Because Nonprofits Need Scratch More Than My Daughter Needs More Polly Pockets
When was the last time you listened to that CD you got as a favor at the last wedding you attended? That long ago?
How much do you want to throw out the crappy trinkets your 6-year-old brought back from that birthday party she went to last month? That much?
Brides, grooms, moms, and dads, there’s a better way: As the Indianapolis Business Journal reported recently, more celebrants are taking the money they’d spend on favors that would never get used and instead donating it to causes they believe in. Observers quoted in the story noted that the nonprofits that benefit can use the trend to build relationships that last long after the last glass of champagne has been sipped and the last piece of cake scarfed down.
Becoming part of a donor’s celebration helps a not-for-profit establish an emotional connection that likely will stay with the donor, [I Do Foundation executive director Grant] La Rouche said.
Generally speaking, donors who do this already believe in a cause, but the wedding or birthday party can serve almost as a promotional platform for the not-for-profit, said Jessica White, president of locally based fund-raising consultancy Jessica White Associates.
“It gets other people to know about the organizations and become donors themselves,” she said.
And checking back in with the donors regularly will help keep them involved and giving, she said. Ideally, giving at the wedding is just the beginning. La Rouche said he’s gotten lots of requests for charitable tie-ins to baby registries, an option the foundation hopes to roll out soon.
The best fundraisers do not merely land checks. They build relationships. They persuade. They inspire. Seems to me that linking those efforts with the happiest times in a person’s life is a pretty good way to do it. | 501(c)
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POSTED IN: Fundraising, Worth a look
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