The Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber's June 2022 Nonprofit Newsletter |
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The Nonprofit Committee brings you a newsletter once a month that focuses specifically on the issues confronting nonprofit organizations including an educational article and an article highlighting a Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber member nonprofit. |
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Let Us Help You Get the Word Out!
Is your organization having a Gala? Fundraiser? Volunteer Recruitment Day?
so we can publicize your event in this newsletter.
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Organizational Wellness Check – Your Way to a Healthier Nonprofit
by Lucille Geraci Miranda, MPA
This month’s educational article will help you do a health check of your nonprofit – aka – an Organizational Wellness Check!
Just like we all do, we visit our doctors for our physicals and health checks to be sure we stay healthy. Well, the same applies here!
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Starting the process of your organizational wellness check, be sure to perform periodic examinations of:
- Organizational By-laws
- Mission Statement
- Data base and tracking system for gifts and donors
- Process for “touching” donors – keeping them engaged
- Process for thanking donors – showing them gratitude in meaningful ways.
Are you satisfied, feeling, ok?
Let’s continue…….
Have you reviewed:
- The composition of the Board?
- Do they possess the skill sets that will impact the success of your organization?
- Are they embracing your organization’s culture? Do they adapt to change?
- Are you energizing your Board and creating opportunities for recruiting new Board members?
- Do you provide expectations through the roles and responsibilities of a Board member?
- Does your Board give a gift and assist in fundraising and development?
Still feeling, ok?
Let’s now examine fundraising and development:
- How do you identify and cultivate donors?
- Do you understand WHY your donors give?
- Do you have an integrated fund development plan? It should include:
- Special Events
- Direct Mail
- Grants: Foundation, Corporate, Government
- Major Gifts
- Planned Giving
Have you checked the temperature of how you create awareness and increase visibility?
- How effective are your marketing and promotional materials?
- How effective is your social media?
- Are you increasing your community networks and affiliations to increase awareness of your organization?
- Are you telling your story and advocating your message? What makes your organization unique?
- Are you capitalizing on public relations?
BRINGING IT TOGETHER: How’s your organization feeling? Do you need help getting healthier?
If the answers are YES, call us!
Geranda Projects, celebrating ten years of serving nonprofits, is ready to offer its vast, integrated experience to help more nonprofits create a strong foundation and inspire them to reach their greatest potential, straight from the heart of their mission.
Expert services include strategic planning, board development and enrichment, building organizational capacity, annual budget analysis and assessments, fund development planning, one-on-one coaching and educational workshops tailored to meet organizational needs.
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Lucille Geraci-Miranda, M.P.A. serves on the Board of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber Foundation, chairs the Chamber’s Nonprofit Committee and is President and Founder of Geranda Projects – Management Consulting for Nonprofits. Read more about her services at: www.gerandaprojects.com
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Thank you to Ronald McDonald House for hosting the Nonprofit Committee's Networking Meeting on May 17th |
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Featured Organization:
Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley
by Lynn Amos
Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley (RMHGHV) achieves their mission of keeping families with sick or injured children close to each other and to the care and resources they need by providing overnight accommodations, laundry facilities, meals, and support programs in order to make navigating a child's health crisis easier for the family of the child. The individuals they serve become part of the Ronald McDonald House family for anywhere from one night to many months. Every guest room in the house is often full, housing 12 families, leaving many families on a waitlist for a room. The Overflow Housing Program, developed in 2018, allows Ronald McDonald House to provide hotel accommodations for these families while they wait for a room to become available at the House.
Contrary to popular belief, each Ronald McDonald House is independently operated and funded. While a small portion of their funding draws from McDonalds facilitated giving, roughly 20% for RMHGHV, most of their operating budget is raised through fundraising efforts and public support. RMHGHV has been creative with their fundraising programs and agreed to share some of their ideas here as inspiration for other nonprofits.
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College Student Donations — At the end of each semester if students have leftover meal plan funds they lose the money and can't roll it over to the next semester, so instead some local college sorority and fraternity members used the extra money to purchase snacks and dry goods like cereal and granola bars and donated them all to RMHGHV. These snacks and supplies are enormously helpful to the families who spend long days at their child’s hospital bedside and help stock the pantries at RMHGHV so families always have what they need during their stay.
