Tag Archives: budget cuts

When Fundraising Comes Easy

It’s not for everyone – have you heard those words before? Here’s a question for you – is it hard to raise money or do you find it easy? Be honest. It’s Monday morning and maybe you’re working today. You have appointments each day this week with different people you’re cultivating. What’s your biggest challenge in preparing for the visits? Here are some tips:

  1. Know the person you’re meeting with
  2. Outline the steps ahead of time to get you to what you want
  3. Be ready with “next steps”

Fundraising comes more easily when people are prepared. A fundraising plan, all laid out, is a great thing to have in your back pocket (figuratively speaking), for everyone you know. The person being asked to consider a gift – also has to be prepared. Let’s be honest. People around you know your job. They expect at some point to be asked.

Fundraising comes easy to a fundraiser when the person they’re planning to ask is ready to give. The only way to know that is to know the person!

Year-long Development Program – Reservations by December 31 for $150

SOAR with Network Fundraising already knows the tools necessary to achieve success when raising money. This is a “one box fits all” fundraising system because it’s set up to adapt within your community through 1:1 networking meetings.

We are accepting new clients into our 2018 year-long development program until December 31, 2017 with only $150 down. You determine the best month to begin your program after we’ve had a discussion.

$150 reserves your place and pays for the initial call. You’ll work with a professional fundraiser while you are in the program. This person basically joins your team for a complete year! The total cost for the program is discounted 37.5% but beginning January 1 the cost goes back up to $8000 for the year-long program. Buy now for $5000, which can be broken down into a payment plan throughout the next twelve months. 

There’s no risk because we guarantee a full refund of the total cost if you do not “at least” triple your investment during the year!

There has never been a better way to add a fundraising professional to your team without hiring a new staff member!!

Year-long Development Program – Reservation

This initial cost of $150 reserves your place in the development program, which begins for you sometime in 2018. The total cost is discounted 37.5% from the original cost of $8000 for Year-long Development with SOAR!

$150.00

 

The Appeal For Giving Comes First

 

Fundraisers talk about appeals all the time when raising money. It’s the appeal, or ask for a gift! Is now the right time to ask? It certainly is if you’ve already prepared and educated people about your organization. If not…stay away from the ask! Instead, think about the future and how you raise the appeal or desire in others through your actions.

We’re sitting on top of a gold mine for 2018. SOAR is in Colorado where the Gold Rush happened in the middle 1800’s. Gold mining continues with the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, which is close to where we live. They are the largest employer in the area. If gold mining goes away in this county so do a lot people’s dreams. The same is true with your fundraising. No dollars – no dreams!

Raising the appeal for giving is when the people you ask for money – GIVE IT!

The appeal in our lives is that we always have the opportunity to sit back and let the chips fall where they may. “We’ve done all we can do” is often our excuse. The last five days of 2017 are no exception. People say: We’re done for the year; What we do now is not going to make a difference on the bottom line. Is this really true!? NO!

Actually, now is the most-important time to be diligent. You have five days to impact your future financial success for 2017. But, more importantly, this rolls into what happens for 2018 as well. You know THIS to be true.

Raising the appeal within others to give a gift to you is extremely valuable. Lots of people do their annual giving through campaigns set up nationally now. The list is online. They can donate from the comfort of their home and no one is “asking” again and again for a gift.

This statement is now common, “I now give to two organizations each year and I’ve already given.”

Now, more than ever, relationships matter if you want to be one of two organizations a person is giving to. SOAR develops relationships. We help organizations become THE “connector” in their community. People CHOOSE to donate to the organizations we are involved with because the organizations are making a difference for others and not just asking for money!

SOAR works with a handful of organizations each year and we have a few openings for 2018 available in our Year-long Development Program, which is currently discounted through December 31, 2017. Learn more here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timely Investments for Raising Money

Timely Investments:

  • 7 to 12 months before fundraiser
  • 6 to 1 month before fundraiser
  • 1 month to the day of fundraiser

History proves a professional fundraiser raises, on average, 41% more money for an organization, when a successful fundraising system is put into place. It means, if you raised $50,000 last year you’re going to raise $70,500 this year.

The simple formula is – take the dollar amount you raised last year and multiply by .41 and then, add the number you get to your original number. For example: You raised $90,000 last year. $90,000 times .41 is $36,900. Add $90,000 and $36,900 together and you get the magic number of $126,900.

There are systems out there, no doubt, which will encourage you to do things outside your comfort zone. How about sticking to what’s natural?

SOAR’s system has proven to increase dollars raised by 126% within 4 months and 371% within 16 months by highlighting people’s gifts. This means participating organizations must be diligent and open-minded about following a system and sharing the things they’re good at with others.

Timeline prior to a fundraising event:

  • 7 to 12 months before fundraiser – This is when you are spreading the word about your organization because you’re hosting networking events. HOW you do this is important.
  • 6 to 1 month before fundraiser – This is when you change to every other month for networking events, and spend time with a core group of people who are instrumental in achieving your success.
  • 1 month to the day of fundraiser – This is the month when you are looking past the fundraiser and what happens afterwards.

SOAR works with corporations and non-profits to put together Collaborative Networking Events.

SOAR is…here!

Timely investments are HOW you spend your time. The value of follow up…PRICELESS

 

Stay Front and Center For Raising Money!

