This is a follow-up to my last column about my first fundraising experience for the local Chinese school. In this column I would like to share a few lessons I have learned in the process. I hope my own experience will benefit other people, especially local school PTA volunteers who help with various school fundraising events every year.
• No fear
Most people don’t like to ask others for donations. We don’t feel comfortable doing that because we dread rejection. So the first step in the fundraising process is to move past our fears of rejection and learn how to ask.
“Ask and you shall receive.” If you don’t ask, you will never receive anything.
While we should have confidence in asking and hope for positive results, we should also be prepared for rejection. We can’t expect success every time. There will be businesses that don’t return calls or e-mails. That’s to be expected. If we are prepared, then we will not be disappointed.
• Plan early
Doing fundraising is no small feat. It takes a lot of planning, determination and hard work to make it successful.
It takes time to contact businesses, wait for responses, write letters, pick up donations, evaluate results and incorporate the results into the final events. So you should plan and start the process as early as possible.
Big store or chain stores have more rules and procedures in place. They receive a lot of donation requests so they have to follow certain procedures in their decision making process. Some have to go through the headquarters before making decisions.
Some have monthly or quarterly limits to give away. So once they reach the set limits in the month or quarter, you have to wait for the next month or quarter.
Expect two to four weeks of lag time for big businesses.
• Start small
It is easier to do fundraising with smaller or independent businesses or stores than big or chain stores. Because they are not overwhelmed with donation requests, they are more willing to say “yes” if they do get requests.
With smaller businesses, the owners can make decisions on the spot. They don’t have to follow any procedures from corporate office.
So when you start small, you are more likely to find success and gain confidence.
• Prepare a letter
Some businesses will ask you to put your request in writing and on your organization’s letterhead. Some also ask for your organization’s tax ID. In the letter you should state the purpose of the fundraising. Using the five W's — Who, What, Where, Why, When — is a good guideline to write a brief letter to the business that asks for it.
• Mutual benefit
Businesses exist to make money and be profitable. When you ask for donations, don’t just say what they can do for you, but also tell them what you can do for them. It’s nice for the businesses to know that you need and appreciate their support for your worthy cause, but it’s more attractive for them if they know that they will benefit from their donations as well.
When I approached Atlantic Buffet for our fundraising event, I asked for something most people probably thought was impossible. Yet I was confident. I went to the meeting with the owner well-prepared.
Without even being asked, I prepared a letter. In the letter I not only stated the benefits this fundraising event would have for the local Chinese School, but more importantly, I listed more benefits this event would have for his business.
After reading my letter, the owner said “fine” without any objections or questions regarding my proposal. It was that simple. Again, “Ask and you shall receive.”
I am not sure it would be that simple, had I not prepared the letter to convince him that the event would benefit his business as well.
In my brief phone conversations with other businesses, I didn’t have time to say much. I only mentioned that after the event I would write a thank you note and publicly acknowledge their support through Woodbury Bulletin.
• Find a partner
For better results, involve a local business as a partner. In partnership with a local restaurant to host the event, in partnership with a local nursery to sell plants, you attract more people with less work and better results.
• Public recognition
Everyone likes a pat on the back now and then. I think when a business supports the local community and donates to your non-profit organization in the worthy cause, you should at least send a thank you letter.
In addition, a public recognition in the local newspaper is appropriate and very much appreciated. It’s a great incentive for the businesses to support local community if they will be publicly acknowledged by the local community for their support.
• My big mistake
I thought I raised enough gift certificates for every family who would attend our event.
We ended up having a little more people come to the event than expected. That wasn’t a problem. My mistake was I was so confident in my thinking that every family would get something that I didn’t do any “quantity control.”
We ended up having some families winning a prize for every family member present while very few, maybe a handful of families didn’t win anything. When I found that out at the end, I felt really bad. I wish I had done something to let every family win a prize before they could win multiple prizes. Just to be “fair.”
Through my first fundraising experience, I have learned a few lessons. I think I could do better next time.
[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 2/27/2008]
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thanks to those who helped
Several weeks ago I wrote about the new Chinese School in Woodbury, which started in September 2007.
To celebrate the beginning of the new semester (Feb. 2) and the Chinese New Year (Feb. 9), to provide an opportunity for teachers, students and their families to get together and to raise some money for student activities, the school decided to have a celebration and fundraising event on Saturday, Feb. 2.
