RK Mellon Foundation Strategic Guidelines
for Usage of Funding
The following outlines the Goals and guidelines that the Board will utilize in assigning appropriateness of activities to be utilized for a Matching Activity for the R.K. Mellon Foundation Grant. The Board of Director’s Discretion will be the determiner of the level of funding, based upon the condition of approval by the Foundation Executives.
TOTAL INTERNALLY DIRECTED GIVING TOTALS:
Scholarship Funding $150,000
Capital Funding $50,000 (limited approvals to very targeted focuses of capital development or debt reduction to improve financial stability)
General Goals of Development Activities
Activities will be funded which accomplishes one of the following activities:
1. The activity has the ability to bring in new funding to the Center’s programs particularly related to financial aid or capital funding.
2. Activities are weighted heavier that have the ability to bring in funding that can be replicated in the future as ongoing funding.
3. The activity has the ability to bring in significant funding based on the potential for giving of the donor target.
4. The activity has the ability to help meet marketing and organizational development goals of bringing exposure to the Center and its programs which will translate to potential clients and/or funding networks.
Each event will be rated not only on the stand alone merit of the activity’s potential to meet these above goals, but the types of activities that have already been approved or completed. For example, activities that focus on parent sales will be limited unless they can note that they are substantially different in focus or target.
Strategic Initiatives
These are strategically tied to the above goal areas (examples are in parenthesis):
1. Face to face meetings with the following types of individuals/groups:
a. Individual meetings with potentially significant givers (a financially successful community giver)
b. Group meetings (in a small group environment at homes or at Center, etc) among invested participants that have not before been engaged in these campaigns. (CCS parents and others who have the potential to give, but who have come to the Center recently)
c. Business meetings that are particularly focused on EITC tax-advantaged giving (New business decision-makers that have the ability to utilize the PA Tax Credits offered)
2. Community Based Activities that meet the above four mentioned goals:
a. Participation in community wide events that increase exposure to the Center (having a booth at a community fair)
b. Engagement of new Center sponsored events that engage the community (i.e. sponsoring a blood drive that meets goals of serving the community but also raises scholarship dollars based on participation)
c. Specific targeted focus events that engage a particular segment of the community (meeting with regional ministerial associations or Chamber of Commerce about our activities and needs)
d. Events that serve a particular segment of the population, but serve specifically as fund raisers as well. (Benefit concerts, youth activity nights, etc.)
Reimbursement Assignments:
Each activity will be assigned a targeted market goal in accordance to its ability to potentially meet the above goals. The assignment will be made by the Board with the approval of the Foundation Goals. Activities will be tracked by the Development office and submitted for approval by the Foundation.
$2,500: Smaller activity or contact that meets the marketing or revenue generation goals. An event that has potential to be longer term, or can be shorter term if accomplishes other Center goals as well. Could be the slight expansion of an existing event that strategically positions the event for future success.
$5000 Level: A new event, or contact that has the potential to produce either long term revenue, or relationship building activities with revenue sources. (Examples of these events would be our Blood Drive, Housing a boot at a community fair, etc.)
$10,000: A new event that has the potential to bring in more significant givers and income from higher income contributors such as business owners, individuals who are in higher income brackets, financial planners and advisors who work with people's finances. EITC General Business Contacts would fit into this category. Group meetings with contributors would fit in this category.
$25,000: A meeting with a significant community giver, or foundation that has the potential to contribute a large amount of finances. Examples of this would be a major Community Business leader or other foundation sources that have potential for long term or consistent giving.