Since it was first published in 1988, Fundraising for Social Change has become one of the most widely used books on fundraising in the United States. Fundraising practitioners and activists rely on it for hands-on, specific, and accessible fundraising techniques, and it has become a required text in dozens of college courses around the country. This fifth edition offers the information that has made the book a classic: proven know-how on asking for money, planning and conducting major gifts campaigns, using direct mail effectively, and much more. The book has been significantly changed to include new technology—e-mail, online giving, and blogs—and contains expanded chapters on capital and endowment campaigns, how to feel comfortable asking for money, how to recruit a team of people to help with fundraising, and how to build meaningful relationships with donors. In addition, this essential resource contains new information on such timely topics as ethics, working across cultural lines, and how to create opportunities for fundraising more systematically and strategically

Fundraisers are often intimidated by the prospect of writing grant proposals. But missing a grant opportunity can mean losing important programs and essential services. For the fundraiser in need of practical skills and guidance, The Grantwriter’s Start-Up Kit shows how to prepare for the process of writing a successful grant proposal.

I love this time of year because it is ideal for someone with my condition –
the giving condition.

I have always enjoyed showering my friends, family, and
even complete strangers with random acts of kindness. Just a few days ago I had
the double pleasure of treating my mom to some delicious ice cream, and then blowing
away the stand worker with a tip toward her “Tips for College” fund. These
things are great for the getter, but are absolutely awesome for me. I must
admit that I do them a little selfishly. I love seeing the look on people’s
faces when I surprise them with an act of giving.

The Holiday season is usually the time we take to do
outward expressions of kindness. And, I’m going to highly advocate that you do.
Nonprofits are hurting during this economic crunch time. Reach outside of your
family and friends and give to a charitable organization this year. Consider
donating time and things, but mostly money as that is what they really need.
They need our $5 here and there. Because as you know with pennies, they add up!

So, if you want to find a charitable organization to give
to, or check on the credibility of one, here are a few resources: Better
Business Bureau, Guide Star, and American Institute of Philanthropy. Then you
can consider making giving a family or group event. Gather your best friends, and
suggest that you give to a charitable organization instead of exchanging
Christmas presents this year!

1. GuideStar – This is a member site for nonprofit organizations. GuideStar houses information about nonprofit organizations for public review. To quote the site, their “database is broad and deep.” You can even find funding tips and resources on this site.

2. Foundation Center – There are several tools available to you at the Foundation Center. They not only offer a database you can search online for funders, but they also after you literature to read to assist you with making proper choices when selecting your funder. There are classes you can take as well to ensure that you complete your paperwork effectively.

If you do an online search you’ll find books, websites, and other options for investigating funding sources. Your local library is another great resource to check out.

Kids learn by doing. So when it comes to volunteering, not only must we set a good example as parents and adults by helping those in need, we must also involve our children in the action of helping others.

As parents, we are inundated with fundraisers from the PTA, the Girls Scouts, and now many schools are involved in jump rope for heart and other causes. It’s much easier for parents to simply take fund-raising order forms to work or send e-mails to their friends and family and avoid getting their kids involved in the process at all. But getting our kids involved and teaching them about giving is the all important lesson we are missing out on if we forgo that step.

Aside from the fundraisers that come our way via school, sports teams and our communities, the best way to get our kids involved is to do something different that is meaningful to them. Check out Kids For Our Troops , offering great ideas for our kids to get involved in helping our troops. Another great idea is to organize a good cause garage sale. Your kids can participate in selecting which good cause to support. This makes them feel empowered and part of the process.

Kids from ages 12-17 can attend a volunteer camp in Frederick, MD. Volunteer Frederick offers camps through its summer serve program where kids participate in various projects from working with rescued horses and other animals to preparing and serving meals to the hungry to engaging elderly residents with developmental disabilities in music, art, cooking and exercise activities. What a great way to keep your child from being bored in the summer and have them gain the valuable experience of giving.

This isn’t necessarily a nonprofit specific topic, yet it is quite relevant. Press releases are an excellent source of marketing, and have the potential to connect you to the people you are trying to reach through your community work.

There are several great web resources that you can use to guide you through the process. Check out Microsoft Online free press release templates. There is no need to struggle in figuring out how to make this happen, just take the help and use it to your best advantage.

The key thing to note you must have a newsworthy piece to report. So consider what contribution your organization has, or will, make to the community, and write about it in five paragraphs or less.

Have fun spreading the word about the good works you are doing!

Here are a few key strategies to assist you in seeing those well-dreamt projects through to fruition.

• Include your entire team in gathering ideas. You never know where a great idea may come from, and it could very well be the part-time volunteer that comes up with the next best thing.
• Check with the community that you serve to see if anyone has a suggestion for how your organization can improve its current services, or implement something new. A suggestion box is a great way to gather ideas from community members.
• Surveys are effective in helping organizations gauge the successfulness of a program. We recommend surveys that also gauge the interest of the community and staff members. This sort of questionnaire will assist your organization in not only considering what new ideas to try, but will also tell you what current programs are working well.

Remember to include everyone; it helps to grow a stronger organization if you get the buy-in from as many people as possible. In addition, it is very important to make sure that whatever new ideas you implement fit with the organization’s mission statement and strategic plan.

Check out the organizational assessment tool offered free through The Hartford Foundation’s Nonprofit Support Program.

You can use the Foundation Center in two ways, either in person (if you are fortunate to have a Foundation Center near you) or you can use it online. The Foundation Center has a database of funders that you can access for a fee. If you go into their offices, then you can use the system on a timed basis. There is always a staff person available to assist you with the research process.

The Foundation Center also offers classes on proposal writing, proposal budgeting, how to use the Foundation Center’s database, and many more. You can see a schedule of activities by visiting their website.

I found their Vision and Mission Statement to be on point, so I copied them here for your easy perusal.

Vision: A world enriched by the effective allocation of philanthropic resources, informed public discourse about philanthropy, and broad understanding of the contributions of nonprofit activity to civil society.

Mission: The Foundation Center’s mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy.

History: Established in 1956, and today supported by more than 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is the nation’s leading authority on philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance philanthropy at every level. The Center’s web site receives more than 47,000 visits each day, and thousands of people gain access to free resources in its five regional library/learning centers and its national network of more than 340 Cooperating Collections.

Included within your strategic planning section and your marketing plan are key items that will appeal to funders. Here is where you’ll talk about business growth and development. This will be essential information for grant makers to review. More than likely, they will be reviewing these sections of your business plan to determine your other means for establishing financial stability. Funders are looking for organizations that want a hand up to grow and invest in, not an organization that is looking for a hand out and total dependence.

Proposals range from “Magical Math Centers” ($200) to “Big Book Bonanza” ($320) to “Book Of The Month….Sharing Literacy Across The Grades” ($1,029). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.

Charles Best leads DonorsChoose.org, a simple way to fulfill needs and foster innovation in public schools. Charles founded DonorsChoose.org in the spring of 2000 at Wings Academy, an alternative public high school in the Bronx where he taught social studies for five years. Under Charles’s leadership, DonorsChoose.org has enabled citizen-donors to deliver millions in funding to thousands of teachers teaching in public schools. National media such as Oprah Winfrey and The New York Times have hailed DonorsChoose.org as “the future of philanthropy.” In 2004, DonorsChoose.org received a Technology Laureate, and in 2005, DonorsChoose.org surpassed 1,000 other organizations to win the Nonprofit Innovation Award conferred by Stanford Business School and Amazon.com.

For more information, visit Donors Choose