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Calendar Of Dreams Calendar of dreams is novel lottery approach
by Becky Fong
November 19, 1997; Canadian FundRaiser
Nonprofit organizations are seizing the successful fundraising vehicle of lotteries with great enthusiasm. With the proliferation of mega-lotteries run by major hospitals, disease organizations and arts groups, the consumer (you would think) could get turned off with the constant bombardment of ads selling lottery tickets. But one lottery that stands out from the rest is the 1998 Calendar of Dreams Lottery, a joint fundraising venture by the Lung Association of Metropolitan Toronto and York Region and the West Park Hospital Foundation.
Those who purchase the calendar are eligible for 365 daily cash prizes in 1998, for prizes totaling $12,000. Proceeds from the sale of the $20 lottery calendar, which went on sale at the end of October, are equally divided between the two organizations. The partnership was successful because the two organizations were able to incorporate their needs and co-ordinate their missions into one effort. "The Lung Association and West Park Hospitals have a long history of working together in the area of lung health and rehabilitation," says Judy Hills, executive director of The Lung Association. "This extension of our working clinical relationship is another example of how our health care organizations are finding innovative ways to work together to help the one in five Canadians with a breathing problem."
When nonprofits are fighting for donor dollars, fundraising has become very competitive. But fighting over a larger share of the donation pie is not the best way to raise revenue for charities. "The partnership demonstrates to the community that organizations with similar objectives can work together," says Dana Dawson, vice president of West Park Hospital Foundation. It also makes economic sense in terms of the costs associated with launching a new initiative and sharing volunteers and staff.
Improved marketing from two organizations working together
Although a big part of the challenge of a partnership is working with two sets of administrations and being flexible to the needs and concerns of each organization, among the greatest benefits are the wider marketing ability of two organizations working together and the shared expenses and expertise. "Each organization has its own contribution to make to the project whether it's a larger data base, availability of staff resources, a volunteer contingent or public relations support. The main consideration is that the partnership is one of trust and working together towards a common goal," explains Dawson.
But can a smaller lottery compete with the mega-lotteries that offer dream vacations, luxury homes and fast cars? "We wanted to make our product different, and I think we were trying to reach a wider target market than some of the other lotteries out there," explains Loreen Wood, public relations officer at The Lung Association. Wood helped to develop the calendar lottery and says that the unique qualities of the calendar are its selling points. "It's less expensive, and with our lottery, you have 365 chances to win," she says. "You can also keep the product and hang it on the wall, rather than just having a losing lottery ticket after the draw."
Every day, there is a draw for a cash prize of $20 and every Friday is a $100 draw. "A lot of people like having more chances to win something, even if it's not comparable to the big money being offered by other lotteries," says Wood. And cash is so much easier than co-ordinating dream homes or other prizes that take a lot of administrative work.
While there have been many success stories from large hospitals and not-for-profits who have run these mega-lotteries, smaller organizations or hospital foundations often just broke even or even lost money on their efforts to capitalize on the lottery trend. The smaller size and scale of this particular calendar lottery seems to fit the two parties.
Many buy because they believe in the mission
What about competition from other lotteries? Most of the people who buy tickets for mega-lotteries play because they are regular lottery players; supporting a good cause is a secondary consideration for them. This, however, is not the case for most of those buying the calendars. Although there is a certain percentage of traditional lottery ticket buyers, "many people buy because they believe in our mission and want to support the cause," explains Wood.
Many buyers also give the calendars as gifts. "I don't think we're trying to attract the usual lottery ticket buyer," says Wood. "One of the best things about this lottery is that is does a great deal to raise awareness about lung research and about both organizations, because people can actually keep their lottery calendar even if they don't win anything. It has definitely helped us double our exposure."
If the product doesn't appeal to buyers, however, it won't sell. That was where a further dimension was added to this unique partnership venture. Richard Bell, the show chairman and past president of the Professional Photographers of Ontario helped co-ordinate the calendar project, and was instrumental in securing the copyright to the pictures for the calendar. "We wanted to help make the final product look as professional and polished as possible, so that this fundraising product would appeal not just to people interested in giving to the Lung Association or the West Park Hospital, but also to those who could appreciate a really great product," explains Bell.
Attractive product the key to a good response
When he approached members of PPO, they were more than happy to help out a good cause. "Even though they weren't getting paid, they were thrilled to put their photographs towards charitable work so it really was an easy sell," remembers Bell. The photos in the calendar range from scenes of Niagara Falls, children and dogs to underwater shots. And having a good looking product was the key to getting a good response to the calendar. "Even though people want to help out by buying a calendar for charity, they still want good value for their dollar," says Bell.