Unusual Fundraising Auction Venue - Airplane Hangars

When you're thinking about a venue for an auction event, I'm sure that you didn't envision standing inside a hangar, looking out towards... the runway. Yes, I did say "runway".
An unusual venue - like a plane hangar - can be a fun place to have a benefit auction. During one benefit auction I attended, one of the favorite spots for the guests to gather was actually near the open hanger doors where they stood enjoying the view.
One of the stories in the August 2009 issue of Small Market Meetings was Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Transportation Museums are on a Roll. The article discussed the many types of events held in transportation museums.
I haven't conducted fundraising auctions in a transportation museum yet, but I have a lot of experience conducting fundraising auctions in transportation facilities. This article covers a charity auction held in an executive airplane hangar.
An unusual venue can make a guest do a double-take when considering whether to attend your auction fundraiser.
"Oh neat," they'll think, "The party will be held in ____."
If it comes down to attending your function versus another event, they might very well opt for yours based on the unique auction venue. They might be more interested in a place they don't get to see everyday.
Airplane hangars are definitely worth considering if you're hosting a very large event. For example, in Kissimmee, FL there is a 10,000 sq. ft. hangar that can accommodate 1,500 people seated or 2,000 for receptions.
That said, auction committees should take some precautions when booking a nontraditional space. Every venue will have its challenges. You'll want to tour the site and think about flow, and food stations, and silent auction tables, and all those things good Auction Chairs consider when they are sorting through an auction gala's festivities in their mind's eye.
* At this locale, the wide open space allowed the auction procurement and decor committees to have great flexibility in adjusting the facility to meet their needs. One big hangar = lots of space for 200 guests.
* On the flip side, a super-slick, bright white concrete floor can be slippery to high heels, and - vice versa - heels or other shoe soles made of the wrong material can be unkind to a super-clean, high-tech floor.
P.P.S. The article featured places like the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA, and the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.
Author Bio:
Award-winning fundraising auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS runs Red Apple Auctions, a firm specializing in teaching non-profits the techniques proven to grow auction profitability. She offers a number of FREE auction ideas on her website, including the popular Auction Item Guide, a meaty compilation of best-selling auction items. Sign-up for the Guide at Red Apple Auctions.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Unusual-Fundraising-Auction-Venue---Airplane-Hangars&id=3900062

High School Fundraisers - 6 Fun Ideas

Whether you are a parent of a teen or a teen yourself, you know the importance of having funding for extracurricular activities. Youth groups, sports teams, bands and other high school activities all need to raise money. Fundraisers can be fun if you know how to put a new twist on typical fundraisers.
Successful fundraising is just a few steps away if you follow these ideas.
1. Baked Potato Dinner. A lot of groups do pancake breakfasts or spaghetti dinners, but serving baked potatoes and all of the fixings is a great way to raise money. Potatoes are relatively inexpensive and can be baked in bulk. You can buy cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, broccoli, butter and chili in bulk packages. Find somewhere to hold the dinner, like the school cafeteria, where there is enough room for everyone. The students can sell tickets ahead of time and also at the door.
2. Picnic Basket Auction. This idea works well at another event, like a back to school night or school carnival. It can also be done independently. Provide a picnic basket for each student and then have them decorate and fill it with food with a budget of $10. Each picnic basket is raffled off in a silent auction.
3. Singing or Musical Telegrams. These are perfect for a high school band or chorus and work well around Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. Students can sell telegrams at school and participants fill out the recipient's name, their address (or room number if the telegrams are to students) and then have the students deliver the telegrams on a specific date. Search online for lyrics for a singing telegram, or have band members play a piece of appropriate music.
4. Growing Kit. Buy seeds in bulk for fast growing flowers and then purchase some clay pots from a surplus garden store. Have a meeting with the teen group where you all fill the pots with potting soil, attach the seeds to the outside and then wrap up the pot with cellophane and ribbon. Sell the pots at a flat rate around school and in the community. This fundraiser works well in the spring and before Mother's Day.
5. Candy selling with a twist. Instead of selling the standard bars of candy why not make some candy from scratch and sell it at a premium price? People enjoy homemade candy more than commercially made bars. You can distribute recipes to the group, or if the high school club is small, you can organize a candy making party. The pieces can sell for higher amounts that regular candy and you can keep most of the profits.
6. Group yard sale. This one requires a bit of organization, but it's well worth it. Have all the members bring clothes, toys and household items the week before the sale. One group of students can organize the items and price them, while the other can canvas the neighborhoods with signs. The day of the yard sale you can sell muffins in the morning and chili toward the afternoon as an additional form of fundraising.
Author Bio:
Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons, where you can find the latest office supply coupons, including any current offers for $30 off $150 coupons.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?High-School-Fundraisers---6-Fun-Ideas&id=1915300

7 Reasons NOT to Have a Church Youth Group Bake Sale

Many church youth groups plan bake sales to support their programs, summer camp or mission trips. Everyone likes cookies and cupcakes, so why not have a bake sale? While a bake sale might sound like a good idea, here are 7 reasons why it may not be the best idea.
1. Bake Sale Item Prices - Bake sale items are typically priced quite low. After all, you can only charge so much for a little zippy bag of cookies. Prices generally range from 50 cents to $10 for a cake. So unless they give an extra donation, each person who makes a purchase is contributing a very small amount.
2. Impossible Volume - Considering the low price point of items, your church youth group would have to do a lot of baking to come up with enough items to generate a good income at the end of the day. With baked goods it's just not possible.
3. Potential Funds Raised -Unless you only need to raise $100 or less your group is not likely to reach it's goal with a bake sale. Why would you spend so much effort on something that produces so little results?
4. Too Much Work - Anyone who's ever baked items for a sale (and I have) knows how much work it is. It may take all afternoon to bake a few dozen cookies and cupcakes. At best your hard work will fetch the organization $10-20. Was it really worth it?
5. Perishable Foods - Baked goods need to be sold the day of the sale. If bad weather, a low crowd or something else thwarts the bake sale, you can't save them for later.
6. Too Many Fundraisers -Because bake sales generate such a low amount of income for the group, it becomes just one more fundraiser people are asked to participate in. After awhile even people who support your group will get tired of being asked.
7. Divides Your Efforts - Because your church youth group is spending time on the bake sale, it is taking time away from fundraisers that could be more profitable. Why not focus all of your efforts on one or two fundraisers that will produce much more results?
Instead of wasting time with a bake sale, find a fundraiser that is the best match for your church youth group. An effective fundraiser is appealing to a wide majority of your supporters, brings in the most amount of money compared to the effort and doesn't cost more than is appropriate.
There are a variety of great fundraising ideas... bake sales are just not one of them!
Author Bio:
Sandra Sims is dedicated to helping non profits raise more funds to support their causes. She publishes http://StepbyStepFundraising.com which provides information about a variety of fundraising options. Visit the website to find out more about silent auctions and other fundraisers.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Reasons-NOT-to-Have-a-Church-Youth-Group-Bake-Sale&id=529788

Corporate Matching Gifts and Grants Can Double Your Nonprofit Fundraising Dollars

Matching gifts are a great way for your volunteers and supporters to help your nonprofit organization. If they work for a company that has a matching gift program, their cash donation may be eligible to be matched by their employer.
Most large corporations encourage volunteerism and charitable giving and are willing to match, dollar for dollar, the amount of money that their employees donate to nonprofit organizations and charities. Some employers will even match employee contributions to a greater degree.
There is paperwork involved and the employee who wants to make the donation must get the process started. The human resources department of the corporation will have the information for the employee. Every business will have its own policy on matching gifts. Sometimes these are also called "cash grants" or "matching grants."
The employer may have stipulations such as the minimum donation to be matched is $25.00 and the maximum is $1000.00 per employee each year or other limits. It is up to the employer. The employer can match dollar per dollar or any amount they specify. They may also specify what kind of nonprofit organization is eligible for matching gifts. For example, a well-known media corporation, gives matching funds to schools and arts and culture organizations provided they are nonprofits and recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The human resources department will give the employee a form to submit to the nonprofit organization when the employee makes the monetary donation. An officer of the nonprofit will then verify that they are a nonprofit organization and the amount donated and then send the form to the employer. The employer will then send a matching amount of money to the nonprofit organization. Some larger corporations use a third party in this process to handle all the transactions. It can often be done securely online as well.
Along with matching monetary donations, some corporations will match volunteer hours with a cash amount. For example, a well-known coffee house will donate $10 for every qualified volunteer hour worked by their employees.
Corporate matching gifts are often overlooked by smaller nonprofit organizations as a way to receive cash donations. However, it is definitely a fund-raising method that should be a part of any non-profit's fundraising strategy.
Author Bio:
Article by Amy Passmore of DIYFundraising.com
Are you looking for ideas on how to raise money for your school, charity or nonprofit organization? Visit http://www.diyfundraising.com and the DIYFundraising WorldVillage Blog for more great tips and resources from an experienced fundraiser.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Corporate-Matching-Gifts-and-Grants-Can-Double-Your-Nonprofit-Fundraising-Dollars&id=1628989

