Showing posts with label fund raising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fund raising. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Nonprofit organizations and the puzzle of how to raise money: creativity is key!

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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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Monday, January 5, 2009

Compassion Run Project Proposal

Project Title: Compassion Run

Proposer: Wisdom Nest Community Education Programme

Address: P.O.BOX 9377-00100,
G.P.O,
Nairobi,
Kenya

Contact: Run Chairman Tel: 0724 13 04 46

Director Tel: 0722 81 40 81

Email: wisdomnest@gmail.com

Location: Soweto slums-Kayole

Savannah sub-location

Umoja location

Embakasi Division

Embakasi Constituency

Nairobi East District

Nairobi Province

Kenya


Amount Requested: Kshs 525,867.50/= i.e. (USD 6,919.30)


Event Date: 10th July 2010


Proposal Dated: 10th December 2009





Summary:
Wisdom Nest Community Education Programme (WINCEP) is proposing to establish the first annual run in Kayole’s Soweto slums, to take advantage of an exploited gap in Embakasi Division running/athletics, discover new talent and raise funds for community development activities.

The event has considerable growth potential which arises from the Divisions’ high population, demographic changes in urban slums/centers and the huge untapped raw running talent in urban slums waiting for an opportunity to show case their prowess.

This annual run opens the prospect of establishing a successful annual Cross Country meet which promises immense social benefits for the children, youth, community and sponsors.

The event management will consist of professional athletics manager and technical advisor with direct experience of developing and managing cross country events in Kenya. The concept is for a six race event, set and staged in Kayole where competition is currently non-existent and where we are the dominant athletics event.

WINCEP plans to raise Kshs 525,867.50 i.e. (USD 6,919.30) to enable her stage the run on 10th July 2010. This amount will cover the entire run budget thus ensuring a successful community event.

Therefore, we wish to take this opportunity to request you kindly to sponsor this unique project financially or in kind.




Sponsors Benefit:

1. We are offering our sponsor;
• Free Brand promotion. Give us logistical support and your product promotion materials and we shall do free promotion for you two months ahead and up to the actual event day.
2. A platform to;
a) Market, promote and advertise your Brands to the people of Embakasi Division
b) Exercise your Social Responsibility obligations
c) Meet and Recruit new customers
d) Interact and bond with your current and future customers
e) Sell your products at the events’ venue
f) Free publicity

3. Value for money through proper usage of funds, accounting, transparency and zero tolerance to corruption.




Social Benefits:
a) Raise funds for community development activities focusing on needy slum children educational infrastructure at Wisdom Nest Primary School initially but expand the number of beneficially slum schools overtime (as the event grows).
b) Provide education to needy slum children from extremely poor families and households, single parents, children affected by HIV/AIDS and orphans.
c) Help to discover, grow and nature slum based athletics talent.
d) Check crime associated with youth idleness by introducing athletics to occupy most of their free time
e) Peace building through sporting activity
f) Introduction of running as a career option for talented slum youths
g) We expect jobless youths to participate and benefit from opportunities emanating from this project either economically or health wise.
h) Reduced crime levels
i) Social economic development that shall be beneficial to the community.

Background:

Wisdom Nest Community Education Programme (WINCEP) is a self help organization located in Kayole’s Soweto slums, Savannah sub-location, Umoja location, Embakasi Division, Nairobi East District.

WINCEP was formed in 1998 by a group of women and a few men brought together by a merry-go-round weekly meeting. Currently the group has thirty members with three quarters of this membership being women.

WINCEP as active programs currently going on:

a) Wisdom Nest Primary School;
This is a full primary school catering for educational needs of needy slum children. There were 407 pupils and 13 teachers at the close of 2009 school year.

b) A school feeding program which is meant to entice enrollment and keep destitute slum/street children in school.

c) A partnership with Kenya Women Finance Trust that enables our female members’ access credit facilities for small income generating activities.

d) The Compassion Run Project;
This is our new project that is meant to help us raise funds for our programs and at the same time help our community youths discover their running talents.

Soweto slums are composed of squatter communities who have been resettled here by the government from various places and backgrounds. Residents are poor, hungry and majority is hopeless. All Kenyan tribes and a few people from East African countries reside here.

Project Objectives
a) Introduce running/athletics to our community which is currently non-existent.
b) Create a plat form for our children and youths to discover and develop their running talent.
c) Engage and occupy our children and youths free time positively by exposing them to the potentially lucrative world of athletics
d) Promote peace using this sporting event
e) Raise funds to support our community development activities

Goal

To create, organize and stage a successful annual cross country athletics event in an urban slum setting.

Vision:
Have at least one product (athlete) from this project representing Kenya at the Olympics before 2020.


What we proposal to do;
Stage an annual run (which shall eventually culminate into a fully pledged cross country event) to discover, grow and nature slum based running talent and raise funds for our community development activities.

How we propose to do it;
We shall have an eight races event with each race focusing on different category of people or teams. This is the races card;

a) 8 KM primary school girls race
b) 8 KM primary school boys race
c) 10 Km secondary schools race
d) 10 KM secondary schools race
e) 10 KM ladies race
f) 10 KM men race
g) 10 KM corporate sponsored teams race
h) 5 KM Pre-school, invited guests and elderly peoples race.






Where we propose to do it;
We propose to stage the event in the streets of Kayole’s Soweto slums and the surrounding neighborhood. The events’ immediate catchment area comprises of Soweto slums, Kayole Estate, Komarock Estate, Umoja, Donholm, Embakasi village and Matopeni.


When we propose to do it;
• Every 2nd Saturday of July each year.
The event is therefore on 10th July 2010.

