Posted by Fundraising Pro on February 25, 2010
America is the most charitable country on earth. And according to a recent essay by Adam Meyerson, president of The Philanthropy Roundtable, one third of all this charitable giving–$100 billion a year–goes to religious organizations. For churches and Christian organizations that rely on Christian fundraising to meet financial needs, this is great news!
But you may be thinking “Then why is it so hard for my Christian organization to raise money?” Even with modest fundraising goals, many churches and Christian organizations cannot seem to raise enough to meet their financial needs. Here at Samaritan Fundraising, we realized that this was because many Christian organizations were using traditional Christian fundraising methods that were either outdated or not appealing to donors. That is why we created the Samaritan Card!
The Samaritan Card is a new Christian fundraiser, one that your donors will want to buy. The Samaritan Card is a discount card that is revolutionizing the world of Christian fundraising. Marketing a Christian fundraising product to your donors that allows them to save more money than they spend has helped numerous Christian organizations find huge Christian fundraising success.
With $100 billion dollars to go around, your Christian fundraiser needs to be efficient and easy, and appealing to donors. With the Samaritan Card, Christian fundraising will never be the same.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on February 15, 2010
If you have ever worked in the world of Christian fundraising, you understand that because churches and Christian organizations rely on fundraising to support their ministries and outreaches, donations are always welcome. This is why successful Christian fundraising is so important to Christian organizations. But many in need of funds are presented with the same dilemma when the times comes to pursue a Christian fundraiser: funds are desperately needed, but the upfront costs of a Christian fundraiser prove to be too risky or too much for their organizatioin’s budget to handle.
When working with a Christian fundraising company, you will be asked for a deposit when placing your order. These are known as upfront costs, and are necessary for the company to continue serving you and your fundraising needs. But when your church or Christian organization is in desperate need of funds, these upfront costs can take a huge toll on your budget, often forcing you to look elsewhere for a cheaper Christian fundraiser with less risk and lower upfront costs.
This is why some companies have chosen to lower their upfront costs, some even letting you fundraise before the upfront costs are due! Samaritan Fundraising is an example of one such company. With Samaritan Fundraising, your upfront costs are only $1 per Samaritan Card, and that balance isn’t even due until after your Christian fundraiser is over! This gives your church or Christian organization ample time to raise money before your deposit is due, creating a truly risk-free fundraiser.
For more info about upfront costs or Christian fundraising in general, take advantage of this free fundraising e-kit from Samaritan Fundraising.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on February 6, 2010
Last Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that charitable contributions to colleges and universities fell nearly 12% in 2009, the steepest drop in three decades! Though not surprising, this news is certainly disappointing, especially to churches and Christian organizations that rely a great deal on Christian fundraising to meet yearly budget goals. You may be thinking “If Harvard can’t even raise money in this economy, how will my church ever make it through the year?”
But here at Samaritan Fundraising, we know that news like this only brings new and amazing opportunities for Christian fundraising. We truly believe that there has never been a better time to ramp up your Christian fundraising effort, and that this year will prove to be your most successful yet!
The Samaritan Card is a prime example of a Christian fundraising product that can help your church or Christian organization find fundraising success in any economic climate. A good product that donors want to buy is essential to any successful Christian fundraiser, but is especially necessary in this bear market. The Samaritan Card, a discount card that can be used at thousands of popular retailers nationwide, removes the need for you to “sell” your Christian fundraiser to your donor. Once your donor realizes that they will save more than they donate, the sale is made!
Don’t let the state of the economy get you down! Christian fundraising with unique products like the Samaritan Card is helping Christian organizations around the country find Christian fundraising success even in the middle of this economic storm.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on February 2, 2010
Entering the new decade in the midst of a recession is obviously not the most ideal economic situation, especially for churches and other Christian organizations whose funds rely largely on giving and Christian fundraising. But there are lessons to be learned about fundraising from the past decade and the perils of the economic recession that can make Christian fundraising in this coming decade more successful than ever.
As the stock market suffered in ‘08 and ‘09, many Christian organizations and churches worried that their funds would diminish as people seemingly had less and less money to give. In this recent article , Tom Freiling of Samaritan Fundraising stated that “Church giving is down in every area, as well as giving for missions and special projects,” as it was reported that giving to churches fell between $3 and $5 billion during the recession. Obviously, fundraising became essential for Christian organizations to continue their mission. Ensuring that your Christian organization has experience when it comes to Christian fundraising is a must for the coming decade, as well as knowing where to turn for help with the Christian fundraising process. Companies such as Samaritan Fundraising offer quick and easy ways to help your Christian organization raise money—even in the midst of the economic recession.
