Featured Fundraising Project Danielle

Danielle Suffers From Lymes Disease — Danielle, a wonderful, 23-year old, young woman who just found out that she has been suffering for the last two years with Lymes disease. At first, Danielle didn’t know what was wrong, and went to several doctors who told her she just had flu symptoms, but her symptoms kept getting worse — persistent fatigue; loss of concentration; numbness, tingling, and other odd sensations in her hands, arms, feet and legs, headaches, sleep disturbances and joint pains. She was once a thriving, intelligent and athletic young woman who has been so ill the last two years that she has hardly left her bed.

She found a doctor who specializes in the treatment of Lymes Disease. Unfortunately, Danielle doesn’t have health insurance. Lymes disease, if treated quickly, can be cured with simple antibiotics. Unfortunately, Danielle is at stage 2 or 3 of the disease, and the drug treatment plan will consist of antibiotics and IV drips for several months. It is crucial that she start her treatments immediately. Not treating this disease will cause a lifetime of recurring symptoms.

All donations will go toward payment of the doctor’s fees and medicines to cure her of this terrible disease.

I was so happy to have found MicroGiving.com. It is a resource that reaches out to family and friends. MicroGiving.com is an avenue to hope.

To read more about Danielle please visit: http://www.microgiving.com/profile/ldasaraf

How to Raise Money for any Need

Finding ways to raise money can be extremely challenging. Shortages of funds are not rare in this difficult economy, although at times, finding ways to raise money can be a daunting, if not seemingly impossible, task.

Use MicroGiving to Raise Money for Special Projects

There are many online sources that can help people raise money for a wide variety of causes.  The causes may include charity work, community, school or church events or projects; additional financial needs for transportation, school or home expenses; medical issues; utilities; hardship expenses; or personal projects including anything and everything from creating a giant wall mural to writing a book or recording a CD or taping a TV show.  Some may want to raise money to take vacations or find a new place to live.  With online resources such as MicroGiving, raising money does not have to be a pipe dream.  Using online tools can make those dreams a reality and have needs met that might otherwise be ignored.

Raising money online does not necessarily mean that one is asking for a handout.  There are ways in which one can get money for a type of service or a prize.  For example, a page could present a raffle or tickets to a specific event, while others may want to offer artistic services or consultancy.

Discussing Ways to Raise Money

Discussing possible new and different ways to raise money can be frustrating for groups when trying to come up with unique ideas.  It is additionally difficult if left to one’s own devices.  Any group that is trying to raise money would be wise to consult someone – whether it is a volunteer, website or fundraising specialist – that has experience in this area.  There are always fellow volunteers or fundraisers, charitable organizations, public relations organizations, fundraising firms and/or other entities that have been involved in this process and may be able to offer valuable advise related to the smartest and best ways to organize an event or fundraiser, and to give information on the easiest ways to raise money for any given condition.

Developing Ideas on Ways to Raise Money

Creating new fundraising ideas can be daunting.  This is especially true if the organization has a history of holding annual or bi-annual fundraisers.  Although sometimes repeat fundraisers can be successful an organization should not operate the same kind of fundraiser that is underway or being planned by a similar organization.

In order to develop and execute a successful fundraiser, then consult MicroGiving.  The site has many interesting and practical ways to raise money for a charity, project or cause.  Supporters of the fundraising effort may donate directly to the organization.  It is also easy for supporters to participate in various fundraising activities.

Most Profitable Fundraisers

High-end profits are the main purpose of holding fundraisers as they are the most effective way to raise money and garner support for any community organization, school, charity or church group.  Fundraisers fall into one of four categories: non-profit/charity, school, sports and church/community.

Non-Profit/Charity Fundraisers

Non-Profit/ charity organizations are by far the most diverse group.  Non-profit/charity groups may range from animal rescue to children’s programs to community clean up and beyond.  Therefore, the choices for this type of fundraiser must also be diverse.  Potential fundraisers may include selling candy or magazines, selling advertising in a specific publication, offering community discount cards or benefit concerts.

