Jenny's Fundraising Ideas

Ok, I have very limited experience, so everything I say here is based on that (tiny) experience. I understand I am not 100% informed and I'm still learning a lot along the way as we move on to other endeavors. With that said, I did learn a few things that I'm taking with me as we move forward. These are lessons that were extremely important to me that, since people have asked, I'm passing on. Maybe some of it is "obvious" but sometimes I found I was reminded of the obvious -- but wasn't so obvious when I was in the midst of it all (phew).

The following are some points, in no particular order, that I found to be helpful in the actual raising of funds. Some of this I learned by myself, others I learned from those who were so kind as to guide me in the right direction based on their own experiences.

Paypal Accounts:

Set one up. Even if you don’t actively “solicit” donations from people, as you fundraise on any level, it’s good to have this paypal option. There will inevitably be people who are interested in attending an event, or who have good intentions of sending off a check…but seeing it online makes it that much more accessible to them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written letters to people over the course of my life and then never sent the letter. Getting it in the envelope should be easy, but that extra step never happened … so, I’m just sayin’, it’s good to have that option out there for friends and family. There’s are a few different options out there that you could investigate for online donations. Look into it.

Churches:

If you are a member of a church, talk to the youth group and/or scouts. They may be looking for a service project opportunity. Some churches even have programs for their youth that encourage service. You could talk to the Scout Master to see if anyone is approaching an Eagle Scout project. Now, someone mentioned to me that an Eagle Project needs to be for the benefit of more than 1 person/family. I haven’t investigated that out, but if that is the case, they could always put together a fundraiser with ½ of it going to your child and ½ to a larger “special needs” organization – or maybe to the classroom your child attends so they can buy that new bolster swing they’ve been wanting. There are definitely options here though.

Schools:

Schools are a wonderful resource. While I was in high school, I was heavily involved with Student Council and know that service is HUGE. Kids are looking for service opportunities for college applications and some schools even require some form of service for graduation! My high school happens to be well-known for an annual Volleyball Marathon that would bring in well over $10,000. We’d have charities and organizations come and present to us and then, before we began to advertise for the event, we’d choose who the money would go to that year. It was a way for us to feel like we were being a part of our local community while having a ton of fun! Many high schools have regular fundraisers like this – an event that they do annually with the money going to a different place each year. If there isn’t an event already scheduled, you may ask to come in and talk to the school’s Student Leadership. If they feel like they can fit a fundraiser in, they may be able to come up with their own ideas. When we had a restaurant fundraiser for Samantha, our local high school got really involved. They passed out fliers everyday to remind kids. Later, they advertised for Sweatin’ for Sammy, our 5K. They wrote an article about her in their school newspaper. And they put together a bake sale that ran 2 days after school and at a track meet. Approach schools.

Start by contacting the student activities/leadership director. Work through her and then, with her permission, you can come in and speak to the class. They often are seeking opportunities to serve. Even elementary and middle schools are beginning to bring more and more service into their curriculum. This year, a 5^th grader had to do a research paper about a charitable cause and then do some kind of service project for that charity. A 5^th grader from our church decided that Samantha was his cause. He raised over $200 in cake pop sales at his school in 2 days! $200! I was so impressed with his (and his mom’s) hard work and so touched. His mom told me “It’s only , like, $200, but Jared is so excited about it and wants to come and present you with the money.” Only $200? That $200 meant so much to me. I feel like that experience affected him in a way that only Samantha could have…and that warms my heart.

Going on your own:

If you decide that you need to go it on your own, don’t go 100% on your own. Get a good group of people who you love, trust, and who love you and your family. If they are invested because they adore your child, that’s all it takes. When we put together Sweatin for Sammy, they were all totally 100% invested in Samantha. One of the women in the group carried Sammy’s picture with her, so when a grocery store said they couldn’t donate because we didn’t have 501(c)(3) status, she’d pull out Sammy’s picture and say “What can you do to help this little girl out?” And, they’d donate the water, food, whatever it was. I’m not saying that will always be the result, but if you have people who are driven by the heart, AND go-getters, you’ll have a good committee. Get your group. Divide up responsibilities. Create your goal income and set a budget. Make sure you all have the same vision, and get working.

501(c)3 status:

I’d actually love for someone to write up something about this (hint hint Tara or Jennie) – tips, pointers, pros/cons. It’s something to consider if you plan on fundraising annually. We are currently going through this process. Though, because Samantha is to be one of the annual beneficiaries, our understanding (from the legal advice) is that I cannot be on the board of directors. Heartbreaking for me, HOWEVER, if you have your core group, it’s ok because their heart is in the same place as your own. The problem here, is if you want to fundraise annually and can’t be on the board, you really need people who will volunteer and say “Let me do this for you.” And, that may not always happen.

Find Another Organization:

There are a lot of other charitable organizations that will take you on as a project, but that takes some preparing, and sometimes, connections. What I mean by that is you may have to write up a letter or set up a meeting to make sure they are aware of you and can discuss you at their meetings. There are some organizations that are set up, specifically, to help others who do NOT have 501(c)3 status so they can fundraise for their kids. It’s worth it to possibly research this out. If you don’t want to research it out, ask some kids you trust to do it for service hours!

Use all types of media:

Social media – hello. Facebook is a FANTASTIC resource. Create a blog and get out there. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. And even though you may not feel it all the time, use it as a way to express your hope. Express gratitude and appreciation for those who have been by your son/daughter, who have volunteered time and services, money, etc. Use it as a way to let your community know that, despite all the bad stuff going on in the world, there are still wonderfully good and generous people, and they live in your community. (You have to believe that, though, too.) People want to do good things, and if they read that article, they may just want to be a part of helping you as well. This isn’t meant to manipulate people at all. It’s meant to give them a resource to give…something that they’d like to do anyway. And many people do want to help those in their community…who they see at the grocery store, bank, and on walks to the park. Email radio stations and news programs to tell about your event or even just the fact that you are raising money and tell where to donate.

Have a Good Attitude and Be Optimistic:

Have lofty goals, but be appreciative for every cent raised. Don't expect people to hand money over. They have no reason to. Everyone is struggling right now. Everyone's budgets are tight. Why should they hand over money for my kid? But you know what? Many of them do because they are touched by the spirit of our children, and they want to help. Strictly from a fundraising perspective, people want to help people who are happy, optimistic, and hopeful. They want to be around, associate with, and help people who make them feel good about themselves. So, smile. Even if you are writing an email, smile. It comes through.

“Thank You.”

It’s worth the time it takes to hand write thank you letters. I did type out some thank you letters to all our sponsors, but I made sure they were heartfelt and I signed them all. People remember sincere thank you's, so if and when something comes up again, they will remember...and they just may come to your event again, and this time, with a friend.