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Fundraising in “3-D”

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Next week, we’ll be sending out exciting news about the capital campaign to raise $750,000 to build the CAPACES Leadership Institute’s permanent home and to operate its programs in 2012.

What we can say today it that we’re getting close—very close—to meeting that goal.

Major credit for that progress goes to fundraising “3-D”.

We all know that much of fundraising world is decidedly “2-D”—conducted through letters or via messages like this one.  Then there’s “1-D” fundraising:  phone calls.

Our capital campaign has, of course, relied on calls, letters and e-messages.  We hope they’ve compellingly conveyed our vision and determination.  But no matter how vividly they’ve described the Institute as it’s come to life, we know that letters and calls cannot not compare to fundraising in 3-D:  the in-person encounter.

Our individual meetings and our eleven gatherings in eight cities have been the campaign’s heart and soul—and the key to attracting 137 new donors to support our movement.

For us, “3-D” has another meaning:  “Donor Development and Diversification.”  That’s the name of the initiative created by a consortium of funders led by New World Foundation and Open Society Foundations, both based in New York City.  In 2009, they selected PCUN and the Institute capital campaign as one of eight groups/projects to form a cohort of innovative social change grassroots fundraising.  More than 400 organizations had applied.

Last week, PCUN President Ramón Ramírez and Institute campaign donor coordinator Abel Valladares met in New York City with other cohort leaders from California, Washington, Colorado, Kentucky and New York.  A similar gathering had been held in December 2010 as well.  They shared experiences and successful practices; they problem-solved and checked realities.

The funders of the “3-D” Initiative provided incredibly generous support to each of the eight organizations, and with it, the freedom to be bolder, to try unfamiliar strategies, and to build new alliances.  For PCUN and the Institute, the Initiative orchestrated exciting new relationships with Make the Road New York in New York City and with GIFT, the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training, based in Oakland, CA.

These connections are already yielding tangible outcomes.  GIFT featured the Institute’s fundraising in Comunidades del Futuro, a new manual in Spanish which includes popular education training materials for understanding the non-profit and fundraising worlds and five brief case studies of Latino organizations’ fundraising.  GIFT also commissioned the essay “Dues Worth Paying” by PCUN Secretary-Treasurer Larry Kleinman for the 30th anniversary issue of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal published in September.  Larry described the principles and mechanics of PCUN’s membership dues and income system which has generated $2,000,000 in PCUN’s first quarter century.

Our participation in the 3-D Initiative will continue in 2012—and so will the fundraising in 3-D.  Meanwhile, you can make a very tangible (and tax-deductible) contribution to help wrap up the capital campaign by December 31st.  Go to the Institute’s new website, www.capacesleadership.org and click on the green “DONATE” button on the home page.

We offer a 2-D “thanks” until we can meet up in person.

Changing the look and the laws of Woodburn

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Though the CAPACES Leadership Institute building is still a ways away from complete, it’s already changing the “look” of the town.

There’s the vaulting roof line launching out towards Young Street.  And the dozens of cubic yards of “growing medium”—special soil—which volunteers have lifted and spread onto the living roof on two recent Saturdays.

Today, the building’s fifteen-foot high north wall stares blankly at Young Street.  We envision that façade with a stunning 500-square foot mural.

But even if the building were finished today, we couldn’t paint it.  Outdoor murals are not allowed under Woodburn’s sign ordinance.  That’s where changing the laws comes in.

On Monday, November 14th, some 25 movement leaders and community members attended the Woodburn City Council’s regular second-Monday meeting at City Hall and waited for Mayor Kathy Figley to call out item 5c on the agenda.  It read simply, “murals.”  At our request, the Mayor had directed City staff to prepare a background briefing on mural ordinances in other Oregon towns and cities and she had informally surveyed Council members’ receptivity.

