Contributed Income is the other side of the income coin for a nonprofit organization. These monies are not available to for-profit organizations. They are tied to the fundamental assumption that nonprofits are serving the community and donations are the means by which the community contributes to their existence. (very short version -- read the book too :-)
There is an publication that all professional fundraisers read -- Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/section/Home/172
There is an organization dedicated to the field, as well -- The Foundation Center: http://www.foundationcenter.org/
Read the "about us" of the Foundation Center and poke around their web site. Read a column in the Chronicle.
What do you glean of the job of someone working in the field of Development/Fundraising? Who are these people and what do they do?
Emerging modes of on-line fundraising include "Pepsi Refresh" and "KickStarter". How are these new and different ways to raise money/engage people in a cause?
FYI: Imagination Stage participated in the Pepsi Refresh project in December. We did not win, but we got a lot of engagement . . . (we were SO close -- one away from winning!). You can see our core fundraising video at (it is the first of 3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El3QUFAsHKE&list=PLA9984DAF61EACB12&feature=plcp&context=C47f5c98FDvjVQa1PpcFOMyVbqkYDXWKk0b0xv1tPkkxkfwKm2Agc=
After exploring the links I have found that people working in development and fundraising have a very unique and interesting job. They facilitate the funding for an idea or project that may not be their own. Although that is their job and they are paid for their service the real benefit goes to the individual with the original idea that requires funding. I think that they have a pretty tough job. They have to convince investors that the idea that they are selling is beneficial and something positive for them to get behind.
ReplyDeleteThe new online fundraising facilitators such as Pepsi Refresh and KickStarter make the job of the developer or fundraiser easier. Being web based broadens the pool for which there are available investors. Being online makes these new ideas or projects available to a much larger audience spreading the awareness and potentially raising more money in a shorter amount of time. I think that to make these online services even more helpful they should link up with social networking websites creating an even larger pool of potential investors and making the ideas available to even more people. Right now if you are in interested investor you have to go to these sites to find the products, but if social networking were tied into it the products would come to the investors based on interest and funding history.
From the articles and pages I read, I really gained a better understanding (on top of the very little understanding I had before reading) of what it is exactly that a person working in the field of development and fundraising does. Their main goal is not to necessarily come up with the information themselves, but they act as a resource through which the information can easily flow and congregate in one particular area.
ReplyDeleteFoundation center connects people who want to give. It allows them to obtain the resources they need in order to do so. They provide accurate information about all ways to give, and through providing this information, they gain partnerships. The foundation runs libraries and databases, educates, publishes books, and runs a network of funding information centers.
The Pepsi Refresh and KickStarter projects are simply amazing! I had heard about them, but was unsure what they were all about. It was so great to see that these projects are out there that allow people to reach out and help their ideas manifest themselves properly and thoroughly. The projects help so many people in so many areas of philanthropy and giving.
I've posted this three time..I hope it's working!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely working. You can always log off (closet the window) and log back in to see it :-)
DeleteDevelopment/Fundraising officers are responsible for managing and coordinating fund-raising for institutional priorities. In this capacity, he or she works closely with senior managers in establishing private funding priorities and advises them on trends in the philanthropic world, which affect organizational priorities. They are also responsible for planning fund-raising strategy and for carrying out specific projects as well as identifying potential sponsors and the appropriate targets for funding. Either alone or with other organization personnel, approaches individuals, corporate and foundation officials and negotiates the terms of their support to the institution.
ReplyDeleteThe Pepsi Refresh Project participants can be individuals, for profit organizations (which have a maximum of $5 million in annual revenue) or non-profit organizations (must be an existing 501(c)(3) organization at the time of registration for the Grant Program and have a maximum of $15 million in annual revenue); For individuals this is a wonderful opportunity to fund projects because usually individuals (and smaller or groups) would have to secure a fiscal sponsor in order to apply for federal grants. Also, for private or public pre-school, kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school regardless of whether the application is submitted as a for profit organization or non-profit organization there is no revenue limit. You must be at least 13 to enter which means that you don’t have to be a professional grant writer to initiate an application. Fuels by optimism and do good mentality, the campaign is fun and easy rather than long, laborious. It combines social media and community building. The refresheverything.com platform allows visitors to vote for their favorite ideas and submit and promote their own ideas, on their own terms. Users can also get inspired by joining a discussion about a particular topic or by reading/sharing articles and videos about others. Users not only visit refresheerything.com but also have the opportunity to use Facebook application to share and vote for ideas as well as iPhone and Android applications that leverage the voting functionality and community aspects of the main site. The campaign has been supported with online banners, integrated media campaigns, TV, print, outdoor, college programs and retail display.
