So let’s turn to the dark side of your year-end fundraising campaign – and shine a light on mistakes many organizations make.

Here’s my Top 10 list of ways to sabotage your year-end fundraising effort.

1.  Send a letter that’s hard to read, with ponderous sentences, long paragraphs and no white space.  (This fails the “easy to read” test, which is the first hurdle for your reader, who is skimming your prose for the highlights only.)

2.  Send a letter much like last year’s with tired messaging, no visuals, no metaphors, no stories.  Your reader is unlikely to keep reading if it is not interesting.  You are not writing an academic treatise; instead you are writing marketing copy.

3.  Bury The Ask deep inside a paragraph at the end of a sentence. (Your reader must be able to easily find out how much you are asking for and for what purpose.)

4.  Don’t include a  reply envelope. (you’d be surprised how many organizations leave out this VITAL component – you have to make it easy for people to give!)

5.  Don’t update your web site. (Studies show that donors – even those who give by writing a check and sending it in the mail – will most often check out your web site to research you before they give.  And your website MUST look professional and up-to-date!)

6. Only send out one appeal letter. (this is the kiss of death for many campaigns.  Studies show that one letter will typically get a 15% response – NOT enough to make your year-end goal. Your donors are too busy and need repeated reminders. And no, it is not tacky to keep reminding them!)

7.  Don’t do phone followup. Studies show that a followup phone call can double your results.

8.  Don’t do an email push to non-donors the last two days of December. Studies show that a majority of on-line donors give in December and most of them are on the last two days of December.

9. Don’t send a PROMPT, warm, personal thank you immediately to your donors. And “warm, personal” does not mean “on behalf of the board of directors we thank you for blah blah” – this impersonal bunk doesn’t warm your donor’s heart.

10. Don’t have your board members call donors to thank them within 24 hours of the gift’s receipt. Penelope Burk’s landmark studies showed that when board members made this type of followup call, then subsequent gifts from the donors rose by 39%!

Its founders were not professionally trained in nonprofit management prior to starting their work.  They simply saw a need and decided to use their gifts to benefit others. They were very trusting and extremely hard-working.  This describes a lot of the people I personally know and have connected with online who are doing charitable work. Learning some lessons from this unfortunate story could prevent a similar disaster befalling your organization.

Carol and Hurt Porter Jr. ran a well-connected, million-dollar “model charity” in Houston -until it all came crashing down…Started in the kitchen of their modest northside house in 1984, Kid Care had grown spectacularly, feeding more than 20,000 a month in the nation’s first Meals on Wheels program for hungry children.

Full Story

The nonprofit did great work for the community and was very well known and respected.  But many factors led to its demise.  Some of these are simple traps that any nonprofit can fall into.  To me it highlights the importance of solid training in nonprofit work, having a responsible board who are educated about their duties and maintaining business-like practices.

Here are a few of the take-away lessons I found:

• Key staff members should have professional training; have a budget for continuing education for all of your staff.
• Provide training sessions for volunteers and board members.
• Create clear policies to protect your organization, i.e. conflict of interest, and enforce them.
• Always keep personal and organizational (business) expenses separate.
• Work with legal and accounting professionals that are experienced in working with nonprofits.
• Members of your board should be concerned about the mission, their roles and responsibilities and actively participate.
• Be open to listening to wise counsel, discuss options when approaching a new project. Include staff, board members, nonprofit consultants, other nonprofit leaders in your area and other professionals so you make wise decisions for the future.
• Have a plan of succession for key leadership roles; don’t fall into “founder’s syndrome.” The cause is not about YOU, it’s about those you serve.

I also find the story quite sad… the Porters sound like honest, caring people and their work helped hundreds of thousands of children and families.  Missteps in organizational management and the over-aggressiveness of a reporter and Attorney General ended what was once a thriving ministry.  (On a positive note, the Porters and their friends continue to provide food for the hungry on a more modest basis.)

You can read Don’s synopsis here (includes additional references) or the entire story on AllBusiness. It’s a long story, but I would highly recommend it!

I got an email back from Tony with some great comments that maybe you can relate to.

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for this special edition and especially for the three step plan “It’s Fundraising Time Again“.  You made a very important point in step 2 and I hope everyone who gets to read the publication will pick it out and always remember to apply it.  A detailed planning meeting does not necessary need too many people.

From personal experience, the more people you invite to such meetings, the more rowdy, less focused and unnecessarily prolonged the meeting becomes, and at the end of the day you achieve very little in terms of planning and strategizing.

