Pet fanciers give doggie fashion shows two paws up.
It's no secret that charities are in a continual battle to find clever new ways to raise funds, and the stakes get higher when there's competition from other nonprofits for limited dollars. You needn't reinvent the wheel but you do need to put a new spin on tried-and-true fund raising techniques that have proven successful in the past.
Instructions
1. Ask for small amounts that don't stress budgets. A coin collection canister with a compelling photo that demonstrates the reason your charity exists at point-of-purchase or communal collection points may be all that's needed to launch a full-blown charity drive. Think out of the box when it comes to placements. A woman's shelter stands a much better chance of getting financial support if collection boxes are situated in places catering to women, but when last did you see an opportunity to make a donation for women at a day spa?
2. Gather in-kind donations. If contributors are struggling with economic fluctuations, ask for merchandise instead. One fund raising team had members clean out closets and collect new, unwanted items. The merchandise was grouped into themes. Large gift baskets were filled with items that were later auctioned off to raise funds. Contributors got clean closets and the group investment consisted of baskets and wrap.
3. Use food as a way to raise cash. Expand upon the old-fashioned bake sale to make your charitable effort more contemporary. Replicate this great idea: Supporters of a charity brought huge cauldrons of homemade soup to a central venue. Commuters could stop on their way home from work to pick up pints and gallons of soup, bread and crackers in return for their charitable donations. The "soup's on" event, scheduled for a single night, became a regular event and morphed from soup to salads as the seasons changed.
4. Put a face on your charitable fundraiser. Looking to fill the coffers of a group that's devoted to raising money for a children's cause? Make your fundraiser all about the kids by staging a fashion show in conjunction with a local department or specialty store. Serving tea and cookies after the show--all donated by local bakeries and shops, of course--adds a big helping of hospitality to these types of events.
5. Improve on silent auctions by making yours a fun challenge for bidders. Rather than placing a sheet in front of each auction item and then watching bidders add minimal amounts over the course of the event, place the estimated value of the bid item on a tag, then encourage attendees to place a confidential bid in a drop box so nobody knows until the end of the event who actually outbid competitors for each item.
6. Hold an on-site event to show contributors where their money is going. It's really hard not to write a check for more than you had planned when you find yourself drinking punch at an animal shelter rather than a reception venue. And if a puppy curls up in the lap of a potentially high rolling donor, your work is done.
7. Make donors famous to increase their willingness to give. In-house social networking events give charities a chance to show off the work they're doing and if you take photos of people who have been particularly generous, then frame and hang them in a prominent place, you'll make great financial inroads--one patron's photo at a time.
8. Think outside the venue if you're ready to plan a large event. Restaurants and banquet halls may have worked nicely in the past for your art auction, cocktail party or tribute event, but you'll lure more attendees if the event is held at a zoo, historic site or botanical garden. Such public venues are often chosen for wedding receptions, so why not move your event from the ordinary to the extraordinary to raise the funds your charity requires to keep doing it's essential work?
Tags: raise funds, clean closets, fund raising, item then, your charitable