FastTrack Fundraising™ Tips and Articles

Fourth of July: it’s a holiday filled with patriotism, barbecues, friends, and family. It’s also one of the best fundraising opportunities of the year. In fact, Fourth of July celebrations are so varied and diverse that it’s best to act early and create an effective strategy for fundraising well in advance. After all, with so many things happening on one day, you’ll need an army (or at least a large group) of volunteers to get the most out of the day. Here are some places to start:

City celebrations: Between parades, fireworks, and other public events, cities big and small will organize and stage their own Fourth of July event. Some of these events will allow for you to have a table; in other cases, you can just have volunteers and staff work the crowd with fundraising goodies. In either case, the best thing to do is to contact the city’s event staff and see how they work with outside organizations like yours.

Homeowner’s associations: Many neighborhood associations will put together their own social event, usually involving a barbecue at a local park. Some associations are bigger than others and can present a number of fundraising opportunities. If you plan on fundraising with goodies that have a diverse target audience - such as cookies or candy - it’s easy to take advantage of the situation. Simply consult with a number of local associations to see what’s going on, then ask permission to send a few staff or volunteers to the event. It’s even possible to have representatives at multiple events at once to truly maximize your fundraising.

Local clubs: Country clubs, local swimming pools, and athletic clubs will often gather members for a celebration involving food and fun. These clubs often come with a membership fee, which means there will be more than a few affluent people there (especially country clubs). Will they be generous with your fundraising? Only one way to find out! Contact the event coordinator or facility manager at these venues to see what’s available.

Not sure where else to look in your community? Try local online message boards and newspaper event calendars. You can even try contacting the administrators for those to see if they have a heads up about what’s happening for Fourth of July celebrations.

The purpose of these notes is to serve as a guide to anyone planning a casino party fundraiser event. There are certain points listed that might not be applicable to your event. However, we have attempted to address the typical scenarios an organizer will likely encounter.

Table of Contents
1. Goal
2. Revenues
3. Expenses
4. Determining Ticket Price
5. It will be all right on the night if…

1. Goal

Generally when asked the question, “How much money would you like to raise at this event?” most hosts realize that they haven’t given it enough thought. Having a realistic goal of how much money you would like to raise is the key starting point. It should determine the price of your entrance fee and the limit of your expenses.

Decide how much money you would like to make from this event.
Draft a statement of your proposed Revenue and Expenses.

Obviously the key is to maximize your revenue and minimize your expenses. As fundamental as this concept is, most organizations disregard it when running one of these events.
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As society moves further towards a green-centered lifestyle, Earth Day has changed from a simple idea to one of the most celebrated and recognized days of the year. Now, you can do your part while helping out your organization with fundraising. Here are some simple but effective Earth Day ideas:

Reusable gift bags: FastTrack Fundraising is proud to offer earth-friendly reusable gift bags. These heavy-duty bags are great for birthday gifts, holiday events, or just plain fun. More importantly, they’re reusable and cut down on the unnecessary waste of gift wrap. They’re the perfect fundraising tool in a month when we should all be extra aware of our impact on the environment. Click here to learn more.

Aluminum can drive: Did you know that most states still collect aluminum cans for cash? It’s true; even though your weekly recycling truck hauls away your cans and bottles, you can still get money for cashing them in. Now you can use this to fundraise by partnering with local businesses and neighborhoods in a can/bottle drive. Simply contact the HR department of your local businesses and explain what your organization does and that you’d like their employees to drop off their cans and bottles in designated collecting bins and boxes that you provide throughout the company. It’s that simple — employees recycle their cans and bottles and you can cash it in for a great fundraiser. Want an even easier version? Just go door to door and start collecting!

Trash clean-a-thon: Here’s a simple thing to do: get sponsors to pledge an amount per bag of trash you pick up. A clean-a-thon such as this can be done anywhere — neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers, schools, or anywhere else. In fact, you can even enlist the help of the local parks and recreation department in seeing if there are any areas they’d recommend cleaning; not only will they appreciate the help, they’ll probably publicize your event too!

Compact fluorescent light bulbs: Energy saving is on everyone’s mind these days, and changing traditional light bulbs to compact fluorescents is a simple way to do this. Now, you can tap into this popular trend by offering compact fluorescent light bulbs in a door-to-door fundraiser that’s as good for the earth as it is for your organization. First off, you’ll need an inventory of bulbs, and chances are if you talk with the manager at your local hardware store, they’d be willing to offer a bulk discount or even a sponsorship in your drive. Second, arm your volunteers with CF bulbs and a list of benefits they can tout to each person they speak to. Third, send them out and about to celebrate Earth Day while raising funds for your organization.

