KCMS Finds Inspiration in the Pandemic
KCMS Finds Inspiration in the Pandemic
Fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly presented challenges to Kids' Chance state organizations, and nonprofits in general, but Kids' Chance of Missouri (KCMO) has reached record fundraising success by being creative, adaptable, and determined.
"Necessity breeds invention," said Bob Keefe, KCMO Treasurer. "Our fundraising numbers have hung in there, even improved, during the pandemic because of the loyalty of our community. We have been running 10-12 fundraisers a year for more than a decade and have built up a large, committed base of people who believe in the cause."
"The team at KCMO has excelled by connecting with their communities, championing the Kids' Chance mission, and putting on fun, engaging fundraisers," said Vicki Burkhart, Kids’ Chance of America (KCOA) Executive Director. "Their success is a great example for state organizations who want to improve their fundraising.
As COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, and in-person events became possible, KCMO hosted three particularly successful fundraisers: a corn hole event, the St. Louis Golf Tournament, and a Continuing Legal Education seminar.
The corn hole event was held in Columbia, Missouri, in the middle of the state and a college town housing the University of Missouri. A new event for KCMO, it was held on a Saturday afternoon at a trendy brewery. Contestants played corn hole, competed for prizes, and participated in an auction. The event raised $11,0000.
KCMO's largest fundraiser, the St. Louis Golf Tournament, generated an all-time high of $80,000 in profit in 2021 going directly into the Scholarship Fund. The spring event was sold out with 50 foursomes and attracted a variety of sponsorships. It also included a silent auction. The organizers had to move the 2020 event to Fall due to COVID restrictions and changed the event from a traditional “shotgun” start, where everyone tees off at the same time, to regular tee times, so that there weren’t too many people congregating at one spot. This allowed them to have the tournaments when they otherwise would have had to cancel due to county mandates on gatherings of a certain size due to the pandemic.
The KCMO Continuing Legal Education Seminar has grown to be the organization's second-largest fundraiser. Lawyers in Missouri are required to obtain a set amount of continuing legal education hours each year. KCMO hosts a day-long seminar for lawyers to pursue this education. In 2020 KCMO moved it back a few months and switched it to a virtual event because of the restrictions on large gatherings. They held it at a studio so that it would be polished and professional. In 2021, the event was held virtually again partly due to COVID restrictions but also realizing they could get more people to attend from across the state if they didn’t have to travel to St. Louis. It proved fruitful as 150 people registered for the event. "While we lost the camaraderie of all being together, we gained the ability to market statewide. This dramatically increased our attendance and our profit," said Peggy Hassler, KCMO President. KCMO also sold sponsorships and featured those sponsors in between the speakers with the MC telling a little about them alongside their logo on the screen. The 2021 event raised $35,000 in profit for the Scholarship Fund.
Throughout the state, KCMO plans to continue to experiment with events, including smaller golf tournaments, trivia nights, poker games, walk/runs, and happy hour events.
"Tell as many people as you can about the Kids’ Chance’s mission. The idea will sell itself," said Linda Rechtein, Past KCMO President. KCMO uses social media, hats, umbrellas, bags, and clothing to circulate their logo as widely as possible. "Encourage your board and friends of Kids' Chance to share social media posts and always to wear a hat or pin or something with the name and logo," Linda said. "It causes people to ask and gives you the chance to explain what we do."
Jim Susman, KCMO Executive Director, credits the "mostly friendly competition" among sponsors as a serious fundraising asset. "The many doctors and physical therapy groups who treat work injuries in the St. Louis area — our biggest market — and other cities have started competing with each other to sponsor and attend our events. We’ve learned that a few thousand dollars is not a big ask for a group of orthopedic surgeons or a chain physical therapy group. These groups all have marketing departments. The number of sponsors and the rates they are willing to pay to be a sponsor has gone up," Jim explained.
Sponsors have found creative ways to promote themselves while supporting Kids' Chance. Some of the KCMO sponsors set up tents at events and give away products or swag. One broadcast music at the golf tournament, another arranged for a food truck. "We give out a nice, sponsored gift each year, like a tote bag, umbrella or sweatshirt with the Kids’ Chance Logo on it in an effort to spread our brand across Missouri," said Bob Keefe.
To get the most engagement, the team at KCMO advises making it as easy as possible for someone to sign up and pay for an event or make a donation. "We accept payments via our website, PayPal, Venmo, credit and debit cards, checks, online giving, Square, and cash," said Peggy Hassler. "We have printed QR codes up at our events linking directly to PayPal and Venmo and arm our volunteers with those QR codes on their phones so people can scan them right there and make purchases and donations."
KCMO had to adjust their events to pandemic realities, but they didn't slow down, and they don't plan to. They're planning to move their St. Louis Fall trivia event to a larger venue. "Word has spread, and more people want to attend," said Peggy Hassler "We moved our golf tournament to a larger course to accommodate more golfers. Even that has proven not to be large enough!"
The team at KCMO is being thoughtful about sustaining a state-wide events strategy by trying hard to recruit and retain board members throughout the entire state.
"We're so impressed with what KCMO has achieved, and we look forward to highlighting their future successes," said Vicki Burkhart.
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