What can a small handful of volunteers do to raise money for crumbling infrastructure and un-sexy needs as appealing as bags of concrete? Answer: work with what you’ve got.

Cooks Creek Ukrainian Catholic Church in a rural area of Manitoba enjoys a historical legacy of volunteer support, generations of loyal parishioners and a wondrous grotto built decades ago to recreate the famous site at Lourdes, France. Located in a sparsely populated area, it is an ongoing challenge to maintain. As a religious organization, the parish is not eligible for many of the corporate and foundation giving programs.

Someone had an “outside of the box” idea - to take advantage of the unique site, rural area considered horse country, and build an event around it. The parish has held three medieval festivals with one year breaks in between. Complete with costumes, childrens’ activites, equestrian and traditional combat events, it attracts people who would not otherwise donate. The organizers are also smart about upsizing, offering graduated levels of tickets which come with added benefits. Bravo.

In marketing terms, a value proposition is a clear statement of what a company or organization offers its clients. Like most things in life, simplicity is the key to clarity. The more focused the value proposition, the more effective the resulting communication.

The most powerful statement in the world will lead nowhere, however, if your value proposition is in direct contrast to your organization’s core and culture. Nothing breeds disillusionment among your staff and volunteers (and your donors!) than the rank whiff of disconnect. An organization’s culture, sometimes defined as how people behave when they think no one is looking, needs to be authentic and in tune to resonate. Inconsistency is the greatest demoralizer. Organizations that live their values are:

• authentic - act and do as they say they do
• receptive - actively interested in their donors’ and staff needs and interests
• giving - focused on the needs of their clients first
• prosperous - attract supporters and partners