Some Elementary And Essential Fundraising Ideas

By Scott Bell


There are numerous organizations that have seen a great need and that are trying to help. Animals, humans, the sciences, the poor, the disenfranchised and many other causes have attracted well meaning organizations. They need money to survive, however and in most cases they have to find that money from donors. This is easier said than done, however. The economy is tight and people do not have money to spare. Nevertheless, with creative fundraising ideas it is still possible pull through.

Only a few organizations depending on donations appeal to the majority of potential donors. The rest appeals to a very select group of people. These organizations cannot raise money efficiently if they do not perform a very thorough target group analysis. They need to know which people and businesses are most likely to support them, where they are and what approach to take when appealing for help.

Raising funds is a specialized field and it is time consuming. The majority of organizations asking for donations are already short of resources and struggle to find the time to organize events for raising funds. The best course of action may be to leave this in the hands of professionals. They may charge a hefty percentage of the money that they manage to raise but it leaves the organization free to focus on its own aims.

Finding a benefactor should be a high priority. Celebrities and others in the spotlight wield much influence over their supporters and if they publicly support a specific cause they can influence many other people to follow suit. Some charities have companies as benefactors. In most cases these companies support one or two organizations as part of their social responsibility programs. Many benefactors provide on going financial security.

In many countries lottery operators and casinos are obliged to spend a certain percentage of their income on funding worthwhile causes. Many government departments also budget funds to aid organizations involved in charitable work. It is often a lengthy process to apply for this type of grant but it is most certainly worth the effort. It may even be worthwhile to pay a professional to handle the application.

Many organizations organize events to raise funds but in these modern times many find little support for their efforts. People do not support amateurish events any longer. They spend their hard earned money on events that they enjoy and that have been organized professionally. Charitable organizations can no longer depend upon the public to attend a jumble sale, for example, just to show support. They have to do much better than that.

There have been numerous scandals related to the gross abuse of money donated to charitable organizations. The public and businesses alike have grown wary and they want to know that they support only those organizations that will be using their contributions in the manner it is supposed to be used. When raising funds it is therefore vitally important to fully inform donors of exactly how the money will be used.

Corporate and private donors are bombarded with appeals or help. There are certainly numerous very worthwhile causes but one cannot help them all. Many organizations cannot survive if they cannot raise the money necessary to keep their doors open. This requires hard work, however, as well as innovation and a true passion for the work that the organization does.




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