Christmas break is a fantastic time of year to manage a successful University fundraising campaign. Hosting the event on your school campus draws donors to the very place you need funds. There are so many opportunities to show off your school and bring its special qualities and offerings to light and inspire donors to give.
One prestigious university, Hofstra University, happens to be holding a crowdfunding event on December 10. They are not simply showcasing their beautiful campus, but are displaying their brilliance, school programming and community service efforts. They are combining their event with another nonprofit they work in partnership with, Community Mainstreaming Associates (CMA), who is committed to providing flexible and innovative services that meet the changing needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Their on campus fun run event this December is an opportunity for the university educators and CMA staff to meet donors personally, and inform them of successful past and upcoming programming. This fall Hofstra Univerity Continuing Education in collaboration with Community Mainstreaming Associates (CMA), provided a half-day of classes for young adults with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities on the Hofstra campus which was open to the community. It was held in 6 sessions and taught the art of communication through several creative pathways. Sharing the specific details of what these nonprofits actually did with the funding of their donors is a big step in the direction of procuring new top donors at the fun run.
The rich fabrics of partnerships is working for Hofstra University and Community Mainstreaming Associates during their fundraising campaign and provides an opportunity for them to show donors what each nonprofit organization is doing for their community, and share the fruits of their collaboration. The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University in partnership with the Disability Opportunity Fund, a NY nonprofit, are endeavoring to uncover gaps and identify creative solutions for housing and related services for people with disabilities and their families. “In an effort to explore both the gaps, as well as potential solutions, we are speaking with a range of stakeholders in a series of focus groups, and conducting a population-based survey to assess need and demand, and to give all consumers an opportunity to have their voice heard.
Our goal is to use the data from the Wait No More Survey to spark creative collaborations among policymakers, providers, developers and funders to find a range of safe, affordable, accessible, preferable and sustainable housing options for this underserved, at-risk population.”
University fundraising at Hofstra is also unique because of their beautiful New York campus. While showing their donors with great pride the grounds and buildings of their impressive school, they have a chance to share their one of a kind mission statement. Donors who give to universities are not solely those who are integrated with the school itself, but with society. Education is the future, so sharing with their entire community the primary mission, in person is powerful …”providing quality its students in an environment that encourages, nurtures, and supports learning through the free and open exchange of ideas, for the betterment of humankind. Hofstra University is fully committed to academic freedom and to the transmission, advancement, and preservation of knowledge for its own academic community and for the community at large. Hofstra University offers undergraduate and graduate programs taught by a research-active and professionally engaged faculty.”
The university fundraising team has chosen the easiest way to get the maximum amount of funds raised during the campaign. As donors receive emails about the campaign they are simply a click away from making an online donation. Online fundraising reaches a broader audience than solely the day of the event will draw. They know it is essential to have an online option for donors to give, rather than miss those who may want to donate but can’t take time out of their busy schedules, or travel a long distance to attend the event. The Hofstra crowdfunding website gives donors the option of making a donation in honor of a teacher or student, or someone instrumental to their education.
There are many different types of fundraising initiatives available to universities such as collecting online donations, organizing a sales-drive or planning an exciting event such as the fun run / 5K race non-profit crowdfunding event at Hofstra University. Free online resources are dedicated to helping you choose which type of fundraiser is right for your team, as well as providing guidelines to help you create a successful university fundraising campaign. An alumni fundraising initiative is another popular university direction and may be designed to bring in dollars to support the development of school projects for the University itself, or to help fund programs for school groups they were involved in such as fraternities, sororities, poetry clubs, political groups and sport teams, Targeting alumni for fundraising efforts is an excellent idea.
Fundraising software by DoJiggy is dedicated to helping university students, faculty, teams and nonprofit organizations to better plan, manage and execute fundraising campaigns. With our university fundraising resource center, we strive to provide the best collection of resources to make university fundraising events and initiatives more successful. Whether the fundraiser is sponsored by the university or conducted by a group within, there is often a need to raise dollars for school developmental projects, new technology and materials, as well as to fund extracurricular activities and social organizations. We provide a complete line of online fundraising solutions to help you plan and manage whatever fundraising event or initiative you choose…helping you save time and money, while executing a successful university fundraiser. Our goal is that these fundraising resources, used with our online software tools will save your organization valuable time and allow you to raise more money for your cause.
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