FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

by Joe Garecht (http://thefundraisingauthority.com)

Fundraising for sports teams can be difficult… parents and other supporters are inundated with other fundraising efforts, from raising money for schools, churches and synagogues to competition from other sports programs, clubs, and activities that the children are involved with.  The key to increasing your sports program’s fundraising revenue is breaking through the clutter, and making a compelling case to your target audience.

Why Are You Fundraising?

When it comes to raising money, many sports programs focus on incentives for fundraisers, fun campaign kick-offs, and dire warnings about revenue shortfalls.  All of those things have their place, but what most sports program administrators forget is that what really sells your program… what really makes people want to open their wallets… is your mission!

What is it that makes your program different?  What sets you apart?  Those are the things that make your kids come to your program, and that will make their parents and friends support your organization financially, above and beyond membership dues.

Once you explain what sets your group apart, and why your mission matters, tell people why you need to fundraise.  If your program charges membership fees or dues for athletes who play on your teams, many parents may wonder why you need to raise money at all.  Be honest and tell them… If you need better equipment, if it costs a ton to keep your fields nice, if you’d like to add programs or scholarships or just keep general fees low… tell people.   Let them know: our mission matters, here’s why we’re different, here’s why we need the money.

This tip applies no matter what type of fundraising campaign you are running, even if it is selling a physical product like food, subscriptions, or gift items.

Tell and Show

Don’t stop there… once you have told your boosters why your mission matters, show them!  No amount of talking about your program’s benefits can match showing people why your organization is special.  For sports programs, that might mean holding a kick-off meeting where your athletes do a demonstration, inviting key donors to games, or putting together a short YouTube video of your players in action.  Tell them why your program matters, then show them that you’re telling the truth.

Market Your Effort

When you’re ready to start your fundraising campaign, don’t be afraid to aggressively market your effort.  While it is important to get your players involved, be sure to also go directly to parents (even if your players are in high school), and other boosters.  If your fundraising campaign makes it appropriate, do a mailing to local businesses, contact program alumni, and do a press release for the local paper.  The more people involved in raising funds for your sports group, the better chance you will have of meeting your fundraising goals.

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Joe Garecht is the editor of The Fundraising Authority, located on the web at http://www.TheFundraisingAuthority.com

by Joe Garecht (http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com)

Most non-public schools need to raise funds on a yearly basis, whether for general operating expenses, scholarships, special needs, or sports, clubs, and activities.  These yearly fundraising campaigns take any number of shapes, from product sales to fundraising events to straight fundraising appeals.  No matter what method your school chooses, chances are you will rely on volunteers to lead and run your effort.

Over the years, I’ve heard from many volunteer fundraising leaders who don’t know where to start in raising money for their child’s school.  After talking with the school’s administration, they feel like they are on their own, without a step by step guide for their efforts.  If you’re the school staff member serving as a liaison for these fundraising efforts, don’t leave your volunteers out in the cold.  Share with them these five steps for holding a successful school fundraiser:

1.  Choose Your Program

The school you are working with may or may not have chosen a fundraising program that they would like to use as part of your effort.  If they haven’t, it’ll be up to you to investigate your options and choose a program that will both work well for your particular school and provide a good return for your efforts. Your choices are endless, from selling chocolates or wrapping paper to doing fundraising mailings, holding an event, or simply gathering a team to make asks.  Don’t get bogged down deciding… investigate, choose, discuss your choice with the school to get their blessing, then get to work!

2.  Develop a Plan

Too many parent fundraising leaders make the mistake of starting a new campaign without making a plan – this is one of the biggest reasons why school fundraisers fail.  Before you begin, figure out how you’ll run your effort, what the costs and possible returns will be, what support systems will be needed for your volunteers, and how you will market the fundraising campaign.  Your best bet is to develop a short written fundraising plan before you begin.

3.  Choose Your Team

The people helping you on your effort can make or break your fundraising campaign.  Find other parents, teachers, and student leaders (if needed) who are willing to work hard and with a cheerful attitude to make your event or campaign succeed.

4.  Train Your Team

Next to the failure to write out a plan, a failure to properly train the fundraising team is the biggest reason why fundraisers fail.  Once you have your team in place, show them what needs to be done.  Tell them how to sell tickets, or magazines, or ask for donations… whatever your effort requires.  Answer their questions, and provide support to them throughout the fundraising campaign.

