Monday, September 27, 2010

Melitta Coffee Maker - A New Level of Coffee Making

In the market for a coffee maker? Only a Melitta coffee maker can give you the coffee experience that you're looking for. Melitta coffee makers are strong, efficient workers that aim to make you strong and efficient as well by providing you your instant and much-needed coffee fixes whenever you need them. That's why coffee lovers and a lot of coffee drinkers with great dependence on coffee have a strong partiality towards Melitta coffee makers.
Melitta is a large Florida-based company, which is part of the Melitta Group of Minden based in Germany. But it has a base of operations in New Jersey, USA, in the form of a coffee roasting headquarters. This company setup that spans boundaries is testament to the values that Melitta pours into their manufacture of coffee makers. This company will stop at nothing just to give you the best and most functional coffee makes around. And this objective has brought them great fame in the coffee appliance industry.
Great Products from Melitta
A Melitta coffee maker is an unspoken gem among all the other coffee makers around. While other companies offer a wide array of products spanning various industries and uses, Melitta focuses mostly on coffee production, which gives them a more targeted and dedicated approach in manufacturing coffee solutions for consumers.
Melitta produces excellent coffee makers as well as coffee filters, gourmet coffee, and coffee making accessories. But they focus most of their energy in providing great options to consumers when it comes to coffee makers. Instead of offering just coffee makers in general, Melitta produces electric and non-electric, as well as highly unique and innovative single-serve pod machines.
These different types of coffee makers are designed to meet various needs and preferences of different consumers. Their non-electric coffee makers are very appealing to people who have an intrinsic love for coffee and want to have their coffee brewed the conservative, all-natural way. Their electric coffee makers are for those who simply can't live without having coffee fixes throughout the day. And their single-serve pod machines are for those who want to take coffee and beverage drinking to a whole new level. These pod machines are very efficient machines that can brew one cup of coffee just for you within minutes.
For your convenience, these machines don't require you to measure water and coffee grounds. All you need is the machine and a push of a button. The pod machine comes with a 28 oz. water reservoir for fewer refills. And aside from saving time and energy, you can also save your precious coffee. Multiple-serve coffee makers usually end up with excess coffee that ends up going to waste, especially in small families or solo drinkers. The single-serve machines can eliminate this particular problem. This shows that more than just a coffee maker manufacturer, Melitta also aims to provide various solutions just to make your coffee drinking experience the best it can ever be.
A Melitta Masterpiece
There is also one Melitta coffee maker that stands out even among all the exceptional products of the company. This is Melitta's special Smart Mill and Brew model. This coffee maker already does the coffee grinding right before brewing. It comes with a built-in coffee grinder. And true to its name, this product is very smart in that it can even report the weather while it serves you great coffee.
With the help of MSN Direct, the coffee maker can give you weather updates, innovation that only Melitta has been brave and creative enough to pursue. This is your perfect morning companion. Made with a stainless steel-based design and structure, this product claims attention both inside and outside. So if you are planning to buy a coffee maker, a Melitta coffee maker is highly recommended.
Author Bio:
You can find more about the Melitta coffee maker on our Best coffee makers website.
Copyright 2008 Coffee-maker-guide, all rights reserved.
Mark is the editor Coffee-maker-guide which provides you with the best coffee maker reviews and ratings. You can find more about the Melitta coffee maker on our Best coffee makers website.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Melitta-Coffee-Maker---A-New-Level-of-Coffee-Making&id=1568628

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Fundraising Ideas For Non-Profit Organizations

Looking for fundraising ideas for your non-profit organization? There are all sorts of programs out there and picking the best one for your organization can be difficult. When you evaluate a fundraising program you should look at the type of products or services you would be offering to your potential buyers. Traditional products such as candy and etc. can be sold but people may want healthier choices. Consider products that everyone can use or would want.
Does your program require you to buy and keep an inventory of products regardless of your sales? These types of fundraisers can end up costing you more than you will make in return. You don't want to get stuck with products that you couldn't sell due to a lack of consumer interest in the product or because your product is a perishable item such as fruit or food stuffs. The best idea in this case is to look for fundraising programs that do not require you to keep your own inventory.
Have you considered fundraising programs that offer your organization residual income? Selling a product once and getting a return on that sale can generate income, but a program that offers consumable and useful products that your supporters can buy on a continuing monthly basis can give your fundraising efforts a steady residual income. The key here is to offer a product that people will use and will want to continue to use. The repeated sales on this type of program will keep cash flowing into your organization.
The next consideration is to find a supplier for your products that will sell directly to your supporters and fulfill your orders. You should be concentrating on promoting your fundraiser and let the product supplier handle the order processing and shipping. Finding a fundraising system that does the heavy lifting for you is essential for your continued success. With this system,the supplier will process your orders and then issue payments to your organization.
Summarizing the ideas,we can see that a fundraising program that offers useful products on a continuing basis,using a product supplier that handles order fulfillment,and using a system that generates residual income is the best idea for your non-profit's fundraiser.
Author Bio:
Kerry Thomas is an article marketer. You can find out more about Fundraising Ideas here: http://bestfundraising-ideas.net/
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Fundraising-Ideas-For-Non-Profit-Organizations&id=4386068

