We all do it. Well, most of us do it. Some of us are doing it more than once a day. We search the internet at work, home, school and just for fun.

J.J. and Ken Ramberg, a brother and sister team, founded a search engine simply called GoodSearch.com. The name says it all. The search engine is powered by Yahoo! so you are guaranteed excellent results. Since GoodSearch.com’s public launch in November 28, 2005, more than 27,000 organizations have signed up with GoodSearch.com. One hundred more organizations sign up each day.

Step by Step Fundraising is fortunate to have interviewed Co-Founder J.J. Ramberg as she discusses the inspiration for GoodSearch.com, how non-profits can use the search engine and best promote their use of it to raise funds, and their plans for the future.

What was the inspiration for Goodsearch?

Kenny and I know that everyone has a cause they support. For some people its finding a cure for cancer or helping abandoned animals. But not everyone has the time to dedicate to these causes, even if they would like to. So GoodSearch.com gives them a way to support their cause even if they don’t have the time. We’ve seen firsthand how hard it is for an organization to raise much needed funds. My nephew is fatally allergic to peanuts and my sister has spent time raising money for that. My mother passed away from cancer and we have firsthand knowledge of the money needed for people suffering from that disease.

What is Goodsearch ?

GoodSearch.com is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that donates 50 % of its revenue to the charities and schools that its users designate. This works out to be a penny for every search. If five hundred people search four times a day this would raise $7300 in a year. The key here is that the GoodSearch.com users don’t pay a thing and the organization doesn’t pay a thing. The money comes from advertisers, and you use it exactly as you would any search engine and it is powered by Yahoo! so you will get proven search engine results.

What were you and your brother doing before you started Goodsearch?

My brother founded a company called JobTrack, which now operates as MonsterTrak, it was sold to Monster.com.

I hold an M.B.A. degree from Stanford and worked an internet start up and then worked as a television journalist.

We both are very involved in philanthropy and have been for our entire lives. Now, Ken sits on the board of Phase One. Phase One is an organization that supports Phase One critical research for cancer patients. Ken is also a member of the advisory board of the largest free clinic in the nation.

I have spent time volunteering for micro finance organizations overseas.

How much of an impact has Goodsearch had? How much money has been raised, how many charities have signed up?

More than 27,000 organizations are listed on the site and we add more than 100 a day. To give some examples: The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has raised $2400, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation $2400, The Bubel Aiken Foundation $2100.

Why would you recommend a charity to use Goodsearch?

GoodSearch.com is an effortless way to raise money for your cause. People are searching the internet all day anyway. Why not raise money while they are doing something they are already doing? Last year the market for search engines was six billion dollars. So we founded GoodSearch.com to try to create a way to redirect some of that money to organizations making the world a better place.

What should a charity do when they sign up with Goodsearch?

It’s easy, all you do is go to the GoodSearch.com homepage and click on the button that says “Add a new charity” and fill out a simple application. That then goes through our approval process. Assuming it is legit, it will be up and running in a few days. Then the organization needs to tell all of their supporters to use GoodSearch.com. when they use the internet.

The way organizations let supporters know is through e-mail, blogs, My Space pages, newsletters. They’ve also had the IT department download the GoodSearch.com toolbar into every computer in the organization. They’ve had their corporate sponsors get the word out to their employees. In some cases they also have the corporate employees download the toolbar. Organizations have also written to their local press and had stories written about being on GoodSearch.com. They have mentioned it at events and put up flyers. They’ve also gotten kids to spread the word at school.

Do you have any success stories about a charity that has used Goodsearch?

With The Bubel Aiken Foundation, some of its supporters started writing about GoodSearch.com on their blogs. They jumped from earning four dollars in April to two hundred and ninety dollars in October. That would be their per month’s earning.

What are your plans for Goodsearch for the future?

Our Hope is that everyone uses GoodSearch.com for a cause they care about and that the organization is listed on the GoodSearch.com site.

