Non Profit & Charities - Start To Boost
Up Your Fund Raising 
One of the key things to remember is to get funds from
several places, rather than just one.
This concept can really be the key to success.
By aiming to apply for grants to local Trusts &
Foundations, but also to approach local companies for
match-funding, as well as the more traditional fundraising
routes, you can increase your chances of reaching your
target.
Charity sees the need not the
cause.
German Proverb |
Achieving publicity for your campaign can be the make or
break in raising money from larger companies and
individuals. If they perceive that this is a big project
which they'll get acknowledge for giving to, they're far more
likely to write that cheque!
It's important to have a strategy - if you can get one small
funder on board, this may well make it easier when approaching
organizations for larger sums, to see that someone has already
been happy to support you. Sometimes a success
in obtaining a relatively "small" grant of $5000 can
help open the door to a larger grant of $100,000 with a large
funding body.
If you don't feel that you can approach a small funding
organization, then raising a similar sum yourself can help show
your own commitment as a charity or non-profit , gain goodwill
and enable people to consider match funding or even sizeable
donations .
Creative Non Profit Fundraising
Ideas
How an organization raises funds can vary depending on their
structure and membership . You'll need to be clear
on your charitable objectives - possibly having some kind of
mission statement written down for both yourself and potential
funders.
Here's a few examples:-
- one large charity which benefits cats has over 50%
of it's income from bequests ;
- a local church derives all of it's income from
it's congregation
- a small charity that has income from a wide variety of
sources including rental , membership, an occasional
bequest and government grants
None of these are necessarily right or wrong, it's just how
they have developed over the years and shows the emphasis
of their fundraising campaigns.
Putting together your own strategy will probably be a team
effort - evaluating the strengths, weakness and opportunities
in your organization and catchment area.
From this will come ideas and a plan which will grow
and develop with each new fundraiser you have in post , whether
salaried or volunteer.
Fundraising Companies in the USA & UK
There are thousands of companies that aim to help you with
your fund raising efforts. We can't hope to list them
all, but here's one or two that we've found interesting and
some directories that you can use to find just about anything
!
EveryClick.com - an easy to use shopping or
web-browsing site that can help raise £££'s for your
charitable organisation. It's been successful for big
names such as Cancer Research UK , Diabetes UK & Kings
College Hospital .
FundraisingWeb - comprehensive directory that
allows you to browse by State , Country , fundraising ideas
and products
Fundraising
Directory - browse through their bank of ideas from A
to Z, from Apparel to Trees & Wreaths
Recommended
Resources
Car
donation - people don't only want to donate money,
sometimes they genuinely can't, but would like to consider
donating items such as their used vehicle , particularly when
they've just replaced it with a new car
Golf
Tournament Events - how to create an annual event
that will draw crowds and raise funds

"Storytelling for Grantseekers - The Guide to Creative
Nonprofit Fundraising"
If you've been given the task of writing a grant proposal
but haven't been offered any training, this book is aimed at
helping you to overcome the hurdles commonly experienced by
fundraisers.
"Beyond the Bake Sale - 100 Innovative
Fundraising Ideas for Non Profits"
Fed up with traditional bake sales and car
washes? Whilst these can work well for groups, to
raise more money, you need new, fresh and fun ideas. This book
lists 100 - some are bound to be a perfect match for your
group.
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