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Finding and developing innovative fundraiser ideas is not an easy task. Many people are the victims of hardships these days from financial issues to loss of loved ones. Expenses can add up quickly when a loss of income is experienced and at times, it may seem that there is no solution. Previously, people would rely on family and social services to raise money and much needed funds but now MicroGiving gives an additional opportunity to help those in need.
Fundraiser Ideas for Hardship Needs
There are many fundraiser ideas that can help people in this type of situation by raising a substantial amount of money. People seeking ideas may consider holding a charity event such as a carnival, marathon or a raffle. A raffle can easily raise a great deal of money – even thousands of dollars – just by getting people together to give donations in exchange for prizes. The prizes may be donated by businesses, community groups or volunteers. The bigger the prize, the more money one can charge for a ticket. Some popular items chosen for a raffle may include baked goods, artwork, vehicles, experience days, celebrity autographs or handmade items such as crafts, including jewelry, pottery, quilts and Afghan rugs. Of course, the better the item, the more money will be brought in. Advertising the event or raffle on MicroGiving will help to pass the word around.
Tags:
Crowd Funding,
Help People
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It is important to know how much money is needed for any specific fundraising event or project. There are often hidden or unexpected costs that can arise with any project or event.
Being Realistic With Costs
Make a list of all expenses and show it to other organizers to ensure that no items have been overlooked. It may also be a good idea to discuss the project or event with someone that has experience in this area, whether it is another volunteer, organization or professional fundraising service.
You could also consider creating a contingency plan in case of inclement weather or another issue that may arise and cause extra expense. You may also choose to add an extra 10% to the estimated cost of the project or event to cover any unexpected costs.
After the costs are determined, create a fundraising page that will best represent the project. Having a modest but accurate budget may help to encourage people to donate. Having a budget that appears too large may dissuade people from donating if it appears that the funds being raised will not be used for the event or project. Seeing that the majority of funds needed for a project have been raised may also prompt an individual or group to fund the remaining balance of the program so that it may succeed.
Tags:
raise money,
Ways to Raise Money
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A wise man once said, “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it out into its nest.”
This is the key point behind this post. If you want to know how to raise money, take a lesson from the birds… you have to work for it! As shocking as this may sound…. it will not just come to you. How then do you raise money online? You have to promote your fundraiser! And fortunately for us all, the Internet provides an amazing opportunity to reach out to many, if not most of your friends and family… all at once… to get maximum exposure and the best chances of raising money to meet your goals.
Here’s what you need to know about the 3 best places to promote your fundraiser online:
Facebook
It seems like everybody is on Facebook these days. And for good reason. Facebook is a great place to stay up to date with the events in your social circle. Frequent posts keep you on the forefront of peoples mind. For example, I have a friend whom I haven’t seen in years, but he posts hilarious pictures of his life several times a day. I feel like I know him as well as I did years ago. If anything, it reminds me how much I like him. If he posted a link to a MicroGiving page asking for donations towards his fundraiser… there’s a good chance I’d donate a few bucks. Take a look at this screen shot of one of our users promoting their fundraiser on Facebook.
Remember to use the link posted under “Share This” on your fundraising page, instead of copying the link from the address bar.This will ensure your users get sent to your fundraising page.
Twitter
If you use it, Twitter can be a great tool for online fundraising. The most common tweets are either a person’s thoughts and feelings that day… or an activity they are currently doing. If you’ve got some followers, tweet about thoughts or activities related to your fundraiser. For example, if you are raising money to pay for a surgery, tweet about your hospital visits, health updates, or news related to your surgery. Once a week, include a tweet with a reminder and direct link to your fundraiser. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends to retweet it to share it with others. Take a look at the screenshot below from one of our own users tweeting about their fundraiser:
Email ( contact 5 people a day )
Last, but certainly not least, is good ol’ fashioned email. As popular as social networks are, email is often the best way to get a response from people. Craft a short, polite, but interesting email about your fundraiser. Include why you’re fundraising, what the funds will be used for, and how much you’re looking to raise. Take the time to address the email to each of your contacts instead of sending a “mass email”. Also, don’t be afraid to let them know that sharing your email with their contacts is one of the best ways they can help you.
