DonationMatch

Coming Soon: A fresh new look and added features for DonationMatch

donationmatcher — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:04:02 +0000

You’ve told us how easy DonationMatch makes getting more customers and event donors, how much time we’ve saved you, and how great it feels to both give and receive. We’ve taken your feedback and are excited to announce that added features and a new look are COMING SOON! Why are we letting you know BEFORE we do the upgrade? Our site will be unavailable during this transition, and we want you to be able to plan any important DonationMatch account activity around it. The exact date/time isn’t set yet, but it could happen as early as this Friday evening, May 11th, and we’ll announce it as soon as we know with an email, on Facebook, on Twitter, AND here on our blog.

Thanks for all your support, and we look forward to seeing you online at DonationMatch!

Just a peek!

Fresh Ideas for Your School Spring Fundraiser

donationmatcher — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:41:44 +0000

If you have children, you’ve undoubted noticed that many schools have fundraisers in the Spring, now that parents and teachers have gotten settled and the Winter holidays are over. Packages from local businesses are wonderful, especially since for some parents this is the only fundraising event they will attend all year. However, schools have opportunities to offer unique, priceless items in auctions that are personally meaningful to parent bidders, and we want to make sure you’re all utilizing these ideas to your school’s advantage. (All images from RidgeRaising 2011, courtesy of Sycamore Ridge Elementary and Harper Shay Photography)

1) One-of-a-Kind Class Projects – Each classroom creates a unique, group piece that is not only attractive to any bidder, but memorializes the year, fellow students, and friends. Be sure these are signed and dated.

2) VIP Parking Spaces – Great parking is always a hot commodity at school functions, so why let parents “buy” their own parking spots for a year?

3) Time Out with the Principal/Teacher – Make getting sent to the principal’s office or staying after school with a teacher a GOOD thing! Quality time can be spent making fun decisions and/or taking local excursions. Mani/pedi afternoons, trips to fun attractions, and even a meal at a favorite restaurant becomes a special occasion for children. This also typically raises much more than the allowance/cost allocated.

I hope these inspire new packages that delight parents, create a fun auction atmosphere, and result in more fundraising for your child’s educational experience! What unique packages have YOU seen at school fundraisers?

Are you ready for an event?

donationmatcher — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:12:10 +0000

6 steps to determine if a fundraising event is what your organization really needs

Guest Post by Krista Berry, Owner & Principal Consultant at KB Consulting

I recently had the pleasure of working with a small, energetic non-profit organization that originally contacted me to plan their first fundraising event. Like any event management professional, my first step before diving into the planning elements was to conduct a needs assessment so I could better understand the job.

After my first conversation with the board of directors it was very clear to me that the organization wasn’t ready for a big fundraising event (yet). I discovered that, like many organizations, the event was their solution to raise funds to sustain programs and operations, but they had some critical planning that needed to be addressed first, so they were uncertain how to proceed. As a non-profit consultant, I quickly adjusted my role and recommended they take the time to organize a board planning session to prioritize what they should do and what they should NOT do this year.

While an event can be a great way for non-profits to fundraise, it’s imperative that younger organizations take the time to complete a needs assessment before they start planning a big event to avoid getting in over their head.

Now it’s your turn! Answer these 6 questions to determine if a fundraising event is feasible for your organization this year:

Why? The purpose of the event – this will be the foundation for any future planning.
What? The desired outcome of the event.
Who? The scope of audience and demographic info on attendees.
When? The desired season, date, day and hour that event will take place.
Where? The desired physical location of event including destination/geographical area.
How? The plan to accomplish all of the event elements above.

After I completed these steps with my client they realized that what the organization really needed was a few “friend-raiser” events to recruit more people to serve on their board of directors and to support the organization’s programming. This was a more realistic next step and is also more in line with their 2012 goals. The needs assessment combined with a board planning session helped them create clear objectives for the organization to achieve before they start planning their first fundraising event. And the ROI (return on investment) will be a successful, sustainable event that will continue to grow every year as the organization grows!

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Krista Berry, MS is the Owner & Principal Consultant at KB Consulting specializing in innovative events, workshops and capacity building solutions for non-profits and communities. She has over 10 years of non-profit experience in both San Diego and New York City.

