Fundraising – Benefits of Fundraising Online

Every school, organization, club, and team needs some kind of funding to do what they need to do. That money usually comes from fundraising efforts or donations from a benefactor. Traditional fundraisers, like candle sales and car washes, are usually a hit or miss. You either make sales or you don’t. There is nothing you can do to fix that. If you want a bigger guarantee though, you may want to focus your efforts to fundraising online. This is a revolutionary process that could do wonders for your group or cause. Here is a look at the benefits of online fundraising.

When you start fundraising online, you can pull from a much larger group of people. Think about a standard car wash in comparison. With that kind of fundraising, you can only rely on money to come from the people that happen to pass by your car wash. If you market the event for a few days earlier you may be able to pull some people in from neighboring towns, but that will be it. When you work through social media on the internet to market your cause, you can literally get funding from across the world. The potential earnings are endless.

Managing your fundraising is much easier online. You can see just how much money is coming in and going out for your fundraising efforts, and you can see where you are getting the most money from. If you find that one fundraiser is working better than another, you may think about focusing more efforts on the successful one. You can make a plan that will actually yield results, and then you can adjust your fundraising to fit your needs. All of this happens in an instant through the World Wide Web.

Online fundraising is simple to do, and you can manage it all from home. You never have to think about going out and spending a whole day at a bake sale only to make $5. You can stay at home and still earn money for your fundraiser. This is one of the most convenient and fast paced ways to go about fundraising nowadays, and it is sure to change the way that people earn and donate in the future. If you have internet access and a cause you need money for, think about putting your efforts on the web. You may only be a few clicks away from the money you need.

Piryx Provides Free Fundraising Tools and Support for Causes

Piryx is an online fundraising platform that helps causes raise money online and connect people with charitable organisations whom they wish to donate money to.

We all know that every year there are literally billions of dollars raised for many different causes both across the country and around the world. Piryx provides a whole range of highly valuable, yet free fundraising tools to assist both sides of this fundraising equation.

For those that wish to actually donate to causes, they can do this via the Piryx social giving platform that has a registry of featured causes and charities.


For those that wish to raise money online for charity, there are numerous tools that can be used to assist. Whether these fundraisers are for and with schools, with sports clubs or other popular collectives, there are separate, very useful areas of Piryx that can be used for free by these groups.

In fact, the site is so versatile there are areas for people that wish to raise money online and would like to get some great online fundraising ideas. There are numerous dedicated pages for assisting you with the ideas you might need to better raise money for your cause. In this case you can even get ideas for fundraising for political campaigns, non-profits, and a whole lot more.

The best part is that they provide free fundraising tools for all causes. Piryx only charges a small fee to cover credit card donation processing and their operating costs, there are no fees of any other kind.

Check out their free fundraising tools today.

Why You Should Get Into Online Fundraising Now

Fundraising is the process by which an individual or a group makes the effort of collecting contributions to a specific cause.  Back in the day, fundraising was done through events, direct mailing and face-to-face solicitations.  However, with the advent of technology, the Internet and the many tools that we have today, fundraising was elevated to online fundraising.

Online fundraising is rapidly becoming popular these days because almost everyone around the world is hooked up to the Internet.  You can easily set up a website, post a status on a social networking site, upload photos or other graphics, and many more ways to show that you have an announcement that you need to raise money for a certain cause, and watch the donations pour in through your friends, colleagues, family and other people that you may not know from other places around the world who may support your endeavors.

Fundraising online is something that has taken the world by storm.  Charity events and non-profit organizations have taken this route to be able to connect to their patrons and other more people who are aware of their causes to make a contribution.  We have seen many tragedies in various parts of the world and we have all seen various calls to raise money online for them.

There are a few good things about fundraising with the use of the Internet.

Your supporters, donors and patrons can easily become aware of your cause.  They can donate immediately through their online bank accounts or other secure means of transferring money while the information about the cause is still lingering in their minds.

