Author: National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts

Publication Year: 1972

Media Type: Report

Summary:

The member and provisional-member schools and centers of the National Guild are diverse in their age, size, finances, and programs. The oldest school was founded in 1894; the youngest is only a few years old. Currently, the member schools' enrollments range from less than 100 to more than 4,000; their operating budgets, from a few thousand to more than a half-million dollars. Yet their institution shares a number of problems and strengths with the others.

Abstract:

The member and provisional-member schools and centers of the National Guild are diverse in their age, size, finances, and programs. The oldest school was founded in 1894; the youngest is only a few years old. Currently, the member schools' enrollments range from less than 100 to more than 4,000; their operating budgets, from a few thousand to more than a half-million dollars. Yet their institution shares a number of problems and strengths with the others.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>

Every member school can make productive use of substantially more gift and grant income than it now receives. At some institutions, additional funds are urgently needed even for the survival of a no-expansion program.

The shared strengths are equally important; the individual schools and the movement would have no future without them. These strengths are disciplined, organized, purposeful instruction in the arts; the esthetic, educational, therapeutic, and social values of the instruction and other art experiences made available by the schools; the success of the schools in reaching children and young people in all economic, ethnic, recial and social groups in the schools' near and larger communities; and the not-for-profit status of all the member institutions and their control by volunteer governing boards, making it possible to seek gifts and grants. In some of our inner cities, the community music school is the only agency serving the young poor of different races which is not plagued by hostilities and behavioral problems, succeeding where other agencies, public and private, fail.

In recognition of these common strengths, this Manual has been prepared for the guidance of all Guild-member schools as well as schools which may be interested in and qualify for membership . In large part, at least, the Manual should be useful to all these institutions.

CONTENTS
Section 1. Several counterproductive assumptions which may have to be unlearned.

Section 2. Attitudes.

Section 3. Know thyself: Building your financial and program case for support. 
                Operating summary and projection. 
                Endowment. 
                Financial and service aspects of the case.
                Management, faculty and leadership; establishing credibility.
                Case documentation outline.

Section 4. Communicating the case for support.
                Annual report.
                General pubications and newsletter. 
                Publicity, direct-contact communication.
                Solicitation, proposals.
                Sample proposals.
                Pledge card.
                Tax-aspects literature.
                Solicitor's guidelines.

Section 5. Finding your best prospects for leadership and contributions. 
                Institutional family and past contributors, contributor and prospect file cards.
                Community leadership and information sources.
                Family and individual prospects.
                Foundations and information sources.
                Government funding sources.
                Corporations.
                Community organizations.

Section 6. Organizing your fund-raising effort. 
                Development/Steering committee and its tasks.
                Gift-range tables.
                Board development and influence.
                Suggested fund-raising organization of volunteers. 
                Suggested fund-raising timetable. 
                Index.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Fundraising