Nonprofit Fundraising For The Wily

Nonprofit Fundraising For The Wily by Arthur Bell

 

Nonprofit fundraising is beyond challenging today.
If you are the head of a nonprofit organization or the head of finance for a church or a school, you're asking this question. The economy is mired in gloom, with the likelihood of it getting far worse this year. Funds are drying up. Tithing is down. Contributions are down. Donations are down. Government grants are drying up.
Thinking outside the box will be essential for survival. There is no choice.

Some out-of-the-box thinkers at non-profits are looking at network marketing now. Huh? Not kidding. It's an intriguing concept and is now a must-consider for a non-profit's survival.

Global Domains International, endorsed by the Direct Sales Association and an INC 500 company, has an attractive business model for a non-profit. Offering global Internet domains with a .ws suffix, which includes hosting, 10 email addresses, registration and a no-brainer sitebuilder, GDI pays out fifty percent of the $10 monthly charge for a site to affiliates. The math is more than interesting.
Take a church. A church, as a separate legal entity, would sign up, committing to $10 monthly. Members of the staff, perhaps, would sign up under the church's sponsorship. Then, after the church presents the opportunity to the congregation, members may sign up under the church or the staff. Families (or individuals or couples) could use the sites for family news, family emails, blogs, pictures, etc. Further, friends or acquaintances sign up under them, and so on.
Here's how the money might flow: Under the church's sponsorship, 30 members of the congregation, for example, might sign up in level I, each committing to $10 monthly. The church earns one dollar commission off each. Assume then that each member sponsors two people (guestimating for purposes of illustration), who sponsor two people down five levels. The church would earn one dollar on each of the 3,630 participants (30x2x2x2x2), yielding $3,630 monthly income -- steady and long term. Another scenario might offer 20 congregation members sponsoring four each down five levels (20x4x4x4x4). This comes to 6,820 participants, $6,820 monthly income, each and every month. Best of all, no dependency on unpredictable tithing or donations. A multitude of combinations are possible and can be run using GDI's revenue forecaster at http://www.gdibell.info.

Moreover, though, it can bring a congregation or membership closer. Each member knows he/she is contributing to something

Farm-to-Table Donations

Auction Procurement Idea: Farm-to-Table Donations by Sherry Truhlar

(c) Red Apple Auctions LLC
Whether you are a true gourmand or simply a gal who enjoys a good meal (I fall into this second category), you and your benefit auction guests will love a farm-to-table dining experience. This trend has been highlighted in magazines, newspaper articles, and news reports.
Are you familiar with the farm-to-table movement? Here's what it is, and how it can tie into your auction fundraiser.
In essence, the movement is about sourcing ingredients locally. Imagine the chefs in your town all heading to the neighborhood farmers market and planning their menus for the day or week around the seasonal vegetables, fruits, and meats bought at the market. They're making fresh, often organic, seasonal meals.
I recently dined at one of these restaurants and wanted to offer some ideas on how you can incorporate this popular food trend into your own benefit auction event.
Here are four benefit auction ideas related to the farm-to-table movement:
* Seek a donation from a local restaurant promoting the concept. In your auction marketing and subsequent write-ups, advertise the farm-to-table meal. Explain it - just as I'm doing for you right now. Your audience needs to understand it. Many of them might appreciate the package and bid on it -- if they know what it means. But some guests might not comprehend the "farm-to-table" phrase unless you define it.
* Depending on where you live, some farmers are jumping on the trend and offering meals on their own farms. Ask for a backstage farm tour and two seats at the table. After a quick internet search, I found farms in Illinois and Colorado offering such meals.
* Contact one of the several companies who are in business to organize meals "on the farm" at various farms. Companies like Outstanding in the Field (which travels around the USA), Dinners at the Farm (which focuses on Connecticut locations), or Plate and Pitchfork (which focuses on Portland, OR locations) are all working in this realm.
* Can't find anything locally? Create your own dinner!
Talk to a progressive, fun-loving farmer... or someone with a really big yard. Explain the concept. Show him pictures. Give her a vision. Then ask your local "hostess with the most-est" to coordinate a dinner. Give her ideas. Show her Web links. She could even contact local gardeners. They could each donate a dish made with their own backyard produce. Once the dinner is formed, sell tickets to the dinner at your auction for $30 each, $50 each, or whatever price point makes sense for your community.
Depending on your auction, these donations could be sold in the silent auction or the live auction.
Mmmm good. You're on your way to a FRESH and FUN new donation. I can't wait for your dinner invitation.