Here are some ideas to get you started!
Launch a “Leadership Campaign” to achieve 100% participation among your chapter or state council board of directors.
Designate one month as “SHRM Foundation Month” in your chapter. During this special month, promote the SHRM Foundation with an article in your chapter newsletter, make a presentation about the Foundation’s mission and activities, use one of the Foundation’s educational DVDs as a chapter program, and/or hold a special fundraising event.
Promote the SHRM Foundation during your state conference (or other meetings). Some ideas include:
Include a donation line on each conference registration—Include a SHRM Foundation donation automatically in the total registration fee, or provide a line where the individual can add an optional donation to his/her registration fee. With $5 or $10 per attendee, the total can be quite significant!
Include the Foundation’s annual campaign brochure in each participant’s registration materials—contact Foundation staff to request brochures.
Promote the Foundation’s mission and programs at a table—In addition to the annual campaign brochures, create an informative and eye-catching display for a table.
- The Foundation’s color is a deep purple (see the Foundation’s logo), so you may want to have an inexpensive purple tablecloth to distinguish your display from the other tables in the room.
- Consider creating some posters that you could display on easels—PDFs of recent Effective Practice Guidelines covers could be enlarged at Kinko’s for a nominal fee, or you could highlight some of the Foundation’s recent achievements.
- Promote your state council’s annual fundraising goal. Highlight your progress with a “thermometer” and fill it in as donations come in.
- Encourage your members to apply for the SHRM Foundation scholarships. Contact the Foundation staff to request brochures for distribution. Demonstrate the impact of the SHRM Foundation by recognizing recent scholarship winners from your state.
Honor an outstanding chapter member with a donation in his or her name. Instead of presenting another plaque or paperweight, make an investment in the future of the HR profession with a gift to the SHRM Foundation. You could take up a special collection or include a tribute with your chapter or state council’s annual donation.
Sample language for a letter or certificate:
Example #1:
On behalf of the [chapter / state council name], we thank you for being an integral part of the success of [xxx – our conference, launch of website, membership drive, other activity]. As a token of our sincere appreciation, we have made a donation in the amount of [$xxx] to the SHRM Foundation in your honor.
Example #2:
Congratulations on [xxx – special anniversary, certification, retirement, publication, promotion, other accomplishment]! In recognition of this achievement, the [chapter / state council name] is pleased to make a [$xxx] contribution to the SHRM Foundation in your name.
Make a donation to the SHRM Foundation in lieu of speaker’s fees. Honor the speaker(s) at your conference, luncheon, seminar or chapter meeting with a donation to the SHRM Foundation “in lieu of” a speakers’ fee. In other words, rather than paying a speaker an honorarium, your chapter or state council makes a donation directly to the SHRM Foundation. (FYI, speakers from SHRM staff do not accept honorarium payments, so this option is strongly encouraged when you have a speaker from SHRM staff.) The speaker will not receive tax credit for the donation, but will be acknowledged in the Foundation’s annual Honor Roll brochure listing of donors.
Sample language for a letter or certificate:
In appreciation for your time and support of the [name of conference] hosted by the [chapter / state council name] on [date], a contribution will be made in your name to the SHRM Foundation. The SHRM Foundation provides scholarships, research grants, and educational materials to advance the HR profession.
Create a “Giving Club” to encourage individual donations. For example, in 2008, the SHRM Foundation created “Club 60” in recognition of SHRM’s 60th anniversary. We encouraged individuals to consider donating $60 to the SHRM Foundation; those donors received a small pin and the opportunity to sign a banner at the Annual Conference. If your chapter or state council is celebrating a special anniversary, you may want to adapt this promotion.