Here’s a great fundraising email. Use it as a template when writing your own: Sample-fundraising-email
Tags:
Fundraiser,
raise money
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Natalie Sando is a MicroGiver whom everyone should know about. She is fundraising to finance stem cell treatment for her hearing loss and has received a flood of support from the moment she launched her campaign. Her fundraising success is a testament to her determined and genuine character, which I believe are essential traits for all fundraisers. I spoke with Natalie to find out a bit more about her story and gather some tips for running a successful campaign.
1. Tell us about your need. Why have you come to MicroGiving?
Since I was a kid, I’ve had hearing loss that degenerates over time. It wasn’t so bad growing up. As a child, it was not as profound as it is today.
I came to Microgiving because when I first got presented with the opportunity for this treatment, I thought, “How in the world am I going to come up with ten grand?” I’m thinking to myself, “Well, my friends and family could help me… maybe I could set up some website or something!” I searched the Internet for charitable websites that would help, but all of them requested some kind of percentage from the money you raised. I figured, “So, I’m going to put myself out there, stretching far and wide to raise ten grand, and this company is going to use my hard work and take ten percent of it. Well, they’re hosting me, I don’t mind I guess…” But I would still be left short of my need amount. Somehow, I came across Microgiving. You guys do what other websites “offered” … but for free. Without reservation, I immediately signed up, sent in my proof, and requested your help, and I am more than amazed with the results so far.
2. You raised over $2000 in just 8 days. How does it feel to see such an outpouring of support? Was this something you were expecting?
I was definitely not expecting this! My treatment is scheduled for January 2011, and I’m still hoping I can reach my goal. It feels awesome that I have so many great people behind me making sure I don’t fall. I am just blessed that everything got set up as smoothly and quickly as it did. The support from people, even “anonymous”, just gives me such a grateful feeling. I am so happy that people are as generous as they are, helping me to achieve my dreams, both financially and emotionally. It just proves that there is good in everyone, and I hope that one day it’ll be my turn to help someone who is in need as well, with a large sum of money (and love)!
3. Have any of the donors or the donation amounts so far surprised you?
For sure. My first donation was from a friend of mine… who, and I’ll admit it, has been a far better friend to me than I have been to him (and he knows it too!). He has always been there for me and there were times when I was unable to be there for him. Throughout our friendship, he has been nothing but understanding, always helpful, and I haven’t even seen him for three years. Even so, he flat out donated $200 for me! I was blown away.
I had another friend donate a large amount and I was surprised as well. She’s only known me throughout half of college, but the impact she has had on my life has surpassed some friends that I have known for over a decade. Before she donated, I told her I needed her heart in this, not her money. I told her I didn’t want her money, but she went ahead and donated anyway. I’m pretty sure I still owe her a birthday present from May! I didn’t forget, you’ll still get it!
My sister, Nineveh, and her husband donated a huge amount. To be honest, I don’t think I would be able to move forward with this treatment without their help. I’m extremely grateful for their donation, as well as many of their friends who have donated for me and don’t really know me at all. That is an amazing feeling.
We can’t forget the ultimate Microgiver, John, for donating to people – people he doesn’t even know, such as myself – and he’s donated to me twice so far. I’m sure that guy goes to bed with butterflies over his head because he must have such a great feeling everyday with all the goodness he has done for people!
4. What steps have you taken since the launch of your request that have driven people to your page and moved them to donate? For example, are you using social networks, emailing your friends and family, writing letters, telling people in person, etc?
I’ve refrained from using social networking sites. I guess I wanted to see how far I could get without them. Mostly, I am emailing/calling my friends and family. I’m also asking them to email their friends and family as well. I believe word of mouth is the biggest form of success one can get. I’m calling people, bugging them to please send it out – and I’m following up. If those closest to you write about you to those closest to them, then the amount of people you can get from just those two levels are a LOT.
5. What tips would give to people in a similar situation that will help them run a more successful campaign?
The biggest tip I could give people is to write more about themselves. Write your story, everyone loves stories. Even when we were children, we wanted stories. People want to know YOU before they randomly donate to you. And always be honest. You want people to read about you and really feel like they know you or you deserve this. I want people to really know why I’m here, know who I am, and the kind of person I want to be, by reading my story.
