Saturday, August 14, 2010

School Fundraising Guidelines

The dwindling economy over the past few years has forced the educational system to make millions of dollars in budget cuts each year. The decrease in funds has caused a loss of teaching jobs, larger class sizes, overcrowding in schools, and a worsening overall learning experience for students. The effects of the nationwide budget cuts have caused a greater need for school fundraising events.
While there are thousands of fundraising ideas out there, successful school fundraisers seem to follow two key guidelines. They are easy to implement and effective in earning funds.
So what quantifies an "easy school fundraiser"? Cost is the main part. Schools fundraising ideas should come with little or no cost attached to get things up and running. This has become a rarity in the fundraising world, as the majority of easy fundraising ideas involve an investment through fundraising companies.
What many school fails to see before they begin their efforts, is that there are plenty of free fundraising businesses that can help schools raise as much or more money than businesses that charge a fee. An example of a free fundraising company is GivingJOE, which uses a unique system to reward schools for spending online. There are countless others offering easy fundraising ideas at little or no cost specifically for school fundraisers.
In order for a school fundraising idea to be effective, it must offer a high return with little or no cost to get started. Selling products door to door is a great fundraising idea for schools as long as the school is not required to buy the products before they are sold. There is always a risk that all of the products will not be sold forcing the school to take a loss on their own fundraiser.
Before you begin your next school fundraiser be sure to analyze whether or not your fundraising event is an ideal model. Make sure your school isn't spending loads of money trying to sign up for paid fundraising programs that guarantee thousands of dollars when there are the same opportunities elsewhere for free. Every dollar raised counts towards schools for our nations youth and it is our duty to make sure we maximize those funds.
Author Bio:
Check out some more effective fundraising ideas for your school, or consider the free and effective answer to school fundraising with online fundraising.
Article Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?School-Fundraising-Guidelines&id=4290506

Friday, August 13, 2010

Go Anywhere With a Battery Coffee Grinder Go Anywhere With a Battery Coffee Grinder

Tea is the number one drink in the world, but that is most likely due to its ease of travel. Because it is in bags it can go anywhere without sacrificing taste. Coffee is also a large staple in the drink world and is heavily ingrained in many cultures. In America, coffee is drunk all day, but it is best known as a morning ritual. It is the drink that starts to the day.
Schools of thought on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee vary widely. Coffee seems to be an individual's drink that can be completely tailored to the individuals taste. There are, however, some static schools of thought when it comes to home brewing. The purest water available should be used and it should not be boiling, equipment should be as clean as possible, the freshest beans should be used and this segways into the need to freshly grind beans just before they are to be brewed.
These are some umbrella rules, but they can all be broken down into even smaller pieces until it seems like minutia. Coffee is similar in this respect to the subject of wine and wine tastings. Beans give their own complex and subtle flavors that can be affected by the courseness of the ground or the temperature of the water.
One area where there is no more debate when it comes to the pure coffee lover is with grinding your own coffee. Store bought already ground coffee is essentially stale and is stripped of its essential oils.
These oils go rancid and effect flavor, but with fresh grounds there is a more robust and full flavor to excite the palate. Grinders come in three main types, hand, electric, and battery operated.
Battery coffee grinders have an advantage in that they can go anywhere with you. So much of society is focused on the green movement and being more sustainable, not having to give ourselves over the the corporate system. How better to do that than by having your own battery coffee grinder that can travel with you? Taking something like this camping can bring the tastes and feel of home without the cost on your pocketbook.
Also, these grinders are easy to clean, which makes them even more suited to stick to the "always keep your equipment clean" rule. They are as powerful as any other grinder and can make the ground that you desire: from 5 seconds to course, to 30 seconds to extra fine espresso grade grinds.
Whatever your preference and tastes, and wherever you are, a battery coffee grinder can go with you to help make your coffee to the standards you've become accustomed to.
Author Bio:
Get help choosing your battery coffee grinder and make sure you get the best coffee grinder.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Go-Anywhere-With-a-Battery-Coffee-Grinder&id=3888829

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Fundraising - What Are Your Options?

