nonprofit

How to develop a fundraising plan

How to develop a fundraising plan

Fundraising for nonprofits has always been my favorite volunteer role. There are many creative and fun ways to raise money for a cause. Many nonprofits don’t have anyone to take charge of their programs, as is the case with many small or startup nonprofits. Fundraising is, many times, a group project. Everyone brings in what they can and any monies owed comes out of the board’s pocket.

The first step to establishing an organized fundraising program is to put someone in charge of it. The second is to establish a budget and a projection of the next few years’ expenditures, keeping in mind there can be a huge variance in year-to-year expenditures.

So how do you get the bills paid? What if there is a special trip or event coming up that needs to be paid for? Here are some fundraising ideas for the startup or re-starting nonprofit:

A golf outing. This is a favorite because it does not require a lot of work from the committee. The golf club handles most of the details. Choose a private golf course that will generate interest. Add some high-end raffle prizes and you have an income generating day!
A gala event is always nice. This is a lot more work than the gold outing, but it can attract a high price per ticket
Be sure to check for matching donations from your stakeholder’s workplaces. This can double your donation!
Donations of personal property that can be auctioned off
Bequeathments

50 Shades of Credibility

by Admin

50 Shades of Credibility

Recently, a donor asked a director at a nonprofit I am involved in, for some information about another stakeholder. The director politely declined citing that the information was confidential. It did not end there. The donor insisted that the questions be answered justifying it by mentioned there were rumors circulating. The director reiterated that the information was indeed privileged. The donor was reminded that this matter did not involve or affect the donor in any way. It was something that was already been resolved.

The donor tried again to rationalize and explain why the need for the information. It was clear this was a trust issue. The prying continued with trying to convince the director the information could be told, “just this once, in total confidence!”

The irony of this situation is laughable. First pressing for confidential or otherwise private information is bad manners. Second, if the director were to divulge the information, how credible would it be? This would negatively affect the director’s credibility and trust within the organization. Would anyone have faith in a colleague or friend who broke another’s trust to appease someone else? Would the information even be accepted? Like integrity, there are not 50 shades of credibility. You either are credible, or not.

Leaders often find themselves in situations where they have few or no one to confide in. It is part of the job. This can lead to stress, but an insistent coworker can make it more stressful than it needs to be.

This conversation ended with the director having to break off communication, telling the donor the topic was off limits.

KindQuilts is Now a 501(c)(3)

by Admin

Last month the good word that a charity I helped found, KindQuilts, received its 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). I, along with the rest of the Board of Directors, have waited patiently and helplessly as we wondered where our paperwork was in IRS land.

KindQuilts is a charity that collects cotton fabric. The material is cut into squares and then assembled into easy-to-make quilt kits. The kits are given to volunteer sewers who assemble the patches of fabric into quilts. After that, the quilts are collected and delivered to hospitals. The staff distributes the quilts to sick or injured children.

KindQuilts embodies anonymous giving. The quilters never meet the fabric donors or the patients. As a member of the board, we get to hand off the quilts to the hospital staff, but we never see the patients. The only connection is if the quilter attaches a label to the quilt, letting the recipient know who made it for them. We rest knowing that a quilt somewhere comforts someone, tonight.

Give a Brick to Kids Are Heroes

by Admin

Kids Are Heroes is nonprofit organization that nourishes young social entrepreneurs. This Saturday, the Kids Are Heroes Young Leaders Summit gives young activist entrepreneurs the opportunity to highlight their work, learn, and network with each other. It all takes place during the Kids Business Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nonprofits are businesses too and they all need capital to kick-start their missions. There are two ways to donate online to Kids Are Heroes. The first is a straightforward donation via PayPal. Donors can contribute a quick one-and-done monetary donation or better yet, sign up for a monthly subscription. There is no minimum donation, click here to give now.