Also, always follow up. Sometimes it takes a third email for people to “want to check out your page”. I always told people via email or phone, “Make sure you read my ‘About Me’ section!” That way, if they could put themselves in my shoes, they would understand why I needed financial help.
6. How has your experience been of MicroGiving so far?
Microgiving has been such an amazing experience! It’s so easy to give people a direct link to my page, and they tell me that donating has never been easier. I love that. I think the best thing about Microgiving is the fact that you “verify” people to make sure donations are going toward a good reason.
7. Feel free to tell us anything else that you’d like to share in particular.
I just want to thank everyone for all their love, support, and belief in my success. I couldn’t do this treatment without their help.
Thanks everyone!
Natalie has already raised a quarter of her fundraising goal. You can help her make her dream a reality by donating to her campaign here.
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The biggest benefit of crowdfunding is raising the money you need to make your project or idea a reality. But what other benefits does crowdfunding provide over and above raising extra cash? Here are few reasons why crowdfunding can enhance your fundraising efforts:
1. Make use of your networks
Other methods of raising money require you to give up more than just your time and effort. Bank loans, if you can even get one, are risky and costly – often requiring collateral and interest payments. Grants are even harder to come by and involve lengthy paperwork. Begging, well, that requires you give up your dignity. And we don’t want that.
Crowdfunding, on the other hand, involves avoiding all of the above, and utilizing what you do have – friends! (We hope). Thanks to social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube) and email, its easier to reach out to large groups of people than ever before. Launch your project, and then get promoting! If your video explains enough and your idea is support-worthy, you’ll start to see the donations rolling in.
And that leads us on to our next point…
2. Free marketing
Every person who donates acts as an evangelist for your Project. Tweets, Retweets, Facebook posts, and Facebook “likes”, amongst others, are a quick and easy way your supporters can share your project with others across the web. Expect to receive some word-of-mouth promotion from your supports as well. Often, people feel good about their good deed and enjoy sharing it with others. Rewards are another way to earn some attention. Recently, I donated to a project and got a one-off, super cool t-shirt. I’ve never been so tickled about a simple t-shirt. Now every time I wear it, I’m telling everybody I can about the Project I supported and the great experience I had.
3. Free press
If having a platoon of volunteer evangelists wasn’t enough, running a project on a crowdfunding site opens you up to many opportunities for free press. Running a highly successful crowdfunding project is reason alone to receive unsolicited press from third parties – bloggers, online newspapers, radio stations, even television.
4. Idea validation
People like to support good projects. Every donation acts as a vote for your idea. If you launch a Project to raise money for your first solo singing album and you only get a couple of $1 donations, maybe its time to focus more on your guitar playing skills, if you know what I mean. And that leads us onto our next point…
5. Feedback
Crowdfunding is the ideal chance to get feedback from a pool of people who actually care about what you’re doing. Via the blog on your Project page, you can keep your supports informed of your project progress, maybe post some photos of your latest prototype, include links to your latest demos, or whatever it may be. Conclude by asking for feedback from your followers and look in the comments below for the skinny on the general consensus.
6. Monetization
Rewards provide many additional ways to monetize your Project. If you are a musician, offer a free backyard concert. If you’re making a film, offer props from your set or the chance to be in the film itself. In fact, crowdfunding can be positioned as a one-time chance to participate with rewards serving as proof that the supporter was part of an exclusive movement.
7. “Seed funding”
Crowdfunding is often the means to an end, rather than the end itself. Filmmaking, for example, is infamous for requiring a huge initial investment. Even then, you don’t know whether it will be a hit at the box office or not. Crowdfunding enables you to validate your idea and raise the initial funds to pursue it. For a musician, that may be money to fund studio time. Then you can pitch to the labels for a record deal. For a theater group, it may be funds to bring the show to different cities. Then you can make money from ticket sales. Whatever it may be, its a great way to get the funds necessary for that first push towards your dreams.
8. Complete control
Raising money from your friends and fans is a way to avoid the hassle and expense of taking on investors. This is not only true of those with business ideas, but also musicians and filmmakers. By the time all your stakeholders have been paid off, you may find that there’s little left for yourself. Crowdfunding puts the control back into your hands.
