Community News

FUNDRAISING DURING A PANDEMIC: LOCAL NONPROFITS SHARE EXPERIENCES

Nonprofit organizations fill gaps to meet the unique needs of the communities they serve. Some receive grants, but all depend on fundraising to fulfill their missions. Historically, many fundraisers in our area have been in-person events. In 2020, the pandemic changed that. As a community, we have not been able to gather, network, and support our local nonprofits at galas and pageants. Our nonprofits have had to adjust. Some events were cancelled, some moved online, and new events emerged.

We reached out to nonprofits in the Asheboro area to discuss the impact of the pandemic on fundraising over the past year and what we can expect in the year ahead.

Asheboro Magazine: How important is fundraising to your nonprofit?

Christians United Outreach Center: Fundraising is very important to the success of CUOC. Even though we do have grants for restricted purposes, fund raising is critical not only for keeping the lights on, but because it effects our ability to meet needs in Randolph County. We don’t have a “profit” line, any revenue we have over the costs of operating increases our assistance to individuals.

Family Crisis Center: We are extremely dependent on fundraising, as the majority of our revenue derives from state and federal funding which is distributed on a reimbursement basis. Typically our receivables (money we are owed by funders) is over $100,000 each month.

Hospice of Randolph: As a not-for-profit organization, we do not turn away individuals who need our care based on their inability to pay. Support from our community helps us offer important services like grief counseling and support groups at no cost to anyone in the community who has faced a loss. Fundraising also helps us cover unreimbursed expenses that some of our patients have.

Randolph-Asheboro YMCA: For the YMCA to continue to be successful and meet the needs of over 18,000 individuals who count on programs, activities and facilities at the Y, it is essential to conduct fundraisers throughout the year. The year 2020 was an unprecedented year for all of us personally and professionally. The YMCA conducts five fundraisers throughout the year that raises close to $122,000 each year.

Randolph Partnership for Children: Like many nonprofits that receive grants, we typically have to provide matching dollars of up to 50 percent of what we receive. But beyond those requirements, the private funds we raise enable us to fill gaps in funding so that we can continue to provide and expand services and programs unique to the needs of young children in our community. For example, most of our early literacy programs like Reach Out and Read and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library depend primarily on funds we raise.

Randolph Senior Adults Association: As with any nonprofit, it is important to utilize all sources such as grants, fundraising, and personal donations. RSAA truly believes that every dollar we receive is important to our carrying out our mission of supporting senior adults. We have enhanced our website (www.senioradults.org) to allow for online donations to be made. This has provided a safe, easy format for individuals who wish to support our efforts.

Spirit Horse Ranch: Fundraising is very important. We discount the prices of our programs to make it affordable for parents to pay for the children to come. We also have children from very low-income families the attend for free. We want all children that want to come to be able to be here, and that is why fundraising money is so important.

Your Choices Randolph: Fundraising is critical to Your Choices Randolph. We don’t receive state or federal dollars, and we aren’t a United Way agency, so we depend solely on the generosity of donors.

AM: What fundraising events did you host regularly before the pandemic?

CUOC: Our annual fundraisers include our Brunswick Stew event, The Gray’s Chapel Golf Tournament in partnership with Grays Chapel Men’s Ministry, Randolph’s Got Talent, The Human Race, The Fall Festival, Gospel Concert, and the ongoing sales of our CUOC Thrift Store.

FCC: A luncheon, several small events, and we had just begun a dance for one of our programs.

HoR: Our signature fundraiser, the annual Hospice Auction and Barbecue, held each November is the highlight of our fundraising calendar as well as some other smaller events like Dine Out for Hospice.

R-A YMCA: The YMCA typically conducts five fundraisers throughout the year that raise close to $122,000 annually. Those included the Annual Dinner/Dance, The Sam Bossong Golf Tournament; the “Invest in People” campaign, a high school volleyball tournament, and a JV basketball tournament.

RPC: The Gala for the Children is our signature event, which included a catered meal, large silent auction, live fund-a-need auction, networking, and entertainment for nearly 300 guests. We also depend on smaller events, like Giving Tuesday and end-of-year annual giving campaigns.

RSAA: Historically, we have hosted three fundraising events each year. Those are the Salt Box on Salisbury (retail craft store), which is open year round; the Ms. Senior Randolph County Pageant, which is held in June; and the Swing Fore Seniors Annual Golf Tournament, which is held in October

SHR: We host a spring open house in May for people to just come see us, learn about what we do, and visit with the horses. In June of 2019, we had our first annual Wild West Party, which was a great success. We also host a fall Halloween party and a Christmas party.

YCR: Prior to the pandemic, we raised money through three primary campaigns. We have our baby bottle campaign, where we speak at churches about the sanctity of life and our services, generally from January to March, and then provide baby bottles for families to gather change for a month and then return to us. We host a benefit dinner, which is where about a third of our revenue comes from. The dinner includes a national speaker and attendees are encouraged to partner with us financially. Finally, we have a non-event, our No Show Fall Gala, in late September. We invite people to dress up and then…stay home! They are invited to give to different aspects of the ministry through a snail mail campaign.