The second method is fun and comes with some donor recognition. Add a brick to the Kids Are Heroes “fund wall” and you will help a worthy cause by buying a virtual brick. Donors can ad an any image and a link to thier website. I chose the first method, but that was before I ran into the brick wall!

This Saturday, February 7, meet the founders of Kids Are Heroes at Cobb Galleria Center at the Kids Are Heroes Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The keynote speaker is Marcus Lemonis a well-known entrepreneur and star of the television show, The Profit.

Kids Are Heroes: Social Entrepreneurs

by Admin

Kids Are Heroes is a nonprofit that encourages young business people between the ages of five and 18 to pursue their social entrepreneurship aspirations. Started in 2009 with a website built to save homeless animals, the mission quickly expanded to include the welfare of people and the environment as well. Not long after that, Richard Branson highlighted the organization on his “PitchTV” television show. I was fortunate to speak with co-founder Gabe O’Neil about the organization and how he and his daughter, MaryMargaret O’Neill, got started.

Gabe says many children are picked on and feel isolated because of their entrepreneurial nature. With Kids Are Heroes, these budding ‘treps are suddenly mainstream and surrounded by other young entrepreneurs who share their open-minded spirit. Kids Are Heroes serves as an incubator and network for these young social entrepreneurs.

Kids Are Heroes is in its eighth year and will be part of the Kids Business Expo this Saturday, February 7 in Atlanta, Georgia. The one-day conference serves young entrepreneurs between the ages of 12 and 18. The day is filled with everything from marketing seminars, young ‘trep networking opportunities to a trade show! The goal is to provide future business leaders with the information they need for to fulfill their plans. The conference is a perfect fit for Kids Are Heroes. With complimentary goals and the same target audience, coupling Kids Are Heroes with the Kids Business Expo was an easy choice for Gabe.

Attendees this year will have the good fortune of listening to keynote speaker and well-known working entrepreneur, Marcus Lemonis. Star of one of my favorite television shows, The Profit, Lemonis answered the call to speak

Help for Homeless Veterans

by Admin

Last Friday, I visited a Philadelphia homeless shelter for veterans. In the back of my car was a sizable donation from a local business; an in-kind donation of cotton towels.

Over lunch two weeks ago, a Navy veteran introduced me to this nonprofit. We were actually meeting to discuss how we could collaborate on our common mission of encouraging women to enter STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) educational and career paths. When I first heard of this homeless vets organization, I was happy to hear about a service nonprofit benefiting veterans. Then the gravity of their mission sunk in, the way it does for everyone I tell this story to. Wow! There are homeless veterans?

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in 2013, there were almost 58,000 veterans without a permanent residence on any given night (1). Homeless vets compose about 12% of the adult homeless population in the United States. Sixty percent of these vets are in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or safe havens run by various organizations. The other 40% are unsheltered, living on the streets. The statistics have shown a significant improvement. Since 2009, the number of unsheltered vets decreased 30 percent. Overall, veteran homelessness decreased by 24 percent.

On the drive to pick up the donation that morning, I had heard a report on public radio claiming that socks were the number one thing requested by shelters on behalf of their residents. The director came out into the street to meet me as I was leaving, giving me the opportunity to ask him how I could help him more. The thing they needed the most was soap, personal care items and cleaning supplies. I was expecting a hospital or dorm like facility as a homeless shelter, but instead they had a big, antique house. The staff and residents were so grateful to get a donation. Everyone came out to shake my hand and thank me. My curb-side view, left me wondering how they managed to squeeze 43 beds inside.

Homelessness is a new area for me. My charitable work typically involves education, STEM education, critically ill children and sports organizations. Two days later, I found myself sitting at an outdoor sporting event with thousands of participants and spectators. Who do I manage to meet but a woman who works for the very organization that led me to donate I to the homeless shelter. Fate has somehow delivered me to become involved.

I will attend the USO gala in a few weeks. In the meantime, I have some feelers out to those who can help make this soap fundraiser happen.

Citation:
hakrabarti, Amit. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress: Part 1. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. .