What is the difference between CAP Cares as featured on cap.gov and the CAP Foundation?
Is there a website that speaks to either/both?
Who is on the boards?
Are these legit in governing? (Can I go directly to the people in charge and give my suggestions etc, as chain of command should not (CAN NOT?) apply?
ETC ETC????
Quote from: RiveraJ on September 24, 2008, 04:05:34 PM
What is the difference between CAP Cares as featured on cap.gov and the CAP Foundation?
Is there a website that speaks to either/both?
Who is on the boards?
Are these legit in governing? (Can I go directly to the people in charge and give my suggestions etc, as chain of command should not (CAN NOT?) apply?
ETC ETC????
CAPCARES is a charitable fund which is managed by NH/Q einloyyees to assist members who have a need.
The foundation is a not for profit corporation with a board of directors. Made up, for now, of the 4 senior members on the BOG and the CAP/NFO
Since the foundation has imited funds, there is no decision on were to spend current or future funds. There are currently no "plans" yet on what to do with directed/donated funds.
^ Ok so you've told us twice who governs them, and that they have an indefined future track.
BUT, what is the reason for this foundation to exist? What were they created to do? Are they going to be another step in the growing list of governing bodies?
Not much money? Well if theres no easily accessible guidance on how to donate, endow etc, will there ever be an amount worth managing?
The foundation board meets just once a year and only for about 30 min. following the BOG meeting. Until now, all conversations and discussions were on basic organization. There has been some pledges made to donate when there is a "mission statement" formulated. Until then, the foundation is just a paper tiger. Because of this, the foundation board is not actively looking for donations yet.
The CAP foundation was formed, with the direction of the Board of Governors, to provide for an independent source of funds to help support CAP programs. These funds would be controlled by the foundation board which will eventually include major donors. How future funds would be dispursed to CAP would be up to the foundation board. Donors could be individuals, corporations or other organizations.
The foundation has no authority over CAP nor does CAP have any authority over the foundation other than the CAP members of the board.
So its like a Nationwide Boosters club?
No "like" about it. It is the national CAP Booster Club.
Quote from: FW on September 25, 2008, 06:27:12 PM
No "like" about it. It is the national CAP Booster Club.
Or "will be" once it's more than a paper tiger. Not boosting too much now. ;D
I could use a shirt and tie job right now... How about you recommend me for hire and Ill start making the fund money. I'm sure we could work out a reasonable wage.
Quote from: FW on September 25, 2008, 05:20:21 PM
The foundation board meets just once a year and only for about 30 min. following the BOG meeting. Until now, all conversations and discussions were on basic organization. There has been some pledges made to donate when there is a "mission statement" formulated. Until then, the foundation is just a paper tiger. Because of this, the foundation board is not actively looking for donations yet.
The CAP foundation was formed, with the direction of the Board of Governors, to provide for an independent source of funds to help support CAP programs. These funds would be controlled by the foundation board which will eventually include major donors. How future funds would be dispursed to CAP would be up to the foundation board. Donors could be individuals, corporations or other organizations.
The foundation has no authority over CAP nor does CAP have any authority over the foundation other than the CAP members of the board.
FW, and the other National Board, NEC and National staff members who read this:
Having working closely in Development and being an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, it surprises me how it has taken so long since deciding to have a Foundation to actually having an operating one. That decision was made years ago.
Step 1. Form your Board of Directors. Meet at least quarterly. Meeting once a year is far too long to expect anything to ever be accomplished. Your board should meet long enough to discuss the status of the Foundation and its investments (if any), make decisions to chart what should be done over the course of the next quarter, including setting fundraising goals, and turn those instructions over to the staff. Your board should not determine the how, just the desired outcomes (eg. "At end of first fiscal year, have raised $100,000").
Step 2. Determine the mission of the Foundation. You already stated it in your post - no need for fancy words at this juncture. The Foundation's mission is to build support for Civil Air Patrol's missions and operations. That's simple.
Step 3. Stimulate the Foundation's start with a loan. You can't raise money until you have a real staff; you can't have a real staff until you raise some money. Civil Air Patrol should make a loan to the Foundation to cover start-up costs of hiring a Director of Development and at least one or two staff members, plus initial costs of the Foundation's first few appeals (mostly print and mailing costs, some travel expenses to meet with prospective corporate & major donors, and office supplies). The Foundation should have physically separate offices from NHQ from the start.
Step 4. Hire a Director of Development. But don't just hire a nice person who has some good ideas and happens to live locally or is willing to work for $40k. This is not the field to hire random people (sorry RiverAJ). Put an advertisement in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (and get a subscription to it ASAP if you don't have one already), and hire a professional fundraising executive (remember that term) with a proven track record in multiple areas (make sure they have experience in annual giving, planned giving, corporate support and leadership/major gifts - all of those will be critical). Good candidates would include Vice Presidents of Institutional Advancement from higher ed institutions, Executive Directors of Foundations whose primary purpose was to build an endowment, and Directors of Development for major national non-profit orgs who have successful track records.
Step 5. Allow the Director of Development to do their job. Discuss with them reasonable goals for the first two years, share with them the membership database and other critical information, and then stand-back and let them use their budget and do their job as they see fit. Set down any guidelines (usage of CAP name, logos, branding (ha!), etc.) and then don't meddle in their affairs until it's time to review progress at the next board meeting. They're the development professional, they know what they need and what to do. You likely do not.
It's not that complex, but you won't raise any money until you start making asks. You won't get any CAP members to put the CAP Foundation in their wills until you ask (the right way). You won't build a faithful donor base until you start collecting appropriate information and using a donor database, and then leveraging that data to properly communicate with each segment of your donor base. You won't be successful unless you put something into action and let professionals do their job. This is not a field where you just want to hire some nice, energetic people and have them have at it - this is a field where, if you are to be highly successful, you'll make an intitial investment in what seems like an expensive salary and some higher start-up costs. But fundraising professionals will always raise 3 to 4 times their salary - so stop talking and put some plans into action.
I work for exactly this same set-up: an non-profit agency that provides services to a certain segment of the public and is 80+% government funded, but we have a separate 501(c)(3) Foundation raising money and building a multi-million dollar endowment from scratch to fund future needs and spend as we see fit. So I'd say you follow the above plan, or expect another long-term CAP vision destined for mediocrity.
Quote from: Pylon on September 26, 2008, 03:17:36 PM
So I'd say you follow the above plan, or expect another long-term CAP vision destined for mediocrity.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
1) I do strongly prefer that CAP leadership be restricted from sitting on the board or any leadership within the foundation or this care fund thing. You absolutely must have seperate structures that answer thru sep chains of command to the BoG. Otherwise it gives at the least the appearance of being extremely shady, and at worst I think you know where that can very easily go. I think you can imagine these things with some real money in them & the previous CAP/CC able to use it as a personal piggy bank to fund his priorities sep from the will of the NB, BoG, AF, or Congress = bad, bad, bad!!!!
2) I got a 19yo C/Capt Munoz here at Ellington, lives on Galveston (emancipated minor), totally wiped out. Be nice if there was a fund to cover down for folks in that kind of situation.
Quote from: Pylon on September 26, 2008, 03:17:36 PM
FW, and the other National Board, NEC and National staff members who read this:
Dude...your post is money! Don't wait for the powers that be to see it here...send it these people ASAP. If nothing else you should send it up the chain to your Region CC.
lol... Don't worry I'm not offended... I was joking more then I was serious...But that does not mean I wouldn't have accepted the job ;) .... The point was we need to start somewhere and it is NOT that hard to start as shown in Pylons post.... :)