The first step to getting involved in the grant writing industry is to learn how to write a good grant proposal. By taking a course, you can usually also find out grant funding resources at the same time – as well as tips on how to get your proposals approved (something only experienced grant writers know).

You do not need a degree in writing grants, but you need to be a decent writer and pay close attention to detail. Taking a course in grant writing and getting educated in running a business is all you need to launch your fundraising business.

As a grant writer, you can provide your clients with a proposal writing service, but you will also help them greatly by knowing the right funding resources.

You can also use your local library and the internet to located funding resources. Your state may also publish a list of available grant funding sources, which is worth checking into.

During the grant application process, start a file where you can keep records of all correspondence, contact information and completed tasks.

When writing a grant proposal, closely follow the guidelines set by each funding resource. Be clear and concise, make sure that your spelling and grammar is correct and that you answer all necessary questions without being vague. Since foundations and government agencies receive many requests for grants, make their “reading” job easier on them, such as a table of contents on a larger grant proposal.

Ask for money to fund specific projects rather than just a contribution. Specific requests tend to get approved more often. Include pictures if possible, demonstrating who will benefit from the funding.

A nice benefit to starting a grant writing business is that you can work from your home. The cost of leasing office space and hiring employees is eliminated, making this a low-cost and low-risk business to start. You can also start part-time. many freelancers take this route, as a successful grant writing business can take time.

Something that you want to be aware of is that the grant approval process can sometimes take several months and require many hours, compared to article writing or letter writing. Having determination and focus to follow through on each project is important.

You also want to apply for more grants than you need, since you will not get approved for every grant that you apply for. There is lots of competition, and you want to be prepared. The more quickly and effectively you obtain funding for one client, the better you look to the next client, and so on.

Getting started as a grant writer, focus on building a track record – a portfolio of funding successes you have achieved for past clients. The better your track record, the easier it becomes to get hired by clients. Generally, grant writers get paid on an hourly basis or up front per grant writing project. However, when you are just starting out, you may want to consider negotiating with clients on payment, so you can build your portfolio.

To get step-by-step checklist, guide and resources for starting your own grant writing business visit Start a Grant Writing Business 1-2-3

It’s that time of year again.  Time for Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale.  You can help by joining with volunteers and bakers all over the United States to help put an end to childhood hunger in America by the year 2015.

Last year over seven thousand volunteers helped to raise more than $1.2 million dollars by holding fundraising bakesales.  The money went towards providing thousands of children facing hunger with healthy meals.

The goal this year is to raise $2 million dollars.  And on April 16 -18th you can participate in the first annual Great American National Challenge.  On this weekend Share Our Strength is holding a challenge to see how many bake sales can be held in one weekend throughout the US.  

Anyone person, group, club, school, business can organize a bake sale.  Do you like to bake brownies or cookies?  Even if you don’t bake you can help to organize a great fundraising bake sale.

Are you a food blogger?  Food bloggers are invited to host and blog about their own bake sales on April 17th.

When you sign up for a bake sale and make a $10 donation you will receive an official bake sale poster, information booklet, 6 Great American Bake Sale balloons and recipes from Domino Sugar and C&H Sugar, Family Circle and Food Network and more.

You can find all the information you need by visiting the Strength.org website.  Sign up for your own bake sale or find one in you community to participate in. Visit: http://gabs.strength.org/

Article by Amy Passmore of http://www.diyfundraising.com.
Visit DIYFundraising.com for fundraising tips for small nonprofit organizations.

March is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month. This disease is also known as CFS, and can be a very debilitating disorder for those who have it. It is characterized by severe physical fatigue tht is persistent and unrelated to any other illness or condition. It is not relieved by rest, and must last for at least six months to receive the CFS diagnosis. So far, no one knows exactly what causes CFS, but there is some indication it’s a post-viral condition, as many people develop symptoms after being exposed to a virus or having a viral illness.

While fatigue is a common symptom of a lot of conditions, CFS is pretty rare. It involves many different parts of the body and can include such symptoms as joint pain, muscle aches, cognitive difficulties, swollen glands, hypersensitivity to sounds and smells, digestive problems, and poor immune system function. Usually, the persistent fatigue needs to be accompanied by at least two other symptoms for six months or more for a doctor to reluctantly give a CFS diagnosis. Most doctors are still reticent about classifying this as a real disease, though for those who have it, it couldn’t be more real.

CFS is thought to occur in about four out of every 1,000 adults in the United states, usually affecting people in their 40’s and 50’s and affecting more women than men. It is rare in children and teenagers. It’s also notoriously difficult to recover from, with full recovery happening only five to ten percent of the time.

