|
—-
About the author
Alan Sharpe is president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com.
October 6, 2007
SET YOUR GOALS
The first steps to a successful fundraiser are to identify your group’s needs and goals. If your group members know how the money will be spent and their benefits, this will motivate them, keep them focused and help with their sales pitch.
LEADERSHIP
One of the most important issues when conducting a fundraiser is making sure that you choose a strong leader. If you organization does not have someone with time, energy and the motivation to make your fundraiser successful, it will be doomed from the start.
ORGANIZATION
Lack of organization can cost your group money due to order duplication, oversights and general mistakes. Designate approximately 10-15 hours to each volunteer in order to avoid burnout.
ROLE PLAY
Role playing is important especially for children because they can be shy and may forget what to say. If they have practiced it out loud many times, they will be much more comfortable when the moment presents itself.
5 Steps To A Sale
SAMPLE FUNDRAISING SALES SCRIPT
With enthusiasm and a smile on your face:
1. Hi, my name is _________________________________.
2. I am with the ____________________________________________.
3. We are raising money to/for __________________________________________.
4. We are offering these _________________________________________ (put the product or the brochure in their hands.) For a donation you can receive________________________________. The best part is we get the donation for our school.
5. Ask for the Sale! Would you help us out by purchasing one of our items? Please!
THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT!
The 3 Most Common Objections and How To Overcome Them:
1. Customer ? I am on a diet and I don’t need cookie dough, candy bars, lollipops, etc.
Member - That’s O.K. they make great gifts and Christmas is coming up (or Mother?s Day, Father?s Day, Valentines Day, Easter, etc.). You could order one and give it to a friend or relative. That way you could still help us out and do something nice for someone else too. We sure could use your help.
2. Customer - I don’t have any money.
Member - That’s O.K. We take checks and we can even take one that is postdated for a couple of days. We sure could use your help.
3. Customer - I just gave to another group.
Member ? Your donation is tax deductible. We sure could use your help.
Remember the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Short & Simple). You do not need to be a professional salesman, just follow our simple ‘5 Steps to a Sale’ script and the ‘overcoming objections’ above, and you will be successful.
MAKE A PLAN
Assign responsibilities about 3-4 weeks before your fundraiser begins and don’t forget to set specific deadlines for each task. Meetings should be held regularly to keep everyone up-to-date on progress and details of the fundraiser.
FOLLOW TAX LAWS
Make sure to follow all state, local, and federal tax laws pertaining to non-profit fundraising. If you have any questions regarding tax laws, please call one of our consultants toll free at 1-866-866-1778 or visit: www.fundraisingforschool.com
CHOICE OF PRODUCT
Choosing the right product to sell for any fundraiser is an important factor to be considered. Avoid selling a product that you know is already being sold by another group in your area. If another group is selling cookie dough and candy bars, you may want to choose to sell lollipops and pizza cards or a brochure fundraiser such as I-mark gift items, Holiday Delights or Glowz candles. During the fall, spirit items such as mini rattling helmets, spirit socks, stadium blankets or spirit stix are always a profitable choice.
MOTIVATION
Sometimes the money raised is a strong enough incentive, but usually prizes can be a valuable way to encourage larger profits. Ask the participants what would motivate them and be creative.
PRIZES AND INCENTIVES
1. Raffles: participants can have their name entered into a weekly raffle. Once participants achieve a goal such as 10 items sold, they can have their name entered into a weekly drawing for prizes.
2. Grand Prize: A grand prize can be offered to the top seller cush as a DVD player, gift certificate or cash.
3. Cost free prizes: a) Allow the participants to recieve a free afternoon of playground play for elementray students or an afternoon of sporting activities for middle school or high school students. b) Allow the participants to thrown cream pies at the fundraising leaders when a goal is reached. c) Have an assembly where the principal has to kiss a real live PIG.
Solicit Sponsors for Prizes: Many local franchises such as restaurants, music stores, toy stores and clothing stores would be happy to donate merchandise or gift certificates for your fundraiser in return for being mentioned in the parent letter.
BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS: Sales experience, Teamwork, Achieving Goals and an introduction to volunteerism
www.Fundraisingforschool.com
October 4, 2007
Because of all the devastating problems in the world today homes, and lives have been severly changed. Rebuilding businesses and home properties requires a great deal of resources to accomplish. Getting aid from the government is extremely hard to do. Their aid falls short of what is really needed. Individual contributions from us the people is needed. Beyond regular contributions, donating a used car can greatly benefit the needs of these who are in great need. A car donation not only benefits those who recieve aid from it the donor is also benefited.
Car Donations are simple, and are done through a charity vehicle donation program. Generally, a telephone call is all that is necessary. In addition to a clear title to the car. Many organizations will take car that are running or not running. The car donation program will arrange for the vehicle to be picked up, conduct a charity auction sale, and distribute the proceeds to the charity of your choice. In most instances those who donate just have their car waisting away and taking up space.
Your car donation is tax deductible, as long as the charity is a registered 501(c)3 organization. A registered 501(c)3 organization is a non-profit organization permitted by the IRS to accept contributions and offer donors a tax deduction for their contribution. Thanks to a new tax law in effect as of 2005, the IRS has taken the guesswork out of determining the value of your car. You may deduct the full price that is received from the sale of your car. This greatly simplifies the process, because you no longer have to research and arrive at an estimate of the market value of the vehicle. This also changes the risk of getting into trouble by overstating the value of your deduction on your tax return. You?ll know exactly the amount you may deduct, eliminating guesswork, and saving both time and potential problems.
Car donations will help provide aid, disaster relief for devastated areas, and communities. In fact, a car donation will eliminate the hassles of selling a car, and give something back to a community in need at the same time. A car donation can and will make a difference that we need in the world.
|
Our web site is a resource for donation information.
Donations Furniture Maine Midcoast : http://www.donationsvet.com/
September 30, 2007
When it is the height of elections, there is unmistakably countless strategic planning for fund raising. Even if aspiring politicians detest pleading for money, they simply have to in order to support their candidacy. Yes, they may have their own resources but there are also some where their acquired wealth is not enough. Just imagine the amount that they need to come up so they can travel to different places to visit future constituents as well as print publicity materials.
Cards laid on the table says that there is the absence of strategic planning for fund raising, either one of two things will happen, it will directly be from your pocket or continue with the process without any pecuniary assistance. Well, it is absolutely alright if you have a fat bank account so you can write big checks. This was pretty much the same case with Jon Corzine when he dispensed $60 million to gain a Senate position in New Jersey. Michael Bloomberg is no other when he spent $74 million in order win the mayoralty race in New York.
Putting that you are an incumbent officer and the person running against you is virtually a nobody, with that thought, you are safe and hardly, not much requirement for a strategic planning for fund raising. However, this should not be reason to be laid back because that may be the reason for your loss. Taking chances should never be considered especially when the game is seriously played. Just take for example the story of the hare and tortoise. The hare was depending too much on the fact that he is way faster than the tortoise. Due to such, he took a short nap but little did he know, it was long and the tortoise arrived in the finish line first.
In strategic planning for fund raising, contributors play a great role as they are the ones who provide fiscal facility. Most of them are business tycoons who want to be recognized as they also have their own hidden agenda. However, that is not the focus of this topic. Going back, an estimated budget should be prepared by your treasurer so you will have an idea how much will be involved. Afterwhich, you can identify those that are potential. You can set an appointment with them over lunch perhaps so you can entirely bring to their attention your purposes. Another is to also ask from your associates or tell them to organize an event where they can gather bucks that can be used by you. You can even attend to their schedules as it also an opportunity for you to reach out to those that you will be serving soon. Since the internet is a very influential medium right now, you can send e-mail to your closest friends whom you know can be of such great help.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
So you are in a baseball league that will be competing with the next town?s squad of players? You have been practicing almost everyday, sweating it out too much in order to be in perfect shape for the upcoming major event. However, you do not have enough money to produce uniforms for each. You know it to well that without the proper attire, it can be a chance for that game to be forfeited. ?Hey, I have to do something about it,? you tell yourself. ?I just cannot let this slip by. What if we have stage a sports fund raising program,? simply brilliant you thought.