ReplyDeleteKickstarter is a fundraising website that uses the crowdfunding platform to raise money. Kickstarter acts as a facilitator to collect monetary contributions from the general public and charges a 5% fee. Those interested in having their projects funded must sign on to Kickstarter, create a profile , set a financial goal and target fnding date. If 100% of the goal is not met by the target date, no funds are collected. In an LA Times article, Kickstarter and the NEA: Who funds more?
ReplyDeletehttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2012/02/kickstarter-and-the-nea-who-funds-more.html
Kickstarter projected that it would disseminate 150 million in funds for 2012, slightly more than the NEA’s projection of 146 million. While Kickstarter does fund more than projects that fall within the arts, the achievement nevertheless is worth recognition and should cause fundraising/development officers to take notice of the changing face of fundraising.
After reading and analyzing the articles, I was able to understand the full responsibilities that someone working in the department of development and fundraising does. I thought it was very interesting how the department of development and fundraising acts as a important resource to help contribute to information that they might not have come up with. I really enjoyed learning about the Foundation center, I love that there main goal is to help people who want to give. The Foundation center helps make giving easier, by providing accurate information about how to give and all the steps that go with it. I think the Pepsi Refresh Is awesome opportunity to outreach to the community in USA.
ReplyDeleteFundraising is the odd duck of work out there . . . and interestingly one of the positions with the highest turnover and the highest pay. Like Box office managers work in other sectors that pay higher than the arts (eg baseball teams/fields), Development officers can work at universities, hospitals -- many organizations with much larger cash flows and budgets, thus making the industry very diverse and complex.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though the Foundation center is an operating foundation; the fcebook and social networking for various individuals and corperations for palanthropy. As it says in their mission, they want to “strengthen the social sector by advancing knowledge about philanthropy in the U.S. and around the world.” In their 2010 annual report, under Lead Doners are the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Under corperate Doners in Washington DC, we see names such as the Freddie Mac Foundation, and the Washington Post Company. Other community foundations, public charites, and individuals also contribute. There are training videos that tell one how to be getting grants for their organization; having to be a non-profit, be credible and have a solid structure. They look for, high quality programs that meet a real need in the community.
ReplyDeleteIn the Cronicle of Philanthropy, I picked the article “5 words that helped a local non-profit raise money” by Tony Martignetti. It is strange how much fundraising is like marketing; using the right words. Remember, the superbowl ad avoided certain words and instead used others about youth and need. The same goes for fundrasing. At an Indiana fundraiser, an experiment was held. It was found out that while men were not effected by such words as caring, compationate, helpful, frienldly, and kind; woman who heard those words gave $100 rather than the adverage $83 when only thank-you was said. It also made donaters feel more comtorable while they are always feeling as though they might me risking “irritating their supporters.”
While many corperations give certain gifts or their foundations are funded by some of their earnings, Pepsi refresh is acting much like the Foundation Cnter, but instead of trying to connect different fundraisers, they want to take “people's ideas [to better their community] from wishful thinking to reality.” They will raise money, and alongside 79000 volinters, work for a better world. Kickstarter, much like that is a fundraiser, but instead of constricted to the arts and other creative fields. It will fund people with creative ideas.
I am sorry this is so late
From reading the two web pages, I gained some knowledge about how people working in non-profit organizations actually make a profit. The people that work to develop fundraising methods and techniques to gain money have a very interesting job that I can tell takes a whole lot of dedication. They put together different projects to obtain of earning money yet being very resourceful to the communities by running things such as libraries, learning centers and other community foundations.
ReplyDeleteI really like the Kickstart website and fundraising techniques. This website is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. The website states: Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields. All or nothing funding. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk. A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.
I feel like the website is really inspiring to all projects big and small and the website is really diverse; inviting all types of foundations, projects and people.
I have learned from reading about philanthropy, fundraising and combined income that philanthropy is a large part of fundraising and working for a company. They look for and raise money for companies and causes that mean alot to them and that helps to make the company or cause more successful.
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