For 2008, fundraising calendars are easier to create than ever.  Simply choose digital pictures of your team or group and submit them to your calendar supplier.

Calendar fundraisers are fun!

Things to consider when doing a calendar fund raiser:

• How many could you sell?
• Price ranges
• Profit margins
• Do you want custom or general?

Sales tips
Some suppliers don’t have minumum purchase requirements so if you have a smaller group, look to those companies.

Pricing
Pricing can vary wildly depending on how colorful or creative you want to be.  Typical cost for a calendar for fundraising is about $4-$5. 

Profits
Calendars sell well at around $10 to $12 for a high quality product.  Anytime you can get 50% to 60% profit on a fundraising product, you’ve done very well.

Selection
Think about what your potential customers will want in a calendar.  If you are selling to only your group, a custom calendar is the way to go because everyone likes to see pictures of themselves!  If you are selling to the general public, a calendar with popular scenes is the right choice.

Additional information
We have hundreds of fundraising advice articles on the best ways to raise funds.  Read this article for specific sales tips and this one for including a raffle with your calendar fundraiser.

One supplier we recommend is Falling Leaf Publishing because they have high quality calendars, there are no up front costs, and no minumum purchase is required.

Fundraiser Help advice on doing 2008 fundraising calendars.

The scandal erupted when the University of Florida’s new “Gateway of Champions” fundraising campaign offered Gator boosters unprecedented opportunities to both support and enjoy the school’s powerhouse football program. For a mere $5 million dollars, you can join the team for breakfast and ride the bus with them to a game.

Even worse, the Florida Gator’s fundraising scandal has caught up returning star quarterback Tim Teboe in it’s nefarious web. Boosters were asked to cough up $25,000 for the so-called “Very Nice Gator Experience” which included a chance at a Gator souvenir that all true Gator fans covet, a choice sampling of Tim Teboe’s toenail clippings.

Other’s caught up in the scandal investigation at the University of Florida include Coach Urban Meyer’s next door neighbor, who not only charges $10,000 to allow visitors to sit on his deck and gawk at the coach’s family, but also offers brown bags stuffed with choice morsels from Urban Meyer’s dog’s droppings.

With millions of dollars flowing in, the cash transactions triggered a federal investigation that cleared the money as not being counterfeit, but no one knows how to stop the cash flow itself. Currently, students are being paid to launder the cash in residential dorm laundry facilities before returning the scandal funds to Florida Gator fundraisers.

Click here for latest breaking news and further details on the latest in the Florida Gators fundraising scandal.

Over the years, I’ve come across quite a few good ideas for unique fundraisers. You can find a lot of them being discussed in our forum and learn how to raise maximum funds with any of our fundraising event ideas.

Here’s a short list of unique fundraiser ideas:

Hopefully, these ideas will get your creative juices flowing so you can come up with your own unique fundraising idea!

For more tips on raising funds for your group, visit Fundraiser Help today!

It got me wondering just how big a negative effect these scams have on regular fundraisers by giving all fundraising appeals a black eye.

Next time you mail a donation request letter, better include proof of your nonprofit credentials on the envelope. Otherwise, you’ll make it no further than the wastebasket!

Apparently, the Post’s fashion writer, Robin Givhan, noted that Clinton wore a black top with a low neckline during an appearance on the Senate floor. And of course, that turned into a brouhaha about the objectification of women and America’s cultural fascination with breasts.

Frankly, I don’t give a fig about Hillary’s cleavage, but you have to admire the fund raising savvy of her campaign adviser, Ann Lewis, who is urging potential donors to “take a stand against this kind of coarseness and pettiness in American culture.”

Why? Because controversy stirs emotions and gets people to take action to support their beliefs. And that’s what campaign fundraisers are paid to do - stir things up and get people donating to their candidate.

I don’t know if Hillary’s cleavage will become a hot button issue in this campaign, but we all know it’s an issue that appeals to women and women are a big part of the turnout in primary elections.

Look for Hillary to ride the cleavage coattails as far as she can.

Read more fundraising ideas.

Hillary Clinton will be dragging hubby Bill on a blowout fund-raising tour of the Hamptons next weekend that could add $1 million to her presidential war chest.