In the same way, the organization who has organized the fundraising effort will almost immediately receive the funds and will also be able to establish immediate communication with the donors to thank them for their efforts.  With this, the funds can also be immediately used for emergency situations, when necessary.

Being able to do online fundraising will also help you to instantly have analysis on the fundraising behavior of your donors and patrons.  You can extract information such as effective marketing strategies, optimal website navigation design to facilitate quick donations, and the best call to action method that will help keep the issue lingering in their awareness.  Having a website to be able to receive your donations and make an announcement will also enable you to centralize all information and data gathering efforts such as names and contact details of the people who have contributed to your cause.  You will need this to be able to show them gratitude for their contributions.

It is highly important that your cause is always genuine and all the funds will go to where you intend them to be.  Be transparent with your actions as an organization or individual who solicits funds from others because this is a good cause for the society and it should never be tainted with any harmful motive.  There are various free online fundraising tools provided by a company, such as Piryx, who can help you with how to raise money online for your heartfelt cause.

Fundraising Online Grows Fast in 2010

Online fundraising is the fastest-growing fundraising channel for nonprofits, a new study says.

In 2010, clients of Convio raised over $1.3 billion online, up 40 percent from 2009, says the annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study.

Based on an analysis of data from nearly 600 nonprofits with at least 24 months of data and that raised a total of over $1.15 billion in 2010, the study says 79 percent of those organizations raised more online in 2010 than in 2009, while 21 percent saw their online giving decline.

The median growth rate in online giving totaled 20 percent, up from 14 percent in 2009, with online giving growing fastest for small organizations.

Groups with fewer than 10,000 email addresses saw a 26 percent increase in online giving.

Among organizations that grew fundraising in 2010, 88 percent saw an increase in the number of gifts.

Among 430 organizations that were fundraising continuously in 2009 and 2010, the median donation size grew to $91.94 in 2010 from $83.44 in 2009.

Among organizations that saw online fundraising grow, 88 percent saw the number of gifts grow, with the size of the average gift growing more than $8 in 2010.

The increase in the number of gifts and average gift size indicates “more people are moving online to give even if inspired through other channels,” Convio says.

Constituent engagement “is profoundly multichannel,” Gene Austijn, CEO and president of Convio, says in a statement. “Leveraging only traditional channels or only online channels results in partial engagement. The modern nonprofit and the modern constituent realize the value of fully engaging through multiple channels – traditional and online – to get the most out of each relationship.”

The total number of advocates on file grew 20 percent, with 6.4 percent of advocates on file also making donations, up from 5.9 percent in 2009, the study says.

The median total email file grew 22 percent to 48,700 constituents, it says, indicating that if nonprofits want to maximize the value of each relationship, they should ensure their communications and their non-profit fundraising requests match their constituents’ channel preference.

While giving to relief efforts related to the Haiti earthquake accounted for roughly $250 million, or about 20 percent of the total raised online by Convio clients, the “efficiency and timeliness of online and other digital forms of engagement is creating more opportunity for other organizations to reach people and engage them in a deeper relationship,” Convio says.

Fundraising Shows a Little Growth in 2010

A bigger share of charities raised more money or the same amount in 2010 than in 2009, while a smaller share raised less, signaling a slow uptick in fundraising that still lags far behind pre-recession levels, a new survey says.

It also says strong fundraising results were more likely for charities that invested resources for fundraising staff and infrastructure, including volunteer management.

And it says charities expect giving in 2011 to grow and are likely to keep staffing and spending for fundraising at 2010 levels.

Forty-three percent of 1,845 charities surveyed in February by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative for the 2010 Nonprofit Fundraising Survey saw year-to-year growth, 24 percent raised the same amount, and 33 percent raised less.

A year ago, the Association of Fundraising Executives, or AFP, found 43 percent of charities responding to its survey saw an increase in fundraising in 2009 compared to 2008, while 11 percent said fundraising remained the same, and 46 percent saw an increase.