Thank you once again for all your effort.

Tony Onyema
Abuja, Nigeria

The expression ”too many cooks spoil the soup” comes to mind!  I can sure remember being trapped in a room with too many people, resulting in a long and unproductive meeting.

What are some of the struggles you’ve had with meetings?  What are some ways that you’ve overcome them?  Leave a comment below…

Here’s the three step plan to focus your year-end fundraising drive that I published last year: It’s Fundraising Time Again.

Gail Perry reminds us that individuals make up around 80% of all contributions to charitable organizations.  So focus on this group (rather than foundations, corporations) to reach your year-end fundraising goals.

Best practices and case studies are included in these Tips for End-of-Year Campaign Success from Abny Santicola of Fundraising Success.

Marc Pitman offers some practical pointers and encourages you to start your year-end fundraising letter strategy today!

Jason Dick advises us to pick up the phone to solicit major gifts.

No matter what, “You must ask for a gift. Don’t assume that people will give if they can.  Encourage their giving by offering them the opportunity to make a gift.” Sandy Rees says in The 3 things that you should do for End-of-Year Fundraising Success.

The teleseminar recording “Fast Fundraising for Year-End” with Sandy Rees, Marc Pitman and myself is included as a bonus when you order the ebook or paperback  7 Essential Steps to Raising Money by Mail.

Shirley Sexton of See3 Communications recently hosted a webinar What Donors Want This End of Year Season.

Other learning opportunities are available to help make your year-end campaign great.  See a list that I posted a week ago, Fundraising Training Events, Teleseminars for Fall 2009 (some have already happened.)

Sometimes seminars just give you general information that might be helpful “someday,” while other times you are looking for something specific that you can put into practice right away.  For your end of year fundraising to be truly successful this year, why not get an edge by taking a class related to what your major fundraising focus is this year?

Here are some of the training opportunities available from various service providers, listed here as a service to Step by Step Fundraising readers.  Just click the links provided for more information.  Happy learning!

Teleseminars & Webinars

Learn from the comfort of your home or office!  These are listed in chronological order.

6 Steps to Sponsorship Success: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know
Date & Time: October 15, 3:30 PM EST
Speaker: Gail Bower
Cost: $60 Non-member/$50 State association member
Offered by: The National Council of Nonprofits

Many organizations are seeking ways to supplement funding sources that have pulled back in the past year. What is your organization doing to rejuvenate its relationships with potential corporate funders? Corporate sponsorship, done creatively, may be an answer for your organization.
Information & registration

Fundraising Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
Date & Time: October 19, 1:30 PM EST
Speaker: James M. Greenfield, ACFRE, FAHP
Cost: $87
Offered by: Charity Channel

Discover how to engage board members in fundraising, educate boards on their responsibilities and identify criteria for fundraising performance analysis.
Information & registration | Other topics available

“Missionize” Your Year-end Fundraising
Date & Time: October 20, 1 PM EST
Speaker: Terry Axelrod
Cost: Free
Offered by: Network for Good

The holiday season is upon us and, especially this year, thoughts are turning to good food, good cheer, and–of course–fundraising. While people are in a “caring and sharing” mood, they will also be looking more carefully as they make their year-end contributions. Does your nonprofit organization have a plan for strategically connecting with your donors over the holidays? Are you prepared to “missionize” each event?
Information & registration

Marketing & PR on a Shoestring: Keeping Communications Front & Center
Date & Time: October 28, 1PM EST
Speaker: Hannah Brazee Gregory
Cost: $99
Offered by: Society for Nonprofit Organizations (SNPO)

Covers: The most common mistakes nonprofit organizations make when it comes to marketing and public relations; strategies for improving your organizations message and brand; Real things you can do TODAY (at no cost) to market your nonprofit organization and further its mission.
Information & registration

Does Your Fundraising Measure Up?
Date & Time: October 28, 12 PM EST
Speaker: Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE
Cost: $10
Offered by: The NonProfit National Resource Directory

When and how do you evaluate your fundraising program? What should you measure? Why should you assess your development program? Who should be involved? Linda will discuss the who, what, when, where, why of a development audit, including standards against which to measure your program.
Information & registration

Listening to Your Donors through Data Gathering and Analysis
Date & Time: October 29, 2 PM EST
Speakers: Brian Cowart, Sr. Director, Mail Acquisition & Donor Retention, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Ann Crowley, Membership Director, Human Rights Campaign; Lindsey Twombly, Human Rights Campaign; George Whelan, Consumer Reports Foundation
Cost: $59 (Free to all 2009 New York Nonprofit Conference attendees.)
Offered by: Direct Marketing Association

