Idaho Gives Best Practices: SOLE

Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education (SOLE), Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to designing and facilitating intentional, experiential, and outdoor education programming for kids K - 12. SOLE was the highest earning nonprofit in Bonner County for Idaho Gives 2017, raising $2,260. With those funds, SOLE was able to immerse ninety Idaho youth in a full-day transformational outdoor education program. We caught up with Dennison Webb, Founder and Executive Director of SOLE, to talk about their Idaho Gives experience. ​

SOLE hosted a community outreach event at Idaho Port Authority that was very successful. Webb mentioned that “this day gives the opportunity for area nonprofits to come together in collaboration with Idaho Gives. It encourages folks [and] our stakeholders to come out and support their favorite nonprofit, and maybe learn something new about another nonprofit they aren’t as familiar with.” Webb knows that since Bonner county is big, sometimes collaboration is a challenge, however, this is the perfect opportunity for all the nonprofits to come together and do so.

Webb’s advice to nonprofits for a successful Idaho Gives day is collaboration. “Anything you can do as a region to come together to have a shared event is always better. I think it strengthens what we’re doing. I love the idea of collaboration and nonprofits coming together.”

Throughout the day SOLE was able to get both new and old donors. “Being such a young nonprofit, a lot of our donors are new, but we are retaining donors year to year which is fantastic, and they continue to give whether it’s Idaho Gives or other fundraisers. Folks are continuing to come out and support what we're doing.”

​Webb said the best way to prepare is to plan. “The Idaho Nonprofit Center has been better each year with providing resources.”