dataIdeal Non-Profit Fund Raising Tips

How do you keep in touch with your network on a regular basis? How do you figure out whom to stay in touch with, and how often to connect with each person?

And how do you keep track of all this without getting overwhelmed?

Before I answer these questions, let me make a very important distinction: 'Networking? is not the same as 'keeping in touch? with people.

Don't confuse the two!

You keep in touch with people for a variety of reasons. And networking may be one such reason.

For instance, you may keep in touch with a co-worker from a past job just because you like his or her company.

And one day, he or she may be able to help with a networking objective you have -- such as, advise you about how to get the attention of the decision-maker within his or her current organization. (This, by the way, is a good example of integrating networking into your normal day.)

On the other hand, if your only reason to keep in touch with someone is for 'networking? purposes, it can get tedious.

After all, what do you talk about, when you get together to "network" week after week? (This is why "networking" often fails.)

To avoid this problem and confusion, first clarify why you want to meet and make sure that both sides see the benefit of getting together. (This is one simple way you can identify the "right" people to stay in touch with.)

Then together you can decide how best to keep in touch (e.g. by phone, email, in-person, or a combination), how often to connect with each other, what to talk about when you do connect, and so on.

After you've made these decisions, you can use software tools to automate many aspects of keeping in touch. This allows you to stay in regular contact -- with the right people at the right frequency -- without getting overwhelmed. For a list of tools I recommend, please visit my website (see below for details).

A great warm-weather fundraising event is a golf fundraiser. Hosting your own golf tournament is actually fairly easy and if done right, you can raise a significant amount of money. Here are some tips for maximizing your results.

Big turnout

Obviously, the bigger the crowd, the better you'll do with your tournament. Promote with quality posters at golf stores, your own offices, and other high-traffic, high-visibility locations. Use your newsletter and email lists as additional ways to get the word out.

Distribute a press release about your golf fundraiser to all your local media outlets. Describe your most noteworthy news angle in the summary paragraph and then get into the who, what, when, where, why, and how aspects.

Greens fee markup

Most golf courses will give you a substantial discount for a large group, particularly if you're scheduled for a weekday when traffic is low. You can charge the regular price and do quite well. Or, you can pocket the discount, markup the regular greens fee by $10, and do even better.

Hole sponsors

Contact local businesses and ask them to sponsor a hole. To attract eighteen sponsors, make it affordable, say $100 or so. Show them a mockup of the signs that will be placed for each sponsor and your event program where you'll list all your sponsors.

Corporate sponsors

For the biggest financial impact, approach large corporations and ask them to sponsor your event. Companies with headquarters or substantial operations in your area are your best bets. Price your corporate sponsorships at a reasonable level, say $1,000 for a smaller golf tournament, and you'll get a good response.

Put together a sponsorship request on your letterhead and be specific as to what's in it for the corporation, i.e. prominent signage at the event, corporate logo golf balls for all golfers, newspaper coverage, golfing slots for top executives, etc.

Ask around within your group to see if anyone has personal contacts at the management level. Managers often have discretionary funds available for reasonable promotional expenditures.

Player sponsors

Just like individuals get sponsors for Relay For Life walks, Multiple Sclerosis bike rides, and other types of event fundraisers, so should your players. Put together a sponsorship form and ask each player to raise at least $100 in pledges along with their greens fees.

Silent auction

Solicit items from local businesses and even offer to pay for some popular items that will attract serious bidding such as golf lessons from the club pro or a set of new irons.

On the day of your golf fundraiser, setup a couple of tables full of donated goods and services. Tape bidding sheets and descriptions of each item to the tables so that golfers can place bids one-handed.

Make sure to get the bidding started on each item and encourage everyone to bid. Do a last call for bids as everyone is gathering for the awards ceremony that wraps up your tournament, then announce the winners, collect the funds, and disperse the merchandise.

