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Friday, October 1, 2010

The Natural Networker

I'll be helping Janet Callaway, The Natural Networker with articles for her Website and Blog for the next few weeks. If you have topics related to networking and social networking that you would like us to explore for you please let us know.
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Saturday, August 21, 2010

How To Raise Money To Support Causes That Contribute To Your Community

I recently met a lady who told me that if I could provide with her with 10 people who are committed to the community and would support the fund raising efforts for a specific group, she would produce in 6 weeks for that group and the community, over $15,000 a month in direct cash payments.

Well, I was skeptical. However, not too long ago I wrote an article about Church Charity Self Funding which a lot of people read, however, no one asked me if the plan would work for them and/or how to get in touch with someone that would make it work for them.

With that experience in mind I decided, what the heck, maybe she has something that I should share with others who are committed to making a difference for their community. I asked her to give a quick overview of what she was suggesting. Here it is:

The first thing she did was explain to me how and why it is always so difficult to introduce something new, especially when it goes against all that we have been taught through the main stream bureaucracy, the same bureaucracy that created the recession we are enjoying.

She then explained why she thought the present economy represented a great opportunity for communities and other civic organizations to expand their loyal neighborhood base into cross related money machines that not only help the neighborhood but each individual participant and the whole community by providing a solid base of friends and associates who can be counted on to continue giving to the program no matter what. Basically, she said, the program rewards neighborhood families for being a part of the community?

She went on to explain what we, unfortunately, already know; Charitable giving is down between 6% and 50%, depending on where you live, who your donor base is and who is reporting. And naturally the charities that are taking the brunt of the decline in charitable giving are the community civic organizations. The groups that help communities the most by providing innovative programs.

She then said something so simple and compelling that I was stunned. She said “You want to make the program a community party.” A party where people not only have fun, they are financially rewarded for bringing their friends and associates to the party.

She went on to give me the details, including the tools she provides. I'm not going to go into that here.
Suffice it to say that the results for the families participating and the community is nothing short of amazing.

In the 1st week one family invites 4 people to join them. In week 2 those four people invite 4 friends, that's 16 members so far. In week 3 those sixteen members invite 4 associates, that's 64 members. In week 4 those sixty four associates invite 4 supporters, that's 256 members. And the inviting continues.

As the income to the charity grows, so does the income to the participants.

One family is now earning an additional $1,550 a month
Four people are now earning an additional $750 a month.
Sixteen members are now earning an additional $350 a month.
Sixty four associates are now earning an additional $150 a month.
Two hundred and fifty six supporters are now earning an additional $50 a month.
And the inviting and earning continue.

That's income that can be used to help stimulate the local economy. How? By buying from local farmers' markets and locally produced products from community retailers, through micro lending, guarantees or otherwise helping finance families and local businesses that need financial assistance, frequenting community restaurants, retail stores and service providers. By spending their “found” money locally.

The message her program brought to me is that the great recession we are experiencing is changing, forever, the way we will be able to support civic, church and community charities. Why not support the community and the families that make up the community while you support the causes that contribute to your community?

As always, I'm here to help you navigate the changes that are being forced upon us.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Charity Community Online Giving Cash Direct

In previous articles I have written about “Charitable Synergy” which I consider the most significant innovation in charitable fund raising in this decade. The process is simple; you raise money from outside your traditional donor base by allowing a complimentary charity and/or your donors to participate in the process by receiving a referral fee of some sort.

I realize that this is not traditional thinking, however, traditional fund raising techniques are not working in this economy. Charitable giving is down between 6 and 50 %, depending on where you live, who your donor base is and who is reporting. The good news is that church members are continuing to give even though it puts a major strain on their personal finances in these uncertain times. The charities that are taking the brunt of the decline in charitable giving are the community civic organizations that provide innovative programs for the local community.

What can you do about it? Think outside of the box. It's time to go beyond Charitable Synergy. As Robert Kiyosaki recommends in his newest book, “The Business For The 21st Century” there are new economic facts that traditional educators and businessmen have not yet grasped. One of those facts is that word of mouth marketing combined with an economic incentive is the most powerful advertising and promotion vehicle that you can use. However, to make it acceptable to your donors you are going to have to tailor it to your specific charity.

There are online giving cash direct programs available that can easily be structured for your charity that are based on fun, fellowship and making money together for the charity, civic organization and each other. Once the group is formed and is making money for the charity and themselves they have the choice to use the money for things that make them feel good, more charitable causes within their community or the world community that they want to participate in together.

How do you get started? Start thinking outside the box. Don't listen to the gloom and doom talking heads. The present economy represents a great opportunity for charities and civic groups to expand their loyal donor groups into cross related money machines that not only help the charity but each individual participant and the whole community by providing a solid base of friends and associates who can be counted on to continue giving no matter what. It's really simple and it works. Why not reward your donor base for being loyal?

