WICHITA, Kan. (March 5, 2004) – It’s a matter of subtlety, a matter of degree. But no matter what, fundraising in a rural environment is a slightly different creature than its city cousin. The response to those differences will make or break a major campaign in a smaller community.

That will be the message delivered by Robert Swanson, president of Hartsook Companies, Inc. He will speak on March 13 to a special gathering of Girl Scouts USA leadership during a Kindred Session of the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in Seattle.

“Respecting cultural nuances is critical,” said Swanson, who has helped dozens of rural nonprofits – including Girl Scout Councils – raise more than $100 million. For the sake of his presentation, he defined “rural” as a county with a population of 60,000 or fewer with no single community larger than 40,000. “But both the definition and the approach is less about educational degrees per household, medium income, birthrates, etc. It’s more about tone, tempo, attitude and view of the world. The fundamentals of giving and why people give are the same everywhere. The dynamics aren’t.”

For starters, Swanson said, a rural environment tends to remain unchanged and rather insular. That typically defines the lifestyle and orientation of its residents. Yet this steadiness, for all its allure and comfort, also can be a significant fundraising hurdle.

“That’s why I so strongly encourage leaders in rural nonprofits to allow themselves to dream bigger dreams,” he said. “My advice: Be courageous, move beyond the usual. The possibilities and potential are there. It’s up to them to give themselves permission to seize the opportunity with intelligence and confidence.

“If all you’ve ever done is bake sales and chili dinners, it’s hard to even consider a multi-million-dollar campaign – even though that money is likely right there in your community. So it’s business as usual…and business as usual gets you the same usual results. Of course, this is true anywhere. It just appears to be magnified in a rural setting.”

Other dynamics Swanson said define rural fundraising:

• Many people are cash poor yet asset rich.
• Many ranches, farmlands and small-town business owners are not local residents.
• It often is difficult to identify those who have a strong asset base because the culture encourages a degree of modesty in home, cars and other lifestyle benchmarks.
• Rural campaigns are not sprints and patience is necessary.
• Education, orientation and mentoring are essential
• “Show” people how they can make a real difference.
• Dinners, raffles and solicitation letters litter the rural landscape and avoid the point of fundraising.
• The desire for personal confidentiality and the need for public campaign communications could collide.

Swanson bases his observations on more than a decade of success in rural fundraising. His presentation highlighted Girl Scout and other campaigns in California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Showing supporters how their gift will make a difference in other people’s lives always is the key to fundraising success. To get there, a nonprofit first must match its mission with those who share its values and have the capacity to support its efforts.

That capacity, especially in a rural setting, doesn’t necessarily mean they can whip out the checkbook and make the gift happen. Though all gift-giving tools can work in a rural campaign, Swanson suggested specific strategies for securing more and better gifts. Fundraising strategies include:

• The Rawhide Gift – When livestock, grain, grass or equipment have lost value, give them away (the gift could generate a tax deduction for the donor; its sale will generate cash for the organization).
• Trading the farm’s harvest for Wall Street’s paper – Charitable Remainder Trusts and similar tools reward a lifetime’s work.
• Alphabet agencies are confusing but rewarding – USDA (department of agriculture), for instance, funds retirement facilities; USDOT (department of transportation) funds historical restorations.
• Keep local business taxes local – Some states provide incentives to create better corporate citizens.
• CDs and IRAs vs. stocks, bonds and mutual funds – Understand where conservative investors keep their money.
• Black and gold and other royalties – Oil wells are just the beginning of assets that can be turned into gifts.

Hartsook Companies, Inc., has served nonprofits nationwide with capital, endowment and annual campaigns; leadership support; board training; marketing and more since 1987. The firm has conducted more than 1,200 campaigns ranging from $500,000 to more than $1 billion. Last year, Hartsook Companies served nearly 200 nonprofits in 40 states. The web site: www.hartsookcompanies.com.

Note to editors: For more information about Hartsook Companies, Inc., please visit www.hartsookcompanies.com. For Robert Swanson's full biography follow this link: http://www.hartsookcompanies.com/bios.shtml. If you require a high-resolution photo, please e-mail Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com or reach her at 316.630.9992.