OUTSMART THE 'PIRACY' IN FUNDRAISING

Personally I think it's high time the general public became aware of just how much fundraising money is actually siphoned off by some professional fundraising companies!  I was appalled to learn that a Vermont group recently received only $48,000 out of the total $102,000 that was raised for the organization.  Granted, professional fundraising organizations should be reasonably compensated for their time and trouble on behalf of the group they are assisting.  However, in my humble opinion, keeping 53% for yourself is not reasonble!

It's not just in Vermont either.  Recently, the California Attorney General's office revealed they found professional fundraising firms had raised $356 million in cash contributions last year but gave the charitable organizations less than 44% of that money!

It gets even worse. . . the Attorney General further revealed at least 77 "professional fundraising companies" actually cost the charities more than they collected!  The American Diabetes Association Research Foundation lost more than $1 million to Futuremarket Telecenter, Inc. of Corpus Christi, Texas, according to this recently released information.  Back in 2007, a Virginia-based charity lost nearly $4 million using the same fundraiser!

AG Jerry Brown encouraged donors, saying that Doctors Without Borders and Special Olympics Southern California received more than 70% of money raised on their behalf.  (thank goodness) But at the same time, Mr. Brown warned charities and donors to do their homework ahead of time!

Multiple other charities around the country lost money as well...$100,000...$175,000, etc.  Let's not forget 'for-profit' thrift stores that raised $18.5 million by buying product from the charities, but then only passed down 7% to the charitable organizations, as reported by this same California source.  Some commercial thrift stores that were paid a fee or commission by charities raised $4.2 million but only passed 4.19% to the actual charities in 2008.  Previously, in 2007, only 3.7% was passed back to the charity.

PEOPLE, it is high time we stand up for what is right!  This is piracy, just like what is going on off of Somalia.  In today's economy, even the smallest of donations is badly needed and greatly appreciated.  We do not need to be allowing these unscrupulous fundraising companies to take advantage of the charities they pretend to be helping.  I have long preached that if you want to help an organization - then just contact the organization yourself!  I can assure you - without reservation - that any charitable organization or non-profit group you approach will be absolutely thrilled to accept your kind gift...no matter how large or how small.  Don't let your hard-earned money be pilfered off from the charity you are so willing to help.

Do I think all fundraising companies act like pirates?  Of course not...but like Mr. Brown recommended:  Do you homework first.  Find out ahead of time how much they charge?  Do they charge for any additional expense or reimbursement?  Ask - Ask - Ask!  If it looks like they are charging too much, then approach another company to help you

But here is my suggestion.  Why not help another group, like your group, by letting them help you.  Confused?  Don't be.  Many churches, scout groups, band booster groups, etc would be happy to help you raise funds for your group, in exchange for a reasonable and fair percentage for their own non-profit group.

Be wise, ask question first and I wish you Ultimate Fundraising Success.

Sherie Smith
The Fundraising Designer
email: fundraisingdesigner@gmail.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/fundraisingdsnr

About Sherie Smith:
Sherie Smith shows people how to achieve the Ultimate Fundraising Success in her free multi-part minicourse which can be found at: http://www.3hourstofundraisingsuccess.com. Her newest book, '3 Hours to Fundraising Success', a step-by-step copycat manual to the $4,500 in 3 Hours project, will be released Year-End 2009.
Copyright c Sherie Smith All Rights Reserved 
You may reprint the above article as long as you include the above bio/resource box in full. Do not make any changes to the article or the resource box. Links in the resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can't click the link, please ask permission to reprint.

FRUITCAKE FINALE

We saw a television show this week on what some creative people do with fruitcakes for fun.  Yes, you know the ones you pray Santa will NOT leave under Christmas tree?   Yes, the ones that taste like cardboard, feel like a piece of concrete in your stomach when you do eat a slice and they always weigh a TON!  I decided...why not plan a new 'super-fun' fundraiser for your group and use fruitcake as the fundraising element?  No, I DON'T mean selling it although I'm sure the vendors would love to see that.