But another thing we learned from the recession is that, though people’s personal finances suffered, many came to the aid of struggling churches and Christian organizations when it came to giving and fundraising. Many churches even saw growth as those hurt the most by the recession turned to the church for relief. People proved willing to give to struggling ministries, and the Christian fundraising process, as Samaritan Fundraising has observed, remains as successful and important as ever. The Samaritan Card, a discount card from Samaritan Fundraising, is finding huge success in Christian fundraisers throughout the country!
Streamlining your Christian fundraising process for the new decade with products like the Samaritan Card can help you prepare for whatever the next ten yeas have in store!
Posted by Fundraising Pro on January 30, 2010
One of the most difficult parts about Christian fundraising is simply getting started. Too often, big church fundraising goals turn into lost causes before even getting underway when Christian organizations fail to get past the initial stages of a Christian fundraiser. But often, what seem like dead-ends are only temporary obstacles that can be overcome with proper focus, both on your goals and your targeted donors.
Once your Christian organization has established a fundraising goal, all other preparation should be focused around it. When looking for a fundraiser, make sure that it will allow you to raise enough to meet this goal. Many Christian fundraising products can be very appealing to donors, but may not allow your Christian organization to keep much of the profit. But other products, such as the Samaritan Card, allow you to keep anywhere from 50% to 70% of the profits from each card sold. Estimate how many you will sell, and make sure that this number allows you to meet your Christian fundraising goal.
Focusing on your targeted donors is important throughout the Christian fundraising process. Many generic fundraisers are popular, such as cookie dough or wrapping paper, but oftentimes do not appeal to enough donors to allow you to meet your fundraising goal. Look for a fundraiser that will appeal to your targeted donors–one that they can get excited about! The Samaritan Card is a great product in this regard because it allows your donor to save more than they buy. The card pays for itself, and the possibilities for your donors are truly endless! Products like this will help you to reach your targeted donors, whoever they may be.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on January 26, 2010
With the new year well under way, churches across the nation are thinking about fundraising: setting goals, making budgets, and exploring options. As you make your plans, be sure to remember that time is of the essence, especially in this tough economic climate. Working with a fundraising company is a great way to raise money, but it requires effective planning. Allotting time for exploring options, ordering your product, selling your product, and collecting your money is essential when planning for your next Christian fundraiser in 2010.
But what many churches find out after experiencing a fundraiser like this is that it simply takes too long or is too cumbersome. With a tight budget, many simply do not have the time to wait for fundraising companies to finish paperwork, return profits, or ship products. Time is short, especially in the world of Christian fundraising. Samaritan Fundraising offers these three fundraising tips that will help you make sure your Christian fundraiser in 2010 is both easy and timely:
First: make sure that your fundraiser is well-prepared. Spread the word and make sure your potential donors know exactly when the fundraiser will be taking place, and how they can participate.
Second: know the deadlines! Make sure that your fundraising goals can be met within the time frame offered by your fundraising company.
Third: get excited! Fundraising, especially with the Samaritan Card, is exciting! Making sure your ministry is active and willing in raising money is the most important element to generating sales quickly and easily.
To help you with planning your fundraiser for 2010, Samaritan Fundraising offers a free fundraising e-kit. Happy New Year!
Posted by Aaron Jeschke on September 10, 2009
One of the most oft overlooked portions of the Christian Fundraising process is the post-fundraiser evaluation. When a ministry evaluates a fundraiser they should be asking a few important questions in order to ensure future fundraising success.
Was the fundraiser profitable? Obviously the ultimate goal of a fundraiser is to bring in funds in order to finance a ministry’s vision. If a fundraiser is not profitable than it is not useful. If you can find a fundraiser that is more profitable than the one you have then go for it.
Was the fundraiser overly time consuming? Often ministries run fundraisers that take countless hours to put together and that are inordinately complicated. Often the profit per hour is low. If this is the case find a fundraiser that is quick. Dollars per hour could be an important statistic when evaluating your fundraiser.
Was the fundraiser easy to put together? The simpler and easier your fundraiser is the less hassle you will experience while enacting your fundraiser. If you found that you got bogged down with order forms and other extraneous details than I suggest you look for something that is simpler and easier. No one wants to be spending much time with paper work and unneeded details.
Were the donors pleased with the product? Many fundraisers involve selling products to a donor that they don’t really need. Clearly many donors are pleased just to be contributing to the organization but I think it is best to reward donors with a quality product, preferably something they can use to their benefit.
Ultimately when fundraising, Christian groups need to find a fundraising idea that is fast, easy, profitable, and beneficial to donors. In the world of Church fundraising such a product is a rarity. I suggest the Samaritan Card. No fundraising product that I have seen satisfies all of the above requirements like the Samaritan Card. Selling the card takes mere minutes and after the initial order there are no further forms or return visits! Not to mention that your profits will be as high as 70% per card. Donors will walk away satisfied knowing that they will be saving us much as they gave and more! Christian fundraising has never been faster, easier, more profitable, and more beneficial to donors!