Find out more about Goodsearch 

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There is nothing remarkable about the single pool table inside the Cavalier Store, a bar & restaurant in Lynchburg, Virginia. It’s 3 feet by 7 feet, the standard “bar table” dimensions, and owner Wells Duffy originally found it gathering dust in a rural barn. Who knew that it would one day become a prolific moneymaking machine for charity?

Each year, on the Sunday after the Super Bowl, the place is packed with onlookers for the final round of the annual Cavalier Cup Pool Classic.

“It’s my busiest day of the year, by far,” Duffy said with a smile, “and I lose money.”

That’s because beer sells for $1, when someone isn’t buying rounds for the house. And all that money Duffy doesn’t make goes to Crisis Line of Central Virginia, a local hotline.

Yet that’s only part of the story. Over the past four years, the Cavalier and its pool table have come to demonstrate how one establishment and its customers, focusing on a single charity, can truly make a difference.

“This started out as just a fun tournament for the regulars,” said Steve Harrington, a Lynchburg business owner who has coordinated the Cavalier Cup since it’s inception. “You paid an entry fee, and it was double elimination. It was also a lot of work for me, figuring out the brackets and harassing people to get their matches played, and I was starting to get burned out on it.”

About that time, Duffy happened to listen to a local radio show on which then-Crisis Line director Pat Shahrokhi was interviewed.

“I was just really impressed with her, and with the organization,” he said, “and I decided I wanted to do something for them.”

Duffy bumped the Cavalier Cup entry fee up by $10 to benefit his new favorite charity. Some of his customers began donating lump sums to the cause, and the local Budweiser distributor provided all the beer for Cavalier Cup Day, the $1 price going into the Crisis Line pot.

Finally, two years ago, Harrington added a new wrinkle to the tournament. The Cavalier Cup is highly competitive, with the last eight survivors from a field of 30 or 40 competing on the final day. Harrington decreed that whoever raised the most money for Crisis Line, even if he or she had lost earlier in the event, had the right to play the last tournament finalist for a spot on Cavalier Cup Day.

“This has two advantages,” Harrington said. “It helps raise money, and it ensures that the preliminary matches get played faster, because nobody wants to be the last finalist in and have to play in that extra match.”

Some of the tournament purists grumbled, Harrington admitted, but complaints diminished this year.

“I don’t know much about pool,” said Jeanette Wilson of Crisis Line, “but I love what they do for us.”

About five years ago, Crisis Line of Central Virginia expanded its reach to cover Southwest Virginia, as well, via long distance. The agency now gets more than 1,500 crisis calls a month — including, most recently, those related to the horrific mass shooting at Virginia Tech.

”It was great to see people donating money and having a lot of fun at the same time. And when it was all over, the Cavalier had raised $6,000 for us.”

All from one tiny pool table.

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Yesterday I attended a seminar about marketing for non profit organizations. One of the topics that we discussed at length was “word of mouth” marketing. The best advertisement for your non profit are the people who care passionately about the cause and the organization.

By coincidence when I got back to the office I had an email from Marc Pitman about his Creating Donor Evangelists Audio Program. I purchased this program a couple of years ago and it’s still one of the best fundraising information programs I’ve experienced. (In fact if you go to Marc’s site you’ll see my unsolicited testimonial.)

This is an audio CD that is truly packed with information. You’ll find out how to build strong relationships with donors, your community and create instant positive buzz about your organization. It’s also delivered in Marc’s fun, practical style.

If you purchase this CD during the month of April you’ll get a free bonus teleclass on Wednesday, May 2 at 1 p.m. EDT. This class will help you put the Donor Evangelists principles into action right away.

Find out more about The Creating Donor Evangelists Audio Program

P.S. To get a sample of Marc’s teachings you listen to a free audio interview about asking for donations on the Step by Step Fundraising Audios section.

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The Dickinson, North Dakota, Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center (DVRCC) hosted a prom/party dress fundraiser in November 2006. They were able to raise $1,300 from the sale of donated party/prom dresses with no expenses. Gloria, a representative from the DVRCC, shared how they met their success.

