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.

How to Raise Money for Individual Projects

There are many different options on how to raise money for charity groups but there are not as many for those that seek to raise funds on an individual basis.  Raising money is not always an easy task.  However, there are some ideas that are useful for individuals as well as groups.  Listed below are ways in which an individual can raise money to support a specific cause.  Some involve standard fundraising efforts while others are related to work.

How to Raise Money if You are not a Charity

Here are four simple money raising ideas:

1.    Hold a garage sale.  While this old standby may seem simple, garage sales can be very profitable, particularly if friends and neighbors pitch in with donated items.
2.    Sell items on eBay.  There are many people on eBay that seem willing to buy almost anything at a good price.  Sellers may be surprised at how easy it is to sell off unused items that may be collecting dust around the house.
3.    Hold a craft or bake sale.  As with a community garage sale, family, friends and neighbors are often willing to lend a hand by donating baked goods or crafts.
4.    Organize a benefit dinner.  Benefit dinners are often highly profitable and successful particularly if the food that will be served has been donated by a local business such as a restaurant.

Online Fundraising Tools

Online fundraising tools have become increasing popular with organizations seeking to raise funds for their charities, churches, schools, and personal projects and/or needs.

Online fundraising has become a simple way to raise money as opposed to a traditional event because it takes less effort overall, involves fewer volunteers, and reaches many more people.  Supporters of the cause or project can simply log onto a website and donate without having to get into their cars, fight traffic, brave inclement weather or interrupt busy work days or valuable days off.

Online Fundraising Applications Simplify Events

In addition to fundraising websites, there are other sources to help organize fundraising projects.  There are separate companies that are designed to help create and promote campaigns.  While this may be a good idea or even necessary for large organizations or events, for the majority of the population, it is not necessary.  In fact, many of these companies might not be non-profit and could end up charging a significant percentage or a large overall amount to provide services that are available on MicroGiving for free.  Fundraisers can follow the simple steps provided by the website to get started.  Designing a campaign for a worthy project is easy.  Help and FAQ may be received through the help function or by speaking with a customer service representative.  Following this process can save a great deal of the hard earned donations and financial support.

Simple Fundraiser Ideas

It is not always easy to brainstorm and develop new fundraiser ideas – ones that will raise the most money with the least amount of stress and effort on behalf of the volunteers and/or organizers.

If looking for simple and effective fundraiser ideas, the best way to do this is to ask around and observe what other local charities have done when planning their fundraisers.  Most fundraisers are eager to help others by exchanging ideas and advice on what steps to take to make the most of a fundraiser.

Easy and Fun Ideas for a Fundraiser

A highly effective fundraiser for small groups and charities is a charity dinner.  Spaghetti is often the food of choice because it is very inexpensive and there are many cases in which grocery stores or restaurant food supply companies or distributors will agree to donate the products necessary to make the fundraiser a success.  Even if donations are sparse, the margin of profit with this type of fundraiser is often quite high.

As with any fundraiser, advertising is the key.  Exposure is an important aspect to holding a successful fundraiser and word of mouth and social media are still the best ways to advertise a fundraiser.  However, organizations may offer additional resources to spread the word about a charity dinner or other fundraiser, resources that a small community charity or organization may not have.  Organizations should also make use of online contacts.

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.

The Purpose of Fundraising

When considering why some organizations or charities resort to fundraising efforts, one might ask why so many agencies rely on fundraisers to support their work and/or causes.  Many may assume that there are private and public organizations that support non-profits or special causes.  While that may be true, the economy has caused a deficit in some of the programs that previously supported many non-profit organizations.  Therefore, the funds are not available for certain organizations to continue planned activities, or in some cases, continue to operate because operational costs are too high.

While most projects are targeted toward a specific project such as raising funds for new school uniforms, bleachers for the high school football stadium or for a specific event such as a building fund for a new church or community center, there are some that focus more on operational costs.

Extra Expenses Involved in Fundraising

Most brick and mortar organizations have to pay overheads just like any other business.  There is typically rent or a mortgage to be paid, utility bills including gas, electric, water and phone.  There must be funds for office supplies and, of course, if there are any employees for the organization, they too must be paid.  Fundraising campaigns can serve all types of purposes depending on the group or individual, and those additional expenses should not be overlooked when creating a fundraising plan.

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.

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.

