8. Fundraising -
Ideas
When you initially think of fundraising, you may think it's
going to be so easy. You just need get together a group of
co-workers or co-volunteers, have a brainstorming session,
and you will likely get a list of ideas ranging from jumble
sales to door-to-door selling to a direct mail campaign, right,
and type in "fundraising ideas" into any Internet search engine
and you are likely to get thousands of hits, ranging from bake
sale ideas to companies offering fundraising
opportunities.
This is true, but it is not simply a matter
of choosing an idea. To be
successful at fundraising, you need to carefully consider which
ideas will work well for your group of volunteers.
Choosing the wrong ideas can be disastrous: you will
waste time, money, and effort to get little or no financial
return and the failure to raise funds may well ruin the morale
and motivation of your group. Getting out of the
financial hole left by a bad fundraising campaign can also be
quite difficult, especially for small
non-profits.
There are a few things you need to make sure
of first before you start your fundraising, namely
that:
- the cost of starting this fundraiser is
what you can afford to spend
- you will be able to put to use the
resources and talents of your volunteers
- you have enough people power - or can
get enough for this fundraiser
- it has a theme-appropriate idea for your
group
- it is appropriate for the size and age
of your group
- it does not require expensive resources
you do not have
- it is likely to appeal to
donors
- it gives added value to your donors -
your donors will feel that they are getting something from
the experience
- it will bring in the required
money.
Consider these requirements against every
idea you consider to make sure that you are choosing a
fundraising idea with some potential. However, to save time, you may want to find fundraising
ideas by considering the following list rather than starting
from scratch. So, on a piece of paper, note the
following:
- The purpose of your
organization
- How much money you are willing to invest
in this fundraising
- What resources you have - even
resources such as someone's car can be a big help when
fundraising for your group
- How much money you need - and when you
need it by. Be sure to note whether you need money
only for a specific project or whether you need to raise
money on a regular basis.
- How much time you are willing to expend
on fundraising
- Who you expect to donate the
money
- What sort of time frame you have
for the fundraising. Is there a specific thing you need
money for? Do you need a specific amount by a
specific time?
- What is the money for?
Based on this simple inventory, you
can eliminate potentially poor ideas for your group
and can start focusing on the real possibilities right
away. With your fundraising goals in mind (and these
goals are what you are determining by answering the above
questions), you can easily tell which ideas can contribute to
your goals and which are unlikely to be
helpful.
The next few chapters deal with the many ways
that your organization might want to consider to raise some
funds. YTake a good look to see what best fits your
organization.
Next page: 9.
Fundraising
- Donated Products
Practical Fundraising Ebook -
Table Of Contents
- Fundraising
- The Basics
- Fundraising -
Terminology
- Fundraising - Money
-
Fundraising - Where to Find Donors and How
to Reach Them
- Fundraising
- Targeting Your Donors
- Fundraising - Research
- Fundraising - Your Donors' Needs
- Fundraising - Ideas
- Fundraising - Donated Products
- Fundraising
- Bought Products
- Fundraising
- Marathons
-
Fundraising - Lotteries, raffles and more
-
Fundraising - Fairs, Auctions and Bazaars
- Fundraising
- Fun Events
- Fundraising - Drives
- Fundraising - Services
-
Fundraising - Tips for Choosing a Fundraising
Idea
- Fundraising
- Your Plan
- Fundraising
- Your Team
- Fundraising - Staying Organized
-
Fundraising - Communicating With Your
Donors
- Fundraising
- Advertising
- Fundraising - Letters
- Fundraising
- Emails and more
- Fundraising - Person to Person
- Fundraising
- Thank You Notes
- Fundraising
- Grant Proposals
- Fundraising
- Press Releases
- Fundraising
- With Computers
- Fundraising - Secrets to Success
- Fundraising - Problems
- Fundraising
- Conclusions
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