Category Archives: Self-help

Kevin Knebl presents a live training about Social Media in OUR Backyard – Woodland Park, Colorado – 2021

Partner, get in on the Marketing Bonanza, and get 2 – 6 tickets to the event with Kevin. (See current Marketing Bonanza benefits here: https://marketingbonanza.eventbrite.com

The Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County brings Kevin Knebl to the stage in 2021. Participants get valuable training with the opportunity to buy into the day at three rates ($45, $135, or $270):

Kevin Knebl is an International Speaker, Author, Trainer and Joie de Vivre Coach™ whose clients include small, medium and Fortune 500 companies. He’s an in-demand, leading authority on Social Selling, Relationship Marketing, LinkedIn and Twitter with a healthy dose of Personal Development and Humor blended in for good measure for conferences, conventions, company trainings, and many other events.

Other activities and trainings are included.

The event is sponsored by the “Driving Partners” Heuberger Motors/Heuberger Suburu, Kevin Knebl, and the Edgewood Inn. The “Community Circle” has formed with A-Z Storage/Peak Price Real Estate with Karen Schaefer, and the Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County.

Sponsorship packages are available. Email iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org to learn more

Training Others to Advance your Mission

First of all – determine your mission. This is usually the top priority of your role with an organization. Let’s just say it’s to raise money since SOAR is all about lifting people up to help them be successful with fundraising.

Who are you looking for? Determine this. What is the role you hope to attain in order to achieve your mission?
What kind of acquisition tools are available? Determine this. How can you implement these tools while adding additional tools to make your program special?
Bringing a person on board to fulfill your mission includes retaining them. What perks do you offer? Training is a key part having a person feel comfortable in their role. Regular conversation is another.

Training is ongoing and it’s helpful to provide a “new hire” packet, so to speak. This packet includes all of the information a person needs to know in writing. It shares the time commitment a person has signed up for and outlines their participation.

Training at meetings are universal and 1:1 meetings are personal. Making sure to cover both is a way to keep people in the know and on a broader scope when need be. The broader scope takes over when you’re wanting someone to cover another person’s role in their absence. It’s easier to do when everyone on your team knows what’s going on behind the scenes.

In summary – share your mission with people who are able to help you expand your market. In the end, market share is fundraising.

Fundraising Grows when you SOAR in a V-formation

Volunteer commitment grows when a volunteer feels they are an important part of a successful program. SOAR works with nonprofits to develop the V-formation of fundraising. The giving back scenario matches the same practice of birds flying in a flock.

Set up a time to talk about developing your very own V-formation of volunteers.

The V-formation – the volunteers you bring into the “flight pattern” of your organization.

#SOARwithNetworkFundraising allows #fundraising to become the central focus in everyday activites WITHOUT it being the only thing you talk or think about!

Nonprofits – Beat the Odds of Fundraising by Being Cooperative

Beat the odds. Fundraising can be difficult, especially in a small community or micro community within a large city.

Getting the YES to a donation takes time and energy. Many times, there tends to be a fear of losing between nonprofits. This ultimately fractures relationships and makes fundraising a competition.

Nonprofits come together to form the Nonprofit Cooperative in successful fundraising communities. There’s sharing of resources and trainings. Collaborative Fundraisers make raising money easier and more successful.

To learn more about doing this in your community, send an email to the founder of SOAR, Gayle Gross, at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Or, schedule a call! to make it easier for us to answer your questions quickly.

Taking it Easy on Donors

Donors have a giving heart. They are asked more often than not to consider giving. Ask a donor, “What can I do for you?” and they will probably sidestep the conversation. It’s not something they’re comfortable discussing. It’s not supposed to be about them in their mind because it’s about others.

Understanding how a donor feels is important. You show a quality mindset when you take time to understand their intent and then provide opportunities for them to benefit. It is a nice way to “give back.” These six powerful words, “what can I do for you,” have the ability to transform a situation. It’s a way to shift the discussion and put the energy back on making someone else happy. In this case, it is your donor.

Consider this – more than half of all people who visit a nonprofit’s website do so from a mobile device according to Mobilecause.com. This is an old statistic so the numbers are much higher now. What does your website look like on a mobile platform? Check it out on your phone and make sure it is user-friendly. Is there a donor button? It’s not just about having a “donate now” button because a “donor” button is more about the emotional component of why they give. A donor button is about telling your story, and also about sharing with donors the benefit of why giving to your organization is important. The button explains what’s in it for them? This is that uncomfortable situation again. But, it’s true. What’s in it for them? They can feel good about giving to a cause and get a spiritual kudo just about anywhere. They can get a tax benefit for specific kinds of donations. Sure, this works. But, they can also GIVE to any organization to get the same rewards. Why would they give to yours?

