Are you running on a Charity Fundraising "Hamster Wheel"? (2024)

If this my Blog makes youmad, good because that means you are listening and hopefully learning, that’smy role in life…to help you learn and become a successful fundraiser.

Over the many years that wehave been helping nonprofits and benefit fundraisers across North America, Ihave seen or heard some of the most crazy fundraisers you have ever heardof. What is shocking is, the amount ofwork, time and money goes into it with little to no success. The charities are working their butts off,running as hard as they can but never seem to get where they want to go like aHamster on a Wheel. Running, running andrunning as hard as they can without moving an inch. But time and time again, these charitiesclimb back onto the wheel and start again.Are you running on a fundraising hamster wheel?

We were given the ability torun for a reason. Either running fromLions, Dinosaurs, bad guys or tragedies.But we were given that ability to ensure that we arrive therequickly. It’s almost like climbing ontoa treadmill. We run and run and run but don’tmove a foot. The same holds true withthese outlandish, fundraising methods.Have you ever heard the term “Don’t reinvent the wheel”? Most smaller charities seem to think that themethods that the “Big & Rich” (aka “Successful”) won’t work for them orthey are “overdone”…these are just excuses.

Recently, I have had thepleasure of meeting and partnering with two great men whose only desire is tohelp youth sports teams and their families across North America – Phil Gaughanand Matt Berardicelli of Total Sports Solutions Unlimited (for more informationon how TSS Unlimited can help your team, please visit their website atwww.TSSUnlimited.com). While talkingwith them, they began to tell me about all the financials hurdles sports teamsface while trying to attend and play in tournaments across the nation. More importantly, the fees take an incrediblestrain on the families whose children are participating must place an enormousfinancial strain on them. These fees don’teven include the yearly costs for being a part of the team, the equipmentcosts, time and even the commitment. Iapplaud parents who decide to commit to something that big. I too am a father whose son is an athlete, soI know and understand what it takes.

I met Phil Gaughan severalmonths ago when a parent asked if I would help a team he coached – 1^stState Hornets in Dover, Delaware. Ijumped in and we started planning an incredible fundraising event called andnow known to everyone as the famous "2015 FSH Sports Bash." Phil and several of the other coaches had thesame initial thought most charities do about our services, they are “Too Goodto be True” or “It’s got to be a scam.”Right from the beginning, nearly as soon as we started, they started toexperience and overwhelming amount of success.Confidently, it is something I am accustomed to when helping a charityplan a fundraising event. The SportsBash isn’t even until March 21^st of 2015 and already they haveprofited 2 times the amount then they have ever attempted to raise. Needless to say, Phil is a big fan and nowgood friend of mine.

But after hearing the costs,I asked Phil and Matt what methods the teams use to fundraise. This is when I nearly fell out of my chair. The reason is, the amount of time and work ittakes to do this is incredible with little to no profit.

Now, if this offends you,then you better start thinking about changing your methods because it isreality. Here are several methods Teamsand smaller fundraisers that are used:

Super bowl block pool Restaurant nights Shaking a can

Bat a thon Sellingmulch Lottery match

Pizza cards Selling candy bars Baked sale

Poker night Quarterauctions Gift wrapping withAmazon

Christmas tree/wreath sale Car wash Gofundme accounts

Gift certificate raffles Sell t shirts 50/50 Raffles

Money Wheels Plant Wheels And the list goes on and on….

After you take the amount oftime it took the plan one of these fundraisers and to actually execute it, thenremove the actual costs divided by the amount of people it took to do it…I canbet, in fact I would put my house on it, that you (whoever is reading this)would not work your job for that.

But somehow, charities acceptit…they accept their financial failure.But do know what happens, these unsuccessful methods only push you toclimb right back up onto the “Hamster Wheel” and starting running.

Charities MUST utilize themethods that the “Big & Rich” charities are utilizing!!! Why, because these methods aresuccessful!!! I am not even going tobegin to describe how demeaning it is to stand out in front of a store beggingfor money.

When a charity fundraiser says that these methods will not be successful in their demographic or any reason why they can not use these successful methods, they are just excuses for failure - plain and simple.

In fact, on most occasions when a charity tells me that that is what they want to do, I back away from them because they are not willing to learn. Some people just don't want to succeed, a belief which simply goes without understanding.

Charities must change their fundraisingmethods to give people what they want instead of begging them to do somethingthey do want to do in the first place.Charities must focus on successful methods that are “Tried and True.”