Discover the ways in which other organizations are using donor touch points and data to determine the next steps in their donor relationships. Whether the data is based on one-to-one interactions or direct marketing interactions captured through the mail/web, it is all valuable if used in the right way.
Information & registration

Building a Development Committee
Date & Time: November 2, 1:30 PM EST
Speaker: Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE
Cost: $87
Offered by: Charity Channel

Webinar will cover who should serve on the Development Committee, what the committee’s role is, and how to recruit the right people to serve on the Development Committee.
Information & registration | Other topics available

Online Fundraising Bootcamp November 4: Special E-Clinic: Online Fundraising Bootcamp
Date & Time: November 4, 1 PM EST
Speaker: Kivi Leroux Miller
Cost: $75
Offered by: Nonprofit Marketing Guide

Is your online marketing and fundraising program ready to make the most of end-of-year giving? Whip it into shape by getting the must-knows and must-dos. Limited to 20 nonprofits only!
Information & registration | Other topics available

Strengthening Foundation Relationships
Date & Time: November 20, 1:30 PM EST
Format: Webinar
Speaker: John Greenhoe, CFRE
Cost: $87
Offered by: Charity Channel

Learn specific methods for making the initial approach to a prospective funder, and for following up in ways that make them stand out; strategies for building lasting and fulfilling foundation partnerships.
Information & registration | Other topics available

Mobilizing Volunteers in the Face of Budget Cuts
Date & Time: December, 1 PM EST
Speaker: Susan Ellis, President, Energize Inc.
Cost: $99
Offered by: Society for Nonprofit Organizations (SNPO)

Covers: Realistic expectations for volunteer contributions; determining what you need and finding the right volunteers who can really help; the wrong way to try to fill staff vacancies with volunteers; The right way to engage volunteers in stretching your budget.
Information & registration

Teleseminars & Webinars - On Demand or Download

These recorded and/or transcribed seminars are available at anytime that works for you!

Strengthen Your Year-End Fund Raising ­ And Sow the Seeds for a Successful 2010
Speaker: Bruce W. Flessner, Karla A. Williams
Cost: Non Subscribers $165.00, Subscribers $95.00
Offered by: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

This Webinar discusses strategies that charities can use to advance their year-end fund raising as they: Solicit major gifts, plan special events and Develop direct-mail, telephone, and online appeals.
Information & registration

Secrets of the Charity Auction Experts
Speakers: Dawn Rose-Sohnly, Steve Lieberstein, Karin Costa, Ray Hansen
Cost: $67
Offered by: Step by Step Fundraising

These seminars will make planning your auction easier and more profitable.  Includes audio recordings, printed transcripts and a Quick Start Guide - “81 Tips to Make Your Auction Great.”
Information & registration

I Can’t Thank You Enough: Winning Stewardship Strategies For The Tough Economy
Speaker: Marcy Heim, CFRE
Cost: $99
Offered by: Affinity Fundraising Seminars

Learn the key elements of a thoughtful stewardship plan; hear examples of how good stewardship is practiced; discover the importance of donor satisfaction and how to satisfy donors; get new insights and strategies for retaining your donors.
Information & registration | Other topics

Conferences and Seminars (In-Person)

Attending a live conference or workshop has many added benefits! You’ll have time to ask questions of the speakers before and after the sessions, network with other participants and attend the trade shows.

The American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP) Annual Conference
Dates: November 4 - 7
Location: Austin, TX
Speaker: Various; Keynotes from
Cost: $650 members, $750 non-members
Offered by: The American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP)

High-quality workshops on a wide variety of topics related to the grant field for a variety of skill levels and subject areas. The conference draws grant proposal writers, grant managers, nonprofit administrators, and consultants.
Information & registration

Fundraising Conference
Dates: Varies by location October - December 2009
Locations: Austin TX, Memphis TN, St. Louis MO, Minneapolis MN, Chicago IL, New Jersey, Charlotte NC
Speakers: Various
Cost: $55 per session or $169 full day
Offered by: OEG Conferences

Offers a variety of topics for fundraisers and nonprofit managers: grants, online fundraising, direct mail and other sessions available, depending on location.
Information & registration

Add to this list…

Do you know of other upcoming fundraising seminars?  Post the information in the comment box below.

Over the years cause marketing campaigns like these have grown steadily and with good reason.  They can be a great source of funding, brand building and cause awareness for the charity.  Benefits for corporations include increased sales of merchandise and public relations.

