Welcome
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 - Shhhh! Silent Auction In
Progress
* Free Tip - Create Your Own Wish List
* Resource Guide - Get Fundraising Advice -- Join A List
* Software Highlight - Employee Matching Gifts Online
* Book Review - Great Fundraising Ideas for Youth Groups
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Fundraising Idea Spotlight -- Shhhh! Silent Auction In
Progress
Why not consider adding a Silent Auction to your banquet or
dinner event? You can gather extra funds above the tickets
already sold for your banquet; thus, any additional money raised
will be funds that you probably didn't count on initially.
The Silent Auction is also one of the most fun fundraisers too.
By holding it in conjunction with your banquet or other event,
your group can add another revenue stream without creating
another event for people to attend.
The key to a successful auction is to have the most unique and
unusual items found anywhere. The more items that someone
can touch and take home, the better off you are. Services
are fine, but more funds are realized with actual physical
items unless it's something like a vacation trip or dinner
for two.
The Silent Auction alone will bring people back to your annual
banquet when nothing else will. Your contributors will remember
the fantastic time they had at your banquet mainly because
they enjoyed bidding and acquiring items found at your
auction.
If done right, your auction can bring in at least 25% of the
revenue of your banquet funds raised -- sometimes much more.
Check out how to start your own Silent Auction Fundraiser here.
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Free Tip -- Create Your Own Wish List
This tip will take you less than a couple of hours to complete,
but may bring in hundreds or thousands more simply by sitting
down an creating your own "wish list". Items that your group
includes on its lists may be those that it buys regularly or
needs in an upcoming special project.
Scenario: Your 4-H Club needs to buy a horse trailer, but the
one that is right for your needs is just under $10,000. That's
significantly more than you have in your budget currently. The
typical approach would be to start looking at selling candy bars
and other product sales to generate the income needed.
Success Alternative: Your wish list is distributed
to area farmers and ranchers and one or more of them comes
to you and wants to donate a trailer to you. This costs
you very little time and very little money -- but it's a
successful fundraiser.
This tip will work for small groups all the way up the ladder to
large regional nonprofit organizations. Draft your list...share
it with your board or group members...update it...get it
distributed through newsletters and direct mail...then get ready
for people to approach you. It's that easy. Give it a try.
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Resource Guide -- Get Fundraising Advice - Join A List
As fast as the world of fundraising changes, it seems that
everyone could use a little bit of advice now and then. Even
better is when it's free advice.
Here's your chance to join a Discussion List, delivered directly
to your e-mail inbox, and learn from others that share the same
fundraising interests.
You can access many of these fundraising lists at Profit Quests'
Nonprofit and Philanthropy Networks Resource Center.
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Software Highlight -- Employee Matching Gifts Online
How would you like to delve into getting donations made to your
organization from companies that have matching employee
gifts programs?
Typically, companies that have a program for their employees
will match the donations of their employees on a 1:1 basis (or
more), to the charity of the employees choice. Each company
has different criteria that they've established for
nonprofits to meet before receiving funds from them.
If you have over 1,000 contributors, then more than likely you
will have some donors that belong to a company with a
matching gift program. It really doesn't take much time
to look into it.
I've found a company that will automate the whole process for
you. All that you need to know is what companies are
represented by your donors. If you don't know, then a quick
survey sent out to them explaining what you are doing will get
the information fairly quickly. Check out the online company
that helps with employee matching gifts here.
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Book Review -- Great Fundraising Ideas for Youth Groups
Editors Kathy Lynn and David Lynn have compiled a book filled
with small fundraisers for youth groups. This is one of those
"something for everyone" type books.
As I read this book, I found that it was geared more toward
religous and church youth groups than school band, choir or
scout troops and such. Still, it was very creative in ways
that you might want to consider. Even medium sized nonprofits
could realize a few tips from it.
One or two items were a little far-fetched, but all in all I
found that any of these simple fundraisers could be adapted by
any small group to fit its particular situation.
At less than $11.00, I find that this book is a bargain. On a
scale of 5 (the best) I rank it a 3.5 . Review it yourself at
Great Fundraising Ideas for Youth Groups and find the right fundraiser for your youth group.
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