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Fundraising Success #50

Fundraising Success - Issue #50 - Article: "Charity Poker Tournament"; Supplier Spotlight: "Funding Factory"

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Fundraising Success #50 - January 2007

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=> Kimberly's Column: "Warming Up To 2007"
=> Reader Q & A: "Recycling Cell Phones Fundraiser"
=> Feature Article: "Charity Poker Tournament"
=> Supplier Spotlight: "Funding Factory"
=> SiteSeeing: "US GIS Maps; AirNow Air Quality Films"

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Kimberly's Column: "Warming Up To 2007"
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Hi everyone!

Well 2007 is here at last and it's arrived in the Carolinas at least with a heat wave. The temperature's been in the sixties and seventies just about every day so far, and while that's nice, it has the poor flowers and flowering trees pushing up blossoms as fast as they can.

I'm going to hate it when the cold snap does hit and they all take a major hit. That means Spring will be out of sorts again this year. 2006 had all the azalea bushes blooming a month ahead of time and 2007 looks to be more of the same.

So, what does that mean for us fundraisers?

Well, start thinking about a Spring gardening fundraiser. Lots of people love fixing up their yards and natural areas then, so why not offer items like flower bulbs, pine straw, mulch, flowering shrubs, etc.

You could even auction off some landscaping services, provide free delivery for large orders, or just host a big supply event in a school or church parking lot.

Use your imagination and get into the Spring of things!


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Readers Q & A: "Recycling Cell Phones"
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Question:  Our school science club is thinking about doing a recycling fundraiser and I've heard that there's money to be made recycling cell phones. Can you give us some fundraising tips?
Amanda P.

Answer:  Amanda, there are several companies that offer top dollar for certain models of cell phones and, of course, lesser amounts for less popular models. The key is getting donations of lots of phones and hopefully, some of the real good ones.

Many mobile phone companies just keep the old ones when people upgrade to a new phone. They know there's extra profit in it while most of their customers don't. Other times, people hang onto the good phones to pass them on to other family members.

That said, you can still generate some significant funds by aggressively going after those used phones. A strong publicity campaign is a good place to start. Be sure to make it easy for people to drop off their old phones at a convenient location.

You could also organize a scavenger hunt approach and go door-to-door in neighborhoods on monthends and office buildings on monthdays. The supplier in this month's newsletter, Funding Factory, handles cell phones as well as used printer cartridges.

Happy fundraising!

Kimberly


You will find my book, Fundraising Success, very helpful in any
fundraising endeavor.

Buy a copy today because you'll save both time and money!
Yours for only $17:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/fundraising-success.htm


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FEATURE ARTICLE: Charity Poker Tournament
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Raising Funds With Texas Hold'em

Another fun way to raise funds is hosting a charity poker tournament featuring the wildly popular Texas Hold'em. Many nonprofit groups and schools have replaced traditional fundraising events with a fun evening of Texas Hold'em because these poker tournaments draw big crowds and produce a substantial profit.

Getting started
Here's how to organize your own charity poker night. You'll need a large meeting hall for your event, so check your local regulations for acceptable locations for these types of charity gambling events.

Many of the fraternal lodges - Shriners, Moose, Elk, VFW, etc. - have the necessary permits already in place. And, they oftentimes have all the supplies you need as well.

Poker supplies
You can also rent tables and chairs, and sometimes even poker chips, from party furniture rental stores. Some even offer decks of cards and the dealer's shoe. Call around for these package deals as they can save a lot of extra expense.

If you can't find these supplies locally, check online as a lot of websites offer great deals on every conceivable poker-related item.

Publicity
To guarantee a big turnout of poker players, you'll need to get some good publicity. Put together a press release featuring the standard "who, what, when, where, and how" format. Be sure to emphasize the fact that it's all for a good cause.

Your summary paragraph needs to name your organization, state succinctly why you're raising funds, emphasize that it's a fun event even for novice players, and highlight any extra prizes offered.

Distribute your press release to all the media outlets in your area - newspapers, radio, and television. Usually, each has a single point of contact for press releases and they see dozens each day.

