NOTE: Please do NOT contact these organizations directly with your questions about the Benevon Model. They, just like all nonprofits, are busy fulfilling their missions, and have generously contributed their stories with the understanding that readers of our Web site will not contact them directly. Instead, please direct any questions about Benevon to info@benevon.com or (206) 709-9400. Thank you for your consideration.

After seventeen years with MADD Gulf Area Chapter, Executive Director Linda Kitazaki had grown tired of the multitude of special events they held each year to supply their basic operating funds. When the MADD National Office let her know that a Benevon 101 Workshop was scheduled for her area, Linda was glad to find an alternative to the yearly treadmill of special events. She attended an Introductory Session, read Terry Axelrod's books, and watched the introductory video. Linda was shocked to learn that 84% of all contributions come from individual donors, and she and her team “were so motivated we signed a written commitment to the [Benevon] Model before we even attended the workshop!”

After attending the Benevon 101 Workshop in Houston, Linda and her team were confident that MADD would have excellent results with this approach. The model made it easy for them to educate their community about the full extent of their programs and services, and it taught them how to connect people with MADD's mission to “stop drunken driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking.”

Naturally, the first step was to invite the contacts on their Treasure Map to Point of Entry^® tours of the MADD Gulf Area Chapter facility. Among other moving images, guests on the tour viewed a wall of poems by the friends and family of victims. Guests were then seated and given a light lunch while a staff member explained MADD's history, current state, and future goals. According to Linda, “Our guests are always moved. We work hard at creating a visual for our guests in regards to a day in our office.” And, with further cultivation and involvement, these Point of Entry guests quickly translated into hundreds of new contacts and supporters for the organization. The Follow-Up Calls after the events went better than anyone expected, eliciting “a great response” from those who had taken the tour.

On March 10, 2004, Linda and her team greeted 250 guests at MADD Gulf Area Chapter's first Ask Event^™. The event opened with live music played by a teen pianist, and both music and visuals were woven throughout the rest of the program. The Chapter President's Visionary Leader talk gave guests a powerful sense of the need and the emotion behind MADD's work, and was accompanied by pictures of the young daughter she had lost to a drunk driving accident. Her talk was followed by a moving vocal performance. Teen volunteers then gave testimonials about their own reasons for being involved with MADD and described their work with elementary school children. Says Linda, “We tried to show all the elements of what MADD does. We wanted to make sure our guests knew we do more than victim advocacy. We emphasized our belief that education is the key to prevention.” Linda and her team knew the event went well, because it was obvious the audience was moved by the emotional program, but it wasn't until they followed up the next day that they realized “how wonderful the reactions were. It really linked them to our mission.”

When all the counting was done, MADD Gulf Area Chapter had raised over $195,000—nearly doubling its financial goal. This single event netted over twelve times more than any of the organization's previous events, and increased donations from individuals by 700%! “I have been with MADD for seventeen years,” Linda explains. “If you name the special event, we've done it. We've solicited foundations, written grants, and worked with corporations. The most we ever raised with any event was $15,000 net. But when we counted the money from our Ask Event, we could not believe it. We called our State Executive Director and sang 'Do You Believe in Miracles?' into her voicemail. I am a believer.”

Linda attributes this success to the dedication of her team and the coaching of their Benevon instructor and coach. The team “had one hard-and-fast rule: “Follow the model!” After that, it was just a matter of taking full advantage of the valuable resources available in the training and coaching. Says Linda, “Our biggest challenge was using the right words. Our coach did a fabulous job working with our Visionary Leader^™ on her speech, choosing the words to use at our Point of Entry presentations, and the Emotional Hook^™ of our program. She filled in all the blanks.”

Linda is happy to report that the Benevon Model has finally eliminated MADD Gulf Area Chapter's dependence on special events, and that her team is now able to focus on cultivating relationships with donors who are truly committed to their work. When asked what she would tell another organization considering the workshop, she immediately responds, “Go for it! It really works! It is everything they tell you and more. Get a team, stick to the model, and just do it.”