May 2012
10 posts
4 tags
Featured Fundraiser: Roxbury Youthworks
Roxbury Youthworks Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Roxbury, MA serving the troubled youth of the community. Focusing on those within the justice or welfare system, the organization tries to help these individuals successfully transfer into adulthood after lives of violence, poverty, and victimization.
Fundraise.com spoke with Celenia from Roxbury Youthworks Inc. over email to find...
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The Numbers are In and Branded is Up: Update Your...
Recently Network for Good released their latest version of the Digital Giving Index. Among other things, the numbers revealed two very interesting findings: In Q1 of 2012 vs. Q1 of 2011, branded donations pages were up 36% whereas generic donation pages were only up 12%.
What does this mean?
There are two types of charity website giving experiences:
A charity website with a generic giving...
7 tags
Featured Fundraiser: Boston Center for the Arts
(Photo courtesy of Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo)
The Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a non-profit performance and visual arts organization that encourages and supports working artists to create, perform, and even provide space for them to exhibit their works. By connecting these artists and the beautiful work they are creating, they are forging a connection with...
7 tags
Start Clearly Communicating Values: Attract More...
Values are the principles a nonprofit organization or cause stands for, defends, and follows, no matter what the consequences. However, many nonprofits fall short when attempting to clearly communicate their values both internally with their team and externally with potential supporters.
When an organization fails to communicate values, opportunities to gain traction through more...
5 tags
AFP Advises Professional Fundraisers to Look 2-5...
Recently The Chronicle of Philanthropy posted a video on their website featuring Andrew Watt, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, in which he explains that the high turnover rate among professional fundraisers is the result of short-term thinking.
According to research by Penelope Burk, President of Cygnus Applied Research, the...
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Featured Fundraiser: Lexington Center
Lexington Center is a private, non-profit organization based in Upstate New York and serves those with developmental and learning disabilities, autism, mental illness, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, epilepsy and/or traumatic brain injuries. The thoughtful and dedicated people that make up the organization provide a creative and nurturing environment for those they...
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Bake Sale Ban, Not All Bad
Yesterday in Boston, there was a story on front page of the Boston Herald titled “Food Fight” that had all the local media outlets including CBS, The Boston Channel, Fox News, NECN, and Jim & Margery abuzz.
The Herald reported yesterday that in attempts to help curb the obesity epidemic, state education and public health officials are cracking down on...
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Talking Social - Facebook, Fundraise.com & You
According to the most recent Blackbaud 2012 Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report, nonprofit survey respondents have been endorsing Facebook as their social network of choice with a steady increase in participation over the past 4 years.
98% of survey respondents have a Facebook page with an average community size of over 8,000 fans. Perhaps more importantly, the study also shows that a...
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Featured Fundraiser: Friends of the Sick and Poor
Friends of the Sick and Poor is a non-profit organization based in Dorchester, Mass., that seeks to meet the basic health and educational needs of the people living in the Bbanda village in Uganda. Their focus is on ensuring the people of the area have access to drinkable, non-contaminated water.
Fundraise.com spoke with Alyce from Friends of the Sick and Poor over email to find out more about...
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Build a Better Fundraising Page with our New...
Three weeks ago we re-launched Fundraise.com as completely re-designed, fully responsive website. As part of our new site, we built an in-page editor using backbone.js that allows dynamic content (aka fundraising information uploaded/entered by our users) to function responsively.
What does this mean for everyone using our site? It means that we’re putting the f-u-n back in fundraising by...
April 2012
4 posts
4 tags
Featured Fundraiser: Life Saving Surgery for Denis
“In almost all instances, Apert syndrome results from new genetic changes (mutations) that appear to occur randomly for unknown reasons (sporadically). In rare cases, the disorder may be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait.”
Denis was born in a small town near Penza, Russia. At birth, it was immediately apparent Denis had an inborn condition, but due to a lack of knowledge and...
4 tags
Featured Fundraiser: Community Food and Outreach
Community Food and Outreach is a non-profit organization based in Central Florida that is motivated by faith, compassion, and a desire to serve their community. They work to help break the cycle of poverty, to provide hope to people struggling with hunger. Community Food and Outreach offers hunger relief, crisis care, transformative education, and employment training opportunities.
Fundraise.com...
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Featured Fundraiser - Mass Soldiers Legacy Fund
Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund (MSLF) is a charitable trust established in memory of Massachusetts fallen Servicemen and Women of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The children of these fallen service members were in mind when the fund was established, trying to alleviate any financial burdens in the way of completing all levels of education.