How fast are things changing in your industry right now? Change happens all of the time, this is true, although right now it appears to be happening at a much faster rate. What does this mean? In general, people are catching up to you if you’re not moving forward with new processes.

Tips for keeping momentum:

  • Discover what’s working and tap into it
  • Be educated on the trends
  • Stay aware of your position in the market

SOAR With Network Fundraising has a mentor program, which is $150 per month when you sign up for one year. You receive:

  • 50-minute strategic call with your fundraising coach/mentor each month
  • Individual goals determined with planned steps for achieving success
  • Templates and materials for building networks – the basis for growing market share
  • Training for marketing through social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc…)
  • A custom-made program, which you build together!

Would you agree that there’s only so much money to go around when people are asking for it? There are more than 1.5 million non-profits in the United States (grantspace.org). In 2014, there were over 400,000 new businesses opening their doors (Money.CNN.com).

SOAR with Network Fundraising mentors people for achieving success. Are you looking to be recognized as a leader? You can begin in one of two ways:

10-15 minute introductory call – click here

SOAR Mentor Program – Let’s begin now – click here for the first session!

When you purchase the SOAR Mentor Program it begins with a Discovery Session – $150. Prior to this first call you receive a questionnaire to complete. This allows the call to focus strictly on your program.

Jumping ahead takes a strategic plan. Spending your time in the right areas is key OR you’ll fall behind. Ensure you’re in the right spot by having a mentor for growing market share. Taking care of you means taking care of business. 

 

Harvesting Good Thoughts for Fund Raising

By Gayle Gross

“I had no idea you did the work you do” and “It feels like you’ve been part of the community longer than you have” are two sentences a fund raising professional likes to hear. Especially, when they come from someone they’ve built a relationship with in their community.

Consider this:

  1. Today is the day for you to feel good about what you do.
  2. Fundraising is one of the hardest jobs there is and you are doing it!
  3. You are successful at building relationships to fulfill your mission.
  4. Everyday you mention how your services help others.
  5. You believe in the work you do and encourage others to believe as well.
  6. You strive to be successful and reach goals.
  7. You have good and positive thoughts.

Your thoughts determine the path you’re on. Productive thoughts bring productive things. It takes time to harvest good thoughts. First, you must plant the seed.

  1. You are good at networking and getting into the community everyday.
  2. You write down ideas for improving relationships and you follow through on those ideas.
  3. You are naturally kind.
  4. You see the value in people.
  5. You know everyone has natural gifts to share.

Our natural gifts are ours alone. No one will ever do things the same way you do. Sometimes people don’t recognize their own gifts and this is where you come in.

  1. First – recognize your natural gifts!
  2. Second – look for a person’s natural gifts during every conversation.
  3. Determine ways a person’s natural gifts overlap with your mission.
  4. Offer opportunities for a person’s gifts to be recognized through the work they do with you.
  5. Accept the way a person wants to be involved and honor their help.
  6. Be the connector of people in the community.

A connector is someone people look up to because they are an easy resource for finding trusted services. A connector gets called, usually before a person google’s their question. Feeling good about being labeled a connector is important. Connectors are powerful people.

Repeat after me:

  1. I am the connector in my community.
  2. I offer service to others.
  3. I add value to people’s lives.
  4. I give of myself everyday.
  5. I am proud!
  6. I am successful!
  7. I SOAR!!

Gayle Gross has been a fundraising professional for over a decade. She harvested good thoughts to increase market share for a non-profit in Colorado Springs. That agency is now the recipient of the first “Agency of the Year” for their national organization. Network fundraising began as an idea in 2006 when Gayle helped a bank increase market share among local community banks. Success is achieved through managing networking events with SOAR with Network Fundraising. The system has the potential to double fundraising results within four months.

Listen to Gayle’s affirmation 4 min. video. (related to this post)

Learn more about:

 

 

 

Be The Change

What does it mean to be the change? Do you have to be super strong? Change is a word, which just sounds heavy to me. Maybe I’m thinking of the change in the bottom of my pocket, AKA coins. They are annoying when there are too many. Certainly makes me uncomfortable. How about you?

Let’s think of change for this article as making a difference.

Have you ever known a person who could not take care of themselves and there were no family or close friends to help? You may have taken them to a non-profit for assistance. And, they were treated well while receiving the services they needed so desperately. As changes in funding threaten the vulnerable, more and more non-profits will seek connections within their communities. They will do whatever it takes to keep their level of service consistent. After all, change can be annoying, right? Imagine having the same routine for years and years suddenly go away. It is frustrating and there is a feeling of loss. Now, imagine it is something you need for your health and well-being. Now, your life is at risk.

It is time for people to BE THE CHANGE, which makes a difference for non-profit agencies in their communities. This is a great time for assistance to grow and awareness to increase. Some things you can do:

  • Connect with non-profits to become informed about the work they do
  • Ask non-profits to tell you what they need most
  • Connect non-profits to resources based upon what they need

These three things can make a huge difference when you consider the changes they can make.

Non-profits spend time getting their word out. They are going to be delighted to have someone come to them and say, “I’m here to learn about you.” Your ability to be the connector for them allows their work to continue when it matter most. Being the change to make a difference is a great gift of time, which makes everyone feel good. Homes are happier, lives are fuller, and things coming into your life are greater than before.

Blessings!