FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

If the summer flew past you without the opportunity to plan the rest of your fundraising goals for 2010, take this opportunity to do it. Fall and winter are rich with chances to hold holiday themed fundraisers. So, get the gang fired up for a fantastic fundraising fall. Remember the old adage “those who plan to fail simply fail to plan.”

So, let’s plan. September and October usually mean local street fairs and county carnivals. Appoint a team within your group’s structure to set up table space and feature easy fundraising products, like Fasttrack’s Fundraising Bracelets. Contact the community’s chamber of commerce for more information on renting booth space. Here are a few points to remember:
• Many fairs have their own rules and requirements. Follow these carefully; you may be invited back next year based on the relationship you build now.
• For a nominal fee, you are usually provided with a space large enough for a folding table and a few volunteers. Make the most out of your space.
• Set up a tasteful, decorative space that will draw fair browsers to your table. Limit the amount of helpers to those who are essential. Too many bodies make a cramped space look unprofessional.
• Encourage members and volunteers to promote your events on their social networking sites.
Halloween is another great opportunity to bring in donations. Many communities hold safe trick-or-treating celebrations. Check with area churches that hold fall celebration carnivals. School and community groups hold a “trunk-or-treat” get together to provide area kids and parents with a safe alternative to door to door trick or-treating. These activities provide your group with a readymade audience. Most groups are anxious for sponsors and volunteers to help the event go smoothly. Take advantage of the chance to pass out your group’s literature along with a small treat. Attaching a small note to the treat almost guarantees that your message will end up in the hands of an adult.

Do not let the dog days of summer put a damper on your fundraising efforts! Take advantage of the sunny days left to raise a few more dollars with a mid-summer fund drive, starring our featured product. Before you know it, your core volunteers will be back to the busy lives a new school year brings. Sit down during the summer downtime to plan your strategy through fall and into the holidays.

Before you know it, your core volunteers will be back to the busy lives a new school year brings. Sit down during the summer downtime to plan your strategy through fall and into the holidays. So, call in the team, get out the calendar, and work a plan. The better your plan, the higher the return on your fundraising efforts will be.

Check the calendar for great ideas around every turn. Map out the big dates like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Christmas gift giving season. All of these dates provide excellent opportunities for raising funds with products your donors will appreciate. Be sure to plan enough time to get the word out, and leave time for the products to arrive and reach the donors a few days before each holiday date. Great customer service is an investment in future sales with satisfied consumers.

Take a look at your local school calendars and community pages for more chances to get out into the public with your fundraising efforts. Small communities all over the country hold annual craft and community fairs. Check now for table space and fees. Brainstorm on products that will work well within the theme of each fair.

Nothing goes with the hot summer sun like cool water sports. Set up a neighborhood water theme park! Ask volunteers for wading pools, super water guns, and water balloons. Set us several games with whatever you can find. Ask visitors for a good will donation for participating in the festivities. Be sure to clearly advertise the intention of your fundraiser. Give donors a chance to give in the spirit of summertime fun.

• Super-soakers are the perfect weapons of chose for water war. Divide participants up into small teams, the idea is similar to tug of war, in reverse. Opposing teams spray each other, trying to prevent the other team from crossing the center line into their territory.
• All you need for some serious summer fun is a few inexpensive water balloons, a garden hose to fill the balloons, and a few empty wading pools to store the ammunition. Ask volunteers to fill as many water balloons and store them in the wading pools. Teams will divide up, facing each other about 10 feet apart. Limit the amount of water balloons for each team to about twenty. Blow the whistle (or simply shout, “Go!”) and stand back. Cheer each side on as they try to pulverize each other with flying water balloons. Lightheartedly declare a winner, and let that team face the next challenger.

The benefit to easy summer games is the enthusiastic participation you will encounter, especially from parents looking for easy entertainment for their kids. Keep the costs to your group low and the fun high. For an afternoon of wet and wild fun, your organization will walk away with fresh donor dollars, community exposure, and very little stress on your fundraising budget.

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.