Ready for Reno

by Olivia Tuck
Development Assistant

While the Elks National Foundation is hoping to reunite with many of you in Reno, the upcoming Elks National Convention is my very first and I’ll be meeting most of you for the first time. I am thrilled and honored to have been asked to attend the Convention and cannot wait to head to Reno next month. I found out that I will be going to Convention in January and have been counting down the days since then! The very day after we finished up the Hoop Shoot National Finals in late April, Kate and I switched gears in the Development office to focus on our Convention-related projects.

A majority of our time has been devoted to planning the ENF Events just before the Convention actually kicks off—the Scholar Advisory Board outing and the ENF donor event.

Here I am holding ENF ribbons.

One of my most entertaining tasks at the ENF has been looking for a performer for the ENF event. Although I don’t want to give away too many secrets, I can tell you that my hunt for performer led to a few Frank Sinatra impersonators demonstrating their talents by singing to me over the phone. I know the hard work going into this event will lead to a fantastic evening to honor our major donors.

One of the best parts about the Hoop Shoot was finally being able to speak with volunteers and donors face-to-face. Through these interactions, I learned so much more about the Elks and what is important to our incredible supporters than I had just by speaking with them over the phone or via email. I am excited to experience the same sort of interactions at the ENF booth, but on an even larger scale and specifically with volunteers that I speak to all the time. I’m particularly looking forward to being able to personally thank volunteers and donors for all their hard work and dedication to the Foundation. Not only will I be able to thank our donors and volunteers with a handshake and a smile, I will get to recognize them on the spot by handing out the ENF ribbons to those who qualify! The ribbons, which highlight program involvement and giving levels, are a great way to show fellow Elks at Convention that they are a proud supporter of the ENF, and a small token of our appreciation.

 

Here are my co-workers handing out ENF ribbons.

The ENF presentations at Convention will also be helpful as a venue through which we can receive feedback from our volunteers. Kate and I are particularly eager for the ENF Fundraising Chairs: Annual Giving presentation. Kate will discuss our revamped Foundation Fellowship and how Chairs at all levels can encourage donors to get involved with this updated giving program.

If you’ll be at Convention, make sure to stop by the ENF booth to say hi to me, and reunite with the rest of our staff! Be sure to check out the full schedule of the ENF’s happenings in Reno here. 

A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Elks National Foundation helps Elks build stronger communities through programs that support youth, serve veterans and meet needs in areas where Elks live and work. For more information on the ENF, visit elks.org/enf.