FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

When it comes to October, most of us are thinking ghouls, goblins, and the fun of Halloween. While there are non-Halloween holidays in October, they’re not exactly the best theme for fundraisers (Columbus Day just doesn’t quite work out when it comes to fun). However, October is also known for a critical health awareness issue, and it’s something that your organization can tap into while raising funds.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This topic has touched the lives of so many people worldwide and it’s a good topic to engage the community with. Even if your organization has nothing to do with health-related issues, the universal nature of breast cancer concern can always use more exposure.

The simplest way to get involved is by contacting your local breast cancer organization. There are national groups, local groups, and educational classes at local health centers. It could be as simple as getting in touch with a local group and saying you’d like to do a joint fundraiser that is mutually beneficial to both organizations. These groups might have partner programs or outreach events where a little bit of synergy can take place. You might even be able to get bulk pink awareness ribbons to sell. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

Of course, you can take matters into your own hands too. By publicizing any fundraising event - from a World Series watching party to a Halloween-themed fundraiser - as a breast-cancer awareness special where you split the profits or provide education, you’ll almost certainly get more attention from a wide range of audiences.

There’s no doubt that your organization’s cause is important, but there’s no reason why it can’t share the spotlight to join in on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Because at the end of the day, it’s an issue that affects every one of us to some degree.

Laws and Legislation

Abstract:

Mandates food standards for all schools in the state of California. Food sold in all K-12 schools must have limited fat, calories and sugar.

Author: Escutia, Martha
Publication Date: Dec/06/2004
Source: Sacramento, CA: State Senate
Contact Info: California Center for Public Health (530)297-6000

Full Text:

SB 12 (Escutia) – School Nutrition Standards
SB 12 Summary
1. FOOD STANDARDS FOR ALL SCHOOLS K-12
• Strengthens and implements the competitive food standards
originally described in SB 19 (Escutia, 2001).
• An individually sold snack may have no more than:
• 35% of its calories from fat (excluding legumes, nuts,
nut butters, seeds, eggs, vegetables that have not
been deep-fried, and cheese packaged for individual
sale).
• 10% of its calories from saturated fat (excluding eggs
and cheese packaged for individual sale).
• 35% sugar by weight (excluding fruits and vegetables).
• 175 calories (elementary schools)
• 250 calories (middle and high schools)
• An individually sold entree may have no more than:
• 4 grams of fat per 100 calories
• 400 calories
• And must qualify under the federal meal program
2. FUNDING: SB 12 does not contain a requirement that the state
increase funding to the federal meal program before
implementing nutrition standards for competitive foods.
3. IMPLEMENTATION DATE: All food standards become effective
July 1, 2007.
4. SALE TO PUPILS: Nutrition standards apply only to the sale of
items to pupils and do not apply to foods brought from home. All
groups selling or serving food on campus to pupils are required
to follow the standards.
5. FUNDRAISING EXEMPTIONS: Foods that do not meet the
standards may be sold at least one-half hour after the end of the
school-day or off the school premises
August 2005

URL: http://www.fasttrackfundraising.com/documents/sb12-fundraiser-summary.pdf

Notes:

Related Names: Alquist, Elaine|California School Board Association|California Center for Public Health Advocacy

Contact Info: California Center for Public Health (530) 297-6000

SB12 Compliant Fundraiser

SB12 Fundraiser

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years (Source: U.S. Department of Health). For years, children have been school fundraising with chocolate, cheesecake, frozen pizzas … and more chocolate. Even with the alarming statistics on childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, parent-teacher organizations and coaches had few alternatives to the constant “obesity fundraising.” That is, until FastTrack Fundraising came along.

FastTrack Fundraising, an online provider of fundraising ideas and solutions, offers a variety of alternatives to selling fat-laden chocolate and cheesecake. Among them are the recently launched “CalPak Healthy Snacks Fundraiser,” which contains popular treats such as Chex Mix and Pepperidge Farms Goldfish. Each snack contains less than 30% fat, less than 35% sugar, less than 10% saturated fat, and less than 250 calories. One master case contains 66 treats and raises $264. The CalPak fundraiser is guaranteed to meet all SB12 laws and nutrition regulations, so fundraising leaders can ease their policy worries.

“Now school groups are free to choose from a wide array of fundraising options. With the California SB12 regulation in effect, and many other states following suit, groups need fundraising alternatives more than ever,” says Harold Y. Tan, CEO of FastTrack Fundraising. “We’re glad to work with huge brand names to provide a healthy selection of fundraising ideas to the fundraising leaders.”

School fundraising is critical to funding education in schools nationwide, and has traditionally been dominated by the same fundraising products year after year. Almost every parent has experienced their child coming home with several candy bars or brochures featuring high-priced cheesecake. Now kids and parents can finally take a break from selling obesity and choose a fundraiser that won’t result in unnecessary health concerns.

By Patrick Cole and Leon Lazaroff

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) — Marc Friedman, who runs the nonprofit Building With Books, witnessed the severity of Lehman Brothers’ situation firsthand last week at the investment bank’s Manhattan headquarters.

“It was surreal being in their offices,” said Friedman, Building With Books’ chief operating officer who used a Lehman conference room for a board meeting last Wednesday. Two Lehman executives are on the board of the Stamford, Connecticut, organization that runs after-school programs.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was scrambling at the time to shore up its capital, though the securities firm collapsed and declared bankruptcy on Monday.