School Fundraisers

School fundraisers are the biggest part of the fundraising industry.  The issue raised by school fundraisers is that the ages of the participating children tend to vary widely; therefore, the fundraiser must be organized in such as way that all of them can participate.

Sports Fundraisers

Sports fundraisers are held for many different reasons, including raising money to cover  uniforms, expenses of buying programs, maintaining a sports field or sending the team to away games.

Church Group/Community Fundraisers

When it comes to meeting operational expenses, churches are often forced to depend on fundraisers.  Communities often face many of the same challenges as churches when no public funds are available.  Both groups may have difficulty with repeat fundraisers, which is why creativity is so important.

Raise Money Online With MicroGiving

The recent success of people using websites to raise money online has caused a dramatic rise in programs and companies that promise extravagant results for any project or cause that wishes to raise funds.  However, one must be careful when choosing how to go about the planning and execution of these fundraisers as some sites charge fees – up front as well as hidden fees – that can take a large percentage out of the hard work put into the fundraiser.

Using MicroGiving to Raise Money Online

With MicroGiving, however, the efforts put forth by the site do not take away from a person’s charity, event, project or cause.  The site exists as a peer-to-peer platform that fosters relationships between those in need and those who are able to contribute.  It is one of the few websites that encourages micro loans as well as crowdfunding to help those in need.

The needs of the fundraisers reach across many fields and can be arranged by groups or individuals.  One does not have to be a non-profit organization to raise money online for a certain charity.  Many post pages are for help with artistic projects while others reach out to receive a helping hand during a time of financial or medical hardship.

Raising Money From Private Sources

Raising money from private sources is very different than trying to raise from public programs or from philanthropic organizations.  For one thing, raising money from private sources is, in some ways, much easier.  It rarely involves filling out endless forms, providing copies of non-profit status, biographies, reports, financial statements, business plans, mission and vision statements and other administrative requirements.  Likewise, there are rarely deadlines, committee interviews or having to wait weeks, perhaps months, for a response to your request.  Fundraising from private sources also takes planning but the process is typically easier and less grueling than the alternative.

Raising Money From Individual Donors

Trying to raise money  from private sources is easier when using a website like MicroGiving as the fundraiser has the opportunity to spread the word quickly and to a large number of people that may be willing to donate to the cause. It should be noted that many organizations use a combination of public and private funds in order to support their charities or causes.  This is perfectly acceptable and perhaps even preferable.  It will only take research to determine what programs – public or philanthropic – are available for a particular fundraising purpose.

It must be said that receiving a grant or other funding alternative from a public program or philanthropic source often takes the legwork out of fundraising as the dollar amounts granted are much higher than one would receive from running a small fundraiser with donations from the general public.

Reasons to Raise Money

Some people may be hesitant about using the MicroGiving website as a tool to raise money.  They may feel that there is too much competition on the site to launch an effective campaign or that their particular project or event is too small or not worthy enough to warrant a page on the site.  None of those things prove to be true.  At MicroGiving, each attempt to raise money is taken seriously and each project has value.

It is true that there are many fundraising projects on the site.  However, they are differentiated by category, which helps potential supporters and/or donors find the cause that they most want to support.  Therefore, the effort  is made simpler.

Efforts Made to Raise Money Through MicroGiving

One of the main keys to using the site, however, is self promotion.  It is vital that the fundraiser does everything possible to bring awareness to his project, as simply posting it on the site will not be the most effective way to get the word out to prospective donors.  While having a page on MicroGiving allows the fundraiser to present a plea in an innovative way, it is up to the fundraiser to follow through and ensure that everything possible is being done to raise money for his specific project, charity or event.  All funds raised on the site are tracked for easy reference.