Posted by Fundraising Pro on June 19, 2009
Here are some additional ideas for Christian fundraising:
Christian raffle
Ask local businesses for donated goods and services in exchange for free publicity. Put together a spreadsheet with dollar values of all prizes and assign them a position in the prize hierarchy.
Select your financial goal and price raffle tickets accordingly. Bear in mind that lower-priced tickets appeal to a lot more people, but you have to sell a lot more of them to raise the same amount of money.
Sell raffle tickets not only to friends and neighbors, but also to the general public. Get permission to set up sales tables outside popular retail locations. Use big signs explaining why your Christian group is raising funds.
Use a raffle flyer that describes the top prizes, recaps the funding need the raffle ticket sales will help meet, and asks for their support.
Bingo Night
This is a fun family night that, due to Bingo’s popularity, can draw several hundred people. You can find bingo game forms online or buy them from party supply stores. You can charge a small admission fee plus a dollar or two per game.
Keep things moving by using an experienced caller and a PA system that can be easily heard above the crowd noise. Consider making extra money through food and beverage sales, silent auction items, or with raffle tickets.
With a large enough crowd, you could also sell other fundraising products like Christmas ornaments or bracelets with phrases like “Got Faith?” or “What Would Jesus Do?”
In some areas, you may need a license for this event, so be sure to check local regulations.
Christian Event Summary
A fun, family-oriented Christian event that’s properly promoted will always raise substantial funds. And anytime you can get a big crowd together, you can include several more fundraising activities into the mix.
Divide the work so that the same people aren’t doing all the preparations and then working the event as well. That means recruiting twice as many volunteers as you think you’ll need.
And keep in mind how easy fundraising can be if your Christian group sells the Samaritan Card, a wallet-sized discount card good at over 100,000 retailers.
Once you’ve found a successful niche, make your Christian fundraising event an annual tradition.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on June 17, 2009
Church groups look for fundraising events that feel appropriate for Christian nonprofit organizations. Here are several ideas for Christian fundraising events that provide a wholesome atmosphere for family fun.
Church carnival
A family-oriented carnival on church grounds is a great way to raise funds. You can contract for carnival rides with an outside firm, rent inflatable enclosed jumping areas that small children love, offer face painting, sell handicrafts, offer prizes for children’s games, do a cakewalk, and dozens of other fun activities.
Sell inexpensive tickets from a huge roll that to use for each activity or to purchase food and drinks. Position several tables full of silent auction items donated by local businesses in a strategic place so they’ll draw lots of bids.
Charity auction
Auctions are great fundraisers. To get a good turnout, you must promote heavily with press releases, roadside signs, newsletters, emails, posters in local businesses, etc.
Approach all your supporters for donations of items or services to be auctioned. Handcrafted items, gift certificates, vacation rentals, and lawn services always draw a lot of bids. Ask your supporters also works their own list of personal contacts for more donations.
Bake sale
A well-promoted bake sale always draws a good crowd. It can be a Christmas cookie day, follow a Mothers Day or any one of dozens of seasonal themes. Ask around and compile a list of good bakers and cooks, then strategize with them on how best to put this event together with a Christian theme.
We’ll look at more ideas next time but remember, these event are fun but require a lot of work. For easy fundraising, keep in mind selling the Samaritan Card, the wallet-sized discount card that practically sells itself.
Posted by Fundraising Pro on June 15, 2009
Christian-based fundraisers are not always limited to churches; in fact, there’s a whole world of Christian organizations out there, from mission groups to elementary schools. Often, these groups are not-for-profit and privately funded, so like daycares, they often need extra funding to keep going. Many church-based organizations, like youth groups or universities, ask for donations on a regular basis from their members to cover the activities and ongoing costs.
However, when items such as rent, employee salaries (if the group is a school or other business-based organization), and travel expenses come up, they need more than what they get from tuition costs and their diocese. That’s when a fundraiser happens – and it can be a challenge for organizations to drum up enough interest in the non-Christian community to actually make the money that they need.
When you host a Christian-based fundraiser and you want to attract the general public, don’t be too heavy-handed with religious platitudes. You will lose your fundraising potential before you even begin. Instead, tell people what the end result will be – you’ll have a youth group for teenagers to attend one night a week; you’ll be able to send a certain number of people overseas to help build houses; or your school will be able to fund some extra-curricular activities for its students.
If you host an attractive fundraiser, you may get people who like to travel, or who want to see a performance or sample a certain type of food food, or even those who just want to expand their intellectual horizons. Play your cards right and you may get these people coming back for future fundraisers, and may even be able to help you with your next one, if they have knowledge of the area.
Christian-based fundraisers don’t have to stay in the Christian community, or only deal with members of churches. When they appeal to everyone, like the Samaritan Card, you will find that non-religious people may actually be interested in your cause.
