Tag Archives: Executive Directors

Over the TOP Fundraising Team

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!

SOAR helps people develop roles and manage processes.

V-formation is Everyone who…

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!

Learn more about SOAR’s Annual Coaching Program by clicking here.

Wondering about the “800?” Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Help a Donor Choose your Cause

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.
Verify tax-exempt status
Donations that meet certain requirements are tax-deductible. Before you commit to a cause, verify the non-profit group’s tax-exempt status by checking with the group or visiting the IRS website, and talk to your tax expert.

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

Reality Impact for Growing Market Share & Raising Money

Leave a reply

Reality – we impact and are impacted.

Social impact is something we hear a lot about. Businesses are choosing to give time, dollars and resources to organizations who create impact and offer value in return. During your next board meeting – make a list of the ways you’re giving back to the people giving to your organization. This goes for everyone! Every business has other people involved. A client gives any business they frequent their support. This, in turn, raises money.

Everyday reality changes. Let’s talk about how you do business. Stuck in what worked twenty years ago? Stuck in what worked a year ago? You know everything is time sensitive in this ever-changing world, right? You may have noticed what has worked in the past is not working as well any longer. It’s because we’re not in the same space any longer. It’s the impact of reality.

Staying on top of reality takes balance and the ability to move quickly. Stuck doesn’t work anymore. SOAR works with boards to create reality through natural talents and focused directional shifts. Something, which always remains true is the desire for success. The reality is – it’s something we can impact and it will definitely impact us!

Understanding Corporate Giving

Leave a reply

By Gayle Gross

Companies are more cautious about revealing too much about their philanthropic activities, for fear of:

being inundated with requests they cannot fill.
raising the expectations of potential beneficiaries in a good year.
angering shareholders who may perceive the company’s charitable activity as giving away profits, or who don’t approve of the organizations or causes supported.
losing public support by giving to something considered controversial.

http://granspace.org is a great resource. The information above was borrowed from their website for this article.

Companies giving gifts requires a delicate balance. Engagement on behalf of the non-profit is important PRIOR to an ask.

I worked for a bank and EVERYDAY new requests for donations came in. EVERYDAY is not an exaggeration. I could add 1 – 3 new requests every day and on average it would still be correct. People the bank didn’t know came walking in the door with all of the right tools. The request letter, statement about their need, and a brochure about themselves.

Eventually, companies get the the point where there has to be a “giving back” component to the ask. What is the non-profit giving in return? Over time a strategic system began to develop at the bank. In 2017 the system was named and training others on the program began. There’s one catch. YOU have to SOAR and not be afraid to leave the ground!

At the bank, giving changed. Requests came in and they were strategically organized by which ones we could truly help. The reality was, we didn’t have a lot of money to give at the time. Instead, we did something new. The request would be for $5000 and we’d give $1000 along with resources (training) on how to fundraise $4000 more dollars. I’d sit on non-profit boards, and represent the bank through development functions. In the end, everyone grew market share! People saw the bank helping others in a new way.

SOAR goes above the basics for fundraising and lifts organizations into collaborative partnerships. Businesses, large and small, partner with non-profit(s) to create social impact where everyone benefits.

See what SOAR is…

14046121_10204846371117808_4669610499791876103_n-1

Gayle Gross is the founder and CEO of SOAR. It’s time more businesses connect to increase market share. Collaborative Networking Events are making it happen! Email Gayle to learn more: iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com

Why People Donate & Why They Avoid You if You’re Asking for Gifts

Leave a reply

Have you ever asked people why they give? This can be a donation of time, money, or resources. It is crucial to know why a person gives if you’re looking for donations. It is also important to know why some people may avoid you!

The top reason a person gives, believe it or not, is because someone they know has asked them to give and they want to help. Simple and sweet!

The next eight reasons for why people give, according to experience:

Usually a person or someone they know is affected by what the mission is helping. They donate with a feeling to alleviate need.
People give because of what they get in return. It could be a good feeling, tax benefit, recognition, or some sort of driving force they achieve for another mission
People often feel emotionally moved by someone’s story. It becomes a personal connection and they have a desire to help
A person wants a sense of closeness to a community or group
There’s a desire to memorialize someone
Charitable family traditions – it’s the way a person was brought up
A person wants to leave a legacy
The feeling of being fortunate and wanting to help others

Going back to the TOP reason about why people give; people asking people they know AND getting the donation.

The reality is – there’s a downside. People get tired of being asked again and again to give. The sense of obligation soon subsides and a person being asked begins to avoid the person asking. Take a simple test:

Are your calls going unanswered, again and again?
Do you feel the notes you send get lost in the mail?
Do you leave a lot of voice messages, which are rarely returned?

Answering yes to any of these questions shows there’s a problem. We can help. There’s a quick remedy. Read on.

Develop a fundraising system, which does not rely on the same people giving over and over again because the group you ask continues to grow AND you know them. When you ask – they will give!

At SOAR we work with progressive people and organizations. Become part of our network, Get Free Tips – click here!

We also offer a look at your fundraising system through this quiz. Click here!

The 8th thing to do when asking for money!

