Fundraising Brainstorm

Brainstorm of Fundraising Ideas

Individual Fundraising for the LIFE Program

STOP PRESS – Free telecall on Personal Fundraising for NVC with CNVC Trainer Anne Walton, 9.30 – 11am Saturday 21st June Brisbane Australia time. Click here to for details.

  1. GET CLEAR ON YOUR VISION & EMBODY IT
    Once you’re really clear on your vision of why you want to do the LIFE program, or any particular NVC training, what you want to do with it, and how that can contribute to your community or the broader society, get in touch with embodying this vision and the beauty of the needs underlying the vision – from this space write your vision and what kind of support you need (how much $, goods & services to auction, specific help with fundraising etc), and start asking for help. Be clear about what your asking people to contribute to – what you want to create or achieve with the training – and how much money you need to raise.  Some trainers and courses offer the option to pay in instalments.
  2.  EXPLORE CONCESSIONS AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
    Ask the NVC trainer or course co-ordinator what options there are for concessions, fee-reductions, scholarships, and paying for the course in instalments.
  3. DECIDE TO HAVE FUN WITH FUNDRAISING 🙂
  4. THINK ABOUT WHAT OTHERS MAY ENJOY CONTRIBUTING TO e.g. aspects of NVC or the LIFE program and what you specifically intend to apply it to, that may align with the needs and interests of organisations and other individuals who may give you funds or other support.
  5. ASK YOUR WORKPLACE TO FUND ALL OR PART OF THE TRAINING as professional development
  6. WRITE UP YOUR VISION AND REQUESTS & MAKE IT PUBLIC Write up your vision, needs & and requests and post it to Facebook, your website, NVC website in your country, YouTube, your local newspapers, any local newsletters, fliers on notice boards etc. If using newspapers you could see if you can get an article published.
  7. FIND OTHERS TO COLLABORATE WITH
    Get in touch with others in your region who may also be fundraising to do the LIFE program, and see if you can support each other in creative ideas and fundraising activities (ask Tracy Adams in Australia and Phil Toms or Meagan Rutherford in NZ to help connect you – contact details below)
  8. MAKE REQUESTS TO PERSONAL SUPPORTERS
    Email and/or Facebook or snail mail message all your friends, people in the NVC community, family, and anyone else you think might support you – tell them your vision and request support via direct one-off $ donation, regular small payments by direct debit to your bank account, donation of goods and services to raffle or auction, donation of performance for performance night, or help with fundraising activities. Ask friends and family to forward your request to their networks. Be sure to give details of how they can transfer money or other support to you.
  9. MAKE REQUESTS TO BUSINESSES & ORGANISATIONS
    Talk to local businesses, churches, service organisations (e.g. Rotary, Lions, Zonta), and your local, State and National government local representatives about your vision and ask if they can give a donation and/or support your fundraising (e.g. may pay for a newspaper ad; put stuff in their newsletter, Facebook & website; pay for cost of hiring hall and sound system if you put on an event; may host you as a speaker at their group, where you can request donations, etc)
  10. MICROFINANCE LOANS
    Check with banks and credit unions for any microfinance programs – you may be able to get a no-interest or low-interest loan. Details are usually on their websites, often under sections about Community, Philanthropy, etc. Is there a family member or close friend who would give you a no-interest or low-interest loan, that youre confident of being able to repay with regular payments?
  11. GRANTS AND PHILANTHROPIC ORGANISATIONS
    Search for any grants you may be able to apply for, and for any philanthropic organisations who may fund your training.
  12. CONSIDER USING CROWD FUNDING online
    e.g. Indiegogo, Pozible, Kickstarter
  13. OFFER SKILLS, SERVICES & GOODS TO GENERATE $ 
    What can you do, make, sell apart from your usual paid work to raise funds? List everything youre willing to offer at a cost and advertise to your friends, networks, and publicly. Think outside the box – e.g walk dogs, cook meals, massage, proof-read documents…

OTHER IDEAS – AND PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN CREATIVE IDEAS – MAKE AS FUN & CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE, and always let people know what your raising funds for, and why.

  • Ask to be a speaker at a local service club or library, speak about your vision, and ask for donations.
  • Auction or Raffle (ask friends and local businesses to donate goods & services)
  • Invite friends to birthday party and ask them to pay
  • Have a dinner party or soiree and ask friends to pay
  • Ask a friend to host a dinner party or soiree and ask friends to pay
  • Have a group of friends work with you to host a progressive dinner for paying guests.
  • Host Murder Mystery Dinners for paying guests
  • Host & facilitate (with help from NVC buddies) an Empathy Swap-A-Thon which people pay to participate in.
  • Have a fancy dress party, Mad Hatters party, Dance Party, etc and invite friends to come and pay. Have prizes for best/most eccentric costumes etc
  • Hold Solstice & Equinox rituals, celebration, party or similar seasonal theme celebration, and ask people to pay.
  • If you have friends or contacts who are performers who would donate their performance to you, put on a performance event at someone’s home or small cheap hall and invite friends & the public to come for a fee.
  • Hold an Outrageously Posh Ball (Op Shop Glam) with dance music
  • Have people sponsor you for a walk-a-thon, dance-a-thon, Speak Peace-a-thon or similar
  • Have all your friends who love to dance and who want to support you get sponsored for a dance-a-thon then hold the dance-a-thon with great dance music
  • Clean out your house and have a garage sale or market stall, or sell online. Ask friends & family to contribute good quality things to sell.
  • Offer free places in future NVC workshops you will run for donors who donate at least the cost of such workshops.

Download a pdf of brainstorm ideas here -> brainstorm-of-fundraising-ideas

Please add and share any other fundraising ideas or resources you have – May the fundraising force be with you!

For help finding others in your region who you may be able to collaborate with on fundraising for the 2015 – 16 LIFE Program in Australia contact:

In Australia – Tracy Adams 07- 54352993 wildweaver@ozemail.com.au

In New Zealand – Phil Toms at nvcnz@me.com  or Meagan Rutherford meagan.rutherford@gmail.com