fundraisingonline's posterous http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com Most recent posts at fundraisingonline's posterous posterous.com Wed, 25 May 2011 15:34:00 -0700 Fundraising To Make It Through A Tough Economy http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-to-make-it-through-a-tough-econom http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-to-make-it-through-a-tough-econom

In general, asking for money can be awkward, and asking for money in a bad economy is very difficult. However, for non-profits, there is no such thing as a recession or a good economy, they have to continue their work and to be able to do this, fundraising is a constant effort.

Usually, causes that are close to the heart rarely suffer too much during a tough economy because people always find ways to give and support a cause that has a personal affiliation to them. Typically, political fundraising campaigns bring big and small donors to contribute since people are always passionate about their political parties/affiliations. Fundraisers that emerge as a result of a natural disaster or tragedy such as the earthquake in Haiti will also bring a humanitarian response and get people to empty their wallets. Of course, one hopes that these disasters don’t happen at all or at least too often.

In a stable economy, there are several fundraising ideas that one can implement to raise money for their cause or campaign. Non profit fundraisers are mostly events, auctions and banquets – a great way to engage with donors but not the best and most sustainable way for non profits to fundraise. Event fundraisers usually come at a cost; even if the space or food are donated, there are overheads involved and this drives up the cost of the ticket for the donors; and eventually limits the number of people who can afford to buy a ticket or two for the fundraiser. As you can see, this is all too complicated and it really doesn’t have to be this way!

All non profits should look into online fundraising for their causes. It is the best way to fundraise without incurring additional costs. Setting up a fundraising page online is very easy, there are several websites that allow you to do this with little or no fees involved. There are some great fundraising tools available that will let you track the contributions made to your cause and also allows donors to keep track of how the funds are being used.

Especially today, with the whole world hooked on social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter, online fundraising allows you to connect with people all over the world. You no longer have to depend on the same group of donors to come forward each time. Your cause may appeal to a group of people half way across the world! Through online fundraising, you also eliminate costs involved in printing and postage for direct mail and through an email you may even get people in India or New Zealand to donate to your online fundraiser!

Online fundraising allows everyone to donate as much as they want to and makes every penny count! So don’t let the bad economy discourage you and hold you back from doing good…turn to online fundraising and be on your way to changing the world!

For online fundraising tools for your non profit and to monitor donations and progress of your fundraiser, check out the several fundraising ideas available on the web and get your fundraiser off to a great start

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Wed, 25 May 2011 14:21:00 -0700 The Most Common Fundraising Challenge Plaguing Non Profits http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/the-most-common-fundraising-challenge-plaguin http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/the-most-common-fundraising-challenge-plaguin

Non profits have a lot to worry about! For starters, many of them are on a shoestring budget with mammoth goals to achieve. With a long to-do list, one of the first and most difficult challenges all non profits face is getting people to volunteer and help out with fundraising. Today, convincing someone to do something without any reward, in kind or cash, is a huge issue. I guess that’s what they mean when they say “there are no free lunches anymore?”

When people think of volunteering or philanthropy in general, I suppose their first instinct is to hold on to their wallets. I suppose the common notion is that charitable giving is for those who have spare cash or for the incredibly rich and famous who can donate hundreds and millions of dollars at fundraisers. Obviously, such a mind-set is tough to overcome. Very little, do people stop and think that the world has billions people, while hundreds of millions of people that can afford to give maybe $10, $30 or $50 more frequently and that there are less people out there who can afford to contribute huge amounts of money to fundraisers.

Today, hopefully that challenge of getting people to work with your charity is a lot easier with fundraising online. Using the internet is definitely the most efficient way of getting your message across to a wide network of people, informing them of your cause and encouraging them to participate in your fundraiser. It can be tempting for non profits to work with just about any one who rolls through the door but it is important to make a distinction between those who are interested in the cause and passionate about making a difference in society versus those who just want something to put on their resume. This might seem like a ‘for profit’ approach, but really, if you think about it, for a non profit to be successful in their fundraising and overall goals, you need to hire people just like a for profit firm would. You want people with easily transferable skills, bring new fundraising ideas to the table and manage fundraisers with little or no supervision!