5.  Track Your Success

As you move from planning into the actual fundraising, constantly track what works and what doesn’t, who is raising money and who isn’t, which volunteers are working hard, and which aren’t.  Make adjustments midstream, if necessary, while adhering as closely as possible to the overall strategy you laid out in your plan.  Stay on top of your campaign so you can guide it to success.

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Joe Garecht is the editor of The Fundraising Authority, located on the web at http://thefundraisingauthority.com

by Joe Garecht

Fundraising is the lifeblood of every non-profit organization.  Without it, schools, churches, and other charities find it impossible to carry out their missions.  Without the funding to turn their vision into reality, these groups can’t provide the vital services they offer to society.

Yet, many worthwhile organizations find that they have trouble fundraising, and seem to plateau whenever they try to new methods.  They get stuck in the same routine of grant submissions that aren’t targeted well enough, networking lunches that don’t go anywhere, and events that take too much time for too little return.  It’s time for groups like this to supercharge their fundraising efforts.  Here’s how:

1.  Use Small Hosted Events

Most organizations have tons of mid-level supporters who would love to host a small fundraising event on behalf of the charity.  Yet, most charities don’t encourage these events, thinking that they are too much work. Instead, these groups focus on large, marquee fundraising events, run by the organization, that really are too much work.

Keep holding those big events, but make it easy for your organization to support all of the smaller-level supporters who are willing to hold events.  Create an “event in a box” that contains all of the information someone would need to hold an event on your behalf, and then encourage your board members and supporters to do so.  Make it clear that they are responsible for hosting the event and finding attendees and that you appreciate their efforts.  Having 25 events a year that each raise $2,500 really adds up!

2.  Communicate with Donors and Prospects!

Many organizations make the mistake of asking for money from a prospect, then never communicating again (at least not until the next ask).  Fundraising is all about relationships.  Instead of making ask after ask, build a real relationship between the donor/prospect and your organization.  Send newsletters that update, but don’t ask.  Hold networking events.  Send e-updates.  Call to say thank you. The more of a relationship you build with each donor, the more money you will raise.

3.  Focus on Your Board

Many small non-profits have board filled with friends of the founder, or with ex-officio members from similar agencies who add expertise, but not dollars, to the organization.  Remember this: the number one foundation for your fundraising efforts is your board of directors.  Their contact network should form the basis of much of your groups’ early fundraising efforts.

Because of this, it is important that every organization, once established, starts to add new board members who can raise money for the group.  Find people who have great networks and are committed to the cause.  Keep those early loyal supporters, but add folks who can go out and raise money from their own rolodexes for your organization.

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This article by Joe Garecht, the founder of The Fundraising Authority.  For more great articles and information from Joe, visit http://thefundraisingauthority.com

Candy bars, caramel corn, baked goods, plants, cookies, magazines and specialty cheeses. If during the school year you hear a knock on your door, it’s entirely possible that you’ll find a student waiting outside, hawking one of these to raise money for school activities.

For some parents, that can lead to “fundraiser fatigue” — and the need to continually mobilize for new projects can take a lot of time.

“I hear it all the time — geez, not another one,” said Michelle Daniel, 45, who lives on Wausau’s east side.

With five boys, ranging in age from 8 to 18, and all of them involved in sports and extracurricular activities, it’s inevitable that Daniel and her family sometimes feel stretched a bit thin.

“There are some times I would rather say, ‘Tell me how much you need and I’ll write you a check,’” Daniel said.

That’s not because the family is so wealthy that they wouldn’t notice it, she said. It’s because of the time and effort that fundraising takes.

But with school budgets stretched tighter than ever, the fundraising burden on families and groups such as parent-teacher organizations is only likely to increase.

In 2005, the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors & Suppliers found that product fundraising nationwide accounted for $1.7 billion in school and youth group funding, with 83 percent of that money going to schools and school groups including PTOs. The survey also found that eight out of 10 respondents and nine out of 10 parents had bought something to support a school fundraiser.

At Wausau’s Riverview Elementary School, a “no fundraiser fundraiser” was in effect for several years, as parents were asked to donate money in lieu of fundraising efforts. Riverview Parent-Teacher Organization President Tara Parks said that approach worked well for a few years, but this year the group had to return to traditional fundraising efforts.

“The success of the no-fundraiser fundraiser had gone down drastically,” Parks said.

And she said the efforts fund important services, including supplies for teachers and for the computer lab, and money for a fifth-grade end-of-school-year trip.

“Sometimes fundraising gets a stigma,” Parks said. “When I was (a student) in band, I paid for trips to Washington, D.C., and New York by selling pizzas and magazines. Without fundraisers, I wouldn’t have gotten to go.”

