When choosing grant projects, she stresses the importance of including everyone at the Lodge. She starts by asking the members for suggestions, and then takes those suggestions to the board. Finally, she brings the ideas back to the membership, who collectively decide on the grant project. “You don’t do these grants in a vacuum,” Scott says. “The grant project ideas came from the Lodge, and so you invite everyone to participate.”
At all of these events, Scott mentions the ENF, showing the community what the ENF helps Elks to do. To drum up support at the Lodge, she frequently starts newsletters and Lodge updates with the phrase, “Remember when you donated to ENF?”
“People pay more attention to photos,” Scott says. The local newspaper agrees and this year even called the Lodge to ask for photos it could feature in its end-of-year review.
Scott is grateful for CIP grants, and what they allow her Lodge to do. “ENF grants offer great visibility for our Lodge, as a group that can help the community,” Scott says. “Thank you.”