For the last three years DoJiggy has supported selected nonprofits through its annual Giving Program by donating a percentage of annual profits as well as in-kind services. This year the company focused the program on the important work of four deserving clients, and each were awarded $500 grants.

Congratulations 2011 Award Recipients

• GrowingGreat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit school garden and nutrition education organization dedicated to inspiring children and adults to adopt healthy eating habits in order to affect real and lasting lifestyle changes. Proceeds of the GrowingGreat Auction benefit and fund the organization’s expansion in the Los Angeles community.
• The Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE) is home to a host of highly effective, free after-school programs for teens, as well as vital self-defense and empowerment programs for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. CAE’s Punch-a-thon is a fundraiser that supports community participation through the physical activity of punching to raise funds to prevent violence and promote self defense.
• The Margaret Okari Children’s Foundation is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who is building an Elementary boarding school in Kenya. Their mission lies in helping these orphaned children who need a community of nurturing adults committed to raising them and dedicated to educating them and bringing out their full potential. The funds raised during their Thanksgiving Auction go directly to help educate the children and run this amazing school.
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Rocky Mountain Chapter: Their mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Since 1993, participants in Leukemia Cup Regatta events throughout the country have raised over $38 million in funding for LLS’s mission.

“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 three part-time coaches in addition to paying for pool time.  (So) There is a need for fundraising each year to keep dues at a reasonable level.  In the past our team had done raffles, car washes and “tagging” which is standing in front of stores in team apparel with a donation cup.

Q: Why did you choose to have a Swim-a-thon Pledge Event? 

I had organized three different Swim-A-Thons with other teams and I like this pledge-per-length system because it is not just “asking for money” or “buying a chance” like a raffle.  The swimmers are earning money to support their team by swimming for it.  Swimming is hard work, and not that walking or golfing isn’t, but most sponsors are impressed that the youngster has a goal to complete “X” number of lengths within 2 hours.  Swimming laps is tough for most people and this attracts more sponsors… or a higher amount per length.

Our team has 9 different age/ability groups and coaches gave each swimmer an appropriate goal of either 50, 100, 150 or 200 lengths to complete in the allotted 2 hours.  We give each swimmer suggestions on how to approach friends and neighbors in person for pledges.   The suggested line is “I am asking for you (or your business) to sponsor me for each length I swim to raise money for my team and the Olympic Swim Team.  I will work very hard to support the sport I love.”  This is how we had done things in the past, and we had been very successful with it, but it was all done by hand and door-to-door.

Q: You chose to use Online Fundraising Software this year. Why DoJiggy?

I did a lot of research prior to our fundraiser and DoJiggy was the only software company who didn’t charge an added fee for pledges or donations.  We paid one flat fee and that was it.  We worked with Dharma for our payment processor and they were also wonderful. They reduced the setup fee, and their credit card fees were the norm for what most retail businesses charge. (averaging 2%)

Q: How did DoJiggy Pledge software work for you?

The DoJiggy website allowed us to do this online and to more than triple our income from previous Swim-A-Thons while making it much easier for swimmers and their parents.  The site is easy to set up and even easier for potential sponsors to view.  We used one of their pre-formed fundraising templates and just added our text and photos.

Swimmers can easily set up their own page, with an individual message and photo, to solicit pledges.  This gives a “personal and individual touch” without the need to go door-to-door.  Your potential sponsors are now all your friends and family from across the country.  With DoJiggy you can send your personal page through e-mail, Facebook or Twitter and sponsors can click a button to immediately submit a pledge, online, with their credit or debit card.   This eliminates most of the door-to-door solicitation of pledges and the need to go back and collect the checks or cash when the event is over.

What most impressed us with DoJiggy was its clarity and simplicity.  The main page on the fundraising website displayed a motivating thermometer showing our goal and the amount we had raised to date though donations or pledges.  (Many sponsors just donated a flat amount instead of doing a per-length pledge.)  Each swimmer’s page also had their own little thermometer with their individual goal so a sponsor could instantly see both thermometers rise once the pledge was made.

