Ideas for a Successful Movie Night at School
School movie nights are fun for everyone. They create a great sense of community, and students really enjoy bringing their families to experience their school during non-school time. When you’re planning a movie night at school, there are many things to consider so your event can excite your students and bring local families together. Here are a few ideas to weigh as you plan your main event: Venue Will you be hosting your movie night al fresco, or is an indoor movie better for your guests? Consider the size of your audience as you prepare a...
read moreHow to Maximize Booster Club Fundraising
Booster Clubs can be tremendously supportive of their activities, programs or sports. That said, there are a few ways that clubs can maximize their fundraising efforts. Boost Your Club Strong fundraising happens with a strong Booster Club. Make sure that you have an active awareness and recruiting campaign that encourages and promotes new members. Also, allow newer members to hold Officer roles as this will allow older members to become mentors which can go a long way in creating smooth officer transitions. Plan in Advance Map out your...
read moreAvoiding Booster Club Member Burnout
A Booster Club’s main job is to support school activities, but how do you keep your members motivated and enthusiastic? Oftentimes, members will stay in a club for years as their students pass through a school, so a strong Booster Club has to both retain experienced members as well as continue recruitment to encourage new members. Recruit A big part of avoiding burnout is having enough people to run your programs. It’s a good idea to plan a big recruiting event near the beginning of the school year. Oftentimes, people will be glad to...
read moreMaking Sure your Nonprofit Organization is Compliant
Making sure that your nonprofit organization is compliant might seem like a snooze fest, however, compliance is super important. It just takes a little research to make sure that you are operating at a high level of accountability and transparency. Tax exempt status, fundraising and reporting can all be very complicated and we are here to help. Read below as we cover a few items that will keep your nonprofit compliant and running full steam ahead. Tax Exempt Status Tax-exempt status from the IRS refers to state and federal tax exemptions...
read moreFundraising ROI: How to Measure Success, Not Just According to the Books
While fundraisers are about making money, there can be other successes besides the bottom line. Here we look at all of the other accomplishments that go along with fundraising; the success that you might not see in your accounting books. Oftentimes, it can be these other victories that are just as important, or even more so, than the dollars and cents that fundraising brings in. Bond as a Team Fundraising is a dynamic mix of creativity, strategy and passion for a cause. Chances are that the people on your fundraising team share at least the...
read moreRAOK: How to Commit to one Random Act of Kindness this Week
We could all use a little more kindness in our lives. One way of achieving that is to commit one random act of kindness this week. An act of kindness doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, it can be as simple as reaching out to someone just to brighten their day. A few of our favorite random acts of kindness are: Pay Kindess Forward: The next time you are picking up a cup of coffee for yourself, offer to treat the person who is behind you in line. It will not only make their day, it will brighten the day of everyone in the coffee shop. Say Kind...
read moreFilling the Volunteer Void: How to Manage Your Group When Help is Short
You might have a great group of volunteers only to find out that when you really need them, they do not heed the call. You are then stuck with the daunting task of manning an event or program without enough help, maybe even by yourself. How do you manage a volunteer group when you don’t have enough volunteers? Unfortunately, this scenario happens from time to time to even the best and most organized nonprofit. To help you in your time of need, here are a few simple tips on how to manage your volunteer group. Make Yourself Heard If you need a...
read moreHow to Make Your First Nonprofit Meeting a Success
There is no getting around it, nonprofit groups have a lot of meetings. Activities like fundraising and programs simply take a lot of time to plan with a dedicated group of people. That said, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you make the most of your time together and that your meeting is viewed as a success and not a time sucker. Get Organized Once you have a reason to meet, put together an agenda. An agenda could be a formal one-page, or two-page that can be used to structure the meeting. When people get together there may be a...
read more10 Hot Silent Auction Items that Sell
You want to have the hottest auction in town. After all, a great fundraiser is not only about supporting a good cause, it is about supporting your bottom line. Silent auctions are a great way for attendees to shop, mingle and enjoy a little bit of friendly competition. Here are the 10 hottest silent auction items that will bring in big dollars. Who’s ready for a bidding war? Travel Travel trips appeal to a wide variety of auction bidders. You can go as elaborate as you like with transportation, lodging and meals or a simple day rafting...
read more7 Ways Parent Groups Can Use Social Media to Connect
With so many social media channels out there, it can be difficult to choose which one to use for your parent group. Spread the word of your group through these social media channels. Getting Started One of the great aspects of social media is that it is free and shouldn’t take much time, once you get organized. When first starting out, it might be worth a quick survey or ask your members which channels they use themselves. For example, you may find many people are comfortable using Facebook, but might not use Twitter. Start with the social...
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