WINTER 2004
Tom Smith
Director of Institutional Advancement
wo weeks ago, while I was watching the six o’clock news, an alarming event occurred. During the commercials there was a George Bush ad showing President Bush on the campaign trail. My daughter, Madison, who will be three next month, was in the room at the time. She happened to look up at the TV and saw President Bush. She said to me, “Daddy, he’s a bad guy.”
In our house we only talk about Sesame Street and the Wiggles, so I know she didn’t hear that from us. Where and when could she have learned this? Where did this perception come from? School? Kerry ads? Play group? We will probably never know. My wife and I, as parents, can only endorse or correct this perception. Regardless of our political preference, this negative perception of our President needed correction. I quickly explained to her, “He’s not a bad guy; he’s the President, the boss of America.” We spoke about what he does and why he is the boss. Given that the conversation went as smooth as sandpaper, I think she now knows who President Bush is.
Perceptions like the one our daughter had could be very damaging to a campaign. At Friends Home, our Capital Campaign has had similar perception problems. I have had many conversations with community members and have answered many questions regarding our campaign. “You should raise money for the existing Friends Home and not just the Village,” is a common, incorrect perception people hold. In actuality, one reason we are raising capital is to upgrade the existing Friends Home. Upgrades will include heating and air conditioning, lighting, a fitness room, computer lab, arts and crafts room, woodworking shop, new maintenance building, and the establishment of an endowment to offset operational expenses that the residents would otherwise absorb.
Friends Home has always provided quality care for people of all means. To keep that one hundred-year-old pledge to our community, additional capital is necessary. There are several ways the Office of Institutional Advancement raises capital: our Annual Appeal drive continues to be successful at bring ing in additional funds; our Third Annual Golf Outing afforded ninety-four individuals a gorgeous round of golf and a spectacular dinner paired with a premier silent auction; our Planned Giving efforts supply our donors an immediate income annuity while leaving a legacy to Friends Home. We also apply for grants with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, local corporations, and state and federal grants. This year we were awarded $5,000.00 from the Delaware River Bay Authority for community projects.
Our Capital Campaign is slated to end in December 2005. Only fourteen months remain in this three-year campaign, and we are still a distance from our goal. We want to thank the monthly meetings that have pledged their support and all those who have made our campaign successful. To continue in this success, however, we need to provide others with a more accurate and positive perception of Friends Home’s campaign. It is our responsibility to make sure the perception of Friends Home and its Capital Campaign remains factual and informative.
As for Madison, well, she will form many perceptions in her life about many different things. As parents, we need to steer those perceptions as we guide her through life. As a fundraiser, I also need to constantly monitor and steer perceptions, for they are the calling cards of this industry and of Friends Home.
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Last modified:
Sunday, November 14, 2004 at 12:40 AM