Usually, if a charity or a cause is able to tie up with a corporation, their volunteer problems are solved. Corporates like to encourage their employees to do some “time” and employees get to use it as work hours. Occasionally, you’re able to gather a group of people who are regular volunteers and from a for profit background who can then contribute some great fundraising ideas that can be very useful to the cause. To top it off, both the company and the employee get a tax break when a donation is made by the employee and matched the company!

There are great online fundraising tools available today that can be managed with ease and need very little prior experience or training. Today’s lifestyle has made it such that everyone shops online, so nobody is uncomfortable with using their credit cards on the web. Time is scarce and it’s an online world out there, so non profits should definitely keep this in mind and explore the gamut of online fundraising tools available to them!

Taking the time and effort to get savvy with fundraising online is definitely a good investment; it will solve your problem of looking for volunteers to approach people for donations, you can send out hundreds and thousands of outreach emails at a time and build your donor base, and you can host multiple fundraisers at the same time. So be sure to check out all options available online quickly so you don’t miss out on achieving your goals and doing good in the community due to lack of volunteers and participation!

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Wed, 25 May 2011 14:12:00 -0700 Fundraising With Social Media – Sure-Fire Ways to Maximize Your Donations http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-with-social-media-sure-fire-ways http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-with-social-media-sure-fire-ways

Fundraising online for causes today is a raging phenomenon. We’ve all seen people come together in times of crisis and give as much as they can to lend a helping hand. With so much going on the world today and so many ways of being able help out the invention of social media is a blessing in disguise for fundraisers!

 Every one loves social media networking. We log on to find friends, find out what’s going on in their lives and now a days with sites like LinkedIn, we can even get a job though networking online; so why not use this powerful networking platform to ask people to help out with your fundraisers? Asking people to help you fundraise should be treated the same way as asking people to be your “friend” on Facebook. You want to take care of your relationships, message them occasionally and keep them posted periodically.  

For those non-profits who are not yet fully on board with fundraising online, it’s time to slowly start moving your donors database online. First, make sure you have an attractive online presence; have a dedicated person to manage your online social media pages, updating them frequently with updates, pictures and important milestones! Encourage your donors and supporters to join your network online. Having your donors online is a great way to give them a ‘shout out’ when a donor goes out of their way to support your cause! This is always a great way encouraging people and also to start a discussion and brainstorm some fundraising ideas for your next event!  

It’s important to also break away from the notion that non profits are all about asking for money and don’t really care about their donors unless it involves a donation. Like it or not, we’ve all been victims of such a thought process and often this is because we never hear back from the charity we donated to unless it’s for another fundraiser! Obviously, developing personal relationships with each of your donors can be an exhaustive process and an expensive one. This is where fundraising online with social media comes very handy. You can now wish your donors on special occasions and make them feel personally invested in your cause!  

Today, the whole world is gravitating towards social media. Major business deals are being struck online; its only natural non-profits also take their fundraising online. Social media allows you to reach a large number of people and on a relatively smaller budget than hosting parties and fundraisers that are only limited to people who are physically available to attend.

 An article on thepaypalblog.com by Janet Bal talks about how ‘online and social media fundraising can be a game changer for non profits’. Agreed, for small non profits with limited resources, understanding how fundraising with social media works can be intimidating; but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore, especially with companies like Piryx who are dedicated to helping non profits every way they can and giving them all the essential training and online fundraising tools available for NO FEES! There are also excellent fundraising ideas available online that are geared towards a specific cause and you can find one that’s best suited for you.

So if you are one of those non-profits who think you’re not big enough to bother with  fundraising   with social media, think again! And then, get online! 

