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  • What is Fundraising?

    What is Fundraising?

    Fundraising is common in our society, but there can never be enough. It can include school events to multi-million dollar corporations advocating for causes such as poverty and homelessness. Although it often goes unnoticed, fundraising has many benefits to both the fundraisers and the beneficiaries. The act of giving, and the accomplishment of a desired goal play important roles in youth development; fundraising develops many skills, and enhances your sense of responsibility and awareness.[1]

    The main goal of a fundraiser is to generate profit in order to support certain events and causes. Fundraisers in schools can be for purchasing sporting equipment, hosting monthly book fairs, pizza parties, clubs and more. Sometimes they can be created in order to raise money for organizations like Kids Help Phone or the Terry Fox Foundation. All of these events produce positive results such as initiating social activities for the children and overall, creating a more amicable environment for the students, giving all an equal chance.[2]

    There are different ways to fundraise. Many schools host bake sales and barbeques. Parents and students bake goods and sell them to the public; the proceeds from the bake sale can go to various causes such as sports equipment and field trips for the school. Concerts are also very popular and can be hosted by schools, corporations or local businesses. This is a great way to give exposure to up and coming musicians as well as raising money for a good cause. Fundraising helps promote synergy as individuals will be working hand in hand to support a common goal.

    Strathona Composite High school, in Alberta set a world record by raising more than $360,000; more than any high school has raised in the country. They have coordinated fundraising events from HIV awareness to educating the public on water sanitation. The school has a leadership program that supports students’ academic growth.  Program coordinator Tom Younge believes the program will expose students to real life problems like stress and emotional management as well as time management, helping develop members of the program to reliable and responsible students.[3]

    Fundraising comes with a lot of valuable real life tasks. The strategic planning of the fundraiser and the management of the staff and individuals involved, pose a challenge to fundraisers, but there are great rewards in the end. Fundraising is a great way to meet people with common interests and passions- go out and raise some money!

    References:

    [1] http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/why-fundraising-is-important/

    2 http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/ideas/

    3 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/how-to-break-a-high-school-fundraising-record/article24642767/

     

  • Want to Give? How to Choose the Right Charity

    Want to Give? How to Choose the Right Charity

    There are so many charities in Canada, it is hard to choose which one to give your hard-earned dollar to. Perhaps you want to organize a fundraiser, but you want to know what charity is a “good” charity (as in, they won’t take your money and run!). Using a resource like canadahelps.org, you can locate charities that are not only in line with your values but that are legitimate and transparent.

    Here are some other tips that can help you to narrow down your search:

    Google them
    It’s amazing how much information is on the web. And it’s equally amazing how good Google is at helping you find that information. Search on the name of the nonprofit and/or the nonprofit’s leaders. You’ll see pretty quickly if you should be skeptical of their mission or proud of it.

    Try to forget the horror stories you’ve heard
    Most of us can name a charity that’s been in the news for having an executive embezzle money. But one bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch. The very fact that it makes a big story shows that the occurrence is quite rare. The overwhelming number of charities are run by good, well-meaning people. So learn from the bad stories but don’t get paranoid and weird about the charity you want to support.

    Do a gut check
    Sometimes we can just sense that something’s off even after you’ve done all the homework. Listen to that nudge. If you can’t make it go away, it may be wise for you to look for another charity.

    Talk to your friends
    This probably should be first. But your friends may have heard of the charity or know people you can check with. And in our social media saturated world, you can cast a much wider net with your questions.

    You’ll also need to decide what kind of giver you want to be. Do you want to give a little bit to a lot of charities? Or do you want to focus on 2 or 3 so you can have a larger impact? Do you want to give to start up charities or well established ones? Do you prefer giving in your country or internationally? Should your faith community get the majority of your generosity?

    It’s totally up to you. It’s your money. You get to decide how you give.

    Don’t be afraid to change your mind. You don’t have to keep giving to a charity year after year. If a charity doesn’t treat you right, it’s ok to move on. That’s why initially giving to a broad range of charities can help. You can quickly learn about how they treat donations and donors. How they treat you can tell you a lot about what they value.

    Whatever you do, please give. Charities have a lot of room for improvement, but they are still more efficient with their money than the government. And giving can be an incredibly rewarding addition to your life.

    With files from Marc A. Pitman, FundraisingCoach.com