Still, Parks said she had heard complaints from parents about the efforts being undertaken. At the same time, from the school district’s side, the need for fundraising has only grown.

In a nationwide survey in 2007, the National Association of Elementary School Principals found that 94 percent of school administrators rely on fundraisers to supplement district, state and federal money they receive.

It is easier to raise money when “you know what you’re fundraising for and can express that to people,” Daniel said. If the fundraiser money is going to new football helmets or wrestling mats, she said, that makes it easier for people to say yes than if it’s to be used for more general purposes.

While many parents approach coworkers and family members, some have few alternatives to canvassing neighbors.

“We have no family in town, so a lot of it is door-to-door,” Daniel said. “It ends up being a lot of the same neighborhood. … I buy from all the neighborhood kids also, because I know that they’re also buying from my kids.”

Ultimately, for Daniel as for most parents, the efforts are worthwhile.

“The benefits outweigh the negatives of fundraising,” Daniel said, citing statistics showing that kids involved in extracurricular activities do better in school. “We do what we have to do to keep the programs.”

Yoga can be a tremendous aid to cancer patients, survivors and family members as they battle the disease. Physically, mentally, and emotionally yoga provides the care, security, support, acceptance and rehabilitation needed during these crucial times. Breathing techniques, visualizations, and gentle asana practice all contribute to a healthy lifestyle and help cope with the ravages of cancer.

We’ve all been touched in some way by cancer. My grandparents have died from it, numerous friends are survivors, and a high school girlfriend’s little boy continues to fight brain cancer. I encourage you to show your support of these brave individuals by getting involved with your favorite cancer charity in the coming months. Kids and teens are often especially willing to lend a hand or help raise money and awareness demonstrating a high level of empathy and understanding. Get them involved in serving in the community. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Yoga Bear, an organization which aids and supports cancer patients & survivors, is encouraging an awareness campaign which encourages people to wear yellow on October 2nd to recognize the anniversary of Lance Armstrong’s cancer diagnosis. Learn more about Lance Armstrong andLIVESTRONG here.

Movember, a world wide movement which started in Australia, is bringing back the ’stash’. Men begin clean shaven on November 1st and grow a moustache throughout the month to increase prostrate cancer awareness. Learn more here.

The St. Valentine’s Day Hair Massacure, an annual event to raise money for the Stollery Children’s Hospital. To date this annual fundraiser has raised over $3 million with celebrities, families, 24 participating schools, even dogs participating by dying their hair vibrant pink and/or going bald.

Show your support. Get involved. Make a difference.

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The fact that there are so many students in a typical elementary or middle school creates the potential for huge sales and profits. But because there are so many students at one of these schools it can be hard to organize and control the results of such a large school fundraiser. All hope is not lost as there are three key elements to a school fundraiser that if monitored while planning for the sale, will all but guarantee that your fundraiser will be a huge success.

Communication!
Long before your school fundraiser gets started, things should be in place and ready to go for the big fundraiser kick off day. Probably the best thing that a PTA or PTO can do before the fundraiser ever gets started is to make sure that all the parents of the school children know that a fundraiser is about to happen BEFORE it happens. At least once and it is even better to do this twice, send a letter home with the students that tells the parents a little about the upcoming school fundraiser and why the school needs the funds. In any communications you do in this manner never forget to ask explicitly for their help and participation.

Build Excitement!
Have an assembly or rally to kick the fundraiser off. The fundraising chairperson can create excitement about the fundraiser. It is also great to discuss with the students what money is being raised for – where will the money they earn go? What are the positive results of their efforts?
Of course you really don’t have to cover all that in great detail with the students as doing that in any great detail would put them to sleep. We want them excited about the sale, not bored to tears about it. So unless you have a production equivalent to High School Musical 2 or the real Sponge Bob and Patrick to cover those details in song or antics, I would say, “Just mention it.” The bottom line is that the kids generally don’t have the interest or the memory to “spread the word” about what the money is going to be used for. That is what the parent letter is for anyway.

Motivation!
The part that gets the students attention and raises their excitement is not the product being sold or the purpose of the fundraiser… It’s The Prizes! In fact, if your prizes are really good, you could actually forget about the communication stuff mentioned above. The students will make sure your parents know all about it. If all you do for a school fundraiser kickoff is show the prizes and hold up the fundraising brochure that the prize program “goes with,” you will have a perfect fundraising kickoff. It is really that simple as long as the prizes are really good.
By organizing, building excitement and rewarding the students – your fundraiser can be successful no matter what fundraising product you choose. Now, in this article, I have over simplified the whole 3 step process: but not by much. There are some specific points about each of these 3 elements of a school fundraiser that warrant close attention. Most of the time it is a good idea to run your fundraising ideas by an experienced fundraising consultant and heed their advice.

