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How Do You Ask for a Fundraiser Donation

August 28, 2019

Thanks to technology, asking for donations from donors and prospects doesn’t have to be a costly affair. You can send donation appeals with just the click of a button and your email is one of the best ways to go about it. Leveraging technology to seek donations also offers a great way for you to update prospects and donors about your projects (both current and future). So, how do you ask for a fundraiser donation?

How Do You Ask for a Fundraiser Donation

This article highlights some of the tips and tricks you can use to ask for an important fundraiser donation. While most strategies are for email and online donations, some of them can be implemented for other types of donations such as in-person asks.

Create Eye-Catching Subject Lines

Most people receive countless emails every day. While you can’t physically prevent your recipients from moving your emails to the trash folder, you can use an eye-catching subject line to decrease the chances that they’ll do so. Avoid boring, vague headlines and focus on subject lines that tell the recipient what’s being asked of them and what the money will go toward.

Don’t Wait to Ask

When making in-person asks, for example, it helps to be slow and steady. When asking for donations via email, on the other hand, the earlier the better. Get straight to the point and try to make your ask within the first two paragraphs. Make sure the appeal is easy to see and give donors clear action items right off the bat. You want donors to immediately understand that they’re being invited to a fundraising event and being asked to make financial contributions.

Explain and Describe

Bear in mind that, at its core, any communication is an appeal. As such, you’ll need to provide more information for those who are new to your organization. Be sure to include:

Who you serve
The work you do
What specific initiatives or projects their donations will go toward
Any other relevant details or insights

You don’t need to give donors a background history of your organization at this point, rather get to the point and only include information that will encourage recipients to give to your cause.

Keep It Personal

It’s crucial to bear in mind that donors are individuals and you should treat them as such. Avoid generalities and blank statements. Instead, personalize your communications. One of the best ways to personalize emails is to segment your donors. For instance, donors who have given to your organization repeatedly should receive a different email from another who has just started volunteering with you.

Provide Links and Ways to Give

Be sure to give your donors the means to donate somewhere in the email. You could give it as a “Donate Now” button or Link anchored in the body of the email, for example. Alternatively, you can give a number they can call to donate over the phone or an address that they can send a check to. You’re better off if you have more ways for donors to get to your donation page.

Bottom Line

The tips mentioned should help you answer the question: How do you ask for a fundraiser donation. It’s also important to keep in mind that people like to know that their contributions are appreciated. Express your appreciation by saying thank you once you’ve received donations as that helps to ensure you’ll receive donations in the future.

How to Sell Things For a Fundraiser

August 9, 2019

Fundraising is an interesting concept for raising funds to support a charity, cause or for the development of a non-profit organization. The best way to organize a fundraiser is by selling things. But if you are worried about how to sell things for a fundraiser, then do not worry as we have a complete guideline for that. Read on to know more about how to go ahead.

How to Sell Things For a Fundraiser

Before the sale starts you have to:

Make contacts with different groups: You have to be aware of what other schools or organizations are planning for fundraising projects. You may want to stagger the fundraising or you may want to do them with other organizations.
Ensure that everyone is on the same page: You need to call for a brief committee meeting for reviewing the key dates and activities of your project. You have to let everyone know about the expectations regarding other’s involvement.
Decide on the payment methods: There are 3 types of payment methods from which you can choose one. There are – prepayment, pay-on-pickup payment and post-pay methods. You can choose anyone or let the customers choose the best option according to their choice.
Enough selling time: Make sure to plan the sale in such a way that it gets at least two but preferably three weekends. It will help to keep the awareness up during the sale with
the bulletin board, newsletter reminders and audio announcements. To get things started, you need to:

Once your important fundraising sale begins, follow the steps below. How to Sell Things For a Fundraiser

Start off the project in the right mood: You have to start off the project. For this, you have to start the publicity and let the volunteers work for you.
Send the message to everyone: You need to consider that everyone gets the news of the sale as soon as it starts. You can also ask the fundraising company for providing some sample of the products to show to the people.
Make it in writing: You have to send the product catalogue home with all the details about the cover letter attached. You can’t stuff everything inside. You cannot rely on the letter only. You can also customize the cover letter according to your own will.
Include cash donation option: Many will only prefer to make a cash donation rather than buying something. Hence, it is important to include the option of cash donation too. For that you can add a collection box to conveniently deposit the cash they want to donate.

Conclusion

So, this is all about how to sell things for a fundraiser. You cannot make the announcement and sit back to relax. You have to give constant reminders to the people to get it done successfully. Also, you have to ensure that your volunteers are working perfectly on the roles given to them. You also have to plan for the pickups and for that you have to keep the people informed about it. Appoint a group to handle the money carefully creating all the paper trails, collection and to do the calculations.