Q: What was your fundraising goal?  How successful were you in meeting this? 

Our fundraising goal was originally $25,000 but that was raised to $30,000 after we saw the total of the swimmers’ fundraising goals and how successfully the event was running.  The coach-set goals for each swimmer were challenging, but doable.  Any lengths achieved above and beyond were not charged to the sponsor, although some were so impressed that they donated a second, fixed amount when they saw what their sponsored swimmer had achieved.  We ended up with over $38,000.

Amazingly, every dollar raised was pledged through the Dojiggy site and over $35,000 was collected via the online payment processor!  Almost no door-to-door collection by parents or swimmers.  The money went straight into the team’s bank account.

Q: How did you you motivate your team?

I think motivating “deep” was crucial to our success – finding ways to get every team member involved as opposed to letting the top 20% of the swimmers raise 80% of the money.  We offered prizes to the “Top 10″individuals, and spent $1200 in prizes.  These included IPods and digital cameras for the older swimmers and Lego sets, Barbie dollhouses and Laser Tag for the younger set.  (They could also choose the equivalent amount in cash if they wanted.)  This was key to motivating all the different ages that would be participating.

In addition, we split into three competing inter-squad teams, and mixed the ages and strongest swimmers amongst them.  The top team got to “pie” the coaches, and this motivated every swimmer on the team…. some even more than the prizes!  Even if you weren’t close to the top 10, you could get a chance to shove a pie in a coach’s face if you helped your team win. We constantly reinforced the team competition, and offered short-term rewards such as letting the team in the lead do something fun at the end of practice.

The Exeter Swim Team was extremely pleased with the results. 

Triple the income with less than 25% of the effort is the way to go!

Learn more about DoJiggy Pledge walk-a-thon software & browse walk-a-thon resources for helpful tools to help you plan a more successful walk-a-thon or any “a-thon” fundraising event.

Overcoming the Challenges

One community witnessed this debacle and decided to take matters into their own hands rather than wait for government funding to save the day. Fairburn Avenue Elementary School is located in a culturally and economically diverse community in Los Angeles. They recently faced losing their library and gym teacher. The students, parents, and teachers banded together for a successful walk-a-thon fundraiser and were able to avoid the loss!

Here’s their story…

Kelly & Emma at the Walk for Education 2011

Fairburn Elementary has not only a P.T.A. organization, but a specific committee for fundraising as well. Kelly Aluise is one of the coordinators of the group and she, along with Mei Lani Poindexter and Carrie Haber, organized the second annual walk-a-thon in partnership with DoJiggy.
“Our active supporters tend to be a small community of the same parents. Using a fundraising website this year really helped generate a greater pool of support,” she states. “The thing that REALLY helped was creating the increased potential for soliciting donors through an online presence. The kids were able to reach out to friends and family from all over the world! It really created a lot of excitement and motivation.”

In addition to online fundraising, some Fairburn students even got creative by manifesting small enterprise ideas to bolster their fundraising activity. For instance, creating baked goods or craft items to sell with the proceeds going to their personal pledge page as a donation. Although there were many incentives for individual and class efforts in fundraising, the committee decided to concentrate on the quantity of donations raised by each student rather than a mere dollar amount.

Another successful tactic that Fairburn implemented was to show 4^th and 5^th graders how to manage their personal fundraising page as part of a computer lab. Although the school cannot allow the students to create their fundraising page in class for liability reasons, the instructive support was integral in motivating the students to take responsibility for their own fundraising efforts. Communication between the fundraising committee and the parents was an important benefit, fostered by the easy email management system embedded in the walk-a-thon software system.  Often schools face security concerns regarding students putting their names and photos on a website. Through the open communication channels, the committee addressed this by suggesting using initials rather than full last names, and photos of a pet or favorite character of the child rather than a personal photo. The response was very positive.

Fairburn also had community support from small and corporate local businesses. Donations from places like Whole Foods, as well as volunteer support from parents and teachers meant that the event had no cost. Through these tactics and DoJiggy online fundraising software, Fairburn raised over $20,000, increased participation significantly, and saved their library and sports program!

