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this was because many Christian organizations were using traditional Christian fundraising methods that were either outdated or not appealing to donors.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 22, 2010
Whether you are trying to raise money for a new church, thriving youth group, or Christian ministry to the homeless, we at Samaritan Fundraising understand that your fundraising is about more than just money. Reaching out to your congregation or community seems like it should be easier, but all too often Christian organizations find themselves short on funds that are so desperately needed to continue their work. And the frustrations involved with trying to find donors and organize a Christian fundraiser seem to be neverending.
Even billionaire investor Warren Buffet understands the importance, and frustrations, of fundraising. Speaking to business leaders about charitable giving today, he said that “the demand is unlimited” when it comes to charitable giving, and that “you really want to make your charitable dollar go as far as it can.”
With both the frustrations and importance of Christian fundraising in mind, Samaritan Fundraising offers your church or Christian organization a new way to fundraise that has already helped many Christian organizations across the country raise the funds they needed. The Samaritan Card is a unique and modern way to raise money for your church or Christian organization, a way that YOUR ministry can begin using today! There is no cumbersome paperwork, and the product, a discount card accepted at over 100,000 retailers nationwide, virtually sells itself.
Samaritan Fundraising knows how important Christian fundraising is to your organization. Visit samaritanfundraising.com to learn more.
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 29, 2009
In my younger days I was involved with a MOPS group taking care of their kids while they had bi-weekly meetings. During my time there they utilized the yard sale as a primary Christian fundraising technique. It makes a good deal of sense why moms would put together a yard sale. First moms get to rid themselves of unused, unwanted, or unneeded materials that might be clogging up space in their house and garage. Yard sales also allow the kids to be involved in some capacity which means moms don’t need to find a babysitter. The major downside is that yard sales (barring the rare exception of those professional yard sale people) do not usually make exceptionally profitable fundraisers. Moms really do need a Christian fundraising idea that is fast and profitable (moms have very tough constraints on their time. Trust me, I grew up in a family of nine).I am not saying yard sales are a worthless Christian fundraiser. In fact, they can be quite good but I think there are better Christian fundraising options.
A product that is fast, easy, and highly profitable is the Samaritan Card. Moms can yield a profit margin of up to 70% on each card they sell. A two minute presentation can result in a $20 donation. Best of all, moms don’t need to spend time planning events and gathering materials to raise the money they need. I really believe that the Samaritan Card can make fundraising easier and better for MOPS groups everywhere. Church Fundraising has never been easier.
Posted by Aaron Jeschke on September 25, 2009
We live in a culture that craves convenience. Sixty-Second meals, fast food restaurants, and online shopping are all expressions of this American desire. The desire for convenience translates directly into the world of Christian Fundraising. American Ministers have more people, responsibilities, and events competing for their time than ever before. There is now more demand for Christian Fundraising products that allow ministers to raise money conveniently. The major problem with this is the quality is often sacrificed. Low quality products often result in a low quality Christian Fundraiser which in the end results in dissatisfied donors. What ministries need is a Christian Fundraising product that is convenient to both the minister and the donor without sacrificing the quality.
I think that the Samaritan Card is the perfect solution to these problems. It practically screams convenience. After the initial purchase there are no orders, forms, or return visits. No need to store bulky Christian Fundraising products a single Samaritan Card fits right in your wallet. The Samaritan Card also provides quality to the donor. Anyone who purchases one of these discount cards will tap into exclusive savings of up to 50% off at over 100,000 restaurant, retail, and recreation merchants nationwide! The donor can find these savings with just a few clicks of their mouse. Church Fundraising has never been more convenient or of higher quality!
Posted by Aaron Jeschke on September 24, 2009
I have been involved in a variety of different ministries over the years and have seen significant differences in the amounts of success that Christian Fundraising groups experience. I have seen groups put together some wildly successful Christian Fundraisers and some not so successful ones. I believe that it all boils down to a few simple principals.
The first is that you need to provide value to the donor. Even if the donor has a heart for giving a poor product that provides little value can diminish a donors willingness to give. What is needed here is a product that gives back to the donor. Something they can use that is practical and immediately applicable. A product that doesn’t allow them to walk away feeling as if they have wasted money. Even if the believe in the vision that you are fundraising for often their gift can be “tainted” by a poor product. Ultimately the product is what they keep with them.
Secondly you need to put together a Christian Fundraiser that is fast and easy. Most ministries don’t have the personnel or the time to put together overly complicated Christian Fundraising events. Ministries need a product that allows them to raise money at a high level of profitability, and that is simple enough for everyone to be involved quickly. Simplicity and profitability are the keys.
Lastly, you need everyone involved in your Christian Fundraising campaign to fully invested in the vision behind the fundraiser. You can have the greatest Christian Fundraising product in the world and still find yourself coming up on the short end because you have not adequately communicated the vision. Ultimately Christian Fundraising is about the heart behind money you are raising, not raising the money for the sake of itself. As a leader of a Christian Fundraising campaign you need to be 10 times more excited about the vision than you want others to be. I have seen this principal work in ministry over and over again.
The Samaritan Card is a fantastic Christian Fundraising product because it provides significant value to the donor (up to 50% off at over 100,000 merchants nationwide). It is extremely simple, (no orders, forms, or return visits) and profitable (up to 70% profit per card). Though a product like the Samaritan Card is designed specifically to meet your Christian Fundraising needs it still needs a vision behind it. Church Fundraising is a combination of quality product and quality vision. Having one without the other makes it tough to raise money. Having both makes Christian Fundraising easy!
