IdeaEncore: Some tips and advice on end of the year fundraising

You and others like you who share what you know and re-use others resources to help you save time, save money and learn faster ... that's what tops our list of things to be grateful for this holiday season.

Tips, advice and resources for end-of-the-year fundraising events

Ensure your holiday fundraising goes well The season of celebration, family and, importantly, giving has begun. Whether your organization is in the early planning stages of a fundraising event for next year or you've been planning for months, the Nonprofit Insurance Alliance Group's Sound Advice for Functions and Events will help you reduce accidents at your event. There are a wide range of fundraising strategies that nonprofits can integrate into their events. For tips, strategies and advice on special event fundraisers, asell as in grants and individual donations, read Ilona Bray's Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real World Strategies That Work ($14.99 off-site). If your nonprofit is considering integrating a raffle or other type of "gaming" into your holiday fundraising event, first read the IRS's Tax-Exempt Organizations and Gaming guide to understand the tax and reporting requirements. If your organization isn't ready to throw a large fundraising event, there are still options for you. Online auctions can be an effective and low cost way for your organization to raise money online. Northworld, LLC's A Strategy for Online Fundraising Auctions will help you learn about this twenty-first century fundraising technique. Sumac's article Making a Scene: The Recipe for a Great Fundraising Letter can help you refine your end of the year letter to touch and motivate donors. Help your nonprofit colleagues this holiday season and share your fundraising event plans, checklists and strategies on IdeaEncore.

Encores of the Week

Guilty as Charged: Prove Your Board Supports Your Organization Shared by Karen Eber Davis Consulting (Free) Two Hour Board Training Shared by Nonprofit Management Services, LLC ($5) Introduction to the Human Resources Discipline of Diversity Created by Society for Human Resource Management and Shared by Capaciteria (Free) Staffing Software-Related Positions Shared by CJW Consulting & Services, Inc. ($20 or $10 for group members) Becoming a More Effective Nonprofit Board Shared by The Bridgespan Group (Free)