MicroGiving Shows People How to Raise Money

The basic concepts behind learning how to raise money are relatively simple.  First, one must have a purpose for raising the money.  It could be for a personal project such as recording a CD, filming a movie or writing a book; it could be for a school project or event such as a field trip; it may be to support people that have suffered from hardship, medical issues or natural disasters; or it could be for anything related to the community or a charitable organization including a church or non-profit agency.

Deciding on the cause is the first step.  The second step is to determine the type of fundraiser that would be the most successful and do the most to support your individual or group cause.

How to Raise Money With MicroGiving

The most important step in creating a fundraiser is to promote it so that people will be aware that you need funding support.  One could have the best fundraiser in the world but it would not do any good if no one knows about it.  MicroGiving can help by showing each participant how to raise money through creating a fundraising page and then promoting it through the website, email or through social media.  Supporters can donate online, which saves even more time and effort for the organizers.  The website also makes it easy for others to spread the word.

Online Fundraising Software

Online fundraising is becoming the number one way in which to raise funds for community projects, school events, charitable causes, churches and individual use.  While some online programs offer the opportunity to create, design and promote fundraising packages and projects, some require the use of additional software for management purposes.  It may be necessary to use additional tools to track the number of donors as well as the amount funded, percentage funded, time frame or amount that is still needed for the project or event to be successful.

No Need for Additional Software

Also available to those involved in online fundraising projects are separate companies that will help to promote and design campaigns to raise funds for the cause.  While this may be wise or even necessary for large projects, organizations or companies, for the majority of the population involved in online gift giving, it is not necessary.  In fact, such companies may or may not be non-profit and might end up taking a significant percentage or charging a large amount to provide the services that can be completed quite easily on MicroGiving for free.  Simply follow the steps provided by the site to get started and design a campaign for a worthy project.  Help may be received through customer service or by using the help function that should easily answer any questions about the process and how it works.

Cancer Fundraiser Ideas

Finding and developing creative fundraiser ideas for cancer patients is not an easy task.  Cancer treatments and accompanying expenses can add up quickly and the cost may seem insurmountable, even if there is an insurance plan involved that pays the majority of the bill.  To offset the rest of the cost, many people will hold fundraisers that can help to significantly reduce the remaining expense.

Creative Ideas for Cancer Patients

There are many creative and fun fundraiser ideas that can raise a substantial amount of money for such causes.  Each year the American Cancer Society holds a Relay for Life, which raises a large amount of money.  People wishing to raise funds may consider a similar event.  Other suggestions include holding a raffle.  A raffle can easily raise thousands of dollars simply by gathering together many relatively small donations in exchange for prizes.  The prizes may be donated by volunteers or businesses.  Naturally, the higher the value of the prize, the more one can charge for a raffle ticket.  Some organizations will give away part of the proceeds to a lucky winner but most will keep the proceeds for the cause.  Some of the things that are commonly raffled off are baked goods, vehicles, artwork, handmade items such as crafts including pottery or jewelry, rugs and quilts.  Of course, the larger the reward, the more money will be brought in.  Advertising the fundraising idea on MicroGiving will help to spread the word.

Creating Fundraising Networks

It is relatively easy to create a fundraising network via MicroGiving.  In fact, MicroGiving was designed specifically to help people create an interpersonal system of raising money through a person-to-person or donor to recipient connection.  Since 2007, MicroGiving has helped numerous people, communities and charitable organizations raise funds necessary for a wide variety of projects.

Fundraising Through Interpersonal Contacts

Once a person or group has developed a fundraising campaign, MicroGiving makes it easy to blast the information to personal and professional contacts via email and social networking sites.  From those locations, the person or group raising the funds can ask to have the information forwarded to people that may be willing and able to help.

In addition to receiving donations, fundraisers should also consider the option of applying for micro loans or micro credit.  There are many different opportunities for receiving these loans from various sources.  The details on obtaining micro loans and/or micro credit will depend solely upon the nature of the project as well as the requirements of the lender/grantor.

