In fundraising the best standard to follow to nurture supporters is to contact the individual seven times a year without asking for money.  The most important aspect to keep supporters, expand the supporter base, grow donors and volunteers and have a successful fundraising campaign is being consistent; gather as much information about the potential supporter and recording it. Listed below are many suggestions for opportunities to communicate. Pick seven or come up with your own.

·    January 1 New Year’s Day
·    Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday of January)
·    February 14 Valentine’s Day
·    February 18 Presidents Day (3rd Monday of February)
·    April 21 Patriot’s Day (3rd Monday of April)
·    May 11 Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday of May)
·    May 26 Memorial Day (last Monday of May)
·    June 14 Flag Day
·    June 15 Father’s Day (3rd Sunday of June)
·    July 4 Independence Day
·    September 1 Labor Day (first Monday of September)
·    September 2 First day of Ramadan (Islamic, movable based on Lunar calendar)
·    September 11 Patriots Day
·    September 30 - October 1 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish; movable, based on Jewish calendar)
·    October 9 Yom Kippur (Jewish, movable, 9 days after first day of Rosh Hashanah)
·    October 13 Columbus Day (2nd Monday of October)
·    October 14 First day of Sukkot (Jewish; movable, 14 days after Rosh Hashanah)
·    October 20 Last Day of Sukkoth (Jewish)
·    October 31 Halloween
·    November 11 Veterans Day
·    November 27 Thanksgiving (4th Thursday of November)
·    December 22 First day of Hanukkah (Jewish; movable, based on Jewish calendar)
·    December 25 Christmas (Christian)
·    December 26 First day of Kwanzaa
·    December 31 New Year’s Eve
·    Newsletter
·    Donors/Volunteers/Friends Birthday

8th Contact used to ask for financial support:
·    Annual fundraising event
·    Annual campaign

There has been lots of talk during 2008 of a movement towards people being more socially responsible. However, is it more talk then action when view among the whole population. Part of the lack of social responsibility is the ease to which a person can participate. The ways that the media controls what information reaches a person places smaller organizations at a disadvantage.  The media market is about who  pays more.  The same happens with Google searches.  By nature most people want convenience, this includes obtaining information.  Nonprofits should take the initiative to send their message to their community on how people can easily participate. Do not leave it to the Ad Hoc Media to brand your message or get the word out.  Giving back does not have to only be in money. Let people see how they can participate. Let people hear how they can participate. State how a persons participation will create a difference.

Ignoring ones community only creates opportunities for negative results. Remember the media loves to report the bad and rarely the good. Generation Next is reaching out looking for a means to be socially responsiblity but needs motivation. The presidential race has provided many with an outlet. The media has been flirting with whether it is a fad or long term.  It is time for nonprofits to formalize their outreach to youth and young adults. Banks invest in reaching these individuals because the statistics show they are more likely to be with them for life and buy more products later. Colleges constantly reach out to their Alumni and the results show why. A nonprofit needs to invest in building their future donors and keeping those whom have been associated with the nonprofit in the past a part of the organization.

Remember this phrase:  “Out of sight, out of mind”

During the academic year there are many college students of various qualification whom will work pro bono for nonprofits.  For the summer interns will be looking for a paid internship.  The use of a year round internship program within your nonprofit organization is a great opportunity to find candidates and test them before placing them into permanent positions.  The cost to your nonprofit is low for this type of employee.  It is just $10-$13 an hour and no benefits.

Nonprofits or any organization looking for individuals whom have lots of energy, are willing to learn and willing to receive feedback should use interns.

If your nonprofit organization has staff who know how to multi task and train people, take advantage of the intern workforce.

How does your brand effect your nonprofits’s ability to reach Donors? What level of trust has your organization created for the donor? How well known is your brand in the community you serve? When branding include the logo and motto of your organization.

Do you want to changed the business environment of your organization? Try the outline below.