Muralist Hector Hernández presented images of his multi-story works which grace FHDC housing project in Salem and Independence.  Several young adults described their pride and satisfaction as participants in indoor mural projects.  The audience listened intently as Councilors batted around competing consideration—inspiring, tourist-attracting art vs. poor quality or “controversial” images.  The “First Amendment” was repeatedly cited.

To the central question “should the Council explore fashioning an ordinance?”, the consensus was a cautious “yes.”  They instructed the City Attorney to prepare a legal analysis and, legality permitting, signaled that the Planning Commission could iron out the details.  Community members are stepping forward to active engage this process.

The Institute will surely facilitate greater Latino civic participation in Woodburn and is already doing so, even before the Institute building has doors in place to open.  It could be that on November 14th, a future City Councilor caught his or her first glimpse of city government in action.  We may someday recall how, in 2011, our campaign for outdoor murals contributed to changing the look, the laws and the legislators in Woodburn.

Be sure to check out the latest construction photos

 

Work brigades continue most Saturdays.   Sign up to volunteer!

 

“capacesleadership.org”: Brand New Website

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These periodic updates have focused on the tangible progress we’re making to bring the CAPACES Leadership Institute fully to life.  For example, every day the building has some new put in place.  This past week, it was the roof’s “TPO” waterproof membrane, installed thanks to donated labor and considerable donated material provided by McDonald and Wetle in East Portland.  And on Thrusday, the Institute wrapped up its first course, “CAPACES 101”, a five-sessions for new leaders and leaders new to our movement.  The second offering of CAPACES 101 begins today with a new small group.

As hundreds of supporters can attest, seeing the Institute’s building-in-progress or meeting CAPACES organizations leaders in person best transmits the essence of the Institute.  Most supporters, of course, simply cannot come and visit, much less come by often.  Therefore, as promised, we’ve created a vehicle to bring the Institute’s evolution to you.

At www.capacesleadership.org you can now find images, stories, information, background and more about the CAPACES Leadership Institute:

  • See photos of the latest construction progress;
  • Find this e-update—and past ones that form the “first draft” of this journey’s narrative;
  • Read brief and engaging accounts from behind the scenes, like the profile of the Institute’s chief construction consultant, Gene Wixson, of Green Hammer;
  • Sign up for construction brigades;
  • Use the “Donate” link to make a tax-deductible contribution securely online;

To get started, we assembled mostly the basics.  In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be inserting more back story and expanding content on the Institute’s programs.  We expect that the site will eventually become a platform for the Institute’s program that’s as virtually vibrant as the in-person activities already are.  OK, almost as vibrant.

We gratefully acknowledge the team who brought www.capacesleadership.org to life:  Barry Amundson, Abel Valladares, Kathleen Pequeño, and Phil Pearson.

We hope you’ll use capacesleadership.org to stay current, connected, and to help us draw in others.

Key Accomplishments and Activities in October 2009 thru May 2012

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Raising the resources to establish and operate the Institute:

  • Fulfilled the capital campaign goal of raising $750,000 in 2009 thru 2011, an amount sufficient to build the Institute’s building and operate the Institute through its first year (2012);
  • Received grants totaling $503,250 from thirteen foundations;
  • Received contributions, donor-advised grants, and pledges from 278 individuals totaling $247,000, including $65,000 from 148 first-time donors;
  • Organized ten gatherings of donors and prospective donors in Oakland, Berkeley, Seattle, Washington DC, New York City, Walla Walla, WA, and Cambridge (MA).  These were the first such gatherings held outside Oregon in our movement’s history;
  • Organized a gathering on August 30, 2011 of 100 supporters, including many “green” development activists, in Portland, with a program headlined by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes;
  • Involved a dozen movement leaders in fifty in-person visits with donors and prospective donors.  Most of these leaders had limited fundraising experience and had never before made such visits;
  • Implemented the “CLI e-updates”, a semi-monthly bulletin circulated to over 500 contributors, collaborators and volunteers;
  • Developed and screened a compelling animated powerpoint on the CAPACES network and the campaigns to establish the CAPACES Leadership Institute.