Finding New Ways to Raise Money

Finding new ways to raise money can be a difficult task if left to one’s own devices.  When organizing a fundraiser it is best to consult someone that has experience in the area.  This could be a fellow volunteer or fundraiser, charitable organization, public relations organization, fundraising firm or some other entity that has been through the process and can offer valuable insight into the best ways to organize a fundraiser and supply information on the best and easiest ways to raise money for any given situation.

Learning About Fundraising & Raising Money

Coming up with new fundraising ideas can be daunting, especially if the organization in charge of the fundraiser has a history of various fundraising ideas.  There are times when repeat fundraisers can be successful; however, an organization will not want to run the same kind of fundraiser that is being operated by a similar organization, particularly if that organization is located in one’s own community.  In order to create a successful fundraiser, consult MicroGiving for new and interesting ways to raise money for a cause, charity, project or event.  Supporters may donate directly to the fundraising organization or may find it easy to participate in a fundraising activity such as a discount card program, online auction or raffle.  Simply scroll through existing pages for ideas and concepts that may make your next fundraiser a success.

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.

Creating a Natural Disaster Fundraiser

There has been a significant number of natural disasters around the world in the past six months, leaving tens of thousands of people without housing, food, water, clothing and medical care.  The poor state of the current economy has taken a toll on these people as well as the resources they may have counted on to help them in this time of need.

Individuals and communities have stepped forward to help the victims of natural disasters.  In addition to private and public support from existing sources, many people have also chosen to raise money by helping to develop fundraiser events and projects to further support those in need.

Setting up a Fundraiser for Victims

There are many different types of fundraisers that could offer much needed support to these victims of natural disasters.  Many have lost their homes, jobs, and loved ones.  Many are in need of food, shelter, water and clothing.  Community resources are down and there is often not enough to go around.

In addition to direct support from local donors, communities and charitable organizations may consider developing an online fundraiser page to bring awareness to the plight of these victims.  Exposure to the charity event can help to bring in more support and to raise funds faster than if the event was advertised only on a local level.

Check out how to set up a fundraiser page so that money and goods may be sent to those in need.

Choosing an Online Fundraiser

There are many reasons for creating an online fundraiser.  Those reasons almost always involve a lack of funds to support a specific charity, event or project.  Many charities rely on individuals or donations, grants from local, state or federal governments or other related public entities or endowments from philanthropic sources such as individuals or foundations.  However, these sources may not always be available to those seeking support.  Grants and endowments, or even micro loans, often have strict criteria to which the fundraising organization must adhere.  Some events or charities may not need a great deal of money, and do not realize that these sources are available or do not choose to go through the process of obtaining outside funds due to a confusing process or tight deadlines.

Creating an Online Fundraising Event

Creating an online fundraiser is much simpler than applying for grants and endowments.  It is easy to create and promote an online page that can be sent to family, friends and potential supporters worldwide.  The online aspect makes it easy for people to donate and also spares the expense of advertising the fundraising event or project.  To create a fundraising page, choose a category that best fits your needs.  Fill out the required information and promote the page through email, word of mouth and social media.  Be sure to explain the event in a compelling way that will make people want to support the fundraising effort.

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.

Raise Money Online by Creating a new Campaign

There are countless reasons people may need to raise money online.  MicroGiving gives each person an opportunity to raise money  through a number of ways, the main one being the creation of a charity page.  Each page describes how much money is needed for the specific charity and also explains the need.  A calculator is included with each page to show the amount that has been raised to date plus the percentage of the charity that has already been funded.

This month alone 119 new charities have been added to the website.  They include fundraising efforts for Education, Art, Animals, Business, Community, Cuisine, Education, Entrepreneurial, Events, Environmental, Fashion, Film, Invention, Music, Non-Profit, Performance, Photography, Technology and Writing.  There are also categories under the heading of Hardship, which include Death in Family, Domestic Violence, Disability, Home Repair, Medical Treatment, Loss of Income, Loss of Housing, Loss of Utilities, Natural Disaster, Vehicle Repairs and Veterinary Care.

Raise Money Through a new Charity

Potential supporters may search specific charities by category, posting date, or amount funded.  There is also a featured category that can help people to raise money even faster.  Perhaps one of the best features that will help charities raise money online is the ability to link to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites so that people can spread the word about the need.

Ways to Raise Money for Charity: Auction Your Possessions

There are many ways to raise money for the charity of your choice, but one method that is becoming increasingly popular is to auction off personal belongings.

