Kappa Kappa Psi / STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA
Kappa Kappa Psi: Advancing the Traditions
Relationship building is important to any campaign, KKPsi was founded on the campus of Oklahoma State but the nature of Kappa Kappa Psi (KKPsi), a national, University on November 27, 1919. In anticipation of its co-educational fraternal organization that advances centennial celebration, the nonprofit retained Hartsook college and university bands, meant donor relationships to guide its first major campaign. The Advancing the needed to be handled with the utmost respect and Traditions campaign was launched to support four consideration. This was especially true since the major objectives: fraternity had lost touch with some alumni members • National Intercollegiate Band and who would be solicited for gifts. Reconnecting and the Commissioning Program rekindling ties between members and the national organization would take planning, thoughtful outreach • Educational Program Expansion and an inspired message. • Capital Improvements
• Centennial Fund Initiative
HARTSOOK Kappa Kappa Psi / STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA
“Because this was our first major campaign, we knew to the campaign, my fundraising experience mainly we needed to build a culture of philanthropy among had been selling items for band fundraisers. Making an our members,” offered Steve Nelson, National ask for a multi-thousand dollar donation was anything Executive Director of Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta but second nature to me. Yet, Hartsook prepared us Sigma. “Initially, our national headquarters didn’t as we learned how to start the process by focusing on have the institutional knowledge to manage donor cultivating relationships. This was key in making the ask. relations adequately. Working with Hartsook gave It amazes me how well we have done and how good us the information and at this some cabinet perspective we needed members have become.” to accomplish our goals.” “This was our first major campaign, and Hartsook Malinda M. Matney, KKPsi is a student service Ph.D., served as and leadership society provided the information campaign chair. She whose chief aim is to had also served as the assist college bands and and guidance to build our organization’s National band members. Through President from 2007 its programs and service confidence. We have learned to 2009: “We are an activities, the organization organization that tends provides opportunities a great deal, and it will only to operate on a two- to for college students to four-year horizon, so excel as leaders and benefit the organization in sustaining the energy for band members. KKPsi nearly twice that time— believes that service to the future.” when you include pre- the college or university campaign preparation— - Steve Nelson, National Executive Director band program fosters of Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta Sigma proved to be an responsibility, loyalty and interesting challenge. leadership; that a spirit Also, as a collegiate of brotherhood is enhanced by the participation in a fraternity, our leadership tends to be younger than that band program; that music is a universal language and of other national organizations. Still, the challenges truly the greatest of the arts; and that through fraternal and the strategic work that has been invested in the participation, each member will strive for the highest. campaign has strengthened us. It has been beneficial to the Fraternity in many ways beyond the money raised.” According to board of trustees member, Danny George, CPA, “We understood that making this decision to One of the benefits was allowing the Fraternity launch a campaign would be a huge undertaking, to make many more intentional connections with since we had never attempted fundraising of this current students and alumni than it had in previous magnitude for the Fraternity in our history. Frankly, we decades. For example, KKPsi leveraged its centennial were very nervous and cautious, yet motivated. Prior celebration by using the campaign as a platform to
HARTSOOK Kappa Kappa Psi / STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA showcase two new fundraising initiatives: The 1919 Biennium Challenge for alumni and the 1919 Society for students: “As the Fraternity approaches its first centennial, its 6,000 active brothers work to enhance musicianship, leadership and service in more than 200 college band programs across the United States. With this campaign, Kappa Kappa Psi is taking a long-term approach to preserving its legacy as well as ensuring its future!”
“This was the best part for me,” said Nelson, “Seeing how people, at various levels of giving potential, responded to being asked. You could see that support for the Fraternity was important to them. They appreciated being asked, and they seemed to give at a level that stretched them beyond their normal gifts.”
Even with the enthusiasm demonstrated by its members, the campaign experienced a common transition from the initial launch to a season of perseverance. This is to be expected, since those most interested and enthusiastic are asked first to give. Nelson reflected, “As I recall, with about a year left before our national convention and the official celebration of the Fraternity’s centennial, there was some fatigue on the part of the campaign cabinet. But as excitement for the approaching celebration grew, the team was able to recommit themselves and some new progress was made in meeting our goals.”
Matney added, “We had to cultivate new national leadership every two years. Since the time we started the campaign, the entire National Council had turned over, as well as about half of our board. So thinking through the leadership cultivation piece was very important for me, personally—continually getting back in touch with what is exciting about this work and conveying it to others helped crystalize the message.”
HARTSOOK Kappa Kappa Psi / STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA
“Our Hartsook consultants, Executive Vice President Another gift of significance came from a couple who Janell Johnson and Vice President Kristy Burns, met one another as undergrads. The husband had were very good at suggesting creative ways we just retired from a career as a band director. Band could keep the interest music had brought them level up with strategies together and remained such as the chapter an important part of their challenge and targeted adult lives as well.” donation mailers,” offered George. “They took a Several gifts in the range comprehensive approach; of $125,000 to $150,000 they evaluated where we moved the campaign were as an organization, over the finish-line to its looked at our history of successful $1.4 million goal. fundraising and reviewed our membership list to Added Nelson, “Through- assist us in determining out the process, Hartsook our goal. They educated helped us understand us on how to cultivate what we didn’t know, donors and showed us and then provided the how to develop a strong information and guidance plan for the future.” to build our confidence. Campaigns require a When they began the lot of hard work. It takes campaign journey, every- much discussion to build one expected the work a consensus on how to be hard, but what they to approach major gift did not anticipate is how fun and rewarding a well- fundraising. At the same time, we have learned a guided, successful campaign can be. Said Matney, great deal, and it will only benefit the organization in “What was especially satisfying was building a culture the future.” of gratitude. We’ve seen a shift in alumni from thinking they do their work as undergrads and reap “For me, a very meaningful aspect of the campaign the benefits as alumni members to understanding was in getting a large group of people to articulate that a benefit and responsibility of alumni is to the same message about the Fraternity and share the support future students. We received $100,000 from importance of investing in the future of the college an alum that funded special events for our Centennial band movement with others,” shared Matney. “This will year. This allowed thousands of members of all ages mean so much to Kappa Kappa Psi and its members, to connect with the Fraternity in a wonderful way. now and for the organization’s second century.”
Hartsook / P.O. Box 410046 / Kansas City, MO 64141 866.630.8500 / hartsook.com / [email protected]