Atlantic Buffet owner David was very kind and generous in offering us a convenient place and a great price to hold the party in his restaurant.
To encourage students and their families’ participation in this event, I, as a member of the Chinese school’s board, took it upon myself to contact local businesses and ask for their support in forms of gift certificates or gift baskets.
I have never done fundraising before. So this was a learning experience. Thanks to the generosity of businesses I contacted, it was a great experience, too.
The first business I called was Shanghai Market in St. Paul, because it is a Chinese grocery store I have shopped in the past and is well known in the Chinese community. After my brief explanation, the manager quickly promised to give us gift certificates to support our event.
As my first fundraising effort resulted in success with only one phone call and in only a few minutes, my confidence and ambition were greatly increased. Maybe I could do more than just gift certificates from one store. I started contacting businesses in the Woodbury area.
I thought Asian businesses in Woodbury might be more willing to support our Chinese New Year celebration. My first call went to Pei Wei Asian Diner. The manager promised some gift certificates on the spot. I got more encouragement after this second successful try.
I made more phone calls.
I quickly found out it’s easier to do fundraising with smaller or independent businesses or stores than big or chain stores. It’s understandable. With smaller stores, the owners can make decisions on the spot.
On the other hand, big store or chain stores managers often have to follow certain procedures or go through the headquarters before making decisions.
They receive donation requests a lot more so they have to have some rules and procedures in their decision making process. Mostly I was asked to submit a written request for their review. Big stores need two to six weeks of lag time.
Among the 18 businesses I called, almost half of them responded with positive results. Some businesses didn’t return my calls or e-mails. But that’s fine. I didn’t expect a positive response every time.
I had a pleasant experience contacting the businesses, even in cases where I didn’t get any support.
The only frustrating thing that happened to me was I was transferred twice and put on hold twice which ended up in disconnection. I was not interested in calling back again. And, personally, I am not interested in visiting that business again either.
I am thankful to all who did respond to my requests. I was especially impressed with Olive Garden’s manager Tom. He was a quick decision-maker. And he also won my most generous award.
I spent a lot of time in making phone calls, writing and dropping off requests, and picking up gift certificates. But it’s worth the effort. I got better than expected results out of my efforts for the school.
I would like to say thank you to all the businesses that supported our celebration event. They are Shanghai Market, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Acupuncture Woodbury, Olive Garden, Trader Joe's, Applebee's (Valley Creek location), Kowalski’s Market and Noodles & Company.
My biggest thank you goes to Atlantic Buffet for allowing us to host this event. Without their generous support in the first place, I wouldn’t have thought about and done any fundraising for the event.
Thank you all for making our first celebration and fundraising event a fun and successful one. The prize drawing was definitely the most fun part. Kids and adults alike all enjoyed it.
I really appreciate your willingness to help and give back to the community. I am sure your support to the local community will be rewarded with more and loyal customers.
My first fundraising experience will certainly affect where I personally shop and do business in the future.
[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 2/20/2007]
To celebrate the beginning of the new semester (Feb. 2) and the Chinese New Year (Feb. 9), to provide an opportunity for teachers, students and their families to get together and to raise some money for student activities, the school decided to have a celebration and fundraising event on Saturday, Feb. 2.
Atlantic Buffet owner David was very kind and generous in offering us a convenient place and a great price to hold the party in his restaurant.
To encourage students and their families’ participation in this event, I, as a member of the Chinese school’s board, took it upon myself to contact local businesses and ask for their support in forms of gift certificates or gift baskets.
I have never done fundraising before. So this was a learning experience. Thanks to the generosity of businesses I contacted, it was a great experience, too.
The first business I called was Shanghai Market in St. Paul, because it is a Chinese grocery store I have shopped in the past and is well known in the Chinese community. After my brief explanation, the manager quickly promised to give us gift certificates to support our event.
As my first fundraising effort resulted in success with only one phone call and in only a few minutes, my confidence and ambition were greatly increased. Maybe I could do more than just gift certificates from one store. I started contacting businesses in the Woodbury area.
I thought Asian businesses in Woodbury might be more willing to support our Chinese New Year celebration. My first call went to Pei Wei Asian Diner. The manager promised some gift certificates on the spot. I got more encouragement after this second successful try.
