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Monday, 3 June 2019

A Few Fundraising Ideas For Worthwhile Causes

By Scott Bell


There are so many worthwhile causes pursued by organizations determined to help. There are animals in distress, orphaned children, abused women, poor people, exploited individuals and disenfranchised communities. They all need help to survive and if not for the efforts of well meaning organizations one shudders to think what would happen to them. These organizations need funds to operate, however, so they need donors. This requires innovative fundraising ideas that will capture the imaginations of potential donors and convince them to open their wallets.

So many charitable organizations appeal to all and sundry for support. Mass appeals will only work for a small number of organizations with a very wide support basis. In order to maximize efforts it is best to approach a very specific target market. To this end organizations need to analyse and define their most likely supporters and to focus their efforts on reaching them specifically.

Most charitable organizations are woefully understaffed. Raising funds is not only a specialized field but it requires time. Time is one thing many organizations do not have if they are to fulfil their missions. That is why it may be a good idea to contract a professional fund raiser. They certainly charge for their services but in most cases this is a percentage of the money that they raise.

Finding a benefactor should be a high priority. Celebrities and others in the spotlight wield much influence over their supporters and if they publicly support a specific cause they can influence many other people to follow suit. Some charities have companies as benefactors. In most cases these companies support one or two organizations as part of their social responsibility programs. Many benefactors provide on going financial security.

Many government departments, corporations and other organizations budget for grants given to worthwhile cause that are in line with their own objectives and goals. Applying for such grants can be time consuming but once a grant is awarded, it is often a matter of administrative procedure to have it renewed. This most certainly a worthwhile case of securing on going funding and established financial security.

Organizations that organize their own events to raise money need to be creative and innovative. People are busy and they are selective about the events that they attend. These events need to draw new supporters and old stand by concepts such as a jumble sale simply do not work any longer. It is better to have just a few truly professionally organized events than a lot of smaller ones.

The gross abuse of donor funds by charitable organizations has been in the news constantly. This has cautioned many potential donors. Organizations trying to raise funds now need to make very sure that their potential donors know precisely how they intend to spend their money. Accountability has become the watch word and charitable organizations need to be open and honest about their operations.

Society will not be able to function if there were not organizations passionate about helping those in distress, the poor, the sick, the needy and the aged. Others have the plight of neglected animals or vandalism of the environment as their causes. They all need support in order to survive.




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