We asked an expert for his top 10 tips on the nuances of email marketing for nonprofits and ways to increase conversion rates. One simple change he made lifted response 66%. Nonprofit organizations have different relationships with their members than businesses do with their customers. Those differences need to carry over into their email programs.“Part of the whole overall fundraising program is realizing that your newsletter that’s keeping people aware of your activities is really fundraising. Nobody will consider it that, but it really is the cultivation side of a fundraising program, not just asking for money once a month,” says Jeff Herrity, Internet fundraising professional.

When your list is ready for an appeal — or a donation request — Herrity follows a long list of best practices he has developed over the years for clients, including Amnesty International and the American Red Cross.

Here are his top 10 tips for putting together an email fundraising campaign:

The Email Itself

-> Tip #1. Put your request in the subject line

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The face of fundraising has changed drastically since its conception. During the late 19^th/early 20^th century, the fundraising process required organizations, even widely recognized ones such as the YMCA and United Way, to rely on prosperous business leaders within the neighborhood to help support their cause. When fundraising, individuals representing these organizations were left with no other choice but to meet with respectable members of the community and ask for donations, a very straight forward method that is no longer considered an acceptable procedure as it once was. Continue Reading…

When people think about fundraising ideas, they tend to think in dollar amounts. Most fundraisers focus on earning money for the short term and completely disregard the long term. This is where the idea of donor loyalty comes in. Any non profit organization or charitable cause depends on their donations to fund their efforts. Donor loyalty can play a key factor in this. Continue Reading…

Fundraising is an essential process for any organization that wishes to promote their worthwhile cause to the general public. By fundraising, not only are you making others aware of the goals you are trying to accomplish; you are also increasing your chances of attracting potential donors who share your sentiments and want nothing more than to support you in your efforts. One, however, must be realistic throughout this entire process and acknowledge the fact that although some individuals will gladly offer donations, there are many more who are not willing to do so. Continue Reading…

When your group is brainstorming fundraising ideas, don’t forget to include the thank you note. There are several parties responsible for the success of your fundraiser. Volunteers, sponsors and staff have all contributed their time and effort so that you may be one step closer to supporting your cause. Of most importance, however, are the donors. Continue Reading…

When raising money at fundraising events, it is up to the organizer to offer guests’ fun and easy games or tactics that will raise money for their non-profit organization. Although totally acceptable, raffles and 50/50 draws are becoming passé. You might want to try something with a little more pizzazz and consider the following game at your next fundraising event!

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One sure fire way of raising your company’s profile is to give back to the community. By donating to a worthy cause you will not only create awareness for your business, you will gain respect from the public. Giving back is highly recognized throughout society and can have a huge impact on the way your business is viewed. There are plenty of successful fundraising ideas that your company and a special interest group can benefit from. For example, you might consider hosting a silent auction fundraiser. This type of event is popular, social and enjoyable and you will raise good money for the charity of your choice. Silent auctions are not stand-alone events—you can incorporate them into a golf tournament, car rally, pub night, sock hop, concert, comedy night, or fashion show. Silent auctions can be held almost anywhere—the local community centre, golf & country club, restaurant or any other venue that appeals to you. Brainstorm with your employees to select an event that your staff will enjoy organizing and attending. On a personal level, raising money for the less fortunate can prove to be a rewarding experience for individual employees. It can also be a good character builder. Being a part of something that is beyond the ordinary day-to-day work activity can go a long way in enhancing staff enthusiasm and morale. You will also notice that employee pride increases as co-workers band together to achieve a charitable goal. Aside from charitable organizations, there are many individuals who may require assistance from your business. I knew of a woman in remission from breast cancer that suffered from the side effects of chemotherapy treatments. She didn’t have the money to install a stair lift in her home, so a small business in the community stepped up to the plate and organized a silent auction fundraiser to assist her. With only 60 guests, 30 silent auction items, and two live auction items, they raised over $4000. Engaging in the art of giving not only helped the woman, it brought public responsiveness to the company and the business increased tenfold.Hosting a silent auction is an excellent way to build business relationships and make new contacts. Canvassing for auction items opens the door to new opportunities, products and ideas. In a world where we are inundated with pleas for money, you will be surprised at how generous people are when it comes to donating auction items. People feel good when they can help out, and in the long run, a simple donation assists in promoting their own business.  The next time your company is planning an occasion be sure to consider the benefits of a silent auction fundraiser. Raise money for the charity of your choice and raise your business profile at the same time—giving back to the community is a real win-win.