Fundraising goes with charity work like chocolate goes with coffee,birds go with trees, and cheerleaders go with jocks. It is necessary and common place. But the process and path of fundraising should be much different now than how you remember it as a kid. Most youth organizations incorporate a fundraising company. Fundraising companies have you selling products like cookie dough, candy, snacks, popcorn, the list goes on and on. Maybe that's ok for a kid but were playing in the major leagues now. How do you raise serious funds?
Selling Value Rather than Candy
by skFliehman
When fundraising remember that donors don't give to institutions they give to ideas and people.
The power of value.
Fundraiser companies usually don't give you anat more than half the money you earned. If you need $100 and you raise $100 you really only raised $50 because the fundraiser company is going to take 40-50%! That's your hard earned money shouldn't you keep it?! The truth is that fundraising companies are not the way to go. Crowdsourcing is the way to go. Instead of selling a product your selling or really cashing in on the value that your social network has palaces on you.
Value will travel further faster than anyone hocking candy bars. Unless you know a lot of over weight people this is a better road. Over the years you have built up a social network of people many of which might not be online with a social network site. But regardless you have family, friends, associates, and causal passerby's all in your circle of influence. Some how you have a connection with them, you share blood, interest, work, school,volunteerism, and many other things with these people. It's time to pull on those connections to see who will support you in this effort. You might be surprised at who joins up with you. You may have a deeper connection that you realize with some one who you see occasionally at the office. They may even be willing to join your team of volunteers for your charity. Friend raising will take you further than fundraising ever will.
Friend Raising
When we recognize that a better word for Fundraising is “friend raising,” we open limitless doors to creativity in support of our causes.
- Sue Vineyard
Friend raising is warm and genuine whereas fundraising is cold and calculating. Don't make any mistakes sales people know this. Thats why they seem to be so charming and friendly they want your to buy something. But true friend raising goes much deeper than surface kindness. Friend raising is about developing real relationships that last with people. It is a servants heart. Even if you never get a dime from them for your non profit. Friends are more than dollar signs. Its not about buddying up to someone so that they will give you a happy buck. But if you make enough friends that are as passionate about you and what your doing I guarantee that your charity will be funded.
Dollar Pixabay.com |
Crowd funding Tools
Selling value instead of a product this does not mean that you can not have a product. There are some really good sites that you can sell t-shirts on. You just have to set up a campaign, pick out the shirt or design your own, and then post it on social media for people to buy. Your network of people buys the shirt and a order goes to the shirt manufacturing company. They get a shirt and you get profit. You have to do very little!
Think about gofundme.com. This is a wonderful program. You create an account. You tell your story and add as many pictures and videos as you want and then publish it on Facebook and Twitter and send e-mails. As people see your campaign they can give whatever they want and or share your campaign with their friends. Social media is really able to take crowd funding to the next par. Your friends, friends are now part of your money making network.
For more on this please see:http://howtoraisefunds.com
Great Reading from Amazon
Achieving Excellence in Fundraising | |
FundraisingOnly $11.11 | |
What the Fundraising: Embracing and Enabling the People Behind the Purpose |
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