Nonprofits often seek corporate partnerships primarily for funding reasons.  The most common program involves co-branded merchandise, such as food items, clothing or other retail goods sold to consumers.  A portion of the proceeds then benefit the charity.

The definition of cause marketing, according to Wikipedia, is:

a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a “for profit” business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit. The term is sometimes used more broadly and generally to refer to any type of marketing effort for social and other charitable causes, including in-house marketing efforts by non-profit organizations. Cause marketing differs from corporate giving (philanthropy) as the latter generally involves a specific donation that is tax deductible, while cause marketing is a marketing relationship generally not based on a donation.

While these campaigns can be beneficial, a nonprofit-business partnerships should not be entered into lightly.  They require time, effort and often upfront costs to be successful.   So you can consider whether this may be a right for your nonprofit organization or business, this article offers a basic primer, including some examples and resources for further research. (Click here for a printable version.)

Cause marketing partnerships must be win-win-win

You’ve probably heard of the biz jargon called “win-win” where both parties in a business transaction must benefit equally.  In cause marketing this is certainly the case.  I often hear from nonprofits who want corporations to “show them the money” and don’t take the time to look at it from the business’s point of view.  There must be financial, PR or some other advantage to the business in order for them to participate in any partnership, from the simplest event sponsorship to a national cause marketing campaign.   There is often a third group that must be considered, consumers, and if this promotion benefits them.

The best cause marketing campaigns benefit all three groups. As Gennefer Snowfield says, cause marketing “must be a) transparent, b) authentic, and c) integrated. The belief is that if a cause marketing initiative upholds these tenets, it will be effective in connecting the consumer, company, and cause in ways that benefit all parties.”

Benefits for nonprofit organizations

While the main factor for many charities is funding, other benefits may include improving name brand awareness or cause awareness.  The nonprofit should have one primary goal for the campaign though.  Is it short term fundraising, a long term funding partnership, public awareness or something else?  Decide on this goal first and it will inform the rest of your decision making.

Here are a few questions to consider when evaluating potential partners:

• Who is our target market for the campaign?
• Does the company already reach that market?
• If a product is involved is it a good fit with the values our organization represents?
• Does the company itself line up with our values, mission and goals?
• What other nonprofit partners does the company have?  Are we in good company? Or are there too many other partners so that we may get lost in the crowd?
• If the campaign is primarily targeted toward consumers, does the company have the distribution and customer base needed for the campaign to succeed?
• What is the time frame for implementation?  Are we looking for a launch date within a few months? Or do both sides have the time and commitment level to invest in a campaign that requires a long term approach?

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) provides a great example of cause marketing through product sales.  This foundation supports efforts to find a cure for childhood cancer through simple, grassroots fundraising and advocacy.  Support comes especially from children who are inspired by the founder Alexandra “Alex” Scott who simply wanted to help other kids like herself who were battling cancer. I’ve been following them for a few years and am constantly amazed by the creativity used by this foundation to fund their mission.

This year they partnered with candy brand Mike and Ike for special edition flavors with ALSF branded packaging.  The timing of the product release was intentional: September was Childhood cancer awareness month.  Like most product based cause marketing campaigns, a portion of the proceeds from sales went to the nonprofit. One very smart move from ALSF was securing a minimum donation of $100,000 per year to the foundation.

This campaign facilitated the goals of significant funds raised and publicity by using a product that tied in to the nonprofit’s lemon themed branding.  While I had seen Mike and Ike before I’d never purchased any until I heard about the ALSF promotion on Twitter.   Next time I was at Walgreen’s I made a point to get my hands on a box.  Judging from the number of other flavor varieties the company sells, this promotion also seems to align closely with Mike and Ike’s strategy of having many different flavor boxes to choose from.  There’s not much doubt that I enjoyed the candy, as the next time I was at the store another box landed in my grocery cart.  Will I buy other flavors of this candy in the future?  Quite possibly.  Which leads us to our next important factor about a cause marketing campaign: benefits to the business.

Benefits for businesses

As I mentioned earlier, the business must have a reason for entering into this agreement or it will simply not work for them.  After all, companies are in the business of making money, not giving it away.  Just like nonprofits, the business should have a specific goal in mind for the partnership.

Here are some of the potential benefits to businesses for entering into a cause marketing campaign:

• Sell more of an existing product by giving it a new spin
• Create new products to generate consumer interest in the brand (improving sales in the process)
• Retailers may wish to see more foot traffic into their store
• Public relations, the “halo effect” of being associated with a good cause
• Improve employee morale; team building

Cause Marketing Forum reports that another reason companies are turning to cause marketing is because “research shows that many of today’s consumers demand more than just a quality product or an amusing commercial – they want to buy brands that resonate with their values.”

