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Fundraisers: Are They Doing The Job?
I recently read an article about fundraising and what they actually raise for fire departments and it really makes you wonder: are we getting our money's worth?
Getting together for a fundraiser is certainly a great way to gauge public support, but let's face it; a pancake breakfast won't buy a thermal imaging camera. If you look at prices, cameras can cost $10,000. If you charge five bucks a meal, that's 2000 meals! Most likely, it will take a couple of years or more than one fundraiser a year just to get a camera.
Sure; you're putting your face in front of the public, but it's a lot of work to come up short on your much needed purchases.
So, my question is still: what do you expect from your fundraisers?
I'll be right over there.
TCSS.
Art
Getting together for a fundraiser is certainly a great way to gauge public support, but let's face it; a pancake breakfast won't buy a thermal imaging camera. If you look at prices, cameras can cost $10,000. If you charge five bucks a meal, that's 2000 meals! Most likely, it will take a couple of years or more than one fundraiser a year just to get a camera.
Sure; you're putting your face in front of the public, but it's a lot of work to come up short on your much needed purchases.
So, my question is still: what do you expect from your fundraisers?
I'll be right over there.
TCSS.
Art
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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And I agree with you. But we all need to "Agree to Disagree". We all have our opinions and we all have the right to share them, thats all. I respect you too, and just wanted to address this. I do see the points you and tiger are trying to make though and it is frustrating, but we will all work together to make it better hopefully. Stay Safe
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LOL...Thanks for your input! In my area, I have seen a "County Wide" membership/fund raising campaign, where the depts in the county chip in and work together to bring the needs of the volunteer fire service to the public via informational social gatherings, and door to door programs, sort of like a "Meet and greet" for people to ask questions about their volunteer fire departments and their members. Has anyone seen this type of campaign before and has it worked?
Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Tiger Schmittendorf on
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Brian -
I have to disagree with you on the training issue.
If training is a volunteer killer, label me a murderer. And, I'll gladly go to the chair for that one.
As I've stated before in other training related discussions, there are no such things as training requirements - only training needs. The training we need to keep us, our fellow firefighters and our citizens alive.
If training isn't a core value in your mission - than fighting fires and everything else we do shouldn't be either.
I'd rather have my picture hanging in the post office because I bounced someone from the fire service for being untrained, than to have it hanging there because I allowed them to kill themselves because they weren't adequately trained to do their jobs. I liken it to assisted suicide.
PS - I'm glad to hear about your success in recruiting people to perform the very necessary and important, but non-emergency functions of the fire department. I've been promoting the FireCorps concept for quite some time but it's yet another concept that the fire service has been slow to embrace.
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I was not arguing that fact...TRUST ME!! LOL I am a firm believer in training, and if you read my blog about NYS Fire Training Needing change than you would see my passion about fire training. I was saying that people refuse to do that much training, or they cant do the training due to family and work obligations which is why they leave. They still think that a 39 hour "Essentials" class is all they need to be interior!!! LOL I think not!!LOL
Im with you on that one Tiger, Im all for having only a handful of highly trained, highly motivated individuals instead of a full roster of dead weight refusing to take any training at all. Atleast our exterior members all take the "Scene Support Ops" class and some other type of training like "Fire Police" or "Haz-Mat Ops" instead of nothing at all.
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We've done 3 major campaigns in the past 15 years or so ($150k+ each), with great success. They are typically based around a volunteering month, usually April, where everyone puts forth a combined effort and leverages the broad-based awareness created at the county level.
We bring in 500-600 new volunteers a year in our county. Unfortunately, at least that many are probably going out the other end, but at least we're holding our own.
I've just taken on the task of heading up a statewide FASNY panel to address R&R and wrote about $4 million in SAFER grants earlier this year.
It can work.
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I couldn't agree more Brian -
The excuses for not training far outweigh the reality of the true needs.
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Permalink Reply by Damon Dyer on
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I know we should not have to but the fact is we do what we have to do to get it done . The jabs don't bother me but to look at something without giving it a 360 should not be done . Fundraisers bring in some money but they also bring in some new people and something for all the firefighters to back and work as a team for . The last one we did we got 4 new people to join and 11 households started paying their dues . By doing the fundraiser we opened our doors and let the people see what we have and what we need and they responded in kind . We train twice a month and one sat a month . We sponsor a class once sometimes twice a month plus a neighbor dept has one class a month . Most of us are on two depts so the training time is doubled . Professional is an attitude not if you get paid or not . I have seen good and bad on both sides and it has embarrassed me also . Here most volunteer depts are in places that would have nothing if it was not for them . So before you take a cut at volunteers remember there are good and bad in everything in this world don't lump them all together . Take pride in being a volunteer we need good people out there . Again strtcopr did you get me a shirt if yes did Mickey and Minnie sign it ?? lol Have a great day strtcopr .
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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I know that there exists this notion that fundraising takes away from the important work of training.
In many cases, that is NOT the case.
What is at play is spending more time at the fire station and less with family and friends.
It is a sacrifice that many feel is worth it, but at some point family will win out over the "other" family.
Some departments raise money because they have no other choice. They don't have anyone who will take up their cause or even listen to them. They do it or they get out.
And I don't know about you, but I don't want to see them get out; at least, for THAT reason.
I mean; look at how much money the firefighters raised for Jerry's kids. And I will stop there.
TCSS.
Art
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I know and agree .
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We have the technology. We can rebuild it....
Not bad for just a dumb fireman, huh?
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strtcopr:
I understand your line of thinking. I get your sarcastic wit. I suffer sometimes when I throw one out and I get an entirely different reaction than I expected.
Having been in the volunteer fire service for many years and the website discussion forums for many years also, it is a given that there will be a diversity of opinions and what I can tell is that there are NO wrong opinions. An opinion is personal. We have reasons that are sometime only known to the one with the opinion. But, that doesn't make him right or wrong. We can agree or disagree, but again, that doesn't make you right and them wrong or vice versa. Opinions can create emotional responses and they can also bring the like minded together on the same side of the issue. That is neither wrong or right.
But this is my opinion: cops don't have fundraisers because they don't have to.
And we will never be on the same plain with the cops when it comes to getting money from local, state or the federal government. They have the edge by far, because they have been lobbying for it for many years.
Sad, but true.
I like it when there is respectful discussion.
Dave finds it hard to close a thread when everyone plays nice.
TCSS.
Art
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