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Fundraising Tips
Introduction to Fundraising
The most important rule of fundraising is that if you don't
ask, you won't get anything. The main thing to ask yourself is: Who do you
know? One of the best ways to do this is to actually sit down and list everyone
you know (include relatives, neighbors, friends, friends’ parents, teachers,
etc.) – you’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to help you fund
your trip! Here are some tips when
asking for money:
Show the donor the immediate, tangible impact of their
dollars: Explain how the donation will make a difference.
“Keep it Short and Simple (KISS)”: Even though you want to
educate your donors about the type of work you will be doing, try not to
overwhelm them with details and tell them too much. Many of your donors do not
know about third world development; they are more interested in contributing to
a good cause (poverty, environment, children, etc.). Keep your letters to one
page.
Recognize your support network: Talk to people to
investigate your potential funding sources. By the various reactions you
receive, you can measure the degree of interest and support that your friends
and family members have in your project.
Ask for a specific sum of money - When you say
"contribution" some people think $10 while others think $1,000. Make
it simple for them by telling how much you need. You’re more established
professional friends or parents' friends can donate more than those who are
still students or those who work in the nonprofit sector. Don't be reluctant to
ask your established friends for $100, $200, or even $500.
Treat your prospective donor as a purchaser or investor -
Tell potential donors what they are "buying." Tell them that a $100
contribution will cover your housing costs for what number of weeks, or that
$100 will cover your transportation costs and allow you to travel to the place
where you will work. Remember that by giving you money, your donors are
basically investing in you.
Transmit a sense of urgency - They must act now! "People
are struggling every day in Peru
where I will volunteer." This makes it less likely for them to forget
about giving you a donation.
Make giving you money convenient for donors - "If you
don't have the money at this moment why don't you post-date a check?" The more flexible you are, the more money you
can make. Get commitments rather than
promises. Ask them to fill out a sponsorship form and then get back to them at
a specified time. If they tell you "I'll send you the check when I get
paid," it is likely you will never see that money.
Give incentives or premiums – Giving incentives in return
can be beneficial to your fundraising cause. Most people that make donations
often want recognition and praise for their contribution. Thus, you can
organize a small open house before you leave to acknowledge and thank your
donors in public. You can also write a thank you letter to include a printed
list of your contributors' names.
Offer an educational presentation – Promising to present
your experiences or show slides when you return can be a great way to secure
funding from organizations such as religious or civic groups, alumni
associations and educational institutions. You could also promise to send all
your supporters a "newsletter" from abroad. Tangible evidence and
accomplishments of your actions allow people to “see" where their dollars
have been used. Pictures of you in your respective country can be good
reminders of how they have helped. Remember that most of the time the main
motivation for giving is how it makes the giver feel and seeing your picture
can remind them of how their contribution has made a difference.
Expand your network - To increase the volume of your
contributions you need to reach beyond your inner circle of friends and immediate
family members. Remember that the more people you ask the more potential
funding sources you have.
Don’t forget to follow up! – Call the small businesses, the
civic and religious groups, even your friends and relatives, to let them know
that you need their support or to remind them of your request. One follow up
call can be the difference between getting a check or not.
Fundraising Activities
Letter Writing
A letter writing campaign is one of the most effective ways of fundraising.
Send letters to as many relatives, friends, former teachers and professors,
former co-workers, etc. as possible. Let your friends and relatives know what
the program is about and what you hope to accomplish. Remember to ask for a specific amount of
money in the letter. As a guideline you could ask for $50, but for more
established relatives and friends $100 is not too much to ask; for peers and
fellow students, perhaps $25 to $35. It is helpful to divide your potential
supporters into two or more groups and send a customized letter to each group
based on your relationship with them or the sum of money you are asking. Think
that if you send out 100 letters asking for $50 on average, and one-half
respond, you have raised $2,500! (See the sample letter below)
University Funds
For students, one major source of funding can be their own college or
university. Some departments have discretionary funds for projects and
programs. If you can integrate your trip into an academic or service learning
course there may also be some course funds that you could use for the
trip. One of the best resources on
campus may be your University's Education Abroad Program. The alumni office
could also help by identifying possible alumni volunteers.
"Buy - A - Something" Campaign
Another idea to get donations is to tie it into a campaign such as "Buy -
A - Brick to Help Build a School in Peru"
or "Buy - A - Seed to Plant Trees in Kenya." Make sure you have
some informative material to give people as well as a registration log to
record names, addresses, and how many bricks a person has purchased. This is
important in order for you to keep a record of who contributed in case you need
to do it in a future time. One key
consideration in this type of fundraising campaign is to make your donation
request appropriately affordable. Hence, you should set the price of the unit,
in this case a brick, low enough that your friends, relatives or classmates
would be willing to purchase one or two. For your acquaintances that may have more
disposable income, you want to make sure that they know whether or not their
donation to your cause is tax deductible. This is a very important legal issue.
You need to make sure you check with both your school and the collaborating
organizations. (See the following note)
(Adapted from: International Volunteer Programs Association.
http://volunteerinternational.org/index-fund2.htm)
Note on contributions and tax deductions:
In order for your donor to receive a tax deduction for
his/her contribution to you, make sure the checks are payable to Green
Empowerment with your name written in the memo area. You can ask them either to mail it directly
to us, or to give the checks to you to collect them and send it to the Green
Empowerment. If you prefer the latter,
please also send us a list with the donors’ names and addresses in order for us
to acknowledge their contribution for tax purposes.
Sample Letter for Family and Friends
Dear ______________,
Hi! How are you? I hope all is well with you and your
family. I’m writing to share with you some exciting news about my upcoming
endeavors.
As you may know, I’m in my ___ year at ____________. I’m an
intended/declared __________ major with a specific emphasis on ___________.
Aside from my academic pursuits, I have continued my involvement with ___[sports/arts/activities/interests]____.
College life is busy, but remains ripe with excitement and possibility. To
pursue my interest in development issues and travel, I’ve been accepted in a
competitive internship program with the Green Empowerment. From _____until _____ I will join other
volunteers and travel to _________where I will work with ___[women, children, environment,
microfinance, specific organization etc]___.
I will spend my time__[explain in further detail, such as the following
description]:_ working with children and helping out at the orphanage, and constructing
a home for a needy family in the area.
The homes I will help build will have a cement floor, windows, door and
two rooms. They cost about $3,000 in materials. They are simple, but are a
significant improvement from what many people in this area have for homes.
I am excited about the opportunity to both learn and serve
during my break between semesters. I am
writing to ask if you would be my partner in this service project through your
financial support. The project will cost $_______ (which covers airfare, room
and board, ground transportation, and building materials for our house). If you could contribute with $______, you
would directly help by [list something specific that such an amount will cover,
e.g. buying the ticket, housing costs, materials for your project, etc.]__ Your
gift would be fully tax-deductible.
Please make any checks payable to: Green Empowerment and
mailed to 140 SW Yamhill St.,
Portland, OR 97204 (please put my name in the memo area so you
can receive a letter from Green Empowerment acknowledging your contribution as tax
deductible). If you prefer, you can also
send the check to me, but please do not write it in my name. I would really
appreciate any contribution you can make!
I am excited about being part of this experience. Your support and
encouragement, whether through financial means or otherwise, is always
welcomed. I appreciate your consideration and I look forward to sharing with
you all that I experience while abroad.
Thank you and best regards,
______________________
For questions, please contact the Director of Service
Learning, Jason Selwitz:
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