Make the Most of Your Student Fundraising Efforts

Students at the average school in the United States will spend eight to nine months out of the year going to school. During that time, the chances of them doing some sort of fundraiser are extremely high with many schools hosting two or three major fund raising events each year. And that doesn't include the smaller student fundraisers that are done for clubs or individual classes.
So with such a large time commitment being made to raising money for students, one would hope to make that process as educational and worthwhile as possible. All of which leads parents, teachers, and students to the question - "How can I make the most of my student fundraising efforts?"
The answer is that if you feel like there could be more accomplished while you raise money, you should probably begin with searching for new fundraising ideas that are different from what you've done in the past. This will help alleviate the old 'if you always do what you've always done' routine.
The great thing about getting more out of raising money is that it's really not very hard to do. In fact, there is a whole category of student fund raisers that can elevate your programs to a whole new level. In fact, these so called earth friendly fundraisers seem tailor made for making school fundraising a much more educational experience.
By focusing on offering green products, you get the terrific opportunity to tie your money raising efforts in with the lesson plans from the classroom about reducing our impact on the planet. Some of these ideas even include selling items made from recycled materials which is a fantastic way to integrate your student fundraiser with the push to start a recycling club.
Other ways to put an educational twist on raising money include selling flower bulbs or trees to pay for a school garden and selling reusable shopping bags to teach about reducing plastic waste.
Author Bio:
For a number of eco friendly student fundraising programs be sure and check out Go Green Fundraising. They are the leaders in offering fun, easy, and high profit green school fundraisers.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-the-Most-of-Your-Student-Fundraising-Efforts&id=3940337

Back-End Premiums in Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - Think Twice Before Offering

You should literally think twice before offering your direct mail donors a back-end premium. And neither of these thoughts has anything to do with net revenue.
Yes, your goal with offering a back-end premium is to boost net revenue. When your mailing is over, and you have subtracted the cost of the premium and the cost of fullfillment from your gross revenue, you certainly want the net revenue that remains to be higher than it would be without offering the premium.
But offering a book or DVD or other incentive affects more than just your short-term bottom line. So, before you drop that fundraising letter in the mail, offering that tantalizing "free" incentive in return for a gift, ask yourself these two questions.
Q1. Will this premium help me avoid my duty as a fundraiser?
Premiums work because they are attractive to donors. Donors want them, and like to receive them at no cost (other than the "cost" of a donation). If you dangle a sufficiently attractive gift in front of donors, they will respond. But you are in the philanthropic sector, not the retail sector. You are a fundraiser, not a used car salesman. Sorry, salesperson. Your duty as a direct mail fundraiser is to attract charitable contributions, not to hawk trinkets.
Q2. Will this premium strengthen the connection the donor has with my charity?
Books written by your founder, DVDs that showcase your success, and beautiful calendars that your donors actually hang in their kitchens are all effective at increasing your donor's affinity with your organization. These and other back-end premiums strengthen the bond you have with your donors. Return-address labels, decals and other cheap gimmicks don't.
Stephen Hitchcock and his colleagues at Mal Warwick & Associates discovered long ago that back-end premiums generally work best at upgrading gifts from current donors, particularly if the premium is tied to donor recognition (a plaque, perhaps).
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan's newsletter at www.RaiserSharpe.com
© 2008 Alan Sharpe.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Back-End-Premiums-in-Direct-Mail-Fundraising-Letters---Think-Twice-Before-Offering&id=1400035

Special Events Fundraising - Estimate Bigger Budget, Smaller Income When Planning

Special events are a great way to raise money. And a great way to lose money, too. So if you lack experience planning and hosting special events, or if your non-profit organization does not have a particularly high profile in your community, you should plan on your budget being big and your income being small. In other words, you should overestimate your costs and underestimate your income.
Special events are notorious for going over budget. Things get overlooked in the planning. Fees, taxes, service charges and other hidden expenses must be paid that were not accounted for. And then there is the simple, sheer cost of putting on the event: printing, postage, hall rental, lighting, sound, catering and more. Budget for more than you'll spend and you'll stay out of trouble.
If your special event is new, if it has never been tested to see how effective it is at raising net income, you should be conservative when predicting your income. You are excited about your event. And so are your volunteers. But will your guests and participants be just as excited? And if they are, will their excitement show up on your bottom line? In other words, will your motivated and passionate guests show their appreciation with their wallets?
Most special events that are repeated year after year take many years to prove themselves. You need many years of publicity, participation and word-of-mouth advertising before your event will attract the donors (and their donations) needed to raise a significant portion of your annual gift income. You also need to host the same event many times before you learn how to reduce your costs without reducing your income.
Regardless of how much you raise, special events create awareness of your organization and your cause, and they give you an opportunity to recognize your donors and volunteers and show appreciation. They do all these things even if you lose money. But if your goal is to raise money and not just raise awareness, then pessimisms is the way to go. Overestimate your expenses, and underestimate your income, and you can't go wrong.
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe publishes Gifted Fundraiser, the free weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise money through direct mail, special events, online fundraising, major gifts, capital campaigns, planned giving, grant proposals and more. Sign up today for your free subscription at http://www.giftedfundraiser.com
© 2008 Alan Sharpe.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Special-Events-Fundraising---Estimate-Bigger-Budget,-Smaller-Income-When-Planning&id=1189312

Major Donors Prefer To Donate Online Rather Than By Direct Mail Says Internet Fundraising Survey

The majority of major donors prefer online giving over direct mail. In a survey conducted by Convio, Sea Change Strategies and Edge Research, 51 percent of survey respondents said online giving is their preferred channel, compared with 30 percent who said they prefer giving by mail. These "wired wealthy" donors prefer their mouse over the mail for a number of reasons.
1. Efficiency: Making a donation online takes just a few clicks of a mouse. The donor receives an immediate acknowledgment, and the non-profit organization receives the funds immediately. Making a donation by mail is less efficient. The donor must find a pen, complete a form, write a check, find the return envelope, put the form and check into the return envelope, maybe hunt for a postage stamp, then walk the envelope to the mailbox.
2. Speed: With efficiency comes speed. Making a donation online takes seconds. Making a gift by mail or phone takes much longer.
3. Immediacy: Survey respondents also noted that giving is handy because it lets them make a donation while the thought is fresh in their minds. They are less likely to forget a cause or an urgent need if they can respond to it immediately, online.
4. Miles better: A majority of survey respondents said accumulating rewards points or airline miles encouraged them to give online with a credit rather than by mail with a check.
5. Tracking: The "wired wealthy" also like giving online because their credit card statements help them track their donations more effectively.
Major donors are shifting from the mail to the web. Which means your major gifts program had better meet major donors where they are today, and where they are going to be tomorrow-online.
Learn more.
Read The Wired Wealthy: Using the Internet to Connect with Your Middle and Major Donors. Available at http://my.convio.com/?elqPURLPage=104
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe publishes Gifted Fundraiser, the free weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise money through direct mail, special events, online fundraising, major gifts, capital campaigns, planned giving, grant proposals and more. Sign up today for your free subscription at www.giftedfundraiser.com
© 2008 Alan Sharpe.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Major-Donors-Prefer-To-Donate-Online-Rather-Than-By-Direct-Mail-Says-Internet-Fundraising-Survey&id=1191651

