The Fundraising Factory

Random Acts of Giving

November 30th, 2012

I wish this day could be the movie Ground Hog’s Day.

Four girlfriends thought they would get together, have a bite to eat then do a little Christmas shopping.
During lunch one of the women announced she had an idea.   You’ll see this really turns out to be a mission.  She reached in her wallet and handed each of the
other women a Benjamin, WHOA!  We quickly learned there were strings attached.   The $100 came with some serious ground rules for our shopping experience.

First… You must buy a gift for yourself.  Giving to yourself is first and foremost.   I liked where this
was going.

Second… You must buy a gift for someone you know.  Giving to those we love strengthens our relationship bond.  No problem.  I can do that.

Third… You must buy a gift and give it to someone you do not know.  Random acts of giving open your
heart and the heart of the recipient.  Now this excites me!

Finally… You must return in an hour and a half  with the gifts and pictures as proof of the random giving
act.  Should you not be able to complete the mission as the rules dictated then you had to return the 100
dollars.

Just before we set out to shop, our server placed a big and beautiful sugar rimmed Maine Blueberry Margarita in the center of our table.  We toasted a “Merry Christmas” and on the count of 3 only the ice cubes and 4 straws remained in the glass as evidence we had been there.

An hour and a half later we reconvened… at a local tavern. We broke out in a show and tell session and
gleeful stories rolled off our tongues. We passed our phones around staring at pictures of strangers who
received the random act of giving.

Lisa is in the middle.  She  gave this family of 4 a gift certificate to LLBean.  Definitely happy campers with their two adopted Indonesian children.

 The man smiling at Sandra is happy because she just bought he and his wife lunch.  They plan on paying it forward for sure.  The joy of Random Giving is flowing!

This pair of Jill McGowen texting gloves wound up on the paws of this young woman who I met in Starbucks.  She was a bit taken back and shy at first but it looks like she got beyond it.   She was so cute.  She told me she got a great parking spot at work today and she knew that meant she was going to have a great day.  She was right!

Everyone we came in contact with wished they were doing what we were doing and those who were the
recipients of random acts of giving were blown away and all of them said they were going
to pay it forward!

Funny thing is, anyone can do what we did.  It’s the giving that makes the difference not the amount of
money spent.

It was a super amazing shopping day to say the least!  I don’t want to make this a national holiday I just want to make it a habit.

If you have a random act of giving story please share.

 

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Posted in Giving, Personal | 4 Comments »

Chocolate “Salami” Dessert

July 15th, 2012

At my fundraiser brunch to benefit the Maine Cancer Foundation I promised I would let you in on a few of the recipes and also the results of my fundraising efforts.  It’s probably not the best idea to experiment with new recipes on guests but I have been known to be a risk taker and rule breaker.  Is anyone thinking Pat Benatar right now?  No, Okay.  Anyway, I tried a few new recipes out on my friends/guests and this one was definitely a hit so I knew I needed to share it with you.   By the way I raised a few thousand dollars from that brunch.  Now that’s some sweet!  If you are interested in how I did that just click this link.  I am not finished fundraising for MCF yet but you can be sure that I will let you know the final tally when I am done.

Meanwhile, here is the recipe for this cute little finger dessert.  What you will love about this besides for the fact it’s chocolate is that it is super easy to make and can be done a day in advance.

 

Chocolate “Salami” for Fundraising Brunch

What you need:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips. I used Godiva but Hersey’s will do just fine.

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced into 6 to 8 pieces

2 Cups (1/4 of a 12 oz. pkg) vanilla wafer cookies crushed into crumbs 1/3 Cup sliced almonds. I bet you could try walnuts and also add dried fruits cut up into small peices as well if you wanted to get a little creative. I am thinking dries cherries would be good. I mean chocolate and cherries. That’s a YES!

raspberries and mint for garnish

What you do:

1. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or a metal bowl or saucepan that will rest on top of another sauce pan.  Fill the bottom pan half way with water.  Put the chocolate and butter in the top pan.  Heat the water over med/low so the water is barely steaming.  After about 1 minute, gently stir the chocolate and butter.  Every minute or so stir.  Once about 80 percent is melted remove from heat and continue stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth.  It should be just warm to the touch.

