Tag Archives: Networking

Do You SOAR? Time to do a SELFIE and see!

Time for a self check to see if you SOAR. Do you…

S – share your message

O – offer opportunities for people to be involved in your mission

A – accept the way people participate

R – respect and appreciate everyone involved

SURE – I bet you already SOAR. The depth of how often and how much you SOAR is the determining factor when improving your current status.

SOAR in the airstream – 33,000 feet

SOAR at Ground level

To SOAR you have to begin at the ground level before you can take flight. SOAR with Network Fundraising is a book that brings networking into the program to grow market share and raise money. The ground level is based on getting help to fulfill your mission. There’s a way to engage volunteers and build your network.

Establish your fundraising team and begin to host monthly meetings. Determine how you’re going to raise money and what kind of resources you already have and what you’ll need. It is important to include your fundraising team in decision-making and let them take roles.

Elevation to the airstream happens when the team you have is able to fly on their own. This is when you are able to relax, watch, mentor, and make important decisions while your team is motivated to create success for your organization’s mission.

getting into the Airstream

There are ways to get to the airstream rapidly. SOAR at ground level is one way. The reference of birds flying in a v-formation to get from one place to another efficiently is an example. Birds fly in a V because the leader creates an updraft and following behind is easier. Gayle Gross of SOAR with Network Fundraising trains you on leading your team toward successful fundraising. SHE creates the updraft for you and in the end, you create the same kind of updraft for your team. Organizations who SOAR migrate to the place where their organization benefits most. It’s the place of higher resources and lesser resistance.

Do you already have a fundraising program? Add the credits you’ve already earned because of the things you already do in your program – click here!

Check the fundraising credits you’ve earned

Check the list below – add up 61 credits – get a call with SOAR’s Founder at NO COST. Ready to schedule your call? Click Here!

We have a volunteer program (7+ volunteers)2
We host an annual volunteer appreciation event3
We have volunteer job descriptions and we distribute them5
We have a volunteer training program5
We have a system for tracking volunteer hours8
We have a social media presence (2+ networks)8
We schedule regular posts on social media (3+/week)10
We have regular events scheduled for fundraising 10
We have a fundraising plan10

Add more points…

Talk to 3 people you meet today about your organization’s mission8
Invite someone to visit your organization for a tour of services; schedule the date8
Call a major donor to say hi; keep the call short; don’t ask for a donation8

What your credits earn:

20-minute fundraising call to discuss tweaking your program for greater success61
Newsletter or Social Media Assessment61
50-minute fundraising call to discuss 3 initiatives to help you reach your $ goal85
Donor Letters – SOAR provides templates and feedback on three types85
Marketing Design (flier, rack card, postcard)105
Social Media Training (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)105
Training for Setting up and Using Facebook for Events & Fundraising105
“Your Nonprofit Story” – SOAR helps you create a powerful message250
Fundraising Plan (one year)250
Fundraising Plan (three years)450
Volunteer Program Development (three months of coaching)450
Annual Leader’s Program  – One Year of Coaching on Your Fundraising Program950

YOU CAN PURCHASE CREDIT TOO, 1 credit = $1

Schedule your discovery call – no cost – click here! or email iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Over the TOP Fundraising Team

coloraful V of peopleDon’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

The Business to do it First in a Community WINS!

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

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

We help you:

  • 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

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.

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

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.

IMG_3399Gayle 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

Coordinating a Process to Recognize Donors

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. Write an article for us too!

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…

Screen shot 2018-01-05 at 10.37.11 AM
profileshotGayle 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.

 

 

Why people choose to SOAR & develop a fundraising community.

Increase fundraising because you increase market share. (i.e. 126% in four months and 371% within sixteen months)

“Like” the Facebook Group (free) – check in here

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

Corporations call fundraising “increasing market share.” Non-profits call it creating sustainability.

Keeping a development professional longer than the average 18 months is important to a successful run at growing community and raising money. The Founder of SOAR stood in the shoes of a development professional for a corporation and also a non-profit for many years. Corporations call fundraising “increasing market share.” Non-profits call it creating sustainability.

UNTIL SOAR developed there was stress, loss of sleep, and she was driven to work long hours UNTIL a successful system was put into place. She discovered following four simple steps created results and kept her focused. Other people in the organizations where she worked were not worrying about how the money was raised. They just wanted the results.

The development professional – SOAR’s founder – was in a very unhealthy situation UNTIL the successful system (SOAR) created astounding results – WINNING results – quickly and efficiently within four months. STRESS & LOSS OF SLEEP ended immediately and the role of the development professional became a job of managing relationships instead of begging for money. There were people helping to raise money! Dollars continued to increase as community began to GROW.

The truth is, people liked the process so much it increased the market share 126% in four months. SOAR’s program was published and a membership program built. Now, development professionals come to SOAR for support. They pay $34 a month for the privilege of having a fundraising professional in their corner.

Support with SOAR membership looks like this (three highlights):

  • Group contact with other fundraising professionals to get ideas AND see what really works prior to investing too much time and energy
  • Trainings and meetings for development professionals are organized – you just show up
  • SOAR is available for your call – you can share what you’ve having trouble with and SOAR offers advice on the best steps to proceed

Ready to spend $34 on your future success with fundraising – click here!

Unsure of how SOAR fits into your current fundraising program? Schedule a brief strategy call – click here!