No - you don't need to eat it either!  That nasty fruitcake you've had in your garage freezer will do very nicely.   It works best if it's an OLD fruitcake, preferably one that has been in the freezer for several years, not recently frozen.  DO NOT defrost it!  But I do recommend putting several big pieces of packing tape around the block of fruitcake in both directions for additional support.  What you want is more stability!  The more tape,  the more stable your fruitcake 'rock' will be.  You don't want it to break up into pieces when it lands.  You want one that is frozen hard so it will get some extra distance out of it after it lands.   If you tape it really good and it doesn't break up on you, you can pop it back in the freezer afterwards and use it again next year.  The older the fruitcake, the better your results.

What you want to do is set up your fundraiser where each sponsor you sign up pays you 10 cents for every foot you throw your fruitcake.  (Oh, please ... you've heard of crazier fundraisers, I'm sure)  Besides, the fundraisers that do the best are usually the craziest ones.  It would be simple, just pick your day and place.   I suggest a Saturday where you'll get lots of friends and family to come out and cheer you on.  The location needs to be a large mowed field, the shorter the grass the better.  Do NOT use a paved parking lot of your fruitcakes won't survive.  If you have plain dirt or very short grass, then it should roll several extra feet before it stops, which will increase your profits.   Again, your plan will be for each of your sponsors to pay 10 cents for every foot you throw the fruitcake.  This vision alone will intrigue potential sponsors.  Remember to be sure and have the distance marked off in advance with paint and have several spotters out in the 'field' who can keep track of your distance.  I recommend you get three throws, then use the best distance of the three throws. 

Now let's look at the money.  Let's say you throw your fruitcake 40'.  (I'm being conservative here because that really isn't all that far).  So at 10 cents a foot...that would only be $4.00 that you would collect from each sponsor you have signed up.  Not much, huh?  That's right, until you make it a numbers game.  If you sign up 5 sponsors, that's $20,  10 sponsors, that's $40, 15  sponsors...that's $60!  YOU can decide how much you want to earn.  Some of you may sign up 35 or 40 sponsors...the more the better! 

Now let's look at the other part of the money equation.  For easier math, let's say each member averages 50', that would be $5 per sponsor. Let's say each club member signs up 20 sponsors, that would be $100.  If your group has 20 members at $100 each would be $2,000.  Or 30 members at $100 each would be $3,000, etc.  Not bad for a Saturday afternoon, huh? 

You'll find that fundraisers like these where you have no expenses are your best bet.

Oh yes, one last important thing...  No overhead!  No costs!  No venue rental!  No product to buy! Just keep that ratty fruitcake you've had for years or even bake your own early in the year, then tuck it away in the freezer for the rest of the year.  If you bake your own, be sure to use a recipe that will give you a hard, firm fruitcake.  The harder...the better.  You don't want anything soft and moist.  Your recipe needs to create a fruitcake that is HARD AND HEAVY for the best money-maker!  

Of course, you could go all out and make this a family fun day after Christmas, with family style games, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.   But if you do, suddenly you have expenses to deal with.  It's completely up to you but often times, just a simple fundraiser that only takes a couple of hours can give you great success.  So there you go - just an easy outline of what could turn out to be an annual event.  Besides, that's the best way I know of to get rid of a fruitcake ... and get paid for doing it! 

Wishing you Ultimate Fundraising Success!

Sherie Smith
The Fundraising Designer
email: fundraisingdesigner@gmail.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/fundraisingdsnr

About Sherie Smith:
Sherie Smith shows people how to achieve the Ultimate Fundraising Success in her free multi-part minicourse which can be found at: http://www.3hourstofundraisingsuccess.com. Her newest book, '3 Hours to Fundraising Success', a step-by-step copycat manual to the $4,500 in 3 Hours project, will be released Mid-August 2009.
Copyright c Sherie Smith All Rights Reserved
You may reprint the above article as long as you include the above bio/resource box in full. Do not make any changes to the article or the resource box. Links in the resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can't click the link, please ask permission to reprint.

