You’ve probably seen or even ordered from Oriental Trading Company…the catalog that has all kinds of party, craft and school supplies. If not, you definitely need to check them out if you’re planning a party or carnival fundraiser. You’ll find all kinds of favors at great prices.

They also have seasonal merchandise. So if your group is planning an Easter fundraiser, 4th of July event, etc. etc. you are sure to find decorations and supplies at Oriental Trading Company. With a little advance planning you’ll be able to get your event supplies cheaper than at the local party store.

Now through March 31, 2006 they’re offering FREE standard shipping on all purchases of $60 or more in the contiguous United States

Oriental Trading Company provides:

• Carnival Game Supplies
• Discount School Supplies
• Vacation Bible School Crafts
• Bulk Candy
• Kid’s Party Favors
• Teacher’s Supplies
• Unique Gift Items
• And a whole lot more…at great prices

Oriental Trading Company Get Free Shipping on orders over $60 - Use keycode RRRZC06 at check out

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Last week I sent an email to Newsletter subscribers asking your opinion about the Fundraising Forum and other features you’d like to see on this site.

Here is the message in case you missed it…

Every week I hear from fundraisers across the United States - and across the world - who are doing great things to help people in many areas of life. I always enjoy hearing these stories and sharing them with Step By Step readers when possible.

I get many questions via email and I certainly don’t mind responding to them. But I got to wondering if there were another way to facilitate an exchange of ideas in a way that everyone would benefit.

So in April of last year I setup an online message board, or forum, where you could register and post questions, comments and ideas.

We’ve had some interesting posts and I do appreciate everyone that has registered and posted a message. But we haven’t had a large volume of activity on the board. (In fact I removed the link from the home page for awhile until I could figure out what the future of the forum would be.)

Is the forum something that you would like to continue to have available for talking about fundraising projects? If yes, how can the forum be improved?

Is there another type of exchange that would be better — such as…

* Ability to write comments on articles on the website (no registration required)
* Yahoo email group
* Coaching group (online or teleseminar)
* Q&A Feature in the newsletter
* Something else?

I really appreciate your honest input as I strive to make Step by Step Fundraising a strong resource for you in your fundraising endeavors.

I was amazed at some of the great ideas that you sent in! I will definitely be incorporating a lot of your ideas in the near future.

Based on your feedback I have decided to:
1. Keep the Forum Active
2. Create a Q&A feature in the Monthly Newsletter
3. An occasional “Readers Say…” Section in the Newsletter

Thanks again for all of your feedback!

If you’d like to send in more comments and suggestions, feel free to post on the forum or send me an email.

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I’m a board member of a local nonprofit and we are about to launch our annual campaign. Like other nonprofits in our community, we are facing a very competitive funding environment. There are more agencies seeking more money from more sophisticated donors.

It’s enough to make you run for cover.

The reality is that fundraising is not easy. But it isn’t impossible. There are some mistakes to watch out for.

A common mistake is overestimating what your donors know about you.

A recent ad in “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” made this point very well. There is a picture of a couple with their checkbook. The text on the picture reads:

They don’t know:

* Why to choose your organization over another.
* How you handle your finances.
* If your letter is truthful.

And you want them to donate money?

Raise awareness of your mission. Let people know that you are good stewards of your finances. Let people know your results. Then, ask them for money.

Another common mistake is not investing time and resources in donor research When I was growing up, my father used to say, “Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.” His advice applies to fundraising.

The first place to start is with your donor records. Look for the donors who have given the largest gifts. Then look for the donors who have given the largest number of gifts. Then, look for the donors who have given recently. Make a list of those donors. They are the donors most likely to give again.

Continue to build on that relationship. Learn more about these donors. Gather information to find out what they think of your organization, why they give, what they want from their philanthropy. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups or inserts in mailings.

There are two benefits to this approach. First, you will understand your current donors better. Second, you will have credible information that can help you find new donors or bring lapsed donors back into the fold.

Often organizations are using the wrong fundraising strategy. Sometimes organizations try to implement ideas that other organizations have used successfully. Before you do, you need to answer some key questions:

* What were the specific conditions that made that idea work for that organization?
* Do those conditions exist for your organization?
* Is this idea something that would appeal to your donors?
* Do we have the capacity to implement that strategy?
* What are the real costs?
* What can we realistically expect to receive?

A better approach is to learn what strategies have been successful for you. Build on those strategies. Build on what you know about your capacity, your fundraising history, and your donors.

Check the results of your latest fundraising campaign. Did all of your board members give? If they did, celebrate that success. If not, this is the group you need to work with first.

Avoid these fundraising mistakes and you will see better results from your fundraising.