Revlon mogul Ron Perelman will be hosting a Saturday-evening cocktail party where, for $1,000, guests can meet the dynamic duo and gawk at the tycoon’s luxury home and celebrity pals. For $4,600, the maximum contribution allowed under federal rules, guests can attend a dinner with the pair.

Democratic consultant Morris Reid will host a Friday-night barbecue, hoping to attract a younger, hipper crowd. A cool $250 secures admission, and $1,000 buys entrance to a special VIP function and a souvenir photo with the Clintons.

For $5,000, you can join the “host committee,” says Reid, “and get as much face and photo time with them as you want.”

Rudy Giuliani is also raising money in the Hamptons, co-chairing a Southampton hospital gala Saturday.

“You can be sure he will be inviting guests back for a hot dog and barbecue,” said Hamptons magazine editor R. Couri Hay.

Manchester Republicans said they wanted something different from the usual chicken dinner for its fundraiser next month. Then, committee chairman Jerry Thibodeau, a hunter and skeet shooter, came up with the idea: “The thought just struck me one day: a machine gun shoot. What the heck?”

The event is planned for next month at the Pelham Fish and Game Club. Those who attend will get the chance to shoot Uzis, M-16 rifles and other automatic weapons. The club will have 20 safety officers on hand to load the guns and monitor shooters, said club chairman Bob Shaunessy.

Thibodeau said he thinks the fundraiser will be a fun social event that also will emphasize the party’s support for Second Amendment rights. Thibodeau said he fired a machine gun for the first time at 18 with his father, a World War II veteran.

“It’s a way of expressing yourself, I guess,” he said. “We all have a little testosterone in us, right?”

Many of those signing up are women.

“It’s very different,” said Kelly Hurst, the Manchester GOP’s executive director. Hurst said she carries a pistol for personal protection, but the chance to shoot a machine gun is very different.

“I don’t know when anyone else, man or woman, may get an opportunity to do this,” she said.

Manchester Democrats said they are upset by the Republicans’ shooting event.

Chris Pappas, chairman of the Manchester Democratic Committee, said it’s inappropriate to hold a fundraiser involving guns when violent crime is on the rise in the city.

He said the event is “not just in poor taste; it is downright offensive.”

Click here for more fundraiser ideas.

A now-famous pair of pants was the star attraction at a fundraiser Tuesday meant to help pay the bills of a dry-cleaner couple caught in a legal stitch.

The $54 million pants, as they’ve come to be known, were the subject of a widely mocked lawsuit that garnered international attention. Now, they have their own security guard.

Groups advocating stricter guidelines for filing lawsuits and supporters of Jin Nam Chung and Soo Chung, the owners of Custom Cleaners, came from across the country to attend the cocktail fundraiser.

On display were what the Chungs say are the pants that Roy Pearson brought in, were misplaced, and were later found. The guests had appetizers and cocktails, and under the stern gaze of the security guard, some posed for photos with the pants.

The Chungs successfully defended themselves from the $54 million suit, which originally demanded $67 million, but they now owe about $100,000 in legal costs.

The American Tort Reform Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform put on the fundraiser in hopes of defraying the Chungs’ costs. The fundraiser netted more than $64,000, with more pledges still coming in, organizers said.

“Without your support, the Chungs could very well have gone bankrupt,” defense attorney Chris Manning told the crowd of about 150.

The Chungs also made a rare appearance to thank their guests.

The organizers said they also wanted to raise visibility for their mission to change tort law in the face of lawsuits that unfairly target small businesses.

“Our motto is the spirit of free enterprise,” said Lisa Rickard, president of the Institute for Legal Reform. “The Chungs epitomize that in our perspective. They’ve really been living the American dream, and that all came to a halt with the filing of this lawsuit.”

“It’s our hope to help them do a course correction and get back on track,” Rickard said.

Manning said that if the court grants the Chungs’ motion for Pearson to pay their legal fees, proceeds from the fundraiser that exceed the family’s costs would be donated to charity.

Andrea Newell, community resource co-ordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society, said the fundraiser in aid of the society’s western Newfoundland chapter came to them.

She said Transcontinental made the suggestion and the partnership grew from there. She said it was an offer the society could not refuse.