A Word to the Wise!
Most fundraising companies are more interested these days in “getting your business” than in actually coaching you in how to run a profitable fundraiser. Most will sell you on their product or their service or their profit percentage as the key point in a successful fundraiser. This is far from the truth, and if you spend a few minutes thinking about it, you know this is true. Prizes are what drive school fundraisers. If you do the ordinary, ho-hum, regular prizes, you will end up with ordinary, ho-hum, regular results. This is why schools that make a change in their philosophy about prizes usually double or more their previous year’s sale. It is not the product, service or profit percentage that makes the difference… it’s the prizes.

By Juan Franco

The back to school season often means fundraisers are in full swing, whether they are for schools, clubs, sports teams, or scouts. And while students are encouraged to sell an assortment of products to people they know, a lot of moms and dads inevitably get pulled into the mix, hitting up co-workers and relatives for everything from wrapping paper to popcorn to cookie dough.

If fundraising season is in full swing at your house, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• These days just about every fundraiser for grade school students advises kids not to sell to strangers. That’s sound advice, but if your neighborhood is open to solicitations, you can still accompany your young scout or athlete doing door to door sales–but don’t have the kids solicit alone.

• Contact your local Publix to ask about scheduling a time to do fundraising. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops can frequently be seen on weekends selling popcorn or Girl Scout cookies (you’ll have to wait until spring for those Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos).

• While it’s tough to get younger kids to fully understand the purpose of fundraising, get them engaged in the process as much as possible. Have them ask Grandma and Grandpa if they would like to buy something from the latest fundraiser, and thank them for their support.

• If you take your kid’s fundraising forms to work, make sure that you are not violating any office policies. A lot of workplaces frown upon employees using e-mail lists for solicitations, so don’t run afoul of Human Resources.

• If you are permitted to bring fundraisers to work, ask your manager first, and set out any fundraising forms in a common area, like near the office coffee pot. Do not put the fundraising form in a folder with a routing slip and expect your co-workers to fill it out and forward it. The form could end up sitting on the desk of someone who had more important things to do and never make its way around the office. It’s important to make fundraising feel optional, not an obligation.

• Speaking of obligations, it’s best not to push fundraisers for your child in the workplace if you are the boss. Subordinates might feel pressured to buy something (even if they don’t admit it to you) and might mention it to HR if you work in a corporate environment.

• Don’t feel bad if you get turned down by close friends, neighbors or relatives this year. With the current recession, a lot of people are trying to save money any way they can. Besides, if there is one thing that’s certain about student fundraisers, it’s that there is always going to be another one next year.

For more info: Getting back into the back-to-school mode? Read the At-a-glance calendar for first semester and the Checklist for students and parents.

Online fundraising offers nonprofits the opportunity to reach new audiences while building stronger relationships with existing constituents who are spending more time on the Internet. For organizations used to communicating via direct mail and telemarketing, embarking on a digital strategy presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Here, Pamela Barden, VP and group director, Russ Reid; Debbi Barber, president, Grizzard Communications Group; Vinay Bhagat, chief strategy officer, Convio; and Angie C. Moore, SVP and GM, fundraising services group at Merkle offer their Dos and Don’ts when it comes to online fundraising.

Pamela Barden, VP and group director, Russ Reid

Do: Think about the entire online experience

Begin with the subject line. It won’t “close the deal,” but it could stop further action if done incorrectly. On mobile devices, recipients see about 20 characters of your subject, so make every one count. Test your links. If you say “click here,” make sure “here” goes someplace that moves the reader closer to giving. Immediately send a short, warm acknowledgment for every donation, telling how the gift is being used.

Don’t: Don’t forget the small details

Don’t make the online donation form too complicated; it’s about getting the donation, not collecting every bit of information you’ll ever want. Don’t forget to include your mission statement on your Web site. Also, don’t assume a potential donor will stumble across your Web site and decide to give; be proactive online and offline in driving potential donors there.

Debbi Barber, president, Grizzard Communications Group

Do: Create seamless integration across channels

Direct mail pieces should have a unique URL landing page that supports the campaign and tracks direct mail visitors to the Web site. E-mail blasts to overlapping direct mail and online constituents should be coordinated and timed for maximum impact. Highlight critical campaigns featured in direct mail and e-mail within the online donation form. Integrate special campaign offers within paid search creative. Don’t just create a campaign and then add on a digital component.