For free facebook fundraising tools that will help you effectively raise money through social media, you can create, manage and track the success of an unlimited amount of campaigns today by using a robust online fundraising platform.

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Mon, 23 May 2011 12:52:00 -0700 Fundraising Ideas for Online Fundraisers http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-for-online-fundraisers http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-for-online-fundraisers

People from all over the world spend most of the time on the Internet therefore fundraising activities can be successful using this medium. Donors can give to charity or donate to organizations online without leaving their house. There are many fundraising ideas that can be done through the Internet that people in need can benefit from. The proceeds immediately go to organizations in a short period of time as payments are done via electronic transactions. These organizations do not need to make time-consuming and stressful inventories just like in regular fundraising activities that are done personally.

Fundraising online is possible through Internet auctions. Members of the organization can bid some of their stuff in websites that do auctioneering. They collect a portion of the proceeds to be given to charity. Non-profit organizations can also register their group in a certain website that has a charity program of their own. These groups will be able to get all of the proceeds from the items that they auction provided they open a seller’s account in the said website.

Another way for fundraisers to raise money for charity is to tie-up with local businesses. A specific amount of some of the items sold online by these businesses can be given to the fundraisers. For example, a company that sells baby clothes can donate 10% of the sales they make online to an organization supporting an orphanage. A cosmetic company’s website that sells make-up for women can also donate a percentage of their monthly sales to a women’s crisis center. A publishing company can also donate children’s books to a public school.

 There are also fundraising websites that allow organizations to create a page of their own with them. The website manages the page while the organization is the one who asks for donors and does the fundraising activities by advertising the page to family, friends and supporters. All the proceeds that the organization will receive will directly go to them. This is a way for the fundraisers to help such organizations in their missions and goals for a specified time.

There are also fundraising malls in the Internet that help organizations raise funds for charity. To do this, an organization has to have a website where they will put a link to the online shopping mall. When a person buys something from the seller’s website through the link provided by the organization, the latter gets a portion of the sale made. The customer gets to buy something he really needs and at the same time would be able to give to charity. There are also online shopping malls that encourage organizations to create a web page in their websites for easier and instant access.

 Online fundraising is easier to do than the traditional fundraising activity, which requires time, preparation, location, transportation expenses, advertisement, and inventories. Fundraising online just requires a web page and that alone can reach millions of people around the globe. There are just so many fundraiser ideas that can be implemented via the net that would benefit those who are truly in need. 

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Mon, 23 May 2011 12:08:00 -0700 Fundraising Online with Free Fundraising Tools for Causes http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-with-free-fundraising-tool http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-with-free-fundraising-tool

If you want to raise money for charity, fundraising can be done online using various free fundraising tools that are available in websites. Internet surfers can become possible donors. The first thing to do is to create a website and make your presence known online. With a website or a web page, this will get you money from donors with just a click of the mouse. A website will allow you to make a fundraising event, do an online auction, accept donations and sell event fundraiser tickets.

Once you have a website, you can do all the preparations and invitations of a fundraising event. You can hold a dinner-concert where the proceeds will go to your favorite charity. You can invite donors to the event through your website which contains all the necessary information of your activity. They can buy the tickets online using their credit cards and confirm their attendance there. This will save you and your donor time and money spent on communication.

With your website, you can do fundraising online by accepting donations. A donor can just give your organization money using his credit card. For this, you will need a tool to be used on your website that will allow you to collect money via e-transaction. Make sure your site has a donor’s page and make it informative, attractive and compelling enough to capture people’s interest and encourage them to donate. Donating via credit cards is a way of showing that your organization is professional and legitimate and because of its convenience and accessibility, it will encourage supportive people who are far away to donate.

You can also sell event fundraising tickets via your website. People who are interested to attend the fundraising activity you have organized, such as a benefit concert, can with just one click and purchase many tickets at once. They no longer need to go to an office to buy the tickets thus saving them time and money. For your part, selling tickets online will allow you to make an easy inventory as online ticket sales can be immediately documented and easily tracked.