Republic of Tea has produced several nonprofit related products over the years including Sip for the Cure benefiting Komen, promoted during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.   For this illustration though I’d like to highlight another of the company’s nonprofit partnerships, a line called Little Citizen’s Herb Teas.

Earlier this year Republic of Tea sent me a sample of the Strawberry Vanilla flavor.  I don’t do coffee, but I love hot tea in winter and iced tea in the summer.  This is a deliciously sweet flavor that I’d definitely recommend. $1, or roughly 10%,  from the sale of each tin supports Room To Read in their mission to educate children around the world by building schools, libraries and providing educational materials for developing countries.

I recently checked in with the company to find out how the campaign was going.  Here’s what Marideth Post, “Minister of Enlightenment” at The Republic of Tea had to say:

The Little Citizens’ Herb Teas exceeded our expectations. First, we blended enough tea to last us six months - we sold through it in three months - quickly made more. Our commitment to Room to Read was to build two libraries in South Africa in 2009 - we’ve already raised the funds to do that and will likely put three more outside of South Africa. Most of all, our entire company is behind Room to Read - we attend and host their local chapter events, we’ve made presentations on behalf of Room to Read throughout the US and we had founder, John Wood as the guest speaker at our annual company meeting. It’s been a perfect partnership.

While company leaders must be pleased to see such impressive sales figures, it’s clear that this is much more than just another product line or sales tactic for them.  The Republic of Tea has seen a positive impact on the company culture, building employee morale in ways than a “team building day” could not. While these types of benefits may not be easy to quantify on a sales chart, they have lasting implications nonetheless.

Benefits for Consumers

Whether your campaign involves a co-branded product or not, the viewpoint of the consumer must be taken into consideration.  What level of involvement does the public play in this campaign?  Are you asking them to buy something they wouldn’t normally just because it has your logo on it or helps fund your group?  Will the consumer perceive that participating is beneficial to them?

Also consider how easy is will be for people to participate in the campaign.  While programs such as Yoplait yogurt’s pink lids and  have been successful, be careful about requiring additional action on the part of the consumer past the initial purchase. Box Tops for Education is a similarly structured program where proof of purchase must be turned it.  However, specific schools benefit and consumers see a direct benefit from participating.  I’d be much more likely to cut out and mail labels when it benefits my child.

Campaigns that offer tangible benefits to the consumer may see greater results.  Here’s a great example:

While October may be “think pink” month for breast cancer awareness, for Boston Medical Center (BMC) it’s all about Halloween Town.  This is a huge community wide carnival organized by BMC.  There are multiple benefits for all involved — BMC as the nonprofit beneficiary, retailer iParty as the headline sponsor, other businesses who participate and the public who attend.

One of the ways that they publicize the event, and raise funds for BMC, ahead of time is through the pin-up campaign.  You’ve likely seen many different types of point-of-sale card promotions at retail stores since many charities do them.  Cashiers simply ask customers if they’d like make a small donation and write their name on a colorful, theme shaped card that’s then placed on the wall.  For most programs that’s where it ends.  (If it begins at all.  What incentive does the donor have other than giving to a “good cause” they may or may not know anything about?)

The campaign that BMC conducts has a significant advantage that I have never seen other groups use.  They actually provide real benefits to the donor in exchange for their gift!  Each pin-up has a tear off portion with valuable coupons including discount admission to the big Halloween Town event.

But wait, there’s more.  There are benefits for the businesses as well.  First it’s brand advertising and promotion right on the cards.  Then when customers use these coupons at their store, they benefit from increased foot traffic and sales.   Retailers can track how many coupons were used and the exact financial impact it has on their business.  This can greatly encourage sponsors to get on board next year.

Joe Waters, marketing director at BMC describes the campaign in greater detail on his blog with Countdown to Halloween Town: Pinups to the People.

Motive matters

It’s important to consider how a cause marketing campaign will be received so you can head-off potential objections from all three of your stakeholder audiences.

Unfortunately some potential criticisms have grown out of legitimate concerns from actual marketing promotions. Especially with the pink for breast cancer type campaigns, there are manufacturers that have jumped on the bandwagon, producing pink themed merchandise.  Wholesalers can sell these items to organizations or individuals who then use them to raise funds or as thank you gifts.  On the other hand there are many items that end up in retail store shelves that provide no financial benefit to any charity at all.