March is Chronic Fatigue Awareness Month.  If you suspect you have CFS see your doctor.  You can also help help raise money and awareness for CFS.

Article by Amy Passmore of www.DIYFundraising.com.  Visit www.DIYFundraising.com for fundraising ideas for small nonprofit organizations.

However thanks to Blastoff Communications, the developers behind the Blastoff Network, there is a new and innovative way to raise funds that not only keeps up with current trends but has the potential to appeal to a large demographic.

*Get Cash Back From Over 400 Retailers e.g. Best Buy, Home Depot, iTunes, Kmart, Sears, Starbucks, Target, Travelocity

*Grow A Passive Income From Only A Few Hours Work

These days almost everyone has at least one computer in their home and they spend a fair amount of time on it.

The Internet is a great way to source out information and get the latest news and weather updates, stay connected with family and friends, and enjoy some downtime playing video games, watching movies, and listening to music etc.

Furthermore, the Internet offers a safe and secure opportunity to save time, money, and gas via online shopping malls and having items shipped directly to you.

THE BLASTOFF NETWORK SIMPLY MAKES SENSE

In addition to helping you save and make money for your local group, organization, or charity – the Blastoff Network is something that has the potential to appeal to everyone – online shopper or not.

A Blastoff Network web page not only gives your access to over 400 top merchants but a fully customizable free home page featuring the best in information, media, games and social portals online e.g. CNN News, YouTube, Frogger and Facebook.

The Reason You CAN’T LOSE By Starting A Blastoff Network Fundraising Campaign Is Simple

IT’S FREE, IT’S EASY, IT’S FUN!

SAVE MONEY & SUPPORT A FAVORITE FUNDRAISER

Plus, by setting up an account under a fundraising network, individuals personally earn cash back rewards, and can put a little extra money in their own pockets for a rainy day (via commissions made by spreading the word).

It’s a WIN, WIN! No strings attached!

DON’T DELAY, BLASTOFF TODAY!

Start Building Your Fundraising Network Before the Blastoff Network Spreads Virally By Leaps & Bounds Across the United States and Canada.

To learn more about how to get started and participate under a ‘value added’ Blastoff Network like ‘Blastoff2Deals’ who will help you along the way please visit my profile box and click on the related links.

In order to vote you will need to register for Facebook.com and go to the Target Facebook page at www.facebook.com/target. You can vote once per day, every day, throughout the contest to help decide how the money will be distributed between the ten charities. The final allocations for the charities will be announced on May 26th.

The ten charities are:

American Red Cross

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Feeding America

HandsOn Network/Points of Light Institute

Kids In Need Foundation

Operation Gratitude

Parent Teacher Association

National Park Foundation

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

The Salvation Army

Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of the company’s income to support education, social services, the arts, and volunteerism. Today, that 5 percent adds up to Target giving more than $3 million a week to charities and nonprofit organizations.

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising.

Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.

One of the fastest growing social websites is Twitter.com. Twitter.com is free for anyone to join and allows you to create a “micro-blog” of updates on what you are doing. Twitterers tweet their posts in 140 characters or less.

Twitterers follow each other getting a large number of followers is a goal that many Twitterers have.

Celebrity Ashton Kutcher and news organization CNN.com are in a competition to see who can be the first to get one million followers on Twitter.com. No one has reached this mark yet and both of them are very close.

Kutcher stated when he gets one million followers he will donate 10,000 mosquito nets to RollBackMalaria.org for world Malaria Day 2009 which is on April 25th. CNN says they will do the same.

To follow Ashton Kutcher go to:

http://twitter.com/aplusk

To follow CNN go to:

http://twitter.com/cnnbrk

To keep up with the Original Celebrity Race to 1 million Twitter Followers go to:

http://www.tweetrace.com

To find out more about World Malaria Day 2009 go to:

http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/worldmalariaday/index.html

To follow DIYFundraising on Twitter visit:

http://twitter.com/diyfundraising

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising.

Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.

On Thursday, February 19th, 2009, Joel Comm will be holding a live 12-hour event, Tweet-a-thon 2009, on Twitter.com to kick off the publication of his new book about Twitter and raise money for WaterIsLife.com.

Joel Comm is, of course, the founder of this website, WordVillage.com. He is an internet entrepreneur who has been online for over 20 years, as well a being a bestselling author. His latest book is entitled “Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time.”

Joel will be donating his entire author royalties for sales made during the Tweet-a-Thon to WaterIsLife.com, a nonprofit organization that provides clean water solutions to people in developing nations.