About the Author: This article is by Judith Rothbaum at www.BuildingNonprofitSuccess.com - Helping Nonprofits Thrive.

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One of the fun fundraisers listed on this site sparked an idea in one parent’s mind. Carla Cope from San Diego California wrote to tell me how they used this fundraiser in the local high school:

Sandra, I want to thank you for your website. I really appreciate the information and resources for fundraising ideas!

My daughter’s high school water polo team recently held the “Kiss A Pig” fundraiser. One of the girl’s just happened to have a pet pig-full grown 500 lbs of loveable pig!

We started out slow but did earn $450. We had 6 1/2hour lunch periods over two weeks for student voting. The faculty and staff requested seperate voting containers be displayed in the office! The girls first canvassed the staff and teachers for volunteers to be voted for. We scanned pictures of the teachers from the year book and placed a picture of our pig with big red lips kissing them. We used these pictures for posters and the voting containers. (plastic jars with a hole cut in the lid) Each participant had a container designated for them. A $1 a vote was charged.

Periodic announcements were broadcasted over the PA system to keep everyone updated on the top 5 contenders. The students were reluctant at first…. a $1 was a lot. ….. on the second voting day a parent brought a pizza and votes picked up. So the next voting days, pizzas were donated, each $1 vote received a slice of pizza. One of the office staff did not want to kiss that pig eventhough she had volunteered!…… but she was one of top 3…… she paid $50 to bring her into 4th place.

The top three, the principal and two wrestling coaches, won the kiss. One of the coaches had to chase that pig around the trailer to get his kiss! it was so funny! The kissing day was on Valentines Day. We trailered the pig on to the lunch court for all to see.

We plan to hold it again next year…. we believe the students will participate more now that they’ve seen the pig! We did bathe it the day before….

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR WEBSITE!

~ Carla Cope
Monte Vista High School Girls Water Polo Team,
San Diego, CA

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Recently, we began assisting a new inner-city Episcopal school in Denver. The leaders of this school are constantly meeting new people of wealth, but they don’t know the tips and tricks in which to cultivate and solicit these individuals to become financial contributors to the school. This is where prospect research expertise comes into the picture.

Prospect research is the systematic analysis of data about donors and prospects that is used to provide information to help engage the person in a meaningful conversation about their potential gift. Almost all of the larger non-profits that have reached an institutional phase of their development and have multiple fundraising staff know the basic elements of prospect research and where to go for information. It is the grassroots and mid- sized organizations that usually don’t have the foggiest idea of where to look. It is for these smaller groups that we are writing this week ’s Rich Tips.

The following is a list of key Web sites that will help you cull basic information about prospects and donors. Remember, you always want to use the information you gather with the utmost discretion.

Tax Assessors Database — This Web site gathers property data from all 50 states. You can access addresses and home values for prospects by zip codes.

Free Zip Code Lookup — A very cool site that gives you generalized demographic information of residents within a zip code AND compares it to national averages.

Follow the Money — Information about contributions to state politics.

Lawyer Locator — Looking for a bio on an attorney? Check out this site.

Ziggs People Search for Professionals — Professional bios and information on corporate contacts.

Vault’s Company Research — A quick way to learn about a specific company’s culture and industry. Provides links to recent and related newspaper articles.

The Forbes 400 — The list of the 400 richest Americans.

The Most Charitable Companies — Lists the most generous corporations. Take a look to see if the companies you shop at are among the most philanthropic.

Zoom Info — This site spiders out and grabs information about people from the Web then displays it for you in an easy to read format. It’s a great free way to learn about individuals and their outside commitments – business or leisure.

Birth Database — Want to know someone’s birthday? This site allows you to do just that.

FAA Registry — Get more information on a donor’s aircraft – lear jet or 1972 Cessna?

AND if you’re willing to pay . . . check out

Donor Series — A compendium of individual contributions information.

KnowX — Lists information on people and personal assets, affiliations with companies, and who the key players are at various corporations.

About the Author: Richard Male is a recognized leader in the fields of leadership development, fundraising, community organizing and public policy for non-profit organizations, faith-based entities, private foundations local municipalities and schools.

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A cookie dough fundraiser is now easier than ever. With cookie dough mixes you can pre-sell cookie dough mix that requires no refrigeration. That’s right - no freezer, no fridge.

Shelf stable cookie mixes are easier for your group to deliver to your supporters since you don’t have to worry about moving from one fridge to another. It also makes it easier for people at home to store it. (I don’t know about you, but freezer space in my house is in short supply.)

Another great thing about non refrigerated mixes is that they can be given as gifts. Just like the popular canning jar cookie mixes, these cookie mix pails can be good presents for your family, co-workers or even your child’s teachers.