And in the inaugural survey in November by the collaborative, a group of six organizations serving the nonprofit sector, 36 percent of charities reported an increase in the first nine months of 2010, 26 percent reporting raising the same amount, and 37 percent reported raising less.

With the share of charities that reported raising the same amount more than doubling to 24 percent in the new survey by the collaborative from 11 percent in the AFP survey a year ago, the big shift overall represents more charities now reporting flat fundraising and fewer reported fundraising declines, the new survey says.

It also suggests the increase in fundraising that the November survey found charities were anticipating in the final weeks of 2010 might have occurred but that the growth in contributions still did not match expectations for the year.

“While many organizations stopped the bleeding, giving simply didn’t rebound like we thought it might, especially given the economic growth we saw in the last quarter of the year,” Paulette V. Maehara, president and CEO of AFP, a member of the collaborative, says in a statement.

Based on analysis of results from 1,616 participants whose organizations did not represent a random sample and were overwhelmingly from charities with annual budgets under $1 million, the survey says 48 percent of charities that increased financial support for fundraising by 15 percent of more saw contributions grow by 15 percent of more.

Another 27 percent saw giving grow but by less than 15 percent, while 24 percent saw giving remain flat or fall.

Fifty-six percent of charities that maintained flat financial investment in fundraising saw contributions decline or stay the same, while 24 percent saw giving rise.

And 43 percent of charities that let fundraising spending decline by 15 percent or more saw giving fall 15 percent or more, while 36 percent saw giving stay the same or grow.

For organizations of all sizes, declines of any amount in financial investment and declines in staffing both were associated with a lower probability of meeting fundraising goals, while a reduction in volunteer engagement in fundraising at organizations with expenditures of less $1 million also was associated with a lower probability of meeting fundraising goals.

“Despite the unexpectedly flat fundraising results that charities reported, the survey showed that success was more likely when organizations invested resources in fundraising staff and infrastructure, including volunteer management,” Maehara says.

Among all charities surveyed, only 45 percent received more than half their contributions from individual donors, the survey says.

And Internet and online giving grew at 58 percent of charities that reported using it, with more than 75 percent of all charities surveyed reporting using online fundraising.

And 51 percent of charities reported that 75 percent of more of the funds they raised in 2010 supported operations, rather than capital, investment or endowment.

Sixty-three percent of charities expect contributions will grow in 2011.

Thirty-nine percent expect to spend more for fundraising in 2011, while 49 percent say spending will remain the same, and 65 percent say development and fundraising staff levels will remain the same.

In addition to AFP, members of the collaborative include Blackbaud, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Foundation Center, GuideStar USA, and National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute.

Fundraising for the Invisible Children cause

In hopes of raising awareness for child soldiers in Africa, Invisible Children will be hosting a screening of the documentary film “Tony” in Kane 120 at 7 p.m. on March 28.

The chapter is taking a new approach this year by partnering with the Greek system.

Freshman Damon Yeuter, a Theta Xi fraternity member, said Theta Xi needed to choose a philanthropy event, so he suggested Invisible Children after being involved in the organization during high school.

This is the first year Invisible Children has partnered with a fraternity to help run a fundraiser. Last year, Invisible Children held a screening about a child soldier named Jacob, who was able to attend the event, which attracted 250 students and raised $1,000 for students abroad in Uganda to rebuild schools and help fund redevelopment programs, and Devin Erickson, president of the UW chapter of Invisible Children, said the new partnership with the Greek system will help promote the event even more for this year.

“We’re really lucky to have them because [the Greek system] is a big portion of campus,” Erickson said. “And they offered to house the PNW team.”

The film featured at the screening documents the friendship that developed between Bazilo and Nate Henn, a volunteer for Invisible Children who died during an attack in Uganda.

“The movie will touch base on what Invisible Children has done for him and capture his relationship with one of the roadies from Invisible Children,” Erickson said. “Nate died while he was in Africa visiting Tony. There was a terrorist bomb attack, and he was unfortunately a victim.”