Giving online simplifies the process, however, it can become impersonal and a little disconcerting. There is the concern about fraud and the use of funds for promotion and fund raising rather for the purpose you intended. Obviously, dealing person to person is the best method, however, that limits you to the donor base you have. In my opinion the best solution is to reward people for bringing their friends and associates to your charity.

There's an old saying “If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got”. I can hear the head of your local charity saying “Yea,Yea we've always been able to get what we needed from donations or selling something or other.” Not any more. People just don't have the money. People need money, your charity needs money; why not give both what they need? There is not room to go into details here, however, to learn more you can get my free report Click Here.

There is another old saying “charity begins at home.” Charity starts in your home, your community and revolves around your friends and associates. We have come to rely on someone else; government, foundations, businesses, when it's really about each of us helping each other. It is really that simple. I look forward to helping all of you.
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Secret Behind Abundance - will your charity find it?

The secret is, there is no hidden secret! It's a bit frustrating for some of us in the older generation to look at many of the younger generations searching for a secret that is not a secret at all. The more we tell them that there is no great secret behind abundance the more they believe that we are hiding something from them.

What does this have to do with philanthropy? Demographics!

There is more need and fewer givers. The big donor foundations, trusts and individuals are still available, however, there are more and more worthy causes competing for those dollars. And, the market that has the resources and wants to give to worthy causes is so busy looking for the secret behind abundance they don't have time to share the abundance that is everywhere. So let's put the secret thing to bed.

“There is no great secret.” The path to abundance has been discussed, written about and re-written about since we appeared on the planet. How do I know that there is not some great secret hidden in some government warehouse archive?

I came to feel that the way to leave behind something of value for others was to write something profound that would be remembered. I set out to find something profound to write about that would benefit people and that they might remember. I felt that by remembering what I wrote they might remember me as well. Basically the age old question – why am I here? I felt by leaving something of value for others I was justifying my existence.

I now know why I am here and it's not to write something profound in order to be remembered. However, in my search to find something profound that hadn't already been written I discovered something very interesting. Everything, related to you, me and all that is, has already been written, people are just re-hashing what was said and written centuries ago.

That said, how do you find the path to abundance? “If you believe it - it is so.” “Like attracts like.” “I know, I believe and it is so, that is the law of attraction.” “A belief is only a thought that we continue to think.” “One person has belief and is able to pass it on.” “All big things are started by one person, one believer.”

That's it. Think it; believe it; repeat it; allow it to happen.

Here are some reference materials that can help you: The Game of Life and How To Play it, As A Man Thinketh, The Gardener Touched with Genius, Think and Grow Rich, The Secret Life of Plants, The Magic of Believing.

What does this have to do with charitable giving and demographics? Charitable givers are being bombarded with requests for them to give. The industry, yes charitable giving is an industry, will tell you to identify previous donors, your market, and ask them to give more. This probably is still working for established charities and their aging gift givers. What about new worthy charities and new donors?

New donors! These are the generations of people looking for the secret behind abundance. These are the Internet generations who are not very trusting. You have to give them something different. You have to give them a basket of synergistic charities, abundance and the feeling of participation. New philanthropic foundations being put together by experienced successful business people, who want to give back, team up with like minded foundations, trusts, charities and individuals to attract new donors.

Let me use an example to show how this works. XanGo, a manufacturing and distribution company, creates a proprietary product which it gives to its charitable foundation. The foundation partners with Americares to insure that the product will reach the third world children it is intended for. The foundation offers a referral fee its distributor force to spread the word about the program.

XanGo distributors find charities and individuals who refer people to the program, for a referral fee. The charities that participate ask their existing donor list to refer others to the program. Why would a charity ask their existing donors to participate in another program? The charity gets a referral fee and access to “new” donors.

There you have it, the secret behind abundance; when you do good for others they will do good for you. If you want to learn more Contact Us.
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Monday, March 8, 2010

Church Charity Self Funding

Recently I had an interesting conversation with a pastor regarding fund raising. We were exploring ways to raise money for some of the programs the church wants to implement. Because of my awareness of synergy, I suggested that working with another charity would be a way to expand their donor base, increase their exposure and broaden their appeal.

It was explained to me “that's not the way we do it.” Apparently the church has a broad base of younger and older donors with a contingent of loyal older donors who can be relied on to help out as the church's community responsibilities continue to expand filling in the void created by government and corporate cut backs for social services. It was explained to me that historically donors who provided X dollars in donation could probably afford to provide X times 5 and that the donor requests are gradually increased over time to that amount.

We had a long conversation regarding demographics and the effect the latest economic realities are having on the more mature generation of loyal donors. In the end, respecting his belief, I didn't try to force the issue of the world's exploding economic realities we are now having to deal with on a local level. However, I did suggest that the sooner charities in general and churches in particular reach out to others that have a popular cause that will resonate with their supporters and their supporters friends and associates the better.

Since that first conversation I have talked with several others regarding the concept of Charitable Synergy which I believe will be so beneficial for charities and churches in this evolving economic environment. There have been some good discussions regarding the details of the program for specific charities and the security of a group's donor list.

