A Guide to successful fundraising

Ah fundraising. It can be the best of times, it can be the worst of times. It's all about how you do it. Only one thing is certain - a little bit of planning can save a LOT of work later on. Here are a few simple questions to ask yourselves to start you on your way:

How much do we need to raise?

This will depend largely on the size of your group and how active it is. If you're not a completely new group, chances are you'll have an old budget that can give you an idea of your operating expenses. If you are just starting out, here are some things to be sure to include:

Membership Contribution. Groups and clubs are encouraged to contribute at least $50 per group or club. There is no minimum fee to participate in the Youth and Student Program, but your contribution is used to pay for postage, printing and development costs and for all that excellent support you receive from AI Canada.
Meeting Costs. Is there a room rental cost for the place where you hold your meetings? Do you serve refreshments or use audiovisual equipment? Take the cost of an average meeting and multiply by the number of meetings you expect to hold that year. Don't forget to budget a little extra for your first meeting (when you'll probably have a lot more people than usual) and for any major annual meetings, if you hold them.
Postage. The costs of postage can add up, especially for a very active groups or members. Be sure to include mailing costs for newsletters and mailings to group members, as well. If your group uses faxes in their actions, include the cost of transmission.
Publicity. How do you get members out to your meetings? This may include photocopying and printing costs for creating newsletters, flyers and posters.
Special Actions and Events. This will include the costs of all "props" you'll need (signs, placards, posters) and any additional costs such as room rentals.
Resources. Although many resources can be obtained free or borrowed from the Amnesty national office, there may be videos, posters or other resources you wish to use that carry a small cost.
Travel. Sometimes groups may budget to send members or leaders to conferences or meetings, or to bring others to the group. This could include sending representatives to Human Rights College or AI Canada's Annual General Meeting. In addition, you may wish to bring speakers to talk to your group or at a conference. You may have to include travel expenses for this person as well as a small gift or honorarium.
Volunteer/Member Appreciation. You may wish to recognize your members, donors and volunteers somehow, either through a small gift or event in their honour.
Fundraising. You've probably heard it many times before: You've got to spend money to make money! Costs of fundraising may include advertising, photocopying and all of the extra costs that add up when you hold a special event.

What do we have to work with?

Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your group. Look at things like:

Material resources. What kind of things does your group already have? Do you have a lot of funding, access to large meeting spaces, plenty of art supplies? Do you have access to a photocopier and fax machine? Can your group get funding from your school or student council?
Human resources. What are the particular strengths and abilities of your group members? Do you possess skills or talents that could be of use?
Network resources. What kind of relationships does your group have with other people and other organizations? Do any of your group members have connections that could help the group - these could include contacts such as businesspeople, entertainers, politicians and public officials, or even other activists who have a lot of experience and wisdom to share with the group.

What do we like to do?

Look carefully at your list of resources, particularly the talents and skills of your group members. What does your group like to do? Are you event-planners, letter-writers, entertainers or all-of-the-above? Think about how you can incorporate your group personalities into a successful event.

For example, if you have a lot of creativity and artistic talent in your group, organizing a bake sale might not be the best use of your skills. Instead, a silent auction of artworks created by your group would allow members to do something they enjoy while raising money for the group!

Helpful Hints

Check the Rule Book - Check with your school, town (or other "authority") before you start planning your fundraiser. Do you need a permit (or letter of permission) for your action? If you don't play by the rules, you could get shut down and actually lose money.

Add Fundraising to the Mix - Your group may already be doing things that could include a fundraising component. Add a donation jar to your table, or sell Amnesty merchandise at your information booth. Think creatively - there are many ways to raise a little money without changing much at all!

In-Kind Donations - are donations of goods or services to your group, rather than money. For example, rather than paying to rent a hall for an event, you group could ask the hall owner to provide the space for free. When fundraising, look for different forms of in-kind donations that can be made, rather than just asking for money.

Tax Donations - Most Amnesty groups aren't able to give out receipts for charitable tax donations. However, Amnesty International Canada is a charitable organization and does give receipts for donations. If you have questions about this, or have a donor who wishes to receive a tax receipt, contact the National Office.

Risk Management - huge elaborate events can seem really exciting as fundraisers, but they may come at a great cost. You may wish to start off small with your fundraisers, minimizing cost and risk, until your group is more experienced and comfortable with your fundraising environment. Remember even the smallest fundraisers can experience problems (like a forcast for rain at your picnic or car wash) so when you're planning try to imagine all the possible things that could go wrong, and come up with contingency plans to address them.

Always Say Thank You! - When the event is over, always recognize your volunteers and often your donors. This may be as simple as a thank-you card or letter of reference. If people don't feel appreciated, they're not going to come back next time!

Ideas

You'll probably get tons of ideas once you start thinking of all the resources your group can take advantage of. If you're still stuck, check out Action Ideas for some suggestions.