Add the vanilla, cookie crumbs, almonds.  If you went the creative route now would be the time to add dried fruits.

2. Put the pan in the freezer until the mixture is slightly firm.

3. Spray a large sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable cooking spray.  Spread the mixture evenly along one long side.  Roll to form a log shape about 21/2 to 3 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long.  Place the log in the freezer for at least an hour until firm or overnight for use the next day.

4. Remove the log from the freezer about 2 hrs before plating and cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Garnish with raspberries and mint.

5. Watch them disappear!

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Is your charitable gift a responsible investment?

June 19th, 2012

The Chronicle of Philanthropy posted a blog http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/apple-co-founder-steve-wozniak-gives-with-no-strings/33601  Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Gives With No Strings.

As soon as I saw the name Steve Wozniak, I had to read more.  Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple and I have an insatiable curiosity of exploring Steve Job’s success.  You may assume correctly that I have read his biography by Walter Isaacson.  If you have read the book you already know Wozniak’s slant on sharing. If not, I’ll just say this.  He  wanted to give away for free the programming knowledge/secrets that were the underpinnings of Apples’ great products way back in the beginning.  Jobs thought differently.  I didn’t say better I said differently.

Wozniak’s comment at an appearance at the AFP TechKnow conference, in Orlando, Fla. “I would never give a gift that has restrictions,” “I leave that to people who know more than me.” indicates a lack of financial responsibility and good stewardship of his resources and indicates a laziness in his approach to real involvement in community. It’s what I would term a lazy donation.  Lazy donations do not hold nonprofits accountable.  Without accountability mismanagement of funds, and lack of consequence to program failure or success could result.  This does not make for improving a community.  It’s near to throwing bad money after good!  No pun intended.

Donors should consider a restriction list that includes answering questions such as:

1. Of the revenue coming in how much goes to administration? And how much goes to Programs/Services? Ask the nonprofit directly or Charity Navigator is a respected source to see how a non profit is ranked for revenue analysis.

2. What statistics can they provide to prove the success of the services/program that needs funding? And do they have a strategy that will include funding sustainability for the program.  In other words do they expect you to keep throwing money their way year after year.

3. What contributions have non profits made to the community besides what they are selling, their program.  That means outside of their gig how are they involved in community/business.  It’s only fair to ask. Business are judged similarly.  We comparison shop when we are buying from them.  It’s well documented that people do choose to buy from a company that is socially responsible over another that is not given the products on every other level are fairly equal by comparison.

So why shouldn’t nonprofits be put to the test as well?

As an example, if two animal shelters asked for a donation and both provided similar services with the exception that one was building a park for dogs that enhanced your community and the other did not, which would you choose to give your hard earned dollars to?

It is more work for donors but in the end we’ll have stronger non profits!

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Posted in donations, Donor, Giving | 5 Comments »

Are donors PO’d at your QR Codes?

June 12th, 2012

Joanne Fritz asks the question in her blog post today.  Are QR codes reaching their tipping point?  She sites Joe Waters statistics that 14 mil. mobile users are scanning.  This piqued my curiosity because at the BlogWorld Conference in NYC this past weekend Scott Stratten actually spoke about QR Codes in his session on the 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media.  Oh you missed a good one!  NO worries though I found this short You Tube clip of Scott titled The Problem with QR Codes.  It’ so worth the 2 minute watch especially if you need a good laugh right now.  He’s a hilarious teacher.  The Comedy Channel needs to pick him up.  Ok, enough of my obsession with Scott Stratten.

