Clever
Ideas, Luck Can Pay Off for Council Fundraisers
“Ronnie,” the Beanie Baby, is Bear
of Good Fortune for Santa Barbara Council
By PETER E. ATKINSON
Deputy Editor
Aside from maintaining and increasing membership, fundraising is the
most difficult, time-consuming job councils face. But, of course, it’s
a necessary task: how else will councils be able to afford all of their
various projects and support programs like ship adoptions, Sea Cadets,
awards, scholarships and official visits?
Some standard fundraising vehicles are built into the council system
(dues, donations, membership drives, community affiliate programs, member
rebates, etc.). The challenge comes in raising funds above and beyond
that financial base, and that can be a daunting challenge indeed.
But the right combination of a clever idea, some good publicity and a
bit of luck can really pay dividends. A case in point is the Santa Barbara
Council’s “Ronnie the Bear” Beanie Baby one of the most
successful council fundraisers in recent memory. Proceeds from nationwide
sales of the bear, which was issued last summer to commemorate the commissioning
of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and help support the ship, are
approaching a half-million dollars.
Ty Warner, creator of the “Ronnie” bear and inventor of the
wildly popular Beanie Babies, is donating 100 percent of the profits from
the original sale of the bear to the Santa Barbara Council.
“This is something very unique, for a local council to do a nationwide
program,” said council Vice President Faye Eson. “But for
a council with a limited budget to tackle the kind of project we envisioned
(adopting the Reagan) we had to get very creative. We are fortunate to
have someone like Ty in our community. He’s very engaged with the
community, knows the Navy League and has done a number of benefit Beanie
Babies. It was a natural fit.”
Warner, chairman of Ty Inc., has created special benefit Beanie Babies
for the Diana, Princess of Wales Foundation; the American Red Cross in
response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks; the USO; the Pediatric
AIDS Foundation; and he has contributed to a number of projects in the
Santa Barbara area.
He was honored by the council for his contributions Oct. 15, 2003, in
a ceremony aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver, which
was visiting Santa Barbara for a Fleet Weekend the council sponsored as
part of the city’s Harbor & Seafood Festival. Warner surprised
Council President Connie O’Shaughnessy-Los with a check for $200,000
from the second month of sales of the bear. First-month sales of the bear
generated $135,000 for the council.
The council is expecting another contribution for sales of the “Ronnie”
bear through the end of 2003 in the near future, Eson said. “The
effort not only has provided funds that we need, but has gotten the word
out about the Navy League and enhanced the knowledge not only of who we
are, but what we do, and that’s just as important.”
Looking For Ideas?
Of course, few councils are blessed with the good fortune of having the
creator of an internationally successful product in their midst. “In
that respect, we were very lucky,” Eson noted. And many councils
have more modest goals in mind for raising funds, or don’t have
the means or the manpower for large special events (Fleet Weekends for
visiting ships or air shows, for example) that involve significant planning
and promotion.
If your council is stuck for fundraising ideas, resources are available
from Navy League headquarters, which offers training workshops, materials,
and information. Workshop information is available online on the Navy
League web site. You also shouldn’t be shy about asking other councils
for advice or ideas on programs that have worked for them.
Resources also are available at your local public library, and by searching
the internet. There are even magazines, such as Grassroots Fundraising
Journal, that provide information to organizations about how to raise
money.
In her Grassroots Fundraising Journal article, “Fifty-Five Ways
for Board Members to Raise $500,” co-publisher and fundraising trainer
Kim Klein offers suggestions for diversified, but easily managed, creative
money-raising efforts. The article recently was reprinted as part of the
book, The Board of Directors (Grassroots Fundraising Journal/Chardon Press,
2000).
Among Klein’s recommendations:
· Teach/host a seminar. Public education efforts offer tremendous
fundraising potential, according to Klein. Find a topic of interest, or
one you might be expert in yourself (just about any topic is fair game,
from financial planning and gourmet cooking to such timely issues as homeland
security), and a place to present it, then charge people to attend. A
topic that resonates with the community and a little promotion not only
can raise money, but provide recruitment opportunities as well. And with
Navy League National President Sheila M. McNeill making it a priority
to educate the public on the importance of sea power to our national security,
that alone offers a good place to start.
