Tips and strategies to help aspiring change makers change the world and live a life of impact and purpose! Whether you're trying to make a social impact...
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Through social entrepreneurship or a socially responsible company
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Tig ol biddies
I did new hat fundraisers at my high school 20+ years ago so I could drop them off at the children’s hospital I was treated at when I went for my checkups. The kids were always so appreciative. I want to start doing that again but it’s been a long time & I’m not just a high schooler anymore. I had to stop bc my health issues have been keeping me too “busy” but I’m starting to be somewhat better & want to start doing it again. (I had cancer as a kid & was paralyzed from the waist down bc the tumor was on my spine. I suffer with severe nerve damage pain & CRPS pain. Basically been sleeping for 20 years bc the pain was so severe, I was on fentanyl! Only got off that a year & a half ago. I was told I might never walk again but thankfully I can walk with a cane, when the pain isn’t too severe.) Do I have to start a charity or can the donations be considered fundraiser’s? Anyone who knows, I’d appreciate any advice! Thanks!😘💋🎗️
Hello Carey! Thank you for your kind thoughts to help others - you don't have to start a nonprofit to do the donation drives, but you should partner with an existing 501c3 nonprofit - that way if actual cash is raised, it can go directly to them so you can avoid potential personal penalties (like taxes, if the IRS thinks the cash raised is your personal income).
@@AmberMelanieSmith Thank you for the advice!
Thanks Amber
You're very welcome!
Thank you 🙏🏽 so much Melanie! Bless you for all the great information!!! ❤
Happy it helped!
This a GREAT tip!! Sharing this with our network!
Thanks @Instrumentl :)
This instructional video is very well done and I think will be helpful to our organization’s upcoming Strategic Planning Meeting. Thank you
I'm genuinely happy to hear it!
MBA Chicago, I wanted to create a network of HIgh School Teachers, on linkedin, created 150 articles, have 10k followers, I was thinking about a field trip bus service for schools?
That's an interesting concept!
MBA Chicago, Greetings, Do you have group projects for me to be a part of the process?
Hello! Did you have something specific in mind?
Hi, thanks so much for sharing and explain this information. I have begun the process as far as claiming a domain name, and creating a logo and where I got stuck was making sure that I completed the 1023EZ form, 501c3 and placing the right information and pay for it. The other thing is making sure I Trademark the logo as well, and eventually trying to come up with programs that go along with mental health organization for children? Help? 😇
I would say go in the opposite order if possible! Developing effective programs is more important than the logo/trademark etc. Having solid programming will help you get funding a lot faster.
Very helpful tips
Glad it was helpful!!
Your empathy for us, the beginners, shows in nearly every video of yours I have studied. Studying is not the easiest part of my obligations to those I intend to serve, due to a life-long learning disability. One that I learned to outwit with a very redundant lecture schedule. Also, one that would not have been possible without generous, smart, and likened ambitions provided by wonderful people like yourself. I appreciate you and those like you more than I can say. I can’t reveal this much about my journey without crediting another exceptional person in the field of helping anyone who seeks it, Shalita O’Neale. A persona that I enjoyed listening to, and a person I respect fully over her endeavors to help benefit others looking to help themselves progress. Yes my friend, just as I see you nearly every day. Thank you for your never ending endurance of getting your message through! Tomm😊🥁
Ohhh what a beautiful message, you made my day! I'm so happy to provide this content - we're all on a journey of impact together! And yes, Shalita is awesome!
This was extremely helpful! Thank you!
I'm so glad!
Thanks Amber
You're welcome!
Amazing... thank you
Glad it was helpful!
love this. thank you !
You're so welcome!
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
This is a good cause that provides for those in need.
Hope the video was helpful!
That's what we call integrity but me I would just mute the donor and use the cash for it's work
Another fair approach
Can you help me and i open up a gofundme account it gives donations but my country is not in the list please
Unsure where you are but look around as other platforms may have more access. RallyUp serves many countries for example.
My startup plans actually don’t involve any fundraising needs at first. Everything is based on agreements between myself, and the brain and talent pool I have caught the attention of with a good idea. They are impressed enough to agree to allow me to set up, and run everything as far as our direction, and purpose of charitable , and mentoring acts as professional, teaching artists in their fields of personal expertise. My question is one of a direction of focus toward particular target asks. Our function is to enhance and supplement education in the arts. as needed by present students in the many types of expressive arts that have been loosing support publicly. I’m researching whether to target people my own age, I’m old, or is there a particular generation of donors out there that take any particular biases toward an old guy working with younger people helping kids. I know what I want to accomplish, enough to start in either direction, i thought maybe you could help with a decision or two. You know I appreciate and respect you as an expert, and teacher. I am happy for your latest professional shift in life, and I hope you succeed beyond your brightest dreams. Thanks, Kid.
