Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) supports La Porte County nonprofits in a variety of ways, from providing grants and educational opportunities to networking and a county-wide AED program. A key support HFL provides nonprofits is capacity building.
Capacity building is anything needed to bring a nonprofit to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity. This support enables nonprofits to work more effectively and efficiently, improving the health and wellness of the community.
Following a survey HFL conducted among nonprofit leaders in the community, fundraising was identified as one of the biggest needs for capacity building. In mid-2022, HFL began looking for a fundraising capacity building partner, and Jumpstart fit the bill. Network for Good’s Jumpstart program provides grantmakers, like HFL, with effective fundraising capacity building support for their grantees to create transformational change.
“Jumpstart is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach so nonprofit leaders can truly maximize building their organization’s fundraising capacity,” said Maria Fruth, HFL President & CEO. “It is important that nonprofits have good structure and are functioning at the highest level possible. Successful nonprofits help HFL to achieve our mission of empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well.”
First La Porte County Jumpstart Group
In October of 2022, HFL funded its first Jumpstart capacity building program. Seventeen La Porte County nonprofits received grants from HFL to join Jumpstart, a year-long fundraising program powered by Network for Good that pairs nonprofits with a personal fundraising coach and the integrated technology needed to engage community, diversify revenue, and sustain their programs.
Twice each month, HFL’s Jumpstart group members meet virtually with their coaches on a one-to-one basis for personalized help with building their donor databases, improving fundraising efforts, and deepening donor relationships. Since the kick-off in October, Jumpstart members have increased individual gifts, created online donation pages, sent video thank you messages to donors, incorporated texting features, and more.
Harry Holtkamp, Executive Director of Interfaith Community PADS, is one member of the first HFL-funded Jumpstart group. “Jumpstart gave us a full toolbelt from the start, and our coach taught us how to use the data we were receiving to grow our numbers,” said Holtkamp, who is using Jumpstart to raise funds for Interfaith Community PADS’s third challenge grant from HFL. Challenge grants require an organization to raise a certain amount of money from other sources to receive the HFL grant funds. “The Jumpstart platform makes it simple to announce events, to communicate progression, and to be transparent with donors and supporters,” Holtkamp said.
Dunebrook, a Michigan City-based social services organization, is also in the group. In October, Dunebrook Development Director Cathy Laughlin selected Jumpstart coach Cindy Harris and began meeting with her regularly. The pair began their fundraising journey by transferring Dunebrook’s 30-plus years’ worth of donor data into the Jumpstart-provided database, then worked on maintaining and growing it.
“Cindy has been so important to our Jumpstart journey,” Laughlin said. “Without Cindy, I don't think we would be as far along with Jumpstart. She has been key to keeping us focused and moving us forward. She has provided us with the insight that we needed to really take it to the next level.”
Dunebrook Executive Director Dr. Tammy Button added, “All the information that we’ve gotten from Jumpstart and from Coach Cindy helps us stay relevant with all age groups. We as a staff and an organization can’t know everything, so having access to people with that area of expertise and being able to brainstorm and collaborate with them has been a game changer.”
The current HFL-funded Jumpstart group will continue to strengthen their capacity through this program and beyond. To learn more about Jumpstart, visit jumpstartfundraising.com.
For more information about Healthcare Foundation of La Porte and its capacity-building efforts, visit hflaporte.org.
Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL), a private, independent foundation located in La Porte, Indiana, is dedicated to empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well. Since 2017, HFL has invested more than $38 million in the La Porte County community. Through strategic and thought leadership, grantmaking, and capacity building, HFL aims to further the foundation’s vision for La Porte to be one of the 10 healthiest communities in Indiana by 2030. HFL also offers its state-of-the-art Conference & Learning Center free of charge for nonprofit organizations, government entities, and schools.
To learn more about how HFL supports the La Porte County community through its strategic priorities of Healthy Children, Healthy Minds, and Healthy Living, visit hflaporte.org, call 219.326.2471, or email contact@hflaporte.org.
