Campaign for Dignity makes history: Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation reaches $25 million goal in Campaign for Dignity.

When the leadership of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas (CPRF) embarked on a $10 million endowment campaign, no one could have predicted the dynamic success that the "Campaign for Dignity" would encounter. What began as a modest annual fund and endowment effort evolved into a concisely

Three Entities Focus Attention

CPRF is a combination of three significant entities including Center Industries, a nationally recognized program which provides a high-tech business environment providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities; The Timbers, a residential facility for people with disabilities; and the Carney Center for Rehabilitation Engineering, which modifies home and work sites for use by people with disabilities, as well as conducts one of only two wheelchair seating clinics in Kansas. CPRF's Human Services Division also provides one of only a few community-based programs for survivors of traumatic brain injury in the nation.

Past Philanthropy

While CPRF had experienced good success in attracting and retaining public funding over the years, no formal structure existed for raising funds from the private sector. One of the reasons for this was the organization's strong commitment to the dignity of people with severe physical disabilities. CPRF's President and Founder, Jack Jonas, wanted assurance that whoever represented them must not subscribe to the "tin cup" approach when presenting their case for support to potential philanthropic investors. Several members of CPRF's Board of Directors knew Dr. Robert F. Hartsook, President of Hartsook and Associates, and respected his work. His firm was retained to provide an audit for CPRF's annual fund activities, prepare for anticipated estate and planned gifts, as well as conduct an endowment campaign.

CPRF's leadership requested on-site consulting services for three years and Norma R. Lee, then a senior consultant at Hartsook and Associates, was recruited for the position. The first year's goal was to establish an Annual Giving Program which could generate a minimum of $100,000 in ongoing support. "In order to accomplish this goal, we named Norma Lee vice president of development," explained Jack Jonas. Now, almost five years later, the Annual Fund Program generates on average, $250,000 a year. "Hartsook and Associates Integrated Campaign[TM] has been critical to our success," said Jonas.