The Twitter Power Tweet-a-Thon will be played out concurrently in two social media venues; a live video broadcast on Ustream.tv and on Twitter.com itself. The Tweet-a-Thon will be filled with celebrity guests such as Robert Scoble, Gary Vaynerchuk, MC Hammer, Chris Pirillo and others, as well as entertainment, Twitter tips, prize giveaways, zany antics, thousands of tweets and more surprises.

Tweet-a-Thon 2009 will be held on February 19th from 12 am Eastern time to 11:59pm Eastern time. Do not miss it!

It is sure to be a lot fun as well as a great way to raise money for WaterIsLife.com.

For more information visit:

http://www.tweetathon2009.com

To follow Joel Comm on Twitter visit:

http://twitter.com/joelcomm

To follow DIYFundraising on Twitter visit:

http://twitter.com/diyfundraising

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising.

Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.

For more than sixty years the mission of the March of Dimes has been to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

The March of Dimes began in 1938 when President Franklin Roosevelt established the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to conquer polio. A popular entertainer during that time was Eddie Cantor who helped raise money by asking people to send dimes to President Roosevelt in the White House. The foundation is now called the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes funded the work of Dr. Jonas Salk who invented the polio vaccine in the 1950’s. Now that polio has been eradicated from the United States the March of Dimes focuses on research and issues dealing with birth defects and premature births.

In addition to donating money there are many volunteer activities that individuals can participate in to help the March of Dimes. If you visit the website at www.marchofdimes.com you can find out about fundraising events that are taking place all over the country. There are motorcycle rides, golf tournaments, celebrity chef events, Jail and Bail events, marches and walks. All these are fun ways to get together with friends and collegues to help raise money for a good cause.

By supporting the March of Dimes programs you can help to give all babies a healthy start in life.

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising.

Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.

The economic situation in the United States presents a challenge to nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry. The New York Times has reported that since June of this year the demand for food aid has increased 20 percent in areas of the country with strong economies and in areas with weak economies the demand is up more than 40 percent.

In addition to more people needing to be fed by soup kitchens and food pantries, animal shelters throughout the country are reporting that they are receiving more animals. Pet owners who have lost their homes due to home foreclosures have been forced to give up their pets in some instances. Donations to animal shelters are needed to help feed more animals.

Most charities that have a website also have a way to accept monetary donations online through their websites. You can donate to national charities through their websites or by sending a check. Local charities and food pantries will accept non-perishable food items as well as cash and, of course, volunteers.

We all know who the people are who are responsible for the current economic crisis in the United States. One can only hope that those who will be charged with fixing the myriad of problems they are inheriting will be successful and that next year will be a better one for Americans. In the meantime, be aware that everyone can make a difference and help fight hunger during the holidays.

A nonprofit organization that I have written about in the past is A Day of Hope. It was started by Christopher Scott in 2005. Scott collects baskets of food and turkey every year and delivers them to needy families in Stanislaus County California for Thanksgiving meals. For more information about A Day of Hope visit www.adayofhope.org.

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising. Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.

According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals the last quarter of the year, from October through December, is when most charities raise between one third and one half of their yearly monetary donations.

Some of the indications of how charities are being affected by the economy are:

National and Community Foundations – Many nonprofit organizations receive a significant portion of their budget from foundation grants. The money that the foundations have is frequently in stock market investments. The stock market has seen a decline of around forty percent in the past year and foundations have less money to give.

Food banks - Food banks are reporting they are currently feeding more people than usual and are worried that they will not have enough food to feed the needy during the holidays which is when they feed the most people. Donations of money are also down from previous years.

Homeless Shelters - Shelters are reporting that they are already housing more people than in past years. They are anticipating that when the weather turns cold they will need to help more people. Shelters will be needing more donations of money, blankets, clothing, and food and are asking for it now.

Thrift Stores – Goodwill Industries and thrift stores across the country are reporting that shoppers have increased dramatically while donations have decreased.

Often people donate to charities because they feel that other people are in situations worse than their own. With many people in the midst of a personal money crises or worried about the possibility of one occurring, donating money to charity may not be a high priority right now.

There are some things that charities and nonprofit organizations can do during tough economic times. They are:

Remember the basics of fund-raising. State your needs in a compelling way. Tell potential donors exactly what you need and what you are going to do with their donation. Let them know how they will be making a difference. Do not waste their donations or give the appearance you may be. Thank your donors as soon as you receive their help.

Those who supported you in the past, will probably support you in the future. Ask for smaller donations or ask for small monthly donations.

Examine areas where your charity can cut back. Large fund raising events, such as holiday galas, which are expensive to produce, can be scaled back or canceled. Prioritize your programs and continue with the ones that you can afford to do.

Article by Amy Passmore of DIY Fundraising. Visit www.diyfundraising.com for do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, clubs, schools and groups.