Fundraising as a Profession

Basically, we know that fundraising is supposed to help a non-profit organization (NPO) financially. But nowadays these activities do not serve that specific purpose alone. Traditionally, fundraising comes in a form of donations and wills. It is also important to show these contributors and donors where money goes by showing them everything they bought and built out of the money they have collected. This way, they prove that these funds were not used for personal profits for any of the NPO’s staff. Fundraising now can be used not only to help NPO’s, but also to gain a little profit out of it. Although many NPO’s still depend on the traditional donation type fundraising, many of them now find it more effective to seek the help of professional fundraisers. It has been proven to be more effective and it provides a more consistent and regular funding.

People find it more rational if they get something back for the money they are willing to give for a foundation. That is why it is important to think of new fundraising ideas in where the fundraisers could give something in return for the kind efforts. As we see it, it has become more like a business process. But it is paramount to remember that this was not primarily done to gain profits. NPO’s have no owners and thus, any funds received by the organization are not meant to benefit any specific people but only for the operations of the organization itself. Any business or company that sells products to help a good cause is not considered a non-profit organization, but instead, a fundraiser. A common mistake that some people think is that these business companies and some NPO’s are correlated. It is more appropriate to see it as a voluntary contribution rather than a profitable way to sell their goods.

How does a business gain profit if it gives part of the money to NPO’s? Even though businesses receive less profit from this process, it does a more profitable result in quantity over time. If a vendor offers discount coupons to customers, and part of the sales will be given to an NPO, it builds an uplifting feeling both to the seller and the buyer. With the discount offered, and the thought of their money going to a deserving NPO, it has a very good possibility to extend the target market. With the business receiving a slightly smaller profit, overall, it gains a wider range of customers and not to mention an upstanding reputation. It is always important to build a good business to market relationship, plus helping a good cause in the process.

NPO most rely on external funding to maintain their operations, employ staff, create programs, or maintain facilities. This is why fundraising is vital, may it be traditional through donations, or a give and take type of raising funds. Either through professional fundraisers who gain profit or people who just want to help through fundraising, as long as the organization is constantly funded, it doesn’t matter who takes advantage of which. The more important thing is to never forget the purpose in the process. Some people conduct fundraising events to feel good, some people are involved in a non-profit orgs, some just doesn’t have anything to do, and some wants to gain some and give some. In whichever group we may belong, helping a good cause will always feel heartwarming as long as we put our sincerity into it.

Fundraising Ideas for a Broader Array of Concerns

With so many fundraising events happening everywhere, we find it hard to think of unique ways to raise funds to gain more supporters. Sometimes it comes to a point where we make things so much complicated; we tend to forget our original goal. Why do we conduct fundraising activities? Would people support your organization because of your products or your goal? Practically we cannot generalize what people think and what they want. It is important not to forget our original purpose, which is to help a good cause. Whether we are involved in a sports club, school, foundation, or charity, it is wise to think of something that is available within our area. A sports club selling cupcakes or donuts for fundraising is somehow rather funny and would definitely not attract many potential supporters. We should remember that being unique is not always an advantage in everything. We never want our prospective supporters to think that we are trying to make any profit out of our fundraising events by selling products or offering services which are way too irrelevant to our cause.

Food products such as mentioned above, like cupcakes, donuts, juices, or candy bars are more likely easier to sell if you are a part of a community group. Fundraising for the benefit of your local area will most likely attract neighbors, officials, local business owners to help. And cooking is a very practical and fun for most moms especially when doing it within your house and friendly neighborhood. Sports clubs should think of events like marathons, sports fests, sports memorabilia auctions, and any other activities mostly for physical fitness or sports lovers. But we are not saying that we should limit ourselves from other fundraising ideas. Sometimes it is just way too off when we try to be a little different from traditional ways of raising funds. First we should think of our target supporters. Too big or too small, the more important thing is to know a common interest within the group.

If selling products is not possible within your resources, showcasing skills and talents is one of the best ways to attract interested supporters. Remember that people are not always looking for material things to buy from these fundraising affairs. A little entertainment is a very good way to ease people’s stress from work or everyday lives. Schools or orphanages usually host theatrical plays, talent showcase, or just a simple variety show. Appreciating children’s talents will help them build confidence and grow up to be good people. As mentioned before, it wouldn’t hurt to try new things a little different from what people usually do. There are some fundraising ideas that are more complex, at the same time, still within the relevance of their main purpose. Most ideas nowadays involve a larger target base.

Fundraising events are usually done by non-profit organizations. But nowadays, even the supporters themselves get involved in creating bigger fundraising events for the benefit of not only the organization they chose, but in a way make it a little profitable for a wider part of society. For example, business owners offer discount coupons in which a significant part of the price that consumers pay will be given to some charity or clubs. This way, the business sold its product, the customer got his discount, and the worthy organization received additional funds. Another example is professional fundraisers, people or companies that conduct regular or permanent fundraising programs for a selected, or sometimes multiple non-profit orgs. If you are running out of fundraising ideas, taking advantage of these professional fundraisers is one of best choice, especially if your organization is incapable of finding time to conduct such events, such as research groups, disease care institutions, etc which are more dependent on donations.