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Fundraising efforts can take many forms.
To be successful, you must think outside the box. Try to come
up with ideas that don't compete with every other non-profit in
town. Be original. Consider the amount of effort expended and
cost vs. the potential pay-off. This guide offers a few suggestions,
based on our experience and success rates. In addition, there
are many other websites geared specifically to this topic which
we invite you to explore.
This section provides information on:
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Educational Product Sales -
The Get Bear Smart Society can provide your school or organization
with great educational products to sell to help you raise
funds for bear smart programs.
Our products are practical,
educational, fun and informative. Enjoyable and affordable,
our array of different products will please everyone and
also make it easier to achieve multiple sales to one customer.
We provide a generous split of the proceeds in favour of
your organization and in most cases can furnish you with
product on a guaranteed sales basis without any risk.
Playing Cards: Playing
cards are found in most households and are easy to sell.
We carry two versions
of Bear Smart playing cards. Both are unique decks of 52
regular playing cards (plus 2 jokers) that you can use to
play your favourite card games or create new variations
on traditional card games. Ideas for variations on games
are included inside.
Get 52 Tips on Staying Safe in Bear Country while At Home,
Hiking, Camping, and all about General Bear Etiquette.
Get Bear Smart Bruin Trivia Game is designed for kids.
Aside from playing any card game that requires 52 regular
playing cards (plus 2 jokers), it can also be used to play
Bruin Trivia. Each card contains a 'question and answer'
to help kids learn all about black, grizzly and polar bears.
Get Bear Smart Bruin Trivia Game is great for kids of all
ages. Adults will enjoy the game too! It’s great fun
for the whole family!
Get Bear Smart playing cards are a valuable educational
tool and they make an ideal gift! The cards retail for $10.
Your school or bear aware groups can buy the cards for $4.50
each CAD. Shipping costs are additional. The cards come
in boxes of 10/12.
To order: email
us.
Bear Smart Kids Booklet -
This book, written and
illustrated by Evelyn Kirkaldy, will make kids smarter than
the average bear! It is a wonderfully illustrated colouring
and activity book about bears around the world, bear necessities,
the life of a bear, crosswords and much more. 8 1/2"
x 11" soft colour cover, 18 pages, black and white
inside.
Order
now. The book retails for $10 and can be purchased for
$4.50 CAD for fundraising purposes. Shipping costs are additional.
Any number of books can be ordered.
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Click on box image
to see all 52 cards
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Fee
for Service/Materials - Many of the services,
presentations and educational materials provided by non-profits
are very valuable and as such are worthy of charging a fee. Entrance
fees can be charged for presentations to the public or a fee for
the entire presentation can be charged to businesses or other
groups. The fee must sometimes be discounted for other non-profits
- use your own judgment here and be reasonable. Ask for a donation
towards the cost of educational materials distributed by a business.
Corporate
Sponsorship - Local businesses are often willing
to sponsor events, pay for publications, buy/subsidize bear-proof
bins or provide prizes for fundraisers. Be sure to acknowledge
their support verbally or by using their logo on any printed materials
or products sponsored.
 Donation
Boxes -
Donation Boxes can be placed
near cash registers in charity-friendly shops. Retail outlets
that incur high cash sales with lots of change are ideal. Gift
shops are also a great place for coin boxes as customers are already
in the giving mood. Avoid coffee shops where you're competing
with tip jars; or outlets where people mostly use credit cards.
We like to use clear boxes with a compelling
photo. People are more likely to give if they can see that others
are giving as well. It's helpful to start the container out with
some larger coins or small bills in it.
It's best to secure coin boxes as much as possible
- they are sometimes stolen. If possible, permanently affix them
to the counter or use double-sided sticky tape to keep them in
place. Put coin boxes in spots that are accessible to customers,
but difficult to walk away with. Empty them regularly and especially
before they are too enticing to a thief. It is also a good idea
to limit the number of volunteers in your organization who can
empty the box. Put a sticker on the back that states: "The
only persons authorized to empty this container are Nancy Bruin
and John Bear".
Direct Mail
- Many organizations must rely in some way on individual donors.