9. Crowdfunding street cred
Once you’ve run a successful crowfunding project, the doors are opened for further fundraising projects. Others will see the number of believers it took to achieve that success and naturally have confidence that your next idea will likely be good too. Just don’t expect to run a repeat project. Its about leveraging your earned credibility for your next great idea.
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Here at MicroGiving, our soul mission is to help you raise money for your needs, your ideas, or your causes. But we also recognize that saving money and cutting down your expenses can be a great way to supplement your fundraising goals. You may, in fact, find out that you don’t need as much as you initially thought.
Our good friend Alan Dunn edits a fantastic website chock-full of tips on how to save money. And guess what its called?
www.HowToSaveMoney.com
HowToSaveMoney.com. Now that’s an easy one to remember!
As it happens, Alan also the inaugural sponsor of a new scholarship founded by Yakezie – the web’s largest network of bloggers on personal finance and lifestyle. The scholarship is geared towards high schoolers and below – to help them with education-related expenses, such as tuition fees, school supplies, books, projects, field trips, and anything else needed for school. So if you know a high schooler or below who is passionate about education and motivated to achieve, tell them about this great opportunity!
The application process is simple:
Choose one of the three topics and write an essay anywhere between 700 and 1000 words.
Essay Questions (choose one):
1) Who is your hero and why? What are the attributes your hero possesses that makes you admire him or her so much? Compare these attributes to your own and tell us your similarities and where you can improve. What steps will you take to become more like your hero?
2) Discuss a time when you failed or did not live up to your full potential. Assess the things that prevented you from achieving what you were aiming for and analyze what you would do differently if you had another chance. Do you let failure motivate you or keep you down?
3) What kind of skills do you learn through sports that can help you succeed in life? Tell us a time where a particular aspect you learned from sports helped you get through a difficult time. How do you plan to pass on your knowledge?
More detailed instructions can be found on the Yakezie site as well as a link to submit your essay.
And remember to check out HowToSaveMoney.com for tips and advice on saving money and building wealth for your future. This is definitely one not to miss!
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Crowdfunding isn’t easy.
In our last post, we shared some tips to help you improve your chances of raising money. To recap, in 5 Tips for Shooting Better Video we discussed the importance of using a personal video pitch to captivate donors, and a few tips to help you make a crowdfunding video that really “sells” your story to friends, family and fans.
If you’ve uploaded a video pitch, you’re half way there. The second most important part to crowdfunding, is offering creative and desirable “rewards”.
Rewards are one of the most effective ways to incentivize your supporters.
Just like video, desirable rewards add another dimension to your fundraiser. Imagine you not only reached your fundraising target, but donations continued to pour in well after you reached your crowdfunding goal. Is this possible? Yes. The answer: rewards.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to crowdfund to produce a music album:
- You send out frequent emails to your friends and family asking for their support; and post periodic Facebook and Twitter updates letting your social networks know about your fundraiser.
- Consequently, people visit your MicroGiving crowdfunding page.
- They watch your video. They see how passionate you are. They even get a chance to hear you strum a few chords.
- But it gets better. For a $10 donation, you’re giving away a limited edition copy of your album, for $20 you’ll dedicate a song, and for a $50 donation you’ll perform live and in person.
- Your supporters love it. They click on the “Share This” buttons on your profile to tell their friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
- Before you know it, you’ve reached your fundraising goal. And people keep donating because they like you, but more importantly they want the rewards!
Whether you’re recording an album, shooting an independent film, photographing beautiful wildlife, or publishing your first book– one thing remains true: if people desire the reward, they will make a donation whether you’ve met your funding goal or not.
Here are some tips to help you create desirable crowdfunding rewards:
- Start with the project itself.
What are you doing? What can you offer that is related to the project? If you’re producing a film, offer to put the Donor’s name in the credits. If you’re authoring a book, give away an autographed hard copy, or even name one of the characters after a Donor (for higher donations). If you are producing a music album, offer free digital song downloads, signed copies of your CD’s, and mentions in the album credits. For larger Donors… offer to write them their own song!
- Think scarcity.
