Have you every been in the frustrating situation where you need to buy something for your business and don’t have the money?

Maybe one of the following techniques will be the answer you’re looking for.

You’re probably aware of the credit card industry for purchases.  Did you know you can actually “buy money” with credit cards? You can withdraw the money no questions asked, assuming you have available credit of course.

Not only can you use your card, many credit card providers also can send checks that you can write against your credit limit.

If you have five credit cards you can cash a check or “draw money” (cash advance) of $1000.  That makes $5000 if you use this method on all five cards. Cash the credit card check at the bank or institution that provides the credit card.

Many banks also offer overdraft protection these days.  Using this method a check can be cashed for higher than the amount in the bank account. The check is processed even though the funds are there.  The bank honors the check, therefore , as a benefit, no overdraft fees for you or the person whom you issued the check. This method is actually “revolving” credit.

Another method is using your home equity to borrow money.  If you have $25000 equity in your home You could take out a loan using the equity in your home.  Many astute people use this method in order to start or expand a business.

The next method, which has been used very frequently is borrowing from friends and family.  For example if you have 10 friends that each loan $100, that’s $1000 right there. Imagine the possibilities if have hundreds.

Even though you don’t realize it you probably have cash laying around.  I’m not talking about finding money in the pockets of old jackets.  Old furniture, dolls, antique items can all be sold to raise funds. Almost anything in your bedroom, attic or basement stored away has the potential to generate funding. You could even have a yard or garage sale as a fund raiser.

There are many more methods that can be used. Use your imagination to see the endless possibilities.  They are out there, spend a little bit of time contemplating and less time worrying. The world is full of endless opportunities for anything and everything. Be prepared to use any or all the methods when the need arises.

If any of these methods work for you, you’re well on your way.

By Farida Madre
Copyright 2006 GoldenStarEbooks.net

http://www.goldenstarebooks.net

Successful fundraising requires following certain fundamental steps.   Here are two things you have to do with every fundraiser:

1) Increase community awareness of your need

2) Increase community awareness of your offering

Everybody reading this instantly thinks, “Yep, we’ve got that covered.   Everybody in our group knows what we’re doing.”

Let’s take a closer look and see, shall we?

Creating Awareness Of Your Fundraising Need:

1) Can your need be expressed in a single sentence?
2) Has everyone in your group memorized that sentence?
3) Is expressing your need a part of your approach to all supporters?

Test your group from top to bottom.

Randomly ask individuals to tell you why your group is raising money.

I absolutely guarantee you that you’ll be surprised at how weak the  various answers are.

In many groups, more than 50% of those involved with the fundraiser will not be able to tell you in a single sentence the specific reasons why they are raising money.

What about outside your group?

Can you honestly say that you’ve exhausted every possible approach in  getting the word out to the community about your fundraiser?

Does everybody know why you need money?

Have you done each of these?

Flyers
Posters
Press release
Roadside signs
Newspaper coverage
Public service radio announcements
Pre-kickoff letter, postcard, or email campaigns

Or, are you assuming that all you have to do is tell someone that you’re doing a fundraiser and that they’ll be glad to help?

Two problems with that approach. One is that most of your group can’t effectively communicate your need.

The second is that you are already assuming that your group has more than enough prospective supporters to meet your goal.

Both these problems limit your potential results.

Consider these three points:

One, if your need isn’t communicated clearly and concisely, it will not be understood and internalized as a deserving cause by your prospective supporters.

Two, if your sellers don’t really understand your group’s need, then they won’t push as hard to meet that need.

Three, if your need isn’t general knowledge in your community, then your fundraising job will be that much harder.

Think of “getting the word out” as being similar to softening up the beachhead during the Normandy invasion. If you don’t do the advance prep work, you’re much more likely to  meet a hostile response.

Creating Awareness Of Your Fundraising Offering

The second fundraising fundamental goes hand-in-hand with creating an awareness of your need.

Creating an awareness of your offering is just as important as telling people why your group needs money.

Your fundraising need and your fundraising offering should be closely linked in all your communications.

At the same time you are getting the word out, you need to make sure the message gets through on exactly what your group is doing to raise funds.

Just as with expressing your need, everyone in your group should be able to sum up your fundraising offering in a single sentence.

That sentence should also reinforce the emotional foundation that is derived from recognition of your need.

So what in the heck does all that mean?

Put simply, if someone believes your need is real and agrees with the value proposition of your offering, they will help you.

And what’s your fundraising value proposition?

It’s a summation of your offering, combined with a reminder of your need, that’s expressed in a way that informs each prospective supporter of what’s in it for them.

In other words, your prospect needs to:

1 – Be aware of your need
2 – Be linked to it on an emotional level
3 – Be in agreement that your offer has real value in it for them

Getting your need and your offering across to as many potential supporters as possible is the essence of fundraising.

Take the time to develop single sentence statements for your fundraiser covering both of these fundraising fundamentals.

Teach everyone in your group how to communicate these basic value statements when they talk to prospective supporters.

Conclusion

Executing well on these fundraising fundamentals — communicating your need and communicating your offering — ensures that your fundraiser will be a smashing success.