Fundraising letters are – by far – the single biggest
means used by non-profits to recruit new donors. Time and again,
surveys reveal that letters provide the means for the majority
of donors to make a first gift or become a member of a non-profit
organization. That being said, it's a tough slug. There's lots
of competition for donor dollars and very little pay-off in the
beginnings of any campaign. Acquiring mailing lists is difficult
and costly. Response rates - the percentage of people who send
gifts - are typically in the range of one-half to two and one-half
percent. That makes it tough to break-even on a first time mail
out. Over the long term, however, direct mail campaigns can be
beneficial. The goal is to recruit monthly donors and build donor
loyalty.
Books:
Hidden Gold by Harvey McKinnon, 1999, Bonus
Books, Inc. website: www.harveymckinnon.com
Raising Money by Mail, by Mal Warwick, 1996, Strathmoor Press,
Inc. website: www.malwarwick.com
Fundraising Events: There's
never a shortage of great ideas for fundraising events. Keep in
mind that fundraisers require intensive volunteer commitment and
a huge amount of organization. The return on investment, so to
speak, can be quite low when these resources are figured in. Nonetheless,
for many non-profits, it's still the best option. The government
of Canada has produced a great Guide to Special Events Fundraising
which is available online.
Other Resources:
Website:
Canada's supersite
for non-profits - A very comprehensive resource with numerous
links to sources of funding e.g. Grant-Giving Foundations, Arms-Length
Agencies and Independent Funding Sources, Corporate Funding Programs,
Government Funding Programs, Microcredit Funding Programs - both
Canadian and American Information Sources. There are also links
to other resources to help with writing funding proposals, creating
capital campaigns, hosting special events, initiating direct mail
campaigns and seeking planned giving opportunities.
Books:
An extensive list is available at CharityVillage.com
Potential Funding
Sources:
BC Bear Smart Community Grant:
To help communities pursue "Bear Smart"
Community status, the Ministry of Environment in British Columbia,
Canada is issuing a limited call for applications for funding
to municipal governments and local community conservation organizations.
This call will be in partnership with the Habitat Conservation
Trust Fund, pending funding approval.
For more details, including rules, time
frame and eligible activities see the Ministry's website:
Download - Application
Form for Bear Smart Community Program Funding
Animal Welfare Foundation
of Canada
The Foundation works to ensure that human
guardians give all animals - wild, domestic, exotic - the care,
treatment and protection owed them. By fostering direct services
to animals in need, innovative research, and educational programs,
the Foundation provides a rational alternative for those who wish
to see their donations make a positive difference to the lives
of animals. For more information on grants see the website.
Community Foundations of Canada
A source to find a community foundation
in your area. Community foundations make grants to support a wide
range of local initiatives - from health, education and social
services to arts, culture, recreation and the environment. Community
foundations are only allowed to make grants to qualified donees
including registered Canadian charities, registered Canadian amateur
athletic associations and Canadian municipalities. To find out
if there is a community foundation that serves your Canadian region
or municipality, visit the Community
Foundation Finder.
Vancouver Foundation (British
Columbia, Canada)
The purpose of the Animal Welfare Grants Program is to support
the provision of initiatives and programs that are of direct benefit
to animals. The goals are to (1) to promote positive attitudes
among people for the welfare, respect, and humane treatment of
all animals; (2) to support programs that work to enhance the
welfare of all animals; (3) to increase awareness of and respect
for all animals; (4) to support innovative approaches to educate
and promote the recognition of the human and animal bond; (5)
to assist and promote organizational capacity building, good management,
and governance for the long term sustainability and financial
stability of the sector; (6) to support research that directly
benefits and improves the quality of life for animals. For more
information on grants see the website.
More
sources of funding
Grassroots Networks:
The Orion
Grassroots Network connects the full diversity of groups involved
in social and environmental movements, and occasionally engages
them in coordinated campaigns on regional, national, and global
issues, such as the Earth Charter. Network members receive practical
benefits such as exposure in our publications and website; use
of our popular Internship & Career Service; access to our
Events Calendar and Publication & Resource List; and reprint
rights for articles. Finally, however, Network members share a
common set of values, a desire to link arms, and, when necessary,
speak with one voice.
Y2Y
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) . . . people
working together to maintain and restore the unique natural heritage
of the Yellowstone to Yukon region. Combining science and stewardship,
we seek to ensure that the world- renowned wilderness, wildlife,
native plants, and natural processes of the Yellowstone to Yukon
region continue to function as an interconnected web of life,
capable of supporting all of the natural and human communities
that reside within it, for now and for future generations. Join
the listserve or recieve the Conservation News.
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