Other times you will see labels on merchandise stating that the brand “supports breast cancer awareness.”  That’s fine, but it’s a rather vague statement isn’t it.  Many consumer will not think twice about it.  Call me cynical, but when I see something like that I wonder, how do they support it?  Are they donating money or simply saying they lend support as a marketing line?

These types of actions have even led to terms such as pinkwashing and greenwashing which refer to gray area or even unethical tactics on the part of corporations. In response, the Think Before You Pink campaign calls for “more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.”  I’m sure watchdog organization exist for other causes as well.

Since this article is addressed to you, good citizen with pure motives, I bring up this negativity with the purpose that you are aware that criticisms, both well founded and not, are out there.  With such knowledge you can be sure from the start that your campaign is sound and shows the best face to the world.

Here are some suggestions for proactive steps you can take to address concerns and prevent misconceptions:

• First of all, the planning team (both parties: the nonprofit and the business) needs to be clear on their respective goals and objectives right from the start.  When goals are clear and all of the potential issues are considered, many pitfalls can be avoided in advance.
• Reach out to the nonprofit’s most vocal supporters and ask them in advance their opinion of the campaign (focus groups, online surveys, board meetings, etc.) before committing.
• Be prepared to walk away from a deal that would not be in the best interest of your nonprofit.  Jocelyne Daw author of the book Cause Marketing for Nonprofits says, “Be sure the company you work with really “walks the talk” in its support of your mission and the greater community.”
• Demonstrate the results of your campaign:
  • In the first year prove in advance that the campaign is solid.  As mentioned earlier, Alex’s Lemonade did this by securing a minimum commitment from Mike and Ike. It says so right on the back of the box!
  • In subsequent years tell consumers what the partnership has produced for the nonprofit in the past.  Hit multiple communication channels including product packaging and press releases.
• Provide information and step-by-step instructions for partners. For example, if your promotion depends on retail sales people connect with them before, during and after the campaign.  Make sure they have the information needed to support your efforts.  Are they familiar with the cause?  Can you show a video at staff meeting to familiarize them?  Say thanks for their help in advance with something special like a t-shirt or a free sample. Remember, they are your ambassadors!
• Follow up after the campaign with business partners. Show appreciation to corporate partners at all levels and let them know how their participation matters in your cause.
• Monitor the web for mentions about the campaign using tools such as Google Alerts and Twitter.
• Publicize results through the media: press releases, on your websites, social media.  Public relations at every stage of the program will help boost public confidence and reduce the possibility of negative reactions.

Where to go from here

Cause marketing can be an effective strategy for nonprofits large and small.  Alex’s Lemonade is a relatively new foundation and yet has made great strides with fundraising and publicity not just with Mike and Ike but also branded merchandise.  I saw them with yellow and pink lemonade rhinestone jewelry on QVC a few weeks ago!  A point-of-sale card program is a great start for many local organizations.  To see how a small organization implimented this strategy, see Joe Waters blog post about Jake’s Ride.

The Cause Marketing Forum has a yearly conference with awards for best in cause marketing.  They also offer telesclasses and informative updates throughout the year.  Here’s a great list of links to more case studies, tips and tactics that they have compiled: Cause Marketing 101.

Jocelyne Daw’s book Cause Marketing for Nonprofits explores the values driven approach to cause marketing. She describes the different types of campaigns, with case studies, and how to plan and execute them effectively.

Like to print this article for reference later?  Here’s this guide in PDF format (if you save and read on your computer links are all clickable): Step by Step Fundraising Guide to Cause Marketing

eTapestry works with nonprofits to streamline their donor management system.  They also offer an online giving,  specialized email tools and event registration that are all tied together in a web-based environment. View this recent post for a case study: eTapestry Helps Food Bank Recover From Disaster

Raise The Funds creates an exciting, and unusual event that can serve as a fundraiser for your group. Michael C. Anthony performs his comedy hypnosis show “Hypnotized” all across the US. The company provides set up for the show and your group provides the venue and ticket sales. View this post to see my favorite video from his performances: Laughter Brings People Together at Volunteer and Fundraising Events

For more information about sponsorship opportunities on Step by Step Fundraising see our advertising page.

Here are 5 Attention Getting Strategies for Fundraising Letters:

1. Headlines

Even though a fundraising letter should be in the format of a letter with a salutation, body and closing, a headline at the top of the page can be an attention grabber. Headlines are usually just 1-2 lines and are printed in larger type that the rest of the letter. For added interest, use a different font.