Hold a raffle

You can sell raffle tickets for quality prizes in conjunction with your event. They don't even have to be golf related, but it does help to have at least some prizes such as a new golf bag, free round, season pass to top course, etc.

Price your tickets so that you raise at least twice as much as your prizes cost. If your prize costs total $5,000, then sell 1,000 tickets for $10 each. You can make even more if you get prizes donated.

To increase sales, sell tickets to the general public and not just to your group of supporters. You can even set up a sales table at high-traffic locations like shopping centers. obviously, follow all local regulations concerning raffle ticket sales.

Cash bar cart

Load up the back of a golf cart with ice and cold drinks, then drive the course and sell your golfers what they want. Cold beer and sodas are the best sellers, but don't forget to include snack foods like pretzels and chips.

Catered lunch

Work with the club to offer a catered lunch to all your golfers or at least a boxed lunch of sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Depending on what you're offering, markup your costs by $2 to $4 per person and you'll do well. overcharging will actually cut into your total profits.

Summary

If done correctly, a golf tournament can raise a substantial amount of money. Leverage all these fundraising tips and you'll have a record-breaking golf fundraiser!

?'Everything Counts In Large Amounts.? Depeche Mode

I am on the Board of Directors of Search Engine Marketing Professionals of Portland (SEMpdx). One of the stated aims of our organization is that board members are to use our collective internet marketing abilities and talents to support local non-profits. Recently, one such non-profit approached us and asked for our help to create an effective PPC campaign that would make the highest and best use of their Google Grant money. I gladly stepped forward and offered my assistance. When I looked closer at their situation, I discerned that under the terms of their Google Grant, Google funded their AdWords account so that they could receive up to $10,000 worth of complimentary clicks for each month the grant remains in effect.

Just in case you missed that, let me repeat myself: This organization was granted up to $10,000 worth of complimentary clicks each month the grant remains in effect.

Wow! What an amazing gift.

Not knowing anything about the program, I delved into its details (listed fully at http://www.google.com/grants/details.html):

Who can qualify for a Google Grant?

U.S. Organizations that have 501(c)(3) statuses are eligible for a Google Grant. Non-profits in 12 other countries are also eligible. Organizations that have a religious or political focus, or organizations lacking a website won't be considered. To apply for a grant, the organization must submit this application (http://services.google.com/googlegrants/application). An organization might have to wait up to six months before finding out whether they receive the grant. Grants are made for a minimum of three months? they can run longer at the discretion of Google, but the length of the grant isn't stated at the time of approval.

What restrictions are placed on a Google Grant?

Maximum $1 bid per click.

Organizations can't have AdSense accounts.

Google requires notification if 'revenue generating ads? are on the website that has received the Google Grant. Such ads aren't explicitly banned in the program policies, but I wouldn´t recommend risking your Google Grant with banners.

For ads promoting products and services, 100% of the proceeds generated must support the organizational programs.

Organizations that wish to get up to $40,000 worth of clicks each month will be invoiced for 5% of the spend between $10,000 and $40,000.

A Google AdWords specialist had attempted to set up some campaigns for the organization I started working with, but the quality of the effort left much to be desired. Nobody at the non-profit had any clue how to use AdWords effectively, so without expert help, the organization would receive little beneficial impact from the grant. I suspect many Google Grant recipients are floundering because they don't have a clue how to generate measurable results from their campaigns. A Google Grant poorly managed would be akin to placing a Fender Stratocaster in the hands of a beginning guitar student'the potential far exceeds the end result. This would be a shame because the gift used wisely can provide awesome social good.

PPC Campaign Management for Charity

If you are an AdWords whiz, I encourage you to assist a non-profit in the application & management of their Google Grant. A $10,000 per month Google Grant in the hands of an expert PPC manager can provide tremendous visibility & opportunity for that organization to further its mission in the communities they serve. If you encounter a non-profit that has already received a Google Grant and is struggling with its management, I encourage you to help them out.