With two part-time staff and an annual budget of less than $100,000 — a micro budget even by non-profit standards — Simsbury Land Trust is not known as a fundraising trendsetter.
In fact, the majority of the operating budget for the organization, which has helped protect 962 acres of Simsbury’s scenic vistas and historic farmland, comes from small membership dues from less than 800 families in town. But at a time when some nonprofits are fueling the business of fundraising by hiring development consultants, event planners or social media experts, Simsbury Land Trust has transformed its fundraising — literally — into a game: Simsburyopoly.
“The reality is we don’t have the staff or resources for time-intensive events like galas or golf tournaments,” said Amy Zeiner, the Land Trust’s executive director. “We needed to be a little innovative.”
Working with a Michigan-based company, Pride Distributors, that handled all licensing issues and production, the Land Trust created a customized board game based on the popular Monopoly concept. But rather than own Boardwalk or Park Place, players can purchase local Simsbury businesses and historic town properties, such as Flamig Farm, Tulmeadow Farm, or the Pinchot tree, the state’s largest tree, which is in Simsbury.
And the approach is paying off, says Zeiner, noting that the Land Trust has sold nearly 550 of the 600 games it produced. “We started selling the games in December in time for the holidays, and the response from the community has been great,” she said. The board also features a number of photos of several town landmarks which, Zeiner thinks, has made it a keepsake for many families. “A lot of people have bought the game for their [adult] children who’ve moved away because it’s such a unique gift.”
And it also provided a unique opportunity for the Land Trust to work more closely with the town’s business community. According to Zeiner, more than 40 businesses and organizations sponsored spots on the board — ranging from $250 — $500 — which helped offset the costs of producing the games. “Without the support of our local businesses, this [fundraiser] would not have been possible,” Zeiner said. “It enabled 100 percent of Simsburyopoly sales to directly benefit our organization.”
Bryan DeVoe, owner and president of Fitzgeralds’ Foods in Simsbury not only sponsored a square in the game, but also offered to sell the game at his store. He says the game — which sells for $25 — has been an instant hit with customers and has drawn steady traffic to his supermarket. “We’ve sold out a few times and the game [even after the holidays] continues to attract interest.”
That’s good news for Simsbury Land Trust, which expects to pocket $13,000 — and increased awareness of its work — when the remaining games sell.
Despite its success — and relatively short time investment involved in creating the game, Amy Zeiner does not expect to repeat the Simsburyopoly fundraiser next year. “We’ll probably try something new,” she said. “But there are a lot of nonprofits or towns that can do a fundraiser like this; it’s not unique to Simsbury.” And if other nonprofits can replicate its gaming success, the Simsbury Land Trust may just be a fundraising trendsetter after all.
Human service grants
Lincoln Financial Foundation in Hartford recently awarded $185,000 in human service grants to 14 local nonprofit organizations, a portion of almost $757,000 in charitable funds that the foundation allocated for the city in 2011.
Among the largest grants are:
• $40,000 to Foodshare to provide food for low-income families.
• $28,000 to Easter Seals Greater Hartford Rehabilitation Center to provide autism services for children from Spanish-speaking Hartford families.
• $20,000 to HARC for family and community safety net services for individuals with intellectual disability and their families.
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Grant targets job skills
UPS has provided a $10,000 grant to Capital Workforce Partners for a poster campaign focusing on developing the career based competencies and skills today’s employers require.
The poster features a manufacturing worker from Okay Industries in New Britain, a healthcare worker from Hartford Hospital, a welder who received “green” welding certification from the Hartford Jobs Funnel and of course, a UPS worker.
“This poster focuses on some of the career paths young people may not already be thinking about,” says Thomas Phillips, Capital Workforce Partners president and CEO. “Career competencies like customer service, basic skills in reading and math and problem solving are needed for ALL career paths, and this poster helps get this message across in a targeted way.”
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Grants provide basics
Wells Fargo Advisors has provided a pair of grants totaling more than $10,000 to provide basic needs to Connecticut families.
The financial services group donated $5,615 grant to Foodshare for its work combating hunger in Greater Hartford.
A grant of $5,000 went to Life Haven to help fund temporary housing for families in need in New Haven.
The grants are among nearly 300 basic needs grants being made throughout the U.S. by Wells Fargo Advisors as part of the firm’s Investing in Our Communities initiative.