This color catalog features a variety of baked goodies:

• Brownie Bars
• Blueberry Muffins
• Sugar Cookies
• and More

Your group members simply show the catalog and take orders on the included order sheet. After your coordinator submits your order to the company, you’ll get your order in a few weeks. Deliver to your supporters thank them for their orders.

This fundraiser is good for schools, daycares, youth clubs, and other small groups.

Find out more about cookie mixes or take a look at frozen cookie dough fundraisers.

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How can we show our supporters our heartfelt thanks without using their donated money to do it? The best suggestion is to take the lead of your donor community and incorporate some inexpensive ideas to show your appreciation.

We can fully understand why some donors may get upset that a small (even miniscule) portion of their donated money is going back to thanking them. This is a subject that many groups wrestle with… the fine line between building a good relationship with donors and spending the money improperly.

Some of the bigger fundraising groups, like Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, don’t give out ‘things’ in return for a donation. Others, like The Humane Society of the US or The Nature Conservancy, give you calendars, mailing labels, umbrellas…. which means that a small portion of your donation goes to buying your gifts.

There are a number of ways that you can ‘thank’ the bigger spenders without using up all the money they’ve given you in their gifts! Here are a few examples:

Make Thank You Gifts Available But Optional

If you send out a donation request letter, include a spot under the amounts for people to check if they don’t want to receive your token gift item, such as a t-shirt or calendar. Many people will check that spot encouraging you to use your money on just the cause. This also puts the donors in charge of where their money goes.

It makes it harder to predict how many items you’ll have to buy in advance (how many bumper stickers, calendars, static clings, shirts) so I’d recommend getting something that you’d plan to sell later on, and are offering it to your donors first as a thank-you. This can also apply to those lovely mailed thank-you acknowledgements. Leave a line to allow the donors to put in their e-mail address to receive an electronic copy of their donation receipt in a pdf file from your group in lieu of a mailed thank you card.

Thank You Reception

You can also host a small behind-the-scenes reception for just the BIG donors to help make them feel a part of organization. This private tour for your top donors should be ‘classy’ in that it has some hors d’oeuvres, some donated wine, the tour guides are the board members or the president, and a private Q&A session afterwards.

This is one of those special touches just for the big donors, a behind-the-scenes look at where their money goes. This would work for most organizations, from animal shelters to theatre groups, and from cancer funding groups to domestic violence awareness centers.

Special invitations to a donors’ picnic, a special reception at the home of the group’s president or a special cocktail hour before the formal ball or auction only for the high donors are other variations.

Honorary Naming Privileges & Plaques

Of course, you can always name something in honor of a large donor, or place their name on a brick or engraved plate in your walls, or on a leaf in your family tree mural. This costs very little (except for engraving), and leaves a permanent thank-you visible for everyone to see.

There are so many things you can name in their honor, from a tree, a memorial garden, a bench, have a picket fence engraved with donors’ names on each picket, special kitten rooms, surgery rooms, nurseries for at-risk mothers and their babies, name some rescued animals after them or give the donor carte blanche to name the rescued animals. One church asked their members to sponsor the building of their new fellowship hall. This gave them the opportunity to ‘buy’ a toilet, urinal, stove, sink, tables, chairs and over 100 other items for their church. Just about everything bought was able to have a ‘label’ on it of some sorts, thanking the donors.

Sponsorship Programs

The previous comment can go further through an annual sponsorship of cages/ kennels for an animal rescue, sponsorship of a project, or a child in a program. This can be done by families, businesses, co-workers, etc. Some people give these sponsorships on behalf of their office-mates as a Christmas present. Others give it to Great-Grandma Betty since she doesn’t need another tchotchke in her home which is already filled with a lifetime of memories.

Electronic Thank-You’s

Creating something special for your donors… a special booklet, newsletters, screensavers, desktop wallpaper… Anything electronic in nature will reduce the amount of money needed to produce it. A slideshow, screensaver, wallpaper on your computer’s desktop or other electronic ‘gift’ can be created specifically for your group, without incurring a high cost in production.

Business Partnerships

Secure special ‘memberships’ or ‘offers’ for your annual donors. Contact local businesses and services and ask them to offer your donors a special discount as a thank-you for their support. This will help both the business AND show the donor your appreciation. This discount card can be made inexpensively on your own computers and laminated with self-stick laminating paper.

Personal Phone Calls

The highest donors should get a prompt phone call and thank you card from the board president (or other highly respected member) to show that the donation was received, it was truly appreciated, and that it required the highest level of acknowledgement. I’ve heard horror stories where the front staff forgot to give the special donation to the president, or it was lost in transit or on the president’s desk, and a $100,000 donation was not acknowledged! GASP!

