Segmental Reporting

2nd Hope House Fundraising Committee Meeting Minutes

African Growth Ministries, Hope House Baby Home

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2005

Time: 3-5 pm

Location: 16 Loresho Grove

Attendance: Virginiah Nyambura Mainah, Carolyn Scanton, Maryke Gathaiya

Perinus Wainaina, Terry Howard, Rosaline Knobbs, Katherine Maloney and visitor Katherine Kavinagh. Regrets: Jim Kimotho

1. Review and approval of the previous meeting's minutes.

2. Financial overview from Rosaline, on Jim's behalf. She shared the annual budget of Hope House (see page 7 of Hope House project proposal, Appendix A, attached). Rosaline then explained how money is obtained to meet expenses. There was a long list of either annual, monthly, or semi-regular donors. From month to month, however, there is no guarantee that money sufficient to cover expenses will come in. Rent is paid regularly, but other expenses are not. The people who usually suffer end up being the support staff, and the home is currently behind on their salaries. The home also has a large outstanding debt with Gertrude's Garden Hospital.

3. Rosaline then provided an overview of some of the Home's key needs. These included:

- staff salaries

- a vehicle

- a generator

- heaters

- baby care items food and nutritional formula

- medical care

- pharmaceuticals

among others.

4. Katherine then provided her overview of the research she carried out on fundraising (see Appendix B, attached). Basically there are 3 ways to make money: a solicitation campaign, selling a product, or hosting an event. There is no one-size-fits all perfect fundraising solution. Katherine emphasized the importance of having quality campaign materials (perhaps we could find a business willing to print these for us free of charge) and good publicity. The general wisdom is that no more than 2-3 initiatives should be undertaken each year so as not to exhaust either volunteers or donors. We also need to determine who our audience is: who would want to give to babies? Roz mentioned that here in Kenya it is generally best not to focus on using the money raised for wages, though Katherine K. said that this would not be a problem abroad.

5. This led quite naturally to a productive brainstorming session on ways to fundraise. The ideas generated are listed below:

- Java House pancake breakfasts

- Leo Club at ISK

- Concert at ISK of local musicians, e.g. Eric Wainaina

- Model United Nations dance

- Golf tournament

- Art exhibition

- Auction

- Develop list of prospective donors and send out solicitation letters (e.g. General Motors, Toyota, Brookside, baby food companies, baby care items companies, etc.)

- Newsletter for donors

- "shopping list"?

- food drives (already being done occasionally)

- cans for collecting coins in businesses (already being done to some extent)

- "Friends of Hope House" program

- Adopt a Cot program (already being done to some extent)

- British Army - shipment

- Ten pin bowling/mini golf

- Working with one of the theatres for an opening night event on a new film

- Dinner/dance