The Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County hosted their first event with Kevin Knebl on January 15th and 106 people attended! This was a 45-minute live webinar with Kevin and then, a panel of local business people answered questions for the group about their successful use of social media.
Now, Kevin Knebl participates in-person on April 30th. A person can sign up for one session or a group of sessions! Other activities will accompany Kevin’s training, including Focus Point Behavior Analysis.
Paper calendars are still hanging on people’s walls. Determine what you think would sell in your market – only get a limited number of calendars printed – take orders now and deliver in December
Offer a training on something and collect money from people for attending. Usually, there’s a professional out there willing to train in return for a small fee and the opportunity to sell something during the training
Canvas shopping bags work well when you partner with a shopping district. Woodland Park Main Street has cornered the market on this idea in their small town. They include coupons in the bag from participating businesses and then they sell the bags at other events for $10 – $15, woodlandparkmainstreet.org
Write a book about the history of your organization – or another popular subject. Self-publish and sell the book. This also works well with cookbooks
Find a way to share your mission by including others. The Mountain Top Cycling Club in Teller County has a “Bike the Night” to bring families out for a bicycle ride. People pay for the opportunity to participate, they get a glow in the dark t-shirt, and have a pizza party after the ride – mountaintopcyclingclub.com
Host a festive gathering for families. The Made for More project has a colorful pumpkin festival coming up. This is when the community comes together to celebrate the harvest of pumpkins – madeformoreproject.org
Think of your fundraisers as a way to market your organization. Sometimes, a fundraiser takes time to catch on. The first time you do it may not be as exciting because the results were not what you expected but if you keep a positive attitude, plan for the next time, and learn as you go – things always get better.
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.
“Everything is better when shared.” Have you heard that saying? Someone to help you is all that means in this context. A person, or two, or five, or ten to help you spread the word about your organization and RAISE MONEY! It’s easy when you do three things…
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 happens monthly when you bring your team together for a meeting. WARNING!!! Meetings are one hour and an agenda, which is done by the facilitator, is followed. Everyone has an opportunity to see the agenda ahead of time and plug in new items as necessary. The facilitator determines how much time each section of the agenda permits. Starting on time and ending on time are key. If there’s additional items on the agenda and it’s time to end the meeting the facilitator classifies the remaining items (can they be discussed via email or can they be summed it up in five minutes…is so, ask permission to go the extra five minutes).
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.
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.
Nonprofits save money while building fundraising momentum with SOAR because there are credits available for the services they already have in place. Check your credits – click here
Nonprofits grow fundraising they they work on the “contributor” status of a volunteer. A contributor is someone who gets involved in attending, planning, and coordinating activities. SOAR has developed doable (easy) project plans for anyone to implement to raise more money than they have before. The V-formation is one reference. Birds work together to get from a place of lower resources to a place of higher resources quickly and easily. The principle also applies to people. Giving back provides momentum BUT how you give back makes a difference. It’s all in how you SOAR: Share your message; Offer opportunities for involvement; Accept how people participate; Respect and appreciate others
#SOARwithNetworkFundraising allows #fundraising to become the central focus in everyday activites WITHOUT it being the only thing you talk or think about!
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: _____________________________________
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. Cost is $199 for a one-year plan. Learn more – click here!
Don’t go alone! How long have we been preaching this to our kids. “Partner up!” It’s that simple.
The V-formation develops and runs your fundraiser successfully. What in the world!? A V-formation is a group of birds, flying in a flock, to get to where they want to go. That’s not me!
Are you sure? Wouldn’t you get further if you led a V-formation (Volunteer Formation)? It’s about managing your time effectively. WE ARE ALL TOO BUSY. Of course, we are. We don’t have time to hover over the nest. There are bigger and better things for fund raisers to be doing. Like…meeting new people and developing relationships.
We recommend building your V-formation first: Assigning roles and managing the process. BE THE LEADER!
Shares the cause and tells the story of how they are connected to your mission
Engages donors and sponsors (increases donations and lower costs)
Answers the following question with yes – “will this decision help us raise more money for our cause?” If the answer is no, spending time on that item is avoided
Sample Roles for your team
1. Event Coordinator
2. Marketing Collaborator
3. Hospitality Chief
Building a strong V-formation depends on communication. There are lots of ways we communicate. People do have preferences. Figure them out!
$800 Leaders’ Program = Rounding out the Numbers!
One year of support for improving your fundraising program.
Step one: One person decides they want to spearhead the cause marketing program in their community and they are backed by their company to explore the ROI. It’s a perfect opportunity for a community relations person in a marketing department. It’s the way to develop a lasting, sustainable way to improve business, and it comes out of the goodness of your heart! It’s people to people marketing, relationship development, at its best.
SOAR opens doors for a new business owner to expand their market.
Look at this great list of perks you get when you choose to develop a nonprofit cooperative:
You are the only one being trained by SOAR in your county to implement the cooperative (as long as you remain in the program)
SOAR backs the program with 100% positive results for growing market share
You’re introduced to a philanthropic tool to market a business (cause marketing)
You learn a proven method to grow your market and achieve success
There are opportunities to create social impact
You’re guided to establish your role as the “Community Connector”
You become spotlighted as a prominent organization in the community because you’re giving in a sustainable way to a vulnerable segment of society
A reflection of change is prepared, through monthly progress reports, for the leaders of your company
Establish communications within your community for the cooperative
Put together an effective growth plan
WHY A NONPROFIT COOPERATIVE?