Though the UW chapter was unable to have Tony himself appear tonight, Acan Brenda, a student from Uganda in Invisible Children’s Legacy Scholarship Program, will speak instead.

Erickson said a main goal of the UW chapter is to close the gap between awareness and action on the issue of child soldiers and to help bring notice to what he referred to as “the longest-running war in Africa.”

“We want to do fundraising to collect donations for the programs that they already have, such as Schools for Schools, a program where Invisible Children builds partner schools for which teachers from over here can go and teach over there,” Erickson said.

“Our purpose is to keep doing screenings, fundraising, activities, little movie screenings in the dorms. We had one in Lander the two weeks before spring break. We had a few more members to join the chapter and got the word out for the screening tomorrow.”

Invisible Children was started in 2003 after three filmmakers traveling in Africa started the nonprofit. The organization’s website says its goal is to help promote awareness about the use of children as “both the weapons and the victims” in Uganda and give individuals an effective way to respond to the situation.

The UW chapter of Invisible Children and Theta Xi fraternity helped fundraise and advertise for the event, but the Pacific Northwest team from the Invisible Children headquarters in California is managing it.

To help promote the event, Theta Xi planned a volleyball tournament to raise money for the chapter, along with tabling in Red Square and creating posters and collecting donations for the screening. The tournament was supposed to be held yesterday, but it was cancelled due to weather conditions.

The Invisible Children chapter members began planning for the event at their first meeting in winter quarter and discussed various fundraising events, such as tabling and bake sales. Ultimately, they decided to put on another movie screening like they did at their fundraising event the previous year.

Erickson said events in past years had been pretty inactive, so the screening last year “really put us on the map.”

“Our purpose is to establish Invisible Children at UW, and once we are established and people know who we are, it’s to get more members and fundraise by doing different events,” Erickson said. “By no means are we done after this screening.”

Reach reporter Liz Cummings at news @ dailyuw.com.

Fundraising improving, but gain less than hoped

In addition to getting to know their donors, local organizations that said their fundraising is holding steady or increasing said they’ve been trying to help their donors get to know the charities better.

Easter Seals Arc increased its fundraising in part through a focused endowment campaign, Arc Foundation Executive Director William Andreas said. A small, committed group of donors gave more than $500,000.

And when government support was cut, Easter Seals Arc appealed to its patrons, who in turned stepped up to help to bridge the gap, Andreas said.

If you have some neat, new and exciting visions of the future, donors want to make an impact, he said.

Kay Ostrum, executive director of American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana, said she has optimism for her organization’s fundraising development. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a difficult time.

Holding steady is good, but when the need increases, you really need to grow, Ostrum said. We are going to focus on individual donors and educating the public.

In the local American Red Cross case, that involves more outreach stressing what the organization accomplishes within potential donors own backyards. People donate to Red Cross when there is a major disaster, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, she said.

But they don’t always realize the local chapter does its own work, more than just the omnipresent blood drives, and must conduct its own fundraising.

It provides food and shelter to families after floods and tornadoes, and in northeast Indiana, assists families after house fires an average of every three days, Ostrum said.

Focusing on public education has been enlightening; Ostrum has encountered the misconception that the 130-year-old American Red Cross is a government agency.

Despite its success, the chapter has faced shortfalls in some areas. Foundations have taken a major hit, and because the American Red Cross is supported by some foundations, that hurt is passed on in the form of fewer and smaller grants.  And it relies heavily on the fees it takes in for providing training to businesses, such as disaster-preparedness and first aid. As the recession took its toll, many businesses cut back.

The Nonprofit Research Collaborative survey showed smaller organizations – those with expenditures below $1 million – didn't make the same gains or even hold steady as well as larger ones.

ARCH, northeastern Indiana's non-profit historic preservation organization, would be classified as a small organization by those terms.

Executive Director Angie Quinn said her organization suffered from the decrease in grants available last year but managed to keep sponsorships steady for the events it holds to raise money.