Thank you so much... really appreciate
Hope it was helpful!
I was waiting for it.
Ha ha, hope it was helpful!! :)
Hello Melanie Thanks for sharing this really inspiring
Good! Glad to hear it :)
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I’m PeshJosh a non profit founder, an executive director at graceful hearts ministry Uganda, I would like to help out on how to get the partnership abroad for international organisations
Welcome to the channel!
Amber is a hottie
Awesome stuff.
Glad it was helpful!!
I HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH TO START MY NONPROFITS BUT I NEED HELP TO WRITE THE GRANT PROPOSAL!!!!
Good progress so far! Have you done your business plan to flesh out your revenue strategy? That may help too!
@@AmberMelanieSmith I AM STARTING NOW!!!!
Wow. Great stuff. Information packed.
Thanks for watching :)
Great video Amber as usual! At what point of your journey did you know a succession plan was important? Or was it something you were soberly aware of from the start? I have works on other channels that I've been thinking about lately concerning succession. Thanks Amber for all that you do, James
Looking back we probably should have had one much earlier than we did, it just got put off on the backburner. I think it's smart to have a written plan a few years into the organization. Peoples' lives change on a dime, and you never know when a leader will need or want to move on.
Excellent thank you!
You're very welcome!
I'm in the process of starting a non-profit to help Keep veterans in their homes So they not out on the street Through mortgage assistance, rent assistance back taxes. Anything that can keep someone from living a happy life in their own home. We will also help married families and then single people in that order. Veterans married folk and single people.
Awesome!
Positive energy only.
☀
Really appreciate you Amber!
:) Hey, thanks! :)
He a real joker if he really returned that money. Words are just words, let it go and focus on your mission, jeeeeeez
I think he was thinking of it from his staff member's perspective - in the nonprofit world, there's a feeling like you have to be okay being abused to get resources. If his staff feels like this and like their boss doesn't have their back, they may leave and then his mission is impaired also.
@@AmberMelanieSmith ohh I get u 👌🏽
I don't care where that money comes from. I run a non-profit. I work 16 hours a day, sometimes 5 or 6 days a week saving people from near certain death and my overdue rent is $50,000. I'll take that money okay. Don't care where it came from. The important thing is saving lives
This is certainly a valid stance, and part of the debate. But I think your comment also underscores the point the CEO was making - should you have to put up with abuse in order to get the resources needed for the community? Maybe you WOULD put up with it, but does that mean you should have to? I think that's what he was trying to say with his decision; we should live in a world where community workers don't have to put up with being mistreated just to get the resources needed to take care of people.
Keeping that donation and blowing off the concerns of your staff and volunteers, which are also part of your hard earned success, is basically unethical, at least.
@@AmberMelanieSmith there are plenty of tough people that don't mind.
I would like to know what was said
No clue, but I imagine it was pretty bad.
The Clinton Foundation needs to return a LOT of donations…
How’d we go from “eat the rich” to “give back to the rich” 😔
To me, this raises two questions. First as executive Director doing this, would there have to be a vote by the board backing up his action, or would that be considered an executive decision? Should the publicity of such an incident, be minimized, or considered as inner works of an organization run by a board, and just not speak of it, and move on?
Valid questions - My assumption is no vote from the board would be needed, but it depends on the organization's bylaws and policies around this. Probably different for different orgs. As for the publicity of it - I think that goes back to the post author's stance - that people shouldn't have to put up with abuse to get needed resources. There's an argument to be made that more light should be shed on this issue. I can see it either way.
It took me a full hour watching this while taking notes and contemplating. Thanks!
Happy to hear it was helpful!
So, if you and a couple of your friends and family decide to start a nonprofit, elect yourselves as the board of directors/ED, as all unpaid staff, is that conflict of interest? It seems like that should be something you're allowed to do.
If you're unpaid volunteers, you can do this, but people who are related to each other by blood or business may not be able to vote separately. Basically the government says, "if we're going to give you these tax exempt privileges, you can't be owned by one person, you have to be owned by the community."
Thank you so much for this great video
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the Information you provide Prettymami!❤️🙏🏽
Hope it was helpful!
@@AmberMelanieSmith your info is always helpful!
