Garage sales are a way to make money as an individual, as a neighborhood, or as an organization. It does require a great deal of work and preparation as we have outlined in "Fundraising 101", but it can be fun and profitable. The following advise from Nikki Willhite will add additional points. You must advertise your garage sale if you want people to come. Place ads in the paper, and post your signs in prominent places a few days before the sale. Use balloons to draw people to your home.
Get lots of help. You need other eyes and hands when it gets busy.
Try and get your neighbors to join with you. Multi-family garage sales are better attended.
Display your items as attractively as possible. Take the time to clean, dust and mend if needed. Bring as much as you can to eye level, as people don't like to bend. Keep your items organized and sorted so shoppers can quickly find what they want. If you are selling clothing, string ropes or chain to hang clothes.
Mark all items with the prices clearly visible, as some people don't like to ask. When someone makes you an offer, if you don't like it counter with another offer.
Keep your money close to you. Wear a purse across your body or a fanny pack. Have plenty of change. If you decide to take checks, ask for ID, and look to see how high the check number is. This can be an indication of stability, although some banks now let you choose your own beginning check number when you open a new account.
Do not take large bills that require you giving someone a lot of change. If someone gives you a hundred dollar bill that is not real, and buys one small item, you will give away all your profit. This is a known "garage sale scam."
Be realistic in your pricing. For large items in good condition, a good rule of thumb is to charge half the cost of what if would cost new.
If someone makes you an offer at the beginning of your sale that you are not ready to take, ask for his/her phone #. You can always call them later and accept their offer.
Have fun, make money, and find those bargains!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
FUNDRAISING FUN 101
As you can see, we have been away an extented period of time. Much of that time has been getting our ebook ready for distribution. It is now available and can be ordered by clicking on the book on this blog. We will be reviewing some of the information in the book in future blogs. Welcome and good fundraising.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
8 Places to Fundraise
This articDo you want to fundraise but don't know where to begin? Here are eight everyday places you can go to raise money for your charitable cause, along with tips for how to get started.
Home
Charity begins at home and so, too, can your fundraising ideas. Speak to your family about fundraising ideas, or contact everyone in your address book and ask for donations. You can make a lot of money for charity without having to leave the house.
Work
Charity appeals help to break up an otherwise monotonous workday. Talk to your supervisor (you may also need to get permission from your corporate office first) and organise a fundraising event at work. See if you can get your managers involved too; they'll be able to motivate co-workers too.
School
Schools are always looking for ways to engage students and get them interested in social causes. Speak to your headmaster about fundraising at the school. You can also ask to use school space to hold a charity event like a silent auction or a dance.
Church
Most churches are very cognizant of their parishioners' lives and interests. Speak to your church leader or vicar and ask them to make an announcement about your charity before services conclude. You can even ask that they let you use church space to hold a fundraising meeting or event.
Clubs
Like schools, clubs are used to doing their own fundraising but that's no reason you can't fundraise for your own cause too. Speak to your club supervisor (it might be a team captain or club president) and get their permission to introduce your club to your fundraising cause. Because you're already a close-knit group, chances are they'll be happy to pitch in and help.
Community
Fundraising in your community offers many rich opportunities. Do a door-to-door collection, network with local businesses, or go into a community space (like a recreation centre) and share your cause with people. It's a great way to spread the word and fundraise too.
Street
In most areas, you need a licence to conduct street fundraising, but that's it. The rest is up to you - go up to people, tell them about your cause, sing a song, do a dance; be respectful, but do whatever it takes to get donations and bring positive attention to your charity or group.
Internet
Internet fundraising has become very popular in recent years. Use social media sites like Facebook and fundraising tools like JustGiving to organise an Internet fundraising campaign for your charity. It's easy to make connections and track your donations with Internet fundraising.
le by Sharon Walls outlines places to fundraise.
Home
Charity begins at home and so, too, can your fundraising ideas. Speak to your family about fundraising ideas, or contact everyone in your address book and ask for donations. You can make a lot of money for charity without having to leave the house.