Leave a reply

1.) KNOW the person/organization you’re asking. AND, know why they will say yes when you ask for a donation. Ideas for getting to know them:

Invite them to attend activities you’re hosting (when you’re not asking for money or anything else in return) so you can talk and learn
Take a genuine interest in the things they do
Get involved in things they support
Attend something of their choosing

2.) Discover a general overlap of interests. This helps with building lasting relationships. It is always good to focus part of your appointments on a friendly discussion. Ideas:

FORM – family, occupation, relationships and mission/message

3.) Avoid boring anyone with information they already know. ASK for perspectives upfront. Find out what is already known and what participants would like to learn. Questions to ask to get clear:

What would you like to get from today’s meeting?
How would you see me being more involved in your mission?
Do you have a specific interest in the mission I’m involved with?

4.) Set an agenda for your meeting. Let anyone involved with the meeting know the meeting’s agenda. Also, ask anyone involved to add items ahead of time. Tips:

Set the agenda one week in advance
Send the agenda to everyone with a deadline date for adding new items
Always have the last section scheduled for new business and setting the next meeting

5.) Determine mutual benefit. Share this when asking for an appointment. What will the attendees gain through your meeting?

6.) ASK for the donation. Realize the benefit of giving to your organization and feel good about someone doing so. When you know why they will say yes it is time to ask.

7.) Thank everyone involved with a phone call and/or hand written note. Respect and appreciate others for the time they give to you.

If we were to add #8 it would be to attach yourself to a system for fundraising. Whether it is one you develop or one you adopt from someone else. A system is the way you implement fundraising. SOAR lays some groundwork below for our system.

Share your message with others.

Offer opportunities for people to be involved with your mission.

Accept the way people want to participate.

Respect and appreciate others.

We also have a networking event, which helps organizations increase their volunteer base, engage people interested in growing the program, and see the benefit for being involved. Want to learn more? See this link.

Raising Money & Building Networks!

Leave a reply

“The more people you know, the more places you’ll go.” Sounds like a familiar quote, right? It’s close but not quite the same as Dr. Seuss (if you’re wondering).

Building networks goes hand in hand with raising money and increasing market share. Take the text literally. The more people you know and share your message with, the more growth you’ll have. NOW, the caveat. There are ways to do this without appearing overt and this is where developing your skill comes in.

“I want what I want, not what I need” may seem familiar if you know the band The Federal Empire. Take this text literally and ask for what’s needed while also giving what’s needed to the person you’re asking. Confused? You’re not alone. What a person needs is not always what they ask for because they ask for what they want, remember? There are ways to get everything sorted out to put yourself on the right path toward achieving fundraising success and asking for what you need. There’s a simple system, which you may not want to do BUT it is what you need to do!

Organizations go through growing pains – that’s right – growth in fundraising through a new system causes the same pain you feel while growing in other ways. The good thing is that it doesn’t last long. The reality is 4 – 8 weeks and then, the process and persistence pays off. It’s happening now. Statistics prove raising money is done through building networks. SOAR is the way to go when you’re ready to fly.

FREE strategy sessions available – Schedule Now – Click Here!

Reaching Fundraising Goals

Leave a reply

Raising money – it’s a cakewalk! Certainly you can make money doing a cake walk** but what we’re talking about now is “making it EASY to raise money.” Making sure it’s a piece of cake. Setting things up so raising money happens without too much effort. Finding the SWEET spot. What does it look like?

Set goals you can achieve

Watch for opportunities

Engage people in your program

Elevate your volunteer’s skills

Thankful heart – BE thankful for all people, places and things, which come your way! And, let it be known.

Simple enough! Spend time focused on the the SWEET areas within your program.

**Cakewalk: As music plays, people walk around a large circle of numbers. When the music stops, a number is picked from a container and the person standing closest to the corresponding number on the circle wins a cake. It’s a sweet deal! Especially if you get cakes donated and the players pay a small fee to participate. Then, it becomes a fun way to raise a little cash!

Learning to Raise Money

Leave a reply

How fast are you learning to use social media, hash tags, and your phone for everything?! It’s a necessity when doing business these days. What if your job is raising money? How you use the tools improves your chances for being successful. Learning is education and systems are easy to learn when they are introduced step by step.

At SOAR with Network Fundraising there’s a proven system, which works for raising money in any community. You are encouraged to learn more. And, if you want to talk 1:1 then send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com and let us know!

Raise Money Fast

Leave a reply

What’s the simple truth? Buy-in! When people believe in what you’re doing and they can see you’re also interested in their mission, it’s win/win.

Raise money fast by putting together opportunities for people to network with each other. Think about it – networking events – they bring people together AND people like them. You’re not asking for anything in return at these events. It is about spreading your word and creating opportunity for your guests so they can also share their message. There’s nothing selfish about it. Open the doors, let everyone share, and open people’s hearts to what you do.

You may/may not know how to get started with planning a networking event. Here are some ideas.

Choose a comfortable location where you can have people min n’ mingle in one area while you’re also presenting to a closed group in a different area.
Put together a four-part program where there’s an MC (2 min. intro), a person sharing updates and letting everyone in the room introduce themselves (10 min.), a person or two sharing a story about your organization (4 min. each), and the MC closing out the session. In total, this program is less than 30 minutes.
Group two of your programs, like the one discussed above in #2 around a networking opportunity AKA mix n’ mingle. Basically, program/mix n’ mingle/program. Everyone at the two programs comes together for the mix n’ mingle in the middle, which is the actual networking portion of the event.

When your program is solid and you have processes in place for bringing advocates (volunteers telling people about your mission) on board then you are on track for raising money fast. It all begins with your networking events where people choose to become deeper involved in your mission. THE KEY is to be ready for advocates. Learn more here!