· Progressive dinners. In this alternative to the usual potluck
suppers, each course is served at a different home and attendees move
from one to the next until the dinner is complete. You can charge by the
course or for the whole package.
· Home tours. If some of your council members have interesting
or historic homes, sponsor a tour where attendees can get a guided walk-through
of the homes or the grounds. Architectural tours, nature walks and the
like are another good way to draw people from outside the organization.
· Council paraphernalia. Buttons, T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee
cups, etc., emblazoned with your council/Navy League affiliate/Sea Cadet
logo or seal can help promote your program and the Navy League, and raise
money. Just be sure to watch the upfront cost of the materials, Klein
advises.
Other suggestions from Grassroots Fundraising Journal include “A-thons”
— bowl-a-thons, bike-a-thons, walk-a-thons, phone-a-thons, etc.
— where funds can be raised either on a per-unit basis (per pin,
per mile, etc.) or a single contribution. Also, auctions, garage sales,
and swap meets can help raise money and can also involve the community
at large.
If you want to go high-tech, there also is the option of online auctions.
EBay, the largest and most popular online auction site, has an entire
section of its site dedicated to nonprofit organizations. It offers an
assortment of methods for groups to raise funds. For example, individuals
may donate a portion of sales of their items to a council. Other possibilities
include special event auctions and managing an online store, where items
are for sale all the time.
The number of potential buyers on eBay is enormous. However, with an
almost equal amount of competing sellers, the trick is visibility. And
as the Boca Delray Council has discovered, “it’s easy to get
lost,” Council President Harald Hagelman said.
The council tried eBay auctions, but they didn’t fare too well.
“We’ve had much better luck with our traditional fundraisers,”
he said, from monthly dinner dances to visiting guest speakers. “Things
like that have more of an attraction [than the eBay auction], and we get
people coming in from the community.”
Card Programs Work
Some other traditional programs also are proving successful. Store card
programs are a popular way to raise money for schools, public safety organizations,
and civic and youth groups, and a number of Navy League councils are taking
part. Store cards are cooperative programs, typically between a single
store or store chain in a community and the council, and generally don’t
require much effort to initiate. Often, getting going is just a matter
of qualifying, which most nonprofit groups do.
Card programs can work in any number of ways. They can take the form
of discount or gift cards that can simply be sold outright, with the council
receiving a portion of the profit from the sales from the participating
business. Or they can be more like preferred customer cards, which are
counted each time they are presented during checkout, with the business
making a donation based on the number of times the cards are used.
The Placer County (Calif.) Council is involved with several store card
programs through supermarkets in the area. It participates in the Quality
of Lifecard program with the Raley’s/BelAir Markets chain, and the
council’s Youth Program benefits from a preferred customer card
program through local Albertson’s supermarkets.
Both programs tally the number of times cards are presented at checkout
— and the council receives rebate checks for several hundred dollars
from the stores each quarter or so, council President David Giblin said.
“They are pretty easy programs, the hard part is getting people
to remember to show their cards when they check out,” he said.
The Richmond (Va.) Council has been selling grocery cards through Ukrop’s,
a chain of supermarkets in central Virginia, since October 2002, and has
raised about $4,000. The council receives 7 percent of the profit on each
card — which are like gift certificates worth $50 or $100 in groceries
— from Ukrop’s. “It has been a very successful program
for us,” said council President Sonny Miles.
Ukrop’s, however, recently decided to discontinue its grocery card
program, but Miles said the council hopes to establish something similar
with another supermarket. “We really had a good thing with Ukrop’s,”
he said.
In much the same vein are entertainment coupon book programs. The books
offer discount coupons for stores, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters,
golf courses, etc., and councils receive a portion of the proceeds for
each book they sell. Often, these coupons are for regional and national
chains, and are good just about anywhere.