2. Attention Getting Words

Using very specific words as sentence openers grab the readers attention. Notice that many of these sample phrases ask the reader to do something. Here are a few examples:

Just imagine if…
Right now…
Think about…
Why is it that…
Without a doubt…
For instance,
Please don’t overlook…

3. Questions

Open ended questions are great ways to begin a letter. Questions are designed to get the reader to think. When asked a question, people automatically try to answer it. Avoid using yes/no questions, because this is too easy an answer and the conversation in the reader’s mind stops.

Here’s an example: “How many people in our city go hungry at Christmastime each year? Statistics say that on average 357 will miss at least one meal between Christmas and New Year’s Day because their cupboards are bare. Many of these are senior citizens. This year let’s keep this statistic from becoming a reality.”

4. Bold Statements & Exclamations

Another way to open the letter is by using a bold statement, often related to shocking situations or statistics. For example, “Every day 7,400 people become infected with the HIV virus”

Sentences using exclamation points work well for a letter with a light hearted tone. For example, “It’s that time of year again – the Clark County Yam Festival is almost here!”

A few well placed exclamation points at the beginning and/or other sections of the letter add energy. Just be sure to use exclamation points sparingly in the overall letter. Having too many of them gives the impression of hype or insincerity.

5. Narratives & True Stories

One of the most successful ways to get your message across is to describe a story of a specific person or situation that your organization has helped. If your group has made some major achievements and successes these can also be of use. Always remember to include stories that will engage the reader, not just show off accomplishments.

In the guidebook the 7 Essential Steps to Raising Money by Mail you’ll find many more creative ideas for your fundraising letters. In fact, there are 321 sample words, phrases and sentence starters to add spice to your letter, fill in some of the missing pieces or just help get your own creativity flowing.

A used book sale can be a terrific fundraiser for a library, and an excellent way to recycle books that would otherwise be discarded at the library.

Facts About Library Used Book Sales

Tom Oram, Co-Owner of BookSaleFinder.com lists approximately 50,000 sales at their website each year. “We have probably 5,000 different used book sales from around the country from libraries, that’s from 3,000 libraries. That’s a ballpark figure, most used book sales are from libraries. 75% are from libraries.

Oram thinks many things make a library used book sale so popular as both a fundraiser, and a community event. “It’s a great opportunity for them (the community) to two things one is for the community to donate books to the friends of libraries and also for the people of the community to buy books at really great prices. That’s where the popularity lies. As a fund-raiser, everybody benefits: the people who donate, the people who buy and the people who hold the fund-raiser,” said Oram

The Success of an Ongoing Library Used Book Sale

The Greenwich Library in Greenwich, CT has an ongoing library used book sale at their Café. Called The Book Brigade, the book sale features hardcover books for fifty cents and paperback books for twenty five cents. Funds raised goes towards the Friends of Greenwich Library to present special programs such as films or concerts to the public.

Marsha Fosnot is a Friend of the Greenwich Library and is in charge of the The Book Brigade. “The café manager takes the money from the sale and collects it for us. We give him ten percent of what we make to ‘spur him on’ to collect for us. The sale makes approximately $2,000 a year,” said Fosnot. What is in the sale truly depends on what is in the shelves at the library. “The library is constantly weeding to make room for new acquisitions. We have children’s books, travel books, cookbooks and fiction books. When a new bestseller comes out, the library will buy 20 copies and then they will wind up discarding about 16 into the sale. So it depends on what the library is weeding out,” said Fosnot. Some of the books are damaged and are taken to a recycling place.

“Greenwich Library is sort of unusual, they are a rich library and there are always books available. We constantly get calls from people in the community who want to give us books and we say no because we have too many. The town dump is a place where people can take their books and people can take ten books for free,” said Fosnot.

Fosnot suggests if a library would like to create an ongoing used book sale, they need to have shelves available for the sale. “Someone has to collect the money or an honor system of putting money in a box. It (the sale) really would be library dependent if you could do a library book sale. It is so library specific, depending on the library situation. It is small money per book, dependent on volume and having a large amount of books,” said Fosnot.

Large Used Book Sales Equal Large Numbers

Two libraries that hold periodic sales are the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library sale which is held twice a year, and the Plano Texas Public Library sale which is held once a year.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Library has a sale once in October and once in March. “The October book sale is held at the same time as a book festival held in Madison that brings a lot of authors to speak and read from their books,” said Tom Garver. Garver is a Liaison with the Friends of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library Book Sale.  The sale in March of 2007 raised $25,178 to benefit the library.  Around 15,000 books are sold at each sale, 30,000 each year. The sale is primarily books but they also sell a small number of LPs and CDs as well.