Design and Constructing the Institute’s Permanent Home:

  • De-constructed the small wood-frame house (“our movement’s ‘first home’”) on the site and employed salvaged lumber and windows in construction of temporary “construction office” and storage unit;
  • Resolved to make the CLI building the first office or commercial structure in the U.S. to utilize “PassivHaus” super-energy efficient design;
  • Organized the groundbreaking ceremony on May 2, 2010—thirty years to the day from our movement’s first celebration of our presence on that site;
  • Completed design, design review, survey re-platting, and construction permitting process;
  • Attracted the participation of more 1,000 volunteers who put in 8,000 hours on site preparation and construction;
  • Procured donation of construction materials with an estimated value of $100,000;
  • In 2011, completed the “slab on grade” concrete floor and foundation, excavated bioswales, framed and erected the walls, constructed the cinderblock interior walls, installed the roof trusses, the “TPO” or membrane roof, and interior wall framing;
  • In 2012, installed triple-pane windows and doors, completed air-tight sealing, electrical wiring, exterior sheeting and siding, exterior painting, and insulation;
  • Set up propagation for plants to be transplanted onto the building’s 3,600 square-foot “green” roof, and planted the first cuttings into the growing medium spread onto the roof surface;
  • Received pro bono or discounted professional services with an estimated value of at least $100,000;
  • Designed the “CAPACES de Verde” program, bringing together activists and supporters of the green/sustainability community with Latino immigrant construction workers for mutual learning and dialogue;
  • Launched a photo-artistic initiative documenting the building’s construction and related activities;
  • Launched a campaign to advocate for a Woodburn city ordinance allowing outdoor murals, the first step toward eventually placing a mural on the front and side walls of the Institute building.

Developing the Institute’s Future Programs and Collaborations:

 

  • Developed the concept for the “CAPACES Leadership Institute Council of Advisors”, or “CLICA”, a national network of academics, non-profit leaders, movement-builders, and funders; recruited sixty initial CLICA members and organized the CLICA’s inaugural gathering;
  • Developed roster of priority topics and activities slated to be ready when the Institute is fully operational;
  • Developed course and session outlines for the ten-hour, five session “CAPACES 101” course, and offered the course four times;
  • Developed and offered the three-session “Fundraising 101” course covering the “non-profit” world, donor, foundation and special fundraising, plus basics of understanding budgets;
  • Took over coordination of the traditional CAPACES network activities, including quarterly “mass gatherings”, monthly fundraising round-table, monthly Conectas networking conference call, and others.
  • Received and accepted the invitation from the University of Oregon’s Knight Library Special Collections to archive PCUN’s historical materials;
  • Developed the initial concept and formed the first participants for the “TURNO” program which recruit and train cohorts of Woodburn high school students who are future candidates for leadership in our movement;
  • Opened exploration of collaborations with movement-building and academic institutions including Western States Center, the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (University of Oregon), Movement Building Project, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service’s Research Center for Leadership in Action (New York University), Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT), and Center for Community Change, among others;
  • In July 13, 2011, incorporated the Institute as a non-profit; one leader from each of the CAPACES network organizations acted as an incorporator;
  • Chose and convened the first board, composed of nine directors;
  • Adopted the corporation’s bylaws and key policies on participation and organization structure;
  • Adopted a 2012 operating budget and set up financial administration;
  • Selected Laura Isiordia as the Institute’s permanent executive director, effective August 25, 2011 (Laura was the Institute’s “Start-up Coordinator” starting in February and was previously the long-time community leadership director of Farmworker Housing Development Corporation, one of the nine CAPACES organizations;
  • Approved a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Willamette Valley Law Project, a 501-c-3 corporation which has facilitated the Institute’s capital campaign as well as the development and construction of the Institute’s permanent home on WVLP-owned property;
  • Set August 24th and 25th 2012 as the dates for the Institute’s grand opening celebration;
  • Secured a verbal commitment from U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solís to serve as keynoter for the Institute’s grand opening.