Dec 05
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3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Fundraising Efforts

By | Fundraising | No Comments

iStock_000012332268XSmallAny nonprofit organization has to be adept at fundraising if they are to stay successful. With so many organizations competing for donors, how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? Here are some easy ways to maximize your fundraising efforts in order to ensure the success of your nonprofit.

1. Make personal contact

While sending potential donors an email is easy to do, you can never guarantee that they will actually open it, much less read it. Not only that, but computer-generated emails lack a personal touch, and can be off-putting to some. In order to make people feel special, reach out to them with a personal note, phone call or visit so they won’t wind up feeling like just another number to you.

2. Share the Passion

There’s got to be something special about your group; otherwise, people will be unwilling to donate to it in the first place. Think about the reasons why your nonprofit exists, and then attempt to relay your group’s goals and visions to potential donors. If possible, provide people with some evidence of your good works so that they can feel personally connected to the work you do, and this will make them more likely to want to donate.

3. Follow up

You may encounter people who claim that donating right now is not appropriate for one reason or another. Be sure to make a list of these people so that you can follow up with them later. By doing so, you will pick up donations that might otherwise have slipped through the cracks, not to mention the fact that you will also continue getting the word out about your organization to others.

If you keep these ideas in mind, your fundraising efforts will be more successful than ever. To find out more about how to maximize your fundraising endeavors, contact us.

Nov 23
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Around the Holidays Consider Fundraising For the Members of Your Community

By | Fundraising, Nonprofit | No Comments

iStock_000011346681XSmallYour nonprofit is always considering their bottom-line, and how your organization can benefit from fundraising. However, when the holidays are around the corner does your nonprofit stop and consider community members who may not be able to afford a turkey and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving?  Or that nearby families they are grasping at straws in trying to figure out how they can provide for their family a wonderful Christmas. They don’t know how they can pay all of their bills let alone purchase presents for their family members.

Fundraising is not always about furthering your mission and your incoming revenue. Around the holidays consider fundraising for members of your community. To begin your fundraising project organize a meeting with all of your upper management. Discuss how your organization can come together and raise funds for the community. Ask them to discuss the fundraising project with their departments. Then plan a meeting in the next 7 days to begin your project.

While your organization is gathering ideas, consider doing the following projects:

  • Adopting a Family for Christmas- There are many individuals that adopt an entire family for Christmas. What makes this project unique is that you are able to provide a wonderful Christmas for the whole family not just the children. Typically it is the goal of the organization to provide gifts for the children and assist the family with their Christmas meal. If this sounds like a program your organization would be interested in, use a search engine and search for adopt a family for christmas. Include your city and state in your search to find a nearby organization.
  • Adopting a Family for Thanksgiving is always an option also, but Thanksgiving is a few days away and may no longer be an available project for 2013. However you can consider this a community service project for 2014.
  • Conducting a food drive for the holidays is also an alternative, but with this choice you are helping a nameless and faceless family. If you are considering making a greater impact, consider one of the options above.
  • Another alternative to helping those in need is to contact nursing home and independent living facilities. See if there are senior citizens in your community who your organization can sponsor. You can purchase gifts but perhaps you can make it a community service project that goes beyond helping an individual during the holidays. Maybe you can sponsor a senior year-round by making weekly visits, remembering their birthday, and other special occasions.

Once your organization discusses the community service project and decides on a fundraising project, the next step is getting the employees involved. Send an email to all employees describing your community service project. List the dates that your organization will be collecting funds. Put the project in your company newsletter to ensure that all employees are notified of the fundraising project and have time to donate to the project.

During any other time of year, it is logical for your organization to focus solely on collecting revenue and your mission, but during the holidays a fundraising campaign to benefit the community is a fresh change of pace, and rejuvenates your employees.

Nov 21
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Prepare Your Nonprofit for Year-End: 1099’s and W-2’s

By | Training | No Comments

Road sign 2014Let Vicki Welter, CPA, guide you through valuable online year-end training for processing W-2’s and 1099’s.  Similar training classes provided elsewhere are nearly double the cost.  Take advantage of the cost savings offered by Welter Consulting and the expertise of a CPA who specializes in Abila software and works exclusively with nonprofits. Classes are limited so be sure to secure your spot by registering now.

1099s:  Are you ready for year-end?

Learn how to review your vendor set-up & transactions that relate to 1099 processing at this online training class.

This online training session will:

  • Review set-up in MIP Fund Accounting for vendors
  • Review reports to ensure the accuracy of your data including transactions associated with each 1099 Vendor
  • Process 1099’s in Aatrix
  • Cover best practices to ensure next year’s processing is a breeze

The registration fee is $100/person unless you are on a Welter Consulting support plan in which case the registration fee is $70/person.   Classes are limited to 25 attendees and classes will be offered:

  • December 20:  8:30-10:00
  • January 9: 3:00-4:30
  • January 22: 8:30 – 10:00

 Register here

W-2s: Let’s get ready!

Walking through a year-end checklist is critical to ensure all steps have been completed for 2013 W-2 reporting and to get ready for payroll processing in 2014  at this online training class.

This online training session will:

  • Provide you with a year-end checklist
  • Give you tool to help you reconcile taxable wages against your 941’s to ensure accurate year-end reporting
  • Teach you about the required system set-up in MIP payroll needed to report accurately on your W-2’s
  • Process W-2’s in Aatrix
  • Review best practices and options for submitting W-2/W-3’s electronically using Aatrix to save your organization money and eliminate extra hassle

The registration fee is $100/person unless you are on a Welter Consulting support plan in which case the registration fee is $70/person.   Classes are limited to 25 attendees and classes will be offered:

  • December 20: 10:30-12:00
  • January 9: 1:00-2:30
  • January 22: 10:30 – 12:00

Register here