You can also conduct online auctions with your website. Ask your family, friends and members of your organizations to donate some things and sell them online. You can also enter into agreement with other websites that do online auctions and bid items with them. You share the profits, depending on your agreement. Donors will purchase something they do need and be able to contribute to the less fortunate or to the cause you are fighting for.

When you have a fundraising event advertised in your website, you can add a Sponsors Page where individuals and businesses can place their ads. They just need to upload their ad and pay for it via credit card. This will earn you money and give your donors exposure. You can also tie-up with a fundraising website that will allow you to create a web page with them. There, you can have free fundraising where you invite people to donate to you while the website owner manages the page for you.

With these fundraising ideas, your noble cause will surely succeed.

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Mon, 16 May 2011 18:32:00 -0700 How to make a political fundraising event successful? http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/how-to-make-a-political-fundraising-event-suc http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/how-to-make-a-political-fundraising-event-suc

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Political houses and public figures raise funds for their campaigns by offering to sponsor to political fundraisers. So if you have made up your mind to support a particular candidate or a political group you can go ahead with your plans and organize a political fundraising event. Apart from gathering useful funds, this can also give you a chance to spread awareness about the party or candidate that you are offering support to.

Political fundraisers need to proceed in their endeavor of political fundraising carefully as this is a unique area and need a special type of approach.  Political fundraising is different from the other kinds of fundraising and you can follow this guide, if you want to emerge successful in your efforts.

Decide on the event

This is the Step 1 of your political fundraising endeavor and you must have a clear idea of what kind of event you are going to hold – how big or small you want it to be? How many invitees do you want? Do you want a guest speaker or not? Etc.

Contact the party office for support

Get in touch with the political party or candidate whom you wish to offer support to and give them/him an idea of your plan. In all likelihood, you are going to receive active help. You can get access to information material, support staff, list of political fundraisers, promotional items, hoardings and banners from the party office, to name  a few. Have a short discussion with them regarding the rules/regulations that they would like you to follow and how you can forward the proceeds to them.

Prepare a brief of topics that you want to talk about prior to the event

Every political fundraising event must have a brief lecture, addressing important topics about the party that it is hosting. Therefore, make sure that you make ready a thoughtful and informative awareness lecture to be delivered prior to the event. Focus on a single important topic or at the most two, but ensure that it is interesting to a majority of the guests.

Political fundraising ideas

Incorporate fun political fundraising ideas into the event like 80s Prom, Bingo evening, Wine tasting party etc. Semi-formal events work the best and have a record of being the most popular crowd pullers.

Make a guest list

With due regard to the interest of your acquaintances, friends and family, prepare a guest list comprising of people who can appreciate your political message.

Prepare invitations

Unlike other fundraising invitations which need not be exactly specific, political fundraisers must always ensure that the invitations sent out include all relevant information and details. Topics of discussion, fundraising events incorporated and the aim must be clearly mentioned. Highlight the fact that invitees are required to contribute money.

Winning political campaigns need both good propaganda and funds. A political fundraising event prepared and executed with time and patience by dedicated political fundraisers, can be the best endeavor to accomplish everything in one stroke.

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Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:45:00 -0700 Fundraising Ideas That Help Causes Raise Money More Effectively http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-that-help-causes-raise-mone http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-that-help-causes-raise-mone

There are many ways to go about trying to brainstorm for quality and creative fundraising ideas. These ideas could be used for any number of applications however it would be a good idea to look at the root of the problem of why people want to go ahead with fundraising rather than trying to take it completely out of pocket. The idea about fundraising is that people do not want to pay everything for an event or fundraiser, completely out of their own pockets. So, they go out and look for an idea that could involve numerous people who would donate their time to try and to raise more money over their time invested into fundraising.

