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How Do I Get Better at Fundraising

February 6, 2020

Many individuals entering the world of fundraising are often not certain what qualities make a good fundraiser. While experience breeds wisdom and confidence, there are several ways to improve your fundraising skills in more immediate ways. So how do I get better at fundraising?

How Do I Get Better at Fundraising – How does making mistakes help us learn?

With the benefits of fundraising, there is no question why someone would want to get better at fundraising. There’s more to fundraising than being a good marketer or excellent salesperson. In this post, we’ll point out a few skills that will make you better at raising funds for your cause.

Brush Up on Your Teamwork Skills

Fundraising experts say nearly every type of fundraising role requires you to work as part of a team. Unfortunately, you’re likely to be stuck with at least one colleague who prefers to work alone (it might

even be you). If you’re the lone wolf, it’s crucial that you make an effort to improve your teamwork skills. The overall morale and quality of work depend on it. Practice how to compromise, listen to others and work towards a common goal. Let go of a little control and chances are you’ll be surprised how good the results can be.

Write Letters

There are several different fundraising strategies out there, but after your event make sure you write a letter. Handwritten letters can make a huge impact. All fundraisers write to donors at one point or another, whether it’s thank you cards, social media or emails. Writing letters by hand is a special way to communicate with your donors. A real letter is more personal, heart-felt and conversational. And it’s likely you’ll get equally thoughtful responses in your mailbox.

Donate and Volunteer

As a major gift fundraiser, it helps to be a donor so you can solicit with genuine conviction. It’s also important to get away from your desk and go outside to reconnect with the emotion of your work. For instance, you can go outside of the office and give your money to causes that are close to your heart.

Fill Your Brain Bank

We’re all creative beings and being able to put ideas to paper becomes a lot easier as our brains become fuller. While coming up with great ideas may seem to come easy for a creative, it does take a great deal of effort and practice. It takes years to develop so be sure to read a lot. Read as much as you can about fundraising and other topics that interest you. Travel. Go on adventures. Let your imagination run wild. Challenge yourself. Watch movies. The more you vary your content, the more diverse and interesting your work will become.

Make Mistakes

In order to have a successful fundraiser, you will need to make a few mistakes. Making mistakes speeds up the learning process. The trick is to make sure you’re not repeating the same mistakes. Moreover, you also get to show people that you can eagerly apologize and admit you’re wrong. This proves that you are human so put yourself out there, take risks and recognize that nobody is perfect.

Bottom Line

Fundraisers are very important. The tips mentioned above answer the question: how do I get better at fundraising? It’s also important to understand that there’s always more to learn. So even if you’ve been in the fundraising industry for decades, don’t be a snob because you can’t see into the future and the industry is changing by the day.

How to Fundraise Online – How to Receive Donations Online

February 5, 2020

Are you wondering how to fundraise online? Online fundraising is taking the nonprofit world by a bang, and offering aid to many people out there in need. Indeed, there are incredible fundraising ideas you can embrace and change someone’s life.

How to Fundraise Online

More people are willing these days to make generous contributions towards school fundraisers and/or other causes. With this in mind, here are unparalleled online strategies to embrace and raise funds and awareness for different causes or events.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a strategy for raising money used by individuals and nonprofits, and for events or causes they find worthy to care about. The involved individuals and non-profit organizations can use their networks via the internet to acquire donations. These may include your;

Friends
Family
Supporters
Peers,
Co-workers and
Acquaintances.

You need to set up pages and then share the information on social media platforms or through email. You can use your platform to set up automatic acknowledgments to those who support your charity event. To benefit from your crowdfunding campaign, share your ideas with your supporters and make use of their views. Within no time, you will get instant feedback and enjoy the outcome of your adventures.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Through peer-to-peer fundraising approach, you will use events to raise money for your school or nonprofit organization. You need to set goals to accomplish within stipulated deadline and plan your event cautiously. For your crusade to be a success, reach out to as many supporters as you can.

Go on and set up pages to link up with your target supporters and ask for their generous contributions. Donations can be made via your fundraising page to curb any irregularities or uncertainties. To appeal to your target audience, include several images to your fundraising page and describe what goal the contributions will accomplish. Don’t forget to describe your campaign in details to spur more people to make donations

T-Shirt Fundraising

T-shirts are a great product to sell that can help you spread the word of your cause. You need to design t-shirts and use online marketing to sell available t-shirts to your target audience. T-shirt fundraising is a fun-filled way to reach out to reliable donors. When supporters buy and wear these t-shirts, they will have something tangible to show that they have contributed to your charity event. In order for the t-shirt fundraiser to be successful, keep in mind how much you’re charging per shirt.

Online Donation Forms

By use of online donation forms, you will be able to market your charity page and provide specific information to attract more supporters. To maximize on this platform, ensure the forms are mobile-friendly to allow easy access by tech savvy supporters.

To Sum Up

If you don’t know how to go about raising money for a cause, there are impeccable ways on how to fundraise online. Thanks to the internet and inventiveness, it’s easy these days to donate money and help others in need. It’s all about embracing the advent of social media and respecting your networks. You will be in the course of uniting people from all walks of life and different organizations and reach a common transformative goal.

