NATIONAL
ESTUARY
PROGRAM
GENERATING SUSTAINABLE FUNDING
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has always recognized the importance of generating a steady source of unrestricted funding. After creating a
successful annual appeal process that now generates about $30,000 per year, the Partnership decided it was time to move beyond the year-end appeals
to identify new ways to increase unrestricted revenue.
In 2007, the group started work on its first-ever Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Fundraising and Development Plan. This plan, which was completed
in March 2008, included a comprehensive analysis of the Partnership's current funding, breaking it down by funding categories such as government, corporate, events, etc. It also
looked at the balance of government funding (Federal, state, and local), private funding (corporations, foundations, and individual donors), and the ratio of restricted to unrestricted
funds. This was done in order to evaluate successes and identify opportunities. The results showed that 17 percent of the Partnership's funding comes from unrestricted sources,
a percentage the Partnership wanted to increase to secure the long-term financial health of the organization.
THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM IN ACTION
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Goals and strategies were es-
tablished for each funding cate-
gory, with the overall goal of in-
creasing unrestricted funding
while maintaining the current
level of grant and contract in-
come. Armed with this plan and
a newly invigorated Fundraising
Committee, the Partnership be-
gan the process of educating its
Board of Directors and staff
about the importance of fund-
raising. Roles and responsibili-
ties were set out for individual
staff members as well as Board
Members to clarify the roles ev-
eryone plays in ensuring the fi-
nancial health of the organiza-
tion into the future. Board
responsibilities included assist-
ing with the annual appeal pro-
cess, participating in a major
donor campaign, and hosting
small fundraising events ("house
parties"), while staff responsi-
bilities focused more on grant
writing and assisting with the
larger fundraising events.
The Partnership has now estab-
lished clear fundraising priorities
for the next thee to five years,
EFFECTIVE
EFFICIENT
ADAPTIVE
COLLABORATIVE
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and will continue to revisit the
Fundraising and Development
Plan to revise and update the
goals and projections as need-
ed.
Through this process, the Partner-
ship has taken a new approach to
unrestricted fundraising:
• Appeals: The Partnership's ap-
peals have worked best when
targeted to those who have given
in the past, along with a select
number of new prospects. Each
appeal letter is personalized,
and many receive a handwritten
note from the executive director,
staff, and board members.
The Partnership is adding a
second full appeal mailing in the
spring of 2009 to further
increase revenue.
• Corporate Contribution: The
Partnership hosts one large
fundraising and networking
event each year, which includes
corporate sponsorships as a
means to raise funds. They also
engage corporations within the
estuary region to participate in a
corporate steward membership
program, and pursue corporate
funding opportunities where
available.
• Small Events: The Partnership
embarked on a new area of
fundraising with the hosting of
their first House Party in 2008. A
House Party is a relatively small-
scale event, hosted at the home
of a board member or friend of
the organization. The guest list
includes friends and colleagues
of the host, along with donors
from the nearby area, for a night
of conversation, mingling, and
fundraising for the organization.
The Partnership has learned that
two simple principles can help
fuel its success even more: rec-
ognition and engaging the board,
fundraising committee and staff.
The Partnership lists all donors
in its year-end Activity Report.
Plans are also under way to in-
troduce a "donor update" bulle-
tin that will be sent to all donors
at least twice a year to provide
information on Partnership ac-
tivities and opportunities to get
involved.
Measures are also taken to en-
sure that board members and
members of the fundraising
committee work in their comfort
zones and levels of expertise.
The Partnership works to equip
members with a variety of op-
tions to achieve fundraising suc-
cess. Some focus on asking for
large donations while others
help with donor thank-you calls
or letters. An active board can
be a strong asset in launching
new fundraising efforts.
Visitwww.delawareestuary.org
to learn more about this and
other Partnership efforts.
EPA's National Estuary Program
(NEP) is a unique and successful
coastal watershed-based program
established in 1987 under the
Clean Water Act Amendments.
The NEP involves the public and
collaborates with partners to pro-
tect, restore, and maintain the wa-
ter quality and ecological integrity
of 28 estuaries of national signifi-
cance located in 18 coastal states
and Puerto Rico.
For more information about the
NEP go to www.epa.gov/owow/
estuaries.
The NEP: Implementing the Clean Water Act in ways that are Effective, Efficient, Adaptive, and Collaborative.
EPA-842F09001
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