Fundraise.com spoke with Ryan from MSLF...
5 tags
Featured Fundraiser: Wake Up Narcolepsy
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting narcolepsy awareness and research towards accelerating a cure. They provide funding towards accelerating a cure, increase awareness of narcolepsy, decrease time-lapse from symptom onset to proper diagnosis, and provide supportive resources for people with narcolepsy and their families.
Fundraise.com spoke with Monica from Wake...
January 2012
2 posts
5 tags
How to Plan a Fundraising Banquet
As many of us know, the most common expenses facing nonprofit agencies are in program costs and the amount spent on fundraising and development for the organization. However, effective fundraising keeps administrative costs in check and takes best advantage of donations to collect the largest percentage of profits possible from the event.
A fundraising dinner also offers a chance to make...
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Successful Fundraising Essentials
It’s 2012 - a new year with new goals and new fundraising efforts on the horizon. Yet as you move onto bigger, better, and larger levels of achievement, don’t forget the tried & true basics of fundraising success.
Tell Your Story:
Offer people an understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing, and give them a reason to give.
Why are you fundraising?
Why is the cause important...
December 2011
8 posts
6 tags
Highlighted Cause: Sterling Minsky, Baby Boy...
Sterling Minsky is an amazing little boy. At the age of 7 months old, he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma. In August, he received clear scans after 6 mos of chemo under the supervision of an awesome team at Sloan Kettering in New York.
Unfortunately he was so young, they were not able to treat him with radiation and now there is a recurrence of the tumor. Sterling will be undergoing a...
5 tags
Get Auction Items Donated:
Silent Auctions aren’t always the most fun to plan – they take time, seem to require extensive resources, and can be intimidating at the get-go. However, if done right they have the potential to add thousands of dollars to the revenue of your fundraising event.
To start the silent auction process, identify retailers and businesses from which you’d like donations. Your event might have a...
5 tags
Hold a Fundraising Cocktail Party:
When deciding which type of fundraising event to hold, consider hosting a cocktail party. Cocktail parties are fashionable and fun, and most guests genuinely enjoy a well executed party-for-a-purpose.
A successful fundraising cocktail party depends on an engaging blend of drinks, food and atmosphere. But with a little creativity and some advanced planning, your event could be the talk of the town...
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Highlight Cause: VIP Tickets on Sale for Hot...
Theo Epstein returns home to join legendary baseball journalist Peter Gammons and an all-star musical line-up for the 13th annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity concert presented by Ipswitch, on Saturday, January 14th at the Paradise Rock Club.
The Foundation To Be Named Later fundraiser features performances by Grammy award-nominated blues musician Susan Tedeschi, Grammy award-winning guitarist and...
4 tags
Sports Team Fundraisers
Sports fundraisers are imperative for a variety of reasons - to buy new uniforms, to provide teams with the proper equipment to practice and compete, and to pay for travel expenses or entrance fees in order to play in various tournaments or leagues.
Most everyone can agree as to why it is important to keep our youth sports teams thriving; these organizations enable participants to be active,...
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Highlighted Fundraising Cause: Chase After a Cure,...
A few months ago, the Hokies vs Tigers Fund Raise Face-Off didn’t quite reach its goal. With a rematch looming, they put forth the challenge once again and encouraged Hokie and Tiger fans to help them raise money for childhood cancer research prior to the VT/Clemson ACC Championship Game on December 3rd.
At the game, the Tigers prevailed. But since they’re so close to their off-the-field...
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More "Sizes," More Donations:
Customized Messaging Maximizes Online Fundraising Efforts
Ever see something that’s “one size fits all,” perhaps a shirt or a pair of gloves? In concept it seems like a great idea – one universal solution with the potential for seamless execution. However, much like the fact a “one size fits all” shirt will perform much differently for a 6’4” 250lb man than for a 5’2” 102lb woman, the same is true...
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Highlighted Fundraising Cause: Go Ape with...
Sha Sha the chimp is spokes-chimp for 42 other chimpanzees at her home, Chimp Village, at the Wildlife Waystation in Los Angeles County, California.
It costs $29.95/a day to feed and care for each chimp. Money from Sha Sha’s fundraiser will be used for Chimp Village enclosure enrichment and improvements.
Sha Sha and her 42 companions at the Wildlife Waystation...