Outrageous Fundraising Ideas – How to Raise Money

December 20, 2019

Fundraising is getting competitive by the day. A lot of organizations are looking for support from the same circles of people. It is how you sell your idea that determines whether or not you keep the funds coming. To beat the competition, you can add some outrageous fundraising ideas. You can get a little crazy with out-of-the-box ideas and who cares, as long as you win the hearts of many.

Outrageous Fundraising Ideas

Do you want the benefits of fundraising? If you do, then you will need to have attention grabbing ideas. Looking for some crazy ideas to raise funds for your non-profit organization? This post has got your back. It will share some outrageous ideas that will win you supporters in their numbers. You will learn how to execute each idea and keep the money coming.

Dance marathon

How about letting people have a chance to showcase their dancing skills and make money while at it? Organize a dance marathon and invite as many

people as possible. Do not focus on couples only; individuals also need to be part of the dance. Fundraising professionals say play different kinds of music from old school to the newest genres.

Wine tasting

If there is one way that can convince people to open their wallets; wine is a sure bet. Partner with a wine store or a local vineyard to organize the location and a variety of wines tastes. Advertise the event aggressively and make sure you have enough space for the guests. To make it better, make arrangements for transport after the event. Do not assume that every person will hire a driver for the day.

A cultural night

Find a local cultural organization in your area and sell the idea to them. Organize a night to celebrate the culture of a particular region. The food, drinks, and music should be part of the package.

Simple auction

Auctions are not crazy, but you cannot rule them out. They know how to pull crowds and convince them to a little extravagant. Do not go for complicated stuff. Include groceries, everyday auto spares, and items that people use daily.

BBQ bonanza

People love barbeques and the chance to meet and make new friends. Plan for a BBQ bonanza and do a good campaign to promote it. Let your close

friends help spread the world. Target every age group because everyone loves good barbeque. You will be charging some entry to those who will be attending. When it is all done, you will have a crowd spreading the message about your organization. The next time you do this, you will have a lot of ground covered.

A movie marathon

Do you have some space in your home you can convert into a movie room? Find the latest blockbusters and let people know you will be holding a movie marathon at your home. It is an easy way to make money at little to no cost.

If you were looking for outrageous fundraising ideas, you have more than you may need. Pick whatever works for you, and make the dough. Remember, simplicity will always give you bigger returns. There is a great importance in fundraising, so create effective strategies and marketing plans to successfully raise money.

Charity Fundraising Ideas in the Workplace

December 16, 2019

The workplace is a great place to raise funds for a good cause. An office fundraiser also gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with colleagues while taking a break from work. But just because the fundraiser will be in the workplace doesn’t mean it has to be plain and boring. You can incorporate some fun and easy charity fundraising ideas in the workplace to your campaign.

Charity Fundraising Ideas in the Workplace

Fundraising is greatly important in order to fund nonprofit charity organizations. In this article, we’ll discuss a few charity fundraising ideas for the office. They’re simple ideas you can implement without spending too much.

Lunch and learn

Invite your workmate to bring their own lunch and find a spot for an informative lunchtime talk. Invite interesting speakers from within the office or from your network and ask everyone for a small donation to attend the event. You can ask the speaker to pick an interesting topic that will stimulate the minds of the audience. Consider styled presentations to keep the energy in the room.

Competitive karaoke

Although there are many different ways to fundraise, a great fundraising idea is competitive karaoke. Bring out some mics and some great tunes for a good cause. Come up with a system to create

teams or let people compete as individuals then rate performances to determine who is the karaoke champ. Ask for a small donation for people to attend and participate.

Hold a Sports Day

Test your colleagues’ physical fitness and endurance with a day of fun and games. You can have teams compete based on their departments and include games ranging from egg and spoon racing to volleyball and tug of war. Ask for entrance fees that will go to charity. This is also a great fundraising idea for high school sports.

Office Bring-a-dish

Take a break from the regular sandwich snacks by selling tickets to an office bring-a-dish. Ask people to make an old family recipe or pick a theme and bring your colleagues together for a relaxed lunch. You can ask participants to auction off their creative recipes to raise more funds.

Baby Photo Challenge

You probably see your colleagues five days a week but chances are you can’t match them up to their baby photos. This is a great way to raise funds for your cause. Simply ask your workmates to come with their baby photos and run a baby photo game. Ask for ticket entry fees and whoever matches the most photos wins a prize.

Office Bar Quiz Night

In order to get the benefits of fundraising, it is important to hold an attention grabbing event. Nothing can get coworkers to relax and hang out like a little friendly competition at the bar. Be sure

to charge entry fees to participate and split into several teams. All you need to do is grab a drink and hold a competition to establish who in your office has the best command of general knowledge.

Jumble Sale

Ask your workmates to bring their old home decor, books, old clothes, etc. to work for a jumble sale. Consider asking for a percentage of the proceeds to go to a good cause or charge an admission

fee.

