Fund Raising – It’s Easy!

 Are you a fundraiser?  Do you help with fund raising events?  Are your children members of any clubs or organizations?  Are you?  Almost everyone is a fundraiser in some fashion.  And most everyone will tell you they hate to have to raise money.  I used to say that myself! 

“Asking someone for money?  Are you kidding?  I’d rather have a root canal!”  When I had to sell Girl Scout cookies as a kid, my dad used to help by taking my many unsold boxes to his place of work and selling them to his colleagues.  Sound familiar?

So why are we all so afraid of what is really an easy thing to do?  Fund raising is easy!  Fund raising is nothing more than asking for help and support.  And any not-for-profit organization has, by law, a worthwhile mission that deserves support.  Right?  When we think about it, how could anyone refuse any appeal for help?

If that’s the case, why do we have to be asking for money all the time?  Don’t we all know we should just send money to all the charitable organizations in our community?  Well, fact of the matter is, we don’t.  We wait to be asked.  And that’s where knowing the ins and outs of fund raising techniques is so important.

If you – or the clubs and organizations you care about – are having a hard time securing the dollars you need, consider the following:

·         Are you asking for money?

·         Are you asking the right people?

·         Are you asking the right way?

·         Do you know how to prioritize your time and resources?

·         Are you using a variety of fund raising techniques?

Some familiarity with a few of the basics of fund raising will help you decide what type of fund raising you can undertake, and get better results from your efforts.  The various techniques for raising money include annual appeals, person-to-person asks for major gifts, foundation grants, corporate and business support, special events, and planned gifts.  Even if you are simply a volunteer who shows up to help when asked, familiarity with these techniques will help you better understand what the organization you care about is trying to accomplish and how.  Who knows, you might even begin to think that fund raising is fun instead of scary!

                Go ahead.  Be brave.  Help raise some money for a worthy cause.  You can do it.  It’s easy!

Need a short one to two hour consultation?  We offer both telephone and in-person consults at very reasonable rates.  Or sponsor ABCs of Fund Raising!  Contact me for a quote to bring a half-day or full-day seminar to your community.