When creating a fundraiser, one should remember to state clearly the project needs and the amount funded so that there is the best possible chance of raising necessary funds.  When a project is funded, a group or individual may also consider “paying it forward” by donating to another cause that is advertised on the site.

Community Fundraising Help

Many organizations are able to offer help to communities that are willing to hold fundraising events on their behalf.  For example, if a community or local chapter of a regional or national fundraiser wants to hold an event to benefit the parent organization, the parent organization may offer support to make the local event a success.

There are several ways in which this can be accomplished.  Typically, the regional or national charity has a newsletter, RSS feed, social network contacts (such as a Facebook page) and e-mail list that can help spread the word about the local event.

Fundraising in Your Community

Many organizations will supply fliers, press materials, promotional items or educational tools to help inform the public.  Some organizations will also have volunteer rosters filled with people that may be able to lend a hand in organizing the event or participate in the event itself on the day it is held.

The benefits of receiving this sort of help are numerous.  Exposure is one of the most important keys to holding a successful fundraising campaign.  Regional and/or national organizations usually have the resources to spread the word about events; resources that a small community may not have.  Also, charities often have a team of supporters that may assist in raising money and bringing in other supporters and donors.  Larger groups may also be able to have items donated, whereas a small fundraising group may have to pay out for miscellaneous items.

How to Promote a Fundraiser

Running a fundraiser is one of the most important ways in which to raise money for a charity. Once you have the initial idea in your head and have planned the event, it’s important to focus on PR and promotion as well as the development of marketing materials. After all, if nobody comes to your event, you won’t raise any money.

Promoting a Fundraiser

Promoting the event can turn into a very hectic and busy job in the final few days before it takes place. Get around this by putting someone in charge of PR or community outreach. It’s a good idea to appoint someone who has prior experience of marketing or sales. Talking to the press can be very daunting, and events can be a logistical nightmare when it comes to VIPs, so make sure the person you delegate is up to the task.

Develop quality marketing tools and build a brand for your fundraiser. Most of the time it’s possible to piggyback off the existing brand of the charity, but if your event can appeal to the community or if you can add a unique spin on the event, it becomes more than a simple fundraiser and people are more likely to attend. Draw up a timeline of marketing and PR details; book time for community radio interviews long before the scheduled date. You will also do well to set up a Facebook group and interlink with Twitter to promote the event; the Internet allows you to find larger numbers of people with shared interests, and social networking allows you to hone in on your target audience cheaply and effectively.

If everything goes to plan on the day (which it will if you prepare everything meticulously), then a sense of professionalism and class will shine through and make people more likely to respect your event and any others you host afterwards. The single most important aspect is that the fundraiser does its job, but it can’t accomplish this unless people inherently want to go to.

Fundraising News: Mark Owen Donates to Micro Charity

In recent Fundraising News, Mark Owen, a member of Take That, has donated ten VIP tickets to the band’s upcoming show at Wembley to benefit Rainbow School, a micro charity that raises funds to help children with autism.  The tickets will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Rainbow School, a charity organization that has been supported and patronized by Owen, who has been an ongoing patron and supporter.

Rainbow School to Benefit

Rainbow School, founded in 2000, is a school located in South West London.  It was established by parents of children that have been diagnosed with autism.  The Rainbow School is only the third school of its kind to operate in the UK.  The facility offers a structured program of intensive intervention using the principles of Verbal Behaviour (VB) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

Mark Owen talks about his visit to the school last year: “Last summer I was approached by a friend and neighbor who has a son with autism and she introduced me to a friend of hers, whose son goes to Rainbow School.”

Mark was surprised to learn that he was so close to the school and yet had not known about it.  “Rainbow School was, unbeknown to me, literally only yards away from my front door and so after taking a tour of the school, meeting the children and its founder Karen, I decided that I’d really like to help in whatever way possible to support these amazing people.”