California Car Wash Fundraisers and Environmental Law

Many non-profit groups are feeling upset that they are allowed to do car wash fundraisers in some California Cities. It is not that the government officials are against your groups raising money, it is that they worry where are the soapy dirty water is going. It is a problem and it might be good for you to understand some of the history behind the rules rather than get upset over it.
HISTORY
Well it all started many years ago when Congress passed the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 during the Nixon Administration. This was in response to major pollution issues involving polluting the nation's waterways from factories, strip mining and sewage treatment plants or lack thereof. It was actually quite a problem. It was an ecosystem disaster causing disease and death to wildlife and some people. When it was discovered just how bad the problem really was, the federal government empowered the states to take care of the issues within their state. The states enacted state laws to help fix the problem. Meanwhile, the federal government tightened standards forcing states to tighten their standards or be in violation. With the threat of withholding federal monies to the states, the states continued to make more and more laws. Industry obviously wasn't happy and even government agencies were unable to comply with the laws they made. So, target dates were enacted to give time for everyone to comply. Overnight environmental consulting firms sprung up along with a whole new industry of environmental equipment and product manufactures, many of whom weren't even in compliance themselves. Of course, all good things take time and cleaning up our water is obviously a good thing.
The State of California divided the state into nine different regions realizing that each region had different pollution problems based on industry types, demography and population in the areas. These regions were called 'Regional Water Quality Control Districts' (RWQCD). These were all controlled by the State Board that was defined by the Federal Clean Water Act as the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). Once the problem was broken down into smaller pieces things started to change for the better.
The SWRCB was formed in California and is commonly called 'The State Board'. The State Board regulates Water Quality Control, which is any activity or factor that might affect the quality of waters of the state and includes the prevention and correction of water pollution and nuisance. This sounds very encompassing and the State Board has a lot of power. Luckily, with the combined efforts of industry, government and the people, they now understand the issues enough to make intelligent decisions and they fully understand that your organization needs to earn money. Thus, rather than prevent and outlaw activities, everyone is working on solutions and procedures to allow responsible discharges creating a win-win situation for everyone.
Recently, the State Water Quality Control Boards asked the counties to submit for approval and receive permits to discharge the same waters they've been discharging for years. These permits were called NPDES permits. This stands for National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Most counties assigned an existing department to work on this permit. More likely than not, it is the county's Flood Control Department. Unfortunately, this part of the county deals with permits for land development, bridges, infrastructures, etc. Until now, they knew very little about pollution. Some counties turned this responsibility over to the Environmental Health Services Department who in turn worked with the Flood Control Department which controls storm drains. The NPDES permits are approved by the state for local county urban runoff discharges. Each city in each county through municipal codes is supposed to pass ordinances and come up with a plan for controlling their local runoff/pollution. The county remains responsible to the state and the states to the Federal Government. The NPDES requirements are an offspring of the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency even though they are enforced, permitted and regulated locally by cities, counties and states.
The actual law that is used to enforce these statutes can be found in 13.260 - 13.265 of the California Water Code. At one point it actually reads:
"No person, or persons may discharge water to any waterways without permission or a permit from a state regional water quality control board."
This sounds pretty absolute doesn't it. It is against the law for you to take a glass of water from your sink, walk over to a storm drain and pour the water in the drain. This in itself would obviously not hurt the environment, but by granting absolute power the Regional Water Quality Control Boards can look at everything on a case-by-case basis. So do be serious about your water after you wash those cars.
STORM WATER DISCHARGE
City, county and state governments know that car washing has always been a favorite fundraiser for sports teams, scout troops, schools and other non-profit groups. Due to the low capital investment costs, car wash fundraisers can generate significant amounts of profit. For the last ten years government agencies especially in California have been working with industry to come up with solutions to clean up our water. Today the waterways of America are significantly cleaner than they were in the past even though many regions are more heavily populated. It's been working great. Now we are going one step further. No pollution from any source, even mobile dog groomers. Only in the last few years have government agencies decided that the adverse environmental impact is too great to allow car wash fundraisers. Along with strong lobbying from fixed site car wash owners, some cities and counties have actually outlawed these fundraisers unless certain procedures are followed to insure that no waste wash water enters storm drains, ditches or waterways.
Their reasoning is this: Dirty water containing soaps and detergents, residues from exhaust fumes, gasoline and motor oils is washed off of the cars and flows into nearby storm drains. Unlike the water we use in our homes and businesses that goes down the drain and is treated at sewer treatment plants, water that goes into storm drains flows directly into rivers, bays, oceans and lakes without any kind of treatment. Obviously one car wash fundraiser by itself will create little if any adverse environmental impact. But government agencies know that collectively car wash fundraisers contribute significant pollution.
They also realize that biodegradable soaps do not lessen the impact. This is because biodegradable only means that the soap will degrade over time. So does plutonium, it just takes longer. Soaps and car wash products are still toxic to aquatic life even if they are biodegradable. Think on this a bit. If you really want to have the city allow you to do a car wash fundraiser you are going to have to figure out how to keep the dirty soapy water out of the storm drain.
Author Bio:
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?California-Car-Wash-Fundraisers-and-Environmental-Law&id=41523

Annual Appeal Letter Asks - Four Secrets Of Requesting Donations

In the fundraising profession, the act of requesting funds from a donor is called "the ask." When you are writing a fundraising letter and you arrive at the place where you must actually, ahem, request a donation, you have arrived at the ask. And the ask, as you probably know, is one of the toughest things to get right in fundraising.
Where in the letter should you mention money?
Early on in your letter you should let your reader know why you are writing. Somewhere "above the fold," usually in the second or third paragraph, describe the reason for your letter. Here is an example:
"The people of Afghanistan have already suffered 20 years of conflict and three years without rain. One and a half million are dead. Two million are disabled. And now this: the UN is predicting that "the number of Afghans facing hunger and deprivation will soon reach 7.5 million."
"Something has to give. Or someone has to give. That's why I'm writing to you during this crisis. Will you give? You can save lives and avert disaster by sending a donation to Doctors Without Borders right now."
How much should you ask for?
Ah, the perennial question. As fundraising letter expert Mal Warwick would say, "that depends." How much money you request of each donor depends on many variables, including:
• size of the donor's last gift
• size of the donor's average gift
• amount that most organizations like yours ask for
• specific need that you are presenting to the donor
• size of your donor base
• donor's capacity to give (assuming you know it)
• donor's affiliation with your organization (is the donor a brand new supporter or one of your board of directors?)
• length of time the donor has supported you (is it one year or ten?)

As you can see, the amount of money that you request in your direct mail fundraising letters depends on too many variables for me to give you an average figure to aim for in every appeal.
How many times should you request a donation?
Ask for a gift more than once in your letter. At a minimum, bring up the topic early on, and ask again for a donation in your conclusion. Another good place to request funds is in your postscript (your P.S.). Some of your asks can be hard asks ("Give today") and others can be soft asks ("Your gift will make a difference.").
What's the best way to actually ask for the gift?
Here we come to the topic of this Handbook. As you will discover, there are at least one-hundred and one ways to make your ask on paper. Some are forceful, others are subtle. Some are for capital campaigns, others for endowment campaigns and still others for year-end appeals. I recommend that you read all of the asks, putting a checkmark in the margin next to the ones that will work for your unique organization, your unique donors, your unique case for support and your unique writing style.
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan's newsletter at www.RaiserSharpe.com.
© 2007 Alan Sharpe. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Annual-Appeal-Letter-Asks---Four-Secrets-Of-Requesting-Donations&id=98655

Attract New Donors with "Friend Get a Friend" Donation Request Fundraising Letters

New donors are closer than you think. Often they are friends of your donors, or family members.
If you know someone who has undergone successful treatment for cancer or another serious illness, you know first-hand how the experience involved immediate family, extended family, friends,
co-workers and neighbours. Many of these concerned people will have shared in the sadness of
the initial diagnosis, the uncertainty of the treatments and the joy of the successful outcome.
They will also likely have respect and admiration for the hospital staff who saved the life of your family
member or friend. And they will likely feel passionately about finding a cure for any disease that takes the life of a loved one or colleague.
I, for example, have a father dying of Alzheimer's Disease. I haven't seen the worst of the disease yet, but I expect to. So I have a tender spot in my heart for the families and friends of others who know someone who is suffering from this memory thief. I would likely give a donation to an organization that is seeking a cure for Alzheimer's, if asked in the right way by the right person at the right time.
So consider the friends and family of your donors and clients as a good source of donations. Find a way to get the names and addresses of these folks, then mail them a sensitive, upbeat appeal letter, one that touches their hearts and encourages them to save the lives of other patients who are suffering from the same disease.
If you cannot get their names on your own, invite your donors to pass along a letter from you, inviting
them to sign up for your newsletter or other useful information. Then follow up with a request for a
gift.
This method works equally well for other types of organizations. My wife and I, for example, adopted
two boys through Jewels for Jesus (www.jewelsforjesus.org), an adoption agency in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. We participated in a fundraiser for them in which we solicited donations from our families and friends, all of whom knew our wonderful and exciting adoption story. We raised
around $1,520, and attracted 32 new donors, whom the agency could follow up with using their donor
newsletter (the agency got the permission of the new donors before adding them to the mailing list).
The secret to friend-get-a-friend campaigns is to make the job of your solicitor as easy as possible.
Give your donors or members all the literature they need (including reply devices and reply envelopes if needed) to recruit new donors or members. The less work you require of them, the better.
Learn more . . .
Learn more by reading 18 Places to Find New Donors Using Fundraising Letters, the seventh
Handbook in the Hands-On Fundraising Series, published by Andrew Spencer Publishing. It's the
professional fundraiser's guide to creative and cost-effective donor acquisition. Read about it at www.RaiserSharpe.com/handbooks.
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe is president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Attract-New-Donors-with-Friend-Get-a-Friend-Donation-Request-Fundraising-Letters&id=333884

A Bad Economy is the Best Time For Nonprofit Fundraising

Getting the funds that you need for a nonprofit fundraising activity has never been easier. If you're looking to raise money for a charitable organization, church or school - This article will outline some tips that you might use to gain more funding.
Tough times are the best times
I overheard a lady recently telling her friend that it was going to be so difficult to raise money any tough economy. Nothing could be further from the truth. And actually, you will find that more people are generous during tough times then they are in good times.
Keep your mission statement clear
Much of your success is going to depend up on your mission statement and your ability to sell your cause to your donors. If you truly believe in the mission that you're out to raise money for then people are going to feel your sincerity and be willing to give in greater amounts.
Think outside the box
One of the keys to having a successful nonprofit fund raising event is to make sure that you're always thinking outside of the box. Try to stay away from the traditional fund-raising activities that only will gain you so much in donations. Events to stay away from are car washes, bake sales, and garage sales.
Although the traditional nonprofit fundraising ideas are still fun and can raise some money. There are so many better ways that you can benefit your community and your organization. Take the time to do some good brainstorming and planning before you set out to do your next fundraiser and you should have some tremendous success during a down economy.
Author Bio:
For more information on fundraising events and projects for your organization try visiting http://good-fundraising-ideas.com, a website that specializes in providing helpful tips, advice and fundraising resources to include Nonprofit Fundraising and more.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Bad-Economy-is-the-Best-Time-For-Nonprofit-Fundraising&id=2494132

