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Thursday, February 4, 2016

By Helen Parker


Fundraising is almost as old as humankind itself. From the earliest times organizations, churches, rulers and individuals needed money and goods that they could not afford personally. To obtain that money and goods they appealed to the general public, governments and affluent organizations to donate the needed resources. In many cases they organize special events for this purpose. To this day, charitable organizations, churches, schools and many others gather resources by means of a fund raise event.

For a long time, fundraising was conducted by well meaning members or supporters of charities and other institutions in need of help. The art of fundraising has come a long way, however. These days fundraising efforts are managed by dedicated professionals that are highly skilled in identifying potential donors and in portraying the cause they represent in the best possible light. To achieve this, they use the latest technology and modern marketing methods.

The competition between charitable organizations for donations is extremely fierce. There are numerous causes looking for support and each one feels that their cause should be seen as a priority. Donors, both individuals and organizations, can support only a limited number of causes. Many larger business organizations employ staff specially tasked with evaluating appeals, investigating the integrity of charities and making recommendation. Fundraisers therefore need to be extremely creative and skilled.

The pleas for help have become so numerous that a new term was coined. There is now talk about donor fatigue. Donors have become tired and bewildered by the sheer number of appeals for help. They cannot respond positively to every appeal and it is often stressful to say no. It is also often difficult to establish the bona fides of appellants. In addition, many donors feel that they should enjoy some benefits in exchange for their patronage.

Another serious challenge facing fundraisers is the fact that so many charities have been implicated in fraud. Millions have been syphoned into private pockets and many charities spend a major part of their income obtained through donations on matters not related to their primary purpose. This has caused donors to view appeals for assistance with suspicion and fundraisers need to work harder on convincing such donors that their efforts are all above board.

Successful fundraisers obtain donations from the same donors time and time again. This is only possible, however, if they are honest and if they can show the donor exactly where and how the donation has been used. A transparent fundraising agency that makes its financial statements readily available are also more likely to succeed. Successful fundraisers establish long term relationships with their supporters and they make sure that they provide regular feedback.

Any individual or organization that feels that they have a responsibility to contribute towards charitable causes should choose their beneficiaries very carefully. It is vital to make sure that the charity is properly registered, that it is audited regularly by an independent auditor and that it utilizes donations for the intended purpose. Most donors prefer to support a cause that is especially important to them.

There are numerous organizations, ranging from humanitarian aid agencies, political movements, animal welfare groups to churches, schools and conservation activists. They all feel that their causes are priorities. Donors should support those causes that coincide with issues that are dear to them.




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