School Fundraising

I went to elementary and middle school at a private school. They had the coolest fundraising project that raised upwards of $50,000. Every February, the school would host a “redono” auction. This auction would have goods donated from people in the community and parents of the students. There would be gift baskets, trips, gift certificates, and even cars. The auction would bring in around $50-60,000 dollars every year. The auction would take a year to plan and you would have a chairman with board members. In the end, for a school with only 20 students per class, I think it’s a great fundraiser! If you put in the effort and the publicity, you will receive the benefits. That is so much money for a small school. Imagine what a large school such as UCM could do.

-Stephanie Barnes

Grant Writing

Grant writing is scary. There is so much you have to learn and how to fill out the applications properly. I would highly recommend taking a grant writing class to help you learn what to do. There are many different types of grant writing work shops you can attend and you can even google to see what to do. It’s scary and hard to do but it is worth it in the end. It’s very important to learn especially if you are working in the non profit sector. Every non profit organization will have to fill out a grant at some point and it is important that you know what to do and how to do it. Although it is scary, it gets easier as you go!

-Stephanie Barnes

Jobs in the Non-Profit Sector

Would you work for a non-profit organization? Many people would probably turn the job down. Even though you don’t make as much money as you probably would in the for profit sector, it is so rewarding in helping people. Working for a non profit would be amazing but, drawing people in is difficult. It’s time consuming and  not glamorous but, it is worth it in the end.

Today, the job sector has changed and they are looking for a highly skilled people. You have to be able to work behind the scenes and in the public. It is a difficult job and it doesn’t get enough credit.

Could you work in the non-profit sector?

Oprah’s Philanthropy

First off, I am obsessed with Oprah. She knows what she wants out of life and she gets it. She was raised in not the easiest or nicest environment and now helps numerous people have the life she never had growing up. I commend her for her charitable acts of kindness. Many other billionaires should take notes….Donald Trump, for example, hasn’t been quite as generous.

Oprah is giving and selfless and has even built a school in Africa for young girls. If I had that much money I would absolutely do the same thing. Someone with that much money does not have to be as giving as she is. I’m sure many of you have watched one of her “Oprah’s Favorite Things” shows and seen how much she truly gives to hundreds of lucky audience members. If I could buy every single person in class a brand new car, I am not so sure I would. It would be hard to be so giving as she is.

 

 

How to Avoid Donor Fatigue

To avoid donor fatigue you should not annoy your donors with requests day after day. Many people including myself get so annoyed with the constant request of organizations that need money. Frankly, it makes me more likely not to give when they ask me multiple times and make me feel guilty.

To keep your donor’s attentive you should give them a reason to want to give. Show how they are helping people firsthand. Let those people instead of the administrator’s tell the donor’s thank you. Not only will they feel good and feel as though they are truly making a difference, they will want to give more.

Make sure you acknowledge the donor by making them a sponsor or showing their names on your website. You always need to recognize the people that make your organization work.

Greek Philanthropy

When I was at Mizzou I rushed a sorority. The sorority I joined really emphasized the importance of their philanthropy. Every sorority and fraternity has a philanthropy which they endorse and spend a lot of their time working for. They will host charity events which will bring in a large amount of money for the non-profit organization.

I think non-profits should solicit sororities and frats to help them gain publicity for their organization. It’s a unique way and works really well. I’m sure you could contact any university greek life office and see if a greek organization needs a philanthropy to support. It not only gains you publicity but also helps make a lot of money for a great cause.

-Stephanie Barnes

Charitable Donations Declining

Over the past ten years, people are less likely to give to for a multiple number of reasons. One reason is the economy is down and many people don’t have that extra money to spare. That’s why fostering your relationship with donors is so important and especially having them trust you. With the economy so bad, many people can’t give or don’t give like they used to. Here are a few tips in my opinion that will help you as a non-profit organization:

1. Don’t make the donor feel too guilty.

2. Don’t throw so much material at them that it becomes annoying.

3. Make sure they know they will be credited in some way for donating.

Personally, I think these three little tips are so important especially in today’s society.

-Stephanie Barnes

Mobile App for Non Profits

A mobile application accessible through the Apple app store offers people to donate to non-profit organization. The app is called uGive and allows non-profit organizations to post information and get their word out. The app is free to download and growing quickly. Organizations are able to add themselves to the app.

The app allows you to donate instantly, read more about the charity, and share with your friends. It also allows you to follow the organizations on Facebook and Twitter. The app is provided by Mobilecause and is available now.

I think this is a very innovative way to solicit donations and I truly believe it will work. I think they should make one for the Android and make the app even more accessible.

 

-Stephanie Barnes

Donating to Africa

I was watching the news the other day and heard about the drought in the horn of Africa. A severe drought has diminished life in many parts of Somalia and it’s becoming hard to survive. The United Nations are about to make the official announcement that it is a famine.

Aid is needed and thousands of people are dying daily. There are millions of people in distress and lacking water. As Americans, we oftentimes throw away a  half drank water bottle and don’t cherish is whatsoever.

According to an article: ”The situation we have for humanitarian workers inside Somalia at the moment is not what we want it to be,” Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency, told reporters in Geneva. “We do have a very minimal presence, and we have regular visits into the country, but we need significantly better access than we have at the moment to address an emergency of this scale.”

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=346100016

To donate visit www.wfp.org and give to the Unite Nations World Food Programme.

The UN WFP is a non-profit organization which helps in fighting hunger.

-Stephanie Barnes

Attracting the Donor’s Eye

I’m not sure about you but, when something comes through my mail and it is brightly colored with distinct graphics I am enticed to read. I want to know what it is and why they sent it to me. I know it costs money to create expensive ads but, honestly as long as it looks professional and credible it can really attract a donor. It doesn’t have to be large, it can be as simple as a post card. Make sure there are no grammar mistakes and that it has the non-profit organizations updated info. Once they are drawn in by your post card, they will most likely check out your website.

Personally, if the website isn’t cheesy and makes you feel guilty, more people are likely to donate. The website should be like the post card, short and simple. It should look professional and tell the public about itself while highlighting the donors.

To me, this is what draws in donors.

-Stephanie Barnes