When selling valuables to make cash it is paramount that you take the time to think carefully about what you’re selling. While you will ultimately be donating to a good cause, don’t just rush in and auction everything off in one go, because six months down the line you or your donors may be disheartened that something precious or with sentimental was sold. Donors should carefully consider which possessions they want to sell on before committing to placing them into an auction because, once they’re gone, you can’t get them back.

Auction Your Possessions – One of Many Ways to Raise Money for your Charity

Once you and the rest of your fundraisers have decided what to sell, it’s simply a matter of locating a website that allows you to auction the belongings. One of the most known is eBay, a fantastic auction site where you can sell second hand or even brand new goods to eager customers. Auction items with a reserve or simply place as a ‘buy it now’ good to start selling. Meanwhile, if you have more specific antiques, you can use websites such as ‘Value My Stuff’ to get an estimate value before you sell. And if you have clothes you don’t want, you could even use the new ASOS marketplace to list fashion apparel.

Auctioning off items is just one of many ways to raise money, whilst inspiring and attracting new donors to help with your charitable cause.

How to Raise Money for Individual Projects

When people think of charity they often think of organizations that are non-profit.  However, there are many instances in which people may need to learn how to raise money for personal projects or needs.  In the past, these people might have to use assistance programs, grants, loans, philanthropy or charity to meet these needs.  A person’s needs might range from funding an artistic project to buying a new car, adding a much needed roof to a house or some other worthy cause.  As such, their fundraising efforts may be thought of as frivolous or unworthy of traditional fundraising efforts.

Using Online Resources to Raise Money

These people may benefit from learning how to raise money via the internet.  It may seem difficult, if not impossible, to raise money online, especially if there is a time frame attached to the project.  Still, it is not hopeless.  People can use sites like Microgiving to organize a charity or project that needs to be funded.  The word can be spread through email blasts and social media forums such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook.  Fundraisers may also wish to advertise on Craigslist and similar sites for extra exposure.  Additionally, utilizing search engines can benefit the charity through applicable programs, forums, groups and interested parties that may be willing to help fund the project with little or no repayment after the project’s end.

Ways to Raise Money

It is not always easy to find unique ways to raise money that will work for your specific group.  Having a brainstorming session will be the best way to determine the ideal fundraiser for your charity, community or school project, or event.

Who should be involved in the fundraiser?  The group planning the fundraiser should include everyone that will participate in some way, from the organizer to the volunteers.  It is vital to keep the brainstorming session open and free flowing, yet organized so it does not take an entire evening to discuss, only to come up with no solid suggestions.

Obtaining Great Fundraising Ideas

The first thing to do is to create an agenda.  There should be a list of items to discuss on the agenda, such as:

What type of fundraiser is needed?

How much money is needed?

What is the time frame?

Who will be involved?

Are there any individuals or groups that are willing to donate time, money and/or materials?

What is the profit margin on the project?

To ensure that the meeting is effective, ask people to write down their suggestions for ways to raise money before the meeting starts so that each can be discussed in turn.  Setting a time frame for the meeting and overall discussion will help to keep everyone focused and on task.  Once the basic fundraiser idea is decided, tasks for the development and execution of the fundraiser can be assigned to the volunteers and organizers.

How to Raise Money as an Individual

There are many resources that can be used to raise money for charity groups but there are fewer resources for those that need to raise funds on a smaller, individual basis.  Raising money in a tough economy is not an easy task.  However, there are some ideas that can net a fair amount of money if implemented correctly.  Listed below are some ways in which an individual may be able to raise funds for a specific cause.  Some involve standard charity-type fundraising while others are more related to work.

How to Raise Money Outside an Organization

1.     Hold a garage sale.  While this may seem simple, it can be very profitable, particularly if neighbors and friends are willing to donate items to the cause.

2.     Sell items on eBay.  People on eBay seem willing to buy almost anything.  Sellers might be surprised at how easy it is to get rid of unused items around the house.

3.     Blogging.  Blogging and writing short freelance articles will not make someone rich but it can certainly bring in some money.  Aside from that, it is easy work.

4.     Hold a bake or craft sale.  As with a garage sale, friends and neighbors are often eager to lend a hand by donating some type of baked good or craft.

5.     Hold a benefit dinner.  Benefit dinners can be highly successful and profitable, particularly if the items that will be served at the meal have been donated by a local restaurant or food supply service.