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 the community in hopes to bring in new audiences for the arts.  For more than 40 years now, the BCA has been a meeting point of the surrounding South End of Boston and the emerging artists that occupy the area.

Fundraise.com spoke with Angela from the BCA over email to find out more about how they got started and what keeps them going.

How did the BCA get its start?

In a time when a building a day was being torn down in the South End, arts supporters had a vision. They took that vision to an auction and acquired the existing Cyclorama, Artist Studios Building (once named the Tremont Estates Building) as well as a privately owned small theatre over Emerson College to create an arts center. 

The vision was to create a home for artists and the community. Like the Latin Quarter of the 1890s, they saw a bohemian neighborhood with cultural and artistic diversity among the resident artists and community patrons.

Over 40 years later, the BCA is still a home for working artists to create, perform and exhibit.

What motivates you in your fundraising efforts?

Boston is thriving with innovative artists who need a place to exhibit their works and we strive to make that possible within our community. Being a part of an organization that sees innovation daily encourages us to seek funding to support local artists.

What is your favorite part of working with the BCA?

Our favorite part about working at the BCA is all the excitement that happens on campus. From dance workshops to visual art exhibitions to film competitions, we have it all in one location. Each year, more than 200,000 people visit the BCA. Located in Boston’s South End and occupying an historic city block bordered by Tremont Street, Clarendon Street, Warren Avenue and Berkeley Street, the BCA is a resource to Greater Boston providing a creative “home” for artists, a welcoming arts destination for audiences, and an art connection for individuals of all ages. 

Who benefits from your fundraising efforts?

“The dance residency at the BCA allowed us time, space, consistency and support… some of the most important factors needed to create high quality art,” said Courtney Peix, a recent dance resident at the BCA. Her company, Contrapose Dance presented their recent piece groundwork at the BCA in February 2012. Our fundraising efforts support working artists like Courtney to create, perform and exhibit across our campus.

What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers?

Fundraising is rooted in relationships. For aspiring fundraisers, it is important to build relationships with people within your community and with funders that have a vested interest in your core mission. 

What goals are you trying to reach by fundraising?

The BCA’s mission is to support working artists in the creation, performance and exhibition of new works. Through fundraising, we hope to continue this support by providing a platform and community for working artists in Boston.

Do you have any additional notes or stories about your cause you would like to share?

You would be amazed at all that happens on the BCA campus in the South End. Behind many brick buildings emerging, established and seasoned artists are creating new works. From dance residency choreographers leading a troupe of local, regional and national dancers to a curator finding multi-disciplinary artists for an exhibition. The BCA is a campus filled with visual arts, performance and community!

For more about the Boston Center for the Arts please visit: Online Arts Fundraising

             (Photo courtesy of Silvia Lopez Chavez, BCA Studio Artist)

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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 school bake sales and on treats served and sold beyond school lunch programs. The ban is set to go into effect August 1^st and the legislative mandate bans offending foods consumed from 30 minutes before the school day until 30 minutes after. They can be replaced with fresh fruits and veggies, water, whole grains and fat-free milk.

Today, parents and teachers are expressing concern because bake sales are used to raise money for critical programs and they are community-building events. In another Boston Herald article yesterday titled, “Parents: Rule’s half-baked,” many parents expressed this concern.  

However, we at Fundraise.com feel there are two main positive aspects about this ban to highlight: 

#1: 1/3 of Massachusetts elementary school children are now obese – this is a major problem and one the ban might help fix. As long as we explain to kids about the importance of balanced nutrition and eating correctly, while consuming treats in moderate amounts, we may see a small change in the food behaviors of these children. 

Perhaps bringing the issue out into the open in schools and talking about it, will help children to recognize the difference between good and bad food choices and set them on a better health-path for life. 

