The Lazy Fundraiser's Guide to Raising Six Figures This Fall
Get started with cause marketing from the comfort of your beach towel or chair. You'll raise six-figures in September!
I’ve been relaxing in my garden.
It's been a busy year and I'm looking forward to just hanging out - and gardening - in July and August.
I’m sure you're planning your own downtime.
But I bet you're thinking of September and all that money you have to raise from businesses. I know, the boss is on your back and it's only July. I used to have a boss, too, you know. I remember the drill.
But here's something the boss won't tell you: relax, chill. I got your back.
In this post, I'll guide you to six-figure success this fall.
Let's get started by laying the groundwork of what cause marketing is (aka fundraising with businesses).
Defining Cause Marketing (aka Fundraising with Businesses)
[Note: This image is one of many in this post that links to Pinterest. The image on Pinterest links to the original post. You can check out my 3,000+ cause marketing pins here.]
This post I wrote for Hubspot will explain what cause marketing is and why businesses are putting it front and center in their marketing mix.
You should also read this post on why you should forget traditional corporate giving altogether and focus on individual giving instead.
Believe me, I'm not telling you to turn your back on businesses. But I am saying there are better places to look for money from businesses than applying for corporate grants.
The 5 Most Lucrative Fundraising Campagins
This post I wrote for For Momentum features the five best cause marketing fundraisers. They include:
- Pinups
- Register Programs
- Percentage of Sales
- Collection Drives
- Cause Products
Put Fundraisers 2 - 5 on the Back Burner
The real money in cause marketing is in pinups. I can give you 358 million reasons why you should choose pinups over another fundraiser.
You may be scratching your heads wondering what a pinup is. No worries. I bet you've seen and bought one, but you probably called it something else (scannables, mobile, paper icon, paper plague, etc.). Anyway, this article explains pinups front and back.
You can also see dozens of examples of pinups on this Pinterest board.
If you are still confused about pinups, you should probably hire me or someone else to show you how to run a successful program from start to finish.
But You're Lazy. Why Would You Do That?
You're right, that's why I have to give you free access to my Power of Pinups program. I generally sell this program for $49. In one-hour I explain everything you need to know about running a successful pinup fundraiser.
But, Joe, I Don't Have a Business Partner for Pinups
That's sad because you're missing out on thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars! (National program raise millions!)
Nonprofits often ask me what kind of company they should target for a cause-marketing campaign. "Oh, that's easy," I say. "Pick the company that will say yes!"
Some people think I'm being a smart aleck, but I'm not. Finding a partner is the most difficult part of any cause-marketing program.
If you already have a partner, and are just looking for the right promotion, you're lucky. Everything is easier when you have a partner. Sadly, few nonprofits have one when they call me. They have plenty of creative ideas, but when I ask about a partner to help execute their plans I hear crickets.
So, if you're not fortunate to already have a company partner, how do you find one for your cause-marketing program?
To begin, think of your prospecting efforts as a target with a bull's-eye and two outer circles.... This post explains the rest!
If after doing this exercise, you still haven't identified a partner, you have some work to do. Here's how to get started.
Joe, I'd Rather Die Than Do Pinups
Not everyone loves pinups. This may include you. They're not my favorite, either. But, boy, can they raise a lot of money! Fortunately, cause marketing is changing and pinups won't be around forever. But their immediate death is greatly exaggerated.
Still, cause marketing is moving beyond the simple paper icon that has dominated business giving for 50 years.
Meh. What Else You Got?
Well, if you want to learn about 39 other strategies for fundraising with businesses, you could pick up my latest book. A great companion to this book are my boards on Pinterest.
Each chapter of the book links to a board on Pinterest where you can see examples of the strategy. For example, my board for pinups has nearly 50 pins. Of course, when you click on a pin it takes you to the site/post from which I got the image. So you are sure to learn a thing or two.
If $40 bucks seems steep for a book - I wouldn't argue with you - you could pick up my first book, which is selling on Amazon for $17.
Add your questions and comments below!
Was this post helpful? Please share it on your favorite social networks with the social links below. Never miss a post by signing up for my email newsletter on the right sidebar or on my homepage.
