An Interview With Isabelle Benditte, Director of Development, South Florida Urban Ministries

At critical moments in modern Miami history, South Florida Urban Ministries’ executive director and staff members have been at the forefront of social justice advocacy and disaster response. From helping to establish the Haitian Refugee Center in the '70s to the formation of People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality in the '80s, to coordinating a large-scale recovery effort in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in the '90s, this organization has been on the front line seeking to improve the quality of life for all members of its community.

The general purpose of the organization was then refined in the late 1990s, and a new strategic plan was formulated that would seek to stabilize the organization. Several years later and the result of much hard work, current program emphasis has proven to be effective in the following four areas: 1) children and youth services; 2) economic development; 3) hunger reduction; and 4) financial stability services. From a modest $108,000 in 2000, the budget has grown to more than $2 million in 2010.

FundRaising Success spoke to SFLUM Director of Development Isabelle Benditte about the organization and its fundraising initiatives.

Fundraising Success: Can you tell us a little about the organization's history?
Isabelle Benditte: Unlike most charities that focus on one cause, South Florida Urban Ministries focuses on the whole community. We empower people to move from poverty to prosperity by teaching them important life skills. Our main focus area is our Branches program, which consists of four after-school enrichment centers, where elementary-, middle- and high-school students can come for tutoring and mentoring, as well as fun extracurricular activities. We have three sites in Dade County and one in Broward County. Our other focuses are on hunger relief, small business development, and now we also offer financial services through our new partnership with United Way’s Center for Financial Stability.

For more than 37 years, SFLUM has been a catalyst in the development of community ministries throughout Miami-Dade and now Broward counties. From congregational-based to community-based programs, each initiative of SFLUM has served some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our community. Over the years, several vital urban ministry initiatives have been spun off to become independent entities.

FS: How do you fund your mission?
IB: SFLUM partners with churches and organizations to develop ministries of compassion and justice in South Florida. We are very fortunate to be funded by extremely caring and generous people who are either church members, business professionals or simply caring individuals who want to make a difference in our community. SFLUM is also the proud recipient of several grants from larger and small foundations and some government entities. We are also slowly growing our corporate donor base and see much potential in this area.

FS: How would you describe your fundraising philosophy?
IB: I believe that fundraising is all about building relationships and building trust. It is so important to connect with your donors and make them feel valued, appreciated and listened to. One must also gain their trust so the donors feel comfortable with you on a personal level, as well as the organization, its mission and programs, and its future. It should always be all about the donor because without the donor’s support and dedication, we would not be able to fund all the amazing programs that impact our community in such a positive way.

I also think that seeing is believing, and whenever you can actually show your donor what you are doing, they will be more connected and more invested in your organization. Give them a tour of your facility, your program site; speak with a staff person or a client. This will truly make an incredible difference, and it will make it even harder for that donor to say no when you make the ask!

FS: How do you reach out to supporters and potential supporters in ways other than purely fundraising? Are you engaged with social media and online social networking?
IB: SFLUM holds two main fundraising events each year and has recently added a new third event. Our largest event is the annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans benefit dinner and auction, which is always a fun evening and a big success. The annual Thanksgiving Day Meal Delivery program is our largest volunteer event, and last year we packaged and delivered over 4,520 meals with the help of over 1,000 volunteers on Thanksgiving morning. Our newest event is our Country Hoedown, which is a great family event with a live band, barbecue and a mechanical bull. We hope to grow this event over the next few years by securing event sponsors.

We are also beginning to reach out to people via social networking through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, yet are not making that our main focus. We still communicate best with our supporters through our quarterly newsletters in which we share our success stories and thank our donors for their dedication and generosity.

South Florida Urban Ministries2850 SW 27th Avenue, Miami, FL 33131
Phone: 305.442.8306
Web site: www.sflum.org
Annual operating budget: $2,083,411

Mission: Our mission is to empower people to move them from poverty to prosperity. To achieve this, we partner with churches and organizations to develop ministries of compassion and justice in the South Florida community.

Number of employees: 15 full-time and 25 Americorps members, three development team members and an executive director dedicated to fundraising