AM: How did the pandemic affect your fundraising plans in 2020?

CUOC: The Brunswick Stew fundraiser in February was the only annual fundraising event we were able to have in 2020. We had to close our Thrift Store in March of 2020 and did not re-open (only two days per week at first) until October of 2020. We were able to introduce a new event in December 2020 thanks to the efforts of a board member and a prize-winning pit master. The new one may become an annual event for us moving forward.

FCC: We lost over $100,000 in fundraising.

HoR: The pandemic definitely forced our organization to rethink how we approached everything, especially our special events. Most special events bring together a large group of people under one roof to support a common cause, and our Auction and Barbecue is no different. In 2020, we were not able to host this signature event in person. However, we were able to host an online auction that was still successful due to the generosity of our community partners. The online auction gave us new insights into how we can adapt our event and still engage our community in a meaningful way. In the end, we missed the fun atmosphere and great support the in-person event generates.

R-A YMCA: For 2020 the YMCA was able to conduct some of the fundraisers and others had to be cancelled. The Annual Dinner/Dance was held in February of 2020 before COVID-19 hit and was a success. The Sam Bossong Golf Tournament was held in July. Normally the tournament is held in May and filled with golfers, but 2020 saw a decrease of sponsorship for the tournament compared to tournaments in the past. The Invest in People campaign, which is usually only two months long, was held for six months and incurred a decrease in sponsorship. The high school volleyball and JV basketball tournaments were both cancelled due to COVID-19 this year. The YMCA lost close to 50 percent of its typical revenue in 2020.

RPC: Our annual Gala for the Children, originally planned for May, was postponed. We were able to host a virtual Gala for the Children in August. The virtual event was live streamed at RhinoLeap Productions. It broadcasted through our YouTube channel. We shifted the silent auction to an online auction, which was held the week leading up to the live event. We added a live auction

to our live event and also used the platform to honor our volunteers, naming our Volunteer of the Year at the end of the live show. We learned a lot through the process and hit our fundraising goal for the event, although it was a lower goal than in a typical year because of the pandemic.

RSAA: The only fundraiser we were able to host in 2020 was the Swing Fore Seniors Annual Golf Tournament. It could continue since it is held outdoors and proper social distancing safeguards could be put in place. Effective March 18, 2020, we closed all five of our Senior Centers due to COVID-19 and they remained closed today. Since our Centers were closed, we could not open the Salt Box after March 18. Lastly, we canceled the Ms. Senior Randolph County Pageant for 2020 due to COVID and the fact that the Sunset Theatre, where we hold the event, was not open and could not accommodate more than 80 guests when they were allowed to reopen.

SHR: We really wanted to have our second annual Wild West Party, which was already planned when we had to cancel. Our Halloween party was held on a much smaller scale in 2020. We did not have our annual Christmas party.

YCR: The biggest impact of the pandemic to us in 2020 was the inability to host our benefit dinner with Pam Tebow, mother of Tim, at a local venue. Instead, like many organizations, we pivoted to an online event, creating an opportunity over three nights for our donor base to ‘attend’ as guests of a table host who conducted a zoom meeting that included an edited 30-minute video presentation.

AM: What are your fundraising event plans for 2021?

CUOC: We have extended the days the Thrift Store is open from Friday and Saturday to Tuesday, Thursday–Saturday. Sales are slowly picking up as we are able to add days. With a decrease not only in the ability to have fundraisers, but also the volunteer help this ministry so depends on, the process is slow. We also just completed our Brunswick stew event. Beyond that, we have not scheduled a fundraiser due to the nature of what we typically do. We have a new board of directors and are hopeful we will have some new energy and ideas as the pandemic continues.

FCC: We have tried to solicit more through individual and corporate giving through recognition as well as boosting our small, safe drive-through events. In addition we are doing more with social media.

HoR: We are preparing some different options for our 2021 event since restrictions are still in place due to the pandemic. Regardless, we are confident that we will host another successful signature event and appreciate the community’s support.

R-A YMCA: We will not be holding our Annual Dinner/ Dance this year, but The Sam Bossong Golf Tournament will be held May 7th; we will run the “Invest in People” campaign from June to October, and depending on the status of schools, the high school volleyball tournament will be held in late August and our JV basketball tournament will be held in December.

RPC: We will be hosting a hybrid version of our Gala for Children event on August 21. The event will again be live streamed and accommodate for at-home, virtual participation. This year we also plan to host VIP guests on-site at the RhinoLeap Productions studio as much as public health restrictions will allow at that time. Our inperson VIPs will enjoy networking, a catered meal, themed desserts, and have access to a private silent auction. We will also expand our online auctions leading up to the August 21 event.