“We’ve been selling these for three or four years, and after
a while they really start selling themselves,” said Miles, of the
Richmond Council. “People really look forward to them and they start
asking for them when they know it’s about time for them to go on
sale.”
For Information
· For fundraising information from the Navy League, go to http://www.navyleague.org/councils/council_resources.php
· To see the synopsis of “Fifty-Five Ways for Board Members
to Raise $500” or for other fundraising information, see http://www.grassrootsfundraising.org.
· For more information on eBay’s nonprofit fundraising options,
go to http://pages.ebay.com/givingworks/index.html
Pacific Southwest Region Salutes Newport Beach
Council ‘Stalwart’
Newport Beach Past President Is Named the Region’s
“Navy Leaguer of the Year”
Newport Beach Council member Arthur Gronsky was named “Navy Leaguer
of the Year” by the Navy League Pacific Southwest Region prior to
the council’s annual Christmas dinner in December.
“He has been one of our stalwarts for many years,” said current
Council President Bill Mansfield, who nominated Gronsky for the honor.
The Pacific Southwest Region encompasses much of Southern California and
Arizona.
A Newport Beach native, Gronsky is a member of the Commodore’s
Club in Newport Beach and his lifetime of local business relationships
has provided enormous support for the council’s efforts and programs,
Mansfield said. He also is the immediate past president of the Newport
Beach Council.
The award was presented by Capt. Jon Berg-Johnsen, commanding officer
of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, one of the Newport
Beach Council’s adopted ships. Berg-Johnsen, Command Master Chief
Dan Dyer and their wives were guests at the council dinner.
The Newport Beach Council supports the Bonhomme Richard and several other
surface ships with Sailor of the Quarter and Sailor of the Year awards.
The council also supports the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and 3rd
Marine Air Wing, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal in Corona
del Mar.
Fort Lauderdale Sea Cadets Get Headquarters
Repaired, Council to Help With Insurance
The Spruance Division U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., got
an early Christmas gift with the rededication of its headquarters Dec.
20, just three months after the building suffered serious water damage
when heavy rains brought the ceiling down.
The Cadets, their parents, division commanders, representatives from
the Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, and others gathered before the division’s
holiday party for a flag-raising ceremony outside the building to mark
its restoration. In the true spirit of the season, the $13,000 estimated
cost of repairs was raised through community donations and the volunteer
work of the division’s dedicated parents, with the Home Depot kicking
in a new refrigerator, paneling, ceiling tile, paint, and moldings, according
to Lt. Cmdr Alan Starr, USNSC, commanding officer of Spruance Division,
which is sponsored by the Fort Lauderdale Council.
The entire ceiling and its insulation came down during a Sept. 27-28
rainstorm, damaging electrical work, desks, and furniture, and rendering
the building unsafe for occupancy. Following the accident, however, the
division’s Parent Support Group, headed by Jeffrey Yager, a former
Marine with three daughters in the division, rose to the occasion, pooling
their resources, bonding together and providing the elbow grease to restore
the headquarters building, Starr said.
In the interim, VFW Post 1966 allowed the division to use its hall as
a temporary headquarters, and business largely was able to go on as usual,
he reported. The Cadets took advantage of the situation to do some off-base
training during the restoration period.
“We used this as a learning experience for our Cadets, in how to
deal with, and overcome, adversity,” Starr said.
With the headquarters back up and running, the focus now turns to replacing
historical items and other equipment destroyed in the ceiling collapse.
The division lost most of its pictures, its lending library of historical
naval books, its videotape library, and a big screen TV. “The council
will go to bat for us with the insurance company, as they had denied our
original damage claim,” Starr said.
Chicago Councils Take Boot Campers Home For
the Holidays
To spread a little holiday cheer to eligible recruits, Navy League councils
in the Chicago area participate in “Home for the Holidays”
with Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes. Recruits generally are not
permitted to leave base during their nine-week training period. However,
for Thanksgiving, recruits who have finished at least seven weeks of training
were allowed to go “home” for the holiday, as they were matched
up with families in the area who had them as guests for Thanksgiving Day.