Fundraising a Different, New and Unique Way - The INTERNET Way

The internet has changed, and continues to change our lives. Many things we used to do one way, we now do another. Banking. Shopping. Contacting friends. This has positive aspects as well as maybe some downside.
Fundraising the internet way is an idea whose time is ripe. Here is how it can work (with participating or cooperative companies): You promote a service or product that has an on-line website. Something potential contributors may be interested in. Set things up with the company. Then send emails to your friends, family, post it on your Facebook, Twitter, blogs. Get the word out anyway you can. Also hard copy printed flyers (simple one page black and white is easiest). Then when people buy the product/service YOUR CAUSE gets a certain amount of credit per sale. No need to collect any monies, deliver anything.
Now, some companies are very supportive of this idea, and help you out tremendously. You will get your very own web page to direct potential contributors to. They will help you write (or take your idea/goal and write it basically all for you) "copy" to cut and paste into a simple Word document for you to print flyers from. And subject lines for emails. They will sometimes help you do just about everything, making it super-easy for you.
Percentage of sale varies according to company. Most have a time limit such as: This fundraiser will run 3 weeks starting from a given date. But it is really a risk free option for the organization. It is usually FREE (except for any printing you may want to do of hard copy flyers, which can be done easily on any printer).
The more your organization promotes the service/product, the more you make. And promotion is easy and quick. Send out an email to your friends and family. They can also forward it. You can post a link on blogs, Facebook, chat rooms, bulletin boards, most social media places. Probably about 5 minutes per member to promote. EASY. Fast. Not limited geographically (that is REALLY nice)!
Many fundraisers require lots of organization by a committee. Setting a date for it, getting space for it, supplies, scheduling members to work it, collecting orders, delivering merchandise. Lots of time and energy. So this new internet method of fundraising is a gem. Folks can put their efforts into activities that support the cause rather than the fundraiser (okay, so they need to do a little bit of work on the fundraising, maybe 5-10 minutes per person doing the emails and posting on the blogs, etc.).
One more point. If a company has a product or service you like, that you think would work with this idea, but they have never done this kind of thing, you could choose to try to work with them. Explain in detail your needs, how it might work for them, how THEY will benefit as well as you. Work with them to set up a cooperative venture. Sometimes this is effective, sometimes companies will resists the idea, or not understand how to implement it. (Implementation is not hard at all if they have savvy web design fellows, but sometimes companies are resistant to change.)
Give internet fundraising a try! You will be happy you did!
Author Bio:
One company that has devoted a fair amount of time and energy to this idea is http://www.MomsGreatDeals.com/fundraiser.htm They are a subscription newsletter/website devoted to helping consumers save money by smart shopping and finding good and great deals. They are set up for internet fundraisers and have a product (the newsletter and site) which appeals to all.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fundraising-a-Different,-New-and-Unique-Way---The-INTERNET-Way&id=4055902&opt=print

How to Raise Money For a Local Political Campaign

Without a doubt, one of the most unfortunate parts of being a candidate in a local political campaign is the necessity of raising money from donors. Asking contributors to give money to your campaign can be a very uncomfortable thing to do for a new candidate, but winning your local election is much easier if you have enough money in the bank. While it might be difficult for you to get used to asking for donations, there are some simple tips you can use to make the process easier.
First, kickoff your campaign and raise some initial seed money by putting on your first fundraiser in your home and limiting it to close friends and family. You might not have a huge number of people attend, but it should help you get a few dollars in your campaign account to pay for your initial expenses. Let your attendees know that they can donate whatever amount they want, no matter how small, and make it an informal, fun event. In addition to the money you raise, you'll get some great support and encouragement that will help you as you get ready to hit the campaign trail.
Following your initial home fundraiser, your next local political campaign fundraising effort should be contribution request letter to local voters who you think might be willing to donate to your campaign. People in the same political party, voters who signed your nominating petitions, and people you know personally are all good prospects for raising money. Send them a form letter requesting that they send what they can afford, and include a self-addressed envelope that they can send their donation back to you in. While postage for these types of bulk mailers can be expensive, you should be able to make up the mailing costs with just a few donations, and even if people don't donate, this is another good way to get your name out in the community.
Your last formal fundraising event should be held later in the campaign season, preferably in the last month before the election, and should be at a local venue. You can plan to have it open to the public, and be sure to invite all of the dozens and dozens of people who you have met over the course of the long campaign. It's best to put a dollar amount on tickets for this even, say fifteen to twenty-five dollars, and let attendees know what they will be getting for their money: food, drinks, whatever it is. Start selling your tickets weeks in advance of the event, and you will probably be surprised at the large number of people who end up attending.
Remember: fundraising might not be fun to do in a local political campaign, but it's a necessity that will get easier to do with time. If you do go on to win your local election, make sure that you hold at least one annual fundraiser every year to keep your campaign bank account flush with money and to stay in touch with your contributors and supporters.
Author Bio:
Visit Killer Campaigning to learn more about how to win a local political campaign, and basement waterproofing.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Raise-Money-For-a-Local-Political-Campaign&id=3927705

Fundraising Ideas Using Twilight As Your Theme

Twilight is the perfect theme to base your fundraising ideas on. It's very popular with teens and if you invite a Vampire...they will come. Fundraising for your group is very important today and sometimes it's difficult to find just the right theme to draw a crowd. Middle School and High School kids are sure to pack the auditorium if it's a Twilight Fundraising Event!
What to do?
Raffle off some Twilight memorabilia...Book Marks with Bella and Edward, or the cast of the movie, a CD of the movie or the soundtrack and the big one...a DVD of the Twilight Movie or the books. Other ideas include the director's book, the entire saga, some Cullen Family jewelry and posters.
Set up gift tables and hold some raffles for the bigger prizes and a tricky tray for the smaller items. Sell tickets and let your guests drop their tickets into containers. When the drawings begin each person in your hall will be sitting on the edge of their seats anticipating winning their favorite prize.One High School in Connecticut is holding such a fundraiser in March to support the school's literary magazine. What group needs financial support at your local school? Is your child in band or the cheerleader squad? These groups can always use extra fundraising efforts.
Invite a Vampire...or hold a costume contest...ask people to come in costumes so they look like the movie characters, or just in Vampire attire. Give everyone dressed up in a costume 1.00 off the entry fee. If people are coming in costumes, other people will come just to see them. Make sure your staff, or some of it, is dressed up too. Why shouldn't they have fun while they are working to raise money for the kids.Make sure you have refreshments available that the Vampire crowd will enjoy...lots of red drinks and there are some cute Vampire cupcake ideas you can use. Red Velvet cakes are another favorite around this crowd.Fund Raising is a part of life today. Kids have been selling cookies, candies and candles for years. You know your going to see some wrapping paper catalogs passed around the office in the fall too. It's time for a unique idea that will draw people to your events and make your group some money! Make sure to contact me with your good fundraising ideas...I would love to hear all about them!
Author Bio:
Ms. Party Ideas is Jill Gallo and she writes about fun party stuff! Find more party ideas at http://www.partyideasparade.com Jill loves to write about all kinds of unique party ideas and enjoys swapping good party ideas with you. You can find some great tips for a Fundraising Effort based on the Twilight theme that is so popular today at http://www.partyideasparade.com/twilight-party-ideas.html
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fundraising-Ideas-Using-Twilight-As-Your-Theme&id=2049706

Tips When Raising Money Using Charity Auctions

The needs in any charitable organization tend to outgrow resources, even though they may receive some type of funding from state/federal taxes. There are many different ways to raise money, called fundraisers, for charity and non profit organizations. One way to do this is to have a charity auction, as this serves two purposes. Donations are collected for people in need and people get a chance to bid on an item or service that they want or need. This additional funding can make the difference in being able to continue to give support and having to turn people away.
Obviously, the fundraiser needs to be well planned and well executed in order to get people interested enough to spend money. When considering ways to raise money keep in mind that it does not have to be one that is on par with huge celebrity charity events, as local community events work just as well and may garner more interest because they are local.
When putting together any type of fundraiser you will need a little creativity and patience. If you are unsure of what will be needed to set up a charity auction, then you can always consult with a professional and perhaps they will decide to donate their time for this charitable event. Or, you can do it yourself. Either way you will need lots of volunteers to make sure things go smoothly and moves along quickly.
You may feel that with the current economy this type of a fundraiser or even any type of charitable event would not produce the desired results. Actually, the opposite may be closer to reality, as people are looking for ways to indulge themselves affordably. Bidding on donated items or services is one way that they can do this and the money goes to a great cause as well.
Coming up with ideas and getting things rolling can be a little frustrating, so a few things you may want to consider would include having a charity auction where the people bid for a date with eligible bachelors and bachelorettes; this is always a hit. Consider getting local businesses and merchants to donate items that would relate to a specific theme, such as a getaway weekend or vacation. One merchant can donate airline tickets, another a rental car or a hotel stay. Most often people are very willing to help when they learn that it is a charitable event and will go out of their way to make it better.
Author Bio:
Visit us for free tips and training to help you make quick easy money and have the financial freedom you deserve.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-When-Raising-Money-Using-Charity-Auctions&id=1918261