November 2011
15 posts
5 tags
Six Essential Questions for a Successful...
What is your intention? There must be a valid reason you’ve decided to put on an event. Are you looking to bring awareness to a specific cause you feel passionate about? Do you want to take it a step further and raise money to help support that cause? Whatever the reason, your intentions should be established right off the bat in order to achieve an online fundraising goal that is...
4 tags
Thank Donors Better
Donors love it when they get a phone call from their Board Chair or a Board Member shortly after making a donation. However, the best way to thank donors is to get to know them – old-school style, in real-time, genuinely get to know them - and keep getting to know them as your relationship with them grows stronger.
Know their favorite aspects of your organization and send them updates on the...
4 tags
Post-Event Fundraising in 4 Steps:
The money you raise at an fundraising event can be the beginning or the end. It’s up to you…
1. Start at the fundraising event: Have a post-event plan in place… Collect contact information from everyone who walks in the door – especially if they are a “plus one” or a guest of someone else. Assign staff and board members to meet and greet attendees and have them ask if they can contact...
6 tags
Update Cause: Fundraising Speedo Run in the Home...
TAKE IT OFF AND RUN! is Just Days Away!
For The Cause and their faithful mascot “bOOm bOOm” invite you to join them for the 3rd Annual Speedo Run For the Cause on Saturday, November 26th, 2011.
Last year over 100 runners took it off and ran while raising nearly $13,000 for the Northeast PA branch of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They were also featured on Live! with Regis and Kelly.
So far For...
5 tags
Ten Tips on How to Fundraise
Asking for money is easier than it seems: Many people quiver at the thought of asking someone for money. Don’t worry. More often than not, both you and your potential donor share a lot in common, many times that is the shared interest in the organization on whose behalf you’re asking.
You are not asking for money for yourself: Don’t feel like you need to apologize for asking for a donation;...
14 tags
Fundraise.com at MIT's Startup Showcase
TheMIT Startup Showcase is the opportunity for a selected number of exciting early-stage startup companies to present to an audience of angel investors, venture capitalists, and members of the MIT community.
Thirty early-stage businesses from sectors including emerging technology, healthcare, mobile, social media, and energy were selected to exhibit their business vision and technology prowess...
7 tags
School Fundraising Ideas
School fundraisers can support many of the projects and extracurricular activities that parents and teachers want their children to experience like guest speakers, after-school activities and athletics. However, ideas for school fundraising are sometimes hard to find, and then it’s often difficult to figure out which one has the most likelihood of success.
The process of developing a school...
8 tags
Updated Cause: NYC Marathoner Raises over $25K...
Dear Friends,
Well it has been over a week and I can finally say that I am officially no longer sore! I was definitely feeling it for the better part of the week. Being on a plane they day after the run was definitely brutal. However despite the soreness, the purple toenail (I think that one may be a goner) and the pure exhaustion of last week, it was all so very much worth it.
For those...
6 tags
Make Your Next Fundraising Event More Social
An event is by nature, a social affair. People attend to connect, interact, and share with their peers. People also join social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect, interact, and share information with their peers.
Given their similar natures, it makes perfect sense to use social media to help make your events an even more social experience. After all, if your goal is...
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Highlighted Cause: Take it Off & Run - Speedo Run
MARK YOUR CALENDARS - TAKE IT OFF AND RUN!
For The Cause and their faithful mascot “bOOm bOOm” invite you to join them for the 3rd Annual Speedo Run For the Cause on Saturday, November 26th, 2011.
Last year over 100 runners took it off and ran while raising nearly $13,000 for the Northeast PA branch of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They were also featured on Live! with...
5 tags
Online Fundraising Tips
Looking to score higher levels of success with your online fundraising campaign? We’ve compiled this short list of tips certain to help get your quest for funds moving in the right direction.
Communicate: Develop a clear, concise, compelling request for donations. Make people believe in you and your cause and let them know how their gift will be used.
Connect with prospective donors with a...
11 tags
10 tags
Write a Better Online Fundraising Email
Soliciting friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and businesses for monetary donations is not always an easy job; especially when the economy is suffering and donation dollars are tight. Before you hit the send button in your email box, take time to write an effective fundraising letter that can speak properly to potential donors on your behalf and help get you one step closer to securing your...
7 tags
8 tags
October 2011
1 post
6 tags
Get Ideas for Fundraising
Cocktail parties, bake sales, pizza parties, boxing events, formal dinners… There are hundreds of thousands of fundraising possibilities out there. Here are some tips on how to start collecting fundraising ideas to benefit your organization or cause.
