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.

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.