In the Internet age we live in, a secure donor list is a bit of an illusion, however, it is an important element in the concept of Charitable Synergy and needs to be addressed at each level of a Charitable Synergy self funding project. One of the programs I have reviewed is the Goodness Giving Meal Pack program sponsored by the XanGo Charitable Foundation in association with the decades old AmeriCares.

Their program, which is providing specially formulated meals to starving children, is the primary fund raising vehicle. By making a $45 donation through XanGo, donors join the worldwide crusade to eliminate starvation in the world. The $45 provides 17 meals monthly to children in need. Donors receive a 100% tax deduction on their donation, a gift card acknowledging a donation that can be sent to anyone you choose explaining that a donation has been made in their name by Donor, a monthly Goodness Meal Pack e-mail newsletter with news relating to your giving and year end receipt for tax purposes. AmeriCares, provides uncompromising security procedures to assure that donated Meal Packs are delivered to the designated beneficiaries and not diverted. The Church receives a monthly referral fee for as long as the donation is made to the meal pack program. If you want to learn more about this particular program contact Janet Callaway.

In a typical church Charitable Synergy Self Funding project individual churches promote the program through their congregations to the membership's friend's and associates. Churches reach out beyond their congregation membership by supporting a popular charitable cause through their congregation to each member's friends and associates. Basically, it's getting a little bit from a lot more people.

What happens to the donor list? In the meal pack program the participants become Preferred Customers and their $45 donation purchase becomes 1 of the 500,000 or so individual orders processed each month. Naturally, all the customer data is protected, however, if someone is looking for a “big spender” to solicit for a donation, the $45 donation will not draw much attention or place them in the potential donor category. The church receives a list of donors which includes their participating congregation members as well as the friends and associates of those members.

Of course, a donor list means very little until someone that actually knows a person on the list calls them. The reason people donate to charities and churches is no different than the reason foundations or corporations give; a friend asks. That is why Charitable Synergy giving is so powerful, hundreds of people are asking friends who are asking friends, that the church or charity would otherwise never be able to reach, to donate to an international program to feed children and to support the church at the same time. These are people who you would most likely never be able to reach without a Charitable Synergy program. These are people who keep giving month in and month out.

Why do the charities want to participate in a program where they don't get all the money donated? Charities don't like to have to keep asking for more donations any more than people like being asked. Charities are always looking for ways to increase their donor base and they want a program that provides for an automatic monthly donation so they won't have to keep asking for money from the same donors.

It is simply a better system for everyone involved. A charity finds a program, that will attract a large donor base, which compliments their cause and together they promote the program. The Charitable Synergy Self Funding program represents a Paradigm Shift in the way charitable giving has been done in the past!
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Charitable Synergy

Ever heard the term “Charitable Synergy?” It's the most significant innovation in charitable fund raising in this decade.

Let's say I want you to contribute to my favorite charity, which happens to be the Goodness Giving Meal Pack program. I'll bet you have never heard of it. That's the challenge! How does a great charity, you've never heard of, introduce you to its program and give you the opportunity to participate if you like its cause?

As is the case with many other contemporary charity programs, the meal pack program participants are not part-time players. The XanGo Goodness Foundation was formed by its Billion dollar parent to fund innovative programs that help make the earth a better place. They teamed with Americares, who provides almost 1 Billion dollars in aid programs annually, to make sure the Goodness Giving Meal Pack is delivered.

Yet not only have you probably never heard of the Goodness Giving Meal Pack program you most assuredly do not know anything about the XanGo Goodness Foundation and most likely nothing about Americares. Assuming you don't know the players how does the charity get your attention without spending a ton of money, which they would rather spend distributing Goodness Giving Meal Packs, on advertising and public relations? That's the question charities are continually faced with. The answer?

Synergy! The unknown charity teams up with 1 or 2 other charities that you do know about. The charities are given a referral fee donation for introducing the program to you. They also ask that you refer 10 friends to the program by e-mailing them an introduction. In this manner many people who would like to participate, if they knew about the program, are given the opportunity.

Why would you do that, why not just make a donation to the charity you know about? You could do that; or you could make one donation that benefits all of them? As an example for $45 a month the Goodness Giving Meal Pack program provides 17 meals, delivered; and gives the charity that introduced you to the program a referral fee donation; and if another charity or individual introduced that charity they give them a referral fee too. That's synergy.

Why do the charities want to participate in a program where they don't get all the money you donate? Charities don't like to have to keep asking you for more donations any more than you like being asked. Charities are always looking for ways to increase their donor base and they want a program that provides for an automatic monthly donation so they won't have to keep asking you for money.

It is simply a better system for everyone involved. A charity finds a program with a large donor base that compliments their cause and together they use a program, like the Goodness Giving Meal Pack program, made up of trusted partners that they can work with to provide their donors with more bang for their buck while the charity has the opportunity to increase its donor base. Synergy, a Win – Win situation for everyone.

If you want to learn more about “Charitable Synergy” I would be glad to help.
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