Financial Results for Conference?
From: Marty Maskall (mmaskallpacbell.net)
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 07:01:32 -0700 (PDT)
Thank you, Alice, for your thoughtful post about a revenue model for
Coho/US.  Fair Oaks EcoHousing will continue to support Coho/US as an
community, and I will continue to support Coho/US as an individual, and also
encourage others to do so too.

 

Do you have financial results from the Conference?  Can you share that with
us?

 

Thanks for all you have done to make such a successful Conference for
Coho/US, and for all the other things you do.

 

In appreciation,

Marty Maskall

------------------

Marty Maskall, Future Resident & Project Manager

www.FairOaksEcoHousing.org -- a Family-Friendly Green Neighborhood

(916) 967-2472

about.me/marty.maskall 

 

Message: 1

Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2015 12:16:50 -0400

From: Alice Alexander <alicecohous [at] gmail.com>

To: Cohousing-l <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>

Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Funding and Organizational Model for Coho US

Message-ID:

      <CAK_ucoPUM+38=Ls+g_beCCA_7So7A=aO6kHR3zhw42HmLJJYtQ [at] mail.gmail.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 

Many thanks to the good comments on a revenue model for sustaining Coho/US.

To confirm:

 

Coho/US is not a membership organization; we are a 501(3) nonprofit
organization. We do not require membership dues from individuals or
cohousing communities, and our services as a connector and clearinghouse to
grow and support cohousing are available to everyone, not just "members."

 

Coho/US relies on financial support from individuals and communities both.

Individuals gifts can be claimed as a charitable donations; cohousing
communities may prefer a reference to membership dues or support, and this
is fine. "Membership" can be a generic term!

 

In 2014, I sent out two requests to all our subscribers (9,300) to encourage
individual charitable donations; this yielded gifts from individuals of
$4,061. We have invested time and will continue to invest time in growing
this support from individuals.

 

Also in 2014, we encouraged all cohousing communities to support Coho/US,
and we received more gifts from cohousing communities than ever before -
over $13,000. Just last month, I sent a "Community Connection" newsletter to
encourage planning for annual support to Coho/US - sent to those who are
tagged as reps for their cohousing communities. I am happy to share this
with others.

 

However, with an operational budget in 2015 of $62,444, Coho/US continues to
be challenged in raising sufficient funds from individuals and communities
to be sustainable.

 

A strict membership structure as a business model for associations (one that
requires dues, and provide services to a select audience) generally only
works well for trade associations representing for profit businesses (think
American Medical Association).

 

Cohousing communities are not profit centers, and support is based on a
decision to recognize that Coho/US (1) provides credibility and relevancy
for cohousing as a housing and living option; (2) attracts the public to
cohousing, thus helping provide communities with robust waiting lists; and

(3) serves as a clearinghouse and connector for cohousing resources.

 

Other sources of revenue include advertising (which at $50 per month for a
classified ad is a great deal! we keep this cost affordable as a service to
the cohousing world), and support from our cohousing professionals
<http://www.cohousing.org/professionals>.

 

I appreciate the ideas for foundation grant support; as a career nonprofit
fundraiser, our status is a huge challenge for traditional funding (we serve
cohousers who for the most part are not foundation target populations).
Project-oriented work as Sharon Villines has suggested is likely our only
avenue, but that requires staffing, and resource investment; consideration
would have to be very thoughtful to balance our priorities. Please share
ideas! But understand that project grant funding does not support
operational funds generally - so we are back to the challenge of
sustainability.

 

A challenge that inspires me actually, and one reason I am committed to this
position, knowing the importance of stabilizing and strengthening our basic
organization.

Alice Alexander, Coho/US Executive Director

 

 

 

 


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