In-Kind Partnerships with Nonprofits, Part 2

donationmatcher — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:42:28 +0000

My last post on this topic focused on opportunities tied to nonprofit events. Although these typically offer the most immediate exposure, they are often seasonal. Here are some ideas for in-kind charitable partnerships year-round:

Be a venue for gatherings. You don’t have to be a hotel or restaurant to have a desirable place. Spa Gregorie’s Del Mar offers a board room for small get-togethers and meetings. Curves women’s fitness centers often host meetings for Chambers of Commerce, Zumba fundraisers, and members’ clubs. The Microsoft Store has raised the retail bar for community outreach with store space and free group trainings. Invite a nonprofit over and show them you’re friendly!
Give tools and support. PopChips started snacking habits in offices all over town with case giveaways. Microsoft Store free trainings make sure their software is used well. DonationMatch co-hosted a fundraising auction workshop with Red Apple Auctions to help nonprofits run better fundraising events. Though not “flashy,” free assistance can put you at the top of a nonprofit’s go-to list.
Offer services or samples for a donation. By cross-promoting with nonprofits, Aveda sets up their store, complete with signage, to give mini treatments in exchange for a 100% charitable donation.
A portion of sales helps, too. Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes advertises FunRaisers that donate 15% of related receipts on given nights to nonprofit groups. Macy’s gives $1 for every stamped letter to Santa deposited in special letter boxes in their stores to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Even if you can’t give something outright, a percentage can be enough.
Offer your expertise. Nonprofits small and large are always looking for specific professional talent in their volunteers. It’s become so popular that websites like CatchaFire and VolunteerMatch (not affiliated with DonationMatch) were created to make better volunteer connections.
Not a lot of time? Even simply recognizing synergy within your own circles of friends and making introductions can lead to phenomenal results.

What are your success stories? Please share about the positive impact that charitable partnering has made on your business!

In-kind Partnerships With Nonprofits, Part I (donationmatch.wordpress.com)

We Need More Efficient and Effective Nonprofits, Not More

donationmatcher — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:33:09 +0000

Why compete when you can work together? “At a time when nonprofit organizations are being pushed to greater program efficiencies, mergers, and other administrative economies, why do boomer entrepreneurs seem to think that starting millions of brand-new entities is the most effective way to make a societal contribution? Why can’t they work through existing organizations to start their creative new programs, improve existing ones, or concentrate resources instead of multiplying administrative and overhead costs?”

Read the article on Philanthropy.com

In-kind Partnerships With Nonprofits, Part I

donationmatcher — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:07:51 +0000

A question posed in a LinkedIn group made me reflect on how many (typically small) businesses don’t know how to use cause marketing, specifically in-kind (non-cash) marketing, to their advantage. If you have a great product or service, one experience is all you need to convert newbies into customers, even raving fans. How do you get yourself in front of more potential customers without “paying” for it?

Donate a package or certificate toward an auction, a raffle, or goodie bags. Most event attendees love these, and donors often get publicized both before and after the event. Look at donation request letters as opportunities to get hundreds, even thousands, of eyeballs on your brand. You can do online searches for event calendars, ask your employees and customers about organizations they support, check out community boards, or use DonationMatch (my site) to save time (we make connecting with events, sending pre-filled donation forms, and gift certificate delivery paperless and quick.) One more reason to like auctions: prize winners are the most willing and able to pay more for it than anyone else. You just found your best customer in the room!
Provide event amenities (photography, food/beverage, decor, spa treatments, etc). For a furniture dealer, it could be VIP seating. Chocolates are popular party favors. I’ve seen HP and a photographer partner to make ornaments from photos with Santa. And who wouldn’t appreciate mini spa treatments or makeup touch-ups from a local beauty product store, spa, or beauty school?
Help spread the word. Your communications reach is another asset companies tend to forget about. Employees, customers, followers, subscribers… they count. Be familiar with events you choose to promote, make them a good fit for your customers, volunteer if possible, and the added awareness can add to a charitable fundraiser’s attendance and success just as much as any monetary donation.

These opportunities are all tied to nonprofit events, my favorite kind, but may be seasonal or harder to find. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post that gives more everyday ways to help in-kind.

Why not take one lunch break to reach out and explore possibilities with a particularly interesting local organization? And register on DonationMatch to be notified of event opportunities in your market – it’s still free in many cities. I (and your local organizations) will love hearing from you!

The Savvy Behind Outrageously Profitable Fundraising Auctions is coming to San Diego!

donationmatcher — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:05:32 +0000

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

What better way to kick off our DonationMatch blog than to announce our first local event! In partnership with San Diego Association of Nonprofits, DonationMatch is honored to host Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions in beautiful San Diego on November 9th at 8:30 a.m. She’ll be bringing her award-winning expertise and experience on fundraising event and auction success to Neighborhood House Association‘s centrally located auditorium in Kearny Mesa. Who should attend? Volunteers of fundraising event committees, event planners, nonprofit development departments, business owners and managers who want an inside look at how your in-kind donations are promoted, and those interested in making more San Diego nonprofit industry connections. There will also be a free opportunity drawing for all attendees.

Admission is just $10, complimentary for SANDAN members and DonationMatch registered users (including staff and active volunteers). Register today!