Start by gathering existing fundraising information from your organization, if possible. Figure out the types of events or fundraisers that...
September 2011
1 post
8 tags
Highlighted Cause: Let's Help Ruby get Sugar the...
Ruby is 21 years old and has Epilepsy and Type I Diabetes. She has seizures on a weekly basis. Ruby has been matched with an amazing service dog named Sugar who specializes in seizure alert.
Sugar will be able to “tell” Ruby that a seizure is near, allowing Ruby to sit down and wait for it to pass. Ruby will also be able to get herself out of any potential danger she may be in,...
August 2011
1 post
4 tags
Highlighted Cause: Cradles to Crayons “Sunset on...
If you’re in the Boston area we highly suggest you buy your tickets to “Summer on Sunset” ASAP.
Founded in 2002, Cradles to Crayons (C2C) is an innovative Quincy-based organization that equips homeless and low-income children with the basic essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn and valued.
While meeting the immediate needs of low-income children, C2C also lays a foundation for...
July 2011
5 posts
6 tags
Nate Drouin Featured in the Boston Business...
CEO, 19, raises $1.2M for Boston startup Fundraise.com
Boston Business Journal - by Kyle Alspach
Nate Drouin, 19, has raised $1.2 million in venture capital for a web-based fundraising service for nonprofits. Fundraise.com Inc. is on track to do more than $2 million in sales this year, he said.
Less than five months after launching an online donation site, Fundraise.com Inc. founder and CEO Nate...
8 tags
Fundraise.com Featured in The Chronicle of...
New Fund-Raising Site Makes Quick Mark in Online Giving
Started just five months ago by a 19-year-old Bostonian, Fundraise.com has quickly established a place in the highly competitive online-giving market, according to Bloomberg.
The site’s founder, Nate Drouin, who postponed college to start the for-profit firm with $250,000 from relatives and friends, said Fundraise.com already has 500...
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Fundraise.com Top Entrepreneur Story on...
Fundraise.com to Streamline Giving, Sign Presidential Campaigns
The Boston charity boxing match put on by Haymakers for Hope in June raised $200,000 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund, which finances pediatric cancer research. But rather than handle the donation legwork itself, the nonprofit group used 19-year-old Nate Drouin’s fundraising website, Fundraise.com.
Andrew Myerson, a...
6 tags
Highlighted Cause: Help Avery Curtis!
Avery Curtis is an adorable little girl who is back in the hospital fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a blood cancer that is very rare for a baby of her age.
Though she is in the hospital with 6 - 9 months of chemotherapy treatments ahead of her at Cook Children’s Hospital in Forth Worth Texas, Avery is keeping everyone’s spirits high with her smiles and laugher.
Friends and Family...
3 tags
Fundraise.com Helps Haymakers for Hope raise $189K...
How didHaymakers for Hope raise $189K for cancer research in 4 months? They assembled a trifecta of success: An event centered around boxing; a competitive field of amateur boxers (many of whom spend their days banking, trading, and investing in Boston, MA); and the use of our online giving website – www.fundraise.com - that allows anyone, not just 501c3 non-profits, to easily build an online...
June 2011
4 posts
9 tags
Nate Drouin on Peter Thiel's Offer
In May of this year Peter Thiel gave 20 whiz kids (24 including a few teams) $100K to stop out of college while they pursue their dreams.
(Fittingly, a fourth of the proposals are in the fields of education or career development, while the others encompass a range of trendy fields).
Now each of the 20 under 20 Thiel Fellows are getting two years of mentoring from a network of tech and...
6 tags
Highlighted Cause: Help Sweetwater Ranch Save a...
Charm & Paddy, a mother and foal in dire need of foot care, vet care, and lots of food to get them back in good health, were rescued by Monica Whitmer of Sweetwater Ranch on Friday, June 3rd.
Because Monica took on the financial responsibility of rescuing Charm & Paddy without hesitation, her very caring friend, Charlene, has set up a Fundraise.com page to help defray the costs of...
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Fundraise.com Featured in Thought Leadership...
Nate was asked by Bostinnovation to share with their readership what Fundraise.com can do for nonprofits. Check out the article here:
http://bostinnovation.com/2011/06/08/fundraise-com-making-it-easy-for-nonprofits-to-be-social-savvy/