Most Effective Fundraising Strategies

July 31, 2019

If you’re raising funds, chances are you’re constantly looking for ways to better your fundraising strategies to raise more money for your cause. After all, strategies can always improve and there’s no better time to think about improving your fundraising strategy than when planning for your next fundraising campaign. Here are some of the most effective fundraising strategies.

Most Effective Fundraising Strategies

Integrating Fundraising Software

Software comes with numerous benefits, but running a fundraiser becomes difficult If your software solutions aren’t integrated. For example, if your marketing software won’t integrate with your event management software, which won’t connect with your CRM, then it becomes difficult to send invitations for your next event to your donors.

The trick, therefore, is to invest in integrated fundraising software. However, it’s important to be discerning about the features you want for your own before making your purchase because you may not need all the features. By implementing a more inclusive software solution, you’ll have an easier time streamlining your fundraising strategy.

Launching Crowdfunding Campaigns

Social media use continues to grow every year. As such, you need to find ways to harness the power of social media. Crowdfunding, for example, is a popular form of fundraising that leverages social media. Here are some of the ways social media and crowdfunding are integrated:

Reach: Rather than a few large donations crowdfunding draws lots of small donations. Social media offers an easy way to get the message out to people, including those you don’t have direct contact information for.
Design: Crowdfunding campaigns are usually hosted on a central website. These sites are well designed with “share now” buttons and videos that make it easy and attractive for social media users.
Content: Social media users love immersive content they can get invested in.

Enable Mobile Giving

Smartphones continue to grow in popularity every year, and that’s a trend that is not slowing down any time soon. They’ve become so widespread that we’re now storing boarding passes, grocery lists and even banking on our mobile devices. By implementing mobile giving, therefore, you can improve your fundraising efforts.

Mobile giving is highly successful for various reasons

It’s logically smart: Mobile fundraising brings your supporters to their phones, no more having to walk to the mailbox.
It boosts event participation: Rarely will everyone who supports your organization attend your events. But by accepting mobile bids or mobile donations for charity auctions, even absent donors can participate.
Leads to information capture: When running a fundraising campaign, you want to collect donor details to make it easier to segment later. Mobile giving gives you an opportunity to gather name, phone number and other useful details.

Making it possible for donors to donate via mobile is an effective way to take advantage of every opportunity for donations and show donors that you care enough to make it easy for them to donate.

Bottom Line

Those are just but some of the most effective fundraising strategies to improve your fundraising campaign. Other fundraising strategies to consider include hiring a fundraising consultant and getting creative with corporate giving. Overall, following the strategies above are sure result in a successful fundraiser.

Different Ways to Fundraise

July 9, 2019

Raising money can be a challenge. Whether you’re a nonprofit or school community, the chances are that you’ve run out of exciting fundraising ideas. The truth is, fundraising doesn’t have to be monotonous. The secret to captivating donors and inspiring them to give is by hosting unique fundraisers. Here are a few tips on different ways to fundraise.

Different Ways to Fundraise

Shoe Drive Fundraisers

Shoe drives are a great way to raise funds for any organization. They’re fun, easy to organize and have no out-of-pocket costs. All you need to do is call on supporters in your community to donate their used, gently worn and new shoes.

Matching Gift Drive

Matching gift drives are an easy way to maximize your donations without asking for another gift from your donors. They are common in corporate philanthropy programs where companies match a portion of the gifts their employees give to nonprofit organizations, for example. Another common approach is to partner with a matching gifts database provider.

T-Shirt Fundraiser

Selling customized t-shirts is not only a great way to raise funds but also an excellent marketing strategy for your organization. Simply customize the t-shirts to showcase your fundraiser in a compelling design. You can then sell the t-shirts to supporters at the events you host. You may also choose to sell the t-shirts using crowdfunding techniques.

Start a Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding campaigns are an easy way to collect small donations from a broad audience. You can start by setting up a fundraising page that will explain your mission and allow people to make online donations. This unique fundraising strategy works well if you’re unable to invest a lot of capital in more traditional fundraising campaigns.

Peer-To-Peer Fundraising

Design peer-to-peer fundraising campaign page templates with exciting features, custom branding, and great imagery. Then, reach out to people who support your cause to create personalized fundraising pages. Supporters can use the pages to spread the word about your fundraiser to their followers and online friends.

Text-To-Give Campaign

Text-to-give campaigns simplify the donation process and make it easier for you to collect funds. Through text-giving software, you can set up a special fundraising number and keyword. Whenever your supporter texts your organization, they receive an automated link that directs them to a mobile donation page which they can fill out and get a digital receipt. This unique fundraising idea is ideal for remote fundraising as well as in-person events. Different Ways to Fundraise

Silent Auction

Hosting a silent auction allows you to get local organizations as well as the community involved in your fundraiser. Consider reaching out to local businesses to donate auction items then encourage people to bid on them.

