Give Local 2021 Application Form

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Welcome to the Give!Local application process! There are some changes for the 2021 campaign, so please read carefully!

Mountain Xpress’ Give!Local campaign is perhaps Asheville’s easiest path to year-end giving, helping nonprofits raise funds each year. Enrollment is competitive and each year’s roster of nonprofits changes about 20-30% to keep the program fresh.

Before you fill out this form, you should have:

  1. Approval from your board of directors to apply to be part of the 2021 Give!Local campaign;
  2. Agreement from your executive director that your organization has the time, staff and resources to devote to the project, especially from August through December;
  3. Confirmation that your organization is prepared to pay the participation fee ($250); and
  4. Assurance from your executive director that your organization will establish a staff point person for the project, especially from July through December.

Here are Give!Local’s rules and procedures:

  1. We will select the 2021 Give!Local nonprofits based on:
    • Their ability to utilize the program;
    • Their track record with this type of fundraising;
    • Their stated plan of action to make use of the program to raise funds; and
    • Our need to maintain a balance of diversity (in organization size, scope and category).
  2. We  keep the program fresh by rotating the nonprofits involved; selection in previous years does not assure future inclusion — so please don’t make Give!Local part of your permanent fundraising plans. If you are selected for 2021, leverage the opportunity the best you can and don’t assume participation in ensuing years.
  3. If you are invited to participate in the 2021 Give!Local campaign and accept, we will need some materials from you, including a letter from your board approving your nonprofit’s participation, information about your organization for inclusion in the Give!Local web and print guides, and the $250 participation fee.
  4. PLEASE NOTE: There is no fee associated with this application; the participation fee is due only if you are invited and agree to participate in Give!Local.
  5. The deadline for applying is August 2, 2021. Early applications are encouraged. We will notify the selected nonprofits by mid-August. Late applications will not be considered in 2021. We will also select a group of standby organizations, to participate in the event of cancellations.
  6. We are limiting the 2021 program to 45 nonprofits.
  7. The Give!Local campaign will be time-intensive for participating nonprofits. Each one will need to develop a strategy for success, which may include some or all of the following: donor incentives, matching grants, fundraising events and business partners. It is imperative that participating organizations be prepared to commit the necessary resources. We have found that without substantial effort on the part of each nonprofit, the program will be ineffective (i.e., not much money will be raised).
  8. Staff turnover in your organization prior to and during the campaign may impair your results. Throughout application and participation, it is imperative that you notify Give!Local promptly in the event of changes in staff relevant to the campaign.
  9. Give!Local campaign begins Nov. 1, when the campaign’s online platform opens. At about the same time, the Give!Local print guide will be distributed area-wide in Mountain Xpress and at selected additional locations.  Extra copies of the print guide will be available for all participating nonprofits as support material to encourage public participation.
  10. Both during and at the conclusion of the 2021 Give!Local project, Xpress will provide you with the names and contact information of your donors. We will hold in escrow all funds raised, and distribute them to each nonprofit in January 2021.
  11. As you fill out the form below,
    • pay special attention to word-length limits. Answers that exceed them may be truncated or edited, and
    • be specific when describing your organization’s plans to raise money through Give!Local.
  12. If you have questions, email the Give!Local director at givelocal@mountainx.com.

Nonprofit Information

Name of nonprofit (required)

Year nonprofit was founded (required)

Nonprofit Street Address (required)

Nonprofit City (required)

Nonprofit Zip Code (required)

Nonprofit General Phone Number (required)

Nonprofit Website URL (required)

Of the categories listed below, which one best describes your nonprofit (we may need to change or modify categories depending on the makeup of next year's participants) (required)

Your Nonprofit's Contact Information (for administrative purposes only; won't be published)

Name of admin point of contact (required)

Email of admin point of contact (required)

Phone number of admin point of contact (required)

Your Public Contact Information (will be published)

Name of public point of contact

Email of public point of contact (required)

Phone number of public point of contact (required)

Your Staff & Budget

Number of paid staff (required — please note as zero if your nonprofit is all-volunteer run)

Number of full-time-equivalent paid staff (required)

Number of volunteers (required)

Number of individual donors from all sources in 2020 (required)

Annual budget (required)

Percentage of budget spent on administration (required)

Number of email addresses in your general fundraising mailing list

Nonprofit Mission, long form (Give!Local will use this internally, for selection purposes)

What is your organization's mission? How does your organization benefit the residents of the Asheville/WNC area? Please give tangible examples — such as the number of people helped or served in the past year; how you have worked with social service, educational, and government partners; and any studies that validate your work. (required)

Nonprofit Mission short form (for use in print and online)

What is your organization's mission in 50 words or less. (required)

What strategies do you plan to implement during the 2021 Give!Local campaign to maximize your fundraising success? (cash match, incentives, phone tree, social media, newsletters, etc.) (required)

Do you have one or more matching sponsors? What amount of match do you anticipate? (required)

Do you have separate fundraising programs planned for the end of the year that might conflict with the Give!Local campaign? (required. If you are included in the Give!Local Guide and you have separate fundraising programs, how will you ensure that your Give!Local effort will succeed? We ask this, because we want to be sure that every nonprofit in the guide has the time and resources to be successful.)