Friday, September 24, 2010

Why You Should Drink Organic Coffee

Think about organic coffee if you are looking for healthy alternative to your regular one!
The fact that it is becoming very popular makes us even more curious. Why?
It has to do with the production which uses considerably less chemicals than the regular one. So if you are into go green trend, than organic coffee is the one for you.
Many of you do not know that the coffee industry is like any other industry and it is driven by profits and earnings. Farmers or the producers are using large amounts of pesticides and herbicides to increase the annual harvest.
The problem is that we are not aware of it as the majority of brawn gold is produced in countries that are far away from our homes. And the strong lobby prevents detailed information on coffee production to come out to public. For occasional java drinkers this is not a problem as they do not drink it regularly. The situation is considerable different for regular coffee lovers who drink it on daily basis.
So if you are a coffee lover you must read more about healthy organic gourmet coffee.
Three most important things about coffee you need to know are:
• Pesticides and herbicides that are used, leak into the ground water and surrounding soil and kill of plant and animal life.
• The tree or plant absorbs some of the pesticides from already polluted ground.
• Harvested beans are treated with additional chemicals.
By buying organic coffee from our local coffee shop or from online retailer, we start drinking healthier coffee beverage and help protect nature as well. If you decide to take an active approach and start drinking gourmet coffee that is grown with approved supplementary organic and mineral fertilizers, than you should know that it will cost you a bit more. Rests assure that the rich and full flavor of your gourmet organic coffee is worth it.
Be sure that you are buying coffee that is certified as organic. You can check your coffee for some kind of seal or label that shows your coffee was certified by a certifying body.
The number of retailers selling healthy coffee is getting larger, so you should not have problem acquiring ground beans, loose or vacuum packed coffee from different coffee brands.
Author Bio:
The best place to shop is online as you can get what you want for reasonable price from reputable online sellers. If you are looking for more coffee facts about Organic coffee please visit http://www.coffeeinspector.com where you will find all you need to know to brew a great cup of coffee and get extensive tips on coffee and coffee related equipment.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Drink-Organic-Coffee&id=3590688

Why You Should Drink Organic Coffee

Think about organic coffee if you are looking for healthy alternative to your regular one!
The fact that it is becoming very popular makes us even more curious. Why?
It has to do with the production which uses considerably less chemicals than the regular one. So if you are into go green trend, than organic coffee is the one for you.
Many of you do not know that the coffee industry is like any other industry and it is driven by profits and earnings. Farmers or the producers are using large amounts of pesticides and herbicides to increase the annual harvest.
The problem is that we are not aware of it as the majority of brawn gold is produced in countries that are far away from our homes. And the strong lobby prevents detailed information on coffee production to come out to public. For occasional java drinkers this is not a problem as they do not drink it regularly. The situation is considerable different for regular coffee lovers who drink it on daily basis.
So if you are a coffee lover you must read more about healthy organic gourmet coffee.
Three most important things about coffee you need to know are:
• Pesticides and herbicides that are used, leak into the ground water and surrounding soil and kill of plant and animal life.
• The tree or plant absorbs some of the pesticides from already polluted ground.
• Harvested beans are treated with additional chemicals.
By buying organic coffee from our local coffee shop or from online retailer, we start drinking healthier coffee beverage and help protect nature as well. If you decide to take an active approach and start drinking gourmet coffee that is grown with approved supplementary organic and mineral fertilizers, than you should know that it will cost you a bit more. Rests assure that the rich and full flavor of your gourmet organic coffee is worth it.
Be sure that you are buying coffee that is certified as organic. You can check your coffee for some kind of seal or label that shows your coffee was certified by a certifying body.
The number of retailers selling healthy coffee is getting larger, so you should not have problem acquiring ground beans, loose or vacuum packed coffee from different coffee brands.
Author Bio:
The best place to shop is online as you can get what you want for reasonable price from reputable online sellers. If you are looking for more coffee facts about Organic coffee please visit http://www.coffeeinspector.com where you will find all you need to know to brew a great cup of coffee and get extensive tips on coffee and coffee related equipment.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Drink-Organic-Coffee&id=3590688