All Star Fundraisers is a sports fund raising company that has been formed in 2002. It is dedicated to offer organizations with creative and effective ideas that can really generate money. Its management team is a mixture of those that are really involved in athletics as well as in the field of business marketing. They are the likes of co- founders, Chris Grimes and Jack Norton. Both individuals labored hard on where the corporation is at the moment. They are credited for the success it has gained as more and more have been patronizing their services.
Jack Norton has been an experienced coach for over 30 years now. He has been arranging hockey projects in Acton Boxboro, Cushing Academy and New England. He has passed on a legacy to his sons who are present NHL professionals, Jeff and Brad. Aside from being busy with the sports fund raising company, he also supervises his own Norton Insurance Agency that has been serving customers in Middlesex County in Massachusetts since 1966.
Chris Grimes, on the other hand, has been with the consumer industry for 15 years now prior his partnership with the latter individual for the sports fund raising company. He has been the Director of Strategic Planning at First Notice Systems Incorporated based in Boston, Massachusetts. He then implemented numerous domestic service events that can leverage other call centers as well as custom designed internet applications. Previously, he launched www.callcostless.com which is a commercial website that grants long distance telephone communication together with various prepaid cards.
All Star Fundraisers can offer a strategy that will pay your group commissions each month. It as easy as enrolling a minimum of two members in order to meet with the campaign objectives. With only 200 associates, the yearly profit can reach up to $25, 000. In order to attain such amount, there is no requirement to but any products as it will not start to burden your pockets. They have what they call the Penny Plan where they have collaborated with World xChange Corporation. A leading provider of superior national as well as all over the world, long distance assistance that will create an opportunity for contributors to hail from different regions of the globe.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
Have you ever noticed that at these contemporary times everything can be found in the internet? Be it clothes, perfume, chandelier, rugs and computers, among the many others. With the instant mushrooming of its availability in the information superhighway, academic institutions have also joined with the trend. In the creation of websites, there should be adequate money to support the programmers. That is the reason why there is a school fund raising program in order to bring it into reality.
You might be a parent and you are questioning the importance of a school fun raising program when they can simply post notices in the bulletin boards if the administration would want to forward any communication. Yes, they can do that but the thing is, there are instances that the concerned persons have already graduated and it is not easy to keep in touch with those that are outside the four corners of the campus. With the conception of such, it would be hassle- free when there is a need for more donations for future projects.
A school fund raising program for a university homepage is a wise move. This is because more than half of the alumni are accustomed to using the computer especially when they want to check if there are new mails in their inbox. Aside from that, they even pay bills or process documents there so it would follow that they really are exposed to such developments. The reason behind such rampant use is that it offers an efficient way to handle majority of the mundane tasks. It is also ripe for where you have been educated to have its turn after how many years of doing things manually.
As for those who are behind the school fund raising program, start spreading the information by your own efforts. There is that maxim that goes, ?you can never give something that you do not have.? So true with this since you can never be effective in encouraging people to take a step for a cause when it is not actually applied by you. It is all about integrity here. Another is to also learn from other organizations since you can always gain wisdom from those that have gone before you. You can do some data researching or if you would want to personally sit down to talk things out, it would be more than great since you can always have the opportunity to throw more questions after another.
When everything has been all set, give each alumnus their username and password so they can navigate through at any rate. For it to be more interesting, you can always place news of where David is right now or what Shannon is busy with. Just be very imaginative and you will see that more and more are getting into it because aside from interacting once again with past acquaintances, they will also be of huge benefit.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
School fund raising program is very common these days when schools are often on restricted budgets. A lot of schools find it increasingly necessary to survive on raising capital through school fund raising programs to be used for school activities such as filed trips, equipments, and some school facilities.