Image is from http://www.blueglass.com/blog/qr-codes-bridging-online-and-offline-marketing/

Prior to Blogworld, I have been experimenting with QR Codes, putting them on the fundraising LULU Cubes.  People can find additional information about the Non Profit just by scanning.  It also serves as  another avenue/vehicle to give.  It can’t hurt provided the link is working.

What about using QR’s  for a merchandising fundraising campaign by applying a QR Code to whatever it is your selling.  As an example, I provide an informational/functional promotional card for my fundraising pins.   On the inside is a blank area for an org to adhere a sticker with whatever additional message they want to include in the card.  It is the perfect space for a QR Code and message.
I want to take advantage of all the tools out there and non profits can too!  Take Stratten’s advice, think and you use them correctly.

Are you are you using QR Codes?  I’d love to know if they are proving results and I bet other readers would as well.

Thanks for sharing and have a Scan Good Day!

Lucinda

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Posted in donations, Fundraising Tips, Marketing, social media | 3 Comments »

Quinoa Summer Salad – Vegan and Gluten-Free

May 31st, 2012

These days everyone seems to be on a different diet.  This is a vegan-gluten free dish I made for my recent fundraising brunch.  You don’t have to be vegan to love this salad.  It’s so simple to make, incredibly healthy and wildy delicious.

What you need:

1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa
A sprinkling of sweet grape tomatoes- I use both yellow for sweetness and red for color
1 carrot, grated
4 scallions, sliced (white and light green parts)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives chopped. I have substituted Greek but used less since the flavor is so much stronger.
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds or pinenuts
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes.

What you do:

Rub the clove of raw garlic inside a non metal salad bowl.

While the cooked quinoa is still warm spoon it into a bowl and fluff with a fork.

Halve the grape tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Add in the grated carrot, sliced scallions, Kalamata olives, and toasted slivered nuts. Toss lightly to combine.

Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Add the chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil- enough to moisten. Toss again. Squeeze a lemon or a lime all over the salad and give it one final toss.

Cover and chill until at least one hour before serving. Serving chilled can stifle flavors so I prefer to serve at room temperature.

Before serving, adjust seasonings if needed.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Enjoy!

 

 

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Thought Training

May 29th, 2012

Maine’s Tri For The Cure is in 6 weeks.  If you have been following my blog then you know that I am not only raising funds for the cause but racing in the triathlon as well.

Last week I was out on a “training” ride of about 15 miles.  Half way through the ride I realized I had forgotten my water bottles and was really thirsty and began obsessing in my head how dry my mouth was and wanting  really bad some H2O.  No sooner had I “wished” I had some water when the skies opened up and it began to pour rain.  I chuckled to myself as I know all too well that you do get what you ask for.  Or put another way, be careful what you ask for, you just may get it!

My bike ride was a good reminder.  Be mindful of  thoughts.  They are the most powerful tool you have when it comes to creating a desired reality.  A goal or dream was never achieved without imagining it first.  And remember a wandering mind leads to a lost soul.  Don’t let your mind drift, really focus on where you’re going, whether it’s winning the race or imagining your next best self!

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Fundraising – One Person at a Time

May 25th, 2012

Recently someone asked me if I had any ideas about how they could run their own personal fundraising campaign.  Of course I do because this is something I am in fact doing right now.  Non-Profits take note – this might be an idea you could share with your potential donors as well.

So, here’s my own ‘one person’ show fundraising plan.

This year I am in Maine’s Tri for a Cure event that benefits the Maine Cancer Foundation.  It’s a swim, bike, run triathalon.  Besides having to get into shape, I mean get into training mode, I also have a responsibility to fundraise for this charity event.

Cash Mobs – have you heard of them?