That came in part by recognizing many local businesses are hurting, too. Quinn said ARCH asked for smaller amounts of money for sponsorships and also tried to provide the sponsors with greater visibility by including their logos on signs and event paraphernalia.

They feel like they get more from it, she said.

aturner @ jg.net

 

63 Percent of Charities Predict an Increase in Giving in 2011, says Report

Giving to most charity fundraisers stayed the same or increased last year, according to a new survey released by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative, a coalition of six organizations that study or represent non-profits and fundraisers on Tuesday.  However non-profit officials and charities said that gifts did not increase as much as they had hoped, given the economic recovery.

The study asked about two key measures of fundraising — the percentage of organizations reaching their fundraising goals and the percentage of charities raising more funds in one year compared to the previous year. In the NRC survey about 2010, just 52 percent of organizations reported reaching their fundraising goals that year. In a survey conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP, a member of the NRC) about 2009, 53 percent of charities reported meeting their yearly fundraising goals that year. 

63 percent of the more than 1,800 organizations studied said they expect private donations to rise in 2011. Nearly two-thirds said they do not plan any increases in the number of fundraising staff members this year.

The study pointed out that the fundraising situation for these causes was more stable in 2010 than in 2009, when many of the charities were reeling in the wake of the 2008 recession. While only 11 percent reported that they had raised about the same amount of money in 2009 as they did back in 2008, 24 percent said they had raised as much money in 2010 as in the previous year.

The percentage of charities that said their donations declined fell from 46 percent at the end of 2009 to 33 percent at the end of 2010.

“While many organizations stopped the bleeding, giving simply didn’t rebound like we thought it might, especially given the economic growth we saw in the last quarter of the year,” said Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, one of six organizations that make up the research collaborative. “Despite the unexpectedly flat fundraising results that charities reported, the survey showed that success was more likely when organizations invested resources in fundraising staff and infrastructure, including volunteer management.”

Spending More Pays Off?

According to the survey, three-quarters of the organizations that increased their spending on fundraising activities saw collections rise. Almost half of the organizations that increased their spending on fundraising by 15 percent or more saw contributions increase by 15 percent or more.

This does not point out if there was even a return on their investment. So, you increased the spending on advertising (those dollars donated to your organization for ‘projects’ most likely) and you saw an equal increase in contributions?

Let’s say organization X spent $15,000 on advertisements and increased their contributions 15%, which was up from $10,000, that is only $1,500 and a loss of $13,500 that could be used to feed multiple families in poverty, rescue animals, provide clean water to villages in Africa, etc. This type of scenario would not be productive and an utter waste of resources.

The survey also showed that online giving produced the most growth out of all types of solicitations charities use.  Of course, it should. Fundraising online is much more easier, requires less time, and is overall much more productive for organizations. It’s easier to track the results of fundraising campaigns and see what works, what doesn’t, and allows you to measure very accurate results.

Online giving rose for 58 percent of organizations that use the Internet to seek donations by running online fundraising campaigns. Net proceeds from special events rose for half the organizations that use that approach; efforts to seek big gifts also rose for half of the groups. Less than half the groups that sought foundation grants, sent direct-response appeals such as mail and e-mail messages, or solicited gifts from board members or corporate contributions saw increases in those categories.

The study did not point out how much of an increase those organizations realized, nor is it completely accurate in its findings. While only aggregating data from several resources, which accounted for ONLY 1800 organizations, there are still more than 1.5 million other registered 501 c3 non-profit organizations that data was not gathered from.

The large organizations that are all most likely surveyed account for incredibly high amounts of overhead and are notorious for being inefficient with their fundraising and giving. Many of which are not effectively fundraising online to be more productive with time, capital, and return on fundraising efforts.

The way people give to causes is changing. More and more people would like to see transparency with the non-profits and charities they give to.  Instead of giving $100 and having no idea where it goes, yet most likely 99% to salaries and other expenses, while 1% gets distributed to actual causes, donors would like to see that if I give $100, there will be tangible evidence that my contribution was used for this project, and this was the result, etc.

