Idaho Gives Best Practices: Coeur d'Alene Salvation Army Kroc Center

“...it brings awareness to what the nonprofit community in our area can do. What it comes down to is regular people just giving a little bit,” says Christy Markham, Director of Development and Marketing of the Coeur d’Alene Salvation Army Kroc Center.  

We sat down with Markham to chat about working with other nonprofits to increase their reach and support their community as a whole. 

Idaho Gives is more than a fundraiser but also a friend-raiser.

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Markham also had help outside of nonprofits. “Our board helped connect us with a couple of new businesses to help promote it from employers to employees.” “...all of the mass promotion is important for people to see that this is a pretty big deal.” “...I think getting larger employers to support it is the ticket.”

• This year, businesses can sign up as an Employer Partner and have their name displayed on the Idaho Gives website. You can find out more information here.

Advice Markham has for first time participants of Idaho Gives is “...to get one on one with a representative of another organization who has done it before. Kind of as a mentor organization to answer basic questions. Getting those questions answered that would keep them from participating.”

Another effective way, Markham states, to get donations is for businesses have a designated employee/manager be a Idaho Gives champion. “An organization did this to promote and it became an office activity that was very successful. That some people who had never gave before were giving because the people they trusted were giving.”

​The Kroc Center’s Idaho Gives campaign ultimately being a success and “got previous and a couple of new donors.” Their ultimate goal was not reached but all money went to “buy technology for the youth robotics team.”