I made more phone calls.
I quickly found out it’s easier to do fundraising with smaller or independent businesses or stores than big or chain stores. It’s understandable. With smaller stores, the owners can make decisions on the spot.
On the other hand, big store or chain stores managers often have to follow certain procedures or go through the headquarters before making decisions.
They receive donation requests a lot more so they have to have some rules and procedures in their decision making process. Mostly I was asked to submit a written request for their review. Big stores need two to six weeks of lag time.
Among the 18 businesses I called, almost half of them responded with positive results. Some businesses didn’t return my calls or e-mails. But that’s fine. I didn’t expect a positive response every time.
I had a pleasant experience contacting the businesses, even in cases where I didn’t get any support.
The only frustrating thing that happened to me was I was transferred twice and put on hold twice which ended up in disconnection. I was not interested in calling back again. And, personally, I am not interested in visiting that business again either.
I am thankful to all who did respond to my requests. I was especially impressed with Olive Garden’s manager Tom. He was a quick decision-maker. And he also won my most generous award.
I spent a lot of time in making phone calls, writing and dropping off requests, and picking up gift certificates. But it’s worth the effort. I got better than expected results out of my efforts for the school.
I would like to say thank you to all the businesses that supported our celebration event. They are Shanghai Market, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Acupuncture Woodbury, Olive Garden, Trader Joe's, Applebee's (Valley Creek location), Kowalski’s Market and Noodles & Company.
My biggest thank you goes to Atlantic Buffet for allowing us to host this event. Without their generous support in the first place, I wouldn’t have thought about and done any fundraising for the event.
Thank you all for making our first celebration and fundraising event a fun and successful one. The prize drawing was definitely the most fun part. Kids and adults alike all enjoyed it.
I really appreciate your willingness to help and give back to the community. I am sure your support to the local community will be rewarded with more and loyal customers.
My first fundraising experience will certainly affect where I personally shop and do business in the future.
[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 2/20/2007]
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
There is no place like the library
My favorite place in Woodbury, as well as in any other communities I have lived in the US, is the local public library. There is just no other place that means so much to me as the library. There is just no other place that can be as magic as the library.
My love affair with library and books didn't start until I was in my twenties. I was definitely a late bloomer.
Growing up in China in the sixties and seventies during the Cultural Revolution, reading and libraries were not an important part of my life. My parents were just doing their best to survive every day. They didn't have extra money to buy books. I didn't have children's books at home. They didn't read stories to me as a child.
As far as I can remember, I never even used a public library in China. I think at that time the municipal library in my hometown Suzhou was open to only a limited number of adults who had special permissions to use it. I didn't read as a child and had not experienced the joy of reading and visiting a library.
I was a hard working student in school and had the good fortune to go to college in China.
When I came to the United States in 1991 after 9 years of studying German, I couldn't understand and speak English. I felt totally lost in this new world. I didn't know what to do with my life at that time.
Fortunately I lived within the walking distance to the public library in Madison, Wisconsin. I went to the library several times a week and checked out one or two bags full of books every time. I started with books at the preschool level. I would read a few dozens of children's books a day.
The more I read, the more I hungered for books and knowledge. The more I read, the better I became in the language.
Gradually I could read more difficult books. I remember reading all the books in the "From Sea to Shining Sea" and "America the Beautiful" series and learning everything about all the 50 states in the country. I still have my reading notes today. My reading served two purposes, to learn the English language and to learn about this new country.
After reading and learning for over a year, my English was improved and I could communicate in an understandable way.
I found a library page position at the Madison Public Library to check in books. I looked forward to my work. As books passed through my hands, I felt a sense of excitement again and again. "Wow, here is another interesting book I want to read!"
I found more and more interesting books to read that I wouldn't find on my own. In fact I didn't know what I wanted to read. My way of finding books to read was just to browse the book shelves. Now I had a better way to get to the interesting books.
Other library users served as my reader advisors. Every workday I took a bag of finished books to work and at the end of the day my empty bag was again filled with books to take home.
As a library user and a part-time library worker, I grew to love library and reading. I dreamed of becoming a professional librarian and working full-time in the library.
