Lake View Cemetery

Project Manager: James Choinski Consultants: Connor Herlehy, Devin Carroll, Jasmine Le, Zack Griswold, Olivia Weldon Fall 2015

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………..4

Brochure……………………………………………………………………………….....5

Lake View Website……………....……………………………………………………...7

Involvement with The Ithacan …………………………………………………………..9

Volunteers………………………………………………………………………………...10

Future Involvement/Fundraising………………………………………………………..13

Executive Summary

The Lake View Cemetery approached the Ithaca College chapter of Student’s Consulting Non-profit Organizations (SCNO) in the fall of 2015 for help in researching and recommending a variety of fundraising strategies to increase donations and to determine effective ways to increase community awareness and communicate the history of Lake View Cemetery. Through a semester-long project that lasted from September 2015 to December 2015, a team of SCNO members focused exclusively on creating a brochure to spread community awareness and positive word-of-mouth, a recommendation on what to include on the Lake View website, a press release for The Ithacan to show the changes the Cemetery underwent, how to recruit volunteers, and a plan for fundraising opportunities within the Ithaca Community. This booklet is meant to aid Lake View Cemetery in increasing community awareness, to help them recover from the embezzlement scandal, and increase funds so they can accomplish their future goals.

Brochure: A brochure is a small book or magazine containing pictures and information about your product and/or service. It is important to have a brochure because it will market your non-profit organization while encouraging people to donate to the cemetery. We recommend that you have your own brochure because it tackles two of your major problems at one time. The Lake View Cemetery will become well known within the Ithaca Community and increase the inflow of funds. Where to put the brochure:

1. Nursing Homes: Nursing homes, like Longview, are an important place for these brochures to be available for obvious reasons. Many people in nursing homes are nearing their end of life, and their loved ones might have to start thinking about what to do when they are gone, even if it is difficult. Having the brochures right there and available not only provides them with information on somewhere to lay their family or friends to rest, but also about the financial help the Lake View Cemetery needs. It could entice them to want to donate to the cemetery since it might now be relevant to their lives. Longview 607-375-6300 1 Bella Vista Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850 Oak Hill Manor 607-272-8282 602 Hudson Street, Ithaca, NY 1480

Bridges Cornell Heights 607-257-5777 407 Wyckoff Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850

2. Grocery Stores: There are multiple grocery stores within the Ithaca community. Wegmans is a great place to put these brochures. By the front door of Wegmans, there is a stand that holds flyers and brochures. Also, Walmart has a customer service section that holds advertising materials for organizations within the Ithaca area. People will see this, pick up a brochure, and begin to research the Lake View Cemetery. The availability of the brochure will also increase “word of mouth,” which will increase the amount of donations to the cemetery.

Wegmans 500 S Meadow St, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 277-5800

Walmart 135 Fairgrounds Memorial Pkwy, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 277-4510

3. Community Locations: The Ithaca Commons has multiple locations where brochures

could be placed. One place could potentially be at Center Ithaca. Inside of Center Ithaca there is a Visitor’s Center where many people go in to ask questions about Ithaca and what there is in the town. The Visitor’s Center collects brochures from companies within the Ithaca Community. Another location could potentially be the DeWitt Mall. This mall is not in the Ithaca Commons but very close by on N. Cayuga Street. The placement of these brochures will allow people to raise more awareness of the cemetery and could allow for an increase in donations.

Visitor’s Center 171 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 273-7482

DeWitt Mall 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 273-6464

Lake View Website

Lake View can improve its awareness by creating a website. This will promote a positive image through pictures, as well as text. Not only does it create a positive image, but it also makes getting in contact with Lake View that much easier. With contact info directly on the page, potential donors have an easier way to get in touch to donate. In terms of donating, including a PayPal link will also give donors an easy way to contribute whatever amount of money they would like to give to Lake View Cemetery. Providing a visual image of improvements made to Lake View will also give donors a better idea of where their money is going as well. What to Have on the Website:

-Top Contributors: Top contributors are essential to make it somewhat of a competition with an end goal and price in mind as to who donates the most. The top donator each month will be recognized on the website and could possibly receive some sort of discount or award.

