Fundraising for Small Groups Newsletter

A little story first which will meander its way to answering the question above.

I'm reaching the age where I'm becoming more aware of the impact of everything I do. For instance, I've taken up a new sport called geocaching. I won't go into all the techno babble of how it works but instead tell you it gets me outdoors and into nature quite a bit which is just what I need.

But I've also noticed that while I benefit from tromping around out in the wilds, Mother Nature takes a hit when I do. Tender plants get trampled, new trails get created, and sand dunes get eroded.

Now don't worry, I'm not going all tree hugger on you! But I am becoming more careful in how I impact nature when I pursue my new sport.

Just as I am becoming more careful when I think about recommending that you add more fundraisers to your existing fundraising plan. I'm worried about the impact those new fundraisers will have on you and your membership.

Which is why I'm recommending you add low impact fundraisers.

A low impact fundraiser is one or more of the following:

• A fundraiser that doesn't burden you or your members.
• A fundraiser that asks that you change very little from what you are already doing.
• A fundraiser that replaces items you already buy with ones that fundraise for your group.
• A fundraiser that doesn't cost any extra money.
• A fundraiser that doesn't give you cheap, inferior, or unwanted items or services.
• A fundraiser that doesn't take a lot of time or effort.
• A fundraiser that won't burn out you or your members on fundraising.
• A fundraiser that makes your donor feel good.

Over the next several weeks I'm going to introduce you to several low impact fundraisers. I'll show you how they work, what the benefits are, and how to present them to your group.

Each of these fundraisers will give a boost to your organizations bottom line without hardly any effort and is easy on your members. These fundraisers won't fund your whole budget but will be a steady, growing part of the way you raise money.

These are the low impact fundraisers we will be looking at in depth:

• PayPal
• Recycling
• CafePress
• Magazines
• Auctions
• Restaurants
• Grocery Stores

The beauty of the low impact fundraiser is this:

1. They are truly low pressure fundraisers. If a member chooses not to participate they don't have regrets. No hard feeling for having to say no. No fundraising burnout. They won't even feel like it's a fundraiser.

2. They increase giving. Your member who participates in one or more of your new fundraisers will perceive this as an additional way to contribute to your shared cause. A way for them to increase their ownership in your organization. A way for them to, fairly painlessly, feel good about themselves. They won't even feel like it's a fundraiser.

Those are the ways you will start communicating your new fundraising messages to your membership. Take a look at your existing efforts with your website, email, and newsletter. See what needs working on to better get your new message across.

Next we will look at using PayPal as a low impact fundraiser.