Most every organization has a means of communicating their activities with their clients and customers. Charities are not exempt from this. Indeed, charities need newsletters more than other entities. Charitable organizations actually rely a lot on the goodwill of others. And what better way to reach out to these people by sending out newsletters on a regular basis?
Big charities have web sites, offline newsletters, and all sorts of other ways to get the word out. They have the means and resources to do so. For small charities, however, it might not be so easy. This does not mean that you cannot come up with your own newsletter, however. Here are some things that you can consider as you come up with your newsletter.
Determine your recipients. The more the better. Everyone who is in your contact database should be included in your list of recipients. Of course, do not forget that your database should not be static. It should grow as time goes by.
Determine how you will send out your newsletter. You can do this through e-mail or through printed copy. I would suggest using the latter, especially for starters. Electronic newsletters will not cost you anything.
Determine the contents of your newsletter. This will change from issue to issue but the bottom line is the same – you have to tell your recipients about your core values. You have to tell the recipients your regular activities. You have to share your continuing programs. Tip: don’t over do it. Two pages should be enough to keep them reading.
Determine how often you should send one out. This could be tricky. You do not want to send out issues too far and few in between. Do make sure however, that you do not send newsletters out too often, as your resources may not be able to sustain it.
Categories: Activities, Ideas, Tips
Charities need not be big. After all, little things really do add up to make a huge difference. Small charitable organizations may not have as big as an impact as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, but they do make a difference. If you are part of a small charity, maybe you find yourself trying to come up with various events which are not so ordinary. Here are some ideas to help you get the ball rolling.
A different kind of dinner
Charity dinners usually invoke visions of expensive venues and black tie affairs. It does not have to be the case, though. Think of something on a smaller scale and something that does not require huge amounts of money. How about focusing on a specific cuisine that will showcase a particular ethnic group? This is great for charities working in this area. Alternatively, you can have a group of families host the event and highlight their family recipes. This should encourage community involvement even more.
Fun events
Think out of the box. How about hosting a geek night at the local bar? I have had friends organize something similar and it was a hit. Fantasy night is another idea. You just might be surprised at the neighborhood response!
Use Facebook and other social media
You’re spending lots of time online anyway, why not take advantage of what is available? You don’t even have to spend extra money on promoting your charity!
The bottom line is to organize something that is tied closely with your organization’s purpose and to encourage everyone in the community to participate.
Categories: Activities, Charities, Ideas
The average blogger I know has not made it big time like those high profile probloggers we all hear and read about. Truth be told, not everyone has goals of reaching that status; many blogger friends that I have are content with how their blogs are faring. And while they are not making big bucks with their blogs, they do find ways to spread their blessings around.
One idea a friend alerted me to is this new widget from SocialVibe, which offers bloggers a chance to help a specific charity. Bloggers who use the WordPress platform can sign up for this widget and configure it to benefit a charity. Here are the specifics from Media Post:
As a result, Wordpress bloggers can now sign up for a SocialVibe widget, choose a specific charity and corresponding brand sponsor, and then embed the ad unit in their blog to start earning micro-donations from the brand once readers interact with the sponsored units.
It’s much like ads but instead of merely earning money for your blog, the benefits go to the charity you choose. And what kind of “interaction” from the readers is needed? This part I like: people can go watch a video and rate it – that sort of thing. It is not merely clicking on a link for the sake of clicking. Another nice thing about the widget is that it keeps track of your “donations.” For example, you can see a line like “My blog has donated so and so number of books to students in need.”
Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Ideas, Organizations, Science & Tech, Websites
These days are not easy – not for charities, not for businesses. Indeed, giving to charities may not be high on your business agenda at this point, but hear me out. You can actually help others out, give a helping hand, and gain benefits for your business as well. I got this idea from an article I read, which is written by Jerrie Dean.
You know how most often, when we talk about helping charities, we think about actually giving money to them? I suppose that this is the norm – people do not have enough time so instead of volunteering, they offer financial help instead. What if I told you that there is a way to help charities without having to volunteer or give money in the traditional sense?
Jerrie Dean presents the idea of sponsoring a charity. There are many ways by which you can sponsor a charity without having to make an initial cash lay out. For example, if you have an online store, why not sponsor a specific charity that will receive proceeds from the sale of a specific product? This will not only encourage your customers to buy that product (because in effect, they will also be contributing to the charity) but it will also show how socially responsible you are.
Another way would be to simply create awareness for your favorite charity. Add a banner and/or a donate button to your favorite charity on your web site. Of course, an informative write up and a link to the charity’s web site will even be more helpful.
The bottom line is that just because you do not have the cash does not mean that you have to stop helping out.
Categories: Analysis, Charities, Ideas
The blog is a collection of pet charities and concerned individuals, which combines posts from pet lovers from all over who are tasked into improving the lives of neglected and abandoned pets. The many charities that deal with pets have been wrecked by intrigue and drama that you don’t know which is which. The pages contain warming stories straight from the people who do the rescue work themselves as well as pet lovers who are passionate about our furry friends.
Not just for furry but all types of animals and pets are subject with many links to several blogs that also aim to raise awareness regarding the plight of dogs, cats, birds and even farm animals that are being raised for the pet trade. Hear the warming stories of adopted animals as far as Baghdad that have been brought home to the States, helping their adopted owners deal with the turmoil that is war.
Categories: Activities, Animals, Campaigns, Charities, Children, Disaster Relief, Environmental, Families, Fundraising, Ideas, Inspiration, News, Organizations, Websites | Tags: Animal-charity, animal-protection, animal-welfare, Animals, Organizations