Many schools have to engage in fundraising efforts to raise money. It isn't always as effective as it could be however, and some fundraising campaigns aren't all that successful. Three of the best fundraising ideas available are listed here:
Cookie Dough Fundraising - these are very popular. And for good reason, most people like cookies! In recent years, cookie dough fundraisers have done quite well.
When you approach potential customers with this fundraising idea, the response tends to be positive. Most people will buy cookie dough for a fundraiser. Because of this, cookie dough sales are popular with booster clubs and PTAs.
Scratch Card Fundraising - Schools that sell scratch cards as fundraisers do very well. These sales can really boost school revenues. The coupon savings inside the cards also helps the cards to sell quickly.
There is a downside, however. Scratch card fundraising, just like cookie dough sales, has a startup cost associated with it. The profit margin ends up being about 70%, which is still pretty good, but there is cost up front. Sometimes you can minimize up front expenses though via preselling and careful planning.
Online Fundraising - Schools, booster clubs, and PTAs now take advantage of the opportunities available via the Internet to raise money for schools. This is now the most popular way for raising money.
One reason why online fundraising is so popular is profit margin. There is no startup cost to this kind of fundraising, and it is completely free. All money raised is profit. Here is how it works. When people shop online, there is an option where they can donate a percent of their purchase to their favorite school organization. This does not add cost. Because of this, it is a unique fundraising opportunity.
Of all of the many thousands of ways that schools host fundraisers, these three listed have been the most successful. Cookie dough and scratch card fundraisers are still very popular and do quite well, but increasingly schools are using online fundraising to meet financial goals.
Author Bio:
Look no further for an attractive bedside lamp! Makes a great gift and blends with any decor, just like these quality runner rugs.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fundraising---What-Are-Your-Options?&id=4496158

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Earn Money Working From Home As a Fundraising Coordinator

You are here because you are considering ways to earn money working from home. With unemployment at an all-time high, it is definitely a good time to take your income into your own hands. People are losing jobs daily and need that income to support their families and themselves. Some just want a second income to save up for that "just in case" moment. Whatever the reason, now is a great time to take control of your financial future and start your own business where you determine how often you work, where you work, and most importantly, how much you make. This article will discuss one method to earn money working from home - in the fundraising industry. Before analyzing the industry, ask yourself a few simple questions:
Am I able to wake up and motivate myself if nobody is looking over my shoulder?
Am I willing to make phone calls, network, send emails, do what it takes to make my business succeed?
Do I believe I can have a successful business and bring in the income I need?
Do I have the tools necessary to start a business - First, do you have the logistical tools - computer, internet connection, email, and phone. Second, ask yourself if you have the personal skills you think it will take to make your business a success? The explosion of technology has brought great benefits in bringing down your potential operating costs. With cell phones and flat rate phone plans, you now can actually enjoy the results when you earn money working from home. If you answered yes to the above questions - working from home could be a great move for you.
One fantastic option is starting your own fundraising business. In this economy, everyone is feeling the pinch and looking for new ways to make money. You could be the resource that delivers schools, churches, sports teams and other organizations their fundraising ideas. Chances are, you know a few people already that could use a fundraiser or fundraising ideas for their school fundraiser, or their church youth group fundraiser. If you have some of these contacts, you are halfway there.
All you need is some information and research of your own to find reputable fundraising companies or fundraising ideas that you can offer to these groups that are already in your rolodex. You could offer product-based fundraisers by working with a fundraising company who will pay you as a distributor of their products so the group doesn't have to pay you any money. This requires very little work for you - it puts you in the position of matchmaker which is a great position to be in to earn money working from home. Or, you could consider offering your services in other types of fundraisers such as auction fundraisers, or event fundraisers. With these fundraisers, you would take care of the execution of the fundraising efforts and in turn, the church, team or school would pay you a percentage of their profits or a flat fee. The beautiful thing is that YOU get to decide.
If you are seriously looking to earn money working from home, why not start right now by making a list of people you know who could potentially be your clients. Friends, acquaintances, neighbors - anyone who you know who is part of an organization of any size may be looking for a fundraiser. Send out emails, tell people, call friends, spread the word that you are the resource - the go-to guy or gal for their fundraising needs. Once you have a group ready to work with you - the real fun begins.
Many schools, teams and churches will already have fundraising ideas and are just looking for someone to help them find the best companies or most profit possible. Look into all of the fundraisers out there: candle fundraising, scratch card fundraising, Spinners fundraising, wrapping paper fundraisers, Auntie Anne's pretzel fundraisers and more so that you have a familiarity with the popular fundraisers groups are considering. The options are endless with fundraising as there are so many fundraising products and fundraiser ideas. There is also a seemingly unending amount of people who need to raise money. So, get started - do some research and see if starting your own fundraising business is the right move for you.
Author Bio:
Jenny Ann enjoys the freedom of working from home and researches, and writes about fundraisers and fundraising ideas for ABC Fundraising. If you want to learn more about fundraisers and the fundraising industry please visit Abc Fundraising
If if you liked these ideas and want more information about the fundraising industry or about an opportunity to earn money working from home please visit Abc Fundraising for Work from Home Business Opportunities.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Earn-Money-Working-From-Home-As-a-Fundraising-Coordinator&id=4140977