The Glenview Council has sponsored upwards of 90 recruits each year as
part of the program. This year, the council reported getting only 66 recruits
because of smaller recruiting targets. There were about 600 recruits available
this year, so the council hosted more than 10 percent, according to council
President Bobby Ferguson. Other groups, such as the Naperville Council,
and individuals in the area, also host recruits for Thanksgiving.
A lot of organizational work is required in advance to ensure that a
good match is made (e.g., that recruits with allergies are not sent to
homes with pets). Jim Lacivita, Glenview council board member, coordinated
the council’s efforts, Ferguson said.
The programs give recruits the chance to enjoy a family Thanksgiving
dinner, watch some football and take a welcome break from the rigors of
boot camp. One group of recruits this year was taken to downtown Chicago
by their hosts for a view of the city from the Sears Tower Observation
Deck.
Ferguson said the Navy League families are happy to have the young men
and women in their homes for Thanksgiving. One family told Ferguson of
a letter they received two years after they hosted a recruit. The sailor
related how he had just about reached the end of his rope in boot camp
when he visited their home on Thanksgiving. He stated that he did not
think he could survive another day, but that changed when they opened
up their home and showed their appreciation for what he was doing for
the country. The recruit said it gave him the strength to go on.
Guam Sea Cadets Adopt Coast Guard Patrol Boat
The Marianas Division of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets adopted the Coast
Guard patrol boat Galveston Island in a ceremony Dec. 5 at Guam Naval
Base. The adoption formalized the close relationship that has developed
between the patrol boat and the Sea Cadets since the program was established
on Guam in 1998.
Speaking at the ceremony were Lt. Cecilio Gonzales, USNSCC, commanding
officer of the Sea Cadets; Lt. Cmdr. Terry Johns, commanding officer of
the Galveston Island; and Capt. Dale Rausch, commander, U.S. Coast Guard
Marianas Section. Lt. Gonzales presented Lt. Cmdr. Johns the guide-on
flag of the Sea Cadets. Lt. Gonzales recognized the service of the Coast
Guard and the Galveston Island, which is homeported at Apra Harbor, Guam,
in the defense of the country and in the service’s many humanitarian
missions. Lt. Cmdr. Johns then presented the Sea Cadets with a Department
of Homeland Security Certificate of Appreciation in acknowledgment of
their community service and volunteer projects.
The Galveston Island has given the Sea Cadets an inside look at the Coast
Guard by arranging tours, lectures, and hands-on activities such as tutorials
in seamanship and damage control skills. In addition to the Sea Cadets,
Galveston Island has welcomed aboard local Cub Scouts and plans to continue
supporting local youth groups.
Mayport Council Remembers Pearl Harbor Anniversary
A number of Mayport (Fla.) Council members took part in a Pearl Harbor
remembrance service Dec. 7, aboard the Naval Reserve Force frigate USS
Boone about 15 miles offshore of Mayport Naval Station.
The Mayport Council was represented by retired Rear Adm. John Gavan,
past president of the Mayport Council; Tom and Pat Pumphrey, who is editor
of the council newsletter and publicity chairwoman; Bill McLoughlin, national
director and council vice president for membership; and Bob Lowenthal,
2004 president of the Mayport Council. Various other groups, including
a number of American Legion posts, Fleet Reserve Association branches,
and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 6 also attended.
Despite an unusually cold, windy day, Pumphrey said the service was very
moving, with various groups throwing their flowers or bouquets into the
ocean in honor of those who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor attack
and others who died in defense of the nation. The ceremony concluded with
a 21-gun salute by the Boone rifle team. Cmdr. Walter T. Towns, captain
of the Boone, was the host of the service. The guest speaker was Cmdr.
Pat Carmody, executive officer of Afloat Training Group, Mayport. Following
the Pearl Harbor remembrance service was the burial at sea ceremony for
eight recently deceased sailors, family members, and friends. Each family
was presented with an American flag as part of the ceremony.