“The dresses were donated by various people from the community,” Gloria says. “The room was donated by the local Days Inn, and display racks were borrowed from a volunteer’s contact.” They were even able to organize a makeshift dressing room with borrowed partitions and mirrors.

The dresses were priced at $25 to $40 each. Over 100 people attended the event, and about half were able to select something from the variety of dresses, suits, shoes and accessories. Gloria says the first hour was the busiest. The remaining two hours saw lots of shoppers trickling in and out, she says.

A total of 10 volunteers put the event together. Eight of the volunteers worked to set up the dress displays, dressing rooms, and checkout area for about three hours before the store opened. These volunteers took payments and wrote receipts for the dresses and accessories. The same volunteers manned the shop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Two other volunteers served as donation takers at their places of employment before the event.

They used a variety of medium for advertising the event. Gloria says they used all sorts of flyers, a press release and emails as well as a website. The website Dress4U.org advertised the event, donation locations, and linked to the DVRCC.

Gloria offered two pieces of advice for groups interested in organizing a dress fundraiser: “Hang the newer dresses in front, and get the word out. The event pretty much sells itself. We plan to continue this event at least once a year.”

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Raising Greater Funds: Secret Strategies to Increase Your Fund Raising Success is a series of fundraising seminars and the first one is free on the Raising Greater Funds website. You’ll see the link in the right hand column. You can click to listen online or right click and save to your computer to listen later.

This recording focuses on fundraising events, in particular, lessons Tom & Amy Casey learned from planning a basketball tournament. Not just a one time deal, this tournament has run successfully for 17 years and continues to grow each year.

One of the points that Amy makes that should be memorized by fundraising event planners:

Any expenses that are going out are taking away from your fundraiser. And they are taking away from whatever your cause is. The people that are donating and coming to your event want the money to go to the cause not to pay for the stuff.

Well said! I totally agree. In most cases your group should get everything donated. It may take a few years to build up, but passionate supporters, many of whom are business owners or in a position to make donations, will help keep expenses low.

If you are planning a special event this one teleseminar can save you hours of work and increase the funds raised by 2x, 3x or 10x what you’d normally see.

As I mentioned the first audio is a free download on the website. There will be 5 additional audios, and for the whole series it’s $97. I’ll be speaking on one of these classes about online fundraising. I’m honored to be a part of this series which will include great information on a variety of topics that you can put into action to further your non profit’s vision.

Find out more about Raising Greater Funds series and download the first audio for free

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The Combined Federal Campaign is the Federal government’s workplace giving campaign, and the world’s largest source of unrestricted funds for non-profits.

Bill Huddleston, author of the soon to be released book, “A Hidden Treasure for Non-Profits, How to tap into the CFC, America’s Largest Workplace Giving Campaign,” will conduct a free teleseminar about the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), on Wednesday, April 18th at 1:30 PM Eastern.

If you want to improve your non-profit organization’s performance or you just want to learn more about the CFC, please go to CFCfundraising.com to register.

Each participant will also get a free report about the CFC in their region.

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In February this year, the Wichita Falls Texas Youth Symphony Orchestra (YSO) held its annual Play-a-Thon. In years past the event took place at a shopping mall where patrons could listen to the youth ensembles and soloists perform. Funds raised were from sponsorships obtained in advance.

This year the event was transformed into a luncheon with tickets to the event at $10 which were sold in advance. The change of venue was a great success, netting over $3,500.

As soon as I walked into the social hall of the church where the event was held I knew I was in for a treat. This was no ordinary spaghetti dinner. Tables were decorated with Italian themed baskets, balloons and traditional red and white checked table cloths. There was a festive atmosphere where everyone seem to be having a nice time.

Staying true to its Play-a-Thon roots, Youth Orchestra members performed during and after the meal. Instead of performing a concert, students played in informal groups. Those in attendance were free to mingle with friends and browse the silent auctions while enjoying the music.

I recently spoke with YSO Executive Director Juliana Lehman about this event. “Once we had booked Toscani’s as the caterer we went with the Italian theme. One parent volunteered to do all the centerpieces and another did the tablecloths. It came together really well.”

Next year the YSO plans to continue with the luncheon Play-a-Thon. When asked what she’d do differently next time, Juliana advises, “There were a lot of volunteers who were there and ready to help out the day of the event. But as you know, there’s a lot of prep work that goes into a event. Next time we’ll divide up into 4-5 committees beforehand.”

The most successful aspect of the event in terms of money raised was the silent auction. Find out how they increased their chance for success with creative silent auction baskets.

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The third annual Wichita Falls (TX) Youth Symphony Orchestra Play-a-Thon event was a great success, with the majority of funds being raised by the silent auction.

I’ve been to many silent auctions and this one had one of the best presentations I’d ever seen. All of the auction items were attractively packaged in wicker baskets and enveloped in plastic wrap.

There were only about a dozen baskets but each one was packed with great items, making quite an impression. This auction proved that it’s not quantity of items that matters, but quality.

YSO Executive Director Juliana Lehman explained, “We had several gift certificates that had been given to us for student incentives. Once we got in a few other donations we grouped them into themes. We sent out an email to parents asking for other items to go with those themes.” What a great strategy… the easier you can make it for people to donate the better!

Some of the creative silent auction basket themes included:

• Mexican food - Gift cards to 3 different restaurants, jar of salsa, tortilla chips
• Chocolate - Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, truffles and more
• TV theme - Included 3 months free digital cable TV and cable internet service

Most of the baskets had a value of $100 or more and some were as high as $350. After the baskets were assembled one of the students typed up descriptions. At the auction the description sheet was placed along side the bid sheet in front of each basket.

Each of the items in the basket and its corresponding value was listed. A total value for the basket was featured on the description and bid sheets.

Juliana commented, “Our goal was for each basket to bring in $100. Some of the higher valued items brought in much more. Everyone that came got really competitive!”

Other organizations who plan silent auctions can model the success of the YSO. Group auction items into like themes and package together in attractive baskets. Offering a variety of sizes and values will provide an opportunity for everyone to participate. But don’t underestimate your crowd. Be sure to have a few high value, high demand items. You may be pleasantly surprised at the final auction bid!

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Ahhh the bake sale… the perennial fundraiser at schools, churches and well, just about anywhere you can put up a card table. Everyone loves cookies, cakes and pies right? So it while it may sound like a good idea to have a bake sale, I contend it’s actually one of the worst!

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 let’s do the math, how many baked goods does your group have to make in order to raise the money it needs?

Unless you only need to raise $100 or less your group is never going to reach it’s goal with a bake sale. Why would you spend so much effort on something that produces so little results?

Anyone who’s ever baked items for a sale (and I have) knows how much work it is. Even if you like to cook you spend all afternoon in the kitchen making cookies and cupcakes. At best your hard work will fetch the organization $10-20. Was it really worth it?

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.

Why not focus all of your efforts on one or two fundraisers that will produce much more results? Find a fundraising program that fits with the mission of your group. For many non profit groups donation requests are the best way to raise not just money, but make lasting friends for your cause. Special events and sales are also good depending on the nature of your group.

There are a variety of great fundraising ideas…bake sales are just not one of them!

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National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world takes place on April 20-22, 2007. National Youth Service Day 2007 is part of the Eighth Annual Global Youth Service Day

Children and teens join together from school groups, faith-based organizations, sports leagues, and other clubs will lend a hand to people in their communities.

National & Global Youth Service Day supports youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educates the public, the media, and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders.

This year participation has been simplified to allow you to either start a project with your youth or simply incorporate or designate an existing project the week before or after April 20-22, 2007 as a N&GYSD project.

Each year the program grows in number of participants and in partnerships. This year the event is sponsored by Parade Magazine and State Farm Companies Foundation

For more information visit YSAa.org/nysd to learn about the 100’s of possibilities to get involved in your community and Make a Difference.

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