There is a shift in the way people give and will continue to gain momentum over the coming years, as online fundraising campaigns by causes, big and small continues to grow. More donors will donate to smaller, flexible, and more efficient causes, opposed to the very big ones that have proven to be not as effective, when measured pound for pound to the smaller ones.

For example, if a smaller non-profit is fundraising to raise money online for a project to build a school and fresh water system that will allow a community of 1,000 people in Kenya to be self-sufficient for $40,000, and will take 90 days to complete, would you donate to them, if they have proven results with other projects, good donor feedback, and pictures and videos to back it up?

Or, would you donate your $100 to the American Red Cross for example, as they do not point out where and how exactly the money will be spent for a cause such as the Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts? Most likely it will go to salaries, events, and other expenses, as maybe $1 or so gets passed on those in need.

The times and way people are giving is changing, while the Internet and cause transparency will be major fuel for this momentum in the coming years. For donors that are debating on what cause to give to, it is highly suggested to do some research on the organization and understand the percentage of donations that go to what part of the organization. This will help you decipher what cause is more effective in helping those that need it.

Political Fundraising: Obama Challengers Would Need to Raise $590,000 a Day to Match His 2008 Campaign

 According to a recent article published by Bloomberg, during the first half of 2007, Barack Obama managed to raise $59 million for his presidential campaign.  In order to match that, any prospective Republican, Independent, Libertarian, Green Party, and/or any other challenging candidates to Obama’s re-election would need to raise approximately $590,000 each day, until June 30th if they entered the race today.

Former Minnesota Governor, and Republican, Tim Pawlenty, announced the other day that he was setting up an exploratory committee to raise money for a possible candidacy. With some experts now predicting that President Obama could become the first billion-dollar candidate, every day that passes by other potential challengers to his re-election, will make it much harder to match the President’s war chest for getting re-elected.

“It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the Republicans to raise as much money as Obama,” said former Republican National Committee finance chairman Al Hoffman Jr., who is a North Palm Beach, Florida, real estate developer.

However, this does not mean that the Republicans and/or any other party candidates can’t mitigate an Obama fundraising advantage. There are the popular outside groups, such as Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, who helped the Republican party take over control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 and are preparing for the 2012 election as well. The prospective candidates are lining up major fundraisers and continually preparing efforts to attract small donors to boost funds.

“All of the potential serious candidates have been laying that groundwork for a long time,” said former Republican Representative Bill Paxon of New York.

“Just because they haven’t actually started collecting the resources doesn’t mean they haven’t been working on building the infrastructure that will allow them to collect the checks” when needed.

That infrastructure Paxon touched on includes the forming of teams of people to raise money from circles of high net worth donors. These circles of wealthy donors have been a staple of presidential campaigns since George W. Bush in 2000 became the first major-party nominee to be elected president after declining to limit spending for the primaries in exchange for federal funds.

“When they give the signal to go, the checks will be written and the money will be there,” said Frank Donatelli, a partner in the law and lobbying firm McGuireWoods LLP, who raised more than $100,000 for 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

“The moment you start a committee, the overhead starts,” he said. “That’s what’s holding everyone back.”

Candidates MUST Attract Smaller Donors

This election cycle’s prospective Republican, Independent, and other party candidates are also making plans to focus on small donors, following Obama’s 2008 example of incredibly successful fundraising for his campaign. Obama raised 54 percent of his money in contributions of $200 or less from donors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

“One is cognizant of that,” said Sam Fox, chairman of the St. Louis-based investment firm Harbour Group, who raised at least $200,000 for Bush. “A lot of attention will be paid to that particular aspect of raising money.”

Four years ago, nearly all of the main contenders for both Republican and Democrat parties’ presidential nominations had announced their plans to take on the White House. Presently, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia was the closest to an official announcement which came on March 3, as he announced he was setting up a website in order to raise money to explore a presidential run, besides Pawlenty.