Planning Fundraisers - Develop a Game Plan

After the fundraising goal has been set, you need to develop an effective method by which to reach your objective. This is your Project Game Plan.
The game plan may be simple or complex, depending upon the nature of the fundraiser. The important thing about the game plan is that it helps your team members maintain their focus on activities calculated to ensure reaching the fundraising goal. A good plan keeps your team on track.
Tip: Successful fundraisers plan several backup game plans, which provides the option of "switching gears" in the event your initial game plan is not producing the anticipated results.
There are several steps to developing a successful plan:
1. Brainstorming
A brainstorming session should be one of the first items on your agenda. Make this a social event, keep it loose and let the ideas flow. You will be surprised at what ideas are discovered and your creativity will be rewarded.
2. Mirror a Successful Model
Every so often a "new idea" fundraiser comes along. By and large, however, most fundraisers you undertake have been around for awhile and have been used by other groups.
While it is certainly no guarantee, tapping into the previous experience of a successful fundraiser can save you much trial and error, help you avoid mistakes and put you on the path to success.
3. Build Your Strategy
Strategizing your best game plan ideas is the next step. Organize and prioritize the very best of your ideas, creating several plans if possible. Knowing what else is going on in your community is also important to avoid duplication of another group's efforts and prevent bad timing.
4. Putting Plans into Action
Develop an action plan, using an organizational calendar to timetable the various activities involved in the campaign. One of the best ways to do this is to work backwards from the completion date of your event.
If you enjoyed this article and want ALL the articles in this series delivered to your email, click here.
Author Bio:
Raise hundreds or even thousands of dollars for your group. Visit http://www.HypnoticFundraisers.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Planning-Fundraisers---Develop-a-Game-Plan&id=4174733

Using Wholesale Roses in Fundraisers

Many schools, churches and other non-profit groups could benefit from using wholesale roses as a fundraiser. Because these roses can be so affordable, often costing as little as $75 for 100 roses, they can be a great money maker for your group.
One of the best ways to use wholesale roses as a fundraiser is to offer the flowers for sale and then deliver them or make them available for pick up on a certain day. For example, you could sell the roses and then make them available for pickup in your church fellowship hall on Mother's Day or on the Sunday before Valentine's Day.
If you are raising money for your school, you could sell the flowers and then deliver them with a note from the sender on a certain day. Everyone will want to get at least one rose delivered to the person that they like, and many will spend the extra money to make sure he or she gets roses in every single class!
Of course, you will have to use the wholesale roses to create attractive bouquets. This is not difficult or expensive. In fact, all you really need to buy, in addition to the wholesale roses, is some tissue paper and ribbon. Simply place the desired number of roses in the tissue paper, wrap around the stems and tie off with the ribbon.
You can allow people to purchase a single rose or a bunch. Of course, the amount you make will depend on how much you pay for the roses and how much you charge when you sell them. Shop around for the best deal on your roses, and then charge at least double that amount.
For example, if you pay $75 for 100 roses, then you would sell the roses for at least $1.50 each. Charge more if you can, but charging double what you paid is a minimum in order to make the fund raiser worth your time.
A good way to avoid waste is to have people order the roses and pay for them in advance. Then you can order the exact number of roses that you have sold. This is much better than trying to guess how many roses you need and either ending up with extra or not having enough and missing out some extra earnings for your group.
Using wholesale roses for a fundraiser is a fun, low-risk and easy way to earn some money for your group.
Look at the calendar for the next special day and start taking orders!
Author Bio:
Do you need to know where to find the best quality wholesale roses? Bloomsxpress.com has top quality wholesale flowers for all occasions at low prices.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Wholesale-Roses-in-Fundraisers&id=3671568

Writing Acknowledgements for E-Booksv

It is important to have an acknowledgements section in your E-Books. Having authored some 1600 articles, 3000 pages of Operations Manuals, 4 E-Books and Co-Authored a Book on Franchising, I can tell you that a properly written acknowledgement, introduction and dedication is smart diplomacy. Many authors rely on teams of researchers, writers, consultants and editors. Myself, generally I use these opportunities to thank sources used in compiling the information. It pays dividends to future projects and streamlines the process in future work as per my theories.
Here is some food for thought. Here is a sample of one of my acknowledgements and although this is from my writing style, perhaps it might give you some ideas for your next Acknowledge Section for your own E-Book. Now then keep in mind my E-Books are generally written to assist people in learning how to do something better and may not be applicable to your work, although maybe this might be. The Acknowledgement was written for an E-Book on; "How to Run A Successful Car Wash Fundraier." I hope this example helps you.
- - - - - - - - - - -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I personally wish to thank you for taking the time to learn more about car wash fundraising. It will give you personal satisfaction to host such an event that raises money for a good cause. The fact that you are reading this book proves that you are one of the dedicated leaders in your community. I'm sure you realize that raising money for an organization is difficult. It takes hours of preparation and a major commitment. The great thing about a car wash fundraiser is that it's considered a fun event. Car washes as fundraisers are an American tradition. Similar to apple pie, hot dogs and baseball where there are some pies, hot dogs and games that are far better than others, car wash fundraisers can be ok or they can be extremely fun, build unity, make great money and provide a superior service to donors.
The goal of a car wash fundraiser has always been to make money and have fun doing it. If we take that one step further, to a higher level, we can create an annual event that everyone looks forward to and will generate in excess of $10,000.
If you follow the procedures in this book, your fundraiser will run smoothly and efficiently. These methods have helped countless organizations make five to ten times as much money as they expected. Follow these time tested methods and you will make money, you will have fun and you will have everyone in your group volunteering for the car wash committee next year. You can count on that or my name isn't 'The Car Wash Guy."
I wish to thank my young beautiful Russian wife Michelle. Through her dedication to editing and her support in making sure I finally finished this work, it was all possible.
I would also like to thank the County of San Mateo's Storm Water Pollution Control NPDES Study Group. Thanks to Bob at Contemporary Books publishing company who has a soft heart for helping the small communities of this country. Thanks to Rick and Lisa at PartheNet for putting this work on the Internet for all to view. Thanks to the charities of the Conejo Valley in California for allowing me to help in over one hundred car wash fundraisers and for educating me in the process. Thanks to the Western Car Wash Association (WCA), the Michigan Car Wash Association (MCA) the International Car Wash Association (ICA), Cleaner Times magazine, Car Washing magazine, Clean Car America magazine, Automobile Laundry News magazine, Mobile Tech News and Views magazine and Modern Car Care magazine for information and understanding of the diversity within our industry. Thanks to Contract Cleaners Manufacturers Association, National Detail Association, Conejo Valley School District, California State Assemblyman Tom McClintock, Richard Harris of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Game Agency and the Coastal Commission. I would like to thank every car owner who has given back to the community by driving through a fundraiser car wash.
You can be assured that any proceeds derived from this book will go toward the building of car wash fundraising trailers equipped with water reclamation equipment for future generations to use in their efforts to keep goodwill and community unity alive for years to come. I sincerely hope that the American tradition of hot dogs, apple pies and car wash fundraisers will live forever.
Give 100% in everything that you do!
'The Car Wash Guy'
Author Bio:
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Writing-Acknowledgements-for-E-Books&id=49493

Calling All Booster Club Members - Creative Fund Raising Ideas For Your Booster Club

School will open in weeks and now is the time that Booster Club organizations everywhere are planning for the kick off of their respective seasons. With these trying economic conditions, Booster Clubs will need to become more creative than ever in their fundraising efforts. Local businesses and individual families may not be able to contribute to your budget as they have in seasons past. The monies are just not available so now is the time to look at other options to fund the requirements of your club.
While in the past it may have been easier and monies were more readily available to purchase items needed for your student athletes, things have changed dramatically. There are more and more non-profit organizations, such as Booster Clubs, competing for the limited donations available. You need to think about how your request for financial contributions will actually benefit those you are soliciting. For example, if you ask for ads in a booster club program, you need to be able to tell them how many programs are purchased throughout the season. If you are asking for $200 for a full-page ad, be prepared to tell the advertiser what the circulation is during an entire season. Your attempts to find donation dollars must be treated as a business proposition, no longer a community service expectation. If your football team draws 500 fans per game and there are 5 home games a year, their advertisement is reaching more than 2500 potential customers. Plus many families purchase only 1 program but are read by multiple family members so more than 2500 people will have visibility to their advertisement. So a $200 donation costs less than one cent per view. Those types of numbers can be most persuasive as you ask for advertising dollars.
Also, think outside the box on how you can raise funds for your organization besides straight requests for donations. In our towns, the student athletes actually spend a weekend outside local stores doing a coin drive. Wearing their uniform jerseys or other identifying apparel, they have cans clearly marked with the booster club name for collection of spare change. They hand out team schedules for receipts. Our musical booster club took it one step further with some members playing an instrument or members singing acapella. These "begging for money" fundraisers could raise over $1000 in one weekend and are fun for the kids and painless for the donors. Just make sure you get permission from both your town and the merchants who will be allowing solicitations in front of their businesses.
There are many other creative ideas for funding your booster club budget at Celebration Ideas Online
Author Bio:
Carol is married with four grown children whose family loves to celebrate everything! She works full-time as an account executive. Carol has been active with the kids and all their activities over the years. She served as a PTA President as well as President of numerous school booster clubs and sat on both school advisory boards as well as scholarship selection committees. Her favorite hobby now that the kids are all on their own or off to college is her web site: Celebration Ideas Online. It was started as an album of family celebrations and has since developed into a resource center for anyone looking for celebration ideas. Her site also has good advice on the celebrating the college search and application process, developing Booster Club ideas and making GREAT college care packages. Visit http://www.celebrationideasonline.com and start creating your own terrific family celebrations and traditions.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Calling-All-Booster-Club-Members---Creative-Fund-Raising-Ideas-For-Your-Booster-Club&id=2609604

Fundraising For Your Volunteer Program Overseas

This guide is intended to give you ideas on how fundraising can help you meet your volunteering overseas costs and get your community closely involved with your bid to join a volunteer project overseas.
Don't forget, providing you let your sponsors know exactly what you are intending to do with raised funds there is nothing stopping you raising enough money to not only cover your placement fee, but also your flights and living expenses,and very hopefully still have some left over to make direct donations to the project itself.