Keys and Ronson Raise Money

Singing sensation Alicia Keys and Brit producer Mark Ronson have teamed up to raise money and are signed up to appear in London to act as hosts for the Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball.  The event is set to take place on June 15^th at London’s Roundhouse.  Joining Keys and Ronson at the Ball will be Tinie Tempah, Paloma Faith, and many more that have yet to be announced.

The first Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball was held in 2004 in New York.  The New York and London events combined have raised more than $13 million with proceeds going to support HIV/AIDS victims located in Africa and India.

Keys Continues to Raise Money  to Save Children

This is not Keys’ first appearance at the Black Ball.  Keys has previously appeared onstage with Annie Lennox, Bono, David Bowie, Sade, Youssou N’Dour, Jennifer Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Usher Justin Timberlake, Kathleen Battle and Chris Martin in New York to support the charity organizations.

“Each year, Keep a Child Alive gathers extraordinary guests in a night promised to be filled with surprises and special moments” said Alicia Keys, who is also a Keep a Child Alive co-founder.  “I LOVE the Black Ball!  I’m proud to raise awareness and funds for this most important cause to help families in Africa and India affected by AIDS and HIV.  This issue is undeniable – how can we ignore it?  It’s our responsibility as human beings to come together to save lives and care about each other.”

Online Fundraising to Dress for Success

Celebrities gathered round to help women get a fresh start through the Dress for Success program, an online fundraising organization that helps supply appropriate work attire to women re-entering the work force.  Dress for Success, is an international non-profit organization that helps women become economically independent by providing clothing and accessories plus a support network and career development tools that will assist women in their effort to thrive and succeed.

Online Fundraising to Help Women Shine

Bolzano Handbags is one of the sponsors of the Backstage Creations Celebrity Retreat that was responsible for introducing the celebs to the Dress for Success program.  Bolzano pledged to donate one of its handbags to Dress for Success to match each bag gifted by the celebrities.  In addition, each celebrity personalized his or her donation by including words of encouragement for the recipients.

Leylani Cardoso, CEO of Bolzano Handbags, believes that each person should be given an opportunity to re-enter the workforce and shine in the career of her choice.

“Unemployment is a true concern, it breaks my heart to watch people talk about their reality today, this organization teaches women to fish …you know the saying ‘Give a man a fish and he eats for a day teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for life.” said Cardoso.

Celebrities that participated include Taboo and apl.de.ap from Black Eyed Peas, Neil Diamond and Travis Barker.

Jordin Sparks and Others Give to Charity

May 22^nd saw a gathering of some of the most prominent names in sports and show business give to charity at the 26th anniversary of Sports Spectacular held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.  The event honors top athletes and also benefits the Medical Genetics Institute at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  The evening was hosted by Jim Hill, Samantha Harris and John Salley.

Stars Give to Charity Through Auction

In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of the honored athletes, the event also featured a silent auction.  The auction was designed to raise funds to combat genetic birth defects and raised more than $1.3 million.  The total raised thus far through the event has topped $21 million.

American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks started the evening off when she sang the National Anthem.  Approximately 1,800 sports stars, celebrities, business and community leaders, entertainers and charity organizations attended the evening to honor an elite list of sports figures.

Honorees and their presenters included Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn, whose award was presented by Ron Artest; Los Angeles Clippers NBA Star Blake Griffin whose award was presented by Michael Strahan; U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan whose award was presented by Tim Leiweke; and Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers icon and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, whose award was presented by Joel Madden.

Also present at the charity event were many famous faces including Tia Carrere, Buzz Aldrin, Benji Madden, Alan Thicke and Summer Sanders.

Those who wish to give to charity can make a donation online.

Celebrities and Soles4Souls Help People in Need

Soles4Souls, a charity organization targeted to help people without shoes, has announced Barefoot Week 2011.  The event will showcase shoe distribution and various media events throughout seven major cities.  The annual event will take place the first week in June.

Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization devoted to collecting donations through shoe drives at churches, community centers and schools.  The charity donates thousands of pairs of shoes each year to those who are unable to afford them.  Soles4Souls asks people to go barefoot for one day during Barefoot Week to raise awareness for those that live in extreme poverty.

“It’s an honor to donate shoes to help Soles4Souls as they do incredible things for the less fortunate people in this world” said singer Jessica Simpson.  “I encourage everyone to lend support.”

“I’ve got sole but I’m not a soldier” says Perez Hilton.  “However, with Soles 4 Souls I am helping to fight the war against poverty in my own small way by giving to those in need.”

Helping People by Donating Shoes

Barefoot Week begins with “National Barefoot Day” on June 1^st.  The first shoe distribution event will take place in Detroit, with other events in LA, Boston, Newark, Atlanta and St. Louis to follow.  In addition to the distribution, Ebay and StubHub are hosting a “Take Off Your Boots” event on June 5^th.  People who bring a new pair of shoes to San Francisco’s Hard Rock Cafe will be given a free pair of U2 tickets.

Soles4Souls also gives supporters the opportunity to help people through an online donation.

Celebs Help People Go Green

While many people have jumped on the bandwagon to help people and to contribute to a more sustainable future, there are some celebrities that have been referred to as trailblazers in the environmental arena.  One of those celebs is Ed Begley, Jr.  To celebrate Begley’s accomplishments, the 15th Annual Millennium Awards, sponsored by Global Green USA, will acknowledge Begley and others for their contributions in recognizing Global Green USA’s vision of “fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world.”

Global Green USA Chief Executive Matt Petersen will be on hand to honor the Los Angeles Business Council, Ed Begley Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Wendy Schmidt at the event.  Celebrity presenters scheduled to appear include Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, Christopher Guest and Kyra Sedgwick.

In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of the honorees, the event is also designed to raise funds to help people support Global Green’s efforts to rebuild a greener New Orleans, create green schools and affordable housing in Los Angeles and throughout the country.  The charity organization also lobbies for effective policy changes to focus on climate changes.

Help Global Green Help People

Global Green USA, founded in 1993, is the American counterpart of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross International.  Its mission is to create and advocate solutions to climate change.  Global Green is based in California, with offices in New Orleans and Washington, D.C, and to date the charity organization has “greened” almost $20 billion in new construction for schools and housing and has authored numerous state and federal laws to help people go green.

CMT and Others Support Disaster Relief Organizations

Disaster relief organizations are receiving much needed support thanks to a recent concert on cable television. On Thursday, CMT premiered a 90-minute concert titled Music Builds that aimed at raising awareness and much needed funds for those affected by recent floods, storms and tornadoes. Charity organizations like the American Red Cross have stepped up to provide assistance wherever possible.

The event was co-hosted by HLN’s Robin Meade, ESPN’s Erin Andrews, and comedian Ron White.  During the evening many celebrities performed, including Tim McGraw, Hank Williams, Jr., Alan Jackson, Alabama, Gretchen Wilson, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Sara Evans, Ronnie Dunn, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Trace Adkins.  The evening also featured a call to action from U.S. President Barack Obama.  All proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts.

The event was broadcast around the world via American Forces Network, local TV affiliates and radio stations and CNN.com.  It is estimated that the program reached tens of millions of viewers worldwide.

Victims Need Relief Organizations

Since the natural disasters have struck various parts of the country and the world, many victims are relying on relief organizations for support in many areas, including providing basic necessities such as shelter, food, water and clothing for those left homeless.  Affected areas include Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina.

In addition to the evening’s performances, there were special calls to action from American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, with host Ryan Seacrest.  Carrie Underwood, Ellen DeGeneres, Courteney Cox, Taylor Swift, Big Kenny, University of Alabama Coach Nick Saban, Shania Twain and Nicole Kidman were among others that showed their support.

Those wishing to support disaster relief organizations can donate online.