Despite falling unemployment rates, the job market in the U.S. still looks bleak for many. Some attribute this to high numbers of “discouraged workers” — those recently out of work who have, for whatever reason, temporarily given up on finding a new job. Disheartening as this may be, it presents a valuable opportunity for your booster club and the “discouraged” (or the recently retired, on maternity leave, changing careers, going back to school) to work together for mutual gain. In a recent … [Read more...]
posted on January 28, 2014 by
Fundraising Spotlight: #GotTurf?
In Southern California, one high school booster club has taken on an ambitious task. The Scorpion Athletic Booster Club (SABC) in Camarillo began fundraising this fall for their Turf Field Project, a $1.7 million plan to install artificial turf on the Camarillo High School athletic field and resurface the track. While not alone in the scope of their donation, the SABC is one of a small number of booster clubs that have taken on projects of such size. In December, we discussed the club’s first … [Read more...]
posted on January 23, 2014 by
Donor Retention: How active commitment leads to long-term loyalty
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to work to inspire active commitment in your supporters. Donors who are actively committed care beyond just a sense of obligation — these are not the people who give once a year to out of a sense of guilt. Actively committed supporters care about the club’s future, and very clearly see their own part in it. Fundraising expert Adrian Sargeant breaks the drivers of active commitment down into three parts: trust, concept of risk, and … [Read more...]
posted on January 16, 2014 by
Donor Retention: Are your supporters really satisfied?
One hundred and fifty fundraisers attended a 2012 talk on donor loyalty where they were asked to raise their hands if they'd ever conducted a donor satisfaction survey. Not a single hand went up. Though it's often overlooked in the rush to attract new supporters, donor satisfaction is key for nonprofits in inspiring loyalty, and it’s more complicated than you may have thought. In customer service, a buyer’s satisfaction can be measured in the comparison of the expected service to that which was … [Read more...]
posted on January 13, 2014 by
Donor Retention: Your booster club’s priority in 2014
The numbers have come in, and they don’t look great for booster clubs and other nonprofits. Recent surveys on charitable giving have found that engaging new donors will become more and more difficult: Of the four generations surveyed, a majority in each group said they expected to give the same amount of money to charity in the coming year and to support the same number of charities. Seventy-five percent of boomers said they would support the same number of charities in 2013 that … [Read more...]
posted on January 9, 2014 by
Should Sugary Drinks be Banned in Fundraising?
New USDA Rules Restrict Sugary Drinks and Snacks Say goodbye to sugary snacks and drinks between classes! This is the last semester before USDA rules will restrict snack sales during school hours in public schools across the country. These include traditional junk food like chips and sodas, as well as more subtle sugar-containing beverages, like Powerade and Gatorade. Some states, such as California, had already banned these drinks in a piece of legislation that would have kicked in this fall. … [Read more...]
posted on December 31, 2013 by
Everything Booster Clubs Need to Know About the Fiscal Year
What is a fiscal year, in a nutshell? A fiscal year defines the start and end dates for an organization’s accounting. Annual and quarterly reports to donors, as well as tax filings, all flow from the fiscal year. So do budgeting and revenue goals. While the majority of U.S. companies’ fiscal year perfectly overlaps the calendar year (Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st), deviating from those dates is more common than you’d think. For example, check out the fiscal years for these organizations: Feb. 1st … [Read more...]
posted on December 26, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: 5 ways to spread the word
Once you've set goals for your scrip fundraising campaign and have a clear understanding of where you’re headed, it’s important to think about how you’ll get there. There are many ways to promote your efforts, and with a long-term project like electronic scrip enrollment or scrip sales, it’s important to continually reach out to your supporters in new and unexpected ways. 5 ways to communicate your campaign: 1. Bide your time. Many boosters who sell scrip or participate in electronic scrip … [Read more...]
posted on December 23, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: 4 tips for setting campaign goals
Though electronic scrip fundraising is more passive than selling traditional scrip, some initial legwork is required to get your fundraising campaign off the ground. To ensure your club’s scrip efforts start strong and maintain their momentum into the future, it is important to have attainable goals and a clear plan for achieving them. First, set your target. You want to be sure you have realistic expectations of how your scrip donations will contribute to upcoming projects. If you are … [Read more...]
posted on December 19, 2013 by
Passive Fundraising With Scrip: Getting the most from your campaign
In deciding how your club can make the most of scrip fundraising, it is important to consider the context of your campaign. Regardless of how actively you fundraise, with electronic scrip programs, you can only do so much to encourage supporters to shop. Before your club begins fundraising with scrip, you can ask yourself a few questions that will help you make the most of your campaign: Will local businesses support your club's campaign? Make a list of participating merchants in your area, … [Read more...]
