Has this website helped you along your fundraising journey? Leave a comment about our newsletters, guidebooks or articles and how you have used them. You can leave a comment on the form below, or post a message on our Facebook Fan page.
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Thank you!
January 19th, 2010 at 6:16 am
Happy new year ones more Dear Sandra.
As you can imagine,your tools and articles are helping me a lot.Iam on the way with one international organization.In my opinion their methods could be very efficient for african organizations.
By telling the history of those we are helping,we are using a very nice path to facilite the work of all organizations(on the security around the world)by making them to know who we are.Your idea on the history of needed people is very good.
Good regards.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Your newsletter is always so interesting as well as the guidebooks. They help refresh our skills and give new insight on fundraising. Continue your good work.
January 15th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Your “Silent Auction Guide & Toolkit” is a very VALUABLE tool to have in everyone’s fundraising toolbox. I just ordered last week and have already used it. It has helped me so much to prepare our group on our upcoming Dinner and Silent auction activity.
Thank you for putting it together. Keep up the great work. Sililo aka Kuka Sam
January 15th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Ours is a school for needy children working in Uganda.
We have a problem,we have no website as yet.None of us here can operate a computer nor internet prperly.
We have failed to do the fundrising for projects we would wish to do here because of this problem.
If anything,we request step by step to introduce a volunteer program to help people or organisation like ours.All of us here are well aware that there are very many institutions like our that could be needing such help.
In the new year we hope to continue learning the use of computers and may be one day the school will own an internet for use by the teachers and pupils.
NB.You can pubish this comment,without any problem as all people must know of our problem,and out of that we can get the help we require.
May you all be blessed in the new year.
Yours
Christopher Wamala
Director
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL
P.O.BOX 226
MASAKA UGANDA.
Email :ndhschool89@yahoo.co.uk
January 14th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Thank you for all the tips and advice. The information always serves to remind me that there are so many ways to raise funds which I tend to forget when the pressure is on. The thing I enjoy the most is that you always encourage readers to ensure that those making donations, sponsorships and supporting fundraising efforts are personaly thanked and not forgotten. In my view this would be the biggest omission that new fundraisers make. We all probably tend to forget that benefactors love to hear how their contribution helped your cause.
When I think back to some of the good people who I have seemingly been too busy to thank I feel embarassed and ashamed.
I remember watching a television interview with an American rockstar during the nineties who answered all the same boring questions but then actually went on to descibe how he personally supported disadvantaged kids (rather than donating to an agency). When the interviewer faked interest the star then challenged the interviewer to have some of the kids visit New Zealand. Sadly the interviewer’s interest did not seem to be genuine so the rest of the questions were answered sarcastically. I often wonder at the lost oppurtunity to make the world a better place and that particular incident motivates me to speak out and ask questions of those who can make a difference even when social grace (and my wife) tells me that it might be an inappropriate time. I think a lot of those in a position to help would feel it a priviledge to be asked.
Keep up the hard work everyone. If you are reading this then I am sure you are doing a good job for your cause.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I have used the ideas and tips when I was the fund raising chair for our middle school band. I found many tips about keeping parents informed, setting goals etc to be invaluable as we raised $40,00 during my 3 years…unfirtunately, there was no one to replace me as my kids graduated and I have found out that many of my ideas and efforts have simply been dropped; it makes me sad. The band director did not help with recuiting of new volunteers and as aresult many would either be burned out or discouraged. We worked with an outside company for a $5,000 annual magazine sale with the hope of building on renewals (buy something you already love1) and they decided to postpone it for 6 months the next year; so much for renewals on annual subscriptions!
On a very personal level, my son and I had a very successful letter writing fund raser to help him go on a trip to Australia and New Zealand. We personalized each letter send, icluded a self addressed stamped envelope and send not only a thank you for the donation but a follow-up letter upon his retun home. We mad a deal with our son, we would pay for half (4000) and John had to raise the other $4,000; he was able to raise $2,000 of this based on the letter campaigne developed with tips from your website and books.
I am no longer actively a fund raiser, but expect to assume that role as my 3 children pursue different activites in high school and contiue to read your very informative books and articles.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Any ideas for Fund Raising for a community food bank?
Thanks!
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Dear Sandra, the book is really great and has been a big help, things are going good so far.
Thanks,
DeBorah
April 1st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I would just like to say thank you for sending me these guides they have been extremely useful!
March 17th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Hello Step-by-Step team - I found your info via this Top 10 Fundraising blogs article here http://www.blogs.com/topten/everyday-givings-top-10-fundraising-blogs/
I have a DC Public Affairs + Communications Jobs blog that occasionally features fundraising & development jobs - and today (Mar 17) - I am focusing exclusively on those opportunities - mostly in the DC area. I just thought you or any of peers/contacts in the fundraising/non-profit world might be interested in seeing it: http://publicaffairsjobs.blogspot.com/
thanks for your consideration and best wishes going forward.
Gordon Barnes
February 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
We just finished our second annual fund-raiser to benefit our medical/dental pediatric patients at Medical College of Georgia Children’s Medical Center in Augusta, GA. I am writing to you because your newsletter has been an invaluable tool to teach me how to be more successful in raising funds for this effort. I am excited about everything that I learned this year, and am already planning to learn more for next years event. I really feel that I would never have been as successful without the help of your web site.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Thank you for the tips and articles. You really get into the details of fundraising.
Lisa
January 29th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I don’t know how Sandra does it but between here original writing and the trolling for the best of the internet she has compiled maybe the most comprehensive fundraising resource on the web and she’s a genuinely nice person to boot!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Hi,
I just wanted to say thank you for your website. I am starting my own website to assist Autistic people and provide dj mixes to the world - we have learned a lot from here and wanted to say Thank You.
Best,
- Jules
September 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Hi Sandra. I have really enjoyed your web site. I especially wanted to thank you for your support of Krispy Kreme fundraisers. My husband and I operate a franchise in Tampa Florida and we are very involved with fundraising locally. I wanted to let you know that our average customer earns between $1000-$4000 with Krispy Kreme. It is a beloved brand and so, so easy to sell.
I will recommend your site to our customers and potential customers so that they can learn helpful tips to improve their fundraising success.
Thank you again!
Laura Gauthier
November 3rd, 2006 at 3:19 pm
Dear Sandra,
Thank you for the tips on how to write a fundraiser letter. I have been involved over the last couple of years in fundraising events for my softball team and league and I have been struggling when it has come down to writing letters for donations.
This is a great time of the year to have received this e-mail. I am starting to look for donations for door prizes for our banquet, and these tips will certainly help me write those hard to word letters.