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D O N O R R E L AT I O N S
Hospital Gifts Update
P H I L I P C . T H R A S H E R , P. P
Thanks to all those who helped with the inaugural kick-off
of this year’s Annual Gifting Campaign for Shriners
Hospitals for Children. We set up a table at the Stated
Meeting on March 19, distributed almost 500 Annual Gifting
brochures, and signed up the following Donor Relations
Coordinators:
Directors Staff: Mike Adams
Chanters: Tim Murphy
Railroad Club: Dave Beck
Shelby County SC: Bill Johnson
WhitewaterSC: Robert Sherk
Logansport SC: Bill Dyke
Band: Gary Selig
Reception: Mike Waldrip
Kentucky Colonels: Bud Abel
NexGen: Phil Herthel
Mobil Nobles: Sam Thompson
Business Connection: Chris Planeaux
Trap & Skeet: J. D. Moore
Firemen: Floyd Sendmeyer
Flying Fezzes: Deo Carter
Police Club & Drill Team: Mike Horn
Corvette Club: Charlie Crabtree
Obviously, we need more volunteers – one per Unit or Club.
If you would like to help in this year’s campaign, just drop me a
line at thrasher@indiana-attorneys.com or pthrasher@indy.rr.com,
or call me at (317) 407-3650 and I will add you to the list.
Donor Relations Coordinators’ activities will include making
sure that everyone in your Unit or Club knows how easy it is to
contribute to the Annual Gift campaign. Simply fill out the short
form and send it to Shriners Hospitals in Tampa. Better yet, sign
up online at www.shrinenet.org and follow the simple instructions.
I recommend choosing the quarterly payments and using
your credit card; then, you never have to worry about it again.
For those who cannot afford a large gift, any amount will
be accepted. Our goal is to achieve 100 percent participation in
as many Units and Clubs as possible so we can all feel that we
are doing our part. For those who can afford more, there are special
pins for the $100, $500, $1,000, and $2,500 per year donors.
The average annual donation appears to be about $500 within all
of Murat. At last count, all of the Murat Divan has signed up. But,
for purposes of the Annual Gift Campaign, no amount is too
small.
The other Donor Relations Coordinators’ activity will be to
identify those members who have contributed from a list that
SHC will provide to you. At the end of 2007, the Potentate will
present to each Unit and Club that has 50 percent participation
an attractive plaque with the names of the President and Donor
Relations Coordinator thereon. If the Unit or Club is the leader
in terms of total contributors or percentage of contributors among
active members, then its plaque will be special. At the end of
2008, we will have the same awards, except that this time it will
take 75 percent participation instead of 50 percent to guarantee
receipt of the plaque. Any Unit or Club achieving 100 percent
participation will receive special recognition at the Annual
Meeting of Murat. As you can see, having an active Donor
Relations Coordinator will probably be the difference between
leading the other Units and Clubs and falling behind.
Why are we pushing this? First, the Shriners Hospitals really
do need the money, and 100 percent of these funds go directly
to SHC. Second, a good fund-raising effort shows a strong
charitable purpose, and surveys strongly indicate that our charitable
purpose attracts the younger candidates that we need to
encourage to join our ranks. If increasing membership is your
goal, then this is a great way to help in that effort. If raising
money to help our Kids is your goal, then you can have the satisfaction
of knowing that you will also have the chance to
enhance the membership of your Unit or Club and of Murat as a
whole.
We are hoping to have an office at Murat that is dedicated
to Donor Relations by May 1, 2007. At that time, we hope to have
an email address that is donorrelations@muratshrine.org. More
on that later. If you did not sign up at the April 16 Stated Meeting,
please do so immediately so that we may include you in the mailings
and other activities. THANKS.
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THE MURAT MAGAZINE