It’s one thing to offer an endless supply of book copies to your Donors. It’s a whole different “story” when only five copies are available. Remember good old “supply and demand” economics? The less supply, the greater the demand. For example, if you’re in a band consider offering a limited number of signed drum sticks used on your last summer tour… dirty finger prints and all! Or the t-shirt you were wearing when you fell off stage (include the mid-motion photograph of you taking the plunge if you have it).
- Be realistic. Match the value of the reward to the donation amount.
Do you really believe someone is going to hand you $1,000 for a digital copy of your latest white paper? Unless you’re Conan O’Brien… probably not. Ask yourself, “would I pay this price for this reward”? If you wouldn’t, don’t expect others. Make sure the rewards you offer meet your Donors’ expectations.
- Keep it feasible
Remember, your supporters are trusting you to deliver on your promises. Donors take the time to learn about your project, take an interest, and give you their money. The only thing they get in return (besides altruistic satisfaction) is the reward that you’ve promise. Demonstrate your appreciation for their support by delivering your promise within a reasonable timeframe. If your film is taking longer than expected, for example, just let your audience know by updating them in your blog. This way, your Donors won’t be left hanging…
- Think small, medium, and large
$5, $10, $25, $50, and $100 are generally the most popular Reward amounts. However, don’t hesitate to throw in a $250, $500, and even $1,000 for those bigger budget backers. Keep in mind, that a healthy range of donation amounts enable anyone and everyone to contribute regardless of their wallet size.
Don’t underestimate the power of “rewards”. A great crowdfunding project that offers desirable rewards can significantly increase the volume of donations you receive. Keep these tips in mind, be creative and don’t forget to include the benefits involved when you create your video pitch!
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As you all know, we recently opened our doors to anybody who needs to raise money to fund a project, idea or dream. To help you reach your donation goal, we added an awesome feature to help you promote your page.
Introducing SPOT—a brand new set of tools located inside your MicroGiving account that will help you promote yourself to friends and family across the web.
So what is SPOT?
SPOT is the place inside your MicroGiving account where you go to manage the promotion of your profile. Basically, it will help you generate awareness for your fundraiser and lead people to your profile where they can learn about your cause and make donations.
Why do we need SPOT?
Creating a fundraising page is only the first step to your success. Raising the money you need requires actively promoting your fundraising page to others. This entails a lot of work. We take the work load off by making it easy for you to push your message out to the right people. The SPOT system is designed to help you solicit the support of your contacts by directing them to your page where they can learn more about your cause and make donations.
Don’t let your fundraising page stagnate. Use SPOT promotional tools to help you spread the word about your cause.
How does it work?
SPOT offers six helpful tools to make promoting your cause a heck of a lot easier:
- 1. Personalized widget to display on your social networks, blog or website.
A widget is a little doo-dad that displays a snip-it of your fundraising page (such as your image and a brief description of your fundraiser). You can publish this widget on any of your social networks, blog or website. Anyone who clicks on your personalized widget will be taken straight to your fundraising page where they can learn more about your fundraiser and make a donation to your cause.
- Contact manager to easily import and export your email list.
This tool helps you gather all your email contacts straight from your email service, such as Gmail, Hotmail and AOL among others. Group your contacts according to the message you want to send them. For example, you may wish to send a special message to your family, and a different message to friends and acquaintances.
- Friendly, automatic messages sent directly to your contact list to keep friends and family updated.
Keeping your supporters “in the loop” is essential. SPOT enables you to create personalized messages to send to friends and family periodically. With SPOT’s message system you can easily manage your communication schedule to keep your contacts updated.
- 4. Convenient calendar and reminder system to help you manage your fundraiser efficiently.
Use SPOT’s calendar system to organize your fundraising campaign. For example, schedule a specific day and time to send automatic messages to supporters. Or set personal task reminders.
- 5. Monitor your Project.
Using our Insight tools, see how people are viewing your fundraising page. SPOT enables you to see which social networks, website or blogs are driving the most traffic to your profile.
- 6. Awesome tips and training guides to help you attract more donors and reach your donation goal
Want to learn more about successful marketing? We give you everything you need to know in a series of helpful training guides. Learn how to be a Fundraising Guru and raise more money for your cause.