Summary

Fairburn Elementary has proven by example that economic crisis and restricted funding for public schools does not mean families have to accept sub-standard educational environments for their children. In addition to raising more than $20,000 from the annual walk-a-thon, Fairburn has a pledge drive that this year generated over $230,000 and boasted 98% participation from the families. They also have an online auction that raised $70,000 as well as student events such as the Spring Fling and Valentine’s Day Dance.

Learn more about how you can participate in Fairburn Elementary School’s Fundraising initiatives at http://www.fairburnschool.org/.  Visit http://www.DoJiggy.com, for information about utilizing online fundraising software to manage your walk-a-thon, charity auction or other fundraising event.

References:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/education-budget-cuts_n_845620.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-17/us/education.funding.crisis_1_teachers-unions-budget-funding-public-education?_s=PM:US

http://www.publiceducation.org/pdf/Publications/Public_Engagement/Taking_Responsibility.pdf

Host an open house

• Schedule an open house at your community center or at a central location inviting the public to attend.
• Advertise your community fundraising event with a fundraising website.
• Post flyers about your event with a link to your website in public places, make announcements on community calendars, and email all of your contacts.
• Incorporate special activities to educate your guests about your cause such as lectures, tours, and games. This is a great way to encourage participation and interaction amongst your guests while informing them of the need and benefit of their donations.
• A silent auction could be easily incorporated as part of your event with online auction software. Community members can browse auction items online, easily place bids and make safe payments through your charity auction website.  Announcing the winners at the open house is a great way to entice them to attend and learn about your cause.

Walk-a-thons or pledge events

• Holding a walk-a-thon is a great way to build relationships through community fundraising.  An opportunity to walk or hike together can generate friendships that will grow with each year that your community fundraising event is held.
• Utilizing walk-a-thon software will help organizers manage event details, be a great source for promoting your walk-a-thon, and allow participants to easily register, collect and track pledge donations. Members of your community will appreciate the ability to make online donations from the convenience of their desktops.
• A pledge event is not limited to a walk-a-thon.  Other community fundraising activities can be incorporated such as bowling, jogging, bicycling and anything else that would engage your community.
• Celebrating your pledge event with a luncheon or dinner afterward is another opportunity to build relationships that will strengthen your community fundraising efforts.  Online fundraising software can help you to spread the word about your fundraiser, register participants, sell tickets for your event, and process online donations. Community members can learn more about your cause and make contributions regardless if they choose to participate in your walk-a-thon and post-events.

Presentations to local businesses

• Contact local business leaders and ask them for 15 minutes during their next staff meeting to make a presentation about sponsoring your cause.
• Present information about your cause and the need for funding.  Show how your fundraising website works to engage participants, community members, donors and sponsors.  Show them your online sponsorship page so that they can see the great exposure your website will offer, and include a detailed list of the specific benefits they would receive by sponsoring your event (i.e. logo presence on event website, on-site exposure to event attendees, inclusion in press and promotional materials, tickets for VIP events, etc.)
• You may want to show a video of your community fundraising activities at your presentation. This will give your audience a hands-on feel of your work and will reach them emotionally.
• Strategic planning between presentations to local businesses and your community fundraising events is wise. Think about the type of business you are presenting to and try to tie in specific themes and ideas that are relevant to their business. Bring your enthusiasm to the table and get them excited about your upcoming event!
• Business leaders are often happy to sponsor your event as a tax-deductible donation.

There are many ways to involve your constituents in community fundraising campaigns.  Presenting a variety of ways for them to make donations is important.  Building relationships for each unique fundraising activity, whether it’s a pledge event or an online donations drive, will add to the success your community fundraising efforts.

Utilize Online Tools

Today there are many tools available to help administrators streamline the fundraising event planning process.  By utilizing online fundraising software, event planners have access to all event details in one centralized place.  Participants can register for the event online, spread awareness and easily collect online donations all on the organization’s fundraising website.  Simultaneously, administrators are able to easily update event information, communicate with various parties involved and manage all details of the event including participant registrations, sponsorships, merchandising sales, and tracking progress.

Smooth Day-of-Event Operations

Event planners may also utilize various reports in an effort to be more organized on event day.   Participant registration lists can be printed prior to the event allowing for easier event check-in.  As participants and/or sponsors sign in volunteers have detailed information about the person, their fundraising accomplishments, items they have purchased, sponsor benefits, VIP status, etc.  There are also event check-lists that serve as a guide from set-up through the close of the event to ensure nothing is forgotten.  Remember…often registration is the first impression participants, sponsors, donors and attendees will have.  This is a representation of your fundraiser and your organization, so you’ll want to do all you can to avoid bottle-necks and keep things running smoothly!

Easily Manage Ancillary Events (such as Charity Auction)

If a charity auction is part of your fundraising event, online auction software allows for easy tracking and management of various auction items and bids, safely processes payments, and can also help kick-start the bidding process at your event.

Summary

Whatever fundraising event you decide on, there are plenty of tools available to assist organizers in their planning efforts.  Keep in mind, the more organized you are…the easier execution will be.  Not only that, but taking the time to put efficient processes into place NOW, will only make planning fundraising events that much easier (and more successful) in future years.

Read the full article on The Fundraising Authority.

Here are some great tips for fundraising ideas at work!

Donations Drive

• Ask your supervisors for 5 minutes during a weekly staff meeting to make a presentation regarding your cause.
• Show them your online fundraising website during your presentation on a large screen so that they can see your photos and learn more about your cause.  This will be inspiring and encouraging, and will give you an opportunity to educate them regarding your efforts while showing them your overall fundraising goal.
• Follow-up with an email including your thanks and enclose a link to your fundraising website making it extremely easy for co-workers to make an online contribution.  They will be able to make donations from their desktops and can revisit your website…or better yet—they can forward the link to vendors and business associates!
• Offer them a physical place to bring donations such as a gift table in the lobby, reception area or conference room.
• Make sure to thank everyone for their gifts and donations during your Holiday party and staff meeting.

Auction Fundraising

• An online silent auction is a great way to raise dollars for your cause while creating a fun way to generate some competition amongst your co-workers!
• A display table featuring the auction items in your office conference room or reception area could showcase the great items included.
• Including the donor’s name on the display table, whether it’s from a coworker or coffee shop down the street, offers everyone an opportunity to share in the joy of giving.
• Your silent auction website could hold the capacity for online donations which can be made aside from the auction itself, and would open the auction bidding up to new potential guests including customers and vendors.

Gala Fundraising Event

• Hosting a gala fundraising event following an online auction or donation drive during the Holidays or anytime of the year can be great way to celebrate the fundraising success of everyone involved.
• Your gala fundraiser could be a dinner or luncheon event including ticket sales (where proceeds from sales go directly to your cause).
• Office parties are always fun and positive, and provide a great way to thank all employees for their hard work and contributions to your fundraising cause.
• Consider bringing in entertainers, music or fun games and fundraising contests.
• Be sure to ask your employer for help covering any costs, as they may be able to make a tax-deductible donation for supporting a charitable cause.

Summary

Generating a mood of gift giving is a great way to elevate the moral in your office.  Creative fundraising ideas at work will lend themselves to bonding with your coworkers in doing good work together. Team building will be strengthened by your fundraising efforts and will lay the groundwork for increased donations to your worthy cause.

Host a Family Day 

Holding special activities for families one day per week is a great way to attract guests and members to your museum.  Offer a family day special with a “kids for free” coupon and raise money by donating a percentage of ticket sales on this day toward your cause.  You may also wish to request a minimum donation for museum entry but leave it open ended for those who want to contribute more.   Additional funds could be raised by reaching out to local businesses who target “families” to see if they’d like to sponsor your fundraising event.  Promote the family day in advance through your museum, email campaigns, distribute press releases, and list events on community calendars. Set up a fundraising website that explains the various activities that will be held during your family day including a schedule of art demonstrations and educational presentations, while allowing people to easily make online donations.  Be sure to include information about the cause of your fundraiser so people understand the importance of their contributions, and then track your current progress against your goals (giving people an added incentive to help you move the needle)

Museum fundraising can be really fun and inspiring for all when offering a myriad of hands-on experiences. Here are some fun activities you could include on your family day:

• Docents could develop and lead family oriented tours that educate kids about the art in the museum.
• Participatory activities could be held each week such as teaching watercolor painting for kids and parents to enjoy together.
• Demonstrations from local artists or museum staff members could be held teaching kids and parents about certain art techniques like collage, color or drawing.

Lunch Lecture Series

Offer a monthly lecture series to local business people where they can enjoy their lunch hour and an educational experience with art. Charge admission (or request a minimum donation) before the presentation begins.  Allow guests to register in advance (especially if there is limited seating) for the lecture series using event registration software.   This series could include book readings and art history lectures featuring a different artist each month.  Negotiate food discounts or donated lunches from local businesses if they choose to come on board as the “monthly sponsor”.  This minimizes your out of pocket expenses, so you can keep a larger percentage of the admission fee for your cause. Implementing online fundraising software allows you to manage the various details for your event including: guest registration, donation processing, sponsor recognition, and various tracking and reporting functions.

Raise additional fundraising dollars by selling donated books or art by presenting artists following lecture series.  A fundraising raffle could be a fun add-on to this event.  Prior to your event solicit donated items from local businesses (i.e. retail, restaurant and spa gift certificates, tickets to a musical, opera or sporting event, etc.)  Each person can choose to purchase a desired number or raffle tickets prior to the presentation with winners being announced at the end of the luncheon.  Be sure to display raffle items and promote prizes in advance as it may attract attendees.

Fundraising Gala Event with Artist Presentations

Holding a VIP gala fundraising event in the evening is an effective museum fundraising activity and a great way to entice visitors. This could be a once monthly series or held annually and could include a cocktail reception, fine foods and wines, entertainment and more.

Details for your gala event can easily be managed and advertised with an online event management software tool.  Perhaps your museum would like to showcase a prominent local artist who does an on-site art presentation, or bring in a renowned chef to prepare and discuss the “art of food”.  A wonderful add-on to an upscale event like this is to offer a silent auction.  Display various “one-of-a-kind” art pieces, as well as donated items from local businesses and/or celebrities and allow guest attendees to bid on items throughout the evening.  If you’d like to extend your auction to a larger audience certain items can be offered for bid online using  charity auction software.  Perhpas you can choose to use the gala event as the opportunity to “reveal” the various pieces of work “up for bid”, then keep the display set up for the duration of the auction as it may drive traffic to your museum.

You may also be interested in creating an artistic display such as a “Wall of Fame” or “Donor Sculpture”. The display can be showcased at the museum entrance and would recognize prominent businesses and individuals for their contributions.  This could be advertised & promoted each year and possibly provide an incentive for important members and companies within your community to contribute more due to the exposure they’d receive.

Summary

Museums are a wonderful place to bring businesses, artists, schools and community members together. Teaching people about painting, photography, drawing and art history is an opportunity to inspire others and feel rewarded in return.  Getting people involved with art through hosting museum fundraising events or annual donation drives encourages them to become active members of your museum and allows you to increase fundraising dollars raised year after year.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying spending time with family and reflecting on what we are “thankful” for this week.  With that in mind…wouldn’t Thanksgiving be a wonderful time for people to give back to a worthy cause?  You’ve probably seen the pre-packaged grocery bags that can be purchased for families who may not be able to afford a Thanksgiving meal.  But, perhaps people are willing to do more?  Since Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for all our good fortunes, perhaps it’s also a good time to ask people to “give” to those less fortunate through hosting a fundraiser.  Below are some fundraising ideas that might be a perfect fit for your school, charity or nonprofit organization!