“We worked with the team at Transcontinental and the cook to develop the cookbook. Once they were published and put together, Transcontinental gave us 5,000 copies to sell with 100 per cent of the profit for the Canadian Cancer Society,” said Newell.

“That’s quite a gift. It’s a wonderful gift to have and we’re hoping to make the most of it that’s for sure.”

Newell said the cookbook is more than a fundraising project. The book contains the inspirational stories of cancer survivors, along with some of their tastiest dishes. She said the stories are her favourite part of the project.

“The stories are important because they led to the book and they give it some character,” she said. “It’s nice that there are stories from all areas of our region on the west coast. We have people from St. Anthony to Port aux Basques featured in the cook book and I think that’s something we need to push a little bit.

“I think people see cookbooks and fundraising things and they don’t realize there is a local twist to this, so I think that’s something we need to promote a little more heavily. There’s someone in this cook book that you know, you should pick up a copy.”

Shawn Woodford, publisher of The Western Star and Transcontinental’s western Newfoundland and Labrador weekly papers, said it was a pleasure to be involved with a project like this that has a chance to make $50,000 for the society.

He said the idea for the book originated in Port aux Basques with Natalie Musseau, reporter at the Gulf News. She was chair of the local Relay for Life and wanted to do a project to help out. The company had already done cookbook projects with Come Home Years in Stephenville and Codroy Valley, so it seemed a natural idea.

Woodford said Melissa Cormier, a noted local chef, came aboard and the project started to grow.

“We started talking about it and met with Melissa late last year about maybe doing a cookbook for the Port aux Basques area,” said Woodford. “Then we talked to the Canadian Cancer Society and it expanded larger and larger to encompass the five sites on the west coast - St. Anthony, Deer Lake, Corner Brook, Stephenville and Port aux Basques.”

He said the cookbook, if it’s successful, could become an annual item.

“We wanted it to be more than just a cookbook, we wanted it to be something that would be a keepsake as well,” he said. “That’s why we decided to do profiles of people that had lived through the illness.

“We profiled two from each of those five regions that had Relays for Life and it went over very well.”

Click here for more Relay For Life fundraiser ideas.

Tupperware fundraisers are usually done as standard catalog order-takers. Simply order the quantity of fundraising kits you need, then send the materials and instructions home with the students. Each student packet contains a colorful 31-page catalog, order forms, collection envelope, and information on sales incentive prizes.

Collect the orders and advance payments after a two-week sales period, set aside your profits, and send in the order forms with payment. Customer shipments arrive in approximately two to three weeks, pre-sorted for easy distribution.

Profit margins are 40% and individual items range from $5 to $25. Grouped together by theme and also by convenient price points, Tupperware items practically sell themselves.

Individual orders run higher than with most other school fundraisers and that means higher net profits for your group. Many schools average a net profit of $40 to $50 per student. There aren’t many other ways to produce those kind of numbers this easily.

Tupperware Fundraising Events
Some schools do Tupperware fundraising as part of an event such as a spring carnival or spaghetti dinner. A large display of the various containers and food preparation tools is set up. A Tupperware consultant demonstrates the products, passes out food samples, and answers questions.

With over 100 items and prices starting at just $5, Tupperware products are very popular. Each one comes with a lifetime warranty, unusual these days in our throwaway society. In fact, the durability and quality of their products is a major selling point.

Order forms are placed nearby so that sales can be completed on the spot. Shipping is free, so schools can arrange to have their entire shipment sent to the school for distribution or they can charge a small extra shipping fee for people who want their orders drop shipped separately.

Both approaches to Tupperware fundraising work well for all group sizes, small to large. Take a break from selling food products and switch to quality household products for a change of pace.

Click here for more fundraising ideas

Start early
As previously discussed, to get enough volunteers you need to start early. The best way to do that is by pre-recruiting them. In other words, go through last year’s files and select the members that you think will be the most helpful.

Have each of them make a list of three to five potential volunteers and then instruct them to invite each potential helper to the first meeting.

Create an easy sign-up checklist
Next, use your written job descriptions to create a checklist form that has clearly defined positions and time requirements. At your first meeting, circulate a signup sheet where volunteers can place their name and number next to the description of a suitable position.

There is never a better moment to recruit than at the first meeting!

