Let's Get Some Facts

Leslie, Kline and Lukas has been hired to help get The Aquatic Center here in Hampton. Their fee for time over a 12-month period is about $62,000. This covers the work of a five-person team, including a Hampton resident. On the job, in addition to Jenn Hobson of Hampton and Steve Kline, are a business partner, a graphic designer and an account executive. You do the math!

They are working to identify and seek funds from private donors. LKL is doing all of the extensive legwork on grant seeking. They are distributing informational material about the August 4 ballot initiative. They are not spending public funds on any express advocacy for or against the ballot initiative.

They expect to exceed the private fundraising goal of $500,000. From the CAT grant program alone, they could bring $600,000 in state grant funding to Hampton . The CAT program will distribute $4.4 million in 2010. Someone is going to get that funding. Why not Hampton ?

Breaking it down: In return for working for a year to bring $1 million (and probably much more) to the table to replace the closed Hampton Pool, they are being paid about $1,000 per person per month, less than $250 per week. In addition to Hobson in Hampton , they are providing fundraising counsel on-site in Hampton for a portion of every week. They are on call 24/7 and work evenings and weekends until the job is done right.

In addition to the fee for time, they pass through to our clients the cost of creating communication materials. Wherever possible, LKL spends those dollars with local vendors. They like to keep their clients’ money in their communities. They are a member of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, they employ a Hampton resident and they spend all of our expense dollars here.

They do this work because they believe in helping to bring communities together, helping them to discover the great assets they have in their own backyards and counseling them about taking advantage of those hometown strengths. They are proud of our work. They are proud of our fundraising record. Their capital campaigns typically meet or exceed their goals.

In addition to providing fundraising counsel, LKL is a full-service public relations firm. Anyone who runs a business understands the importance of being perceived in the way you want to be perceived. Nothing about that is contrary to truth. It’s just good business. And their PR clients succeed. Among them are US Cellular, Black & Veatch Engineering’s management consulting divisions, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Children’s Hospital in Omaha , and many others. You can see a list at their web site, www.leslieklinelukas.com.

On that web site, you will learn that in 2007, US Cellular selected Leslie Kline Lukas, from among all the PR firms it employs nationally, as Agency of the Year.

Please check out with Steve Kline anything you want to know about Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates or our work. He's at 402-917-6786 or skline@leslieklinelukas.com.