Development Committee Annual Report 2023

submitted by Sara White

Current Roster

  • Sara White, Chair (2025)
  • Lindsay Hansen-Brown, Member (2025)
  • Steve Landstreet, Member (2025)
  • Terry Lewis, Member (2025)
  • Matthew Vest, Member (2025)
  • Elizabeth Hille Cribbs, ex-officio (2024)
  • Liza F. Vick, ex-officio (2024)
  • Paula L. Hickner, ex-officio (2026)
  • Serena J. Vaquilar, ex-officio (2026)
  • Marci Cohen, ex-officio (2027)
  • Rebekah G. Hill, ex-officio (2027)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • 1. Create new fund and donating to conference registrations: Development looked into options for members to provide funds privately to offset conference costs for a specific MLA member. We also looked into how to create a general conference registration fund (communal fund), and how members can donate to this fund.
    • A general conference registration fund was created and utilized for the 2023 Annual Meeting.
    • Members have the option to provide funds privately to offset conference costs to a specific MLA member.
    • Task Complete
  • 2. Planned Giving: Encourage long-time supporters of MLA to leave a planned gift to the association. This could be naming MLA in a will or as a beneficiary for a retirement plan. Development would like to promote planned giving through our planned giving organization, the Susan T. (Suki) Sommer Society.
    • The Development Committee continues to promote planned giving amongst long-time supporters of MLA. We were able to communicate with some members to set up planned giving gifts to the association.
    • Task ongoing
  • 3. Diversity Scholarship Initiative: raise funds for the Diversity Scholarship. This will be promoted during Giving Tuesday and outreach opportunities.
    • Diversity Scholarship was promoted during Giving Tuesday and through QR codes available during the 2023 Annual Meeting. Funds were raised in support of this initiative. We will continue to raise funds for the Diversity Scholarship. As of the second quarter of the 2023 fiscal year, over $480 have been raised for the Diversity Scholarship Fund.
    • Task ongoing
  • 4. Text-to-Give Option: Development looked into different platforms that would allow members to give to MLA through text donations. QGiv is one platform that was looked at extensively and used for MLA fundraising.
    • Donations through QGiv raised $557.36. The option of text-to-give donations was successful, however, not utilized by members as much as anticipated. Also, the subscription and transaction fees through QGiv totaled a costly $196.64. In the future, MLA will probably not use QGiv and will instead use QR codes or links to forms for donation submissions which will allow us to eliminate additional fees.
    • Task Complete

List of Future Goals

  • 1. Recurring Donation Initiative: MLA has started the High Five for MLA Campaign. The High Five for MLA Campaign looks to raise needed funds for the MLA General Fund, with a focus on small-gift pledged donations of $5.00 a month/$60 a year, with the option for larger gifts to seed or sustain the program. We are hoping to have raised no less than pledges in the amount of $7,500 by the end of 2023.
    • Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership
  • 2. Planned Giving: Encourage long-time supporters of MLA to leave a planned gift to the association. This could be naming MLA in a will or as a beneficiary for a retirement plan. Development would like to promote planned giving through our planned giving organization, the Susan T. (Suki) Sommer Society.
    • Goal Area 1: Organize Strategically
    • Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership
  • 3. Increase the number of Corporate Members and Patrons through targeted solicitation.
    • Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership
    • Goal Area 4: Strengthen Communication
  • 4. Continue raising funds for the Diversity Scholarship through outreach opportunities and promotion within the association
    • Goal Area 1: Organize Strategically
    • Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity