While online fundraising is becoming one of the most talked about topics, non profits must first make sure that they have a handle on the best online tool of all - email.

Email is a cost effective way to stay in touch with your volunteers, build relationships with supporters, let people know of upcoming events, and educate your audience about your cause.

This week I’ve rounded up quite a few great articles about email marketing and communications.

What is email Marketing? By Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports provides a great introduction to communicating with customers (your non profit’s supporters) via email.

What makes an email newsletter subject line successful? from Convio - The subject line can make a big difference on whether the recipient read the email or hits delete without even opening.

Elevate your email newsletter from snoring to soaring by Katya Andresen with tips from Kivi Leroux Miller of NonprofitMarketingGuide.com

Writing More Effective Email by Chris Brogan (with thanks to Marc Pitman for the link)

Wait, That Newsletter’s Not Spam! from TechSoup - How to keep your organization’s messages from getting junked

4 Nifty Tips for Building a List by Rebecca Ruby of the Non Profit Marketing Blog

10 mistakes to avoid with email newsletters from The Non Profit Times

9 Email Do’s and Don’ts for the Sender from Network for Good

10 Best Practices to Increase Email Response Rates for Fundraising from Marketing Sherpa (requires registration to view - which is free)

Email Software Providers

Your Mailing List Provider is an inexpensive mailing list server that’s great for small groups. I use this service for a social service club I’m a part of.

Aweber is the email service I use to send out the Step by Step Fundraising newsletter.

Constant Contact is one of the most popular email services in the non profit sector. Includes templates and and easy to use online system. Starts at $15 per month.

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The way that social services are delivered and causes are championed varies depending on culture and form of government. Evenso, I think leaders the world over seeking to make an impact for thier causes can learn much from each other.

Sometimes we can gain insight from the appraoches to funding which are different. On the other hand, some fundraising strategies such as special events could look very similar in many locales. Perhaps there’s a fundraising strategy from another country or province that has never been heard of where you live. It could be something exciting and new for your community.

It is interesting to learn about the different trends that are going on in regard to fundraising and philanthropy in general around the globe. Here are several articles that I’ve found recently that discuss these issues in several countries.

Canadian Giving Strong as Charity Growth Slows from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) - A new report has found that while Canadian giving has experienced strong growth over the first five years of the decade (2001-2005), the number of new charities being formed has slowed considerably and the majority of gifts are given to the largest organizations.

Fundraising Trends in the UK from Steve MacLaughlin of Connections (a Blackbaud blog)

An American Perspective on Australian Philanthropy from FLiP (Future Leaders in Philanthropy) - Connette Blake has lived in Australia for two years and shares her experiences.

We owe it to the needy to leave charity to the experts from The Irish online newspaper Independent.ie - The author offers a thought provoking reflection on the state of social welfare and philanthropy in Ireland where “As we become a low tax economy, private charity is increasingly being asked to fill the gap between the haves and the have-nots.”

Arab Leaders Start New Group to Spur Philanthropy from the Chronicle of Philanthropy - The royal families of Dubai, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have announced a plan to form a new organization that will help coordinate philanthropic efforts across the Arab world.

Ford Foundation Marks Forty-Fifth Anniversary of Grantmaking in Brazil from the Philanthropy News Digest - The foundation provides grants in Brazil with the aim of reducing poverty and injustice, and providing support for research centers, academic institutions, and movements that promote democratic values.

Everybody Wants to Save the World from Inc.com - A successful entreprenuer finds international philanthropy for an African charity challenging.

The links section has a list additional resources for fundraisers outside the US.

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Occasionally I hear from people who would like to fundraise to help an adult or child who has financial needs because of cancer, organ transplant or other medical situation.

Perhaps a hospitalization or treatment is needed for a serious illness. Even with health insurance, facing the financial responsibility of paying for medical treatment can become overwhelming.

Here are five guidelines to follow when raising funds for individuals:

1. Research all of your options

When a family is facing a financial hardship due to a serious medical situation, it is important to do some research before jumping into a fundraising effort. After exhausting health insurance options find out about other organizations that may be able to help:

• Social Services - Speak to social services at the hospital who may be aware of financial resources, foundations and sources of financial help.
• Family Stay - Find out if there is a Ronald McDonald house or other family stay facility near the hospital which have free or low cost accommodations.
• Government Agencies & NPOs- Contact local charities and food banks that may offer “stop gap” assistance.

2. Be aware of legal issues

Donations that are given to an individual and not a registered charity are not tax deductible. It is best to let people know upfront that their donation is going to an individual and therefore there is no tax benefit for them.

Friends, family, co-workers and extended acquaintances may be willing to give out of pocket just because they care about the person and not be as concerned about tax benefits. People who are not acquainted with the individuals involved may be more likely to be reluctant to donate to someone who is not a registered non profit organization.

If possible, partner with a non profit organization such as the Transplant Fund that can receive designated funds for the individual. Then donations can be designated as tax deductible by those who make donations.

3. Understand what motivates donors

Many people will want to make sure that all of their donation goes directly to help the person in need. Donation request letters are especially good for this reason, as there are very little expenses unlike events and product sales.

Also realize that fundraising may not be appropriate in every situation. Medical expenses must be quite extensive to warrant fundraising. For example, asking for help when a child gets a cast for a broken arm will not likely motivate people to donate because the need is not as great.

4. Appeal to Individuals Not Businesses

Fundraising events such spaghetti dinners can also be a good way to raise money. As with all fundraising events it is important to get just about every thing donated, and even more so when fundraising for individuals - food, location, decorations, and prizes. Survey your extended circle of contacts and ask them to donate supplies and prizes.

When seeking donations for an event appeal to individuals rather than directly to businesses. Corporations are usually concerned with making sure their donation is going to an organization that has government oversight, as well as a group that has the tax deductible donation benefits.

Your circle of friends may be able to get donations from their place of business since they have influence with their employers that outsiders do not have.

5. Make it easy for people to donate

Finally, make it as easy for people to donate. Offer as many ways as possible for people to help the family that is in need of money for their medical expenses. Explain how donations can be made and include contact information on all materials.

• Set up a separate bank account just for donations and discuss with the bank the option of donations being made at the bank lobby location
• In letter appeals give the name, address of the bank in case people want to make donations directly at the bank
• In letter requests include a pre-addressed envelope and a reply card for those who would like to donate by mail
• Fundraising events offer multiple opportunities for people to donate anonymously such as donation boxes, raffles, and opportunities to “round up” ticket purchases.

Example:

Your Support is Greatly Appreciated!

Three Ways to Help:

1. Make a deposit to the bank account set up especially to help defray medical costs. Go to National Bank, 1500 Travis Street, Anytown USA and let them know that you would like to make a deposit to the account of Jane Smith.

2. Mail your donation with check made out to Jane Smith to 7859 Oak Strett, Anytown USA

3. Attend our spaghetti dinner event on January 24, 2006. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Besides the dinner there will also be raffles, games and other fun activities for the whole family. If you have any questions about the fundraising efforts to help Jane Smith, please contact her friend Sally Johnson at 210-555-1234.

Conclusion

When raising funds for individuals keep these five factors in mind. Exhaust all usual financial aid services before going the fundraising route. Be mindful of legal and financial implications of fundraising, and plan fundraising activities have the lowest cost and most impact so that funds raised can go directly to those persons in need.

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Tomorrow, Saturday, February 23, more than 60 cities will host the 2008 Spirit of Women National Day of Dance for Health to inspire women and their families toward better overall health.

Lasting four to six hours, events will include dancing, prominent physician speakers, screenings, tips on healthy cooking and stress reduction, and other activities to remind participants that heart disease prevention can be a fun and energizing experience.

Find out more at PNN Online

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This week I’ve come across several great blog posts and articles related to volunteering. Whether you work for a non profit and manage volunteers or are a volunteer yourself, these insights could be quite thought provoking.

Oh Where, Oh Where Have The Volunteers Gone? from Roger Carr of the Everyday Giving Blog. He highlights a recent study and provides some related links.

How to Create a Volunteer Culture at Your School from Jim Berigan of Top School Fundraisers

Tips for Attracting Good Volunteers from Richard Male

What Does Your Board Need to Know? from Hildy Gottlieb of Help4NonProfits. Members of a non profit board are some of your most important volunteers. Make sure that they understand what’s expected of them and have proper training.

10 tips on Volunteering Wisely from Network for Good. This one is from the perspective of a volunteer. Volunteer managers can learn from this too by considering what’s important to volunteers in their service.

More Volunteering Links

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As some long time readers of Step by Step Fundraising might know, I began this site because of my volunteer experience raising funds as part of a charity marathon.   Last year I began a new website, first starting with a blog, that focuses exclusively on charity walks, runs and cycling events.  Now after many months of working behind the scenes the site now has a complete social network.

If you are participating in a charity walk, run or other athletic event, join us and get your own profile page. Your free membership includes:

• Forum where you can ask questions, get tips on training and fundraising
• Find other members who are also passionate about your causes
• Connect with like minded people all over the world
• Photo gallery, blogs, polls and more

If you are on the other side — working directly for a non profit — and planning a charity athletic event then when you join you can:

• Post your event details in our event section
• Create groups so that you can keep in touch with participants
• Post photos from past events

Join Now

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Silent auctions are a popular way to raise funds at a charity benefit event. You’ll find that most attendees are already familiar with how they work. But in short, at a silent auction items are placed for display and bidders sign a sheet with a name or bidder number and bidding amount. The winner of the auction item is the person with the highest bid at the predetermined end time of the auction. Here are five reasons why silent auctions can be a profitable fundraising strategy for your group.

1. Provides a Valuable Gift

Many people feel drawn to support various charities, often because of their personal experiences or interests. On the other hand, others may not have a strong reason to support your particular cause. An auction provides a way for them to support your organization and also get something valuable in return. Some people will find an auction item that they just “have to have” and bid because they want the item. For many people the combination of giving to a “good cause” and the draw of the auction item itself will convince them to bid on the auction item.

2. Easy to Add-on to Other Events

Silent auctions can easily be incorporated into a larger event. Most events that are held indoors can also have a silent auction. There simply needs to be a place for the tables to display the items, enough room for visitors to comfortably browse through the selections and space for the checkout table.

3. Great for ‘First Timers’

If this is the first time that your organization is hosting a fundraising event, a silent auction is a good auction to start with. Unlike a live auction, you do not need to hire an auctioneer or find big ticket items.

Because silent auctions are scalable you can have as few as a dozen good items and see a boost in your fundraising results. Depending on how many items you plan on getting and the overall size of the event, the silent auction can be planned and executed by just two or three people.

4. Increases Funds Raised at an Event

Most of the revenue that comes from special events is from auctions, raffles or some other fundraising vehicle rather than the ticket revenues. The silent auction can significantly increase the overall funds raised at your event.

Attendees come to an event for the dinner and entertainment and bid for silent auction items while they are there. They may have not planned on bidding, but because they either find an item they want, or desire to further support your organization, they will participate in the silent auction. Many people enjoy “winning” auction items and may look forward to this part of the event. Successful silent auctions can become an aspect of the event that your supporters look forward to each year.

5. Complements a Live Auction

To keep the interest of attendees, live auctions should be limited in time from 30 minutes to 1 hour maximum. Having the silent auction actually helps the live portion by placing lower demand/lower priced items on the Silent Auction tables. The live auction can then focus on the hottest items.

It is best to close the silent auction before the live auction begins. Then patrons can all attend the live segment. The Cashier’s Table should be open after the silent auction closes so those that don’t plan on bidding in the live segment can go ahead and checkout. The cashier will then stay open until after the live portion so you may check out all auction winners.

This article is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of the Step by Step Fundraising Guide to Silent Auctions

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In the past couple of weeks I’ve discussed grants with several non profit leaders.  One person said that their most challenging issue was simply finding appropriate grants to apply for.  There are several databases available that will let you search by a variety of criteria such as subject or location.  These databases then produce a list of grants that most match your requirements. Other services simply post new grants as they become available.

Finding appropriate grant opportunites is only the starting place.  Then you have prepare a compelling proposal, submit the necessary documents, all while following the funder’s requirements.  This can definitely be a challenge.

All of these resources can be found on the newly updated grant resources page.