Setting yourself up for success begins on the backend. It’s your opportunity to set the stage first. Begin by doing this:

Check your mobile platform for your website’s format and message. This is the the way most people are seeing you. Connect with your website designer as necessary to update for mobile changes
Be up to date on social media, other online sites, and with phone messaging systems. Call yourself and your answering system through the office. What message do you hear? Do you have recent posts on social media and on your website? It takes time and is often put on the bottom of the list. Dedicating a couple of hours each week to this process, or finding a volunteer to do it, makes the world of difference in the end
Make a list of the ways you’re giving back to donors and add to the list while remembering, each donor is different and it takes some time to discover the intricacies of what’s most important to them. This is about taking the time for discovery and then taking the time to establish a plan to let your donor know they are your most important asset.

The people you serve are most important to your mission. The people who help you serve are your greatest asset. An asset is the people volunteering, working for you, or those who provide a means for your service. A donor, a sponsor, or a foundation provide the means by giving money for your mission to continue. Taking it easy on donors is key to your success.

For additional information on coaching through the fundraising process – connect with SOAR with Network Fundraising. The programs are cost-effective and focused on your mission. There’s not a cookie-cutter approach to taking it easy on donors, providing the right message or opportunities to be involved, and engaging the public. Each situation is different. SOAR coaching offers the training and then the follow up. The Leader’s Program creates sustainability through a year-long program. Click Here!

Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Developing a Fundraising Plan – Raising Money is Always About Your Next Move!

The fundraising plan is first and foremost, the most NECESSARY document needed to raise money. Get a team together to discuss short and long term goals. Then, take small steps to open the right doors.

Team

__________________________

How much money by when?

____________________6 months

____________________12 months

____________________24 months

____________________36 months

____________________48 months

____________________60 months

Methods for raising money

Past

____________________

Present

____________________

Future

____________________

Timeline for each method (each fundraiser has its own schedule)

Name of fundraiser: _____________________________________

11 months out: _________10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 month out…three weeks…two weeks…one week…three days…two days…one day…day of…day after…week following…two weeks following…three weeks following & start over again!

Participants (fundraising team, volunteers, invitations to activity)

Past: Future:

___________ ___________

Resources (location, activities, marketing, door prizes, etc)

Have: What’s needed

_____________ _____________

Tracking mechanism (spreadsheet or donor management software)
Maintain focus with your team

Monthly meetings, contact via email and calls, keep the goals visual, provide task-oriented participation to be checked off upon completion and follow the timeline to a T!

SOAR coaches organizations through the development of a fundraising plan during a 10-day process.

Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Nonprofits Collaborate in Teller County, Colorado To Create Impact

The Nonprofit Cooperative in Teller County, Colorado is a project of SOAR with Network Fundraising. Organizations represented at the meeting on January 8 were:

Mountain Top Cycling Club
Teller County Farmer’s Market Association
Woodland Park Farmer’s Market
Woodland Park Main Street
Colorado Phoenix Project
Junior Achievement of Teller County
Pikes Peak Rotary Club
Lighter Side of Christmas Parade
Woodland Park Wind Symphony
Teller Safe Harbor
Habitat for Humanity
Friends of Mueller State Park
UC Health
Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds
Pikes Peak Historical Society
DayBreak – An Adult Day Program
Pikes Peak Lions Club
Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church

Helping nonprofits develop into a collaborative effort is what SOAR is doing in Teller County. Organizations work together and create impact for their community through economic vitality. As a result of the meeting on January 8th, TCRAS changed the date of a fundraiser they have because it overlapped with something Habitat was doing on the same day.

Participants of the cooperative effort receive training on how to be impactful. It’s not a membership organization, it’s people who choose to work together for the better good of the organizations they represent.

Cooperative means everyone gets a vote, decisions are made as a group, and there’s greater potential for success while everyone works in tandem. Do you want to learn more about bringing this project to your small community? It increases exposure, opportunities, and market share (fundraising). Set up time to learn more about the program and how to be a participant. Email: iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com

Moving forward, an organization in the cooperative of Teller County has 23 opportunities to market their program. This includes attending trainings, collaborative networking events, participating in together-marketing campaigns, and attending happy hours.

The goal is to make SOAR’s project available in communities with less than 30,000 people. Be part of the movement and connect today.

Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Fundraising Community

Join “Team SOAR” where people:

Increase fundraising
Get feedback and new ideas
Earn privileges related to marketing
Develop lasting partnerships
Learn a simple system to guarantee positive fundraising results

See more…

Gayle Gross is the Founder and CEO of SOAR. She’s an experienced presenter for the Center of Non-profit Excellence in combination with the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southern Colorado. She implements collaborative networking events to increase market share and raise money for businesses and non-profits collectively. People she has worked with continue to see their markets and services increase even after she’s done coaching them. Peer to peer fundraising and productive social impact within communities are her specialties.