U.S., State Officials Speak To Carson City,
Carolina Councils
State and U.S. legislators were featured guests at several recent Navy
League council events. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons,
R-Nev., addressed the Carson City Council. Gibbons, a member of the House
Armed Services Committee, Select Committee on Homeland Security and the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was a fitting choice for the
Veterans Day meeting. A former Air Force combat pilot, Gibbons is a Vietnam
veteran and was called to active combat duty in the Persian Gulf in 1990,
five days after being re-elected to a second term in the Nevada State
Assembly. Gibbons has served as Nevada’s 2nd District representative
to the U.S. House since 1996.
The Coastal Carolina Council featured State Rep. Michael A. Gorman at
its annual Christmas dinner Dec. 11 at The New Bern Country Club. Gorman
spoke about what the North Carolina House is trying to do to help military
members stationed in the state and efforts to keep base realignment from
affecting military bases in North Carolina. The evening also was highlighted
by Christmas trimmings, with several tables full of gifts brought by Navy
League members for children aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
A Brass Ensemble from the MCAS Marine Band provided holiday music.
Melissa Davidson was named Navy League volunteer of the year at MCAS
Cherry Point during the event. During the past three years she has volunteered
over 800 hours of service to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. President
Bud Strong presented her with a plaque and a grant of $100.
Daytona Council Welcomes NROTC to Embry-Riddle
The Daytona Beach Council participated in a Nov. 7 ceremony marking the
establishment of a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Unit
at the Daytona Beach campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The
178-acre Daytona Beach campus serves approximately 4,900 undergraduate
and graduate students. Embry-Riddle’s other campus is in Prescott,
Ariz.
Guest speaker at the ceremony was Rear Adm. Ann Rondeau, commander, Naval
Service Training Command. Capt. Ted Wasylkiw is commanding officer of
the new Navy ROTC unit, which already has attracted about 90 students,
mostly freshman, according to the university. The university’s two
Air Force ROTC detachments form the largest university-based Air Force
commissioning source in the nation.
A gallery of photographs from the Nov. 7 ceremony taken by council secretary
Lewis Slaughter is available on the Daytona
Beach Council’s website.
Short Bursts
NASA astronaut Charles M. Duke, the 10th man to walk on the moon, was
the featured guest at a Dec. 9 presentation sponsored by the Central Kentucky
Council. Retired Brig. Gen. Duke served as lunar module pilot of Apollo
16 on its April 16-27, 1972, mission to the moon. He spent more than 20
hours on moonwalking activities during the mission. Duke, a Naval Academy
and MIT graduate, and Air Force fighter interceptor pilot, spoke to some
2,000 students and teachers in Lexington, Ky., about achieving goals through
education, personal commitment, and individual responsibility.
The Sacramento Council’s website is the latest Navy League-related
site to receive the Patriot Award from Patriot Files.com. The award is
given to sites that contain outstanding military and patriotic content.
Several other councils, as well as the Navy League site itself, have also
received the award. The Sacramento Council’s website can be viewed
at: http://ourtown.sacbee.com/845. The award is displayed on the home
page.
Navy Day General Chairman Robert S. Boh introduced Vice Adm. Phillip
M. Balisle, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, as the featured speaker
at the Greater New Orleans Council’s annual Navy Day luncheon. More
than 500 service members and civilians attended the event at the Fairmont
Hotel in New Orleans, including 75 flag officers that were in the city
for a Naval Reserve conference. As part of Navy Day, Navy Yeoman 1st Class
Jacqualyn Andrews-Carter, Coast Guard Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Brian
M. Moore, and Marine Cpl. Jason D. Stithman were named Sailor, Coast Guardsman,
and Marine of the Year.
Items for “Council Digest” should be sent to:
Peter Atkinson
Deputy Editor
Sea Power/Navy League News
2300 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201-3308
Email: patkinson@navyleague.org
Council news items and photos (prints or high-resolution jpegs) are not
returnable and will be published at the editors’ discretion.
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