Contents
Introduction - why fundraise and how to get started
Fundraising Ideas - strategies, tips and handy hints
Resources - Societies, trusts and bibliography

DISCLAIMER When fundraising for a volunteer overseas program, you MUST have booked your program and gotten your place validated by the project or organization; otherwise, your fundraising may be considered invalid and illegal.

An Introduction to Successful Fundraising

Why Fundraise? - opens volunteering opportunities up to more people - by fundraising, you can make a greater impact on the lives of communities around the world - it not only covers your expenses, but also serves to raise awareness about the project you are about to join and its wider needs - lets the people in your life know about the work you will be doing, drawing friends and family together around a good cause - fundraising is also a valuable skill that contributes to any CV/Resume in addition to giving you a good personal experience.

What to fundraise for? - placement fee - flights - equipment/resources (both for yourself, and the project) - inoculations/vaccinations - visa costs - living expenses

How to Get Started

The first thing you need is a goal. How much money do you need to raise in order to make your volunteer overseas project a reality? - take travel and living costs into account as well as your placement fee - think about how much time you have to raise the money - realism is important.

Think carefully about your reasons for volunteering - write them down and keep them in mind throughout your fundraising - a real passion for making a difference to another community/eco-system will inspire others to donate to your cause.

Make a list of everyone you know - friends, family, work colleagues - fundraising is all about your network, think "who can help me out?" - this group will be far more than a source of funds - they will also be there for ideas, and for support in tougher times.

Calculate roughly how much you need from each donor to achieve your goal - by assessing the support you have, you can calculate roughly how much you need from each donor to achieve your goal - this allows you to ask for specific donations, which gives your donors a benchmark and makes your fundraising more effective.

Brainstorm with your network,use your close friends and family to work out how best to raise money from the rest of your community. - the more people you get bouncing ideas of each other, the better.

Professionalism is important,maintain a smart, professional appearance in all your fundraising activities and Documents. - once you have booked, ask the organization or project if you can use their official logos and images. - try not to use personal email addresses like "hotmale@hotmail.com", create a more professional one to use instead. If you can, an organization or project email address is perfect (this also keeps things transparent).

Plan ahead! - use the time you have wisely - as long as you have is as long as you need - the more you plan, generally, the more you will raise - there will also be many rejections along the way, so be prepared for set-backs.

Fundraising Ideas Now you know how much you need to raise, and who can help you to raise it, here are some useful fundraising activities to try out:

Fundraising Leaflets Your donors need to know about you before they can support you. They will also want to know about your reasons for volunteering, the organisation you are going with, the project you will be joining, and most importantly, how it will make a difference to the local community/ecosystem it resides in. Designing an interesting leaflet will help you to market yourself, and your project, as a worthy cause.

Cover: give it a catchy title! Also use the cover to explain briefly where you're going and why, and how much you need to raise to get yourself there

2nd page: a short biography about yourself with a picture and your reasons for volunteering abroad.
3rd page: information about the project and the country in which it resides.
Back page: information about the organization you are booking through - or project, if booking directly with project (independently).

Letter-Writing Letter writing goes hand in hand with your fundraising leaflet, as this gives it more impact. Large businesses receive hundreds of letters asking for donations every year, so you need to: (a) make sure it goes to the right person and (b) make sure it stands out By enclosing a well-crafted leaflet containing all the information they need to be in a position to authorise a donation, you will stand more chance of receiving financial support.

Think, "who is this letter going to?" - always keep the reader in mind while you are writing your letter - think "is this going to a big corporation, or a benevolent organisation/trust?" and write your letter accordingly - corporate donors will be most interested in the cause they are contributing to, while grant-giving donors also take into account the personal development the project will bring you as an individual.

Keep it brief and to the point, one page is enough - too much information will dilute the message and, most likely, won't get read - always keep your reasons for volunteering in mind when writing it.

How is your request of concern to your donor? - target organisations that will be interested in your particular project - for example, a large pharmaceutical company would be more willing to support a volunteer health worker. - if you know senior members of a company, or you are resident in the same town as the company headquarters, your request will be more relevant to them and will stand more chance of success.

Always address an individual, your letter is more likely to be read this way - prevents the letter appearing mass-produced - personal requests made to the right people are key to successful fundraising.

Be specific in your requests for donations
Don't just ask for "support", say exactly how much you need to raise and why and ask for a specific donation - the bigger the organisation, or wealthier the individual, the more you can ask for - deadlines are important: always give a time limit for people to make a donation.

Offer something in return,presentations and slide shows about your volunteer project, before and/or after your trip - newsletter bulletins emailed to donors throughout your placement about the work you are doing and its benefits to the surrounding area - you can also offer the company a mention or acknowledgment of their financial support, for instance, in post project presentations or debriefs (recognition is very important to corporate donors. - offer to wear the company logo on a T-Shirt during your trip. - bring back photos of your trip for use in company newsletters etc.

Phone calls - many companies may read your letter and put it to one side - they may only be reminded about your request once you phone them to follow up - having read about your background, people should then be more likely to make a donation to a voice on the phone - phoning family/friends will also let them know how much you are in need of their Support.

Follow up - before you leave, produce a list of all your donors and invite them to any fundraising events you have planned - after your placement, remember to thank ALL your donors again and give them the acknowledgement they deserve (you could send thank you cards with a picture of yourself on the project and write about an experience that benefited you - hold a presentation/event where you can bring together all your benefactors to give thanks for their donations and demonstrate the good work they brought about.

Who do you send letters to? - Christmas Card list - if it's the festive time of year, include fundraising requests in all your Christmas cards - local companies: restaurants, supermarket, hairdressers, bookstores - any local businesses that you have given custom to, or those which have a family member working for them. Since you are local, and they know who you are, they will be more likely to make a donation. - national companies - especially if a friend/family member works there. Always remember to mention your contact in the letter - where application processes allow, you could also write to benevolent societies/grantmaking bodies.

Key points to cover in your letter,introduction - briefly, who you are, what you want to do, when and why - the need for this particular voluntary project - what you will be doing on the project and the skills you can offer to it - brief background about us (refer to your leaflet as well here) - how much you need to raise to be able to volunteer abroad - request a specific amount of money and offer something in return - tell them how they can make a donation - Conclusion Remember, you don't always have to ask for money. If a company cannot afford to give you money, in a follow up phone call, try and get them to donate equipment instead. Even if you can't use it on your placement, you can raffle it off later on and raise more money.

Make it as easy as possible for people to make a donation - donations can be made to you direct (by cheque, cash or through equipment sponsorship) - include your volunteer contribution form in all your fundraising correspondence.

NB: ALWAYS KEEP TRACK OF WHO HAS SPONSORED YOU, AND HOW MUCH THEY HAVE GIVEN

Email Fundraising This is a cheap, and sometimes very effective, way to raise money (although the proliferation of spam emails in recent years has turned many people off to genuine requests for support). The good thing about an email, however, is that it can spread very fast and can have images of yourself or your project pasted in to back up your requests. - keep file sizes down to a minimum though (around 50k maximum) - always keep your requests professional and well-written and give donors an easy way to get their donations back to you.

Events, Events can provide a great focal point for your fundraising. They take a good deal of organisation, but are great fun. The golden rule is not to spend any money putting one on, then, if no one turns up, you are not out of pocket. However, while an event may not be your biggest direct earner, it will often be the best way to attract publicity - this will give weight to any future requests you make for donations. If the event works well, though, you may find you have raised all you need in one go. This has happened before. Events are especially useful when you are looking for business sponsorship. Company's can use your event to promote themselves and gain recognition for their donation to a good cause, which is often important. Your network is vital to a fundraising event. Think about who can help you out: do you know people who run bars or restaurants? do you have friends in local clubs who can lend you a venue? what attractions can you offer to those coming to your event? raffle-prizes? auctioned goods? free food? good music? All of these are things you should be trying to get for free. The less you spend on the organisation of your event, the more you will make from it in the end.