- Paypal: Paypal is necessary for the simple fact that it makes donating that much easier. Instead of sending payments through the mail to the cemetery, an online payment is quick, easy, and painless. To set up a PayPal account simply go to paypal.com, click sign-up, and enter all of the required information.

-Where are donations going?: It’s important to show donors where their donations are going so they know their money is being put to good use. For example, showing new equipment that has been bought to keep up maintenance (lawn mower, weed whacker), fixing broken tombstones, or reconstructing and fixing the mausoleum.

-Available Lots: Availability of lots on the cemetery can give potential donors and the deceased an in-depth look at the areas that could be used for burial. Pictures of these lots with a view may be a nice addition to the site as well.

-Yearly Goals: Some yearly goals as to what the cemetery wants to accomplish so donors know their money is going to good use and will be used effectively. This also shows the progress the cemetery has made since the embezzlement scandal and further encourages the Ithaca community to donate. Examples of goals would be monetary amounts the cemetery is looking to earn in order to improve the physical appearance of Lake View.

-Price of cemetery right now $500: Lake View Cemetery plans to increase the price in the future. An increase in funds will allow Lake View to easily achieve their yearly goals. Most of the $500 goes to outside sources that are involved in the burial process. Increasing the cost will increase the quality of the cemetery and will provide families with a better resting place for their loved ones. However, it will be difficult to raise prices before improving on the cemetery first.

Unpaid Websites The following websites are all free sites that can be used to create a web page. They offer templates to choose from, and from that template, they allow the user to customize the features they want. One downfall is that the website won’t let the user have their own url, rather they will have a url through the website creating the web page.

1. Web.com 2. Wix.com 3. Weebly.com 4. Aws.Amazon.com

Paid Websites The advantage to having a website that is paid for monthly is that it is completely customizable. The user will have their own domain name along with the customizability of their choosing. Paid websites run as low as $2.75 a month.

1. Squarespace $8.00/Monthly 2. Godaddy.com $9.99/Monthly 3. Ehost.com $2.75/Monthly

Internship Program An internship program is a great idea to bring in potential Ithaca and Cornell students who are looking for internship experience. With the vast number of students, there are plenty of available opportunities to help Lake View. Putting students in charge of social media, website maintenance, as well grounds maintenance and in charge of contacting and recruiting volunteers gives them experience, as well as helps Lake View keep the cemetery running. Recruiting Interns at Ithaca College Potential Majors of Interest: Integrated Marketing Communications, Communication Management and Design, Business Administration (Marketing and Finance)

Ithaca College Office of Career Services careers@ithaca.edu (607)274-3365 Ithaca College uses ICHired to post thousands of job, internship, fellowship and volunteer opportunities. It gives interested students a chance to look at all the organizations looking for interns. To post an internship opportunity onto ICHired, go to www.ithaca.joinhandshake.com/login. Once on this site you will be allowed to create an account and register as an employer. Lake View Cemetery can also set up a visit to the Ithaca College campus. During the Visit, you will have the opportunity to present an information session about the cemetery and why it would be a great place to be involved with. From there you can reserve rooms to hold interviews for internship positions.

