PRESS RELEASES
Officials Detail Civic Centre Fundraising Plan - Posted on 2007-10-10
By Neville Crabbe, St. Croix Courier
St. Stephen - For civic centre president Richard Fulton, everything since the initial public meetings to discuss the idea in November 2004, including talent shows, bottle drives and clip-out surveys, was a lead up to March 2007 - the launch of the official $15-million-dollar fundraising campaign, and the beginning of the project's relationship with the consulting firm of Bolduc, Nolet, Primeau and Associates.
"The only way to raise the money we need is, frankly, to try", said Fulton, and since March his group, with guidance from the fundraising consultants, has been working diligently toward the short-term goal of having $1 Million in place by February, 2008. So far, their professional fundraisers have compiled a list of over 900 businesses, individuals and foundations as prospective donors.
Fulton believes that to reach their stated goal, the civic centre project needed to trust fundraising efforts to professionals.
Since 1999, Bolduc, Nolet, Primeau and Associates have worked on over 75 major projects and raised $400 Million for clients.
"The direction was to hire a fundraising consultant becasue Charlotte County Civic Centre Inc. thought that volunteer efforts of that magnitude would fail, " said Fulton, adding that local volunteers had neither the resources nor time to handle such an undertaking. Based on the firms reputation, and the fact that they agreed to work on the project, he is confident the project will succeed.
In response to criticism from some citizens that the group has been working too quietly and even secretly, campaign coordinator Melissa Evans said that is by design.
"It's part of the psychology of fundraising that we don't want to let the cat out of the bag", said Evans explaining that welthy foundations and individuals are often more receptive to a subtle approach.
This kitty on the doorstep strategy is considered the second phase of fundraising, the first being completed prior to the March 2007 launch. The third phase, when the campaign will be thrust into the public eye, will commence in February 2008 when the group has its $1 Million banked. Fulton said that when people see a commitment from others, any uncertainty will be erased and the public will come forward with individual donations.
"The public says, 'Hey this is going to happen,' because they see (major donors) on side and see that we have raised X amount of dollars," said Fulton.
When the third phase of fundraising is completed, and Charlotte County Civic Centre Inc. has met its stated goal of $3.5 Million, a cascading effect will be triggered with financial commitments from the town, the province, and Ottawa to bring the total to approximately $15 Million.
Though the opening of the new facility may be five years off, Evans, who has worked on similar projects, says she is not discouraged by that time frame. She takes solace in the belief that the completion is inevitable, something she says is proven by the grass roots nature of the project. To voices of dissent she had this to say: "You have to see four or five years in the future and see how this will impact the area. I mean when I worked on the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics no one wanted the (speed skating) oval and now all you have to say is Catriona Le May Doan."
In the meantime, from their second floor office on Milltown Boulevard the people determined to make the civic centre a reality for this town plug away quietly, knocking on doors and hoping the cheques are in the mail.