The Friends of Plano Public Library holds their sale each year at the Plano Centre convention center.  The 26th Annual Book Sale held July 30 - August 1, 2009 raised over $44,000.  An additional $43,000 was raised in year-long Friends Lobby Sales held at each of the five Plano libraries. “Since 2000, our Friends Book Sales have raised over $440,000,” said Sandy Gillman, Library Staff Liaison to Friends of the Plano Public Library and the Davis Library Manager.

Funds raised from the sales benefit the five libraries in the Plano Public Library System. “This year Friends will make a $100,000 donation to assist in changing English as a second language video and tapes to CD and DVD, as well as children’s books on tape to CD. Additionally, the Friends fund our yearly family programming events, summer reading, and stipends for librarians to attend conferences,” said Gillman.

High Quality Books Make a Big Difference

“One thing that’s appreciated by our customers is the high quality of our books, some are discards from the University, and some are from professors who are cleaning their shelves or who may have died. We have acquired books from this source; it is a very high class, high quality sale. It is very interesting that the man who runs the sale that the man who runs the sale worked for years in the conservation department off the library,” said Garver.

The quality of the books is critical. “There is no question about it. I make an effort to be sure we have a high quality in our inventory, to get rid of the junky stuff,” said Garver. “I would say that I discard 40% of the stuff we get right away, from the box it comes in right into the recycling. The advantage is that we get more books than we need. So we can be pretty choosy,” said Garver.

Their book sale is a combination of discards from the library system and many donations. They have their donation system very well-organized. “The way it works is people contact us and say they have books to donate. If they are able to, they leave them at the loading dock. We have a large cage adjacent to the mail room they put them in there. The books are all sorted by subjects. So the books are well sorted – one of the principal sorters is a retired professor of comparative literature,” said Garver.

A Multi Day Fundraiser Reaches a Wide Audience

Both the University of Wisconsin and Plano Library sales are multi day events. The University of Wisconsin sale is held over four days, and it is popular on each of the four days. Garver recognizes that they have a bit of a different type of book buyer on each of the days. “It opens on a Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; you pay five dollars to get in. The prices of the books are twice as high for the books on this day when the selections are largest. This is when we get the most book dealers. These people are not gentile about buying books; they will snatch armloads of books and sort through them. They recognize that paying a premium is still a good deal for them, a premium at our sale is still very inexpensive. We have a lot of dealers who sell only on the internet. Many people just have a base of books that they sell on eBay or Amazon,” said Garver.

They have a wide variety of books at their sale, one of the reasons they are so very popular. “Well we get pretty much things across the board, but pretty much things of an academic nature. Scholarly books show up at our sale. We do get a few romance paperbacks, Danielle Steel is always there and we do get cookbooks as everyone likes to cook. The majority of the books come from the community, outside of the campus. A good number are also library discards,” said Jim Dast, the Book Sale Manager for the Friends of University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.

At the Plano Library sale the opening night is called the “First Nighter Sale,” and there is an admission of $5 per individual or $10 per family. The second and third day of the sale offer free admission. Hardbacks are $1.50, paperbacks are seventy-five cents and audios, videos and CDs are $1.50. They also have a ‘Collector’s Corner’ with rare books and first editions for sale at their book sales. The sale does not charge sales tax.

Teams of Volunteers Needed for a Successful Sale

The set up for the large book sale takes teamwork and great organizational skills. “Set up on a Monday takes all of Monday to set up in a large room of the library first floor Memorial Library. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday open the sale to the library bibliographers, they will look over the books that are there and they take away several hundred to run a check and see if they have them for the library,” said Garver.

They have 40 volunteers working on the sale with 2 different types of volunteers. There is a group of 4 to 5 volunteers that work year-round collecting books. Other volunteers work on a regular basis helping sort the books, determining where they will go, guarding the entrance door, taking the money, resorting the books and generally keeping an eye on things.

The Friends of Plano Public Library Book Sale is staffed by many dedicated volunteers, an estimated 400 plus volunteers help out each year.  A special group of about 24 volunteers work throughout the year sorting donated library materials into subject categories in preparation for the Book Sale. They start planning the next year’s book sale “immediately” following the book sale, making reservations for the next sale.

Whether ongoing or once-a-year, a library used book sale can be an excellent opportunity to raise much needed funds for your public or private library!

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