{news} Fwd: [usgp-nc] Brent McMillan - Grassroots Fundraisin

[Charlie Pillsbury]

 good "how to" fundraise.

Green Party of the United States
202-319-7191
brent at gp.org

Grassroots Fundraising

Grassroots fundraising is raising money from and by your constituency.
If approached like an organizing campaign, grassroots fundraising 1) win
real victories 2) give people a sense of their own power, and 3) change
the relations of power.

Grassroots fundraising wins real victories on two levels. First, you can
successfully raise money with your constituency, particularly if you set
specific and realistic fundraising goals. Second, you will also win real
victories because the money raised from grassroots fundraising can be
used for whatever your group chooses (the use of money obtained from
foundation funds is usually restricted in some way).

Grassroots fundraising gives people a sense of their own power. Leaders
are developed and encouraged when they raise funds to support their
organization. Members and leaders feel a great deal more power when they
raise $10,000 through an event than when one person writes a grant
proposal and a foundation contributes $10,000. While the latter way
raises money, it does not give leaders a sense of their own power.

Grassroots fundraising also changes the relations of power. If your
group develops its own internal funding base via grassroots fundraising,
you are seen as a much more powerful community player. Having a solid
source of funds changes the relations of power between you and those in
powerful positions, because you will be more difficult to get rid of or
be bought off.

There are many ways to raise funds for your organization, large-donor
solicitations, direct mail appeals, canvassing, and grassroots
fundraising. Most organizations find that they need a diversified
funding base to sustain them over a period of time. It is risky to
depend too heavily on any one type of fundraising, except internally
generated funds and grassroots fundraising.

Grassroots fundraising not only makes theoretical sense, it also makes
statistical, economic sense. According to the American Association of
Fundraising Counsel, 81 percent of U.S. contributions to charity come
from individuals, 7 percent from bequests, and only 7 percent from
foundations and 5 percent from corporations. Thus, 88 percent came from
people, either living or deceased. Not only does most money come from
individuals, but 85 percent of all money given comes from people with
incomes of $50,000 or less. So groups can build a grassroots funding
base from low- and moderate-income families.
http://www.aafrc.org/

Set a Goal

Sometimes when groups talk about grassroots fundraising, they think
about small garage sales or bake sales. Grassroots fundraising certainly
includes these, but they do not necessarily have to raise small amounts
of money. In fact, if your organization's goal is to raise money, you
should figure out how to work with your leaders to raise $20,000 instead
of $2,000, especially if it will take comparable amounts of effort.
Time, of both staff and volunteers, is a valuable resource and must be
used wisely in grassroots fundraising.

Make a Fundraising Calendar

One of the benefits of grassroots fundraising is that you can control
the timing on when you raise the funds. For many groups, the end of the
summer is a tight financial time. If you know this, you can plan your
grassroots fundraisers accordingly. You can also schedule special
fundraising events at times of the year that are less hectic
programmatically, although you may find that you raise the most money
around the same time as your peak programmatic times.

Make a calendar of the upcoming year. Fill in regularly scheduled
events, special appeals, holidays, heavy programmatic periods, and other
relevant information. You can also plan fundraising events for times
when your constituency has the most money. For example, the
end-of-the-year events are difficult for most poor and working class
people because they are buying gifts. On the other hand, upper
management types may have just received their year-end bonuses and be
flush with cash. Then decide when you need money the most and when would
be the best times for your organization to hold grassroots fundraising
events. By planning well in advance, you can recruit a solid core of
people to serve on your fundraising committee(s).

Raise More Money Than You Spend!

Just because another group made money on a certain project, don’t assume
that your group can. Carefully analyze why and how another group made
money. One of the biggest traps is assuming that groups can sell
inexpensive items, such as candy, and make money.

Raise Money for Your Issue Program

It is much easier to raise money to support a campaign to eliminate a
food tax or to increase security in a building, than to raise money to
pay back debt or the electricity bill. By raising money around your
program, you can publicize the issue and potentially recruit new volunteers.

Have Fun

Lots of projects will raise money. Let people use their own creativity.
If the fundraising committee has fun planning and implementing their
event, they are likely to get involved again and to draw others to work
with them.

Build on Past Successful Events

Don’t skip from project to project. Once you identify a fundraising
project that works, repeat it annually. Not only do you learn how to
host the project more efficiently, but your group becomes identified
with that annual event, making it easier to promote. (Example the silent
auction at the ANM.)

Stay in Line with Your Image

A health organization can’t be selling junk food, nor can a clean air
group sell cigarettes. Grassroots fundraising is part of your overall
program and thus must meet the same high standards as your program.

Maintain High Ethical Standards

It is essential that your organization remain both rigorously honest in
all of its fundraising and accountable to its constituents. If not, the
group’s image could be tarnished and it’s overall political
effectiveness diminished.

Build Leaders

Grassroots fundraising should not only raise money, it should also
develop leaders. Joan Flanagan, author of the Grass Roots Fundraising
Book, and one of the best trainers on grassroots fundraising, suggests
selecting co-chairs for your fundraising committee. Have each co-chair
recruit four or five people for his/her group. Keep careful, measurable
records on each person’s contribution. The co-chair whose group raises
the most money should be given greater responsibilities.

Budget Money to Raise Money

Devote Organizational Time to Fundraising

All too often, groups treat fundraising like the ugly duckling, assuming
no one will want to do it (at least no one in their right mind.)
Grassroots fundraising requires excellent leadership skills. Give
fundraising and those who lead the efforts their due respect.

Grassroots Fundraising Ideas

Ask at Every Opportunity

Dance
Auction
Raffle
House Party
Food Tasting
Phone-a-Thon
Musical Event
Dinners
Rummage Sale
Plant Sale
Canvassing
Contest
Tabeling at Events
Merchandise - Yard Signs - Bumber Stickers - Buttons - T-shirts - Hats –
Green Greeting Card
On-line fundraising – Social networking
Membership

Source: Organizing for Social Change

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-- 
Charlie Pillsbury, CTGP
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