instead of unity...

[NIN]

Sure, I am ready to donate more money since I have only been giving for 35 years.  And what do I get?  Because I am old and fat, I get to wear a distinctive uniform that makes me look like and feel like I don't relly belong.  Morale not so much anymore.  I think part of the letter noted it would be used to increase diversity among senior members.  Yeah, great, so we pay their way on board and then how do they buy a uniform and all the other crap to be able to participate?  Just what we need, more diversity instead of unity...

I think the word you were looking for there was "divisiveness" not "diversity"