When we founded HHH back in 2011, there were a lot of things I couldn’t have imagined. For example, I wouldn’t guessed that we’d have three locations ten years later, or that our annual fundraiser would grow from 250 guests to nearly 700 (before Covid-19, of course). But I think the thing that’s surprised me the most is how incredibly supportive the community has been, and the heroism of monthly donors.
If you’d have asked me 10 years ago what a donor who gives ten dollars a month could do for HHH, I probably would have said something like, “No donation is too small.” That’s true, no doubt. But now I understand that monthly donors are SUPERHEROES in the nonprofit world. The reliability of their donations make it possible for us to budget; the relationship they have to our organization extends way beyond their checkbooks; and our data continues to show they become one of our greatest sources of referrals.
Reliability
Annemarie Kautz and her husband Jim are long time HHH supporters. I recently asked her what motivates them to give each month.
“We feel that monthly donations make it easier for HHH to keep doing what they do best without having to have too many fundraisers. Monthly donations are a regular part of the budget that can be counted on,” she said…and she couldn’t be more correct.
Every few weeks, HHH gets the same bills that come to your house…times three. Knowing we can count on several donors’ monthly contributions to help cover those costs, January through December, makes it easier for us to focus on our mission of providing a complimentary home away from home for those in need of restoration while either comforting a sick loved or receiving treatment. Ensuring our guests have a premium hospital lodging experience is a much more worthwhile use of staff and volunteer’s time than constant fundraising.
Relationships
When people start monthly donations to HHH, a beautiful thing begins to happen. They’re far more likely to pay attention to Facebook posts, advertisements, and press releases regarding our organization. When we need volunteers, they’re likely to spread the word. What began as simple philanthropy turns into a relationship as deep as friends, and in some cases, family.
Mary Ecker wrote, “I heard about the Hunter Hospitality House project after the first house had opened. I went to see the movie about HHH that was shown at a local church. I learned so much about the things that HHH does that I wrote a check to support the cause. I noticed other HHH activities. I started giving a minimal amount monthly and I would support other fundraisers for HHH throughout the year. I raised the monthly amount because I thought it was money well spent and the larger monthly donation had more value to the cause than my small ones with one or two large ones sprinkled in. Consistent donations help budgeting. The biggest difference happened when I responded to requests for help with a mailing. When I got there, I realized what a major task mailing can be. Because of some connections, I could change the part of that task that would have taken many hours into a one-hour project. I then helped to stuff envelopes until the project was ready for mailing. I was glad to help with the project because the mailing was important to HHH. Volunteering to do that was an eye-opener for me. I can't always volunteer, but I will when I can.”
Referrals
Did you know that “word of mouth” is second only to hospital referrals when our guests tell us how they found out about HHH? Interestingly, we often hear the source of that “word of mouth” advertising is a monthly donor.
It’s not very surprising, if you think about it. Monthly donors have a great understanding of what we provide at HHH, and because they hear from us regularly with receipts and impact reports (a perk just for them—more on that later!), Hunter Hospitality House is top of mind. When they hear about someone who could benefit by staying at HHH, they’re likely to share the opportunity with them.
Monthly donor Karen Jezewski is quick to tell everyone about HHH. “Hunter Hospitality House is a vital asset for our community. It functions as a "Port in the Storm" for guests that have found themselves on unexpected, often tragic circumstances. My monthly donation demonstrates my support for this community treasure.”
Reliability, relationships, and referrals—three reasons I consider our monthly donors HHH superheroes. To express our gratitude, we provide them with regular impact reports, telling how many guests stayed and what sort of circumstances were eased by their donations. Below, you’ll see a monthly impact report from 2021.
If you’d like to become a monthly donor, please let us know. We can walk you through the process of setting payments up through PayPal, your credit union or bank, or you can simply send a check each month. Annemarie Kautz said, “We like donating monthly because it is automatic, and we don’t have to think about it.” The amount is up to you, because honestly…every little bit really does help.
All monthly donors receive an email each month with a report like this, telling them what an incredible impact their gift gave our guests!
If you’d have asked me 10 years ago what a donor who gives ten dollars a month could do for HHH, I probably would have said something like, “No donation is too small.” That’s true, no doubt. But now I understand that monthly donors are SUPERHEROES in the nonprofit world. The reliability of their donations make it possible for us to budget; the relationship they have to our organization extends way beyond their checkbooks; and our data continues to show they become one of our greatest sources of referrals.
Reliability
Annemarie Kautz and her husband Jim are long time HHH supporters. I recently asked her what motivates them to give each month.
“We feel that monthly donations make it easier for HHH to keep doing what they do best without having to have too many fundraisers. Monthly donations are a regular part of the budget that can be counted on,” she said…and she couldn’t be more correct.
Every few weeks, HHH gets the same bills that come to your house…times three. Knowing we can count on several donors’ monthly contributions to help cover those costs, January through December, makes it easier for us to focus on our mission of providing a complimentary home away from home for those in need of restoration while either comforting a sick loved or receiving treatment. Ensuring our guests have a premium hospital lodging experience is a much more worthwhile use of staff and volunteer’s time than constant fundraising.
Relationships
When people start monthly donations to HHH, a beautiful thing begins to happen. They’re far more likely to pay attention to Facebook posts, advertisements, and press releases regarding our organization. When we need volunteers, they’re likely to spread the word. What began as simple philanthropy turns into a relationship as deep as friends, and in some cases, family.
Mary Ecker wrote, “I heard about the Hunter Hospitality House project after the first house had opened. I went to see the movie about HHH that was shown at a local church. I learned so much about the things that HHH does that I wrote a check to support the cause. I noticed other HHH activities. I started giving a minimal amount monthly and I would support other fundraisers for HHH throughout the year. I raised the monthly amount because I thought it was money well spent and the larger monthly donation had more value to the cause than my small ones with one or two large ones sprinkled in. Consistent donations help budgeting. The biggest difference happened when I responded to requests for help with a mailing. When I got there, I realized what a major task mailing can be. Because of some connections, I could change the part of that task that would have taken many hours into a one-hour project. I then helped to stuff envelopes until the project was ready for mailing. I was glad to help with the project because the mailing was important to HHH. Volunteering to do that was an eye-opener for me. I can't always volunteer, but I will when I can.”
Referrals
Did you know that “word of mouth” is second only to hospital referrals when our guests tell us how they found out about HHH? Interestingly, we often hear the source of that “word of mouth” advertising is a monthly donor.
It’s not very surprising, if you think about it. Monthly donors have a great understanding of what we provide at HHH, and because they hear from us regularly with receipts and impact reports (a perk just for them—more on that later!), Hunter Hospitality House is top of mind. When they hear about someone who could benefit by staying at HHH, they’re likely to share the opportunity with them.
Monthly donor Karen Jezewski is quick to tell everyone about HHH. “Hunter Hospitality House is a vital asset for our community. It functions as a "Port in the Storm" for guests that have found themselves on unexpected, often tragic circumstances. My monthly donation demonstrates my support for this community treasure.”
Reliability, relationships, and referrals—three reasons I consider our monthly donors HHH superheroes. To express our gratitude, we provide them with regular impact reports, telling how many guests stayed and what sort of circumstances were eased by their donations. Below, you’ll see a monthly impact report from 2021.
If you’d like to become a monthly donor, please let us know. We can walk you through the process of setting payments up through PayPal, your credit union or bank, or you can simply send a check each month. Annemarie Kautz said, “We like donating monthly because it is automatic, and we don’t have to think about it.” The amount is up to you, because honestly…every little bit really does help.
All monthly donors receive an email each month with a report like this, telling them what an incredible impact their gift gave our guests!