I went to the library school and got my master's in library science at the university of Wisconsin-Madison. My dream became a reality.
Library was my heaven during the difficult times in my life when I didn't know what to do and who I was. Library provided me books and knowledge, and nurtured my hungry and lonely soul.
Now library is where I work for a living, and library is where I visit frequently with my two children for adventures and enjoyment. Both of my kids got their own library card before they could read.
I am glad my kids visit library more often than McDonald's and they read more books than eat French fries. I am so grateful they can grow up with lots of books and view library as an essential part of their life.
As an immigrant, I have come to love my adopted country. For me, one of the best things of living in the US is the easy and free access to the public library and the wonderful services it provides to everyone regardless of age, background and social status. In the library, we are all equal and knowledge is freely available to everyone who desires it.
Having been a library user and librarian for over 10 years, now my life doesn't feel complete and fulfilled without reading and library. I believe passionately in the library and what it can do for people. I love my profession as a librarian.
Library can change life. It has definitely changed my life. It still helps me to learn, to grow and to live every day.
I can't imagine what my life would be and what I would be doing today if there wasn't a public library.
[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 4/18/2007]
My love affair with library and books didn't start until I was in my twenties. I was definitely a late bloomer.
Growing up in China in the sixties and seventies during the Cultural Revolution, reading and libraries were not an important part of my life. My parents were just doing their best to survive every day. They didn't have extra money to buy books. I didn't have children's books at home. They didn't read stories to me as a child.
As far as I can remember, I never even used a public library in China. I think at that time the municipal library in my hometown Suzhou was open to only a limited number of adults who had special permissions to use it. I didn't read as a child and had not experienced the joy of reading and visiting a library.
I was a hard working student in school and had the good fortune to go to college in China.
When I came to the United States in 1991 after 9 years of studying German, I couldn't understand and speak English. I felt totally lost in this new world. I didn't know what to do with my life at that time.
Fortunately I lived within the walking distance to the public library in Madison, Wisconsin. I went to the library several times a week and checked out one or two bags full of books every time. I started with books at the preschool level. I would read a few dozens of children's books a day.
The more I read, the more I hungered for books and knowledge. The more I read, the better I became in the language.
Gradually I could read more difficult books. I remember reading all the books in the "From Sea to Shining Sea" and "America the Beautiful" series and learning everything about all the 50 states in the country. I still have my reading notes today. My reading served two purposes, to learn the English language and to learn about this new country.
After reading and learning for over a year, my English was improved and I could communicate in an understandable way.
I found a library page position at the Madison Public Library to check in books. I looked forward to my work. As books passed through my hands, I felt a sense of excitement again and again. "Wow, here is another interesting book I want to read!"
I found more and more interesting books to read that I wouldn't find on my own. In fact I didn't know what I wanted to read. My way of finding books to read was just to browse the book shelves. Now I had a better way to get to the interesting books.
Other library users served as my reader advisors. Every workday I took a bag of finished books to work and at the end of the day my empty bag was again filled with books to take home.
As a library user and a part-time library worker, I grew to love library and reading. I dreamed of becoming a professional librarian and working full-time in the library.
I went to the library school and got my master's in library science at the university of Wisconsin-Madison. My dream became a reality.
Library was my heaven during the difficult times in my life when I didn't know what to do and who I was. Library provided me books and knowledge, and nurtured my hungry and lonely soul.
Now library is where I work for a living, and library is where I visit frequently with my two children for adventures and enjoyment. Both of my kids got their own library card before they could read.
I am glad my kids visit library more often than McDonald's and they read more books than eat French fries. I am so grateful they can grow up with lots of books and view library as an essential part of their life.
As an immigrant, I have come to love my adopted country. For me, one of the best things of living in the US is the easy and free access to the public library and the wonderful services it provides to everyone regardless of age, background and social status. In the library, we are all equal and knowledge is freely available to everyone who desires it.
Having been a library user and librarian for over 10 years, now my life doesn't feel complete and fulfilled without reading and library. I believe passionately in the library and what it can do for people. I love my profession as a librarian.
Library can change life. It has definitely changed my life. It still helps me to learn, to grow and to live every day.
I can't imagine what my life would be and what I would be doing today if there wasn't a public library.
[Originally published in Woodbury Bulletin on 4/18/2007]
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