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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.

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.

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.

Unusual Fundraising Ideas – Attract Potential Donors

January 15, 2019

Fundraising is challenging for all. If you are involved in PTO, nonprofit organizations, and a school community, you might have gone through many difficulties to get funding for your purpose. You will need some unique, easy, and convincing ideas to create a fundraiser that is captivating to donors. Below are some unusual fundraising ideas that will not only catch the attention of potential donors, but will also help in earning funds for a good cause.

Fundraising Ideas

Shoe Drive

Shoe drives can be very fun if done properly. The benefit of this idea is that it is easy, fun, and cost-effective. You can inspire your supporters to donate their used and new shoes to the collection material. Organizations will then take all these shoes and will send you a check. This idea is effective since it can make the best use of used shoes. You can make around thousands of dollars from this idea. It can be used both for the small and large organizations.

Matching Gifts

You might not be familiar with this idea. You will find this option in some corporate philanthropy programs. This idea enables companies to match a portion of the gifts that their employers present to the non-profit organizations. You can maximize the amount by persuading your donors to boost the donation and to get the most out of it.

You can consider posting on social media and can also send them emails about the matching gift programs. Also, you can develop a partnership with matching gifts database to enable the supporters to utilize the programs in the best possible manner. This is more effective since the donors do not need to offer more donations. Instead, they can contribute by a being a part of the matching gift programs.

T-Shirt

unusual fundraising ideas

Customized t-shirts can help you to collect more funds — especially if you are hosting a fundraiser for a high school sports team. You can also use it as the marketing strategy to get better exposure. Design your t-shirt with a compelling design to create a special recognition for your brand. When t-shirts will come with an inspiring and customized design, people will prefer to buy it to remember your organization. You can also promote it on social media to find more people for your organization.

Peer-to-Peer

Peer-to-peer fundraising will enable your online supporters to promote your organization and that will ultimately help you to get more funds for your purpose. You can design this campaign with striking imagery, custom branding, and some other exciting features. With a proven marketing plan, you can reach out your supporters and can motivate them to get the desired exposure for your brand.

Raffle Night

This unusual idea will enable you to collect fund for your organization in a unique manner. This idea will help to influence the local businesses to donate to raffle. At the same time, it provides an opportunity to the local businesses to spread their local brand to the community.

Bottom Line

These are some unusual fundraising ideas that can help a nonprofit organization or community to raise funds without much complication. Some ideas include: a shoe drive, matching gifts, t-shirts, and many more. In addition to these ideas, you need to follow some proven strategies to get the desired benefits.