RSAA: We plan to reopen the Salt Box once we have opened our Senior Centers with new guidelines implemented for post-COVID safety. The pageant will be held in June if we anticipate being able to safely conduct this event. However, based upon the current distribution of COVID vaccinations, we anticipate we will need to look at a different date—likely in the fall—for the event. Our golf tournament is already scheduled for October 14 at Pinewood Country Club. Unless we have a weather issue, we expect to hold the golf tournament in 2021 just as we did in 2020.

SHR: We are still working to bring awareness to our nonprofit, letting the community know what we do, what we can provide for the children in our area, and how we can help children with special needs. We will have an open house in May and hope to have our second annual Wild West Party this year. We will do something on the ranch in the fall and have our Christmas party in December.

YCR: This year we are moving to an outdoor event

for our benefit in May, with lower attendance, and safety precautions in place. We will also offer a live stream of the event. Otherwise, we will continue with our other campaigns, and some smaller ones we have added in the last year.

While area nonprofits have seen sharp reductions in fundraising income, they continue to provide support and services to the people in our community. And while the pandemic changed how agencies fundraise, it has not changed the generosity and compassion found in the Heart of North Carolina.

About the nonprofits

Christians United Outreach Center is a nonprofit serving Randolph County. It is supported by the faith community and has the pleasure of being a United Way Agency. CUOC has been providing assistance to families in Randolph County for 27 years. Our financial services are limited to Randolph County residents who have found themselves in crisis due to circumstances outside their control. Anyone living in Randolph County may receive food assistance if they are struggling to feed their families. Food assistance, clothing vouchers, short-term financial crisis intervention for basic needs, medical equipment, financial literacy, and emergency prescription assistance are just some of the basic needs we are able to address. “Partnering with our community, meeting people at their point of need, following the example of Christ” is our mission statement. During the Pandemic, we have conducted all our client services with drive thru services, email and other electronic methods to collect information needed and provide as much help as we possibly can.

Family Crisis Center has been providing services in Randolph County since 1978. Our mission is to serve people who are in crisis from domestic and family violence, sexual assault, and rape while working to eliminate these issues from our community. Our services include, but are not limited to, emergency shelter, case management, therapy, support groups, forensic interviewing (Children's Advocacy Center), medical exams (Children's Advocacy Center), and limited financial assistance. All services are available in English and Spanish. We also have an Advocacy Center in Archdale.

Hospice of Randolph provides hospice care, palliative care, and grief support services for patients, their families, and caregivers. Patients ranging in age from infants to the elderly who are facing a life-limiting illness are given specialized medical, emotional, and spiritual care through our programs. Hospice of Randolph is an affiliate of Hospice of the Piedmont and serves Randolph, Guilford, Davidson, Forsyth, Alamance, Chatham, Moore, and Montgomery counties.

The Randolph-Asheboro YMCA is a leading nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The Y is and always will be dedicated to building healthy, confident, connected, and secure children, adults, families, and communities. Every day our impact is felt when a mentor inspires a child, when an individual makes a healthy choice, and when a community comes together for the common good.

Since 1999, Randolph Partnership for Children (RPC), a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency, has been the community’s lead organization for young children and their families. RPC brings together diverse agencies, individuals, organizations, and communities to ensure all children enter school healthy and ready to succeed in school and life. Our mission is to ensure strong families with healthy, well-prepared children by galvanizing our community to advocate for and invest in their future. RPC is proud to be a United Way agency. For more information, visit Randolphkkds.org.

Randolph Senior Adults Association, Inc.’s mission is: “To empower adults age 50 and over in Randolph County toward a life of personal independence; healthy aging; social connection; and life-long learning.”

Spirit Horse Ranch Education Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located at 2761 Old Cedar Falls Road in Asheboro, just outside of city limits. Our mission is to provide educational activities to promote life-enriching experiences for children and adults through the healing power of the horse. To empower, teach, and heal through horsemanship. We have afterschool programs for grade school children and volunteer opportunities for teenagers or adults. We do a summer reading program in which the children get to not only learn about and work with the horses, but also read a book about horses to the horse or pony of their choice with the help of a volunteer. We teach children how to ride and also provide therapeutic riding to individuals with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities.

Your Choices Randolph recently updated its mission and vision statements: “Your Choices Randolph is a Christcentered ministry that empowers individuals to make life affirming and restorative choices in the areas of sexuality and pregnancy.” “Your Choices Randolph envisions communities where the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms and restores culture into one that values human life, reinforces the biblical principles of sexuality and the family unit and rejects abortion.” We do that by engaging with women and walking with them through hard situations. We provide pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound screening, and now STD testing, along with pregnancy and parenting classes, Bible studies, options coaching, and practical items. And all our services are free. Last year we began giving items away to anyone in our community with young children and a need for practical items, like diapers, wipes, and baby formula. Since March of 2020, we have given out 650 packs of diapers, 541 packs of wipes, 185 cans of baby formula, and 413 other items, like baby clothes, baby food, blankets, and other items. We still provide diapers, wipes and formula to every child in a family once a week, if needed. We have loved providing these things, along with prayer, to “the least of these” who are impacted dramatically by the pandemic.