Why we shall succeed;
• We are currently the first and only event of this kind in a densely populated Kayole Estate and its environs.
• We are working with all stakeholders including the government and community opinion leaders in order to win wide support for this event
• We shall be transparent and accountable to our sponsors for every sponsor ship cent we receive
• We are mobilizing primary and secondary schools head teachers and youth groups to send teams to participate and compete for honors
• We are inviting corporate sector players and other organizations to participate through sending their own teams and also via sponsoring the event
• We shall give awards to winning individuals and teams to interest (entice) and encourage future participation
• The youths will embrace this opportunity to show case their running talent and thus their support.

What we need to enable us to carry out the plan;
a) Kshs 525,867.50 i.e. (USD 6,919.30)
b) Event sponsors
c) Voluntary human resource
The Budget Breakdown:

Individual Winner’s Cash Awards
Position Primary Secondary Seniors Total
In
Kshs
Girls Boys Girls Boys Ladies Men
1 1000 1000 1500 1500 5000 5000 15,000
2 500 500 750 750 2500 2500 7,500
3 300 300 400 400 2000 2000 5,400
4 200 200 300 300 1000 1000 3,000
5 100 100 200 200 500 500 1,600
Total 2,100 2,100 3,150 3,150 11,000 11,000 32,500

Total individual winners cash awards in Kshs 32,500



Winning Schools Teams Cash Awards:
Primary girls………. Kshs 3000
Primary boys………. Kshs 3000
Secondary girls………. Kshs 5000
Secondary boys……… Kshs 5000
Total Kshs 16,000 Kshs 16,000
Cash Awards Total…………………………………………. Kshs 48,500



Resource needed to enable us Stage the Run:

1) Main Budget:
Event Marketing materials…………………………………………… 200,000.00
Awards:
a) Winners cash awards………………………………………….. 48,500.00
b) Winning teams trophies……………………………………….. 66,000.00
Refreshments………………………………………………………….. 20,000.00
Transport;
a) emergencies van hire…………………………………………... 30,000.00
b) Purchase 3 supervision bicycles @ 15,000 each……………45,000.00
Public address system hire…………………………………………….. 15,000.00
Videographer…………………………………………………………..20,000.00
Hire professional Run manager/technical advisor…………………….. 30,000.00
Contingency 10%...........................................49,367.50
Total Event Budget…………………………………………… Kshs 525,867.50
USD 6919.30


2) Donations in kind:
1. Branded T-shirts designed and printed with the message; Compassion Run 2010 at the front (chest position) and your brand colors, message or logo or both placed at a position of your choice on the T-shirt.
2. First Aid kits
3. Stopwatches
4. Digital Video Camera
5. Computer, Printer and a Scanner
6. Advertising space
7. Event Publicity
8. Technical support/assistance
9. Volunteers
10. Bottled Water
11. Gifts for school children-biscuits, sweets, glucose, exercise books, pens, etc, and sanitary towels for upper primary and secondary school girls.
12. Guest Tents

Sponsorship:
The title sponsorship fee is Kshs 525,867.50, i.e. (USD 6919.30)

• . This amount will help the management meet the cost of organizing and staging the event successfully.
• We shall accept any sponsorship amount you choose to donate in support of this project.
• Support need not be in cash only, we accept sponsorship in kind.

Help Raise Funds:
The target for the run is to raise Kshs 1,000,000 (USD 13,156.894). These funds will be used to purchase a plot for Wisdom Nest Primary School in Soweto slums on which modern standard classrooms will be built to make our classrooms spacious and therefore friendly to learners and teachers.

a) Fund Raising Competition; Corporate teams, NGOs, Churches, Colleges, School teams and individuals who raise the highest amount of money will earn awards in form of (Compassion Trophies) for recognition.

b)Run Registration Fees; -Slums Primary Schools Teams Kshs 500, -Public and Private Schools Teams Kshs 1000, -Corporate and NGO sponsored Teams Kshs 10,000 i.e.(USD 132) -Pupils from slum schools Kshs 20, -Pupils from Public and Private schools Kshs 50, -Secondary school students Kshs 100
-Slum dwellers (men and women) Kshs 100,
-International individual participants USD 15
-Kenyan established athletes (men and women) Kshs 500

c) Request for Donations-
The school needs to purchase a plot, build classrooms and a sanitation block. Your donations will be highly appreciated.












Institutional Capacity:
WINCEP Management Board-(9 members):
1. Bishop J.B. Muchanga…………………………………...Chairman
2. Mrs Susan Njeri………………………………………….Director
3. Head teacher-Wisdom Nest Primary School…………….Secretary
4. Mrs Margaret Sadji………………………………………Treasurer
5. Pastor Andrew Manyeki…………………………………Technical Advisor
6. Steve Wanjie-Founder WINCEP………………………...Chair-Compassion Run
7. Mr. D.W. Mwangi………………………………………..Comm. Opinion Leader
8. Naomi Kwamboka……………………………………….Women Representative
9. Mrs Lucy Luvanda……………………………………….Advisor/social worker
Others:
Compassion Run Management Team (5)
50 Volunteers
13 Teachers

Accounting Capacity:
Account Name…………………Wisdom Nest Primary School
A/C No…………………………0120100302176
Bank……………………………Equity Bank
Branch………………………….Kayole
City…………………………….Nairobi, Kenya

Sponsorship Request:

May we take this opportunity to request you to sponsor this project in any way you may choose or deem appropriate!







Invitation to participate:

May we take this opportunity to officially invite you to participate in this Run Event?
International participants should email their participation request at wisdomnest@gmail.com so that we can send you invitation Letters to visit Kenya.