FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

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.

It may seem like you need to ask a gazillion people to donate to raise $1,000, but when you break it down, it really isn’t too bad.

1. Personally contribute $50 to your fund.  You should lead the way!
2. Ask two family members to each contribute $50.
3. Ask 10 friends to each contribute $20.
4. Ask five neighbors to each contribute $20.
5. Ask five co-workers to each contribute $20.
6. Ask 10 people from your faith-based organization to each contribute $10.
7. Ask your boss for a company contribution of $50 (better yet, find out if your company will match what you raise!).
8. Ask four businesses or companies that you deal with through work to contribute $50 per company.
9. Ask four businesses you frequent to personally contribute $25 (this is an easy one — ask your barber/hair stylist, dry cleaner or restaurant where you eat lunch every day).
10. You’re done!  Total Donations: $1,000!  Now remember to write personalized thank-you notes so that next time you ask for a donation, they remember the appreciation.

Asking for donations can always be daunting, but FastTrack Fundraising offers some easy and innovative ways to ask for donations.  You can check them out here: http://www.fasttrackfundraising.com/donation-fundraising.php

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.
Continue Reading…

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…