How has your fundraising season gone? Are donations up? Or down? Feedback we are hearing is that many nonprofits have seen declines in their donation base. But not The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army reported record fundraising results from its 2011 Red Kettle. Reports are that they raised $147.6 million. Based on 2010 results that is a 3.4 percent increase in what would certainly be considered a season where people were worried about stretching their dollars as far as possible.

So how the Salvation Army raise record amounts of money? They developed the right strategic partners for their Red Kettle campaign. Reports show that nearly a third of their total came from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, where bell ringers collected $41.5 million

They also partnered with Square and with Sprint to accept donations by cell phone in some of the largest markets.

Essentially what the Salvation Army did was to identify better ways to reach people that would be inclined to offer support. They did not count on the way they had always done things and there is a good lesson there for all non profits. Fundraising ideas that made sense 10 years ago might not make as much sense now as they did in the past.

But it goes beyond fundraising ideas. It goes to methodology and implementation. Nonprofits that want to raise record amounts of money need to meet their supporters in the world in which their supporters live. Whether that’s in person, by phone, online or elsewhere, organizations need to stay in front of their potential supporters, create a message that compels people to donate and makes the donation process simple and fast.

The Salvation Army’s results should encourage all of us that even in hard economic times people will be there for organizations they believe in.

December is that time of year when it seems like everyone is running as fast as they can, but the list of “things to do” never ends. A holiday shop at your school or church may be the answer to shorten that endless list.

Here is what I have seen as a result of running a holiday shop from various perspectives: Students love it!

For many students it may be the first time they experience the thrill of picking out their own gifts for family and friends. The excitement leading up to the day of the shop is contagious. I truly believe there is nothing that can replace the joy in a child’s eye as he or she selects gifts for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and even pets!

Parents love it! As parents try to complete their own holiday chores what a relief it is for them to know that their child is shopping in a safe, non-commercial setting. A holiday shop is truly a great help during such a hectic time.

I believe most parents would agree that this fundraising event is irreplaceable!

Teachers love it! Many faculty members have used the holiday shop to teach their students about budgeting and spending wisely, but at the same time emphasizing the joy of giving. Our economy has experienced so much turbulence and teaching students the value of money is certainly a necessity.

Fundraising companies may offer the holiday shop to parent groups as either a service to the students or as a fundraiser. In either case, many shop providers offer the gifts on a consignment basis.

However, there are several important questions to have answered before you sign that contract.

1. Who is responsible for the shipping costs?

2. What is the price range of the gifts?

3. Are the items price coded to provide a fast checkout?

4. What is the profitability as a service vs. fundraiser?

5. What additional supplies are provided for free? (gift bags, parent letter, budget envelopes)

Something to consider when exploring school fundraising ideas!

You see it everywhere you go. Everyone is getting more and more “green” conscious. So why not let your next fundraiser show just how “green” conscious you and your group are.

The Go Green Fundraiser offers a wide array of earth friendly items, including healthy foods and organic products. One of the more popular items is the trees that come shipped in a plastic tube. The trees are ready to plant in the ground, so your customer can watch it grow.

They also offer reusable shopping bags and coolers, organic breads and desserts, healthy snacks, flower bulbs and organic lip balm and lotions. With this pre sell fundraiser all you have to do is call request the information. Once you have received the information, we suggest you take orders for 2 weeks.

As you are taking orders you will need to make sure you collect money. Once the fundraiser is over gather all the order forms, make you have tally all the products you need. Call your order in.

This fundraiser is awesome because there is no shipping if you order at least 120 items. If you don’t sell 120 items you will have to pay small shipping and handling fee of $65.00. The Go Green Fundraiser works like most Brochure fundraisers. The more you sell the higher your profit will be.

Go Green allows you to earn as much as 55%. You are sure to receive 25% when sell at least 120 items.

Having lost my sister, my best friend to cancer 6 months ago, I have been reading alot about groups that help raise money for helping to find a cure.

