Fund Raising Ideas for Your Small Non-Profit Business
A Home Business Article Contributed by Sharon Hill
Ideas for Finding Money for Your Small Non-Profit Business
As a non-profit, your small non-profit business needs creative ideas for fund-raising. Let's look at some established methods (there are literally thousands of possibilities) then talk about how you and your employees and small business associates can create your own ideas.
Resources for Fund Raising Ideas for Your Non-Profit Small Business
The resources for finding already existing small business fundraising ideas are numerous. If you're a start-up non-profit you may not already spent any time fundraising, but others will have. You'll want to talk to them - folks in other firms (not competitors, and perhaps not in your locale) that can share with you their successful fundraising ideas.
Networking, as well as membership in trade associations, small business associations, and subscriptions to industry or business management related magazines and sites can help generate ideas. Call leaders of some nationally noted non-profits - American Cancer Society, Rotary, and so forth - to see what's worked for them. Peruse the web sites of non-profits, see what events and plans they have noted on their site.
If the site has a press release or media section this is the best source for that information. Go through the press release archives and see what they've done in the past to raise money. The local library can also be a great source of fund raising information. In fact, they've probably needed to do it themselves.)
Setting the Stage for Your Small Business Fund Raising Ideas
Before you starting raising funds, however, you need to know what funds you need and why. Set up a formalized game plan. What do you want to accomplish - i.e., why do you need the money at all? How much are you going to need and why? You'll need to know what the federal government, and your state legislation as well, allows for non-profit fundraising. If you've done this before, look at your prior efforts to raise funds. Did they work? Why or why not?
Should they be eliminated from consideration, or perhaps revamped and made workable? Gather your friends, associates, and family together - brainstorm ideas. Nothing's too crazy.
Now you'll need to determine your methods. Are you comfortable with face-to-face fund raising efforts? Or is there someone you can call on who is - and who has proven themselves to be successful at it? Are they reputable? Remember, the public is becoming more and more skeptical and savvy about issues like profit making firms that take over the fund raising for non-profits and keep a hefty portion of the money raised. You don't want to hire someone with this reputation.)
Might you want to create a phone bank? While telemarketing has seen its heyday come and go, and it's more difficult to get past privacy managers and caller ID, your non-profit may be exempt from the restrictions of the Do Not Call Registry (though you'll want to check that.)
Look for large corporations that may contribute to your cause. Look at their web sites and see if corporate giving is noted there - and for what types of causes. You could also look for firms who've recently moved into the area. These folks will want to quickly created a name for themselves as community-minded citizens.
If you decide on a local event to raise funds, don't forget to send out press releases. Remember, too, that Saturday is a slow news day. If your event happens prior to the Saturday paper's deadline and you give enough advance notice you're far more likely to get coverage than on a busy Monday night.
