November 11, 2016
When nonprofits face budget crises like the past state budget impasses in Pennsylvania and Illinois, crowd funding campaigns become the go-to problem solver which helps organizations raise dollars. Crowd funding is defined as the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding originally was designed for entrepreneurs, but the nonprofit community quickly adapted the concept. Several charitable organizations have seen success through crowdfunding campaigns. With platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Razoo and CauseVox, the art of fundraising is becoming more social, amplifying local nonprofits and their message louder than ever. Here are a few crowdfunding tips to help your organization’s next big fundraiser.
Clearly laying out the precise purpose for raising money eliminates any questions or hesitation donors may have. Be transparent and let it be known where the money donated will be working. It is also helpful to include specific organizational information about past successful fundraisers.
Some of the best crowd funding campaigns have a killer story behind them. A heartfelt and captivating story will resonate with donors and activate the spirit of giving. Robert Wu at CauseVox.com says there are 4 classic storylines that perform well with nonprofit crowd funding: 1) Overcoming the monster, 2) Rags to riches, 3) Quest, and 4) Tragedy.
Many times, nonprofits think they can just put up a campaign and the dollars will automatically just start rolling. That couldn’t be further from the truth! For a successful crowdfunding campaign, it takes some strategic planning. Start getting the message out to your donors through email, in person, or through social media about a specific new campaign to raise funds. Build a strong base prior to any campaign by leveraging current donors to ensure a successful campaign.
These are just a few tips to assist in creating a successful crowdfunding campaign. When used correctly, crowdfunding can be a great resource to mobilize donors in a short amount of time for a worthy cause. Giving Tuesday is right around the corner! Take the time to build a solid crowdfunding campaign for your nonprofit and let us know if any of these tips were helpful.
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Working with Marshal Whittey at First Nonprofit has been a great experience. He handles our request as a priority and goes above and beyond to resolve any issues we have in a timely manner. Marshall follows through to the end and ensures our needs are met. He has been a great resource for LSC and our “go to” for any tax questions we may have. With LSC transitioning several facilities into one federal tax identification number, First Nonprofit was able to assist and provide guidance with best practices resolving claims to each entity. Additionally First Nonprofit provided knowledge (information materials) and one on one training to HRS group with best practices to handle claims state adjudicated, fraudulent claims, and appeals. And processing information in the First Nonprofit [unemployment claims] system allows for timely information can be collected.
My experience with FNP has been wonderful. Unemployment in general is quite confusing and FNP has simplified the process for us. Everyone we have reached out to or worked with has been very helpful and follows up to be sure we understand the information. I am so happy we made the switch to FNP!
First Nonprofit smoothed the unemployment perils for our organization during Covid. Without the ability to cap our UI exposure, we would not have been able to weather the storm. The program worked perfectly and we have come out of the pandemic ready to forge on. Thanks FNP!
My experience with the FNP has been fantastic. The idea of setting funds aside for the unemployment tax liability is a bedrock for nonprofit organizations like mine, namely ASHBA; what is even more advantageous is having the FNP as a custodian of those funds. 100% recommended!
I would like to comment on my experience with FNP….to date our District has saved $1,000’s of dollars by being enrolled in the First Nonprofit program. My only regret is that we did not know about this method of paying unemployment tax years ago….as I had figured about five years
ago, had we enrolled 15-20 years ago, we could have saved our small school district upwards of $500,000 in payments to IDES. Also we would have had a pretty hefty sum of money in our Reserve Account. Thankfully I attended a workshop hosted by First Nonprofit back in 2015 which got the ball rolling!
I have worked with the First Non-Profit Team for many years, and I appreciate the quick response and care that Cecilia and the team provides anytime I have questions. While there are other providers that may provide like services, First Nonprofit will always be my first choice! I appreciate you!
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Luckily for us, our interactions regarding any issues with staffing has been very minimal! I can say that all other interactions with regards to billing, 941 reporting, etc. have been extremely pleasant, accommodating and easy to work with. Kim Ghanayem is always prompt, professional and friendly. Thank you so much!