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Part 2 - Fundraising Auction Tips For Selling Art in Your Charity Auction

(This is part 2 of a two-part post discussing the selling of art in your auction fundraiser.)
Last week I talked about why you should avoid selling traditional art in your live auction fundraiser. I gave tips for selling art, and I'm adding to it this week with three additional ideas.
Keep art politically "neutral."
In 2009 at a more liberal school auction, I sold a signed print of Frank Shepard Fairey's iconic HOPE poster for $2500. It was so popular, I was able to sell it three times, earning the school $7500.
Just 30 days prior to that auction, I worked at a conservative school fundraiser. An item had been — the charity auction chair believed — intentionally damaged because it had President Obama's image on it.
This brings home the challenge of politically-themed art. There's a chance that at least 50% of your audience will immediately dislike it. You've got to know your crowd.
Suggest a signed and numbered print.
If you aren't getting an original piece of art (and you usually won't), it helps to have the piece signed and numbered. "It's 14 of 100 prints," sounds better than, "It's a print."
I doubt the HOPE poster of President Obama would have brought the value it did had it merely been a poster and not signed by the artist.
Think twice before framing. Framing is good for art, but the challenge is that framing is so expensive. An additional $300 of framing might never be recovered in the sale of the item. Although I prefer selling framed pieces, I advise against it unless the framing is deeply discounted or free.
Some final thoughts for art centers out there which have traditionally only sold art in their benefit auctions.
In many cases, an art center's mission is to promote art to the larger community. These centers remind us that art enriches our culture, reminds us of our humanity, and is a valuable, tangible creative expression. In many cases, an art center's mission is not to support *this* art style or *that* artist, but to support art in general.
Consider expanding on that theme in your items. Sell an art vacation.
It might be a first-class trip to Miami Art Basel or transportation and lodging to Burning Man (Can you imagine!).
Offer a behind-the-scenes at the Santa Fe Art Colony in Los Angeles, or one-on-one instruction with a professional artist at The Torpedo Factory.
Is there a restaurant in the city which has collaborated with an art center to rotate artwork on the walls? Secure a dinner for two where guests can enjoy culinary delights on the table, and artistic delights on the walls.
The auction is your opportunity to remind art-loving guests that art is meant to be experienced in a multitude of ways, and can be brought into many aspects of our life to enrich our experience as humans. Use your items to remind guests that art is meant to be appreciated with all five senses.
Copyright (c) 2010 Red Apple Auctions LLC
Author Bio:
Fundraising auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS featured in national publications for her trend-setting work with auction fundraisers is more than an effective auctioneer, she teaches benefit auction chairpersons steps for improving an auction's bottom-line. Her FREE Auction Item Guide TM gives procurement help (listing the 100 top-selling items). GET YOURS AT http://www.redappleauctions.com/.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Part-2---Fundraising-Auction-Tips-For-Selling-Art-in-Your-Charity-Auction&id=4395377

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What is 4C Common Code Coffee Certification?