#2: For parents and schools who are concerned about the money bake sales raise, we feel this is a great opportunity to start teaching kids about how fundraising actually works… People aren’t buying items off of the bake sale tables because they’re dying to eat them; they’re buying the bake sale items because they want to help the school, the children, and the programs that the money collected from the bake sale will be used to support. 

By explaining to children that the cupcakes, cookies, and sugary snacks are merely a vehicle to start a conversation with potential donors and a small way to say “thank you,” for their contribution, we can teach students that it’s the people selling the baked goods that raise the money, not the baked goods themselves.

Fundraise.com encourage teachers with computer-age students to set up a classroom fundraiser on our site, and award each student with their own fundraiser page under the main page. Kids can personalize their pages with hand-drawn and scanned pictures, photos, and a descriptive story about why they’re raising money and how awesome the supplies or enrichment programs will be after they’ve collected enough funds to support them…

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” 

 We know we’re a glass-half-full kind of company, but we truly feel there are definite positives to be found in the “bake sale ban” and we’re happy to help with any questions. Email us at info@fundraise.com or give us a call at 857.445.4165.

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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 how they got started and what keeps them going.

How did Friends of the Sick and Poor get its start?

The Friends of the Sick and Poor got started in one of those interesting moments when a chance conversation revealed some unbelievable information about some one we knew.  You know, one of those times when you hear something and think, “We should do something about that” and usually don’t.  This time we actually responded.   

A few years ago, I went to a special Mass at my church (it was its 100th anniversary).  During the service, a child ran from the chapel behind the altar clear across the altar and down the aisle.  Afterwards a small group was talking about how strange that situation seemed.  We learned that the boy was the nephew of the Pastor.  In any case, present for the discussion was a priest from Uganda.  His name is Father Emmanuel Mwerekande. He was in Boston studying at Boston College and stationed in Dorchester during his stay.  Father Emmanuel mentioned that where he is from it is not strange for a cow or a chicken to walk in front of the altar.  As you likely imagine, we all wanted to understand where he was from and how such a situation could exist.  If you look at picture all bbanda 040.  I took that picture myself in 2009 when I went to see for myself what this village of Bbanda is like.  This is a pic of a church outpost.  The people are villagers and engineers from Northeastern University’s Engineers without Borders.  Animals are close by and it is easy to imagine one walking in from time to time.

Up until that time many of us were contributing money to help Father Emmanuel raise money to buy rain barrels, ARV medicines for women living with AIDS and to pay tuition’s for some of the orphans to go to boarding schools. We were already helping (2005) this village but we didn’t really understand the magnitude of the need until that service when we couldn’t understand how a chicken could walk across the altar.  On a subsequent trip back to Uganda (while on vacation from BC) Father Emmanuel reported that a woman taking ARV treatment was consuming contaminated water.  We all realized and Father asked us to think about how the water access situation might be solved.  And at that moment in time our efforts for Bbanda increased.  We decided that we had to focus on the water situation first because it leads to so many problems for people in the village.  A group of people from St. Mark parish in Dorchester and others started to meet to determine if we could be helpful.   With pro bono assistance from downtown law firm Wilmer Hale we attained 501c3 tax status allowing donors to receive tax benefits when they give to Friends of the Sick and Poor.

In Bbanda, children carry water for their families, cooking takes place outdoors in fire pits, the health center did not have any electricity until last August when the engineers were able to install a solar panel, a few light bulbs and a small refrigerator so that the health center can now have antibiotics and other meds that need to be refrigerated.

The well as it turns out, is a place in the earth where the people have dug until water springs up.  Uganda has plenty of water, it is just all underground.  They collect water by walking a mile or more filling plastic jugs and carrying it home.  Mostly children carry water and sometimes women.  If you look at the all bbanda header, you will see a pic of children collecting water from the well.

What motivates you in your fundraising efforts?

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Build a Better Fundraising Page with our New In-Page Editor

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 letting the excitement start as soon as you begin dragging and dropping images to build your fundraising page. 