Click here to read more on recruiting volunteers.

I also included a bit of a forum thread I started this morning asking you what type of fundraising advice you wanted.

It might sound funny, but after six years and over a thousand articles covering just about every aspect of fundraising, it dawned on me that I should ask you what you’d like to know.

Add your advice requests here:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1558

If you want to avoid that pain and turn a tidy profit off niches with little or no competition and high demand, check out this video demo of a new eBay auction niche finder.

It’s ten minutes, but time well spent because the guy shows you exactly how this killer eBay app is actually a license to print money.

A Yale University student was in critical condition in a Kansas hospital Tuesday after he was hit by a car during a cross-country Habitat for Humanity Bicycle Challenge fund-raiser.

Dan Lewis of Denver, Colo., was hit by a car Saturday in Lincoln County, Kan., while riding his bicycle for the 4,000-mile fundraiser.

The accident occurred on eastbound Kansas Highway 18 at 1: 40 p.m. Saturday. Lewis, 20, was taken by a helicopter to St. Frances Hospital in Wichita, where he currently remains in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“He seems to be stabilizing, but he’s still in critical condition,” said his father, Hal Lewis, speaking by telephone from the hospital Tuesday. He said the family plans to transfer Dan Lewis to a rehab hospital in Denver in three to four weeks.

Lewis, who was hearing a helmet and safety gear, was riding with his Habitat group when his bicycle crossed in front of the car, which hit him on the left side, authorities in Kansas said on a Highway Patrol Web site. The group rides in small groups according to the safety procedures to try to prevent accidents from happening.

The driver, Jessica White, 16, also was taken to the hospital but was later released, authorities said. A passenger in the vehicle was not hurt.

The Habitat Bicycle Challenge, which left in early June, has three teams with four leaders each. Each group rides to a different location: Seattle, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco. Lewis’ group was headed toward San Francisco.

The event is held every summer to raise money to help people obtain affordable housing.

“He was very close with the other riders and he was an important member of their team,” Hal Lewis said of his son. “I think he really enjoyed the biking from coast to coast.”

The riders have resumed their trip, but four riders stayed at the hospital for a day-and-a-half to show Dan moral support.

“We are grateful about their support and friendship,” Hal Lewis said. “We’re glad to stay in touch with them as Dan recovers.”

Bike Ride Deaths

Other accidents have occurred since the start of Habitat Bicycle Challenge in the early 90s.

Yale senior Rachel Speight, 21, of Houston, died two years ago when a car in Western Kentucky struck her after she collided with another biker and spun off into the road, according to Habitat of Humanity Development Officer Moira Cotlier.

Also, Yale sophomore Alexander Capelluto, 20, of New York City, died last year as he practiced for a then-upcoming Habitat for Humanity annual cross-country cycling trek, when his bike collided with a 10-wheel truck at Route 34 and Forest Road in West Haven.

I like the video because you don’t have to read a whole bunch of dross, you just watch and listen to some quality tips. The guy covers four or five good methods and another one that I highly recommend implementing.

Here’s the link:

How To Make Money Blogging

Whether it’s called an appeal letter, an annual letter, a membership letter or a desperate cry for help, almost all organizations have to send solicitation letters.

What is an appeal letter?
Like the Supreme Court said about pornography, a good appeal letter is hard to define but you certainly know it when you see it. An appeal letter is not a business letter or an essay. It must communicate your mission and compel the reader to invest in that mission with a check.

And it has to accomplish all that in about 500 words. The average reader will only spend two seconds reading an appeal letter before deciding where to file it: on the desk or in the trash.

Writing a compelling and successful appeal letter is an art — but lots of organizations still seem to be writing in crayon. Here are some suggestions that can move your masterpiece from the refrigerator door to the gallery wall.

Letter Writing Tips

Segment your list and write to the segment
Current members, large donors, prospects, one-time visitors, students, museum professionals — these are all different segments and need different approaches in the appeal letter. Divide up your list and write letters that will be compelling to each type of donor or prospect.

Click here to read the rest of the article on appeal letter tips.

Here’s how to get the most out of your fundraising letter:

Rule 1 - Use “I” and “you” (but mostly “you”).
In fact, “you” should be the word you use most frequently in your fundraising letters. Your appeal is a letter from one individual to another individual. You aren’t writing a press release, a position paper or a brochure.

