Fundraising for Small Groups

You may be a den mother or a softball coach. Your small. local group or team needs anything from a set of books to a bunch of uniforms. The amount of money that could make that purchase might only be a few hundred dollars. So you begin to brainstorm on how to raise that cash. You might start on the Internet where dozens of companies offer products for sale at discount so that you many resell them at a profit. After all, the Girl Scouts have been hawking their cookies for years. So you see listings for magazines, gift wrap, entertainment books, candy, or coupon books for local merchants. Many national companies have fundraising programs that really just offer discount cards for resell.

For instance, check out the Domino’s Pizza funding online. They offer a $10 card that allows for 20 free pizzas at a cost of $3.00. You buy 50 cards at $150 and start selling them around the neighborhood. You stand to make $350 profit when all the cards have been sold. But then, again, you have to sell them. That’s right, I said YOU. Did you actually expect your kids to become salespeople? I think not.

Some of the other major businesses like Wal-Mart, Kroger Foods, and Marriott Hotels list specific charities they support like the Children’s Miracle Network or the Boy Scouts. It’s becoming apparent that more and more corporations are entering the fundraising arena with certain prescribed agendas. But there is some good news. Not all private firms restrict charities in that way. A few may allow you to submit your charity, large or small, for consideration. It depends on the scope and value, and not always the size or years in business. For instance, a local youth group like the Downtown Boys and Girls Club might qualify for a small donation of two hundred dollars, enough to buy a computer printer. In those cases, just filling out a simple form might be enough to generate interest within the business offering the donation.

The Internet is still an ideal place to begin. But a word of warning. If you do a Google search for “fundraising,” you’ll receive over 133 million hits. And most of these are businesses that are offering products for you to sell. In other words, they aren’t exactly wealthy businessmen eager to throw money at you. No, you’ll have to dig deeper to find the company that funds a small group, like you represent.

There is one that currently is taking applications from charities that would like funding for their causes. Although they focus on nurses that represent charitable organizations, it is not a requirement for funding. Try thenurseschoice.com and check out their program designed for small, local charities without any actual selling involved. If you are a nurse or know one, all the better.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Currently, he is the Marketing Director for The Nurses Choice, LLC a Health Information and Doctor Referral site: www.thenurseschoice.com Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, www.poweradbook.com

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