And because they have become so common with schools, a school fund raising programs should have fresh ideas. Past ideas that have worked well such as bake sales and car washes are outdated and because a lot of people have already seen them, their effectiveness is declining. And nowadays, it is no longer suitable to encourage children to approach people door to door for school fund raising campaigns.
One school fund raising program that has always been successful though, is through promoting a day of family fun and prizes. It?s always well-liked for schools to hold a family day out and a lot of families enjoy the chance of spending a day with their kids doing something fun and exciting, as well as supporting their kid?s fund raisers. The important thing to do for the school is to come up with various unique activity ideas for the school family fun day.
School fund raising program such as carnival days are a favorite as well. It helps a great deal if the school is able to solicit the support of local businesses to donate some worthwhile prizes to the school fund raising program in return for lots of promotional opportunities for their businesses on that day. Offering them the option for free stalls at the carnival where they can promote their business and products in exchange for a generous prize donation is also a good way of soliciting support.
School fund raising programs should include making use of anyone who has special skills in the school community. From those who can donate their time baking high quality cakes or cookies, to someone who is skilled in things like candy or calendar making, these persons are always worth approaching to participate in the school fund raiser. Just make sure everyone knows exactly how it will work, from who supplies the ingredients and who supplies the labor to who will sell the goods are important things that need to be dealt with.
Offering local craft organizations to be involved in the school fund raising program is another good step, again make sure to work out exactly what the terms will be beforehand. Selling discount cards or coupon booklets where the buyer gets the right to local goods at a discount is another chance for businesses to promote their products as well as support the fund raising.
There are so many more ideas that can be used if a group really puts their minds to it. It?s becoming difficult to run fund raising programs, especially if the school keeps running the same old ideas every time. So, with great fresh ideas, school member participation, and community support, the possibility of success is always at hand.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
Every now and then, academic institutions prepare projects that will enrich their students not only with the serious subject matters touched in the four corners of the classroom. They have theatrical plays that will boost the confidence of those that will be playing lead character roles. They also have musical recitations that will eliminate stage frights as they are required to perform solo. All these and more school fund raising ideas that will not only generate money but at the same time, it will be for the benefit of those that are directly involved.
Here are some school fund raising ideas that will cultivate friendship among the group as they have that one goal of being able to put up a certain amount that will be of great use to a proceeding activity.
Magazine Program is among the school fund raising ideas that will start by simply sending electronic mails to those that you know are fond of reading resource materials. You can introduce to them your agenda so they will not be taken aback why you are doing such. When you make clear to them what your intention is, the more they will be moved to assist. Begin to inform as well your members to do the same with their friends so the information can be well disseminated. What is wonderful about this is that, it is very safe especially when there is the participation of children. There is no need to go from one door to another in the nearest neighborhood since there is the power of the internet. If you do not want to entertain the hassle of inventory, this is one of those that will free you from such pressure.
Card Program has quickly been a favorite by the young generation. With such, there is a sure earn of up to 100% profit with no cash requirement. This is also one of those that customers will surely have a grand as when you purchase more, the lesser price you pay. It features designs from surfing, holiday and cheerleading, to name a few.
Popcorn Program is among the school fund raising ideas that is a healthy way to put in more bucks in the treasury box. Aside from the fact that almost everybody eats it, so you will not having a difficulty scouting for who to market so it can sell effectively, it only calls for minimal preparation. If you want to get away from the conventional, which should always be part of the brainstorming sessions as plenty are tired of the oldie-though-never-a-junkie type, you can buy flavored powders and let the customers shake it inside themed bags. There are those that has a soccer ball for sports lovers, drum set for music enthusiasts, novel titles for book worms and a lot more.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
September 29, 2007
Planning a fund raising event can be an overwhelming task to carry out, but if you have the will to do it, everything is possible. You also have to know that fund raising is a win-win situation, because people generally like to take part in any activities that involve helping worthy individuals or causes that will benefit from those efforts.
