GPCA Budget FY2011-2012 Income Narrative
0. INTRODUCTION
The GPCA's FY2011-2012 Budget occurs amidst during a deep national and international economic crisis that became manifest in October of 2008. That crisis has made it challenging for non-profit organizations and other not-for-profit entities like the GPCA that survive primarily or exclusively on grassroots donations and fundraising. The economic crisis also came on the heels of the politically difficult period for the Green Party when it suffered the blowback of being blamed for the 2000 Bush presidency. Combined its own internal self-inflicted wounds over 2004 presidential strategy and other internal divisions, the cumulative effect of those trends led to a significant downturn in GPCA fundraising compared to the growth period the party experienced at the beginning of the last decade.
In FY2011-2012, prospects are looking up for the GPCA. The political climate is favorable in light of a disappointing Obama administration combined with a far right fringe Tea Party movement on the federal level, combined with the lack of real answers by either Democrats or Republicans to the structural problems of our state. At the same time internally within the Green Party, there has been a growth in new activists interested in becoming involved, along with a return by many long time party activists.
With this potential, the GPCA FY2011-2012 Budget seeks to establish a baseline of core expenses to ensure the maintenance of the party's basic, ongoing operations, based upon the same minimal level of fundraising experienced in the last few years, along with a plan to invest in growth opportunities that would bring in more money to fund more organizing. This Budget also seeks to establish a manner in which increased revenue will be dedicated to additional organizing in a predictable, transparent manner that will minimize the need for mid-year discretionary choices by either the General Assembly or the Coordinating Committee, yet correspond realistically to expected cash flow and political deadlines, along with provide enough flexibility to adapt to unpredictable circumstances.
On the income side, the FY2011-20122 Budget contains a plan to raise up to $163,750 -- with $60,500 projected between May and September 2011 and $103,250 between October 2011 and April 2012. The plan would expand the GPCA's fundraising capability by hiring a fundraiser to manage a fundraising campaign, along with creating a new GPCA contact relationship management (CRM) database to ensure high quality management functions such as donation tracking and GPCA supporter communications.
1. CLEARINGHOUSE COMMITTEE
1-1 Merchandise (T-1 $100, T-2 $500, T-3 $2,000)
Merchandise sales via the GPCA's virtual office in Sacramento have been minimal in recent years. Tier I income projections of only $100 reflects this. Tier II reflects increased efforts to design and sell GPCA buttons, stickers and t-shirts. Currently the Clearinghouse Committee has no active members (http://www.cagreens.org/clearinghouse/committee.shtml). With more involvement, exploration into bi-lingual materials, shopping bags and other party-related paraphernalia could occur.
2. FINANCE COMMITTEE
2-1 Direct mail: Prospect Letters (T-1 15,000, T-2 33,000)
The plan is to write and send timely, persuasive prospect letters every eight weeks as long as the prospecting remains break even or profitable, with a goal of acquiring 1,100 new donors in FY2011-2012, and with the long term assumption that the donors will give at least two additional times over the next five years. If prospecting breaks even or better, then funds invested in Tier I are simply reinvested to fund Tier 2 without any additional funding required. The timeline and projections for these prospect mailings are as follows. Note that the associated expenses will be reflected in the FY2011-2012 Expense Narrative
2-1.1 June-2011 Prospect (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 5,000; List: CA donors to GPUS; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $3,000; Total income: $3,000; Number new donors acquired: 100
2-1.2 July-2011 Prospect (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 10,000; List: GPCA registered voters; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $6,000; Total income: $6,000; Number new donors acquired: 200
2-1.3 Sep-2011 Prospect (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 10,000; List: GPCA registered voters.; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $6,000; Total income: $6,000; Number new donors acquired: 200
2-1.4 Nov-2011 Prospect (Tier II)
Number of prospect pieces: 10,000; List: GPCA registered voters.; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $6,000; Total income: $6,000; Number new donors acquired: 200
2-1.5 January-2012 Prospect (Tier II)
Number of prospect pieces: 10,000; List: GPCA registered voters.; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $6,000; Total income: $6,000; Number new donors acquired:200
2-1.6 March-2012 Prospect (Tier II)
Number of prospect pieces: 10,000; List: GPCA registered voters.; Avg. response rate: 2%; Avg. gift: $30; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Total cost: $6,000; Total income: $6,000; Number new donors acquired:2 00
2-2 Direct mail: Resolicitation Letters (Tier I 11,250, Tier II 27,750)
The plan is to write and send timely, persuasive prospect resolicitation letters every eight weeks, targetting amounts based on prior giving history using a new CRM (contact relationship management) database, the funds for which are included in Tier 1 expenses in the Expense Narrative.
2-2.1 May-2011 Resolicitation (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 1,200; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $2,280
2-2.2 July-2011 Resolicitation (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 1,500; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $2,850
2-2.3 September-2011 Resolicitation (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 1,800; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $3,420
2-2.4 November-2011 Resolicitation (Tier I)
Number of prospect pieces: 2,000; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $3,800
2-2.5 January-2012 Resolicitation
Number of prospect pieces: 2,200; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $4,180
2-2.6 January-2012Resolicitation
Number of prospect pieces: 2,400; Avg. response rate: 5%; Avg. gift: $50; Avg. printing and postage cost per letter: $0.60; Net income: $4,560
1-5 Events
Tactics
(1) Create annual Bay Area fundraising event.
(2) Create annual Los Angeles fundraising event.
(3) Create annual events program for county councils.
(4) Develop event invitation template.
1-11 Online fundraising campaigns
We will develop quarterly email solicitations and visually enticing, persuasive online fundraising web pages. This income is dependent on a redesign of the GPCA website. It also requires migration of our site to a content management system with team publishing.
1-12 Telemarketing
We will research, interview, hire, train and manage telemarketing firm that uses predictive dialing and agrees to no money-down no-loss contract. We will call GPCA registered members.
1-13 Personal solicitations (phone/meeting by executive director/consultant)
An executive director will conduct phone and in-person meetings with all major donors. An executive director will re-solicit all major donors by phone or in-person. We will ask all major donors to identify new major donor prospects. We will conduct phone and in-person meetings with GPCA Greens who can help identify new major donor prospects. We will develop “Why donate?” materials for major donors.
3. COORDINATING COMMITTEE
1-6 General Assemblies, Repayment of Hosting Costs (Return of Loans (GPCA Plenaries)
The average cost of a plenary is $2,250. The cost is paid as a reimbursement to hosting County Councils.
4. GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING WORKING GROUP
4-1 Green Focus sales
We assume income for Green Focus sales will be the same as in FY 2010-2011.
5. GPUS DELEGATION
5-1 GPUS Revenue Sharing, past funds owed (Tier III - $2,427)
The GPUS recently received a large donation from which it is possible, but not certain that the amount owed to the GPCA from 2008 will be paid within the GPCA's FY2011-2012. For this reason it is placed within Tier III.
5-2 GPUS Revenue Sharing, 2011-2012
If and until the GPCA receives projections to the contrary from the GPUS Finance Committee, no GPUS revenue sharing for FY2011-2012 will be projected.