Relay for life and the Lance Armstrong Foundation are the two that I have read about. The people who support these wonderful groups are amazing to me. They truly have a passion for raising money to fund these organizations. Relay for Life works with the American Cancer Society in education for how to detect, prevent and fight against this terrible disease.

Relay for life celebrates cancer survivors and has an event every year. They get together to recognize the survivors and their families and honor those who have lost their lives. I like the way the start their relay’s, the survivors take the first lap and all the supporters follow.

The Relay for life teams must raise money through fundraisers to support all their efforts in fighting cancer and hopefully one day ending the disease.

My brother raised money to be the Lance Armstrong bike ride, my sister was there cheering him on. He raised several thousands of dollars to help in the cause.

Supporting these groups when they come to you with a fundraiser is vital to keep the work going, to help find a cure and honor those who fought the disease.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower envisioned a time where there was no hatred between different countries, a time were each country supported each other and a time where the world evolved based on the sharing of knowledge between each country, no matter how different they were.

This thought process brought about the People to People Student Ambassadors Program. He felt that this initiative would be better off consisting of the youth of today instead of having People to People International involving congressmen and leaders of the different countries.

By working together at such a young age with other students from different countries, the U.S. Student Ambassadors will help to develop camaraderie between the different countries. By being involved in activities that are “hands-on” the students will learn a great deal through arts, sports and the family life of different cultures around the world.

There is no other student travel program or family vacation that will allow the students to see what they will see and experience all that they will that will help them as they really begin their journey through life, as there is when involved in the Student Ambassador Program. Each People to People delegation consists of around 30 to 40 students.

Over the past 50 years since the organization was established, People to People has been to around 34 different countries in all of the seven different continents. It is said that each student who is invited to be a student ambassador returns home with not only more confidence, but also a better self-esteem.

What they see around the world will help them to have a better appreciation of the United States. They will also be a step ahead when it comes to college. Their experiences will help them with high school and college credit and enable them to write better essays and stand out in interviews. This experience will be life changing.

The words of Alan Raisman, a high school student who was a student ambassador explain what happens during the event. He says, “I have made long-lasting friendship through People to People. I know that wherever I travel in the world, I will always have a friend there offering me a home to stay in and food to eat. I have made friends from people of various cultures. I have seen an Israeli and Palestinian exchange e-mail addresses. I have seen the Japanese and Americans exchange kind words at the Hiroshima Peach Park.”

The costs can be a little high, but the experience gained from being a part of the People to People Student Ambassadors Program is unforgettable. There are many different ways to raise money for the cause. If you are ever invited to participate, do not miss the opportunity to be a part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s dream.

When you want to make a difference at your high school by doing something good for other people, you may have decided that holding a fundraising event is the best way to go. After all, it is a great way to raise money for the school or an outside charity, while also getting all of the students involved in working together.

School Fundraising can be a lot of fun when executed correctly, and doesn’t have to be a chore to pull off if you have a team of willing helpers to aid you in making the best event. But before you get started you will have to decide on exactly what type of fundraising event you are going to hold.

One particular event that you may like to go with is a healthy fundraiser. Healthy fundraising is becoming more and more popular in schools nowadays, since it promotes healthy eating for young students who may not know all of the facts about food. It can teach them the importance of eating fewer fatty- and carbohydrate-rich foods that are often found in school cafeterias, and also warn them of the dangers involved when people continue to eat an uneven diet.

You may even find that your healthy fundraising idea encourages the school itself to get on board and change the school’s lunch menu for the better. If you pull off a truly memorable event that everybody can be a part of and enjoy, then it is likely you will be making a big difference at your school for the better.

One way to raise money at your healthy fundraising event is by selling products. There are a range of different packages to suit your needs, whether you want to use brochures or fundraising scratch cards to make sales, or you just want the products themselves to sell in cases around the school.

When you are part of a college sorority, you will know about all of the great benefits to working as a team for a good cause. This could be something that directly benefits all of your sorority sisters, like raising funds for upgrades to your sorority building.

Or it could be something you do in support of a local cause or charity.

