Fundraising as a Work from Home Business Opportunity?
Fundraising is becoming an increasingly popular work at home profession. It allows professionals to raise money for causes or organizations they believe in from the convenience of their own home, and make a profit at the same time.
The number and types of organizations that need to raise money is practically limitless. Some of the most popular are schools, museums, churches, political candidates, research institutions, theatres, and tons of other special interest groups.
Whereas the amount of groups in need of money may be limitless, there is a real limit on the amount of people donating money. It often takes more than a direct mailing to solicit funds from would be contributors. Convincing people to contribute money can be a very time consuming process. This is where professional fundraisers come into play. Currently there are over 3,500 people who have become certified by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives as professional fund raisers.
If you are considering becoming a professional at home fund raiser it is important to clearly understand what the job entails. You will be required to develop a fund raising campaign. In addition, you will be in charge of implementing and evaluating that plan. This can be done by organizing events, sending out direct mail, making presentations, appealing to the public, communicating with board members, and telephone calls. In addition, fund raisers often utilize market surveys to research the most appropriate way to raise funds for their particular organization.
In order to become a professional fund raiser, you must possess certain skills. The most important characteristic of a successful fundraiser is outstanding communication skills. You must be able to make light conversation, that makes people feel comfortable, but at the same time you must be able to get down to business.
A good fund raiser is also a very organized individual. This is because you will have to manage a database full of donors. This means you need to stay on top of how much they donate, when they have donated, and to what causes. Keeping this information organized will help you obtain funds from that individual in the future.
A successful fundraiser must also be a good manager. It is impossible to work alone and be profitable at fund raising. For this reason you must be able to recruit, train, and motivate others. You must be able to manage a staff of fund raisers in order to get the funds your organization needs.
Now that you know what a fundraiser is and what skills are required, you need to understand how you will make money by raising funds for others. A professional fundraiser should never base their fees on the amount of money that they were able to raise. This is considered an unethical and sometimes illegal practice. The government requires that organizations follow procedures in their fundraising attempts to avoid this.
Instead, a professional fund raiser will charge for their services by the hour or on a project basis. A typical hourly rate for a fund raiser is anywhere from $40 to $280 per hour. The amount you will be able to charge per hour will depend on you experience and skill level, and the size of the project. The better you get at your job the more you can charge.
The next part of being a successful work at home fundraiser is to get clients. Most clients are obtained through networking and referrals. Basically if you do a good job for someone they will recommend you to their friends, family, and colleagues. You should also market your business through traditional advertising avenues, such as the yellow pages, television, radio, and flyers.