Development Needs Research Sleuths and Card Glitch Squad!

By Marybeth Gardam
Development Chair
 
The Development Committee is looking for two groups of members who can help in specific (NOT asking for money) ways. These are small, discrete assignments but they will make a big difference in funding our work.  
 
If you are often online and enjoy doing research, or if you have time to make just a few phone calls a month, we need to hear from you. If you know someone who is willing to help, please pass this along!
 
Card Glitch Follow-up Squad
1-2 hours per month
Report to Chris Wilbeck and Development Chair
Timeframe:  ongoing
Need: 1-3 people
 
This group of up to three people would be given regular lists of donors who contribute online or automatically through regular electronic fund transfers from their bank. These donors do WILPF a huge service by giving regularly, every month...and because the funds are drawn automatically from their checking accounts (just like PBS or other favorite charities do), this is a painless form of giving. It also helps WILPF enormously because it lets us anticipate and PLAN on a specific amount of donations coming in every month. That gives us the latitude to go the extra mile in supporting our members and branches.
 
However, because life is complicated, occasionally bank cards fail for any number of reasons. Most often it's because the donors were issued a new card and forgot to let us know about it. When this happens, months can go by before we can contact them and get them to reinstate their new card for online giving.
 
Your branch members (maybe those who are not so mobile anymore?) would do us a tremendous service by agreeing to phone a short list once a month to just remind folks whose cards have stopped working that they need to reconnect with our office coordinator, Chris Wilbeck. Some months there won't be a single call to make!!
 
Volunteers won't have to handle any private banking information. They will be given a name, a phone number, and the date at which the automatic donations stopped. They'll ask if the donor intended to stop donations...in which case we'll thank them for their past support…or if the halt to donations was unintended. If so, they will simply ask the donors to re-contact Chris, and will have her number and email on hand to offer them.
 
Easy peasy....but this simple task could help us not leave cash donations on the table!  
 
If you are interested or know someone who is, reply to mbgardam@gmail.com.
 
Research Sleuths
5 hours per week, or as much time as they can give.
Report to Development Chair
Timeframe: One-year Pilot Program
Need: Could use up to 10 people.
 
Your branch may have a member who LOVES to do online research. Think of those who are your data fiends, who are relentless about tracking down information. Please direct them our way.
 
From researching potential foundations that might support our work, to looking up contact information for potential donors, we need their help.  
 
If you are interested or know someone who is, reply to mbgardam@gmail.com.

Let's get started! Where's my deerstalker's cap?!!