Wow, SPOT sounds great. What else can I do to improve my fundraising page?
1. Make sure you have a video.
Projects with videos are more successful than those without. Video is a chance to show your personality and capture your supporter’s interest in a personal and engaging way. Check out 5 Tips for Shooting Better Video.
2. Keep your message simple and clear.
Most people don’t have endless amounts of time to spend learning about your fundraiser. Keep your message simple. Tell us 1) Who you are, 2) What you are trying to do 3) How much you need to make it happen, and 4) What are the benefits to people who support your cause
3. Promote! Promote! Promote!
Success and the amount of money you raise is directly related to the amount of effort you put into promoting your cause. Use a combination of online and offline promoting to get the best results.
Offline promotion, involves telling your friends and family when you seem them. This is your chance to convey your passion and enthusiasm in a more personal and engaging way. Hand out flyers, or post them in your office break room. Hand write letters to your friends. Get creative!
Online promotion entails emailing and reaching out to your social networks on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Myspace.
Email is one of the best ways to inform your immediate friends and networks about your fundraiser. Keep the tone informal and friendly. Avoid ALL CAPS. This is often perceived as rude. And only send emails to people you know or have permission to contact. Unsolicited emails are considered spam.
- Social Networks
Social networks are the best place to promote your fundraiser. Use the social buttons on your profile to share your fundraising page with friends and family on your social networks. Post updates announcing the launch of your fundraiser, and keep friends and family aware of your progress by posting updates periodically.
4. Keep your Project page ‘alive’
Getting people to your Project page is a great start. Keep the Project feeling ‘alive’ by posting regular updates on your Blog. Let your audience know how the Project is progressing and any interesting news you may have to share. Even a simple ‘thanks’ to all your Donors makes a great update, and lets us know you are still there working away and thinking of us. People are more likely to donate to Projects that appear to have an active body working towards realizing its goals.
5. Give back
Successful promotion always involves an exchange. Although your mom will donate regardless, most people will want to know what’s in it for them. Offering good rewards is a great way to give back to your Donors. Makes sure your Reward tier is arranged to offer small, medium, and large rewards. Small rewards, in particular, encourage everybody to get involved, as all donations will get something in return. Also, try to match the Reward to the donation amount. Ask yourself, would I pay $500 for a copy of a book? If the answer is no, you should probably offer a better Reward.
Use our new SPOT promotion tools in combination with these tips to get the most out of your Project’s promotion. Remember to divide your time between online and offline tactics, keeping in mind all the channels available to you. This will ensure a steady stream of potential Donors to your page and surprising results with your fundraising efforts.
Don’t have a fundraising page? What are you waiting for? Get started and raise the money you need to fund your next project, idea, or dream.
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The internet consists of an infinite number of websites and web pages all competing against one another for attention. Your headline is one of the most important ways to attract interest and inspire visitors to give your profile page the time of day. Here are a few tips to help you create a great profile headline!
Make it unique
There are hundreds of people who have needs just like you. Consider what makes your situation unique and different from all the rest. For example, let’s say you recently lost your job. Being laid off work is not enough to compel interest as many people lose their job. However, let’s say you recently lost your job just in time for an unexpected emergency that knocked your socks off! A bad headline would sound something like this “Lost my job, need help”. A unique headline would sound something like this “Lost job in time for sudden medical emergency, drowning under bills”.
Make it memorable
Incorporate personality and flavor into your profile headline. Give your profile headline a voice! Here’s a great example of an impactful headline that one of our members uses: “Sometimes you give a little, sometimes you need a little”!
Be descriptive
The purpose of your headline is to communicate the nature of your profile. Avoid being ambiguous about your need such as, “Desperately in need of help?” Help for what? Be specific about your situation. For example, “Single mother of three boys recently lost job”, or “Unexpected medical emergency, now struggling to make ends meet”
Your headline can either make or break the success of your profile. Make sure your profile headline is different, catchy and provides enough information to visitors about the nature of your need. For more profile tips be sure to check out our previous post, The Power of Pictures!
Do you have any creative suggestions? We’d love to hear from you… please share your brainstorming ideas here!