Small communities (county population under 30,000) have put together nonprofit cooperatives to enhance individual success through group success. It’s the philosophy of giving back in order to move forward. Gayle Gross, founder and CEO of SOAR with Network Fundraising, lives by this philosophy. She gives nonprofits in small communities an opportunity to create their own success by developing a cooperative program. This program is usually spearheaded by a business hoping to create social impact by becoming the “community connector.”
BENEFITS OF A NONPROFIT COOPERATIVE
The Nonprofit Cooperative relieves donor fatigue. People get tired of being asked over and over again for money. Imagine – you are the business, which relieves this stress for other people in town. They will admire your effort. You become a hero in their eyes. Your business becomes the one people frequent and refer people to.
Donor fatigue happens a lot in small communities. It’s where the ratio of nonprofits to potential donors is lopsided. It is quickly apparent, the Nonprofit Cooperative lessens burnout for fundraising professionals. There’s an immediate support system among peers, nonprofit events cease to overlap, and people in the community begin to see the benefit of their unity. Organizations gain credibility. Marketing is often done together and this helps to reduce costs for the nonprofits who do not have expendable income.
WHO BENEFITS MOST IN A COMMUNITY?
Everyone!
For-profit businesses have the opportunity to spearhead the program and they get in touch with nonprofits in the community. All nonprofits have their network of followers. The for-profit also becomes the “community connector” in their area, which is a powerful marketing tool
Nonprofits learn how to collaborate effectively to increase their bottom line. There’s greater awareness and opportunities
The community is relieved of donor fatigue
what does it cost for a person to implement the nonprofit cooperative?
$15 or the initial call to discuss specifics with SOAR.
$1200 for a year of coaching plus $300 for materials.
Total is $1500 for an organization to learn the system, get training materials and to be coached for a year. (The $15 for the first call is deducted from the coaching fee.)
A person is encouraged to maintain the program for at least three years after the initial startup of the program. Maintenance includes three training calls and any documents, which are updated during the year. The fee is $300 per year. This fee can change. You can lock in the total price when you pay $2400 upfront. In total, $2400 is for four years of coaching to help you develop a sustainable platform for your cause marketing program.
WHY LISTEN TO SOAR’S FOUNDER AND GET INVOLVED?
Why listen to Gayle? It’s in your best interest if you want to grow market share and make money. There’s proven success 100% of the time. It pays to know where your money is going and if it will have the most impact. Follow her plan and it is guaranteed to grow beyond your expectations.
Ready? Make a payment of $15 for a first call (15 minutes) to discuss how the program looks for your community. It is determined during this call to be a good fit or not. Schedule call – click here!
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.
Details below are given to businesses in order to help them choose a cause for their donation.
Excerpt from blog by Abby Quillen.
With more than 1 million non-profit foundations and charities in the U.S., it may be daunting to decide on a cause to support. Paradoxically, the more choices available, the harder it is to make a decision and act. Use these tips to find a cause that fits your company and gets results.
Find a charity that aligns with your company’s values
What does your business do? What is your mission? If you’re in food service, for instance, maybe you’ll reach out to a non-profit focused on urban food insecurity or recycling. Or if you’re in the financial sector, you could look at one of the many nonprofits devoted to increasing financial literacy. Finding a charity that aligns with your company’s values is a great place to start.
Focus on impact
Do you want to help women start small businesses, communities rebuild after disasters, children learn to read, or needy families have access to nutritious food? Visit a charity evaluator website, such as GiveWell, the Open Philanthropy Project, or the Foundational Research Institute, to compare the costs and effects of different interventions.
Do your research
Before you commit to a cause, make sure it’s legitimate by checking a charity watchdog site such as CharityWatch, Charity Navigator, or BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Ideally, a charity should spend a majority of its funds on programs, not fundraising or administration.
Pay a visit
By partnering with a local non-profit, you can help people in your local community and make it a better place to live. You’ll also have opportunities to sponsor team volunteer work days or local charity events. Before you partner with an organization, visit and observe their work first-hand.
Gayle Gross developed a way for people to SOAR. Very valuable information is shared above, which is an the excerpt from the full article linked here at Zerocater. Aligning a non-profit with a business to create social impact is paramount for today’s cause marketing approach. Gayle knows this and works with organizations to determine the best way to move forward in developing collaborative networking. There’s a program she helps organizations implement. It is the Nonprofit Cooperative. Contact SOAR to learn more!
Claire Windsor volunteers with the Heart Start Foundation (“HSF”) and has helped them retain 69% of their donors because of a donor-recognition program they now implement.
21% of donors say they never receive a thank you note. It’s the first step. A thank you lets a person know their donation was received. A simple thank you card, sent within 48 hours, is a good rule of thumb.
Don’t always ask for money. Invite your donors to events that are free and include the people you support. People really enjoy these because they see your work in action and they know you’re not going to ask for money. An example is the popular talent shows we have at HSF. Donors come because the voting is people’s choice. They get to be involved!
Keeping things organized and manageable. We keep an excel spreadsheet of the year’s activities, which includes the activity, date, cost, sponsor, and Volunteer Champion. There’s one Champion per activity. We use online calendars to create tasks. We just started using Trello. It’s an online project management tool. There’s a free version, which allows Champions to share progress with the foundation’s director.
These simple tools are provided “Cause We Care” and value the success of others. Send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com if you’d like to be represented in one of our articles.
Don’t go alone! How long have we been preaching this to our kids. “Partner up!” It’s that simple.
Gayle Gross developed a way for people to SOAR. Very valuable information is shared above, which is an the excerpt from the full article linked here at 