  • A variant of crowd funding, cash mobs entail rallying people to a local business to have a good time and spend some money.  Here’s how I am capitalizing on this concept.  I held a fundraising brunch in my home to kick off my efforts.  I invited lots of people from all walks of my life.  I prepared all kinds of great foods (don’t worry I will share some of those recipes in future posts) and about 40 people showed up.
  • Once everyone arrived I made a pitch for the Maine Cancer Foundation.  I asked my guests to help me raise $5000! Yowza! By my calculations each of my guests would need to contribute about $125 each for me to reach my goal. That’s seems like a lot to ask of one person, I mean my cooking is good but is it worth 125 bucks?
  • However, I made it really easy for them to help me.  I introduced them to LULU Cubes.  You can read about how they work in a past blog post or get the how to do it details on my website.  Each person took one with them when they left.
  • I invited them to come back to another party July 4th, which would give them 6 weeks to fill their LULU Cubes with donations.  They loved the idea for a variety of reasons.  It’s social, it’s fun, it’s easy and they can be a part of something bigger when they come together again at the July 4th party and see the results of the entire group!

Engaging Donors in my Campaign

To engage my ‘friends mob’ in the efforts of the group,  I created a LULU Cubes Facebook page where everyone can upload and share images of their LULU Cubes as they get them filled with donations.  I will also send a weekly e-mail to all the LULU Cube owners sharing ideas of where to take their cubes and inspiring them to be the best fundraisers they can be.  This really does speak to my saying. “Your One Choice Away From Changing the World!”  It’s true, anyone can give something, even if it’s only a nickel to their LULU Cube!

Hey if you want to follow along with how we’re doing go to facebook.com/LULUCubes.

 

 

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Storytelling – Animation is Mesmerizing

May 23rd, 2012

In a previous post I said I would write a couple of tips on good storytelling.  Here’s the third of three.

Facial expressions, body gestures, and vocal tone add character to telling a tale.  However, the size of an audience dictates the amount of body language you might use in your account of a story.  With a large audience distance can be a problem.  So what can you do?  Pulling out a power point is not the answer if that’s what you were thinking.  Short of jumping up and down, with arms waving frantically to keep an audiences attention, the other choice is vocal animation combined with those carefully chosen words that I talked about in a previous post.

Combine your words in ways that perhaps your audience has never heard them before.  Think about giving your words certain tones and pitches.  Enunciate your words to match their meaning. Volume is your best friend and inserting a whispering sentence to a large audience while bending forward just a little adds an unexpected dynamic to your presentation.  Of course it should be appropriate to your content.  I use this technique almost every time I am public speaking.  You have to give it a try.  It’s so much fun to watch your audience lean forward and even sit up straighter in their seats.  Use a rhythmic cadence and change it up.  That adds more color in your words.  Don’t forget that silence is a beautiful thing.  Add pauses or even stop in mid-sentence.  Animation engages and mesmerizes your audience.  It may even get you a standing O!

 

 

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Posted in Speaking Engagements, Stories, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Kiss and Tell the Story

May 22nd, 2012

In a previous post I said I would write a couple of tips on good storytelling.  Here’s the second of three.

We all know the KISS rule.  Keep It Simple Silly. That means for me – stick to the story.

Every story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Start with the OMG, listen to this.  Grab the listener’s attention at the beginning with your dramatic headline.  I call it the hook – they can’t wait to hear more.

Draw them into your story by picking and choosing your words like you were selecting one flower at a time to create a magnificent bouquet.  The use of choice words create a picture in a listeners mind.  By doing that, the story teller taps into our imagination and transports us to a scene outside ourselves.

A good storyteller creates the end with an exact closing moment.  They know when  to return us to our own thoughts and experiences and leave us saying wow!

Go  for it and create your own magical mystery tour.

 

 

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Storytelling – The Heart and Art of the Matter

May 21st, 2012

 

In my last post I said I would write a couple of tips on good storytelling.  Here’s the first of three.

Words can Wow – vocabulary selection can make or break a good story.  As an artist, words are like paint colors to me.   Depending on when and where they are used each word holds hue, and value. They paint a picture or scene.   Be authentic when choosing words that express and reflect the emotional component of the story that you are sharing.  Feel the words you choose and your audience will feel them too.   Emotions, after all, are contagious!

 

 

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