Getting Ahead groups are no different than other programs serving those in generational poverty—they require funding!

To start the fundraising process, first, simplify the problem. Funding in the Getting Ahead world basically comes from pools or sectors, as we refer to them in Bridges. These include:

  • Government grants and funding—from federal to local
  • Churches and nonprofits who also provide grants (e.g., United Way)
  • Businesses, including financial institutions such as banks and credit unions
  • Individuals

People will best know the available resources in the first three categories in their community, so let’s focus briefly on ways to solicit individual support. There are well-resourced individuals in every community, and many of them contribute to various charities. Most people really do want to make a positive difference in the world they live in. When interacting with individual donors to a Getting Ahead program, consider the twin issues of options and outcomes.

Options

One way to give individual donors options is to come up with a menu of giving levels for individuals to choose from. The menu allows individuals to have some sense of where their money is going and to have a sense of choice over the decision to give. Come up with a list of approximate costs—these numbers are made up, so figure them for your own group. Here is an example:

  • Individual stipends: $360 per investigator ($20 per session for 18 sessions)
  • Materials: $40 ($25 for Getting Ahead book, plus $15 for miscellaneous—easel, paper, pens, markers, etc.)
  • Meals: $200 per session (includes children of investigators)
  • Transportation: $50 per session for cab or bus fare
  • Childcare: $50 per session for background-checked childcare providers
  • Facility rental: $100 per session
  • Total (18 weeks, $12,000, 12 investigators)

An individual donor can choose to give one meal or five meals. A donor can sponsor one individual for $400, or they can offer to cover the cost of childcare or transportation for one group. More ambitious donors can cover the cost of transportation for the entire 18 weeks or even pay for an entire group for one night, which, by using these figures, would be $640 excluding materials. Of course, if someone wants to pay the entire $12,000 for one entire Getting Ahead group, don’t turn them down! But at the same time, let people know up front that any additional funds that are collected through individual donations will be applied to future Getting Ahead groups.

One caution: If one donor sponsors one individual investigator, do not attach specific names to the individual being supported by the donor. So much can go wrong with that!

A word on stipends for Getting Ahead investigators—there is a middle-class hidden rule that states: If you want to get better at something, you should be willing to work at it and even to pay for it. With this in mind, the following are concepts that can be used when individuals question the giving of stipends:

  • Getting Ahead is a sacrifice of time for the sake of personal and community development. The stipends are communicating to individuals that their time and knowledge are valuable.
  • Middle-class people participating in professional development are often compensated for their time and expenses. Getting Ahead is analogous to that.
  • Stipends recognize the difficulty of making time for meetings.
  • Stipends are an extra benefit that can encourage people to participate in Getting Ahead, a process that will be good for their family and for the community as a whole.
  • Getting Ahead is an investment in future stability for individuals, families, and the community.

Outcomes

Keep good outcome information, and periodically inform individual donors about outcomes that the Getting Ahead group they are sponsoring is experiencing. Communication with donors is essential for ongoing support. Individual cards and notes can be helpful in letting individual sponsors know that they are appreciated and that their donation is making a difference. With permission, tell individual stories, as well as group outcomes. People are more likely to continue to give if they have evidence that what they are doing is effective.

It is also good to mention how Getting Ahead is impacting multiple generations at one time. Often, Getting Ahead investigators are dealing with the generation before them and especially with the generation that follows: their children. How is Getting Ahead impacting the children of investigators? This can be a powerful draw for individuals interested in supporting a Getting Ahead group.

If you are interested in how some Getting Ahead graduate stories have been collected, aha! Process has created two electronic books that showcase Getting Ahead success stories. These are fantastic to use with funding requests. Flip through those books here.

There is also broader national data on Getting Ahead outcomes. It is amazing to see the increase of resources and stability when reading report after report. If your organization is not contributing to this data, please consider it. Learn more at charitytracker.com. View the reports now; this data is also helpful during the grant-writing process and in fundraising efforts.

Fundraising is always going to be a part of Getting Ahead groups. It can be time-consuming and frustrating! Your job is to promote Getting Ahead well and to believe that what you are doing is truly making a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and the community. People who are attracted to the good work will support it, so focus on maintaining good relationships with them. Don’t work too hard to persuade people who seem resistant or who argue about the why, the stipend, the childcare, etc. People will often argue to justify why they are not going to participate. Over time, the results will speak for themselves and will attract other individuals, even some of those who were resistant at first.

What are your best fundraising success stories for funding your Getting Ahead programs? Send your stories to [email protected].