How I Overcame My Fear of Fundraising
by Chataun Denis on 12/10/11
Although I am a grant writer, I have shyed away from labeling myself as a fundraiser. Fundraising can be intimidating, as most of us dislike asking others for money. I've found that the key to fundraising is hosting events in your comfort zone. Whether its a winetasting, card party, or silent auction, by making the events fun you will find it easier to ask people to support your cause.
Begin to think outside the box for fundraising ideas. Explore partnering with micro-business owners, as they're always looking for affordable marketing opportunities, and nonprofits need new donors. A few weeks ago, I hosted a pamper party with 20 of my lady colleagues and friends. I invited various women business owners to participate as vendors. Vendors were selling items from cupcakes, candle scents, jewelry, to Mary Kay. I even had a masseuse and a make-up artist providing free eyebrow arching and eyelash application. It was so much fun!
The clothing exchange was a smash hit! The guests were invited to bring a clothing, accessory, or shoe item to contribute to the clothing closet. Each guest received their own shopping bag, and took freely the pieces they liked. Another feature of the event was a silent auction. The auction items were donated from 10 of my entrepreneur colleagues. We collected nearly $200! Not bad for my first fun-raiser! And, I plan to host a similar event every quarter.
While $200 may not be a huge amount, for someone who is uncomfortable with traditional fundraising, the FUN-Raising option was right up my alley. Imagine if 5-10 of your current volunteers discovered ways they could raise $200 by hosting a FUN event for their friends and family members. That's $1,000-$2,000 in new donations! And because it's so easy, they may offer to host multiple events during the year.
If I can overcome my fear of fundraising, so can your volunteers. And I can show them how in my "$10K in 10 months: 20+ Fun-Raising Strategies to Increase Your Board and Volunteer ROI".
Now let's get your volunteers excited about FUN-raising! Schedule your training session today!