Other prospective Republican candidates have been using political action committees to raise money and spend on activities that could benefit a quest for winning the presidency. The activities include hiring staff, developing targeted donor lists, while traveling around the country and meeting as many possible supporters as possible.

Without a doubt, President Obama ran the most successful political fundraising campaigns in history, propelling a Junior Senator from Illinois into the most powerful position in the world. Attracting small donations from millions of poor to middle-class supporters paid off handsomely for his run, while heavily fundraising via the Internet, which has made giving donations much easier for donors nationwide.

As the presidential race for the 2012 White House heats up, analysts predict strong growth in the online political fundraising space, where both sides of the aisle, including all those running for president, could reach $40 billion in money raised for their campaigns, with about $4 billion being raised online.

 

Common Causes for Fundraising

 In order for certain causes to continue thriving, financial assistance is almost always required. In most cases, fundraising is the most common and effective solution to help provide ongoing support for a particular group, organization or program. When their financial needs are met, this makes it possible for the cause to remain successful. The most common reasons people donate to causes are to support a local church, school, sports league or non-profit organization, amongst others.

Church Fundraising

Regardless of denomination, many people tend to agree that their local churches are great causes to support because of the programs and services they provide that benefit the parishoners and community. Maintaining and running a church fundraising campaign can be very expensive and because they are typically a non-profit organization, this makes it even more important for individuals to donate to causes that allow a church to keep its doors open. Often times regular donations received by the church are not enough. Many churches hold fundraiser events such as food and clothing drives and even after-school programs for students. When a church’s financial needs are not met, this could result in a loss of such programs and lack of resources.

School Fundraising

It goes without saying that school fundraising campaigns are among the most important causes that people should support. These days, schools require additional assistance with obtaining certain necessities, such as new textbooks, renovating classrooms and purchasing computers and supplies for classes. Fundraisers give the community a chance to donate to school fundraising campaigns that will give those schools the opportunity to ensure that their students receive a fair education that is equipped with the proper resources and items they need to be successful in life.

Sports Fundraising

From local youth sports to adult recreational sports leagues, there are plenty of costs involved that are necessary for a successful and productive seasons. This includes paying for uniforms, travel, referees, and sports equipment. Sports fundraising related causes gives a team a fair shot at providing a positive, team building experience through their favorite sport (i.e. baseball, softball, football, soccer, etc.). When people donate to causes that support their local sports team, they also make it possible for recreational sports programs to continue giving both adults and children alike the chance to participate in an activity that will increase their likelihood of staying out of trouble, build character, leadership, and much more that is gained by being a part of a team.

Non-Profit Fundraising

Out of the many causes in need of financial help, non-profit organizations are among one of the most important to make donations to, for the simple fact that they require these funds in not to just keep their lights on, but to fund projects, and other activities that they care about. As the name implies, non-profit groups do not receive regular payments for their services or programs. Because of this, it is vital that they get donations not only at the state and/or federal level but from wherever they can find such funds. Anytime a financial goal is not reached, this increases the odds of having a non-profit shut its doors for good.

If one of your goals is to donate to a cause or non-profit fundraising for a project and/or operations costs, be sure to support those that are central to your community and are in the greatest need of funds. Not only can you make a financial contribution to benefit your favorite causes, you can also volunteer your efforts to help ensure each fundraising event is successful. 

Free Fundraising Tools

No matter how small or large your cause is, there are a variety online fundraising tools available, yet only a small select few of companies that offer completely free fundraising tools that will allow you raise money online, yet only charge a small transaction fee to cover credit card processing and operating costs, such as company called Piryx.

Instead of paying set up fees, monthly, annual, and/or licensing and consulting fees, you can simply use all the online fundraising tools that will help your cause raise money, yet only pay a small fee based on the performance of using that fundraising platform to process donations, help you manage and grow your donor base, while reviewing analytics to make sense of what would be rather complex information in a simple and intuitive dashboard in order to measure your fundraising campaigns successes and more.