Commentary and advice on online fundraising and leveraging social media for non-profits.
Posted in Case Studies, Online Fundraising on Jan 18th, 2012
The Exeter Swim-a-thon : Interview with Coach Greig Cronauer “91 families raised $38,000 in less than 2 months.” Q: Tell us about your team & the need for a fundraising event: Exeter Swim Team is a swim team with 130 members ranging in age from 7 to 18. The team hires two full-time coaches and [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Online Fundraising, Schools on Jan 4th, 2012
Funding for public schools has historically been a debated subject, and in the current economic atmosphere, improvements in the financial situation of public schools seem unlikely. As many as 40 states cope with budget shortfalls, which threaten America’s 14,000 school districts. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated an $814 billion stimulus package [...]
Posted in Case Studies on Nov 10th, 2011
In 2004, two agriculture instructors from western Wisconsin decided that they wanted to turn their passion for cycling into a fundraiser for a cause they believed in. These teachers—Brad Sirianni and Merle Richter—connected with Dick Cates, who directs the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers. A small group of riders collected pledges for [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Fundraising Ideas on Aug 1st, 2011
Boys to Men is a mentoring program for teenage boys based in San Diego County. The program provides an empowering rights-of-passage weekend that challenges the boys physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These challenges help them to wake up to their purpose and form a vision for themselves. The mentors who work with the boys help hold [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Raffles, Schools on Jun 20th, 2011
Sweetwater Episcopal Academy (SEA) provides an exceptional education for elementary school children in Orlando, Florida. SEA combines top notch academics with a caring environment that leaves a lasting impression in their students’ lives. The school’s nickname is the “Kind Zone”. Many graduates visit years later, sometimes as parent themselves, to share how much they benefited [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Walkathons on Jun 7th, 2011
Community-based fundraisers bring together members of your organization, local businesses, media, and residents in your community to support a worthy cause. They also create an excellent opportunity for networking, providing you with a venue to explain your mission, share stories, and make an emotional appeal to event attendees by showing how they can make a [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Fundraising Ideas, Participant Interview, Schools, Walkathons on Feb 15th, 2011
My New Red Shoes raises the confidence of thousands of homeless and very-low income children as they start the school year across four counties in California’s Bay Area. How? By providing them with a new pair of shoes, $50 gift card for new school clothes shopping, a little “something special” (like a school supply) and [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Online Fundraising on Oct 8th, 2010
The idea of volunteer service programs abroad was born in the early 60’s with programs like Volunteer Service Overseas and The U.S. Peace Corps. Since then, volunteer travel has expanded and transformed with the emergence of a more interconnected global community. Operation Groundswell (OG) is on the cutting edge of this industry, offering a genuine [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Schools, Walkathons on Aug 31st, 2010
Over the years, parents, students, and the Catholic Memorial High School Community have developed a great tradition in Waukesha, Wisconsin: a Memorial Walk-a-thon. The event has grown over the past 28 years and raises money to keep tuition at 80% of the actual cost. A year ago, the school moved from paper to digital fundraising. [...]
Posted in Case Studies, Online Fundraising, Participant Interview, Tools and Tips on Aug 11th, 2010
The first week in August, a group of backpackers trekked 45 miles across Yosemite National Park to raise awareness and resources for the campaign to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley, currently buried under 300 feet of water. John Muir once advocated to preserve Hetch Hetchy and described this valley as “one of nature’s rarest and most [...]