Work
Charity appeals help to break up an otherwise monotonous workday. Talk to your supervisor (you may also need to get permission from your corporate office first) and organise a fundraising event at work. See if you can get your managers involved too; they'll be able to motivate co-workers too.
School
Schools are always looking for ways to engage students and get them interested in social causes. Speak to your headmaster about fundraising at the school. You can also ask to use school space to hold a charity event like a silent auction or a dance.
Church
Most churches are very cognizant of their parishioners' lives and interests. Speak to your church leader or vicar and ask them to make an announcement about your charity before services conclude. You can even ask that they let you use church space to hold a fundraising meeting or event.
Clubs
Like schools, clubs are used to doing their own fundraising but that's no reason you can't fundraise for your own cause too. Speak to your club supervisor (it might be a team captain or club president) and get their permission to introduce your club to your fundraising cause. Because you're already a close-knit group, chances are they'll be happy to pitch in and help.
Community
Fundraising in your community offers many rich opportunities. Do a door-to-door collection, network with local businesses, or go into a community space (like a recreation centre) and share your cause with people. It's a great way to spread the word and fundraise too.
Street
In most areas, you need a licence to conduct street fundraising, but that's it. The rest is up to you - go up to people, tell them about your cause, sing a song, do a dance; be respectful, but do whatever it takes to get donations and bring positive attention to your charity or group.
Internet
Internet fundraising has become very popular in recent years. Use social media sites like Facebook and fundraising tools like JustGiving to organise an Internet fundraising campaign for your charity. It's easy to make connections and track your donations with Internet fundraising.
le by Sharon Walls outlines places to fundraise.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Economic Climate affects Fundraising
Without doubt the recession, or credit crunch, or whatever you're calling it, means that there is less money in society. People have had to make cutbacks to their family budgets. No matter how much they would like to be able to donate more, they are restricted by personal circumstances.
Even those who haven't faced job cuts or salary reductions are saving more, the sudden economic catastrophe having made people less confident about their financial futures.
For those reasons, selecting the right fundraising event for your non-profit organization, community group or school is all the more important. The old idea of 'build it and they will come' no longer applies. Nowadays the means by which you choose to fund raise is vital to the success of that fundraising event.
Unique fundraising ideas stand out from the rest. Where so many groups and organizations need to raise funds, an idea for fundraising that is creative and original will get noticed more easily. It will help to differentiate between your idea and the many other events that are also seeking support from the same beleaguered public.
Merely flicking through last year's fundraising plan and deciding on a re-run this year is unlikely to be good enough for most non-profits. You have to up your game. Choosing a method of fundraising that will create more publicity, that will stand out in potential donors minds, that will create some enthusiasm amongst your supporters will help you to reach your fundraising targets more easily.
Of course, just accepting that you need a unique idea for fundraising isn't enough. You then have to go and create one! On our site we attempt to develop principles that will help all manner of organizations to brainstorm their way to their successful unique fundraising idea.
This article is submitted by P.J. Breen at http://non-profitplace.com
Even those who haven't faced job cuts or salary reductions are saving more, the sudden economic catastrophe having made people less confident about their financial futures.
For those reasons, selecting the right fundraising event for your non-profit organization, community group or school is all the more important. The old idea of 'build it and they will come' no longer applies. Nowadays the means by which you choose to fund raise is vital to the success of that fundraising event.
Unique fundraising ideas stand out from the rest. Where so many groups and organizations need to raise funds, an idea for fundraising that is creative and original will get noticed more easily. It will help to differentiate between your idea and the many other events that are also seeking support from the same beleaguered public.
Merely flicking through last year's fundraising plan and deciding on a re-run this year is unlikely to be good enough for most non-profits. You have to up your game. Choosing a method of fundraising that will create more publicity, that will stand out in potential donors minds, that will create some enthusiasm amongst your supporters will help you to reach your fundraising targets more easily.
Of course, just accepting that you need a unique idea for fundraising isn't enough. You then have to go and create one! On our site we attempt to develop principles that will help all manner of organizations to brainstorm their way to their successful unique fundraising idea.
