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Profit Quests' Fundraising News Weekly
Your source of Free fundraising tips, ideas, resources and
products for small to medium sized nonprofit organizations,
clubs, associations, groups and ministries.
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This Weeks Highlights
* Fundraising Idea Spotlight - Balloon Bouquets
* Free Tip - Securing Door Prizes
* Software Highlight - Volunteer Info Tracker
* Book Review -- Fundraising For Dummies
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Fundraising Idea Spotlight - Balloon Bouquets
Here is an easy, fun and colorful fundraiser for even the
smallest of organizations. Get ready to take to the sky with
your own Balloon Bouquet Fundraiser.
It seems harder than it looks, but blowing up a group of balloons
that you bought for pennies and then selling for dollars is the
fundraiser's dream come true.
To make this fundraiser a success you must do these basic things:
* Check your party supply dealer for balloons of various sizes
and colors. Locate your helium also (welder's supply store).
* Create some basic designs. Practice making your bouquets.
* Coordinate your sale around a holiday (like Valentine's Day)
* Print a colorful flyer with several bouquet types and prices.
* Use your flyer as you sell, sell, sell.
* Have your balloons delivered or announce a location and time
for easy pick-up.
Selling your bouquets for $15.00 or more will insure a fundraiser
that could bring in several thousands if done right. And you can
conduct this money-maker with very few dedicated volunteers.
It is perfect for Cub Scout Packs, Explorer posts, youth
ministries, Girl Scout Troops, ladies auxiliary groups,
schools and more.
See more at Balloon Bouquets.
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Free Tip -- Securing Door Prizes
People love getting prizes and free stuff. Offer door prizes at
your next event and people will put you down on their calendar
as a "must attend" event next year. Ask businesses to donate
items that you will give away as door prizes at the event.
When you obtain a great door prize, be sure to recognize the
business for its contribution. Plan to hand out a flyer to the
attendees at your event and include the names of your donor
businesses, addresses, and phone numbers.
Have a brainstorming session with others in your group and
write down likely businesses that you know and those that you
don't know, but would like to get an item from them. Door
prizes are typically small items generally less than $30, but
may be worth up to $100.
Provide five spots on your flyer for a select group of five
businesses to place a coupon or advertisement. Charge $50
to $100 for each advertisement. Let the businesses know
that your ads are not tax deductible according to IRS rules.
These businesses will still benefit from the ads by getting
exposure and driving some business their way. Donations of
items; however, are tax deductible as long as they do not
get the benefit of an ad for their donation.
Your organization should send a letter thanking the donor for
the specific item donated. Let their accountants decide what
the donation is worth. Never get into setting a price-tag on
donated items that are given to your group.
For free vacations and items that you can find on the web,
see FreeBlvd.
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Software Highlight -- Volunteer Info Tracker
Volunteer management is at the core of any nonprofit
organization. Volunteers can build your efforts many fold
if given a reason for their involvement. However, nothing
turns off a volunteer more than poor management.
Volunteers can sense poor management a mile away. That's
where the Volunteer Info Tracker software comes in handy. By
using Volunteer Info Tracker, you'll be on top of managing your
most precious asset.
If you run a hospital auxiliary, hospice service, women's
auxiliary, government agency, club, association, food bank, or
volunteer center, then this is the software package for you.
Volunteer Info Tracker is a powerful, user friendly, Microsoft
Windows type program. It allows you to track/input/report
volunteer and client personal information like addresses,
time available, skills, interests, and more.
You can also track/input/report program information concerning
your agency or group like projects, program names, office
hours, agency types, schedules, subjects, volunteer types,
skills needed and more.
You must have a minimum requirement of Windows 95 or
compatible operating system, Pentium family CPU, and 32
megs of ram. For a single user the cost is an affordable
$149.00. For use by many people on a network, I found
that it was just $50 for each additional PC. Find out how
you can request a demo of the Volunteer Info Tracker
at our Fundraising Software Products area.
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Book Review -- Fundraising For Dummies
So you're new to fundraising. Yes? No? Then you must be an
expert or professional fundraiser. Right? Well, then maybe
you are like most and have just enough fundraising experience
to do a great job for your nonprofit group.
Whatever your level of fundraising experience, you'll really
appreciate this book. Fundraising For Dummies is a thorough
well documented book on fundraising. It may have more than
you bargained for if you expect to read through this book
in a few days. Or a few weeks if you read like I do.
Once you pick it up, you will enjoy it though. It is packed
with tips, techniques and little known facts that is sure to
rev up your contributions and volunteer relations.
Go get Fundraising for Dummies and add it to your nonprofit
fundraising bookshelf today.
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