Media
Fundraising Information
|
|
As a nation, Americans are very generous. When an international
disaster strikes, Americans offer kind-hearted donations for victims and
their families. However, the public's generosity, while well-intentioned,
can be misplaced with donations of material items that are not suitable
for the victims' critical needs. As a result, efforts to help can be
unsuccessful. Through years of experience, CIDI knows that monetary
donations are the best and most effective way to help international
disaster victims. Recognizing that many Americans prefer to take action,
CIDI offers recommendations for fundraisers. By developing a fundraiser
Americans can work with their friends, family and community to take action
while building the best donation for international disaster victims– cash.
To help get started, CIDI offers the following tips for successful
fundraisers.
|
| Five Fundraising Ideas |
| 1 |
Car Wash
Car washes are easy, fun activities for individuals and groups to
organize that are guaranteed to raise funds quickly for victims
of an international crisis. |
| 2 |
Bake Sale
Bake sales are one of the most popular ways to raise funds, allowing
civic organizations and families to work together to support victims. |
| 3 |
Yard Sale
Instead of donating unused items (clothing, appliances, cans of food, etc.)
to disaster victims, neighbors can hold a yard sale and raise money for
organizations responding to an international disaster. Rummage sales are a
great way to get rid of items not being used while stressing that cash is
the most effective way to provide humanitarian assistance to those in a
crisis. |
| 4 |
Run/Walk for Victims
Charity runs and walks are popular across the nation. One designed to
support victims of an international disaster both educates the public while
providing a community sense of pride. |
| 5 |
Raffle
Raffles are widely popular as organizers work with local businesses to
donate prizes such as a free dinners, movie tickets, or merchandise. This is
another successful route to unify a community to support disaster victims. |
| Five Fundraising Tips |
| 1 |
Recruit Volunteers to Make Fundraisers Stress-Free
Recruit dedicated volunteers and supporters to help in planning and
organizing a fundraising event. Establish a planning committee to discuss
all details and logistics for the event and select organized leaders to
oversee volunteers and ensure everything goes according to the plan. |
| 2 |
Plan an Educational Kick-off Event
Plan a kick-off meeting to get volunteers charged up. Keep volunteers
informed and allow them to help select the agency or agencies that the
proceeds of the fundraiser will go to. |
| 3 |
Reach Out and Get Others Involved
Don't be afraid to ask neighbors, family, friends, and co-workers to help
fundraising efforts either by volunteering or making a donation. At a
minimum, fundraising activities will need assistance for advertisement and
implementation. |
| 4 |
Plan Rewards for Volunteers
Ask local businesses to support fundraising efforts by donating gift
certificates to reward volunteers. Rewards are a great opportunity for
businesses to support the community and gain recognition. |
| 5 |
Take Advantage of Free Publicity
Local newspapers, news outlets and cable channels will publish or post group
announcements free of charge, so send them a press release about disaster
relief campaigns or events. Be sure to include as much information as
possible, including what the international disaster or crisis funds are
being raised for; how people donate funds or volunteer. And don't forget to
use electronic media (Web sites, blogs, E-newsletters, etc.) to promote
fundraisers! |
For more details, please see CIDI's Fundraising Guidance for International
Disasters. |
Home
|