Rudolf Flesch’s studies on readability supply the fundamental reason the words “you” and “I” are important: they provide “human interest.” Stories, anecdotes and common names (and capitalized words in general) have some of the same effect — but the most powerful way to engage the reader is by appealing directly to him or her: use the word “you.”

For example, in one fundraising letter, see how the author uses these powerful personal pronouns to establish intimacy:

You are a dream catcher.

I peeked in on some of the younger kids who were already asleep.

You protect our children from nightmares. You save them from poverty, illiteracy and despair.

I hope you’ll keep this card to bring good dreams to yourself and your family.

A singular salutation should be used even if the letter is addressed to a married couple. (Only one person at a time reads a letter!) Abolish the plural “you” from your vocabulary (as in “Dear Friends,” for example).

Try to avoid the royal “we,” too; it smacks of condescension and will detract from the personal character of your appeal.

Use a singular salutation
Use of the singular will require that you stick to a single letter signer. You’ll cause yourself two problems by using more than one singer:

(a) You won’t be able to enliven your letter with the personal details and emotional asides that might come naturally in a letter from one person to another.

(b) With multiple signers, you’ll sacrifice “suspension of disbelief,” to wit: your reader’s willingness to accept that your letter is actually a personal, one-to-one appeal.

Think about it. How am I to believe that two or three busy people who don’t live together or work in the same office have collaborated in writing a fundraising letter to me?

Which one of them typed the letter? (Or was it really someone else?) Did they both actually sign it? These are not questions you want your readers to be asking!

When to break Rule Number 1:
You may write a letter in the first-person plural if - but only if - there’s a very special reason to do so. For example, if the letter is to be signed by a married couple or your organization’s two venerable co-founders or a famous Republican and a famous Democrat.

Even in such exceptional cases, however, I advise you to craft the letter as though it were written by only one of the two signers, in much the same manner as one of those annual family letters that arrive by the bushel every December. Something like this:
Howard and I had a terrific time at the yak farm, but the same can’t be said for the yaks. (Yep, you guessed it: the kids were up to their old tricks!)

Rule 2 - Appeal on the basis of benefits, not needs.
Donors give money because they get something in return (if only good feelings). To tap their generosity, describe what they’ll receive in return for their money - such benefits as better government or attention to important issues or larger causes served. (Remember: most donors read your letters in the privacy of their own homes. They don’t have to admit their own mixed motives to anyone - not eve themselves.)

When to break Rule Number 2:
If you’re sending a genuine emergency appeal, you’ be a fool not to write about your campaign needs - and graphically so! But if it isn’t a real emergency - and you’re really in trouble if you habitually cry wolf - then write about benefits, not needs. In the long run, you’ll raise a lot more money that way.

Rule 3 - Ask for money, not for “support.”
Almost always, the purpose of a fundraising letter is to ask for financial help Be sure you do so - clearly, explicitly and repeatedly. The “Ask” (pardon my jargon) shouldn’t be an afterthought, tacked onto the end of a letter: it’s you reason for writing.

Repeat the “Ask” several times in the body of the letter as well as on the reply device. It may even be appropriate to lead your letter with the Ask.

The Ask should appear at least twice in the letter and twice again on the reply device. The request for funds should be clear and explicit.

When to break Rule Number 3:
Many direct mail packages are structured not as appeals for funds but as invitations to join a membership organization. Others feature surveys or other donor involvement devices. In these cases, de-emphasize the financial commitment, and highlight membership benefits - or stress the impact of completing the survey or mailing the postcards you’ve enclosed.

Click here to read the rest of the eight rules for fundraising letters.

Home Party
The traditional way to raise money is by hosting a Tupperware party in your home. You invite friends and neighbors to an informal gathering at your home where the most popular kitchen products are on display. The company consultant provides tasty food samples and demonstrates the product line for you.

Tupperware Product Line
Products include the collapsible Flat Out storage containers, heat and serve containers, Stuffables (which have expandable lids for odd-shaped foods), and kid-themed items like the SpongeBob SquarePants collection. Prices range from $5 to $25, depending on the size, style, and number of pieces in a set. The catalog also groups items by price range which makes selections even easier.