Don’t: If raising funds is your goal, do not have all of your efforts pushed to the main Web site.

There is typically too much happening on the homepage for a fundraising message to stand out and be clear. Instead, create landing pages that focus on the reasons to give and drive potential donors to these pages.

Vinay Bhagat, chief strategy officer, Convio

Do: Empower constituents to act for you

Online tools provide great vehicles to harness supporters’ passion for fundraising, recruitment and evangelism. This can be accomplished by writing messages that inspire donors and reflect their interests. Also be sure to make giving opportunities tangible and explain how gift levels impact your cause.

Don’t: Stop building your prospect and e-mail files

Instead, use online and creativity to reach new people and provide donors who are giving less with meaningful ways to engage. Don’t rely on the structure, skills and approaches of the past. Try to evaluate and reallocate resources from declining, slower growing areas to those that are more efficient and effective at reaching people.

Angie C. Moore, SVP and GM, Merkle’s fundraising services group

Do: Recognize that retention is a metric, not a strategy

Take the time to understand what matters to your constituents and then create online messages around those interests. Being relevant is king when it comes to having mass market conversations with your donors. Relevance drives satisfaction, and satisfaction affects retention. Loyalty equals more support for your mission.

Don’t: Never underestimate the value of non-donor behavior

Every action — dialing a 1-800 number, changing an address, volunteering, requesting information, and more — is an indication of interest and a critical ingredient in the relationship value recipe. Don’t be afraid to model these interactions and understand the true value of the full relationship, not just the donations part.

Source: http://www.dmnews.com/dos-and-donts-of-online-fundraising/article/146504/

Back to school night is the official end of summer. This time-honored night of getting to know your school and staff has been going on for years. You might be tempted to miss it, but don’t!

Every year, our schools are expected to provide more with less. Every school, whether public or private, greatly benefits from the help of parent volunteers. At Back to School Night, this is the time to sign-up to give 2-4 hours of your time to help out your school.

Represented at every Back to School night is the Parent Teacher Organization or Association (PTO/PTA). There is a small fee to officially join the PTO/PTA. This fee goes towards the national PTO/PTA organization which in turn usually provides insurance to your local group. I strongly recommend you join the PTO/PTA or similar parent group. This volunteer group of parents works hard to raise money just for your school for necessities outside the school budget or fun events for the kids. While you are fresh off of summer, also make it a goal to attend at least 3 PTO/PTA meetings. They usually meet once a month during the evenings. You do not need to officially join the PTO/PTA to attend. The meetings are also the best place to bring up new ideas or learn more about the way things are done.

Also at Back to School night, many parents that chair an event (teacher appreciation or a school fundraiser) will be there to solicit volunteers. Although you may be weary of committing your time to help with a school event, please find one that you like and sign-up! Parents are much more likely to volunteer at the beginning of the year than during the year when school is in full swing. The benefits of volunteering, such as making new friends and learning more about your child’s school, are very rewarding.

Lastly, you will have a chance to talk with your child’s teachers. This is the best time to ask about volunteering for the classroom. Don’t worry if you work full-time, there may be some volunteer work you can do at home that does not require you to come into the school. This can include anything from cutting paper for an elementary to running off mailing labels for a high school.

This year, make a commitment to volunteer some of your time to your child’s school, whether attending a meeting or helping with an event. The best time to cash in on that commitment is at Back to School night, when school momentum is at its peak.

- Denver Educational Volunteer Examiner Lori Hampton

The recession has led to more reliance on these and other groups to save school staff jobs.

Press Release Service – Wired PR News – More and more organizations such as parent-teacher associations (PTAs) are increasingly being utilized to help save essential services and staff jobs in public schools. As reported by TIME, the recession has triggered more reliance on parents, school foundations, and community groups to supplement costs of operating schools.

California state PTA president Jo Loss is quoted by TIME as stating of the matter, “The state is supposed to provide the black-and-white essentials of a good education, and the PTA fills in the color… But our state has increasingly fallen far short of providing even the essentials. So PTAs are having to step in.”

Some, however, strongly oppose the idea of PTA fundraisers and related means of raising money by private entities being used for school funding. National PTA President Charles J. Saylors is quoted in the report as stating, “Parents should not have to raise money to underwrite staff salaries… That’s the responsibility of the local government. They should not be balancing their budgets on the backs of parents.”

WiredPRNews.com – The latest in Education News

Photo Credit: Wikipedia User Fagles