Let’s explore the new editor: 

Step 1: Upload an image or just drag and drop one: Fundraisers with images raise more money, statistically, than those that do not. Pictures make your page visually appealing, but they also allow your potential donors to connect with you and your cause on a more personal level. By starting with a banner photo for your page, your setting yourself up for a beautiful finished product. 

Step 2: Click to give your fundraiser a name: Think of a great name for your fundraiser that relates to either what you’re doing or the cause. Take a few moments to pick a name that sounds like something that would interest you and motivate you to help – “Backyard BBQ,” “Race for a Cure,” “Miles for Myles,” “Send Jessica to Camp,” etc. 

The name doesn’t have to be super original; it just need to connect with your donors in a personalized way.  

Step 3: Add a description explaining your fundraiser: Adding a description for your fundraiser is your chance to elaborate on your title – tell everyone what you’re up to, when it’s happening, why it’s something that requires their attention, and where the money that’s donated is headed. Last but not least, if you’re hosting an event, don’t forget to remind everyone of all the fun you’ll have together. 

Step 4: Set a goal for your fundraiser: Setting a goal is an important part of every fundraiser for 2 reasons: 1) It gives you [and your team] something to strive for and 2) As you start to get closer and closer to your goal, it motivates potential donors to help put you over the top – everyone likes to feel helpful; especially when money being raised is headed to a great cause. 

Step 5: Add a catchy headline telling why to give: A catchy headline is a great place to advertise for your cause. Think about headlines you read on your favorite news websites and write a similar one of your own to encourage potential donors to check out your page and get involved.  

Step 6: Add an encouraging message: Your encouraging messaging could also be referred to as your “call to action.” Lines like “Help us send Jessie to Camp,” “Come run with us,” or “Get Involved” are good examples. Give people one action item you’d like them to take to help you in your fundraising quest. 

Step 7: Add an end date for the fundraiser: When is your fundraiser over? If it’s an event you’re hosting, that’s an easier answer. If it’s a giving campaign, it might be best to set a beginning and an end, as well. Some fundraisers will be open ended, and that’s okay, too. An end date simply gives donors a sense of urgency attached to their potential gift. 

Step 8: Add some gallery images: Have some images that didn’t make the banner cut but were a close 2^nd or 3^rd? Display them in your gallery! Again, the gallery is a great place to connect with potential donors in a visually engaging way. Look to highlight some of the people, programs, and emotions that make your cause so worthy. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email: info@fundraise.com or give us a call at 857.445.4165. Happy Fundraising!

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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 readily available information about advanced medical care and the lack of specialists in local hospitals, he was not diagnosed until nearly a year later (November 2011).  Denis was diagnosed with Apert syndrome.  

If properly treated by surgery and supportive therapy, Denis has a great chance to grow up as a healthy child and lead a normal life.  In America, six out of seven children with the same syndrome lead a normal life and in over 50% of cases, the children have regular IQ levels.  Adding hope to the situation, Elena, Denis’ mother, was told that he has no delays in brain development and his brain functions appropriately for his age.

However, in this race against time and Denis’ physical maturation, the skull bones are rapidly fusing and constricting the growth of his brain.  A side effect the syndrome Denis is experiencing is sleep apnea.  When the doctors told Elena there was nothing they could do to help Denis with his breathing during sleep, she would not accept their answer and designed a breathing tube for Denis to use while  he sleeps to ensure he does not suffocate during the night.  She spends the vast majority of her night by his bedside, checking on his condition.

Denis was scheduled to receive facial distractor surgery in Moscow, a procedure only a few children have survived over years it has been performed.  Elena had lost all hope and the loss of her youngest child seemed imminent.

But, in a stroke of serendipity, a group of volunteers took an interest in Denis’ situation and searched for a safer alternative to the surgery.  In their search, they came across the Ian Jackson Craniofacial & Cleft Palate Clinic at the Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. The state of the art hospital has specialists with years of experience and a proven history of life-saving successful surgeries.