1. List Your Barriers and Challenges

2. Evolution of the Non-Profit Business Environment (Supporters Working Together) List supporters.
   1. Donors
   2. Foundations
   3. State
   4. Federal
   5. City/Town
   6. Community
   7. Individuals
   8. Your Organizations Assets

3. Successful Approaches and Innovative Strategies

• Strategic Planning (Why do you exist? Whom do you not serve? Why do you not serve them? Why do you do things the way you do? Whom do you consider a competitor? When was the last time you asked a person you served what’s missing?)
• Whom do you serve: Geography, community, age and service type. Who shows up in the Service Plan?
• Day Job Syndrome (What is the organization’s capacity to change, evolve, develop vs. the day to day job)
• Maximizing Assets (Review your people, organization, effort, space, allocation of costs, labeling, cost allocation plan, assignment of job function, etc)
• Systematic Evaluation at Intake (How is it done thorough out the organization?)
• Cross Pollination of Expertise
• Continuous Quality Improvement
• Thinking Out of the Box
• Defining Outcomes
• Branding
• Co-location of Programs

How do you stretch a dollar at your nonprofit? You accept more in kind contributions. Know what you use consistently each month and letting the community know what that is, will provide a means for businesses to donate if they do not have the cash. It is amazing how quickly it adds up. For example, a specific toner cartridge costs $20 plus, a ream of paper $4, toilet paper $7 (family size), paper towels $6 (family size), gas cards, etc.

Use your web site and solicitations to inform a person or business how they can help all year long. If your nonprofit is only asking in November and December, your placing your request at risk of ending up in what i call the Maybe Motivated Pile.

In the last two months of the year I received 63 requests for donations from nonprofits and picked three. However, certain solicitations during the year stood out and received a donation to fulfill our family contributions.

My point:  Make giving a year long process and provide for many levels of opportunities to inform and have people participate in the organization.

It is important for a nonprofit to plan on how it is going to raise money or support for its organization. To help nonprofits in their outline of the planning the process I have provided 6 questions below.

1. Do you have a Strategic Plan?

2. Do you have a Development Plan?

3. Is the Development Plan incorporated into the Strategic Plan?

4. Can you describe for your nonprofit each outcome in three sentences or less?

5. Is each outcome for the nonprofit something that can be publicize?

6. Do you know what it costs the nonprofit to deliver each outcome?

If you answer no to any of the six, your nonprofit needs to improve to be more successful in raising money.

This week in observing Earth Day my six year old and I had fun in the woods.  His conversation went something like this;

“The world is perfect and correct when I am walking in the woods. Then, next winter we cut down trees and in the spring we use them to cook our food. Then we use the leaves to make the fire with. The planet is real. It is important for animals to live on the earth; us too.

Are we an animal??

We need to be nice to nature, do not kick nature and kill it. If we are nice to nature, it will be nice to us.  We take care of nature like pets.”

Today we planted 26 trees that were grown by us and involved no use of vehicle transportation  to an area effected by construction and used fallen trees to cook our dinner and conserve our use of foreign fuels.  Any organization with its staff or community can start trees in a small space to be used elsewhere locally.

Don’t throw things out the car window. Don’t throw things on the ground. Don’t leave supplies in the woods when you hike. Don’t be lazy. Too many adults are not good examples, but that’s OK, they forget too. I try to remember too.

The other day we put out the trash. I do that for my allowance. I guess these big winds came while I was sleeping blew all of my homework around the other yards. My parent and I picked up what we could find. I like that my school has community day but not for my class. We kids like to have fun outside. Have a community day that involves the whole school. You can have your own community day it is easy. Just pick a day.

My Papa added this link for me: “Keep America Beautiful Inc.“

Some people don’t get to work with their parents but Chris does. Parents love to be with their children. Even we get to spend time with the people we love. I learn to express myself through writing and drawing a cartoon. When you do that it just might inspire people. And soon it will start to pay off.

Be open to having us kids at work.