The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI)’s Fall Forum provided an opportunity for League leaders to connect with peers and gain valuable training at a virtual event from October 20-21, 2022.
The event provided Committee Chairs, Vice Presidents and Directors from the Community Impact, Membership Development and Fund Development councils with facilitated roundtables that enabled members to build on similar interests and experiences.
Eight members of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) joined in on the forum. A few JLC participants share their key takeaways below.
- All AJLI workshops were helpful, especially the EVP-related ones, to distinguish the role of EVP from that of the President.
- Fall Forum offered a deeper dive into how annual planning is conducted and what measurables determine success.
- Great information on “right-sizing” your League mid-year if there are problems with current operations.
- Annual plans are not static documents but living plans that can shift based on performance and engagement.
—Terri White, Executive Vice President
“I think JLC is taking the right steps to do this. … ‘Right-Sizing’ is what the AJLI is recommending to all Leagues at the moment.”
—Becca Walters, Human Resources Manager
“I loved learning about how other Leagues are weaving DE&I into daily operations and it was great to connect with other League leaders – even virtually and via chats – to share challenges, opportunities and best practices!”
—Christina Gratrix, President
- Raising funds really does begin with relationships and every member needs to be an advocate for the League and be able to share their own experiences and stories. Each of us should reflect on our why: what we do vs. what we believe as a League. A best practice for Fund Development is that it should include Diverse Funding, meaning multiple sources. Revenue should not be self-funded and we should think about donors beyond membership.
- One of the most interesting pieces of advice that long-time Leaguer Carol Scott shared was the following: “Don’t leave friends or family and apologize for going to JLC events; be proud of this group and help others to view it the same way. The way we discuss the League really does make an impression on others.”
- There is a difference between transactional fundraising vs. transformational fundraising, which converts a one-time donor to a partner who gives year after year.
- When thinking about corporate sponsors, we could consider a mission-based sponsorship. Most of the time, we only think about event-based sponsorships. One of the best places to start is to survey our members on where they most frequent and approach those businesses.
- A Fund Development strategy really needs to be multiple years long, so there is continuity.
—Jennifer Emerson, Fund Development Council Manager
