Summer is here and I bet you are looking for a fundraising opportunity that isn’t too complicated or time consuming and doesn’t require your volunteers to stand out in the hot sun. Choose a cool option by participating in your local restaurant “community days” or “fundraiser nights.”
The idea is simple: pick a date, print out or pick up the event fliers/coupons, spread the word, and collect your donations from the meals eaten by your donors. The restaurant donates a percentage of each bill to your charity.
Many restaurants already have a program in place and are experts when it comes to helping you get the word out. Some may supply you with pre-printed materials, others may offer online downloads, and most will submit a press release about the event to the local news outlets.
Your job? Pick a date that doesn’t conflict with a major community fair, concert, or other event that will potentially reduce your customer base. Get the word out! Use the fliers provided to you, make your own, put the news on the front page of your Web site, Tweet about it, write about in your newsletter, and if all else fails, put the fliers in the windows of your car so everyone can see it when you drive around.
There are so many pluses to this program - you don’t have to clean up afterward, you don’t have to worry about staffing the event, you aren’t responsible for upset stomachs, and it is a great opportunity to network with other businesses.
Here are a few companies that have programs in place. Don’t see your favorite on the list? Contact them and ask if they have a program in place or if would they consider creating one.
A few restaurants to check out:
Tip: Search for fundraiser nights, community days, and restaurant fundraising to discover other venues that currently have a program in place. Also, many times the option to participate in a fundraising event is solely the decision of the individual restaurant (if a part of a chain).
Photo Credit: asifthebes
Tags: donations, easy fundraisers, eat and donate, fast fundraising, food fundraisers, restaurant fundraising, summer fundraising
In the time it takes to weed the garden, mow the yard, wash the dishes, or clean the bathroom, you can listen to some great advice and tips with these great downloads for your MP3 player:
The VolunTourist - Volunteerism & Tourism sectors combined and discussed. This podcast may help you look at volunteer opportunities differently, as well as inspire you to view your next vacation destination through the eyes of another.
Hot Topics from Susan J. Ellis - Susan is engaging, funny, and always so helpful. Her volunteer management tips are priceless and provide great starting points to help you take your organization down the right path without continuing to waste time and energy on that which simply doesn’t work.
501c3Cast - podcast for nonprofit professionals, volunteers, and do-gooders to share information and resources to help them do their jobs better.
Animal Voices on PodcastAlley.com - A mash up of entertainment and education for any animal lover.
Animal Wise - Animal Wise Radio is a weekly show dedicated to animals and our connections to them.
Any podcast sites / programs you would like to share?
Tags: animal welfare podcasts, nonprofit news, Podcasts, volunteering
Newspapers are folding. Unemployment rates are spiking in every community. The daily news has been replaced with segments detailing how the unemployed can apply their skills to seemingly unrelated new job opportunities.
An “employment expert” was recently espousing that the next big job market will be health care. A man called into the show and asked what those without a college degree should be doing. The expert again spoke of health care. She pointed out that the health care field will need food service workers. The caller responded with a depressed “oh.” Another panelist pointed out that he should consider acquiring additional education. Perhaps she missed his sad response the first time around.
Many of the newly unemployed are turning to freelance work. Can the market sustain all of us? Have you been affected by the new competition? Are you helping others find work online? Are you taking jobs that you would never have considered a year ago? Do you see an increase or decrease in freelance opportunities?
Many are finding luck online at the following:
For those with previous customer service or care jobs, you might be interested in Virtual Call Center employment. Just make sure you meet all the requirements and they usually require a high-speed connection (and not wireless).
Read why Hilton Hotels believes their “Hilton@Home” program is a success.
Working Solutions - Virtual Call Center / Customer Support Opportunities
For those who may have worked in a law firm, have paralegal and transcription experience:
SpeakWrite - Voice to Document Dictation Service
Microsoft has set up a new site to help you “elevate your jobs skills with tools and resources” that they supply. Their services can improve your IT skills, help you obtain Microsoft Certifications, or find an internship.
You can follow them on Twitter, too!
Tags: 2009 unemployment, customer service, freelance work, online phone representatives
February 13th - 16th The 12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
Photo Credit: Jerry Acton, New York, The Great Backyard Bird Count
While you are out shopping for those boxes of chocolates and flowers, don’t forget to pick up some feed for your feathered friends. As they stop by to eat, you can participate in the 12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Hosted by The National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this annual counting of the birds is just another way you can get your family, friends, neighbors and volunteers to participate in a positive and fun animal activity.
Why Count the Birds?
from What is the GBBC?
- How will this winter’s snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?
- Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?
- How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?
- How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?
- What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?
- Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?
You simply visit the site for instructions, guides, and a checklist and begin counting. You record the highest number of individuals you see at one time to avoid counting an animal twice. After at least 15 minutes of counting, log on to the site and enter your bird count information. You can repeat the count on your journey to different locations throughout the day, or repeat the count from the same location on the following day. The online maps are updated throughout the day, and you can track how many fellow counters are participating (last year a whopping 85,000 checklists were turned in, reporting on 9.8 million birds of 635 species)!
You can also upload photos of the birds you are watching, as well as post video to YouTube (tag GBBC).
Tags: annual bird counting, Audubon Society, Bird Count, bird watching, great backyard bird count, north american cardinal, watch the birds
Here are a few sites to include in your 2009 bookmark list:
- Mediabistro.com - So much to read and do on this site. Between their job listings and network opportunities with fellow writers, you’ll be hard pressed to find time in one sitting to do it all. If you are searching for classes, you won’t have to leave the comfort of your home.
- SmugMug.com - Serving up crisp, clear photos - without the side of Spam.
Set up your own virtual gallery, determine the selling price for your photography, and start earning a profit on your stuff. Start your FREE Trial
- WritersWeekly.com - A freelance writing ezine. In addition to great information and job leads, you’ve got to check out the “Whispers and Warnings” section where you’ll get the latest dirt on the companies and individuals whom you may want to avoid due their questionable business practices.
- Wordpress.com - Are you asked for your blog address more often than your number? There is no better place to start than with a Wordpress blog. After a small learning curve, you’ll be on your way to creating posts that others will surely splog.
- American Heritage Dictionary - For the word lover in all of us. Warning, the audio word pronunciation feature is addictive.
- Meetup.com - If freelance work makes you lonesome for face time with another human, why don’t you search for an active group of people in your area who are interested in your other passions. Remember, all work and no play makes for a dull freelancer. These meet and greets can be used for networking and learning about new opportunities in an area to which you are relocating.
- JournalismJobs.com - Great job listings, quality resources, and important media news coverage that can’t be beat. News / Talk Radio junkies cannot miss their extensive list of stations to check out.
Tags: bookmarks, freelance writer links, freelance writing bookmarks, tools for writers, writer sites
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