When coming up with fundraising ideas, it's important to take a step back and look at fundraising as a whole. In recent years, fundraising is responsible for several billions in revenue annualy. There are many ways to go about it, some more effective than others. Here are some of the most popular forms, one of which may be better than others for your specific cause:
Direct Sales With Immediate Exchange:
This involves an exchange of cash for the product on the spot. Products are given out to sellers involved in the fundraising effort ahead of time, and carried with them while conducting sales. Unfortunately the variety of products is diminished by what the seller can carry.
Direct Sales With Delayed Exchange:
In this case, cash is taken immediately as well, but the product is then ordered either from a brochure or catalog. This process is a little bit more complicated but often results in more sales due to the increase in variety. The product is often shipped within several weeks.
Donations:
This is pretty straightforward. Donations are solicited in exchange for no product or service rendered. This typically works best for the more sympathy-garnering causes. There are several ways to go about this including direct soliciations, mail, email, events, etc
The next one of these fundraising ideas is among the most efficient and cutting edge:
Internet Fundraising:
This is a powerful new fundraising discipline. It involes an affiliate program and all orders are processed online. The benefits are huge - there is never any leftover inventory, and all the ordering infrastructure is electronic. There is no risk, and you can track how the fundraising is progressing in almost real-time. It's good for any sized fundraising campaign, from tiny to massive.
