Fundraising ideas for non-profits

[mvbailey12]

I am a youth director and every year we have to do fundraising for mission trips and the such.

I am wondering what corps do fundraising (beyond corps dues). I know some have bingo or whatever, but what do most corps do for "real income" for the year?

I know that they get their big cash prizes at shows, but that in no way can be enough for corps to survive on.

Also, what fundraisers have corps or other groups you know do and do well?

I don't mean the sell hot dogs in front of a grocery store for 14 days to make $11 either.

I'm talking about little input for good return. A giant one day event or something where you can make ssome real ching.

Any ideas?

[TomMoore]

From my experience in the non-profit world and as a volunteer, by far the most effective way to raise money is to ask for it. If you have a group of alumni, parents, friends, arts patrons, local community activists, etc., who know what you do and believe in what you do, you should regularly get your message in front of them about what you do and why it matters, and ask them to invest in what you do with their charitable gifts. It doesn't cost you money to stage an event (other than the cost of mailings and phone calls and the value of time in doing both).

Looking for grants from private foundations, community foundations and corporate foundations in your area is also a good way to find funding.

Corporate sponsorships are also great if you can get them (sometimes very difficult, especially in tough economic times).

Finally, don't forget about in-kind donations. They go a LONG way. As a drum corps, what do you spend money on that someone might donate or heavily discount? Food? Instruments? Fabric? Transportation? Lumber? Hardware? Be creative, and build partnerships!

Studies in the philanthropy field show that the number one reason why people don't support their favorite charities with their dollars is simply that they weren't asked. If you don't ask, they assume you don't need or want their support. So ask! Be proud of what you do for young people and ask folks to invest in it.

[JOHNNY_A]

I am a youth director and every year we have to do fundraising for mission trips and the such.

I am wondering what corps do fundraising (beyond corps dues). I know some have bingo or whatever, but what do most corps do for "real income" for the year?

I know that they get their big cash prizes at shows, but that in no way can be enough for corps to survive on.

Also, what fundraisers have corps or other groups you know do and do well?

I don't mean the sell hot dogs in front of a grocery store for 14 days to make $11 either.

I'm talking about little input for good return. A giant one day event or something where you can make ssome real ching.

Any ideas?

"little input for a good return" ...won't happen. Just like anything and anybody. You have to work hard for the "ching" Sometimes a bunch of smaller fundraisers yield a good return. Hard work + long planning hours + frusteration =ching

[ouooga]

Seriously, one of the most profitable ways to make money is to buy these and put your logo on the side. Almost any restaurant will let you put it in their lobby or waiting area for nothing, and all you have to do is come fill it every two weeks with $10 worth of candy from Costco. Start with one or two and see if its worth it, and eventually build up a fleet. It makes a ton of money and you have to do nothing!

When I was making sandwiches in college we had one for SafeTree or something, and we counted one day to see if anyone used it. Seriously, one out of every four people were putting a quarter in, and it adds up a lot faster than you think.

[TerriTroop]

I agree with "ask for it." Good fundraisers are passionate about their organization, can work well with people of all kinds, have great memories for names and faces, know how to say thank you with more than a mere courtesy card, have no fear of the word "no" but know how to accept it gracefully, AND are not shy about going back to the "no's" later and trying again.

On the other hand, organizing a major fundraising event is a lot of work, and very often the return is really small. However, once you get one established it can grow. Our school (private non-church) has an annual dinner and silent auction that has grown into a major fundraiser, but it took years for it to get that way. In general we usually net about $40-50K on this event. But again, this has taken years to get going. We have a large and active development committee, a paid development director, and a parent body that is very involved in all of our school's events. We also have an ongoing Annual Giving drive where we emphasize that it's not the size of the gift but the goal of 100% participation that counts. (We've gotten there a couple of times that I know of, and are usually above 90% other years) 100% participation (or very close to it) makes granting foundations take more notice of your organization, so that's why it's so important to achieve optimum participation.

So, that's all fine and good, but you're looking for something a little less involved. Our best low-input events tend to be class garage sales. What makes such a thing successful are the following:

1. ORGANIZED layout and pricing: there's nothing more frustrating to customers than having to ask 100 times what something costs or picking through piles of junk to look for that one gem.

2. QUALITY items: don't put the 1/2 used bottle of nail polish remover on the table. DON'T! It's disgusting! But I've seen that and worse at many garage sales. Ugh!

3. NEW items: unique new items, particularly hand-crafted items, go over nicely.

4. BAKED goods and drinks: if you bake it, they will stay and browse. If they don't buy whatever you've got on the sale tables, I guarantee you many will feel obligated enough to purchase a brownie and a bottle of water.

5. ADVERTISING: Non-cluttered signs like "Mission Trip Garage and Bake Sale TODAY" with an arrow are much better for drivers than a laundry list of what you've got to sell. But including BAKE SALE is always good.

6. LOCATION: if it's hard to get to or hard to park nearby, forget it. People won't bother to come if they can't find it, and if it's too crowded to park they will drive off without stopping.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

[Gator Eagle]

Tom Moore hit the nail on the head. I've been in non-profit development for many years and there is a science to it. My biggest gift is $12 million for a university and it is a lot of homework, relationship building, and knowing where to focus your time and effort.

For corps, there is a gold mine to be tapped in the realm of local family foundations and donor-advised funds. Get to know your local community foundation ED and do a 990 search on Foundation Finder to learn where the "fluid" funds are in your geographic/demographic area. Don't be afraid to break the "posted" rules - this isn't a grant from a structured foundation - and send a LOI each and every year possible. You never know what you might get, and they have to give away 5% on average yearly.

Also, while not immediate, the biggest gifts to charity are those that are testamentary. Each corps should have at least one estate planning professional on their board if they are looking long-term. Make a serious effort to market this possibility to alumni. You will be charitable upon death, whether to Uncle Sam or to the beneficiaries of your choice.

Go Troop!

[CoHmempho04]

A lot of sports teams and venues (NASCAR races) have concession stands and suites (for those over 18 and even better if they're over 21 so they can serve adult beverages). Large venues like that need a LOT of people to help them run and non-profits do well there.

[Linda Slocum]

A lot of sports teams and venues (NASCAR races) have concession stands and suites (for those over 18 and even better if they're over 21 so they can serve adult beverages). Large venues like that need a LOT of people to help them run and non-profits do well there.

Six Flags theme parks will often do the same, and they hire kids as young as 16. They're one of the few places that kids under 18 can get a job in our area, and they're one of the area's biggest employers. It's not a glamour job to be sure, but at least it can generate some revenues for the kids to help offset member dues and travel costs.