Public art endowment fundraising proposal for Friends of Shuttlecocks

Business Proposal

The current need for the humanizing influence of accessible public artworks is of great importance to PKC Associates, as it is to Friends of the Shuttlecocks. It is in the spirit of expanding the cultural, social and spiritual graces of Kansas City that we offer this program to accomplish Friends of Shuttlecocks' most pressing current needs, increasing membership and developing an endowment fund in the range of five to ten million dollars in current funds.

Funding an endowment

While membership increase will be important over the long run in increasing the endowment, establishing it requires current approaches to current sources of substantial funds. In that regard, PKC Associates plans to:

Organize tourism to Kansas City specifically for those individuals and corporations that might become founders of the endowment.

Commercial associations make good use of various dot-com opportunities to increase their membership and attendance at their events. PKC will use these same techniques and avenues to attract those who can be instrumental in funding an endowment. Among those tools is an Internet program/company called starcite.com (formerly b-there.com) (Association Management, 2000).

This company, in concert with PKC Associates, can develop, organize and conduct itineraries to Kansas City for groups that can become endowment founders or contributors, such as museum memberships, educational organization memberships and so on.

Develop a list of philanthropic organizations devoted to funding public art and approach those organizations on behalf of Friends of Shuttlecocks.

The Journal of Philanthropy identifies a number of these organizations. From a list compiled form those sources and from Kansas City and PKC Associates sources, a direct mail appeal will be developed. The mailing will be followed up with personal visits by PKC Associates senior staff to those identified, by virtue of interest in the arts and public programs as well as by network, as being most likely to become founders of the endowment.

Develop a list of corporations with an interest in and history of funding arts projects, and approach those organizations on behalf of Friends of Shuttlecocks.

It will be difficult to rapidly build an endowment of the size envisaged, five to ten million dollars, without significant corporate donations. A few well-known organizations, many of which appear in the opening credits of PBS programming, will be further investigated by PKC Associates and those most likely to be interested in our proposal for the support of public artworks in Kansas City will be invited to Kansas City to view the installations; if they are unable or unwilling to travel, PKC Associates senior staff will visit them and show them the promotional tape (see below), answer their questions, and inform them of the significant benefits to them (tax considerations and 'naming opportunities' and more, listed below) and to Kansas City and to the nation of supporting this work with either a current or posthumous gift.

Directly approach wealthy individuals in Kansas City and solicit direct gifts or memorial gifts.

In addition, there are some well-known Kansas City philanthropists, as well as new members of the Fortune 1000, who will be identified by PKC Associates and invited to help establish the endowment.

The benefits of becoming a founder of or significant contributor to the Friends of Shuttlecocks' endowment will be explained to the potential donors. These include:

Naming opportunities. They may be named for donors, loved ones, favorite faculty or staff.

Fulfillment of mission. One of the most important reasons a donor establishes a planned gift.

Permanence. Endowments allow permanent support for future longevity of the charity.

Challenge. Endowment minimums offer an attractive challenge to those who understand the value of such thresholds.

Participation. Families, friends, and associates may contribute to a fund in honor of an individual.

Living Memorial. The idea of supporting functioning programs can be as appealing as a name on a building.

Purpose. Endowments may be established for specific purposes including scholarships, program support, etc." (Rosenberg, 2001)

Summary

These are just the initial responses of PKC to Friends of Shuttlecocks' needs. PKC has vast experience in both these fields and will be happy to provide figures for return on investment by nonprofit agencies that have contracted with PKC to perform either or both of these functions.

As a gift, here is one of PKC's tried and true techniques for gaining interest for both missions: Use the voice of those who have contributed or benefited from the organization's efforts. "Testimonials are worth their weight in gold" (Rosenberg, 2001) and will be avidly sought and used in all work PKC would produce for Friends of Shuttlecocks.