The Beauty Secrets of Coffee

Coffee is a delicious and invigorating beverage, and it can also make you beautiful! Who knew?
Coffee is more than a delectable way to start your day, and it provides a number of skin care benefits. One of the main reasons that coffee is so good to drink and use topically on your skin is because it is full of antioxidants. It is recommended to drink a moderate amount of coffee on daily basis, which is from 2 to 3 cups, to reduce stroke, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, gallstones, and Alzheimer's disease. From this point, it is amazing to see what type of benefits coffee can provide when it is used topically on your skin, which is exactly why more and more skin care companies are utilizing this innovative ingredient.
One interesting beauty benefit that coffee can provide to your hair is through the power of the coffee berry. Some spa locations use protein treatments for the hair that have coffee as an ingredient. Since coffee is full of antioxidants, it can neutralize the chemicals that break and damage hair. However, users do need to keep in mind that coffee should not be directly applied to processed or colored hair because it could cause adverse affects. If you want to use some of these beauty benefits at home, you can brew espresso, and use it to rinse your hair. You can also let it sit for 20 minutes for a soft and shiny look to your tresses.
Coffee is also a wonderful ingredient to use to tame under eye circles when you combine it with vitamin K. Vitamin K is a proven ingredient to neutralize the purple bruising color underneath your eyes due to stress or lack of sleep. Coffee also works well to reduce puffiness underneath the eye area because it is a vasodilator. This means that it will shrink the blood vessels underneath the eyes to eliminate puffiness and reduce water under the skin. It is important to apply eye creams that use this Java ingredient as opposed to direct coffee grounds on your under eye circles.
Coffee also has wonderful benefits for the skin because it is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. You can purchase a coffee body wash or scrub, or you can even make your own at home. Coffee does contain caffeine, which will tighten the skin. This also works to immediately reduce cellulite by firming sagging skin. Coffee can also work for a full facial treatment to brighten the overall skin tone by reducing pigmentation. This is one main reason that Java is often used as a beauty treatment because it can brighten the surface of the skin for a refreshing glow to the complexion.
It's astonishing to understand all that there is to know about your beloved cup of Joe! Coffee is a wonderful beverage to enjoy on a daily basis to benefit your health, and it also has a number of beauty benefits for fresh and vibrant skin on a daily basis.
Author Bio:
Another popular accessory for coffee is the commercial coffee maker! For a great selection, check out Mark Ramos' website, The Coffee Bump.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Beauty-Secrets-of-Coffee&id=3322262

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Fundraising With a Chinese Auction

