New York Aikikai
New York Aikikai:
who are they?
Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art focused on learning to "become an integrated and balanced individual and explore our full human potential." — Yoshimitsu Yamada
Since 1964, the New York Aikikai has cultivated an energy that is unique to their dojo and community. The energy of Yamada Sensei and those who trained with him has transformed this dojo into the unique place it is today, making aikido accessible to everyone who finds their way to this special school in Manhattan.
How do we honor our legacy while planning for our future?
New York Akikai came to us with the question: How do we honor our legacy while planning for our future?
When we first started working with the New York Aikikai, there wasn't a history of strong annual campaigns or fundraising in general. Nevertheless, the building housing the dojo was in need of significant repair.
To help them answer their question about balancing legacy while looking toward the future, we:
began with establishing an annual campaign to train the fundraising “muscles” of the leadership, begin to cultivate a donor base, and lay the groundwork for a potential capital campaign
conducted a feasibility study on the heels of the Covid 19 pandemic to learn about the priorities of members and donors and educate the community about both the needs and the process ahead
supported them through a capital campaign that spoke to both the historic significance of the dojo and the legacy of Yamada Sensei (who died shortly after the feasibility study had begun), and pointed them toward a vibrant and diverse future identity, and helped them strengthen their bonds with each other as they moved into a new era.
This work included:
creating a case statement for feasibility and another for solicitation
interviewing and surveying individuals throughout the world
making recommendations not only for an appropriate goal and timeline, but also for necessary changes in infrastructure to ensure long-term success.
onboarding a new database, procedures for thanking, and more regular communication and transparency
Phase III: solicitation
As we were preparing to begin the solicitation portion of the campaign, the school’s beloved chief instructor and leader Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei passed away. After a few months of adjusting to the new normal and hosting a memorial service that drew people from all over the world, we started up again.
New fundraising goals were set, leadership recruited, and we utilized the legacy of Yamada Sensei as a way for people to honor their relationship with the dojo, while looking squarely forward to the strong promise that the future holds for this community. Finishing the campaign at the end of January 2024, we raised funds from individuals, dojos and communities in 14 countries. The organization surpassed their primary and stretch goals, and exceeded everyone's expectations.
Phase IV: new website
Coming out of the gate with such strength in 2024 we turned our attention to a new website. Between the community having been gathered in new ways through the capital campaign, and the expectations for strengthened communications, we translated much of the learnings from the campaign into a brand new, interactive website.
Phase V: maintenance of website + communications
We continue to maintain this site, and manage New York Aikikai’s communications.