Chef for a Day — This Day of Service program is launching this Fall. RMHGHV will be bringing in local chefs who will lead a cooking demonstration for volunteers. Those meals will be served to the families while volunteers fulfill their day of service. RMHGHV has found that many corporations are focused on corporate social responsibility and wanted to figure out a way to make the participants’ experience more engaging so they would want to return. Yes, serving the meals to families is fulfilling, but engaging the volunteers in a different way will only make the program better all around. Plus, RMHGHV will be bringing in monetary donations while creating more awareness with the chefs and schools that are involved.
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Meals that Heal — RMHGHV aims to serve two meals a day to all the families (usually 25 people) 365 days a year — breakfast/brunch and dinner. The Meal program is a RMHC national program that everyone wants to get involved in. Cooking is a tangible way for people to help and people recall cooking for a loved one who wasn’t well, so it's a natural fit.
Red Shoe Society — Young Professionals Group. This program existed several years back and was recently relaunched to bring in fresh new business ideas and perspectives from the next generation of business leaders. This is another way to engage a demographic the House currently doesn’t have a large following with. RMHGHV basically looked at what they were lacking/needed more of and thought of ways to enhance it. Narrowing it down by what they think will bring the best ROI, both financially and with awareness. “We would love to attract more young people to this group and continue to grow the program.” Said RMHGHV Executive Director, Christina Riley.
The Annual Clay Shoot Event — This event is very popular and one of the biggest fundraisers for the House. It is held in memory of Ernest C. Trefz, a McDonald’s owner/operator whose son sits on their board. It is similar to golf but instead, you shoot clay pigeon discs. This year it is being held on Friday, August 19th at Ten Mile River Preserve in Dover Plains, NY. RMHGHV Board members and McDonald’s Owners and suppliers are very involved in this event. “For events, they work best when you have a champion behind them (board, family, etc.) and when you have an engaged group of committee members.”, Christina Riley, Executive Director.
Contact: Tricia Robbins, Marketing and Community Relations Manager: (914) 493 - 6455 trobbins@rmhghv.org
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Lynn Amos is Principal of Fyne Lyne Ventures, a Westchester-based website and graphic design studio and is President of Top of Mynd Cards, e-cards for businesspeople and nonprofits. She serves on the Nonprofit Committee and co-chairs the Marketing Committee.
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To request that your nonprofit be featured in this newsletter, please contact Lynn Amos at lynn@fynelyne.com.
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Tuesday, June 21, 2022 from 8-9:30am
LIVE breakfast networking meeting and discussion at the Chamber office.
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Tuesday October 18, 2022
Mary Lee of
Innovative Microsystems Consulting, Inc.
Protect Yourself from E-mail Phishing
12-1:30pm
Chamber office
1 South Division Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
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Tuesday November 15, 2022
Rick Misrok of
Ace Pension Solutions, LLC
Retirement Benefit Options for Nonprofit Organizations
12-1:30pm
Hosted by
The Extended Family
352 US-202, Somers, NY 10589
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Fri, Jun 17th 2022 at 6:00pm
Crawford Mansion, Rye, NY
June 18, 2022 from 12-5pm
Depew Park, Peekskill
June 23, 2002 at 5pm
The Hat Factory, Peekskill
Sponsored by the Field Library
June 24 and 25, 2022
The Paramount Theatre, Peekskill
June 25, 2022 from 1:00 - 5:00pm
Pugsley Park, Peekskill
June 25 & 26, 2022
Charles Point Park, Peekskill
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Independence Day Parade and Laser Light Show
Sponsored by The Volunteer Fireman's Association
July 1, 2022
City of Peekskill Fireworks
July 3, 2022
Arts10566 Gateway Arts Collective Summer Dance Fest
July 16, 2022
Music Fest
Hosted by Peekskill Business Improvement District
July 23, 2022
Outdoor stage in downtown Peekskill
The Ozland Festival
Sponsored by Antonia Arts
August 6, 2022
Downtown Peekskill
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Would you like to host an event for your nonprofit colleagues at your facility once COVID restrictions are lifted?
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Do you have expertise to share with other nonprofits? Ask us about writing an educational article for this newsletter!
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Follow the Chamber's Nonprofit Committee on Facebook:
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The Chamber’s Nonprofit Committee provides meaningful opportunities for nonprofit staff, managers and board members to come together to collaborate, and embrace the importance of growth and sustainability. The Committee serves as a resource for ongoing professional development and as a forum for sharing best practices.
Committee Chairperson
Lucille Geraci-Miranda
Committee Members
Tim Warn, Civic Member
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