Aside from all the troubles he is battling through, Denis has developed as any other child his name would.  He has learned to walk and say “Mama.”  He likes his toy cars and flips thorough books with curiosity and excitement.

To learn more about how you can help Denis and his fight against Apert syndrome, please visit: Online fundraising for Denis

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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 spoke with Justin from Community Food and Outreach over email to find out more about how they got started and what keeps them going.

How did Community Food and Outreach get its start?  

The organization was founded in the fall of 2009 by Scott George and Austin Hunt. Previously, it was known as the Destiny Foundation until a decision was made to expand cost-share grocery and thrift efforts to include a crisis care in an effort to reach more people in need due to the effects of The Great Recession.

What motivates you in your fundraising efforts? 

Our mission, which is “to provide a hand up for those in need, helping them to break free from poverty by offering hunger relief, crisis care, transformative education, and employment training opportunities” acts as our key motivation when approaching current and potential donors.

What is your favorite part of working with Community Food and Outreach? 

My favorite part is seeing the results on a daily basis of our efforts in the lives of those who are currently struggling to stay afloat.

Who benefits from your fundraising efforts? 

Mostly, its the working poor which make up 49% of the labor force in central Florida as well as the 16% of the labor force that are currently disabled and unable to work. Furthermore, we try to reach children who currently live in poverty, which make up 27% of the population in the Orlando Metro area.

What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers? 

Believe in the mission of the organization. Without that belief, your work is in vain.

Do you have any additional notes or stories about your cause you would like to share? 

Through our efforts, 1800 families per week  receive food and crisis care on our campus. While we do have an emergency food pantry, we require clients to take a crisis care class which focuses on life skills before they receive a second free bag of food and/or clothes. 

To donate to this cause please visit: Online Community Food and Outreach Fundraising

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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 over email to find out more about how they got started and what keeps them going.

1. How did The Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund get its start?

The MSLF was founded in 2004 with a simple goal: to provide educational assistance grants to the children of Massachusetts Servicemembers who were killed while deployed on Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Peter Trovato founded the Fund while he was a student at UMass Amherst. He decided to found it after hearing about a fallen servicemember and the children that servicemember left behind. Pete wanted to give back to them, and so he began collecting donations at UMass Hockey games. Pete was on the team at the time, and decided to lead this as a community outreach program. It grew and grew into what it is today with $4 Million raised.

2. What motivates you in your fundraising efforts?

Our kids. We have 75 children we are going to fund. This number has increased every single year, and likely will keep increasing until all troops are removed from Afghanistan. We’ve been able to already see a number of them off to school. Nothing is better than seeing them get to college and do well in school. It motivates us and our entire donor base.

3. What is your favorite part of working with MSLF?

We work with some really terrific students and some awesome families. My favorite part about working with the MSLF is hearing stories about these kids’ successes and cool things they are doing in their lives. I love hearing about the sports they are involved with, the bands they are in, the good grades they are getting, and the schools they are deciding on going to for college. We also have an unbelievable Board of Trustees. I think we have one of the best Boards in the city of Boston. We have some really successful military veterans. We have some really successful business people. We have a lot of fun working together. 

4. Who benefits from your fundraising efforts?

With its current resources, the MSLF guarantees a minimum of $40,000 ($10,000 per annum) in educational funding to each child of a fallen Servicemember whose “home of record” at the Department of Defense was Massachusetts. There is no selection process. If an individual is a child of a Servicemember whose service is credited to Massachusetts and whom gave his/her life in Operation Enduring or Iraqi Freedom, that child qualifies for MSLF funds. We have 75 children on our list currently. When Peter Trovato first founded the fund in 2004 there were only 19 children on our list. The list keeps growing.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers?

Before raising a single penny, you should put together an unbelievable board of trustees / advisors / mentors. They will speed up the development of the Fund as well as the development as you as a leader of the Fund. Pete realized early on that to make a strong Fund, he would need strong people. And so he assembled a kick-ass Board of Trustees. Start with kick ass people who are passionate about the cause.