Online Party
Now you can also have an online page on Tupperware’s site that allows friends and family to browse the entire product line, make selections, and order their products online. Their products are drop-shipped directly to their homes and you get a check. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Ordering
Each fundraising catalog has an order brochure in the back. Simply fill in which items each guest wants and collect the money up front. Submit your orders through your Tupperware consultant and you’re all set. Products arrive in roughly four weeks time.

Profit Margin
Your group gets to keep 40% of the total revenue, exclusive of taxes and shipping charges. Orders totaling $400 or more receive free shipping. For a small extra charge, orders can be shipped directly to each customer.

Group Fundraising
Many schools and other groups are doing Tupperware fundraising now. The concept is similar to that of the home party, except think bigger. These fundraising events are often hosted in the gymnasium or multi-purpose room where large groups of people can see the product demonstrations.

A Tupperware fundraiser is a great way to raise money. They’re lots of fun and incredibly easy to do. Start planning yours today.

Click here for more fundraising ideas.

Get organized
Divide the main tasks and focus on three areas: design, product, and marketing.

Design your raffle around a desirable car or SUV as the main prize. Include a cash equivalent option for people who don’t want the vehicle. Offer several smaller cash prizes to increase interest.

Product should be highly desirable with a considerable status quotient. Think dream car, not transportation. The other part of the product equation is a clear statement of specific benefits the funds raised by the raffle will produce.

Marketing is key to your success. Your press release should sell the human interest story behind the raffle, not focus on just the prize. What’s the money raised going to do? Sales flyers should include a color picture of the car and bullet points of features and secondary prizes.

Select a desirable car
You want to offer a vehicle that’s highly desirable such as a Lexus or Mercedes. Raffling off a cheap car is actually more difficult then doing one with a luxury model. Why? Because people dream about owning one, so you’re selling a piece of the dream.

Partner with car dealer
Approach the manager of a local car dealer with a win/win offer. You get a good deal on the vehicle, say 25% off list. They get free publicity while still turning a small profit after all the dealer sales incentives are factored in.

Click here to read the rest of the article on doing a car raffle.

Product Selection
In youth sports fundraising, it’s so important to select the right products to sell. The right product is one that has mass appeal, an above average price point, and good profit margins.

Product Price Point
Product offerings should be at an attractive price point. This means it should be neither high nor low, but right in the comfort zone that encourages people to open their wallets. Produce bigger numbers by offering product bundles.

Product Profitability
It’s important that your fundraising product has a high profit margin. Many standard items have a profit margin of 50%. Ideally, try to make 80% with products like discount cards for two-for-one fast food deals.

Sales Script
Don’t send your sellers out unprepared. Part of youth sports is teaching. Helping kids with their sales skills goes a long way toward building self confidence.

Here’s what to tell them:

1 - Make eye contact, smile and introduce yourself.
2 - Say one sentence about why you are raising funds.
3 - Say second sentence that asks for their help.
4 - Make sure that sentence includes the word “because”.
5 - Extend sample item, catalog, or order sheet.
6 - Suggest a personal favorite item or bundle.
7 - Always ask for the order.

Increase Prospects
Once your kids know what to say, they have to have prospects for their sales pitch. Have everyone make a list of their potential customers. Have each seller stand up in front of their teammates and state how many prospects they have. Then have them make a commitment to raising a certain financial amount. Set sales quotas. Encourage competition by offering prizes for top sellers.

Location Sales
Boost your youth sports fundraising by going where the prospects are. Reach incredible numbers of people by setting up fundraiser sales tables at entrances to high-traffic retail locations. Grocery stores, home improvement stores, and mass merchandisers have hundreds of prospects available. Get permission in advance from the store manager.

Have Fun
Always make raising funds fun for the kids. Their emotions are subconsciously communicated to each potential prospect. Tell them to smile, state your team’s need, then ask directly for help. That will create a favorable response.

If they’re looking down and mumbling, people will pass on the offer. Get kids involved by having some competition, include fun activities in the process, and have some rewards waiting for success.

Follow these seven tips and your team’s fundraising effort will be a big success.

Click here for more fundraiser ideas.