Tags:
headline,
profile tips
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We noticed that many of our members fail to take advantage of their photo album. Pictures are your most powerful asset and can speak volumes more than anything you write on your profile. Why are pictures so powerful? Pictures are great because they’re engaging and they put a real human face to your profile. Donors in particular want to feel as though they are connecting with a real human being, not a computer screen. In fact, we’ve found from experience that Recipients who post pictures on their profile are 100% more successful at fund raising than those who do not post any pictures. Here are a few tips to consider when uploading photos to the media section in your profile:
1. Post clear pictures
There’s nothing worse than a blurry profile picture! Make sure that your profile picture is clear and you can be easily identified. Avoid using pictures that have been taken too far away, or where your back is to the camera, or even worse… half your face is missing from the picture altogether!
2. Avoid posting pictures of inanimate objects, scenery, or logos
Objects, scenic landscapes and/or logos are very impersonal. People can’t connect or relate to pictures such as these. Avoid them at all costs. Donors want to connect with real people, not a scenic pond or Pizza Hut!
3. Post tasteful pictures
Select your profile pictures carefully. The pictures you choose to share with the community can seriously make or break your chances of successfully fund raising. Consider what your profile pictures communicate. Donors are less likely to donate to a Recipient who does not take their profile pictures seriously. The best types of photos are family-centric and communicate sympathy. Often the best pictures conjure up feelings of emotion such as a photo of the whole family together including Rover!
4. Post lots of pictures!
The more pictures you post of yourself and family, the more insight you provide viewers. When Donors can view pictures of your whole family, your trip to the Grand Canyon, your son’s 2 year birthday and last year’s Memorial Day picnic with Aunt Sue… they feel as though they know you better. Pictures really do speak a thousand words!
We’d love to hear from you, what are some other tips to improve your profile?
Tags:
pictures,
profile tips
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by Becky (aka. Rayhawk)
We’re all trying to budget frugally these days, but sometimes it’s tough to budget and eat healthy at the same time. Your grocery bill can get expensive if you’re thoughtless when you grocery shop. In other words, the more thought you put into the dietary needs of each family member, the less you will actually spend in the end.
In fact, when you begin to consider the needs of each person in your family you’re likely to find that many items are either unnecessary or just plain unhealthy. For example, many families spend large amounts of money on meats. Reducing your meat to very small portions is not unhealthy. The recommended daily allowance of meat intake is no more than 3 oz – the size of a woman’s palm. Moreover, you’d be surprised how cheap healthy food can be when you do the math. Here is a list of 7 healthy foods for under $1:
Rice . Rice is the most consumed food item in the world. Rice is the staple food for many countries and brown rice in particular retains a lot of nutritional value! At a mere 3 to 4 cents per oz. you have yourself the foundation of a great healthy meal.
Oatmeal. There are great health benefits in oatmeal. Oatmeal is high in dietary fiber and is proven to lower cholesterol while optimizing your cardiovascular health as well. At a mere 42 cents a pound, you have yourself a great breakfast to kick start your day.
Potatoes. High in fiber and low and other essential nutrients, potatoes are a great staple to any diet. However, avoid the globs of sour cream and bacon bits! Potatoes market around 40 to 60 cents per pound.
Eggs. Great source of protein and makes for a healthy breakfast for a mere 20 cents or less per egg.
Popcorn. Low in calories and fat, popcorn makes for a great snack food. Loose kernels cost about 75 cents per pound making it one of the most affordable food items
Apples. These guys are loaded with antioxidants and are proven to reduce the chances of cancer. Apples can be purchased for around 70 to 80 cents per pound.
Lentils. Another great source of protein, one cup supplements more than a third of your recommended daily intake and can be purchased for around 90 cents per pound.
Be conscience of the actually dietary requirements of your family when it comes to grocery shopping. Cut back on the consumption of meats and focus on these items to meet the needs of your family and your budget!
Would love your feedback…
- What are some other cheap grocery items?
- What are ways that you cut down your grocery bill?
