Fundraising Resources

 C2Ci – Fundraising Tips

Suggested Process to Support Your Fundraising

  1. What is your vision?
    1. What is your purpose and vision for wanting to do this NVC training? What is the bright future this training will contribute to in your life? How is this, or could this be, of value to society? [You will be inviting people to support what you want to achieve or create in the world].
    2. What needs, values or longing underlie this purpose and vision? Take some time to dwell in the beauty and living energy of these needs. [This is also what you will be asking people to contribute to].
    3. Get clear on how much money you want
    4. Brainstorm ideas for fundraising
  2. Build a support system
    1. Establish empathy buddies
    2. Ask friends and empathy buddies to help brainstorm ideas for fundraising, and evaluate any ideas you have so far
    3. Make a vision board; Imagine yourself having all the money you need for the training you want to do, and imagine yourself at the training
  3. What’s in the way?
    1. Explore obstacles and limiting beliefs that keep you from achieving your goal,
    2. Transform limiting beliefs using NVC or Living Compassion processes.
  4. Making requests for money and support with fundraising.
    Each time you prepare to ask anyone for money or other fundraising support, recall your vision, the bright future you want this training to support, and the beauty and living energy of the needs underlying that. Communicate your requests with the beauty of these needs – share with the person you’re making the request to your vision and the energetic beauty of the needs that the training will support for you. You will be inviting people to support what you want to achieve or create in the world.
  5. You may want to practice making funding and fundraising support requests with an empathy buddy before the real thing – if possible with a buddy who understands and can support processes for getting to the beauty of the need/s.
  6. Celebrations, gratitude and mournings using NVC processes.
    As you carry out your fundraising, keep a journal and record daily ways in which you are rich and abundant. Using NVC process (O, F, N) record daily things you are grateful for, and any fundraising ‘successes’ you’re celebrating, or situations you are mourning.  Share your celebrations and mourning with an empathy buddy.

NB. Prospect in Eights
The general rule in fundraising is 8:4:1 meaning that on average for every 8 people approached you will get 4 people interested and then one donation. This means that for every donation you may get ‘no’ 7 times. Don’t see ‘no’ as a negative thing. Most likely they see merit in what you’re raising funds for but it’s not possible or right for them to contribute at this time. Remember a ‘no’ isn’t about you personally, but about other needs that person is wanting to meet. (SSE Australia: A Guide to Fundraising, p.9)

Fundraising process notes for download (PDF) -> C2C-personal-fundraising-process

OTHER FUNDRAISING RESOURCES
The Aladdin Factor (1995) by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Berkley Books, New York.

A Guide to Fundraising. School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia (free download)
http://www.the-sse.org/schools/24/australia/323/a-guide-to-fundraising

I think you’ll like this article on the joys and benefits of fundraising.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/why-fund-raising-is-fun.html?_r=0

Occasional telecourses on fundraising for NVC with CNVC Certified NVC Trainer Anne Walton – see http://chooseconnection.squarespace.com/

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF GRANTS AND MICROFINANCE IN AUSTRALIA FOR NVC TRAINING

Some workplaces fund professional development – ask your workplace to pay for part or all of the training.

Local businesses may offer small grants, especially if they can see a benefit to the local community – ask your local businesses.

Some banks and credit unions offer no-interest or low-interest microfinance (small loans).

Crowd Funding e.g. Indiegogo, Pozible, Kick-starter

Philanthropic trusts – e.g. see www.ourcommunity.com.au    www.fundingcentre.com.au

Please send recommendations for other good books, websites and resources for fundraising in Australia & NZ to Tracy Adams at wildweaver@ozemail.com.au so we can update this document.