A
Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates Case Study
Introduction
A municipal Parks & Recreation
Department formed a volunteer group to raise funds for a new aquatic
center. Fund development activities were disappointingly slow.
Before committing to support public funding for a portion of the project, city
government wanted assurances that the volunteers could raise at least $1
million from private sources. Some elected officials and business leaders
were not only skeptical about how much could be raised, they also thought the
scope of the project was too large. The Parks & Recreation Department
engaged Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates to conduct a fund-raising
feasibility study.
Goals
and Objectives
- Measure public support for the aquatic center project
as envisioned by the volunteers, as well as fund-raising capacity.
- Gain understanding of prominent individuals’ opposition
to the project.
- Determine circumstances under which a local foundation
could be persuaded to provide a lead gift.
Strategy
- Conduct personal interviews with up to 50 influential
and affluent people, including those who had voiced opposition to the
aquatic center.
- Determine which actions could bring about widespread
support for the project.
- Identify those individuals who would be the most
effective leaders in a fund-raising effort for the aquatic center.
Results
- Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates concluded that if
the project was slightly scaled back, and if the volunteer group reached
out to cooperate with individuals and institutions who could help, that $1
million could be raised from private sources.
- Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates presented the
results of its study, along with a recommended fund-raising program, to
the City Council during a public session.
- The volunteers followed the recommendation to downsize
the project and do a better job of reaching out to the community.
They raised $1.2 million, including a lead gift from the local
foundation. The remainder was financed by bonds.