Devise something that's unique and attention grabbing - make it relevant to your local community - the more enjoyable the event is for your donor, the more they will contribute - use all your available resources.

Be realistic about how much money you hope to raise from your event - keep an eye on hidden costs - if it is a ticketed event, keep the ticket prices as low as possible (or only your family will turn up!) - if it is a 'sponsored event', such as a fun-run, keep track of who has sponsored you - use raffles etc to boost the event's income.

Get as much publicity as possible - ask a local company if they would like to sponsor your event - get them to print TShirts make banners etc, this is great publicity for both your causes - you can also use your event to publicly thank all the people/organisations who have supported your cause (and remember to invite them before hand as well) - create flyers and give them out wherever you go.

Ideas for ticketed events - themed club nights (e.g. Samba Night raising money for your project) - balls and dances (e.g. Ceilidhs, barn dances or a line dance) - fashion shows (using friends and family for models) - slave-auctions (bidding for "a slave for a day").

Ideas for community events - garage sales/car boot sales - local community sell their old junk and donate the proceeds to your project! - village/town fete (or gala) - carry out community services for small fees) - a car' wash - contact your local petrol station to see if you can set up your event there on a Saturday.

Ideas for sponsored events - 'sponsor a distance' - run/swim/walk/skip/crawl for donations per mile covered - sponsored silence - donations per minute silence - sponsored litter-pick - sponsored tree-planting in association with the local authorities.

Ideas for sales events (and raffles) - sell local arts and crafts (do you have a friend who is an artist? a creative family member?) - create objects traditional to Brazil and sell them - sell goods/equipment that you have received through sponsorship - have a cake sale.

Event Day - Make the most of it - last minute flyering - make one last visit to the offices of the local press - if there's a spare slot on the front page for the next day, you might be on it - gather all your family and friends together for the event and have them wear special T-shirts/clothing. This creates visibility - the more people who are involved in your event, the more impressive it will and the more donations you will receive Remember, the further your event goes toward helping people, and your local community, the more participation you are likely to get and the more money you will raise at the end of it. Events are hard work, but if successful, can provide a huge boost to your fundraising efforts (be prepared for set-backs along the way though). Good luck with your fundraising. If you have any questions, or would like further information, please feel free to contact us at anytime, or to fundraise your volunteering abroad.

Resources:

Benevolent Societies and Local Trusts Benevolent Societies are there to help people with worthy causes. - identify which society best suits your financial needs - find out from them how to make an application (and you can always ask for their assistance and advice as well here) - you could also include a fundraising letter with your application, as well as your personal leaflet - offer the society newsletters throughout during your placement and slide show presentations on your return - these will be of great interest to their meetings - Target Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Round Tables, for example Local trusts could well be your biggest source of financial assistance. In your hometown, you may find trusts that have been set up to help voluntary work.

Bibliography and Further Reading - 'The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Get Charitable Donations from Individuals in a Houseparty Setting' (by Morrie Warshawski) - 'How to Produce Fabulous Fundraising Events: Reap Remarkable Returns with Minimal Effort' (by Betty Stallings & Donna McMillion ) - '25 Fundraising Secrets' (by Brent Barksdale & Joe Garecht) - 'Conducting a Successful Fundraising Program: A Comprehensive Guide and Resource' (by Kent Dove) - 'The Complete Book of Model Fundraising Letters' (by Roland Kuniholm) - 'Fundraising for Nonprofit Groups: How to Get Money from Corporations Foundations and Government' (by Joyce Young, et al)
Author Bio:
I do hope you found this article useful and interesting if you would like to embark upon a meaningful travel program abroad, most particularly in Brazil. Please feel free to check-out http://www.volunteerbrazil.com/
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Candy Bars Sales - An Effective Fund Raising Strategy

Americans love chocolates and candy and this inclination of the Americans towards chocolate and candy can be effectively used as a fund raising strategy by any organization. Every year billions of dollars are spent on candy bars and chocolates. You can sell the candy bars directly or indirectly. For direct selling you need to have volunteers for your help.
To get the volunteers you can have different types of incentives and this reinforcement technique can also be effectively used for the customers as you can announce a gift or some extra candy bars to be given to the customer who buys maximum candy bars. However if you choose an indirect way to use the candy sales method for fund raising, you should get the brochures or the handouts printed attractively highlighting the cause of the fund raise and let the interested people contact you and as an incentive you can offer them these bars and chocolates.
Before you decide to organize the fundraiser you should first know the "Target Population" that is the population that you want to target to get the donations or funds from. The target population should be in accordance with the cause of the fund raise, for example if you want to work for the cause of child labor, your target population should be children.
For this you should know the type of sweets and chocolates that are most famous among the children. The more famous the candy is, it will easily be sold and you can collect a huge sum. Before you choose the candy bars you should know the cost too. The bars should neither be too expensive or not too cheap as too cheap would not have a good quality and the ones too expensive would not let you get an amount higher than the cost itself.
Author Bio:
The Author is an expert in article writing and has done a lot of research online and offline. Come visit the author latest websites on Binoculars For Kids and Chocolate Candy Bars
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Candy-Bars-Sales---An-Effective-Fund-Raising-Strategy&id=4346941

Charity Auction - Setting Your Fundraising Auction Revenue Goal

Setting a net revenue goal for your benefit auction is one of the most important elements of planning your fundraiser. It is necessary for your nonprofit staff and volunteers to have a target to shoot for when creating the charity event. But estimating how much fundraising money could be raised at your silent auction and live auction can seem difficult, especially if this is your first charity auction event.
While an exact dollar amount is impossible to calculate, the best way to estimate the revenue is to multiply the number of guests expected at your benefit auction by the amount that each could be anticipated to spend. Guests, who are present at an event where the benefit auction is not the main purpose of attending, are likely to spend less than guests who are only at an event for the fundraising auction. If the charity auction is selling corporate tables or tickets at higher prices, you can expect each guest to spend even more. If your nonprofit organization offers ticket prices that are low, the average spent by each guest decreases.
When a nonprofit organization believes that their goal is to "make as much money as possible", they have not completed the basic planning stages of a successful charity auction. Not having a specific goal for your fundraising event is like throwing darts at the target blindfolded. If no goal is decided on in the planning of the charity event, there is no way to evaluate the benefit auction after it is over. If there was a clear budget and a definite goal decided on before the fundraising event, then we can review the actual revenue and expenses afterward and decide if the event was successful or if changes need to be made for the next fundraising auction.
Author Bio:
If you would like free help setting revenue goals for your charity auction or if you know someone who might benefit from our services, please contact Kevin Rutter, president of Hot Auctioneering, a professional auctioneer, speaker & writer. Kevin is ready to ignite the excitement at your next auction or event! Please visit his website at http://hotauctioneering.com/
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Charity-Auction---Setting-Your-Fundraising-Auction-Revenue-Goal&id=3198998

When it Comes to Fundraising - Cookie Dough Takes the Cake

So you've been put in charge of a fundraiser. Good for you. Fundraising can be a fun and rewarding experience, helping others achieve goals that they may not have been able to before. But keep in mind that you can't just jump into the project without planning because that could prove quite disastrous for all involved. Some may make it look easy, but it's not that simple.
To get started, you will need a committee, as one person couldn't possibly handle everything at once and on their own. Choose a location or locations to hold your event, making sure it's easy to find and where a lot of traffic can pass by. Knowing how much profit is needed is also something to be aware of before things get too complicated. But no matter how meticulously it's gathered together, there are still a few things stacked against you.
The reality is, people are not that willing to donate their money these days. With tighter wallets and worried minds, money is usually only invested in places closest to the individual or family. The world is also turning to the internet more and more, making it less likely that they will notice any classifieds in a physical newspaper. Churches, sports teams, schools, and so on, need to find some way to garner enthusiasm and interest in their cause.
The causes could be anything, from new books for the school library, to musical instruments, to special trips, to simply needing more money to run their non-profit organization. What activity would you need to plan in order to be the most successful? You need to think about what would appeal to those you are trying to attract. What is popular in the area, or what is attractive on a universal scale?
You could try a car wash, auction or perhaps even a raffle to win prizes, but think about trying to reach to as many ages as possible. For instance, would a middle school student care much about a car wash?
Hey, how about selling food? Food can be a great motivator to young and old alike. A cookie dough fundraiser would be an excellent idea, especially in conjunction with a school. People just love cookies, because of their sweet taste and variety of flavors. The pre-mixed dough is inexpensive to buy, and simple enough for anyone to use. Just think how much money you could raise with a network of sellers going out into the community armed with colorful sales sheets showing a nice range of cookie favorites.
No matter whether it's for a charity, a school, a church, or a sports organization, coming up with a successful plan is the most difficult part of the project. Why not eliminate that hurdle and go with a tried and true cookie dough fundraiser? The results are pretty much guaranteed. With flavors like chocolate chip and cranberry oatmeal, cookie dough practically sells itself.
Author Bio:
For a great cookie dough fundraising service call Otis Spunkmeyer Fundraising. We'll provide a school fundraiser turnkey solution to help your school or organization make a bunch of money and have fun too. Call us at 1-888-ASK-OTIS
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Books Help Students Learn to Love Reading, Raise Funds