Set up a routine where all donations that come in are recorded in one journal, then list how they are responded to and by whom. Have people initial their actions in the journal/ database. There should be a record of how a check gets from the mail to the bank and what thank-you was sent and when. “THANK BEFORE YOU BANK!” as Kim Klein, a fundraising guru, always recommends.

Special Touches

Sometimes it’s not the expense of the thank-you that donors want to remember, but the special touch that you give with it such as a personalized card or the special note inside a card that really makes it personal.

Specially created cards by members of your organization are just small touches to say we’re thinking about you and appreciate your generous support of our efforts. Perhaps take a photo, and have the mat of the frame be ‘painted’ by the animals in a rescue, or painted by children in an after school art program for a special touch.

A personalized message and hand signed by the president also makes the thank you more personal.

I hope this gives you some ideas to help you brainstorm ways to thank your donors without breaking the bank!

About the Author: Danielle Hamilton is the editor of HumaneFundraising.com and moderator of a Yahoo group dedicated to helping animal rescue groups raise money for animals.

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Marc Pitman’s newsletter this week really brought out a great point. It’s a simple but very powerful idea about fundraising. Those who are raising money for a cause have to be committed donors themselves.

You can lead by example when you Ask Yourself first.

Related Resources:

Audio Interview with Marc Pitman

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Raffles are less risky than big events. You don’t have to depend
on getting large groups of people together at one time, like in
a dinner or auction.

Your success is not dependent upon advertising. The advertising
is done one-on-one as people sell tickets.

This is great for any size group - from just one person to hundreds.
I conducted a raffle fundraiser with only 5 ticket sellers that
raised over $1000 profit for our charity! If we can do it, you
can too. Follow these guidelines and you will be totally amazed
by the results.

Essentials for a Successful Raffle

Prizes - It would not be a raffle if you had nothing to give away! So what kind of prizes should you have? First of all, put yourself in your potential supporter’s shoes - What if someone comes up to you and says they are selling raffle tickets? What prize would you like to win?

Here are some prizes that attract many people’s attention:

Cars - Sports cars, Luxury cars, SUV’s in this years model. Another great alternative is a completely restored classic / collector’s car. You may or may not be able to get this donated. If not, consider other types of prizes, since your profit will be higher if all items are donated.

Travel - Always a winner. Roundtrip Airfare, a package deal, a cruise, hotel stays, even airline miles all make great prizes. Most people love to travel and the biggest obstacle is usually cost. Now if they win this raffle, they’ll just have to take some vacation time and go.

The larger trips such as week-long cruises or packages with airfare and hotel may draw more ticket buyers. However, travel doesn’t have to be exotic to make a great prize. Even a weekend getaway within driving distance could be a great prize. As long as it’s a place people in your area would want to go to for a vacation. A one night stay at a local hotel is not usually as appealing.

Electronic Equipment - Big screen TVs, DVDs, and stereos. These are big incentives, especially for the guys.

Gift Certificates - For stores like Home Depot, Best Buy, and local or chain restaurants. These make great secondary prizes.

These are just a few examples. As mentioned earlier, it is important to offer a prize that your potential sellers will place a high value on. A Barbecue Grill, a Handmade Quilt, a Gourmet Dinner, all of these could be great prizes for the right audience.

Okay, okay. So I know what you are thinking. How do I go about getting these prizes?

The absolute best way is to survey the members of your organization. Every member could possibly have something of value to contribute to the prize pool. And if not, they may know somebody who can. Go for your biggest prize first, though. You need to secure that “hook” in order to have a viable raffle.

Earlier I mentioned that I had conducted a raffle that raised over $1000. In case you are wondering, our prize was a big screen TV. The company I worked for at the time had a point system incentive program. I pooled my points with some of my co-workers to get the big prize.

I also sent out an email asking my friends and the other ticket sellers for donations. I quickly got several more donations including some nice watches. Lastly, I went to several local restaurants and they were more than happy to donate gift certificates. And BINGO, we had the makings of a great raffle!

A Few Words of Caution:

Legal guidelines regarding raffles vary by state. Do a little internet research to find out about the state raffle laws and the restrictions in your county and city.

There are also some legal issues with big ticket items like cars. You may need to sell a minimum number of tickets for the car to be given away. These are legal details that would need to be explored with the dealer before committing to a deal. It is best to consult an attorney when raffling off big-ticket items like cars or boats.