Involvement with the Ithacan Example story-pitch to the Ithacan Kira Maddox The Ithacan , Editor in Chief There are a lot of historic places in the greater Ithaca area that engage the community and ignite their interests. One of these lesser-known historic landmarks, spreading over the rolling hills behind the Ithaca high school, once with a beautiful view of Cayuga Lake, is known as the Lake View Cemetery. If you are not familiar, it would be well worth your while (and your readers) to learn more. 8,000 people are buried on the Lake View property, spanning more than 120 years. Famous families like the Wycoffs and the Cornells have been laid to rest among the rolling grounds, but their legacy is being tarnished. Two separate incidents of embezzlement have left the Lake View Cemetery nearly bankrupt and struggling to give those who are laid to rest on their property their due respect. Tombstones are coming out of the ground, unmarked graves of babies are being discovered, the cost of equipment and maintenance services are becoming too much, and the once beautiful mausoleum that holds hundreds of bodies is falling apart. Enter Tom Wakula, the fairly new President of the Lake View Cemetery and board member that is making more changes and progress in the last year than anyone else has in recent history. With the recent embezzlement still hanging over the cemetery, Wakula and his fellow board members are doing everything in their power to raise money and keep the cemetery as maintained as possible with little to no funds at all to do so. Even so, during his time as President he has made great strives to make a difference, but he needs help. Help from the community, from the families of those who are buried there, and from anyone who will help or donate funds. Volunteers are vital to make sure literal graves and tombstones are not falling apart and bodies can continue to rest in peace. Wakula is the most recent, and maybe their last hope.

We think this could be a great story and spark a lot of interest in our community. The students at Ithaca College as well as the town residents care so much about the greater Ithaca area, its environment, and the people who live here. Showing the story of how the Lake View Cemetery was facing defeat and is now rising back up, grasping for any chance to increase the quality of their facility, is the story of an underdog that has a lot of history in Ithaca. There is so much more to learn about the cemetery, it’s history and what is in it’s future, as well as a chance to help them just by getting the word out.

Sincerely, The Lake View Cemetery & Student’s Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations

Volunteers How to recruit volunteers:

● Contact organizations (see list of ideas for recruiting volunteers below) by phone or email, explain what you do, why you need help, and what you specifically need help with

● After initial contact with the volunteers, invite them to take a tour by Tom of the cemetery so they can get a feel for it. This provides an opportunity for these volunteers to learn more about the history and builds excitement and dedication

● Provide reason that it will be beneficial for these volunteers to help your organization. People are more willing to help out if they feel like they are important and are motivated.

● Make sure you provide flexibility for your volunteers. This way they can work around their own schedules. They will also be more likely to invite friends and family to help out.

Step by Step Process:

● Asses what you need from volunteers ● Research sources of potential volunteers in the community ● Plan and implement a recruitment strategy (see example letter below) ● Find volunteers by sending out letter, making phone calls, or visiting volunteer groups ● Convince potential volunteers to become active volunteers ● Identify the skills needed for volunteering ● Work with the volunteers to make them comfortable and full of knowledge ● Show your appreciation

Ideas for recruiting volunteers:

● Student organizations at Ithaca College that are volunteer based ○ Circle K (circlekic@gmail.com) ○ Service Saturday (austin@ithaca.edu) ○ Helping Hands (Acohen8@ithaca.edu) ○ Big Brothers/Big Sisters (cmcneis1@ithaca.edu)

● Ithaca High School students looking for volunteer opportunities (607) 274-2143 ● Internship programs ● Churches, temples, synagogues, etc. ● Local businesses ● Reach out to the mayor at (607) 274-6501 ● Juveniles ● School honor societies (ex. Beta Alpha Psi) and school fraternities and sororities are

required to perform community service Why you should reach out to these people:

● Reaching out to potential volunteers can be helpful for any part of the non-profit organization. You can utilize these volunteers for a certain event, a particular period of

time, or for an indefinite period of time. For example: raking leaves during the fall, planting flowers during the summer, shoveling snow during the winter, etc.

● You can also increase the awareness and understanding of the cemetery and all the help it needs by reaching out to these people.

Methods for recruiting volunteers:

● Place brochures in stores and around town ○ Courthouse (118 E Clinton St) ○ Ithaca College (953 Danby Road), Cornell, Ithaca High School ○ Ale house (111 N Aurora St), Collegetown Bagels (203 N Aurora St) & (415

College Ave) ○ Grocery stores, Wegmans (500 S Meadow St) ○ Nursing homes (602 Hudson St)

● Send out a press release or newsletter ● Contact schools and churches, temples, synagogues, etc. ● Approach businesses and other non profit organizations ● Contact local sororities and fraternities

Example letter: Dear… The Lake View Cemetery needs your help!