Bottom Line

There are many effective fundraising strategies you can follow to raise money; just as there are plenty of fundraising ideas in the workplace that can you can exploit to raise more funds for your cause. The trick is to go for something unique that people will enjoy. Other options to consider include raffling off a day off of work or asking for a matching gift.

Types of Fundraising Strategies – Boosting Donations

November 19, 2019

Not-for-profit organizations depend on donations to meet their goals. Therefore, it is very critical that they keep appealing to donors so that money will not be a problem. One of the surest ways of making sure of that is by understanding the various types of fundraising strategies. With such knowledge, you will come up with fresh fundraising ideas, and the money will never stop coming.

Types of Fundraising Strategies

There are many different ways you can fundraise for your cause. If you are trying hard to raise money for your not-for-profit organization, this post can help. It will detail fundraising strategies that can open donation floodgates. You will also learn of practical ideas that you can use to raise funds.

End of Year Fund Drive

The end of every year is a perfect time to tap into the generosity of givers. Organize a fund drive with a theme of gifts. You will be rewarding those who have been a big blessing to your organization. As you give the gifts, you will also get donations from those who will be attending the event. Ending the year on a high note will benefit your fundraiser by reaching goals, so that you will not be struggling when the next year begins.

Use the Power of Social Media

You cannot ignore the power of social media. If it has the power to influence political decisions, then it will affect everything else. Find a few channels where you can talk about your organization and what it does. Each day, spend a few minutes sharpening your profile and crafting your stories. Build a network of people who can support you. With a bulk of visitors to your social media channels, raising funds will never be a tall order.

Letting Your Website do Some Bidding

We are living in the age of technology. A lot of people visit the internet daily. You should not forget about tapping into the potential of online traffic. How? Your website should be up to date. You should regularly update its content. Make sure you are in sync with what people would be interested in. Most importantly, ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. More people are accessing the internet with mobile devices. You sure want to let them know about you and your organization.

Organize Special Events

You should not be so obsessed with raising money that you forget to give back to your supporters. Once in a while, give them something to have fun and renew their support to your organization. Go for events like talent shows, school carnivals, field days, or you can do unusual fundraisers such as galas and video game tournaments. Let them have fun in the name of your organization, and they will be loyal supporters forever.

Monthly Giving Campaigns

Create giving events to reward your supporters. Choose the most generous donors and give them a token for their support. Invite other members of the public to take part in the campaign. This is how you can ask them to donate. You will be motivating others to be loyal donors.

To Summarize

If you want to keep your not-for-profit organization afloat, knowing the several types of fundraising strategies will come to your help. Pick a few of them and get the funds coming for your cause and your organization.

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.

Corporate Fundraising Event Ideas

June 18, 2019

Choosing a fundraising idea for your corporate event is sometimes difficult. Whether you plan the event yourself or hire a professional company to do the fundraising, it helps to know the different ways you can raise money. Here are a few corporate fundraising event ideas to bear in mind the next time you’re organizing a fundraiser.

Corporate Fundraising Event Ideas

Fundraisers are important events, therefore it is important to run it properly to ensure success. Below is a list of different corporate fundraising event ideas to hold.

Balloon Pop Off

This involves putting a slip in each balloon that states the prize to be won for popping that balloon. You can use the company hall or cafeteria for this event. Purchase fun items at wholesale stores or ask employees to donate prizes ahead of time. Charge a participation fee that allows participants to pop as many balloons as they can or a small fee per balloon that someone wants to pop.

Bingo Night

Bingo can be a great way to raise funds. Set up bingo night for employees and charge a small donation at the entrance for each bingo card received. Make things interesting by offering fun prizes for the winners.

Bowling Tournament

Contact your local bowling alley to set up a date and time for a corporate fundraising bowling tournament. Ask employees to compete in teams and set pledges for pins knocked down, winning teams strikes made, and so forth. Employees can make pledges based on how you’ve set up the event or ask volunteers to simply make a one-time Corporate Fundraising Event Ideas donation. Offer a fun prize for the winning team and collect pledges and donation afterward or on a specific day at work.

Company Picnic and Raffle

Hold a company picnic where employees and families can buy raffle tickets. Ask people who will be attending to create a great meal which everyone can partake. You can also spice things up with fun events like pie-eating contests, races or other activities to make it a great time for everyone and increase participation. This unusual event will draw quite the donations.

Competitive Events

Create an event in which different departments of the company compete against one another. There are countless variations you can use. See what types of sports or events interest most people and decide what will work best for an exciting competition. Consider asking for pledges or donations before the event.

Employee Dance

You can hold a company dance at an appropriate location and charge a small ticket fee at the door. Ask employees to invite their friends and family to attend. Consider offering drinks and snacks that attendants can purchase while they’re at the dance.

Karaoke Night

Host fun karaoke competitions and charge employees and/or family members a small admission fee to compete. You can also serve drinks and snacks. Publicize the event by inviting local stars and celebrities to compete and make the event more interesting.

Bottom Line

Choosing a fundraising idea largely depends on what you’re attempting to accomplish. The trick is to choose corporate fundraising event ideas that will align with your fundraising goals and expectations. For instance, some fundraising ideas need more planning than others so you’ll have to start planning earlier.