Author: Mike Melancon
They say money is the root of evil-well, some people say that,
anyway. However, money is also necessary to the survival of any
nonprofit organization, so it can't be that bad! How many times
do you see people collecting donations for their cause? On the
other hand, how many organizations do you see going without any
form of donations? (None? Sure, that's because any that would
try to do that couldn't exist long enough to be noticed!) The
good news is that there are many ways to generate donations.
Your website can easily collect money. It is a great way to
receive donations, because anyone can go there 24 hours a day, 7
days a week; donations can be collected from literally anywhere
in the world. Every nonprofit organization should have a
"Donate" section on its website to collect funds through.
A shopping cart can also be a great asset to your
website-although what you sell on your site should, of course,
be appropriate to your cause. It is easy to set up a shopping
cart, and the money generated can easily be worth the investment.
Even collecting spare change brings in money! Santa Claus stands
in front of grocery stores ringing his bell at Christmas, asking
for your pocket change-and how many of us have dug in our
pockets to drop in some spare change here and there? Many stores
may have a collection jar for coins at the checkout stand,
dedicated to some charitable cause. Spare change is an easy,
painless way for most people to give, that makes them feel good
about giving at the same time. It is amazing that giving a
little can add up to so much.
Selling ad space on your website, on the other hand, is another
approach that can bring in a great deal of money. Smaller
companies are constantly looking for inexpensive sources of
advertising. Setting your rates to meet the little guy's budget
will make it affordable for more companies to advertise with
you, and will definitely support your cause.
Corporate sponsorship is a further route; this is when a company
gives money to a cause. They give money as a form of
advertisement to be associated with a cause. The corporation
will generate publicity for itself and improve its public image
as generous and charitable, and may also receive tax deduction
benefits from their efforts, so this can be very attractive to
businesses.
Receiving grant funding is an additional avenue of support that
many organizations want. Public and private foundations are more
than willing to help support a worthy cause. Some organizations
think they do not qualify for a grant, but many would be
surprised to find how many foundations would be willing to
support their cause. Having a professional grant writer, who
knows who to approach and how to design proposals to them, is a
must when researching the awarding foundations and appealing for
a grant award.
Fundraising events, yet another source of income, can take the
form of a telethons, walk-a-thons, fairs or carnivals, live or
silent auctions, or bake sales. Selling candles, cookies,
magazines, coupon books, wrapping paper, popcorn, gifts, as well
as other items can bring in money to keep your cause afloat.
Donations through social networks have been successful for many
causes: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn are very
popular sites for generating donations. Politicians have used
these resources to generate millions of dollars for their
campaigns-so why shouldn't you?
In-kind donations, an entirely different kind of support, are
given in lieu of money. Giving goods and/or services can be just
as valuable to an organization. Used clothes, office equipment
or furniture, warehouse supplies, and other items are often
accepted gladly, and can be a valuable and very practical asset.
Time is a source of donations that people sometimes think they
cannot afford. How hard is it to find a couple of hours in the
week to help out a cause? When first presented with a cause,
people may sometimes give excuses not to volunteer their
time-but with good promotion on your part, generating positive
motivation and the feeling of helping a worthwhile cause, it can
also be surprising how many people emerge "from the woodwork" to
pitch in to support their community, or someone who is in
genuine need. Even some of the worst disasters in our
history-Hurricane Katrina was a recent example-have brought out
the best in people, with surprisingly powerful results. Never
underestimate the power of community spirit!
The great thing about donating is that whether individuals or
companies donate money, time, or in-kind gifts, donations are
tax deductible. Nonprofit organizations need their help to
continue doing their good work, and one of the most important
things to communicate to potential donors is that it is a
win-win-win endeavor all around-for donors who receive tax
benefits and the fulfillment of doing good, for nonprofits who
can continue their work, and especially for the people and
causes who directly benefit from all these efforts. Get creative
in your fundraising!
About the author:
Affordable Grants is a grant writing service providing
affordable, professional grant writers specializing in non
profit organizations.
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