This article is submitted by P.J. Breen at http://non-profitplace.com
Friday, March 19, 2010
Fundraising Thermometer
When you go to a doctor, what is the very first thing that he actually checks, besides taking your height and weight? That's right, he takes your temperature. And what does he use to take your temperature? A thermometer.
Groups that are raising money have a similar tool in fundraising thermometers. Fundraising thermometers are a very simple tool sthat consist of some sort of chart or poster that is used to measure progress against a goal your group has.
The idea of a fundraiser thermometer is not new. In the past, many groups would simply draw a big thermometer on a piece of poster board and color it in as they tallied their sales.
Nowadays though, as with almost everything else, there is a digital version that makes things much easier. The digital version is tailor made to reflect the goals of your group and can be updated as often as you need it to be, just like the old fashioned version. What makes a digital fundraising thermometer better is that you can add it to your website or even include it in emails so that everyone in your group is sure to see it.
But you may be asking yourself why this is so important. Knowing how you are doing versus your groups goals is one of the most important motivational strategies that a fundraiser group can have. If you are 5 sales short of reaching your goal, aren't you going to strive that much more to sell those 5 items?
For your free fundraising thermometer be sure and visit Go Green Fundraising.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jordan_Gottlieb
Groups that are raising money have a similar tool in fundraising thermometers. Fundraising thermometers are a very simple tool sthat consist of some sort of chart or poster that is used to measure progress against a goal your group has.
The idea of a fundraiser thermometer is not new. In the past, many groups would simply draw a big thermometer on a piece of poster board and color it in as they tallied their sales.
Nowadays though, as with almost everything else, there is a digital version that makes things much easier. The digital version is tailor made to reflect the goals of your group and can be updated as often as you need it to be, just like the old fashioned version. What makes a digital fundraising thermometer better is that you can add it to your website or even include it in emails so that everyone in your group is sure to see it.
But you may be asking yourself why this is so important. Knowing how you are doing versus your groups goals is one of the most important motivational strategies that a fundraiser group can have. If you are 5 sales short of reaching your goal, aren't you going to strive that much more to sell those 5 items?
For your free fundraising thermometer be sure and visit Go Green Fundraising.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jordan_Gottlieb
Monday, March 8, 2010
MISTAKES TO AVOID
We attended a seminar Sat. that included a section on fundraising. One area that we frequently miss when doing our fundraising planning is "what are the areas we need to think about to avoid mistakes". For example, is there adequate parking for the function? If you function requires heavy electrical load, does the facility have adequate electrical supply? Where is the fuse box? Is there a resource person to call if any problem arises in the facility you are using? A large hotel might have support staff around the clock, but a community center might not. Check out all aspects of your function prior to the beginning of the function. We had a problem at one function of setting up the credit card charge machine. It was tied to a mobile phone number, but the mobile phone wouldn't work in the building we were in. Are there public restroom facilities. If it is a large outdoor function, you might have to have portapotties. Do you need extra people to direct traffic - both of vehicles and people?? Basically, think of every step of your function and make sure the support is there to handle everything.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Casio Night
Our Kiwanis club had it's Casino night. This was a first attempt and Trinky & I only had responsibility for the silent auction as part of the fundraising activity. We had gotten about 70 silent auction items plus about 10-15 other items to be used in a raffle and live auction. We had the bid sheets made up and the program which had been printed by another member. The items in the program were listed 1 thru 70. We laid out the tables(all in a row) with the item and its bid sheet. If it was a gift certificate, we had a copy of the gift certificate made up for display. At the end of the evening, the bidding was closed and after recieving payment the items were given to the highest bidder. We made good money on the silent auction and it went very smoothly. We have sent the thank you letters which included a note that we planned the same event for next year and we hoped to have the merchants continued support. Thank you notes are very important. It gives the person the retail value of their donation and to whom the donation was made for tax purposes. Plus it lets them know how much we appreciate their support for our fundraising event.
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