FUNDRAISERS GENERATING LESS MONEY FOR SCHOOLS!

One Wisconsin school reported this week that they are seeing a drop in their normal fundraising income.  They will be watching to see if more fundraisers will be needed later in the year.  Schools have depended on fundraisers for years to help fill the financial gap left by government funding cutbacks.  Schools use fundraisers to provide for playground equipment, computer labs,  busing for field trips, sports equipment, etc.

Many schools have begun to take a step back from so many vendor- based projects, like fruit, cookies, cookie dough, chocolates, candles, wrapping paper, etc.  Family and friends are becoming increasingly tired of paying $20 for an item they don't really need and watching only $10 actually going to the school.

I am continually encouraging groups to get creative in designing their fundraisers.  Instead of looking for another unnecessary item to sell, come up with a fundraiser that is not based on a vendor product.

Fundraising letters are becoming more and more popular with schools.  Usually one fundraiser letter a year is sent out at either the beginning or end of the school year.  Families and school supporters are asked to make a financial donation in lieu of multiple fundraisers throughout the year.  This way, whatever amount is donated is profit!

I have been a fan of this concept for some time now.   As you can tell from one of my previous posts, Fundraiser Ripoff , I'd much rather give a school the $20 straight out.  That way I know 100% of it is going to the cause.

If your group is not currently utilizing a fundraiser letter, I encourage you to consider it.  I think you can honestly expect 100% support from family and friends.  After all, most of us are still trying to use up wrapping papers we purchased a few years ago.

Wishing you and your group Ultimate Fundraising Success,

Sherie Smith
The Fundraising Designer
email: fundraisingdesigner@gmail.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/fundraisingdsnr

About Sherie Smith:
Sherie Smith shows people how to achieve the Ultimate Fundraising Success in her free multi-part minicourse which can be found at: http://www.3hourstofundraisingsuccess.com. Her newest book, '3 Hours to Fundraising Success', a step-by-step copycat manual to the $4,500 in 3 Hours project, will be released Mid-August 2009.

Copyright c Sherie Smith All Rights Reserved
You may reprint the above article as long as you include the above bio/resource box in full. Do not make any changes to the article or the resource box. Links in the resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can't click the link, please ask permission to reprint.

STORM RUINED CONNECTICUT ANIMAL SHELTER FUNDRAISER!

Hi everyone,  today I'm trying to spread the word about a nonprofit rescue group's main annual fundraiser, Adopt-A-Dog, in Greenwich, Connecticut.  They've been conducting this same successful fundraiser for 22 years now.  But this year's event was completely ruined by a severe rainstorm.  (Keep Reading...)

QUICK SIMPLE FUNDRAISERS WITH 'FUNDRAISER INSIGHT!'

Every month of so I check out some new fundraiser websites.  I would venture to say probably 80% of them have the same general information on them.  They have a comments area, they host quite a lot of ads, they have clickable links to various fundraising companies and probably get a good commission if someone purchases products through their website link.  In addition, most of these fundraiser websites also have a general list of fundraising ideas you can take and use for your group project. (Keep Reading...)

HIGH SCHOOL FUNDRAISING WEEK RAISES $870,000

First of all, this will not be one of my usual posts but still one which I hope you appreciate.  I belong to a service that alerts me when articles of my interest are posted online.  What I want to share today totally thrills me to no end!

I'm just certain it's the right thing to talk about this morning.  Actually, I think it's the right thing to shout from the rooftops!  I don't currently have that ability - although I am working on it - so with your permission, this will the next best thing. Here we go ...

(Keep Reading...)

PUMPKINS, CRYSANTHEMUMS AND FALL MONEY-MAKERS!

Yesterday morning I sipped coffee on the front porch, watching rain fall slowly here in Tennessee.  A smoky mist decorated the pastures and fields as neighborhood dogs tried their best to find dry shelter.  If you closed your eyes and concentrated just a little, you could smell fall.  Our beautiful 80-degree days are probably gone now for the year.  Fat pumpkins and beautiful crysanthemums are on store shelves, as is yummy mulled cider.  Yes, fall is definitely here, and Halloween is just around the corner!

