Learn about FIST, SCCF's youth philanthropy program.
Nonprofit Network Newsletter
November 2019
CONNECTED
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
FIST is a student-led organization comprised of 19 students in grades 8-12 from Hamilton, Angola and Fremont. The mission statement is to empower the youth of Steuben County to become the leaders of tomorrow by sharing their resources and empowering others to donate their time, talents and treasures. FIST members run their monthly meetings, working through an agenda and taking minutes to note their discussions about grant requests and volunteer activities. Every October, FIST organizes a canned food drive at the schools and visits Angola, Fremont, and Hamilton neighborhoods to trick or treat for canned goods. In 2019, they collected more than 8,000 cans from Fremont, Angola, and Hamilton. The students also volunteer with the annual pie auction and help wrap gifts during the holiday season with Cops for Kids.
FIST offers grants to nonprofits and schools that are working to engage the youth of Steuben County and help them make a difference in the community. Applications are available through the
SCCF grants portal.
Last year, we coordinated a Steuben County Nonprofit Wish List to encourage philanthropic support of local charities on
Giving Tuesday. Our goal was to gather and publicize a list of some general needs of nonprofits located in and serving Steuben County. SCCF is building on our previous efforts this year, and we are excited to begin collecting submissions for the 2019 Steuben County Nonprofit Wish List. We also encourage participating organizations to send us a 30 second video clip representing their organization's work, which we will compile into a single Steuben County Giving Tuesday video!
Click the button below to download the 2019 Steuben County Nonprofit Wish List form below.
Please note, this is an opportunity for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are located in and serving Steuben County.
*We've extended the deadline to submit your wish list to November 13th by 4:30pm!
FUNDRAISING TIP
Creating a Fundraising Committee
Fundraising at a nonprofit is rarely a one-person job. Creating a committee of volunteers and staff members can help increase your organization's ability to reach new donors and property acknowledge those who have supported your work for years.
When starting a new committee, make sure everyone is on the same page. Set a goal to unite behind, with specific numbers and deadlines attached to motivate members to make progress. Similarly, your committee should set clear expectations about the responsibilities of being on a member. Whether you ask individuals to make four phone calls to donors per month or write a thank you letter every week, make sure you can hold each other accountable. You may find it helpful to
define clear roles, such as a committee chair and a treasurer. Meet regularly to talk about your progress and celebrate successes!
OCTOBER NONPROFIT TRAINING
Thank you to those who attended our October training!
On October 22, Laura Macknick led a comprehensive training about how to prepare a fundraising plan. This workshop was a great way to wrap up the first year of our nonprofit training series. SCCF will announce our spring training series next month, so keep an eye out for more details on our website, in this newsletter, and on our Facebook page.
Thank you to the 43 nonprofit organizations in Steuben County who have sent representatives to one or more SCCF training or workshop in the past year!
UPCOMING SCCF GRANT DEADLINES
Education:
January 31, 2020
Women's Fund:
February 28, 2020
Arts, Culture, Environment:
April 30, 2020
Humanities Fund:
Ongoing
Community Funds:
Ongoing
FIST Grants:
Applications available now through April
Free Printer - There is a used HP Officejet Pro 8610 available to donate to a local nonprofit. Please contact
Dewey Powers if you're interested.
Swap or donate items, or share information about a volunteer opportunity for your nonprofit here. Email
JoAnna to add your information to our Steuben County nonprofit "marketplace."
Please note that SCCF will have final discretion over content posted here.
Search for grant funding from foundations outside of Steuben County. SCCF has purchased a 2 year subscription to Foundation Directory Online, which is a great resource for nonprofits to search a national database of grant opportunities. Stop by the SCCF office between 8:30am - 4:30pm to search for grant opportunities, or call the us with questions at 260-665-6656.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Questions? Suggestions for improvements? Contact
JoAnna. You may also provide feedback in this
anonymous survey.