You can name a lot of reasons to raise money and there are as many fund raising ideas available for you to choose from. But, selecting the best idea alone takes careful planning, which means half as daunting as planning a fund raising event can be. However, if you have to follow certain steps during the organization of this event, you might get away with it with a successful result.
There are several steps that you can take in planning a fund raising event, by which you can simply perform such as:
-Pick a worthy cause ? you should first know who you want to help. Of course, you have to contact the organization you are planning to raise money for to make sure they are willing to accept your donation and see if they can help out with your plan.
-Set a time frame ? in planning a fund raising event, set a time frame from planning up to the big day and stick to it.
-Look for a place to hold the event ? looking for a venue for your fund raising event takes few consideration such as you have to consider the possible number of people to come, the types of activities, etc? and see the location first to make sure the place can accommodate the event.
-Organize your fund raising team ? no matter how much you want to get the things done, face it that a few extra hands will definitely help. You can?t be superman, you know? You can ask your family members, friends, or anybody who wants to volunteer to help run the event. This is also another way of knowing other people.
-Promote and advertise ? if you want your fund raising event to be swarming with supporters, you might as well make plenty of flyers and distribute or post them in your community, make announcement at church and schools. You can also have your upcoming fund raising event announced on a local radio station. This is one of the things you should not miss in planning a fund raising event; the most people know about the event, the more people will come, and the greater you sales resulting to a bigger profit.
-Prepare for the big day ? it is best if you can gather as many volunteers as possible to help you out throughout the event. It?s going to be hard if you fell short of man power. Also, make sure that each member of the team knows everything about the areas as to the areas they are assigned to, to avoid misunderstanding and confusion.
Planning a fund raising event after all is not as difficult as you thought it was if you follow careful planning steps. This will allow you to have time to organize everything.
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
September 26, 2007
Nonprofit fund raising jobs are more and more becoming the next big thing to ?career?. The nonprofit arena has been creating more jobs in the past few years than other sectors in the economy which has involved a lot of people including those with exceedingly developed business skills and those people who have long considered jobs serving causes they believe in.
For those looking at the growing nonprofit fund raising jobs, a few tips may help you get that dream nonprofit job:
Recognize those areas that you are passionate about. A very desirable candidate for a nonprofit fund raising job speaks passionately about the desire of working in a specific nonprofit fund raising organization and will surely know about the organization if they have been following it for sometime. Know the area you are fervent about, whether it is the environment, poverty, health care, or immigration, identify it and work towards it.
Investigate those organizations that you think share your dedication. Starting within the town or city you reside in, there will be several local small or medium-size nonprofit organizations. Bigger cities may have local chapters of national nonprofit fund organizations. It is much better if you have the time, to make the search nationwide. Online job listings from nonprofit organizations are often advertised on their website and you can bookmark the ones you prefer and check on it regularly.
Informational interviews at nonprofit organizations included in your interest list should be done. A lot of people are more than willing to be interviewed for information. Using present contacts to locate suitable individuals is a good way to do it, after all, these informational interviews are pressure-free as you seek the information and you are the one who does the interviewing. It is common though that these informational interviews may lead to offers of nonprofit fund raising jobs and is also a good way to make some great contacts.
Volunteer for preferred nonprofit fund raising organizations. An excellent way to try out an organization is through volunteering and you can tell a lot about the group on how organized the group is, how seriously they take training, and the level of resources they have. These contacts can be very valuable for future search of nonprofit fundraising jobs.
Examine internships or cooperatives in the area of interest. For those still in school, creating an internship by getting in touch with nonprofit organizations and offer your services to them. The college university you are in may be able to place you in a nonprofit group through their own channels. Internships are often advertised by nonprofit organizations and they are a good way to experience the environment of the work.
Nonprofit fund raising jobs for those passionate about a certain cause are very emotionally rewarding
|
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of Fund
Raising Blog. Visit now to find out how to get all the money you need
for your non-profit organization.
Newer Posts »
| | | | | | | | | |