East Bay Coalition for the Homeless - Roger Williams University

D. Reaching out to donors, especially high-profile ones.
In your experience, what are the most effective media outlets for communicating with potential donors
EBCH & EBCAP Board Responses: Special events, social media, television and radio were identified as the best ways to
communicate with potential donors. Newsletters (both electronic and paper) and email were the next most frequent
responses. The value of special events, however, was questioned by some as being targeted more toward current rather
than new donors.
How might the EBCH reach out to high-profile individuals within the Rhode Island charitable community
EBCH & EBCAP Board Responses: Concrete suggestions that would facilitate “making the ask” include brochures targeted
toward donors (instead of EBCH clients, as is the case with current brochures), hiring a fundraising consultant
to approach corporations, and holding events that would attract high-profile donors and/or would be attractive to
a high-profile sponsor. Some respondents wrote that many of the high-profile donors already are tied in with other
charities, making it difficult to ask them to contribute to the EBCH.
Limitations
This section is short because we only surveyed the EBCH and EBCAP boards and therefore do not have a broader
picture of how the EBCH is perceived. These results provide an “insider” perspective, not those of current and former
donors as well as the East Bay community. Additionally, not every board member responded to the survey which leads
to the incomplete picture.
Nevertheless, the results do indicate that board members are cognizant of the image and awareness problems – and
the concomitant fundraising issues. The responses suggest a board that is willing to help, but that would like some
assistance.
65