Bottom Line

There are plenty of other different ways to fundraise. For instance, you can decide to host a used book sale, a potluck dinner or a video game tournament. The trick is to choose a fundraising idea that will work for your organization.

School Fundraising Tips – Surpass Your Fundraising Goals

June 17, 2019

Most schools understand the importance of growth and development. For proper maintenance of the academic excellence, offering scholarships and starting new programs, one needs proper funding. Without proper funds, it is impossible to develop the school in the best way. So, you need to start a proper school fundraising strategy that can help you to develop a successful fundraising plan. Here are some of the school fundraising tips that you can follow for the best result:

School Fundraising Tips

Are you planning a fundraiser in the near future? Here are some tips to help your upcoming fundraiser meet it’s goals for your school.

Tip #1: Think Ahead

The earlier you start to think about fundraising, the more funds you will be able to raise. So, you need to start planning today. You have to start by planning some amazing ways to raise funds successfully.

Tip #2: Building a Great Team

You have to first build an effective team with your students who can help you in different ways. Find the people who are friendly and great in communications. They can be perfect for this job as they can talk to potential donors and explain the cause. You also have to find someone who can keep a track on the money raised and keep on counting accurately all the time. Also, you need someone who can keep the track of the milestone.

Tip #3: Set a Goal

For the best and most efficient fundraising, you have to set a clear goal. An example of a goal is to get new sports equipment for the school’s athletic team. This goal will help you to raise more money as goals will help you to keep everyone focused and motivated. Fundraising without any goal will not have any track. You can at least aim for a better fund and successfully achieve it.

Tip #4: Prepare a Timeline

Rushing into everything at a time must be avoided. You have to pace yourself properly by making up a realistic and clear timeline for the school fundraiser. You have to provide a task list for the volunteers as well. This will help everyone to know when to do what.

Tip #5: Clear Communication

You have to keep everyone informed with the help of clear communication. It will help you to keep things moving. You’ll want to market and give the parents an early notice about the fundraising. Keeping everyone in the loop will create no confusion and avoid surprises.

Tip #6: Say Thank You

You have to let your volunteers know that you are appreciating their work and effort. So, do not forget to send a thank you card to the volunteers as well as to the donors. This will create a great impression and it will also motivate them to participate again.

Conclusion

School fundraising can be fun and amazing if you approach with the right planning and strategies. Follow the above school fundraising tips for the best result. Without proper planning, strategies and volunteers it is impossible to raise funds successfully. You need to make sure that you are getting all the things done as per required.

Fundraising Tips for Students

May 29, 2019

When student groups or clubs need some extra money, organizing fundraisers is a great way for them to get the cash they need. Fundraisers can help to pay for anything from new books to field trips, and students enjoy getting involved with helping their schools. Figuring out the best ways to attract donors can be tough, so here are a few fundraising tips for students.

Fundraising Tips for Students

When it comes to fundraising, it’s important to have a plan in place. Personalization, promotions, and trying new fundraising methods are some of the ways to help your fundraiser. Below we will cover how to put these methods in action.

Publicize Early and Often

Successful fundraising revolves around promoting before and during the sale. The trick here is to alert your potential donors ahead of time about the fundraiser. You can put up a whiteboard promoting the fundraiser in the school office a month or two before kick off or do an email blast to tell parents when the sale is starting. Other sources of promotions include PA announcements, outdoor signs, websites, newsletters, lunch menus and the local newspapers. It’s also crucial to compel parents to take part by emphasizing the reason behind the sale.

Limit the Number of Fundraisers

Sometimes, putting together more products dilutes the sales. Over time, parents and the community will feel pulled and give up. Running a successful fundraiser requires you to make your potential donors understand that you’re doing only one major fundraiser. As such, focusing on better results with fewer products will compel people to buy more things.

Promote the Product as a Gift

Emphasizing your products as potential gifts can significantly increase your sales. Research has shown that people are more than happy to buy products they would not only use but also give to someone as a present. It’s not uncommon for people to buy more products as gifts than they would buy for themselves.

Personalize the Product

Consider the possibility of personalizing your product with a custom message or slogan. This might be a photo of the school or a slogan about the purpose of the fundraiser. You can have merchandise, such as discount cards, that are customized to your school/club. You can pump up the excitement and engage students, parents, as well as teachers by holding a contest to win a shirt, for example.

Try a New Product

If your fundraising efforts have become stale, consider selling something different. There are plenty of products that would hit people’s interest so changing up a product can make the sale fresh and new. Consider offering a variety of products or items you haven’t tried before.

Bottom Line

There are plenty of additional fundraising tips for students. Be sure to use creative prize incentives and involve parents as well as teachers. If things don’t seek to be working out, rethink your sales approach and sales territory. Whichever fundraising tips you choose, being enthusiastic and excited will help to guarantee success.