Tags:
budget,
Tips & Advice
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Electricity is one utility we often take for granted and it’s one bill that tends to keep rising! However, it’s actually easy to reduce electric costs. It’s more of a behavioral modification than anything. Learning to use manual tools in place of electric tools is a matter of asking “how did they do this before homes had electricity?”. The fact is, people managed quite well before homes were equipped with the amenities we take for granted. Even today many live willingly without electricity and get along just fine. Here are some tips to help you save on unnecessary electricity expenses:
- Box up electric items you don’t absolutely need like can openers, blenders, etc
- Turn your water heater on low – this can save a lot of money at the end of the day
- Use oil lamps or candles more often. Candles make for a great atmospheric dinner!
- If possible, invest in motion sensing switches or light bulbs to ensure lights are not on longer than they need to be
- Line dry your clothes outside. If you live in an apartment I suggest getting a clothes rack and drying them in your bath tub
- Tell your teenage daughter to spend less time in the bathroom blow drying her hair!
- Program your thermostat to run at intervals, or turn off when you are away at work. According to energystar.gov you could save yourself around $180 per year
- Keep your air conditioning filters clean as dirt and dust can prevent proper air flow
- Switch your light bulbs. Changing to a 19-watt CFL bulb can save you $30 a year (energystar.gov)
- Close your curtains to keep the sunlight from heating up your room
- Unplug electrical gadgets in your house when not in use such as your microwave, toaster, and even cell phone charger. These items consume energy and generate heat even when they are not being used
As we all struggle to make ends meet these days, cutting the cost of your electricity will free up some much needed money! What do you do to cut costs around the house?
Special thanks to Becky (aka. Rayhawk) for contributing this post!
Tags:
reduce your electric bill
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Budget specifically for online giving
Set aside a small amount of money monthly or bimonthly exclusively to give online. You don’t have to give much, the beauty of sites like MicroGiving is you can give any amount that fits within your means.
Be informed before you give online
Ask questions. Lots of questions. The more informed you are about where your online contributions are actually going, the more secure you will feel about giving online. Only give online if you feel comfortable and secure that your donations are going to the right cause.
Keep records of your online gifts
Be sure to retain your online giving records for tax purposes. If the organization you donate to is 501c3 tax deductible, you will be able to claim tax benefits if you supply the IRS with the right documentation.
Consider if your company matches online gifts
Some employers will consider matching your donation amount. Ask your company if they will make an online contribution towards your cause.
Give online confidentially
Most charities respect your privacy and will allow you to give online anonymously. If you feel hesitant to give online, contact the organization and request to have your identity kept private.
Be proactive when you give online
Notify the organization to which you give online that you’d like your donation to start making a difference today. Don’t sit back, take control and consider ways that your online gift can help your community now.
What do you feel are important considerations when you give online?
Tags:
give online,
give online wisely
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First impressions are vital to successful fundraising. You’ve only got a few seconds to catch a Donor’s attention. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes:
>Avoid sloppy, long, desperate sounding requests
Keep the request section of your profile short, clear and concise. It’s important to remember that you only have a few seconds to catch a donor’s attention. When editing your profile keep in mind donors want to know what happened and what you need, cut out all the fluff and keep it simple 
>Avoid using an impersonal profile name
From experience we’ve found that real names are more effective than impersonal nicknames. Real names encourage Donors by making them feel as though they are donating to a real person
>Avoid a common or desperate sounding headline
Your headline is a hook that captures attention and draws people into your profile, so make it catchy. Avoid desperate pleas and begging for help!
>Avoid generic profile pictures
Photos should be of yourself and/or family. Avoid using pictures of inanimate objects, animals or logos etc. Remember the more pictures the better! Don’t forget, Donors prefer to feel as though they are connecting with a real human being
>Avoid a long and rambling Biography
Your biography is a description or account of your life which include aspects of your life experiences, personality, work, education and family. Don’t go overboard on your biography. Provide enough information so that readers have a general idea of who you are. Make sure you check for spelling and grammatical errors! Sloppy biographies are annoying and often dismissed by readers!
>Avoid spelling and grammatical errors
Carefully proof read your biography, story and request section. Errors are distracting and Donors are far less likely to read poorly written profiles. Moreover, sloppy profiles turn Donors away.
We’d love your feedback!
- What are some ways that you can improve your profile and stand out to Donors?
Tags:
profile mistakes to avoid,
profile tips