Whatever your reasons for getting together and working as a team, sorority fundraising ideas are a good way to get the results you want. With these ideas you can turn any fundraising project into a fun and exciting activity for everybody in your sorority to enjoy.

But how do you develop the best sorority fundraising ideas that will get everybody involved thrilled to take part? You might like to try something simple and straightforward, like one of our product fundraisers.

You will find a huge range of these products throughout our website, and there is likely to be something to fit everybody’s needs.

You could decide to go with our Sorority Fundraising Scratch Cards, which offer great profits (up to 90%) on sales that your team makes. So let’s say that you have come up with a great product to sell for your next sorority fundraiser. You might think that there is nothing else to do before you get started with your fundraising activity.

But in order to pull off the best event that everybody can get behind you are going to want to promote your fundraiser around the campus so that everybody knows that it’s happening, and when. It may seem obvious, but spreading the word about your sorority fundraising ideas to people around campus is the best way to rally support for your cause, and makes sure that your financial targets are reached with relative ease.

Have you ever wondered where your donations and support goes?

The website, “GoodGoes.org” allows you to meet local health workers and the children they help to survive.

Each year, almost 9 million children in the developing world die of largely preventable and treatable illnesses before they reach the age of five – that equates to approximately 24,000 child deaths a day. However, every 4 seconds a child survives thanks to the basic health care provided by local health workers.

Save the Children and the Ad Council are working together to mobilize citizen action in the U.S. to help local health workers save more children worldwide.

When a friend or loved one gets sick and is facing huge medical bills, the quickest and easiest way to raise money for them is through an online fundraising website.

Sites like GiveForward, Fundbunch and GoFundMe allow individuals to create customized pages where friends and family from across the world can contribute to help a loved one pay for their medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses associated with getting sick.

When combined with the viral power of social media tools like Facebook, these types of fundraising pages can raise upwards of $10,000, $20,000, or even $80,000 in a matter of weeks. Before getting started, however with any of these websites, it’s critically important to come up with an organized fundraising plan.

Through my work at GiveForward, I’ve seen many people raise funds online and have gathered some ideas about what works and what doesn’t. Since many people raising money for their loved one’s medical expenses are fundraising for the first time, I’ve outlined a step-by-step plan that will make it super-easy for you to reach your goal. If you are about to start a fundraising page for a friend or loved one, please take the next 20 minutes to read through the plan — I promise, it will make a HUGE difference in the overall success of your fundraiser.

Step 1: Build a Fundraising Team to Help Spread the Word

If you are thinking of raising money for a loved one, before you get started ask a few of your mutual friends if they would be want to help in the efforts to spread the word. With the assistance of a few friends all sending emails and Facebook messages out to their different networks your team will be able to reach out to 4-5 times as many potential donors as you could by yourself.

As the team leader or team captain, you will, of course, still be responsible for drafting the emails and coordinating the efforts, but your team members will be able to help you in spreading the word to a wider group of people.

Note — If you cannot get a group of friends to help with the efforts, don’t worry about it. Creating a team of friends is definitely helpful, but is not absolutely necessary to be successful.

Step 2: Kick Off Your Online Fundraiser With a Donation From Yourself

If you can afford to do so, the first thing you are going to want to do is set the tone for your fundraiser by donating yourself. Donate as much as you can afford, as this will show people how important this effort is to you and will set the tone for the rest of the fundraiser — if you set the bar high by donating a large amount, others will do the same.

Step 3: Get the Ball Rolling With Big Donations From Your Inner Circle.

After you donate yourself, the next step is to notify a handful of your closest friends and family (your inner circle) and ask them to make large donations (e.g. $100-$500 each) to get the ball rolling. Getting off to a good start is the single greatest thing you can do to make sure you reach your goal.

The reason this is important is because of the law of monkey see, monkey do. (Yes, we know, it’s a very scientific name). Simply stated, when people visit your fundraising page, the first things they do after reading the description is check out the donor list to see who has given and what the average donation size is. Then, they donate a similar amount. If they see that their friends or colleagues are donating between $100 and $500 then they will likely donate between $100 and $500 as well.

