Charity Banners

New survey results from the October Pew Research Center state the 57% of Americans seem to feel an income shortfall against the ever-increasing cost of living. This of course calls for a fair amount of trimming on expenses that could be considered unnecessary, but does charity come into play here? Charity credit cards are great this way, they enable you to give, even if it is a little donation without having too much of an impact on your tight budget.

Also referred to as cause credit cards, these cards donate a fraction of the transaction to whatever charity is connected to the card. Most cards are branded with the name of the charity, like for instance the American Heart Association cards from the Bank of America – while other cards let you choose your charity for donation. This way, you can even divide your donation among say, five different charities.

The contributions made through each transaction are minute and amount to as little as 0.3% to 1% per transaction. However, when each transaction donation adds up, taking into account the number of cardholders, the donation does add up to a sizable sum. If you feel this donation is not enough, then there are some cards where you can offer an initial donation ranging from $10 – $50 at activation – these are available at CardPartner, OneCause and Chase.

A good example of a charity which benefits from charity credit cards is a tiny, private school which manages to raise approximately $6,000 every quarter by the OneCause credit card, a shopping site and a toolbar feature. The money raised goes to finance the school’s scholarship program.

There are various strategies to raise funds for charities – it just depends on what works for whom. The charity itself, its patrons and who it serves should be the deciding criteria for your fundraising strategy. However, here is a list of fundraising ideas that seem to have worked for a large majority:

Large scale events – This could be anything from a marathon to a walk-a-thon to a gala. Big events are sure to raise ‘big’ money if organized properly. The event is not only big enough for the entire community to take part in, but also becomes a social event of sorts and if caught on by the media, could generate a lot of publicity as well.

Trivia night – Small events such as a trivia night could also work. It is a fun way to raise funds and also create awareness for the cause you are supporting. You can conduct the event at a pub or even a small restaurant and it is a great fundraising idea for a group of ten to fifty people. You can make it work for a bigger crowd; that is up to you.

Live, silent auctions – If hosting a charity dinner or gala event, a silent auction is another great way to add to your fundraising that night. If you manage to get some great auction pieces, this could prove to be quite popular amongst attendees.

Direct mail fundraising – Letter campaigns can be successful, but depends largely on the organization and the audience it is focused at.

Grants – Most charity organizations depend heavily on grants, and thus pursue them quite keenly. Organizations ranging from national foundations to corporations and even community foundations all provide grants.

Saving money – Discount card books or coupon books are great ways to raise money for your charity. It not only gives your supporters the opportunity to make a donation, but also gives them great ways to save their money.

Other methods of raising funds include conducting raffles, raising funds online via the charity website, specialty sports tournaments or simply just asking for donations. Take your charity and its mission into account and then decide what would work best for you!

There are many ways to raise funds for charity. One such method, which has become increasingly popular over the years, has been through music. There have been numerous musicians who have written songs for charity. These songs, once produced, have been sold, and all the proceeds are then donated to that particular charity. When charity songs are recorded by top artists, people are compelled to purchase it. After all, it is not like you are not going to support the cause your favorite artist does, right? And some of these songs have topped the charts while others have made an appearance but the important thing is they have all become widely popular. Here are some of them:

We are the World (1985) – Recorded originally by the super group ‘USA for Africa’, this song was co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. The famous recording of the song on February 28th, 1985 brought together some of the most famous artists in the industry. Released in March that very year, ‘We are the World’ stormed global music charts, rising to the top spot, while being the first single to receive a multi-platinum certification. The song has won three Grammys, one American Music award as well as the People’s Choice Award. Records indicate that the song made well over $63 million, selling over 20 million units. A remake of the song was done in February 2010 in aid of those devastated by an earthquake in Haiti.