Thanksgiving Walk-a-thon

How about hosting a walk-a-thon to raise money for your cause?  Plan your walk-a-thon for the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Most people do not work, and many friends and families have all gathered together for the holiday.  Not only is this a great way for people to “walk-off” the extra calories they consumed at Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s a great way to bond with family and other members of the community in support of a great cause.  Encourage members of your organization to sign up to participate in the walk-a-thon.  Each participant then creates a personal fundraising website where they tell their story and accept online donations.  You may want to create “teams” and provide incentives for the teams and/or individuals that raise the most funds.   Consider reaching out to local businesses (perhaps a local grocery store) to come on board as a sponsor of the event.  Perhaps they’d be willing to offer coupons to donors to help pay for their Thanksgiving feast.  Or maybe a local gym would like to come on board to offer free gym memberships to help people get back-in-shape following the holiday season of indulgence.

Holiday Sale & Silent Auction

Thanksgiving is often thought of as the “kick-off” to the holiday shopping season.  The Friday following “turkey-day” is the busiest shopping day of the year.  Thanksgiving weekend is also when many families decide to put up their lights and Christmas trees.  Perhaps you can organize a Community Fundraiser Sale where you offer: Christmas trees, Christmas lights, wreaths, candles, wrapping paper, and more.  Work with a local tree farm to purchase Christmas trees at a discount in support of your charity. Purchase other holiday décor in bulk at discounted prices, or perhaps request donated items from companies for you to sell in support of your cause.

You may also want to reach out to local businesses to see if they’d be willing to donate prizes for a fundraising raffle or silent auction.  What a great way to kick off the holiday shopping season!  People can bid on “one-of-a-kind” auction items (such as autographed sports memorabelia or an exclusive spa escape) to give as a present for that special someone.  Alternately, you may be interested in adding a raffle as part of your fundraiser.  People can purchase raffle tickets in hope to win gift certificates from restaurants, retail shops as well as other great prizes.

Thanksgiving Bake Sale

A great idea or a church congregation or school fundraiser could be a Thanksgiving bake sale.  Everyone wants pie following their turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.  Why not offer various pies for sale prior to the big feast?  Promote the fundraiser at least a month in advance. People can pre-order pies and plan to pick up the day before Thanksgiving.  A percentage of each pie can be donated to your cause.  Perhaps you’d like to set up a fundraising website where you list the different pie varieties.  Charge a minimum fee for pie purchase (i.e. $10) – but leave the donation amount open.  Someone might be willing to pay a little extra or a yummy pie…if their donation is going towards a great cause.

Visit our fundraising resources for more creative fundraising ideas!  Happy Thanksgiving to All.

Fundraising Website Templates
• Selecting an easy-to-use fundraising website template with graphic design features already incorporated allows you to create great-looking, professional fundraising websites customized to match the look and feel of your organization. A state-of-the art template design possesses all of the work and insight of the best graphic designers in their field. It’s much more affordable than doing your own design work, and starting out with a fantastic fundraising template design that you don’t have to alter or second guess is invaluable.

Photos
• Photographs speak a thousand words. Selecting meaningful photos to use within your fundraising website design that reflect your cause can be very effective in reaching the public. Pictures speak to the heart, and carefully selected photos can motivate your audience to become involved in your event. We recommend Istock Photo for stock photos at a reasonable cost.

Colors
• Color selection can also have a great impact on the effectiveness of your fundraising campaign. Colors have the power to affect our thoughts and feelings, and can be used as a communication tool. Colors can mean different things to various cultures, therefore selecting a combination of colors that are aesthetically appealing is very important for an effective fundraising website template.

Fonts
• The size and shape of your font is another design factor that can impart messages to your audience. Fonts are paralleled to handwriting and express emotion and personality. Subliminal messages are powerful and can have a real impact on the success of your event. Utilizing consistent, current and aesthetically appealing fonts and font colors can portray your organization in a more positive light.

Your online fundraising campaign has the potential to be much more successful if your first impression is positive. How your fundraising website appears to your audience can greatly impact their perception of your organization and your cause.