Lastly, let me advise against buying the prizes for the raffle and then paying for it with the proceeds. Only raffle off donated prizes. This will naturally increase your profits! You will be putting vitually all of the ticket sales toward your particular charitable purpose. This will make a much bigger impact for your organization and what it is striving to accomplish.

Price Point

- The price set for tickets can make or break a raffle fundraiser. The ticket price needs to be high enough to reflect the value of the prize, and the raise the funds needed. However, it shouldn’t be so high that no one will want to buy a ticket!

Again, you have to know your audience. What are your supporters willing to pay for a ticket? For some prizes and/or audiences you may need to charge $1 or $2 a ticket. But remember, the lower your ticket price, the more tickets you need to sell to make a good profit.

This is why having a big prize is so important. You can charge a higher ticket price for big ticket prizes. If you are raffling a large prize such as a car, you could charge $10 or even more.

For the raffle that I conducted, we charged $5 per ticket. This accurately reflected the value of the prize and was a price most people were willing to pay. In fact many people bought 2 or more tickets each.

For many raffles $5 is a good median price. This is usually a good price for items such as travel, TVs, BBQ grills, etc.

Carefully weigh all these aspects when setting the price of the tickets.

Total Tickets Sold - No matter what your prize or what your cost per ticket, your organization has to sell tickets. People have to be willing, able and take action to sell tickets.

Goals

- How much money do you want to raise? Is this your group’s only fundraiser for the year, or a supplement? Deciding how much to be raised from the raffle is the first step in creating goals.

Second, estimate the number of ticket sellers you can count on. How many tickets should each person sell, at minimum, to reach the fundraising goal? This ticket / amount raised goal is the Target goal.

Lastly set a stretch goal. This will provide motivation for your group to achieve more. Your super sellers will go for the stretch.

How will you motivate the volunteers to sell more tickets? Possibly a prize (like a gift certificate) for the persons that sell the most? Simple encouragement, praise and enthusiasm will go a long way in motivating your group.

Also, create time-line goals. Set a goal for one or two midpoint dates during the selling period. This will help you gauge your progress.

Boost your Ticket Sales

- Are you still brainstorming? Keep on going - push your ideas further. How can you sell the most tickets possible?

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

• Combine raffle ticket sales with other activities of the organization. Does your group sponsor a fall carnival, dinner, sports tournament or other event? Set up a booth at these events to sell tickets.
• Sell tickets at your regular group meetings, and keep everyone up to date about the campaign’s progress.
• Set up booths at local fairs and grocery stores.
• Have a reasonable time line for sales, especially for big-ticket items. A minimum of one month selling period should be allowed. Plan for 2-3 months for larger ticket items.
• Give your prizes away at a regularly planned event, or a special event. Have tickets available for last minute buys.
• Leverage your organization’s value to the community. When selling tickets, volunteers should make it clear what the sales are for. The more familiar people are with the cause or organization, the more likely they are to buy tickets.

Step by Step - Now that you have an idea of the essentials for your raffle campaign, lets break it down into steps:

1. Planning Meeting with the committee - brainstorm as many ideas and possibilities, as well potential pitfalls. Assign members to researching prizes.

2. Regroup with your committee - report progress on prizes.

3. Finalize your “big prize’

4. Finalize timelines, when ticket sales will start and when they will end. Plan the date and how the giveaway will take place.

5. Gather smaller prizes such as gift certificates for secondary prizes.

6. Make raffle ticket layout.

7. Get the Raffle Tickets Printed

8. Keep records of which tickets will be given to which sellers. Having numbered tickets will help in record keeping.

9. Distribute tickets to the sellers.

10. Assign captains to follow up with a groups of sellers

11. Have a mid-campaign committee meeting. Report on how ticket sales are going, how to boost sales if needed.

12. Set a due date (before the giveaway day) for the sellers to turn in the money and tickets (both sold and unsold. Place sold tickets in a safe holding area.

13. On the appointed date and time, draw for prizes.

14. Distribute all prizes.

15. Have a celebration party. Thank all your volunteers, ticket sellers and buyers. Acknowledge your highest fund raisers and give out awards.

There you have it! With a little creativity and super selling, you can raise a lot of support for your charity!

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Earlier this year when I was interested in learning more about publicity I came across the The Press Release Profits System from Alice Seba. This course includes an audio seminar of over an hour and a half plus templates and other resource.

I wasn’t sure about how to even begin writing a press release before taking this course. I’ve listended to it twice and learned something new each time. It’s a great resource to help anyone get more publicity by using press releases.

Until Valentine’s Day (Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at 11:59 PM EST), you can get the Press Release system at a fraction of the cost - only $19.95 instead of the regular price of $47.

Order Press Release Profits Course

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