Step By Step Fundraising Newsletter
June 2009
In this issue -
Strategies for Events & Auctions Especially for This Economy
Restaurant.com: Save Money, Raise Money
A Word of Caution About Cost Cutting
You may be feeling the impact of this uncertain economy -- both personally
and within your cause organization. While it can be tough, there
are ways that we adjust so we still have a great impact for good.
Read on to find out more...
Fundraising Events in this Economy
Nonprofits are becoming more discerning when it comes to special
event fundraisers. Some organizations are scaling back the
extravagance of their annual gala, opting for a toned down approach.
Some are simply taking a close look at the budget and seeing how
to get better prices for catering or other costs.
 I
recently spoke with Karin Costa who has worked on many charity events.
She commented that some organizations are actually eliminating the
silent auction and replacing it with strategies that will more directly
impact the bottom line.
Live auctions can often raise more funds since
the auctioneer has more influence over the bidding.
Other strategies like special appeals and pledges offer attendees
the option of making a straight donation.
The one hour interview I conducted with Karin is part of the
brand new audio seminar course Secrets
of the Charity Auction Experts. You can get a sneak peek
at this course in two clips that I've posted online:
Sandra's Recommended Fundraiser: Restaurant.com Card
These days consumers are concerned about saving money.
But are they really ready to give up entertainment and dining
out? Our family is cutting back, but I sure don't want to
cook every night! This month my fundraising solution provides
a way to help families save money and your nonprofit to raise
money.
 With
the Restaurant.com
fundraiser card when your supporters make a donation to your
cause of $20 you give them this card as a thank you gift.
Each card has a value of $50 in dining out savings. To redeem
the cardholder simply goes to the Restaurant.com website and chooses
which restaurants they'd like to dine at. Your group keeps
$10 for each card.
Recently my husband and I went to New York City for vacation.
Our flight would be getting in around 8:30 at night so I thought
it would be easy if there were a restaurant close to the hotel
for our first meal. On Restaurant.com I found the Old Castle Pub,
which was just a block away. We loved the food and the service,
plus saved $25 on the meal! An all around good deal.
Get more
information about the cards online or call 1-866-450-5794
A Word of Caution About Cost Cutting
While the desire to save on extraneous expenses is a good one,
don't let it go too far. It may take some tweaking in this
economy but fundraising has not radically changed. Your supporters
and the community you serve still need to hear about the vital work
you are doing so whether through free publicity, marketing or fundraising,
keep getting the word out.
In the British paper The Guardian, author Jonathan Baker shares
some valuable insights on this topic:
From the Great Depression through to Black Wednesday, charitable
giving has been more resilient than expected when faced with
a challenge; and this recession will actually be unusual if
it seriously damages the third sector.
Planning a fundraising portfolio that balances risk and reward,
as well as balancing returns over time, is easier said than
done - but is essential. Diversified income provides stability
and should be a priority for any charity heavily dependent on
one source of revenue.
Empower others within the firm to become fundraisers. There
should be no "them and us" at this stage, and the
input of everyone in a charity - from the chief exectutive downwards,
even rippling out to volunteers - can make a difficult job easier
in trying times.
To Your Continued Fundraising Success,
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