On the other hand, if they check out your donor list and see that most people are donating between $10-$20, then they’ll probably donate between $10-$20 too. Seeding your fundraiser page with large donations from friends and family at the outset is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure a successful fundraiser, so we really want to stress how important this step is.

Once your friends and family in your innermost circle have donated, rinse and repeat by reaching out to your next closest group of friends (e.g. 5-10 college friends or high school friends). Do this until a large number of your close friends and family have donated. Then, and only then should you move on to step 4.

The fundraising team for Nicole Hobson, who needed funds for medical costs related to breast cancer treatment, got big donations from their inner circle first. By the time extended friends and family saw the fundraiser, the family had already raised close to $3000. This made the newcomers who were seeing it for the first time much more inclined to donate, as they could see that the fundraiser already had a lot of momentum. In total, the family raised over $25,000 in just one week.

Step 4. Reach out on Facebook

Almost all online fundraisers that raise $10,000+ do so because of Facebook. This is probably the second most important tip we can give you. Facebook is an amazing tool and just helps spread the word more quickly.

To spread the word on Facebook, you will want to set up a group for your friend or loved one. Invite all your friends to join the group and be sure to ask them to ask their friends to join the group as well. Ask some of your close friends to become administrators of the group and have them invite everyone they know to join the group and donate as well

Once you have the group set up you can use it to send people updates about your friend or loved one’s health status or simply include news about what is going on in their life. You can use these updates as an opportunity to ask for contributions by including a link to your online fundraising page in of all the messages.

Here is an example of Facebook group that worked really well for a fundraisier raising money for a child with Leukemia: The Miss Madison Facebook Fan Club

Step 5: Be Persistent

Once you have built a large enough Facebook group (and/or email list), continue to ask people to donate. The key is to be persistent! Not everyone will donate the first time you ask, but if you keep asking, most people will eventually come around.

Also, it’s important to remember that sending requests for donations is a two-way street. You want people to be eager to receive your email or Facebook message, not to delete it or dump it in the trash right when they get it.

A great way to keep your donor base engaged is to start your emails or Facebook messages with a “thank you” and then give updates about your friend’s health, progress, etc. whenever you are asking for donations. Another way to keep people engaged is to start off your emails with updates about the progress of the fundraiser (e.g. “WooHoo! We just hit 20% of our fundraising goal today! Thanks so much!!! You guys rock!!)

Step 6. Finish Your Fundraiser with a Bang.

To help maximize the amount of money you raise for your cause, you’ll want to make sure you reach out to all your procrastinating amigos and family members in the final days before your fundraiser ends. Here’s what we suggest you do to finish your fundraiser with a surge of donations:

(1) Three to four days before your fundraiser ends, send a mass email or a Facebook message to all your contacts, encouraging them to make one last push before the deadline.

(2) To spice it up a bit, if your fundraiser is ending on January 13, ask them to donate $13 on that day or if it is ending on February 5th, ask for $5 on the 5th. People will usually give more than the amount you ask for, so don’t worry if your fundraiser ends on the 2nd or 3rd of the month. If you want, however, you can ask for $20 instead of $2 or $30 instead of $3, or alternatively ask for donations ending in the number (e.g. $2, $12, $22, $52, $102)

(3) Lastly, make sure to send a friendly reminder email on the morning of the last day to remind them to donate.

Final thoughts

Okay, that’s it! One last note, before you get started – typically, the very first thing most people want to do after they create their online fundraising page is send out a mass email to all their friends and family. I know this seems like it would make the most sense, but it is actually the last thing you want to do.

Avoid the temptation to use this “shotgun” approach! Instead, stick to this step-by-step plan and I promise that you will raise WAY more money.

Also see Raising Money for Individuals with Health Conditions for offline fundraising ideas.

If you think all nonprofit communications have to be serious, think again. Kudos to the San Francisco SPCA for creatively jumping on a hot topic while promoting their mission.

Warning: watching this video may cause abrupt laughter, inability to stop singing this song and warm fuzzies.