Building With Books, like many nonprofits, is now looking ahead and bracing for a pullback in corporate donations following Lehman’s demise, Bank of America Corp.’s purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co. and the government takeover yesterday of American International Group Inc.

Friedman, like others, said his organization is making sure its donors are varied. Individuals cover 35 percent of its $6.4 million budget while corporations, foundations and government aid make up the rest, he said.

“What’s happening on Wall Street is challenging for us, but our revenue base is diverse,” he said.

Corporations accounted for 5.1 percent of all donations to U.S. nonprofits in 2007, according to GivingUSA Foundation, a research group in Glenview, Illinois. Individuals were the largest donor group, contributing $229 billion, or 75 percent, of total philanthropy.

More Competition

Economic troubles are expected to increase competition for funding among nonprofits that operate everything from museums to homeless shelters.

“If companies are in trouble, corporate philanthropy is one of the first things to get cut,” said Tom Pollak, program director at the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute in Washington.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, serving 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, is bracing for a decline in donations.

“Some corporate donors are telling us they’ll have less to give next year,” said Joyce Rothermel, the food bank’s director, without naming contributors. “The length of this economic downturn will definitely have an impact on our future and where our energies go.”

Donors, too, have a wait-and-see attitude.

The Wells Fargo Foundation, an arm of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co., is unlikely to increase its donation total next year from a current $104 million, said Tim Hanlon, the foundation’s president.

No Increase

“It’s hard to know in this economy what’s going to happen,” Hanlon said. “I don’t expect a decrease, but I’m not so sure about an increase.”

Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer-products company, increased its charitable contributions 5 percent in 2007 to about $115 million, a total that won’t change this year or in 2009, said Brian Sasson, global manager of the Cincinnati- based Procter & Gamble Fund. P&G gives mainly to educational and public-affairs groups.

The General Mills Foundation, the charitable arm of Minneapolis-based General Mills Inc., also projects its giving to nonprofits next year to remain at about $21 million, Executive Director Ellen Goldberg Luger said in an interview. Its donations focus on fitness, education and the arts.

Plan B

The importance of corporate donations to nonprofit groups varies widely, said Tim Delaney, chief executive officer of the Washington-based National Council of Nonprofit Associations.

Medical institutions and private universities rely less on corporate giving than social-service nonprofits, he said.

The Pittsburgh food bank, for example, gets 9 percent of its $10.6 million budget from corporate donors including Comcast Corp. and US Airways Group Inc.

The New York Restoration Project, an environmental group founded by Bette Midler, will receive 20 percent, or $1.7 million, of its $8.3 million fiscal 2008 budget from corporate donations, Executive Director Drew Becher said.

“We’re putting together a Plan B in case some of what we have in the pipeline doesn’t come in,” Becher said. “Everyone is going through cost-cutting, and we’ll feel it in ‘09.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Patrick Cole in New York at pcole3@bloomberg.net; Leon Lazaroff in New York at llazaroff@bloomberg.net.

Source: Bloomberg.com

If you are in need of raising money for a cause or other worthwhile endeavor, there are many methods you can pursue to do this. Some raise funds by having sales, others solicit donations. Most of these methods can be classified as fundraising, the common term for any way in which someone raises money for a cause. Those who contribute to your cause can do so in several ways, usually according to how you have set up your way of fundraising. For instance, if you are specifically asking for donations, you will have to rely on individuals, businesses, or other organizations seeing it worthy to give you either an amount of money you establish as an appropriate donation or an amount that they see fit.

Fundraising is most commonly pursued by non profit organizations looking to raise money so that they can keep operating on the basis put forth in their mission statement or to simply keep on doing what they have promised to do in their own sector. Non profit organizations may also be charities, such as promoting humanitarian concerns, disaster relief, educational awards and scholarships, and so on and so forth. For an entity such as a non profit organization, it always helps if your fundraising campaign is concise in what you are asking people to donate money for, in other words, the simpler your mission is, the easier it may be for the general public to sympathize and contribute to your cause.

Not only non profit organizations practice fundraising. Capital and for profit enterprises sometimes use this term to refer to solicitation of investors and prospective customers who in one way or another will “raise funds” by patronizing a for profit enterprise. While this is true, as previously explained, fundraising is most commonly related to the operations of non profit organizations.

Either way, whether you are a non profit organization or a capital enterprise, it is quite obvious that your fundraising campaign be presented to the public or your target demographics of donors or investors so that you can be successful in raising funds. As said, your campaign will need to be simple and understandable, this is what reaches the most individuals, businesses, and other types of organizations.

In order to achieve successful fundraising, both types of entities may not rely on themselves to organize fundraisers. In fact, there are individuals and businesses out there that offer professional fundraising services. These services can vary by your needs and your type of organization, however in most cases, the fundraising services available can wholly encompass the full responsibilities behind organizing a fundraiser. Simply put, professional fundraisers can organize a fundraiser from beginning to end without you having to worry about doing it right, or worrying at all. As in any industry, professionals who are well received by the public are surely going to come out with acceptable if not astonishing results.

Indeed, if you are in need of raising money for a worthwhile cause, consider professional fundraising and you may reach your goal easily.

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.

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.

1. Increased Reach
Email makes it possible to contact supporters, family, and friends from different geographic locations as well as those only within close proximity. Fundraising campaigns can now reach potential supporters from coast to coast and not just those at arms length. Continue Reading…