Lake View Cemetery located in Ithaca overlooks beautiful Cayuga lake and is the perfect resting area for your loved one. Here at Lake View, we strive to make our cemetery the most beautiful, and rise to our full potential.

Two separate incidents of embezzlement have left the Lake View Cemetery nearly bankrupt and struggling to give those who are laid to rest their due respect. Tombstones are coming out of the ground, unmarked graves of babies are being discovered, the cost of equipment and maintenance services are becoming too much, and the once beautiful mausoleum that holds hundreds of bodies is falling apart.

With your help we can keep this historic cemetery a private non-profit organization and fix all of the problems we are currently having. Now, the Town Hall of Ithaca handles all of our donations so the Ithaca Community can be sure that their generous donations go to a good cause. You can also look at our website and choose which major project you want to donate to and see our progress on this project throughout the year. We can not make the cemetery a better place without your help. Please help us make the Lake View cemetery a better, prosperous place. Currently we need help with the following:

1. Donations to main mausoleum, stone maintenance and new equipment! 2. Volunteers needed to clean up overgrown weeds and bushes that are covering potential

plot locations. All help will be greatly appreciated 3. Help with keeping this historic cemetery a private nonprofit organization 4. And much, much more!

Our email is twak.lake.view.ithaca@gmail.com and we are located at 605 E Shore Rd, Ithaca, New York 14850. Check out our website for more information! Any assistance you can give us will be greatly appreciated. We need any support you can give to us!

Sincerely,

Lake View Cemetery

Future Involvement/ Fundraising 1) Historical Graveyard Tour Hosting a historical graveyard tour would be a great way for Lake View Cemetery to raise awareness about the cemetery. Possible target audiences could potentially be families and schools for field trips. An ideal time to host these would be during the fall and around Halloween time. Some other cemeteries in different locations have done this before including New Orleans Cemetery. On the New Orleans Cemetery website, it talks about how this is a major tourist attraction. Some pros of this would be people would be more aware of the cemetery and attract attention. New Orleans Cemetery website: http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/attractions/cemeteries.html 2) Set Up Tables at Festivals As many gather in the Ithaca Commons for arts, food, and other amazing things Ithaca has to offer, Lake View Cemetery could set up a table giving people information on the cemetery and the history about it. You could also provide awareness to people about how they could donate and/or have people donate at the table. Some of the festivals may include: Apple Fest, Oktoberfest, and Winter Festival. To find out how you are able to set up a table, you should contact the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. Website: www.downtownithaca.com 3) Youtube’s Nonprofit Program Lake View Cemetery could potentially create a Youtube channel and be apart of Youtube’s Nonprofit Program to raise money. With this you can make a video about the organization and tell the story about it. This could potentially help the cemetery gain the money they need. To learn more about you can go to https://www.youtube.com/nonprofits. 4) Ask College Organizations Lake View Cemetery could possibly ask local colleges, Cornell and Ithaca, if students would be willing to help your cemetery. For example, the organization could potentially ask for anyone who would be interested in interning for the cemetery. This could help substantially because the intern could help run their social media accounts and other parts of advertising. Some of these clubs may include American Advertising Federation, Public Relation Student Society of America, and American Marketing Association.

5) Ask for Volunteer Help A great way to have help with maintenance around the cemetery itself and for free is by asking for volunteers. At Ithaca College there is a club called IC Circle K that mainly focuses on volunteer work. Another way you could ask for volunteer help is by going to www.volunteermatch.org. 5) Involve Local Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, etc. Lake View Cemetery could ask local religion centers to hold fundraisers to raise money. Some fundraisers that could potentially be held at the churches are spaghetti dinners, raffles, etc. Also many religious centers are willing to do volunteer work so that could help tremendously. 6) Go Fund Me Starting a Go Fund Me page would be a great idea for the cemetery to have other options for donating. Not only would people in the area could donate, but potentially people from other areas could as well. Go Fund Me is a website in which it allows someone to post a description of what exactly they need the money for and one will explain what their goal is.