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TechSoup recently highlighted a Study of Nonprofits and Outdated Technology that showed that many non profits do not keep computer systems up to date.

This discrepancy can be caused by funding issues or lack of technical support. Often for small non profits, it’s the computer support that’s an issue since they don’t have a full time IT department or even one “computer person”.

Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to keep computer equipment current and some practical tips to accomplish this.

Why It’s So Important

Computers, online communications and software systems are standard not only in the business world, but also in our daily lives. Non profits are not exempt from the necessity of utilizing these technologies.

Here are just a few of the positive and negative scenarios:

• Computers without up to date virus protection, anti-spyware and/or firewalls could compromise data about your financials, clients or supporters.
• Out of date or inefficient use of mailing list software could mean that supporters get duplicate mail pieces or none at all. This could cause a serious disruption in your relationship with supporters.
• Even one day without the ability to use your computer or access the internet could set you back, cause you to miss a grant application deadline for example or miss important emails from stake holders.
• A non profit organization whose staff is up to date with computer technology gets administrative tasks done more quickly and efficiently, leaving more time for service delivery.
• Email is an inexpensive way to communicate with your constituents. When it’s implemented properly it can be an effective relationship building tool.
• Organizations without a strong internet presence could be missing out on publicity, potential donors and other partners. In the January newsletter from Mal Warwick Associates Sue Woodward describes the The Rising Impact of Online Communications as it applies to non profit organizations.

Keeping Computers and Other Equipment Current

Of course it all starts with having up to date computer hardware. Review computer equipment at least twice per year and determine which needs are most critical and then plan accordingly.

Luckily the prices of hardware have come down dramatically in the past few years. For example an all in one color fax/printer/copier can be purchased for around $100. By planning ahead you can also make obtaining new equipment less stressful financially.

• Include computer upgrades in budgeting process
• Apply for a grant specifically for new computers or other equipment. In the application emphasize how this new equipment will help you further your mission.
• Work with business partners in the local area. Ask for donations of new/refurbished equipment.
• Purchase equipment from discount retailers or online at TigerDirect.com
• Consult with a local vendor to periodically review computers for important software updates

Keeping Software Up to Date

Computers are just the tools to get your work done right? So having up to date software will help you get the job done more quickly, efficiently and more professionally.

• Keep computers safe by having up to date anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
• If your office connects to the internet via DSL or cable talk to your internet service provider to make sure a firewall is included.
• Keep your content management system for keeping track of donors & other mailing list entries up to date. Have a standard procedure about how new entries are added. When a mailing needs to go out always use the database, never a duplicate copy saved from the past since the information could be out of date.
• In most cases it’s best to update software each time a new version is available. If you are unsure about the new version, most companies will offer a free trial version first.
• TechSoup provides unbiased reviews of software and technology advice specifically for non profits. When you sign up for their newsletters and/or RSS feeds you’ll also find out when they have special discount offers for various software packages.

Keep Job Skills Fresh and Up to Date

The newest computers and best software will do no good if you don’t know how to use them! Your personnel and/or volunteers need to keep computer skills up to date so that you can run your operations professionally and efficiently.

• For many situations on the job training is a good approach.
• Often community colleges offer inexpensive training courses on computer basics, software and even website building.
• Surely you’ve seen the Video Professor Advertisement on TV! They offer CDs and online training too.
• TrainingCenter.com offers free and inexpensive online courses

In conclusion, review computer equipment, software and training needs periodically to make sure you are up to date. Technology is here to stay, and thank heaven for that. These tools can truly make your non profit organization better equipped to fulfil its mission to the people you serve.

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On February 19, Sandy Rees is offering a teleseminar on Strategic Planning Basics that will help you put the pieces in place to have a successful year of fundraising in 2008.

She will guide you through evaluating the current situation at your non profit organization, what questions to ask yourself, how to set strategies, goals, and objectives, how to create an action plan, and follow through on the plan.

This kind of planning is actually much simpler than you might think and can really push you forward toward raising the dollars you need!

To learn more about this class visit Sandy’s website. The fee for the class is just $19 and you can register online. You can also see the other classes that she has planned for the near future.

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