The 4C Common Code's mission is to achieve global leadership by emphasizing the economic, social and environmental factors in coffee growing. This emphasis leads to enhanced production, processing and trading conditions for coffee sector members.
4C Common Code was started in 2003. This certification has representation from countries such as Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua, New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.
Is 4C a label?
• No. 4C is not a label. It is a certification.
• Coffee and farms are certified. There are specific checks to verify that the coffee in the pack meets the criteria noted on the label.
• The label on the packaged coffee indicates the correctness of a claim such as coffee produced using sustainable standards. The label may read "Organic Coffee," for example, and additional wording may state that the coffee is 4C certified.
How is 4C different?
• The certification acts as a baseline standard. The improvement process behind the name and all the work put in by the 4C Association is what creates a difference.
• 4C members implement specific processes and measurable steps to meet specific baseline levels of sustainability.
• Again, an important distinction: on coffee packs, consumers will not see a "label" or "endorsement." Instead, they may simply read that the roaster supports the 4C Approach.
How do coffee farmers become eligible for 4C Common Code certification?
• Coffee farmers comply with a code of conduct that is very specific regarding unacceptable and acceptable practices.
• This code covers many social, environmental and economic principles for everyone in the coffee supply chain. For example, this includes farmers, plantations, producer organizations, estates, mill, exporters, traders, and more.
• Following practices that emphasize the sustainability of production and post-harvest processing ensures consistency across 4C Common Code certified farms. It also helps promote and adopt the code among farmers.
What are the main objectives this certification seeks to achieve?
• The main goals include: reduction of coffee cultivation costs, product quality improvement, and strengthening of organizational structures for coffee producers.
• In other words, optimizing the general operational flow along the value chain, from the bean to the cup.
• By realizing these goals, farmers increase their incomes and improve their life standards.
What makes 4C such a successful program?
• One of the reasons that 4C Common Code has been growing so much is the word of mouth advertising among coffee farmers, workers and producers.
• To date, more than 14,000 farmers produce coffee in line with 4C standards and account for about 4 per cent of global production.
• What is very significant is that the standards have helped farmers increase their incomes by over 30%.
• When coffee farmers hear directly from other farmers how successful they are with the farming practices recommended by this certification's Code of Conduct, they are very likely to want to know more and to join the program.
• Farmers encourage each other to plant other crops such as peanuts, corn, root crops, palm oil or other natural plants along with coffee.
• Farmers have the confidence that they have a ready market for their products as long as they comply with the code because it differentiates them from any other farmers.
What about having a cup of Jamaican Genuine Blue Mountain "Certified"?
Author Bio:
Timothy ("Tim") S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him "Gourmet Coffee Guy."
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.
Come visit the author's website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-4C-Common-Code-Coffee-Certification?&id=4182815

Monday, September 20, 2010

Improve Fundraising Letters by Writing to Emelia, Not to Everyone, In Your Direct Mail Appeals

A few years ago I sat down with my lawyer to sign my Last Will and Testament. I had never had a Will before, so I hired a lawyer to draft a Will that was clear, expressed my wishes, and would not likely be contested in court. He pushed the completed document across the table for me to review and sign. Everything about the document seemed fine except for one nagging detail. Throughout the document, the lawyer had referred to me as Paul Sharpe. I don't know anyone by that name. And neither does my lawyer. Once he had corrected his mistake and made the document about me, I was satisfied.
As a direct mail fundraiser, you face the same challenge with every fundraising letter you craft. You must write an appeal that speaks to each reader individually, not to everyone in general. Getting their name right is the easy part. But how do you write one letter to thousands of donors in such a way that each donor reading your letter feels it was written to them in particular?
With a donor picture.
The key to writing one-on-one is to picture the donor you are writing to. Whenever you pen a note to grandma, you picture her in your mind's eye, and imagine her reading your words. Do the same with your donor. Picture her in your mind.
Mine your database to discover what your typical direct mail donor looks like. Male or female? 25-40? 40-60? 60-80? Presbyterian or Agnostic? Plumber or Lawyer? Hillsburg High or Harvard? Married or single? Republican or Democrat? $25 or $2,500 annually?
Now that you have an idea of what your typical direct mail donor looks like, hunt through some suitable magazines for a photo of that donor. Cut it out. Paste it at the top of a sheet of paper.
Give the donor a name. Write beneath the photo all that you know about her (most DM donors are hers) from your database mining (age, marital status and so on). Beneath that write a brief bio of Emelia Carruthers, or whatever you've called your donor.
To get yourself started, ask your imaginary donor these questions:
• Why do you support our charity?
• What prompted you to give your first gift?
• What would make you stop?
• What problem do you want your gift to solve?
• What person do you want your donation to help?
Now write your answers out in the form of a mini biography. Pin this donor profile next to your computer. next time you sit down to pen an appeal, talk to Paul, I mean Emelia, in a personal, friendly way that inspires her to respond with her heart, and a donation.
Author Bio:
Alan Sharpe, CFRE, is a fundraising practitioner, author, trainer and speaker. Through his weekly newsletter, books, handbooks and workshops, Alan helps not-for-profit organizations worldwide to acquire more donors, raise more funds and build stronger relationships. As the Director of Direct Development with The Gideons International In Canada, Alan manages their direct mail, major gifts and planned giving programs. Sign up for "Alan Sharpe's Fundraising Pointers," Alan's free, weekly, email newsletter, at www.raisersharpe.com.
© 2009 Alan Sharpe.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Improve-Fundraising-Letters-by-Writing-to-Emelia,-Not-to-Everyone,-In-Your-Direct-Mail-Appeals&id=4476275