This could also be used to have children help you who may be too young to hold a job that could put money toward the cause at hand. This helps in many different ways when you’re trying to come up with fundraising ideas. Most of us have had to come up with fundraising ideas ourselves for either one group or another. We have all had to go out and sell something that we were not necessarily happy with selling, just to raise money. In a way you can almost think of this as a rite of passage of being in school and for raising money for any one of your causes. However, fundraising ideas have sprouted into many other different areas. The traditional means fundraising have proven to be not as successful as fundraising online, as this is what has advanced new fundraising ideas in lieu of new technologies, mainly web based.

New and creative fundraising ideas have slowly turned to the Internet as the Internet began to gain in popularity. This popularity was mostly due to the fact that the Internet started to be center stage in the lives of people who either use it as a social nerve or as a contact medium for any number of people. Using web channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, causes using these channels have become a standard for both getting your message about your fundraisers to the masses.

Another reason the Internet is so great for getting your message out about your fundraisers, is because it increases your exposure and engagement with potential new donors. With normal and traditional fundraising ideas, they were kept as close to home as humanly possible so that you would not have to go very far while you were involved in any fundraising efforts. However, with the advent of the Internet it has made it much easier to describe your fundraiser as well as send the message about your fundraising ideas all across the world. This will also help you reach people who may have interests that are extremely similar to your fundraisers but are not geographically nearby you.

In closing, there are many different fundraising ideas out there. However, the only thing that is limiting you in the amount of exposure your fundraiser has to both the outside world but also to the community around you. It would be a very good idea to explore all your options with fundraising while you have the opportunity to do so.

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Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:30:00 -0700 Fundraising Ideas That Help You With Online Fundraising http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-that-help-you-with-online-f http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-ideas-that-help-you-with-online-f

Fundraising is an activity that has been around for a long time.  It is one of the popular ways of gathering or collecting money to fund operations.  There are different types of fundraising ideas.  There are the traditional methods like auctions, dinner events, and bake sales.  Newer methods are being created to ensure the success of fundraising through creative ideas and events.  The main rule in fundraising is to stand out.  If your event is unique enough to attract attention, it would be easier to invite donors and supporters.

One method of fundraising that is becoming the 'go-to' way today is online fundraising.  Because of the influence of the internet to everyone’s lives nowadays, posting your fundraising ideas online is one of the best methods you could think of.  By going online, you could reach out to everyone, not only to people within your region, but to foreign countries as well.  It is like hitting a million birds with only one stone.  Plus it is not difficult to do.  All you have to do is post your fundraising link or page and the internet will take care of the rest.

Piryx is an online fundraising platform that allows you to promote awareness about your fundraising efforts.  Anyone with an intention of raising money for a cause can set up a free account with Piryx.  Once you have successfully set up your account, you can now create not only one but multiple fundraising pages.  So if you have different causes or operations that you need to raise money for, Piryx is an ideal online tool for you. 

Fundraising ideas should be unique and attractive to be able to catch the attention of people.  This is why Piryx made sure that you would have the required tools to be able to personalize and customize your fundraising page.  You can set the design, colors, themes, and layouts according to your own preferences or to the operation you are raising money for.  For example, if you are raising money for a local baseball team, you can design your fundraising page with baseball bats and mitts.  You can also incorporate the team colors into the page you are creating.  You can also post photos of the team so that people would see that there is indeed a baseball team that needs financial assistance.  People are willing to help as long as they are provided enough evidence that there is a need and that they can make a difference. 

After making your fundraising page as attractive as you possibly can, you can now post it online.  Where?  Post it on websites where most people go, of course.  Social networks are the latest trend in social interaction through the internet.  Facebook, for example, has a million users worldwide.  You can post your link here so that people within your Facebook network would be able to see what your fundraising is all about.  This is very convenient for them because they do not have to leave their homes to be able to get a chance to help out.  It is also convenient for you because you do not have to deal with time pressure, unnecessary expenses, and exhaustion just to raise the money your organization needs.  Unlike other fundraising ideas, Piryx multiplies the number of your donors and supporters with only a minimal effort requirement.

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