Q&A with Kerri Schlottman

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers was founded in 1994 to administer the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which have an impressive legacy and a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Sylvia Plath and Joyce Carol Oates. The Scholastic Awards began as a small writing contest with a $5 prize and six winning applicants in 1923.

Today, the Alliance works with nearly 100 regional affiliates across the country to promote the creative development of teens in grades 7 through 12 by connecting them with opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and college and pre-college scholarships. To date, the awards have encouraged more than 13 million students, recognized more than 9 million young artists and writers, and made available more than $25 million in awards and scholarships.

Here, we talk with Director of External Relations Kerri Schlottman about the organization, and its fundraising strategies and techniques.

FundRaising Success: How do you fund your mission?
Kerri Schlottman: We have a two-tiered membership program that includes exclusive levels for past Scholastic Award winners and for non-Award winners, a corporate sponsorship program, and a rigorous funding plan geared toward foundations and federal and state agencies.

Our fundraising strategy is quite simple: volume outreaching to as many potential support sources as possible to make our organization a common name among the funding community.

FS: What are the biggest challenges your organization faces as far as fundraising is concerned? How do you overcome them?
KS: Given the uncertain economic climate, this is one of the most challenging fundraising times for all nonprofit organizations. It’s exceptionally difficult to attract new support as funders are increasingly cautious about developing new relationships and taking any risks with investments. To address these obstacles, we are focusing much of our energy on increasing the amount of support from those who have an established record of giving to the organization across the spectrum of individuals, corporations and foundations.

We also recently restructured our corporate sponsorship program to increase incentives to funders in marketing, advertising and promotions — areas in which many companies have experienced budgetary reductions. Primarily, what we’ve learned is that it is increasingly important to think outside the box and assess each asset of our programming to determine how to best market our value to potential funders. Simultaneously, these challenging times require a closer inspection of funding sources and a keen assessment of their needs and how our organization might be able to meet them through a mutually beneficial partnership.

Fundraising has never been easy and there is no one great model to follow, but as long as an organization’s development team is able to adapt to the funding climate and continually evolve methods and think creatively, much can be accomplished, even in the most challenging times.

FS: Do you foresee any big changes in the way you reach potential donors and other supporters in the near future?
KS: Once we crack the nut on how to best use social media to meet our fundraising needs, this is an area that we foresee will bring about much change in how we communicate to supporters and attract new partnerships.

FS: How would you describe your fundraising philosophy?
KS: The Alliance team works hard to identify new support sources; foster long-lasting relationships with current donors; and cultivate effective and committed partnerships with our board of directors, regional affiliates and other like-minded organizations. Each aspect of our programming is thoroughly assessed for its efficacy, sustainability and capacity for growth. We involve our donors and partners in exciting programmatic activities that provide them with hands-on experience of our important contribution to honoring talent in creative youth: They participate as jurors during awards adjudication; facilitate workshops for students and teachers; award medals of honor to young artists and writers; and attend special exhibition openings of student works.

By involving them in the process of our programs, we make our supporters more than funders — we make them important contributors to the creative development of America’s teens.

FS: How do you reach out to supporters and potential supporters in ways other than purely fundraising? Are you engaged with social-media sites and online social networking?
KS: We are just beginning to enter the world of social media, and we have much to learn about the many ways it can be used to benefit fundraising strategies. While there have been some exemplary models in recent times, there is a disconnection from the personal relationship building that much of our fundraising philosophy hinges upon, and we are still assessing how best to use these tools.

FS: Can you describe a recent successful fundraising effort?
KS: Our annual appeal to individuals has been particularly successful this year. In response to the challenging fundraising climate, we restructured our individual giving by creating a multilevel membership program that provides never-before-offered incentives to donors beginning at the $100 level. We also produced visually stimulating, cost-effective materials that defied the direct-marketing appearance of typical annual appeals. Our accompanying letter was simple and to the point, and set clear benchmarks for how donations would directly affect our programming so that supporters could equate their giving to tangible outcomes. The appeal launched in November, and we have already witnessed a 38 percent increase in giving over last year (and still going strong).

FS: Any major difficulties or setbacks you’ve faced along the way?
KS: Fundraising is sometimes a thankless job, as any development person will tell you. With an increase in efforts comes an increase in rejections as well. One of our major difficulties this year has been fostering a positive atmosphere in the organization despite the poor economic climate and remaining inspired and energized while implementing a rigorous development plan.

FS: Things you would do differently with your fundraising?
KS: There’s nothing we would do differently with our fundraising, though as most other organizations would agree, it would be most exceptional to be able to hire additional staff to increase our efforts.

FS: What advice would you give to organizations similar to yours, in size and annual operating budget?
KS: Continue to think creatively and evolve. It’s the only way to ensure survival. The world is changing rapidly, and successful development offices will be those that are able to adapt.

Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

Phone: 212.343.7773
Web: artandwriting.org

Annual Operating Budget: $3 million
Annual Contributed Income: $2,708,372

Mission: The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through its signature program, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Number of employees: 12, three staffers primarily responsible for development and fundraising

Joe Boland 
is copy editor and staff writer for the Target Marketing Group at FS’ parent company, NAPCO. Reach him at jboland@napco.com