Voices that Care (1991) – Enlisting 110 voices belonging to famous actors, singers, athletes, the song was recorded to encourage soldiers fighting in Operation Desert Storm. Written by David Foster, Peter Cetera and Linda Thompson – it reached the eleventh place on the Billboard Hot 100, third spot on the Hot 100 Singles sales and thirteenth on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.

Sun City (1985) – Written as a protest song by Steven Van Zandt, Sun City was recorded by a group of artists who called themselves Artists United Against Apartheid, opposing the apartheid policy adopted by South Africa. There were mixed reactions to the song in the US with it reaching only the 38th spot on the Billboard Hot 100, while only a mere 50% of the US radio stations played it while others objected to the lyrics which criticized President Reagan’s ‘constructive engagement’ policy. However, the song’s worldwide performance was much better. Sun City became an overwhelming hit in the Netherlands, was placed on the UK Singles Chart and was also a top ten single in Canada. Music critics picked Sun City as record of the year, while it also reached top spot on the Pazz and Jop Critics Poll earning it the title of best single of the year.

If you have a charity event coming up, undoubtedly you would want everyone to know about it for it to be an absolute success. Promoting your event creatively and using the correct tools is a must. This way, regardless of whether it is a bake sale, a charity dinner or even an auction, letting people know is vital. Here is how you should get about it:

Tip #1: Set up a promotions committee for your charity event. Sit everyone down and conduct a quick brainstorming session for ideas. Try to pick ideas that do not cost much. If you have a budget for advertising, then spend it wisely. If not, then there are enough of ways to promote your event absolutely free. You just need to look around.

Tip #2: Get the graphics wiz in your team to design some snazzy fliers. Then you can send them out by mail or even hand them out, leave them at the local coffee shop and supermarket. Wherever you think the target market frequents.

Tip #3: Tickets are also a good way to promote your event. Get some printed right away. This way, people know when and where the charity event is being held and the cost involved as well.

Tip #4: Rope in the local newspaper as a sponsor. This way, you can ask them to advertise your event in the paper. This is very important if your charity event is a big one.

Tip #5: The Internet is also a fabulous method of promoting an event. Send out an email; make it a Facebook event, update your twitter page and so on and so forth. Make sure that you include all the important details such as the name of the event, the date and the venue etc. This is a sure fire way of spreading the word around.

Tip #6: If your charity event is a huge one, then you could also try getting the local TV and Radio channels to sponsor it as well. This would mean more free publicity for the event.

Putting together a charity is almost like setting up a business. There is a lot of paperwork you have to sift through, legal stuff you have to take into consideration and other important factors. Therefore, unless you are ready to take on such responsibility, do not venture into setting up a charity. Ensure that you look into all aspects first, and carefully plan everything out before you start. Here are five essential steps you should take into consideration:

Step 1: Decide on what kind of charity you want to set up. If there is a certain cause you have in mind, then, move onto step 2. If not, consider your interests and the available resources that will help you to meet your goals. Look at your community to find what is missing and what is needed. This should give you enough insight in making an informed decision. It is unnecessary to set up a charity that is similar to one being run in the same area. Analyzing the competition is of absolute importance – especially when drawing up a good business plan.

Step 2: Filing requirements. Check with the local authorities regarding relevant registrations and licenses you might need to get when setting up your charity. You might also need to obtain special insurance for the charity, which is over and beyond the usual insurance policy needed for a business. If you are employing people, then that paperwork also must be dealt with. Ensure that all IRS requirements are met.

Step 3: Board members. Find people who you know and can trust, who are experienced, educated and most importantly interested in the mission and goals your charity will set out to achieve.

Step 4: Business plan and budget. While a charity is not a business, setting one up requires careful planning – hence a business plan is needed. The more solid your business plan – the more successful your charity will be. Include your budget as well, ensuring that all costs are taken into consideration, no matter how minute.

Step 5: Patience. Setting up your charity will be no easy task and sometimes could pan out after a long time. Hang in there and set yourself to the task. On average, setting up a charity could take at least a year.