Chinese auctions are very similar to silent auctions except they have a raffle component added to the mix. The bidding on items is done by ticket instead of by a written bid.
In a Chinese auction, customers buy a number of tickets for a set price, then use the tickets to bid on the items on display by dropping them in a fishbowl next to the item. In a silent auction, they would just enter a bid amount on a form next to the donated item.
Buyers are free to put as many tickets as they want in the fishbowl. At the close of the auction period, the winning ticket for each auction item is then drawn from the corresponding fishbowl.
Obviously, the more tickets a person deposits in the bowl, the higher the percentage chance that they'll win the item. That means that highly desirable items will draw a lot of tickets, just as they would draw a lot of bids in regular auction.
That's part of the big draw for a Chinese auction. Ticket costs are low compared to the ultimate value of the auction items, so lucky winners will get a great deal.
And having lots of ticket buyers means your group will do very well!
Three types of Chinese auctions
The standard format is as we previously discussed. The items are displayed on tables with a ticket box or bowl next to each item. Buyers circulate and check out which items they want to win, then drop in their tickets. At the end of your event, the winning ticket is drawn for each one.
A second variant when the auction is the only event is to run it from a central stage. Bidders are seated and each item is put up for auction one at a time. Your auctioneer pitches the item while ticket collectors gather bid tickets from those raising their hands or waving tickets about.
This makes for somewhat of a bidding frenzy, with really popular items getting hundreds of tickets submitted. Some people quickly exhaust their ticket supply, so you'll need to have ticket sellers working the room as well.
The third type of Chinese auction involves everyone depositing all their tickets into a big drum. Tickets are then drawn and called out bingo-style for each item up for auction.
People like this because they have a chance at winning every time an item is drawn. As a result , many people will drop in a huge amount of tickets, which of course is what you want to happen.
You can hold back some really high-end or desirable items for separate bidding at the end. Buyers can then buy extra tickets for these last chance drawings.
Auction profit tips
Ticket sales
Price your tickets in bundles of 25, 50, or 100 tickets. Have ticket bundles pre-packaged. Price in even amounts for quick sales.
Popular items
Gift certificates, gardening supplies, personal spa packages, vacation travel deals, and consumer electronics items are always popular. So are anything celebrity related or offering exclusive access.
Bundle items
Bundling items together will oftentimes raise more than the individual items would. Group them in related categories or complementary packages.
Themed auctions
You can also do an entire Chinese auction on a theme such as Spring, Christmas, fantasy packages, vacations, golf, sports or other popular categories.
Summary
A Chinese auction is a great way to get extra profits out of donated goods and services. Obviously, the more items you have up for grabs, the more tickets you'll sell and the more funds you'll raise. Try one at your next fundraising event and you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Author Bio:
Kimberly Reynolds writes for national publications about youth sports fundraisers, having a fundraiser using a Chinese Auction and other fundraising events. Find more school fundraiser ideas on her website, FundraiserHelp.com
Article Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Fundraising-With-a-Chinese-Auction&id=704154

Church Cookbook Fundraising Ideas

Personalized church cookbook fund raising and custom fundraising cookbooks in general are a great way for your group to make the money it needs. It is not uncommon for churches, schools, civic organizations and other large non-profits to report profits of a thousand to ten thousand dollars every time they hold a cookbook fund raiser.
So, why do cookbook fundraisers work so well? Because people love to cook and they like to eat and they like to see recipes from people of common interest. So consider offering school fund raising cookbooks for your next fundraiser!
Here are some tips on putting together and selling your own cook book:
o Advertise the fact that you will be putting together your cook book fundraiser. Give people an idea of your schedule and let them know that you want their favorite recipes. Most people are proud to see their old family recipes published and will be happy to help.
o Form a committee to sort through the recipes you receive. Make sure someone reviews all recipes to make sure they appear correct. You don't want any major mistakes in your cook book if possible. You also want to make sure you have recipes in each of the different major categories in your cookbook. A good way to insure that is to ask each submitter to give you three to five recipes and include an appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert.
o If you see that you are not getting enough recipes in a particular category let people know about it soon. People will come to your rescue if they know your needs.
o Don't stop collecting recipes until you have at least 100 pages worth of recipes and enough to complete all the sections you planned.
o If possible, include graphics in your cookbook. You can do that with any clip art program or even get people to give you photographs or drawings. A text only book is not nearly as attractive as one with graphics.
o Make sure some one responsible is put in charge of proof reading your final draft. Try to catch typos. Spell check software is useful but not always complete. So read carefully.
o When determining a selling price try to research what other local groups have sold their cookbooks for. Under no circumstances should you charge less than twice whatever the actual printing and binding charges are for the cookbook.
Finally, if you can not get enough recipes on your own, consider using fundraising cookbook software such as the services offered by companies like Fundcraft. Although we are not associated in any respect with this company, we have reviewed their website and found it to be a good resource.
Author Bio:
Howard Gottlieb
http://www.easy-fundraising-ideas.com
Easy Fundraising Ideas offers church fundraising products for every kind of church group: http://www.easy-fundraising-ideas.com/programs/church-fundraising-ideas
Article Source:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Church-Cookbook-Fundraising-Ideas&id=1468764