Fundraising Directory Newsletter -- September 2007
Planning
Your Fund Raising Program by Vic Bilson
Planning
and organizing a fund raising program can be a very challenging task
for many organizations that need financial help. Because there are so
many ideas that can be used as a fundraising program, picking just one
for your event can be overwhelming.
You
may be considering a fund raising program that was successful for
another organization, but since you likely have a different kind of
organization or institution, you'll need to assess your particular
needs. You'll need to fully understand the entire workings of your
organization and determine several factors related to your group before
actually organizing a particular event.
Before
you begin to plan your event there are a few things you should take in
to consideration to assess whether or not you are ready.
The
first step is to clarify your goals and determine the amount of money
you need to raise with your fund raising program. Determine the reason
why you need to raise the money.
Next,
you have to set a date when you plan to launch the campaign. Of course
that will be somewhat determined by when you need the funds.
Establishing
the budget that you will have to work within will be one of the more
important aspects of planning your fund raising campaign. You have to
calculate the money you can invest to buy materials, pay for
advertising and the like. You will need to evaluate every aspect of
your event, as the idea is to raise money while spending as little of
it as possible. Be sure to include costs of printing, decorations,
invitations and so forth. Beware when cutting corners not to sacrifice
the quality of your work as that will ultimately defeat the purpose of
your project.
Once
you have all these things figured out, you can now look for other
people who are willing to be involved with your fund raising program.
You might consult with another local organization that has successfully
organized a fundraising program to help keep you on track.
Finding
sources to support your fund raising campaign can sometimes be a
problem. If you don't have the money to put together your fund raising
program, you will want to brain storm with a few others and come up
with a list of people or businesses you feel would be willing to assist
you. You could then ask for donations through a letter writing campaign
using those businesses as sponsors. With a well-written letter
requesting donations, employees of the business, your family, friends
and anyone participating in the event can be your network to spread the
word.
Advertising
is an important part of your fund raising campaign too. Try to get the
word around your office and start people talking. Word of mouth is
often the most successful form of advertising and won't cost you
anything. Make sure you get as much exposure for your cause as you can.
This will ensure that when the time arises you will have a successful
start to your fund raising campaign.
Once
you've collected enough money to get your fund raising program started,
plan and organize a low-key event, such as a cookie drive, bake sale or
car wash. This way, you could collect sufficient funds for a larger
scale event. A major event can be a charity run, food auction or other
programs that demand more time, planning, money and effort, which could
provide greater financial returns.
Seek
out volunteers that can help you implement the fund raising program and
decide what each person's function will be. They will need to be
enthusiastic and their approach needs to be in sync with that of your
organization. You'll probably want to create committees and carefully
assign tasks as these people are going to be a reflection on your
organization too. Schedule regular meetings to ensure that each
committee is completing the planned tasks and not getting bogged down.
When
organizing both your minor and major event, make sure you calculate the
cost of each program and estimate the return on your investment. Once
the actual event is over, you can determine if you hosted a successful
fund raising program and if the estimated profit and calculated costs
are in balance. Once you've done this, you can more easily prepare for
another event when the time comes.
About
the Author
Vic
Bilson writes about a variety of subjects including fund raising ideas
and publishes several sites to aid non profit groups in their fund
raising efforts.
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visit our sponsor of this new and exciting fundraising program.
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