Fund Raising

Guide
Fund Raising

Profit making is a competitive business, and as long as your chapter can afford to take the risk, it is good experience. However, you should not allow the chapter to get to the point where you are risking the foundation of the chapter in an effort to raise money. Unfavorable publicity ensuing from financial distress could jeopardize the whole outlook of our organization in your community and may take years to repair.

LEGAL ASPECTS

Remember that some fund-raising activities can involve you in legal difficulties, particularly where other organizations may be involved. Obtain legal advice on any agreements you enter into and check any local government regulations which may affect you. Lotteries are always difficult in this area and your must be cautious.

LOCAL RESOURCE GUIDE

It is essential to successful sponsorship seeking or fund raising to know your community, determine who can assist you best in each area of programming and list them. Keep this list up-to-date, as it may prove to be a valuable asset. Below are some of the major groups for your reference:
Departments in the local government
Civic organizations
Classified industrial groups
Entertainment
Health/Sports
Public Involvement.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Your Finance Committee should have among its members the most experienced and promotional-minded people in the chapter and members with a business background or experience in profit making.

The Treasurer of the chapter should be included to have a responsibility for ordering, keeping inventory, issuing, collecting money and finalizing each project by reporting profit to the Board Meeting.

Each individual project, of course, must have its own chairman and committee responsible for conducting it.

SELECTING THE PROJECT

Whether the project idea originates from a member or an outside firm, each project must be considered carefully and from every aspect by the committee before recommending its adoption to the executive and the general membership.

Try to put your selection through this check list:

£ How much money will project operation require?
£ Can the chapter risk that much?
£ If the project fails, how much money could be lost?
£ How much profit can be netted?
£ Did a similar project attained success in the community – or in other communities?
£ Are adequate necessary facilities located in the community?
£ How many man-hours are involved?
£ Is that much manpower available?
£ Is the project's timing right?
£ Will it conflict with other chapter or community activities?
£ Will the public get its money's worth?
£ Are outside agencies or organizations necessary for the project's proper promotion?
£ Is the project legal and reputable?
£ Has the contract been carefully studied by a lawyer?
£ Is the sale of the project placing you in competition with community businessmen?
£ Will they approve?

PUBLIC RELATIONS

One of the prime necessities of fund raising is publicity – it is also a major part of Public Relations. Let's tie them in together, so that you can have good public relations through our fund raising projects.

Sometimes with all the detail to fund raising, we tend to overlook the potential of our advertising and some of the real rewards our activities can bring – public acceptance, spreading the ideas of Junior Chamber, and increased membership.

Good Public Relations for fund-raising projects requires that information be given, but of primary importance is:

What you will do,
How you will do it,
When you will do it,
Why you will do it.

Giving publicity to all of the above is important to the success of any fund-raising project.

Furthermore, with an annual fund raiser it is advisable to conduct it at about the same time each year as the public will come to expect it and support it. This continuity is also helpful to your Public Relations program.

WAYS TO SELL PRODUCTS

1. Sell to people at your place of work. One sample shown on your lunch time or in casual contact with your fellow workers will produce orders.

2. Sell to your neighbors. Show the product – advising of its competitive price and convenience to buy from you. This home service saves a shopping trip.

3. Sell at a shopping center booth on a Saturday. Get permission from the management... select a heavy traffic spot. It will require 2-3 hours working shifts.

4. Sell by placing the goods in several community retail outlets – offering the merchant a percentage of your profit and asking for his participation on the basis of helping a specific community project sponsored by the chapter. You supply his needs on a weekly basis – and receive money for very little effort.

5. Sell by market research – direct mail. "By calling us at 123-4567 anytime, a Junior Chamber member will deliver the goods within 24 hours." The letter should also include a specific community project for which the profits from this program would be earmarked. This approach will build a regular sales volume in less than 30 days... and on a 100 percent voluntary basis.

6. Sell by contracting to supply the community's needs through the local government office. Talk with your mayor about the chapter taking over the program – and providing the total distribution. Sell the program on the basis of the profits which will be used to further a specific community project which has mutual interest. This type of project should be accompanied with a sound analysis of manpower available to assure that the chapter can provide the service that will be expected.

7. Sell on the Internet. Create a professional website and offer products to the public. Also, contact online sellers to place links on the chapter’s site and make commissions from each sale coming from the links on your site.

SUMMARY

Always involve the chapter membership in the fund raising efforts and make it a team effort.

Show the results of the project to the public and authorities to gain credibility for other projects.