Fundraising is just another kind of selling. The donor is being sold that what the organization does has a significant positive impact on something the donor cares about and that it is worth their attention and gifts. Saying that a staff fundraiser shouldn't be paid commissions based on the gifts they bring in unless the entire rest of the staff is paid something, too, is akin to saying that a salesman at a for-profit company shouldn't be paid commissions unless the rest of the staff get commissions, too. To me, neither makes sense. What you and most others that are in this field do not understand, I think, is that a staff fundraiser (that is experienced, well-versed on the organization, and knows how to handle donors well) being paid commission makes perfect sense. That commissioned staff fundraiser is going to bring in funds that the organization wouldn't've otherwise received because he/she is going to work harder at it because his/her check depends upon it, not only because they believe in the organization. And, that person is going to handle the donors correctly and well because they'll likely be calling them back again next year either for a subscription, membership, program, and/or another (hopefully increased) gift. This person is paid according to results, not just for trying. Also, if various donor benefits are offered at varying levels of giving, there will be many potential donors that are truly more interested in those incentives than many of the things that the organization does (some of them may be solely interested in the donor benefits). This is where a salesman/fundraiser is going to bring gifts that someone else working in development probably wouldn't...because it's more transactional than emotional. A fundraiser that can read this type of donor and knows when to shift gears has a much better chance of convincing this type of donor to give. Development isn't generally into this kind of thing, in my experience. Most of this money would most likely otherwise be left on the table--money that the organization could've had to further its programs/goals. Paying a commission to a staff fundraiser that knows how to bring this additional money not only makes sense, but is what all organizations should do. The development department's total salaries (and benefits and all other payroll-related expenses) are a percentage of the total funds they raise. What percentage is too high there? What about a contracted professional fundraiser that is charging a flat rate? That flat rate is a percentage of the total funds they raise, too--what percentage is too high? Point is that you're paying for fundraising no matter how you want to look at it. And, the amount you pay is a percentage of the funds raised. I say that the salaried folks are getting the easy/guaranteed big money and the emotionally motivated donors' money, while the commission paid staff fundraiser is getting the harder money that most likely wouldn't've been gotten at all otherwise. And, donors are not oblivious to the fact that it takes money to raise money--they know the person contacting them is paid. I would say that any that would have a problem with the fundraiser being paid a commission needs to consider the fact that they had to be pursued to make their donation. If there were enough donors calling the organization asking how much is needed and where to send a check, then someone like that would not be needed. Something else I just thought of...an established development department that is cultivating and maintaining larger donors generally isn't going to be able to handle a lot of lower level donors--the return just isn't worth the time/effort. Pay someone a commission to call them and increase their gifts and see what happens. You'd be surprised. And, there is absolutely nothing ethically wrong with any of it.
I agree. I think it's time to rethink our approach to fundraising and compensation, particularly with charitable nonprofits. It's exceedingly difficult to find an effective fundraiser who will work for the salary that most smaller charities can afford to pay. So, we outsource fundraising to a direct mail solicitation company and pay them a boatload of money. We then give our employee who runs point with the direct mail company the title of "Development Director." Which is better? Having a well-intentioned staff member who lacks the skill sets to raise serious money oversee a modest fundraising program, or having an experienced fundraiser with the skill sets to raise major gifts oversee a much larger budget that allows the nonprofit to serve more people and do it better? Just because we might pay them commission does not mean they don't have passion for the work and it doesn't make them unethical. For the record, I'm not a sales rep. I'm just a guy running a homeless shelter trying to pay the bills. Also, I don't pay my development director by commission. I'm just thinking out loud about the pros/cons of this prohibition on fundraisers being paid a commission.
Thank you so much Amber! I was specifically looking for the answer to #3. I am in the process of founding a non-profit and hoping to make it my full-time career as well. It feels really weird to right off the bat found an organization, recruit board members, then immediately relinquish control of the organization to that board so that I can feed my family. How do most founders go about this? Do they sit on the board and volunteer their time until the organization is shaped and stable then step of the board so that they can be hired by the board of directors to fulfill the role of Executive Director?
I hear you. Nonprofits are an interesting legal structure, because the government doesn't want to provide the tax exemption benefit without knowing it is community-owned. Even the founder is not considered the owner (which is why I recommend if you need to retain full control, a private business may be a better structure - you can still do good in a business!). For me personally, I worked closely with my Board and was clear my goal was to work for the org full time. They agreed and voted me in.
You are a Wealth of Knowledge Signing up for you course today!. I thank you and have enjoy all of your videos.
👋 Yay! Welcome :)
How do i get donors to donate to my charity donation programme?
You'll need to build an audience and relationships with the audience, then provide compelling opportunities to donate to meet the community needs you've outlined! :)
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This was thorough and helpful question? can you speak about having a nonprofit that was defunct and now you want to include that regarding new information? So it can be known that, even though you change names, you did have a not for profit in the past giving you somewhat of a history instead of the investor thinking that you're new.
I think it would depend on what happened with the defunct nonprofit. If it is defunct because something went wrong, that might be a red flag for a funder.
@@AmberMelanieSmith it was a partnership when I decided to break away and doing on my own, the other partner did not want to be involved with a nonprofit anymore