Secondly, be really focused in your mission. We wanted to provide financial assistance to children whose parents “home of record” was Massachusetts. We set up strict criteria and then were able to raise money around that cause. It allowed us to focus our fundraising efforts on specific geographic regions, as well as specific donor bases.

6. What goals are you trying to reach by fundraising?

We’re trying to make sure that when people think about giving back to children of Massachusetts Servicemembers, they think of us. That is our goal. Our other goal is to raise more money to help with the rising cost of college education. The price is only increasing each decade, and we plan to keep raising to offset these increases.

To donate to this cause please visit: MSLF Online Fundraising

Check out the MSLF website at www.mslfund.org for more information on the fund! 

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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 Up Narcolepsy over email to hear the personal story that motivates them and how they gained a national presence after only three years.

How did Wake Up Narcolepsy get its start? 

Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) got its start six months after our pre-teen son was diagnosed with narcolepsy.  My husband and I are co-founders.  Throughout the three months it took to get a proper diagnosis of narcolepsy for my son, we learned that narcolepsy is a very misunderstand, severely under-recognized and mis-diagnosed medical disorder.  On average, it takes eight years to diagnose narcolepsy — we knew we needed to do something to help improve the lives of people with narcolepsy.

Who benefits from your fundraising efforts?

Ultimately, people with narcolepsy benefit from WUN’s fundraising efforts.  Also, everyone we come in contact with including medical professionals are learning about narcolepsy, and, hopefully, getting people diagnosed within the first six months of showing symptoms of narcolepsy.  Also, hopefully WUN’s efforts will spark more interest in the pharmaceutical industry for better treatment of narcolepsy.

What goals are you trying to reach by fundraising?  

Fundraising will help Wake Up Narcolepsy  to financially accelerate cutting edge scientific research of narcolepsy.  We support narcolepsy research at narcolepsy research facilities such as Stanford Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers? 

For aspiring fundraisers, I would say if you have an idea that you think would work as a fundraiser, just do it.  Don’t be afraid to ask for support; people will amaze you with their generosity and willingness to help/support your cause.

Do you have any additional notes or stories about your cause you would like to share?  

Wake Up Narcolepsy was founded just a little over three years ago in Massachusetts and we now have a national presence with events in Washington D.C. and Nashville, TN.  We are gaining momentum and hope to continue adding events throughout the country to raise narcolepsy awareness and support research. 

To donate to this cause please visit: Online Narcolepsy Fundraising

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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 specific theme making certain donations more appropriate than others. For example, if the theme of your event is athletic, you might want sports memorabilia or game tickets donated. But even if you have a theme, it’s nice to have some variety in your auction item selection because different people like different things.

Gift certificates to local spas, hair salons, or athletic facilities are usually a hit, as are hotel rooms, luxury or niche activity passes – golfing, rock climbing, sailing - or personalized experiences such as in-home dinners with accomplished chefs or local celebrities. Wine, art, and event tickets are also appropriate at auctions. Think about what’s popular in your area to see, eat, drink, or do and work from there. 

Next draft a letter or personalized email addressed to the correct personnel at each specific business or organization. This correspondence should include a brief but detailed description of your cause, the goals of your fundraiser, the “when, what, and where” of your fundraising event, and what you would like donated. Be sure to close the letter with gratitude; often times a little “thank you” goes a long way.

If possible, have a representative from your organization take the letters to the businesses. This is a good task for volunteers and adds a personal touch to your request. To save time in person, find out in advance the name of the individual best suited to accept such requests and try to find out when they will be available. Also try to pick “down times” that won’t interrupt busy schedules or business productivity to make your visit.  

You may get a donation on the spot, or they may ask you to return for the donation. Don’t get discouraged if they’re busy or deny the donation request, you won’t get one from every business you solicit.

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