Fundraising: Tips To A Greater Chance For Success

By Author: Bruce Tucker
Total Articles: 174
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I volunteered my time for 9 years helping a youth sports organization in New Jersey. Five of those years I worked as the president of the organization. It was at that time I truly understood the importance of fundraising. Without fundraising our organization simply could not run. We relied heavily on those funds from equipment to day to day operations. I want to share with you some of my tips for a better chance of success in your next fundraising campaign.

How Much?
Before you even begin you need to know how much you have to raise. Sure we would all like to put down, a lot or enough to run our organization, but realistically when you begin soliciting potential donors they will ask, what's it for and how much do you need. If you tell them we need a lot, they will probably tell you they aren't interested. But, if you go to them with the exact amount you need and the reason why you need the funds they are more likely to help.

Begin and End
Set the beginning and end dates for your fundraiser. Each fundraiser should never be left open ended. In other words, there are no definite end dates in mind. ...
... By placing an end date on your fundraiser it adds a sense of urgency to the project. I have found in my experiences that when you set an end date volunteers work a bit harder to reach the goals in a given time frame and do not let a moment lapse.

Small Chunks
Break down your financial goal into smaller chunks. Let's say you have 10 people on your fundraising team and you need to raise one thousand dollars. Break that down further by tell each of your ten people that they need to raise one hundred dollars each. Going even further lets say you have one month to do it, that is about twenty-five dollars per week. Most people look at the twenty-five dollars per week as very easy, reachable and attainable, which leads to a greater chance of success.

Choose the right Fundraiser
You have loads of choices from selling candy, to raffle tickets, food, bake offs, carnivals, you name it. To find the right fundraiser you need to know your audience and the people who will actually be doing the fundraising, your fundraising team. What do they do best? Do they have contacts in very important places? If so, candy is probably not the way to go. Do they work in big corporate offices with lots of employees? If so, a raffle ticket fundraiser works real well. You get the idea. Know who you are working with and build your fundraiser around that. Get their input to find out what they feel comfortable with and you will increase your fundraising in no time.

Go Public
What is a good fundraiser if nobody knows about it right? You need to get the word out, especially if you are having some kind of beef and beer or pancake breakfast. If you are selling raffle tickets or candy then word of mouth is fine. My local paper has a section where non-profit groups can advertise fundraising activities for free. Check your local paper first. Then, go online to the popular website Craigslist and look up your area. You can probably post it there for free also. Flyers, posters, direct phone calls, are all more ways you can get the word out. Use them all and your event will be a success.

If your non profit organization needs to raise some funds, then consider the tips I provided above. They helped me when I needed it and I am sure they can help you as well.
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