Parents and teachers love the idea of a fundraiser that encourages students to love reading. That's what makes a school Read-a-Thon an ideal fundraiser.
Creating a school Read-a-Thon is fairly simple, you begin by creating forms that students can bring to family, friends and neighbors to ask for sponsors. Students can ask to be sponsored per book, or for a flat donation (children may be a bit more encouraged to read even more if donations are for "per book"). Distribute the forms to each classroom and explain how the Read-a-Thon will work.
A great addition to your Read-a-Thon is to have small prizes that the students can win for their participation depending on how many books they read. At one school Read-a-Thon, for every ten dollars the student raised, they earned a dollar to spend at the upcoming Scholastic book fair. Adding in a Scholastic book fair, or other well-known book fair to your Read-a-Thon can be an excellent idea.
Take the opportunity during the Read-a-Thon to have the librarian suggest great books to each grade and class. Some students may be strong readers, and may already have an idea of what they like to read. Other students may be eager to compete, but may not be as confident about book selection. These students will appreciate having the librarian visit each classroom to talk a bit about good books for them to read, handing out a suggested reading list and answering their questions about ways to find great books. The Read-a-Thon will hopefully inspire some students to be stronger readers, and leave them with a love of reading at the end of the program.
Run the Read-a-Thon for a determined amount of time, such as two weeks or even a month. An idea is to run this during I Read Banned Books Week, which is held the last week of September every year.
Encourage students to obtain sponsorship from their family and friends. Parents may also bring the sponsorship sheet into their workplace, which could add up to additional sponsors. Creating a flyer with ideas for where they can raise funds could be very helpful to many, especially those that are a bit shy about asking people. Giving parents and students tips on where they can find sponsors could help them raise even more money. The more people the students and parents ask mean more potential funds for your school.
Make your School Read-a-Thon fun. Every week add up the student totals to see which grade and class has read the most and which student from each grade and class has read the most. This will most likely spur students on to read even more, as many students like a little friendly competition. Having the Principal read the students' names, grade and classes that are in the lead over the intercom would be a great prize every week for the students to look forward to.
A school Read-a-Thon will no doubt; encourage lots of students to read more books than they might have otherwise considered. This is an excellent opportunity to open children's minds to the wonderful world of books!
Author Bio:
About the Author: Jennifer Lawton researches fun and creative fundraisers for schools, sports teams, and other groups. There's more info about elementary school fundraisers in the school fundraising directory at: http://www.schoolfundraisingdirectory.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Books-Help-Students-Learn-to-Love-Reading,-Raise-Funds&id=742380

How to Approach Grant Making Foundations That Only Give to Pre-Selected Organizations

Most of the foundations accept applications from any nonprofit organization or ministry seeking funding. There are, of course, restrictions and funding priorities but the church, Christian ministry, or other nonprofit is left to evaluate these areas and submit an appropriate funding inquiry. However, many smaller foundations do not accept applications and will include a statement that they only give to "pre-selected organizations" or that "applications are not accepted."
The most common reasons that foundations do not accept applications include:
1. The foundation has found that too many organizations are submitting proposals outside of the funding priorities.
2. The foundation has an internal process for identifying and selecting its grantees each year, usually organizations are recommended by a board member or trustee.
3. The foundation has been legally established for the benefit of specific organizations.
4. The foundation has been legally established by the donor/founder with specific restrictions on their giving procedures.
5. The foundation does not have the capacity to receive and review a large volume of proposals.
However, you may still want to approach foundations that do not accept applications if their giving interests closely match your organization's mission and vision. Being added as a new recipient for grant funding by a foundation "not accepting applications" happens more frequently than one would think.
We suggest a three steps procedure for approaching pre-selected foundations:
Decide if the foundation really is a good match
Carefully analyze the foundation's Form 990s from the past several years to see the grants that have been awarded. Subscribers to our Christian Funding Directory can use the free 990 Finder to find Form 990s from specific foundations.
If the foundation makes grants to the same small set of organizations every year, you might want to consider other funding sources. However, if there are organizations that are only funded periodically or if new organizations appear each year this may be a prospective funding source.
Next, analyze the new organizations that appear on the Form 990 to see if they are similar to your organization in mission, vision, and geographic area.
If all of these factors indicate a potential match, proceed by Using Your Networks.
Use your networks
Give a list of the foundation's board members and staff (along with their affiliations) to your board members, key donors, and influential supporters. Ask them if they know anyone on the list and if they are willing to introduce your organization to them. This is the most effective way of getting the foundation's attention.
If you do not have connections, proceed by drafting a compelling letter of introduction outlying why you are such an ideal prospect for funding.
Send a letter of introduction
If you don't have connections, you could still send a letter that introduces your organization and explains how it connects with the foundation's giving interests. However, this letter should NOT include a request for funding. Instead, the letter should provide a brief description of your organization, ask how the foundation selects its supported organizations, and request to meet with them or provide more information about your organization. This letter should be one page maximum!
Building a relationship can be a long process, but worth the effort. Remember these organizations are known to be very loyal to the organizations they fund, and if invited to apply you will most likely develop a long term funding partner.
Finally, if you are not an ideal and perfect match do not waste the time of the foundation and your own energies in developing and submitting a letter. Honestly, organizations that send frivolous letters are the reason the foundation has such restricted access in the first place. If you do not meet the funding priorities move onto the next foundation and continue your research.
Author Bio:
Jeffrey J. Rodman is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Certified Grants Specialist (CGS). He is an experienced grantwriter, fundraiser, nonprofit executive, and public speaker who operates Here-4-You Christian Grant Consulting providing consultation for grant writing and funding development to Christian ministries and Churches worldwide.
Jeffrey has supervised a team of writers, researchers, editors, and administrative staff in providing consultation for grant proposal writing, nonprofit development, and fundraising in almost every state and a dozen foreign countries and has worked on proposals to Federal, State, and Local government as well as to Foundations, Civic groups, and many others. He received his BS and his M.Ed. from George Mason University. He has written 100's proposals, secured millions of dollars in funding, and maintains a funding rate of nearly 80%.
Jeffrey loves to play games with his kids and enjoy time with his family. He has lived in Virginia for almost since 1996 where he and his wife, Terri home school their four children, Alexandra (12), Mackenzie (8), Christian (6) Kaitlyn (3), and Abigail (born02/10/2010).
Here-4-You Christian Grant Consulting
Jeffrey J. Rodman, CFRE, CGS, M.Ed.
President & CEO
Website: http://www.npfunds.com
Blog: http://npfunds.com/blog
Phone: 1-866-HERE-4-U-1
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Five Ways to Reduce Fundraising Auction Costs

School choir always contains a mix of students at the high school level. Some students choose to be there because they have had positive experiences in elementary and middle school choirs. But across the country, financial cutbacks have removed music programs from schools. So it is becoming more and more common for students to join choir in high school having had no previous choral experiences. If you are new to choir, here are a few tips for getting the most out of the program.
Learn Teacher Expectations
High school choir teachers are usually amazing well educated, and wonderful motivators. They have mandated teaching standards that they must follow, and their personal educational histories often include an interesting mixture of academics. You can help your child the most by making it a point to attend back to school night. You should expect a list of teacher expectations for the year. These will include scheduled performances, competitions, festivals and field trips, and also financial information about each event. The days of schools providing financial support for these things may be over in your school. You can better plan for the year by knowing up front how to budget for it. You will also want to ask how the teacher grades. There may be academic work in addition to performance grades. Each teacher's policy is different.
Support Fundraising Efforts
For some parents, this might mean donating time to help the teacher organize a fundraiser. For other parents, this might mean sponsoring your child and a friend who is less fortunate. For many, this will mean buying fundraiser items, or finding help from friends, family, and co-workers to sell items. Teachers can organize the fundraisers so that the entire profit earned goes to each particular child's account. There will also be fundraisers where the entire profit earned by everyone goes to benefit the costs for everyone. Attend in school fundraising concerts, and sell tickets to friends. This type of fundraiser provides the most profits for the choir. And, when your budget permits, offer to donate funds directly towards your child's events. Fundraising efforts are difficult to manage for teachers, and fatty checks are always appreciated.
Welcome Buying Choir Uniforms
It can be difficult to find school choir robes in schools these days. Many schools opt for stylish coordinated dresses for girls and slacks and shirts for boys. If your child happens to participate in show choir, every item worn must be uniform right down to the shoes and stockings. Judges will visually inspect choirs for appearance and award points for matching attire, well-groomed hair and appealing smiles. But, the most important part of wearing a choir uniform is the feeling of belonging to a winning team, and knowing that you are putting your best foot forward during performance. This feeling of pride is worth every penny invested in your child. So, by all means, do what it takes to accomplish the best that you can in this regard.
Your child will reap the benefits of your support, and everyone enrolled in the choir program will be better because of the value it provides. Choir is the place for gaining confidence and life skills. This is how to help your child succeed in high school choir.
Author Bio:
Judy Greenlees, is an expert in fine arts enrichment activities for children and their families. She has 29 years of professional experience working with families to raise musical and artistic children. To receive a free Raising Musical Children guide visit http://www.raisingmusicalchildren.com.
Business URL: http://www.raisingmusicalchildren.com
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