(Keep Reading...) 

FROM MOLARS TO MARKETING!

This post will be a little different than usual, but I've had an interesting day.  It all started with my breaking a molar late yesterday.  Now when I say break...I don't mean chipped.  That lifesaver I was chomping down on so vehemently decided to whack off about half of my tooth.  So I left a message for my dentist to hear when he arrived in the office this morning.  Problem is...my dentist is out of town until next week.  His office gal called to see if I was in pain and if my broken tooth was cutting my cheek or tongue.  They were very caring and helpful as I would expect, knowing them as I do. 


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FUNDRAISER RIPOFF!

Sorry folks but I'm sounding off again.  A few weeks ago my husband came home saying he'd bought 5 frozen pizzas to support a fundraiser for a co-workers' child.  When he told me he spent $15, I figured $3 per pizza wasn't such a bad deal.  Today they were delivered and, much to my chagrin and exasperation, we received 5 tiny pizzas, the size of which hardly feeds my 2 year old granddaughter.  Each single pizza easily fits into the palm of my hand...with nothing falling over the edges.  People, that's messed up! 

(Keep Reading...)

SETTING ALL-EMPOWERING PERSONAL GOALS!

Goal Setting is too often left out completely! The leadership may feel, 'Any money that comes in will be more than we had before'. Many event chairmen do not realize how seriously a poor goal can sabotage their fundraising success! Every chairperson wants their event to stand out among their groups' projects. But many leaders do not bother to set the right target goal and then they wonder why their fundraiser did not do as well as they had hoped. 

(Keep Reading...)

THE POWER OF GOAL SETTING!

Quite simply - Always -Always - Always Set Reasonable Goals! A Reasonable Goal is different from a Low Goal. It is important that you learn the difference if you expect to maximize your fundraising success.  Good Goal Setting is one of several critical factors in achieving top fundraising revenue.

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EFFECTIVE PROMOTIONS!

Promoting your event may seem obvious when you are trying to achieve some degree of success with fundraising. But you'd be surprised how many excellent fundraising ideas are wasted because of feeble (or even non-existent) promotions. In fact, many projects are held with 'word-of-mouth' advertising only! (You know, like 'Ya'll Come!') Promotion is simply TOO important to be ignored. Lack of promotion will make or break your results. (It's that simple!)

Many clubs have the attitude 'Whatever money we make will be more than we had before!' (Well, duh!)  Keep Reading...

BE THE ARCHITECT OF YOUR MONEY!

Contemporary and inspiring mentors like Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Robert G. Allen, Mark Victor Hansen (and too many others to mention here) passionately teach us... We always receive far more than we give, no matter the value of what we are giving! The world just works that way! It's part of a Greater Plan. Our giving just cannot top what we will eventually receive! Even Wallace D. Wattles knew that over a century ago and shared it in his book The Science Of Getting Rich!
As you know by now if you've read my other posts, you know there are some things about fundraising that aggravate the fool out of me. But I absolutely believe ... Keep Reading...

FIGHTING LOW WAGES!

You may remember that I don't sugar-coat things so you probably won't be surprised when you read this. One of my biggest fundraising gripes is when a group works hard on a project; planning, organizing, promoting and selling for 2 or 3 months straight. Then after the dust settles and all the vendors and expenses have been paid, you might have a couple of bucks left over for profit! You do the math. (I would but it might require the metric system!) You will probably find your group is working for just pennies an hour! That is SO WRONG and that really gets my feathers ruffled! (Keep Reading...)

PARDON MY DISRESPECT!

Welcome to my fresh, sometimes funny but always enlightening journey to Ultimate Fundraising Success!

I'm here to share tips, tools, tactics, strategies, a little humor, some occasional disrespect and, somewhere in the middle of all that will be super ideas for boosting your fundraising success. My blog is meant to share my experience and (are you ready?)...'insider secrets'. (Sounds like high espionage, doesn't it?)  (Keep Reading...)