That's why you want yours in a professional format with a good summary paragraph up top. Having a newsworthy angle such as a grand prize or a heartwarming story about what the funds from your fundraiser event will provide is very important.

Prizes
Offering a grand prize such as a seat to the World Series of Poker (a $10,000 value) will ensure a turnout of hundreds of players. Check their website for qualifications required to host a Texas Hold'em play-in tournament.

Cash prizes for different categories are also popular. Group your tables into novice, intermediate, and expert ranks or something similar where table limits and skill sets vary. Then offer various prize levels for each category. Oftentimes, winners will donate a portion of a cash prize right back to your cause.

Raising funds
Your group makes money in several ways. Depending on local regulations, you can collect a percentage of every pot, charge an admission fee, or other ways.

You can also sell food and drinks, auction off donated items, offer event t-shirts or poker related items, organize a raffle for a big prize such as a big screen TV, or include just about any other type of additional fundraising activity at your poker event.

Summary
Charity poker is a huge draw and it's surprisingly easy to put together your own tournament. Make some phone calls to find a location and supplies. Just be sure to follow all the state and local regulations.

Get the word out about your event and your cause. Line up some prizes for the players and add in some extra moneymakers for your group.

Then sit back and enjoy a fun night of Texas Hold'em at your very own charity poker tournament!

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Supplier Spotlight: Funding Factory
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(Excerpt from my book, Fundraising Success!)

Supplier: FundingFactory
Phone: (888) 883-8237 or (814) 456-6050
Fax: (814) 454-6881
Website: http://www.fundingfactory.com
Email: info@fundingfactory.com

Address: 2101 West 12th Street
City: Erie
State: PA
Zip: 16505

Description: Consolidate school fundraising programs under one roof by recycling empty laser and inkjet printer cartridges.

This is an easy recycling fundraiser with cash or prizes. FundingFactory has also added a cell phone recycling program.

The concept is straightforward and works for groups of all sizes. Simply place collection boxes at your school, church, and local businesses to provide an easy way for consumers to dispose of empty printer cartridges and cell phones.

Periodically gather and replace the collection boxes. Then ship them to FundingFactory for re-use or safe disposal. Your group earns points for each eligible cartridge or phone collected.

Redeem your points for technology items, playground equipment or cash.

Participation is totally free – no registration costs.
Collection boxes are supplied at no cost.
Prepaid shipping labels are already attached to boxes.
Name, address, and account number are included on labels.
Online ordering of collection boxes is available 24-7/365.

Fundraising has never been so simple!


Product Lines: Recycling, Recycling Toner Cartridges, Toner Cartridges

Terms: No cost involved

Notes: 20% of U.S. schools are participating in their toner recycling program.

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Places To Go, Things To See
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Places to go:

US GIS Maps Website

There are numerous groups within various Federal agencies creating thousands of maps that draw on the strengths of the field of geographic information systems (GIS). This one-stop location allows users to draw on all of these resources in a timely fashion.

To start, visitors can use the basic search engine that asks them to fill in the “What” (such as a river or lake) or the “Where” (such as Onalaska, Washington). After filling out one of these forms, the search engine will return all of the available map materials associated with each place. Visitors can then refine their search as they see fit.

If all of this seems a bit daunting, visitors can also just browse through any number of special interest maps, such as those related to homeland security, recreation areas, fire mapping, and historical specialties such as those that detail the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Overall, this is a very helpful site, and one that will delight cartographers and anyone else who spends a few moments here.

http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos

Things to see:

Air Quality Website

The AIRNow website has received some publicity in the past, but this is the first time that I’ve noticed that they have a very fine selection of short movies on their website.

These short films are designed for the general public, and they deal with such topics as air quality control, how ozone is formed, and a special presentation for children on ozone.

The films range in length from 13 to 21 minutes, and one can imagine that these multimedia presentations could be used in a variety of classroom settings as they are quite accessible and jargon-free.

Additionally, the air quality presentation is available in Spanish, and the rest of their website is definitely worth looking over.

http://www.airnow.gov

That's all for this issue. See you next month.


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Copyright 2007 by Kimberly Reynolds. All rights reserved.

Maximize your fundraising success!

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