Substance and Style

    Tag: fundraising

    • Three Non-Fundraising Fundraising Activities for Your Board

      While some nonprofits have engaged Boards that regularly bring in revenue, there are far more that don’t do any fundraising at all. This can be a problem when it comes to finding new grants; many foundations will not even consider funding organizations that don’t have 100% Board contributions. With only slightly over half of nonprofits…

    • Fundraising Event Costs 

      Most nonprofit organizations rely on income from fundraising events to some extent. When planning fundraisers, it’s important to have a realistic idea of what the costs will be. Many other funding sources (grant making foundations, for example) will ask for the expense per dollar raised for your fundraising activities, and they will judge your financial…

    • Find Sponsors for Your Fundraising Event

      While there are many possible revenue streams for fundraising events, most rely on sponsorships for the biggest chunk of change. Here are some tips for maximizing your sponsorship dollars: Have a good handle on the event’s tone before approaching sponsors. While sponsors do it for the cause, they also do it for the marketing and…

    • Choose the Right Venue for Your Fundraising Event

      When planning a fundraising event, it’s important to choose the venue early on. After all, some places fill up rather quickly, especially at certain times of the year. You cannot reasonably expect to start planning a June event in April and think you’ll be able to secure a venue, especially one that does weddings. You…

    • Write More Effective Case Statements 

      Case statements are letters, flyers, brochures, or other literature crafted specifically to garner support for nonprofit organizations. While development professionals usually write them to attract financial support (donations, event sponsorships, etc.), they can also be used to attract volunteers or community partners. Advice about writing them abounds; usually it boils down to using a mix…

    • Grant Series, Part 4: What’s Next?

      Once you’ve submitted the grant, it’s time to sit back and wait (probably for a longer time than you think). Don’t contact the funder or pester them for an answer. Distract yourself by looking for more opportunities. Eventually, you’ll hear from them. If you receive the grant: Pat yourself on the back. This is a…

    • Grant Series, Pt. 1: Get Around the Gatekeeping

      Grants are an ideal source of funding for nonprofit organizations and small businesses, but most people don’t know where to find them. Foundations don’t make it easy; most of them don’t have a website or they they require an invitation code to gain access. Services like Grantwatch can be extremely useful, but they cost hundreds…