Today’s rendition of One Call for All isn’t all that different than when it was created some 47 years ago on Bainbridge Island: Uniquely, once a year, beginning in October, deserving causes are identified (86 in 2008) and donors then choose which ones they would like to give their money to.
The simplicity of the fund-raising project has always been its virtue, but board members realized early last year that they had to be a little more aggressive in making sure people got their red envelopes in the mail. Or, as is the case now, online.
They hired an executive director, Bob Linz, a master organizer with events such as the Rotary Auction on his resume. In addition, nine new board members joined the 16-member board, including several with fund-raising backgrounds.
With the added energy, Linz and his crew set out to contact every donor who had given to the fund in recent years. Through their research they discovered an interesting cycle where many people give to the fund every other year.
They contacted the most recent donors three or four times, including letting them know what their top two picks the previous year had done with their money. They also sent One Call’s annual report to each household on the island.
The results have been exciting, with more than $800,000 coming from more than 1,500 donors to date. (They hope to hit their goal of $1 million when all is said and done). There also were 266 new donors who gave money between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. The number of online donations increased to 13 percent from the 7 percent who used the Internet in 2007.
While the changes helped energize the campaign, it’s still the tradition that sets it apart from others. People have confidence in it and are reassured that their caring makes a difference.
For example, a donor who gives every year wrote in and said he disagreed with three or four organizations being on the list, but he had no trouble giving once again to the ones that he felt were most deserving. And that’s the beauty of it: Your money is given to whomever you choose, and no one else. Thank you all, once again.
