Fundraising for Small Groups Newsletter

Keep the Ball in Your Court by Danielle Hamilton

Ever have someone show interest in your nonprofit, only to see them walk away stuffing your business card deep into their purse or pocket? Think they�re going to call you? Why not change the scenario?!

Keep the ball in your court! Don�t let that potentially wonderful volunteer walk away. Grab their name and contact info as soon as they start to show interest. Use a script if you need to in order to steer the conversation to the name collection. This way, you�ll be able to contact them with a follow-up e-mail message or phone call to personally invite them to your next volunteer meeting, or otherwise discuss ways they can help your group.

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Firing Bad Employees Before They Destroy Your Nonprofit Organization by Delores Williams

Employees and volunteers that work in direct opposition to the mission of a nonprofit organization need to be counseled and/or fired. The reason is obvious, clients will believe that the behavior and attitude reflect the organization.

Bad employees and volunteers can affect funding, clients coming for assistance, and overall morale in the office.

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When to Say "No" to Volunteer Help by Jim Berigan

As someone who is actively involved with a non-profit organization, I'm sure the thought of actually turning away people who want to help seems a little crazy. When all of us are so over-worked and over-stressed, we should welcome those who wish to make our loads lighter, right?

Well, let me answer that by saying that not all volunteer help is created equal. I know that this is a sensitive subject, so I want to stress that I greatly appreciate all those who have a heart to serve. In my time leading non-profits, however, I have learned that there are a couple of circumstances that require a guiding hand be used by the group's leader.

I believe that there are two major reasons to say "no" to volunteer help.

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Recruiting Volunteers for School Events by Jennifer Lawton

Schools need enthusiastic volunteers for many different types of events. Having dedicated volunteers can make the difference between an event succeeding and raising funds, and an event that simply falls flat. Here�s some ideas that will help you find volunteers for your school's next event.

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Training Tomorrow�s Leaders Today by the AFRDS

As an outgoing PTA or PTO president, it�s important to get your successor up to speed. Smooth leadership transitions are critical to the continued success of your group. Unfortunately, not every group properly prepares its future leaders. Celeste Tienken, who helped with fundraising at her children�s middle school, remembers taking over a position once when her predecessor, who was moving, met her at a nursery to hand off the materials.

�That�s all I had,� Tienken said. �It�s more ideal to work with someone for a year before taking over.�

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Finding, Getting and Keeping Motivated Volunteers: A 10-Step Program by the AFRDS

Volunteers. They're out there. And it's your job to recruit them and keep them happy and committed. In these times of dual-income and single-parent households, finding enthusiastic parent volunteers can be frustrating. But don't be discouraged. The following 10-step program may help in your search for living, breathing, inspired volunteers.

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You Need Less Volunteers - Not More! by Mike Perras

Now did I actually hear that title right? I need less volunteers, not more?

Answer: Absolutely true. Less is more & I'll prove it.

In my 30 years of volunteering and fund raising I know this to be valid. The 80/20 rule is everywhere and that includes many of the not-for-profit organizations.

80/20 you say ... hmmm how do you figure? Again very simple, and you'll get this in 10 seconds or less.

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How to Overcome Barriers in Recruiting More Volunteers to Your Organization by Ian Crawford

Now I'm sure that you would like some strategies on increasing volunteer numbers as soon as possible. Well here we go. Let's do this by investigating some of the trends that are impacting on whether volunteers want to be involved in your organization and more importantly how can you respond to these trends to better recruit and retain volunteers.