My Communities

One way to increase my organisations amount of unrestricted gifts is from fundraising events and it helps build the organisation's capacity through planned giving and techniques of raising money

1. Type of support :
   Emotional support.
   Informational support.
   Tangible support.
   Support for self-esteem or assertiveness.
   Support for belonging.

2. It will enable the organisation of seminars, practical training sessions with experts and, above all, the promotion of communication.

Doing events for individuals

2. The more money my organization raises,the more capacity it will have to help people.

I agree too

My organization can open up for membership registration, and accept dues and levies

1. possible ways of increasing donations to our organisation without restrictions. this can be achieved through the following ideas:
   a. Awareness and communication campaigns: Inform the public about the organisation's mission, successes and needs.
   b. Partnerships: Collaborate with other companies, organisations or personalities to extend your reach.
   c. Fundraising events: Organise charity events, auctions, galas or other activities to encourage donations.
   d. Recurring donation programme: Encourage people to make regular donations, even of small amounts, to ensure ongoing support.
   e. Social media engagement: Use online platforms to share inspirational stories, testimonials and encourage people to donate.
   f. Donor recognition: Publicly acknowledge and thank donors for their generosity to build loyalty and encourage others to give.

2. There are a number of advantages to strengthening our organisation's capacity through larger donations:
   a. Increased financial resources: Larger donations provide more funds for operations, programmes, development and future initiatives.
   b. Programme expansion: With more funding, you could expand your programmes, reach a wider audience or offer new services.
   c. Financial stability: Regular and substantial donations can contribute to financial stability, allowing you to plan for the long term and reduce uncertainty.
   d. Greater visibility: Increased donations can raise the profile and reputation of your organisation, attracting more financial support and partnership opportunities.
   e. Innovation and continuous improvement: Additional financial resources can encourage innovation, investment in new technologies and improved methods of achieving your objectives.

Host more small-scale fundraising events in my community. It would increase our capacity by increasing our programs visibility and how we need financial support to make it possbile.

1. Advocacy of women and children's rights is one of the main themes in the mission of my organisation. So one way to increase unrestricted gifts/funding is to hold small scale fundraising events such as gala dinners with like minded organisations, general public and government departments.

2. Such events would enable my organisation to network with like minded organisations where they can exchange ideas and new developments on the advocacy space. New potential individual funders can also be found in such events.

Opening up membership funding can be a good strategy for increasing unrestricted funding/gifts. However, in most cases members would expect some benefits in order for them to maintain their membership with a certain organisation. So cost benefit analysis is critical consideration in this case.

1. I think for our NPO that is in South Africa we have a lot more cultural issues playing a part, as the community in general is on the poor low income side, especially in a small town like ours. We make sure we have sales on our front verandah at least once a month to sell all the second had goods that get donated to us.
2. Having someone that can help with good marketing and now that we have got a new enthusiastic board member we are hoping that his enthusiasm will rub off on the others. We have had the problem of board members want to do as little a possible, we so it has seemed to me.

One way to increase our organization's unrestricted funds would be to implement targeted fundraising campaigns that emphasize the overall impact of unrestricted gifts.

I agree with your great idea.

Offer regular thank you notes or gifts to donors. Help build capacity by creating a culture of happiness and philanthropy

by organizing fundraising campaigns dedicated to general operational support, this highlights the importance of flexible funding that allows the organization to cover ongoing expenses

Great idea

The one way to increase our unrestricted fund would be to create online campaigns, Address small business organization by individual fundraising way which enable us to build our organization capacity by making the fundraising ongoing based.

Focus less on individual program/department fundraisers and more on generalized events/fundraising strategies. This would build capacity by expanding networks and enhancing donor reach

I agree completely!

through the events of
fundraising, whether recreational, such as bingo, gala nights, sports activities, etc.

Hi all,

I recently joined the Somerset Food Bank Network in New Jersey as a Grant Writer Coordinator. Here my contributions to the discussion:

1. What is one way you can think of to increase your organization’s amount of unrestricted gifts?

Diversify Funding Streams:
One way to increase unrestricted gifts for the Somerset Food Bank is to diversify its funding streams. Instead of relying solely on grants or specific project funding, the organization can actively seek individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and other sources of general support. Encouraging regular donors to contribute to the organization's overall mission, rather than earmarking funds for specific projects, can help build a reliable base of unrestricted gifts.

2. How could this help build your organization’s capacity?

Increasing unrestricted gifts provides the Somerset Food Bank with financial flexibility. Unrestricted funds can be allocated where they are most needed, whether it's to cover operational costs, invest in staff development, or adapt to unforeseen challenges. This flexibility enhances the organization's ability to respond effectively and long term-planning to emerging needs without being constrained by specific donor restrictions.

Great ideas. Definitively, increasing unrestricted gifts not only provides financial stability but also enables the organization to build its capacity to succeed and amplifies its community impact.

A way my organization can increase its amount of unrestricted gifts is by creating a monthly membership in exchange of free courses and events.
This can help us to better execute our yearly christmas activities.

Implement a donation-earning program as a way to increase unrestricted donations and build trust in the organization

I think it is very efficient to participate where donors gather, without having to create a place for your organization to receive donations.

I will advice my organization to develop a strategy by a way of writing letters to individuals in community to seek for funds.
This will help the organization to raise more unristricted funds that that would be used to run the organization.

The one way I can increase my organisation's amount of unrestricted gifts is by diversifying my donors.
This could help my organisation's capacity by having differents means for the activities, so that the organisation be highly active. Also, it could help the organisation in having visibility and popularity. Then it could help the organisation in having many adhrents.

I do agree with your strategy.

1. In order to build up more unrestricted funds, I will consider a fundraising campaign with the intent of soliciting many small donations from individuals in the community. I can make it incredibly easy to donate $20 between Jan 1 and Jan 31 for 2024 programming. I can specify that the funds are intended for youth engagement activities and other worthwhile needs of the organization during the calendar year. Or, perhaps better is to have a campaign during the final quarter of the year, when people are most likely to give in Canada (great tax benefits!).
2. Unrestricted funds are crucial to our organization in order to maintain the software we use for communications and engagement, and to have funds reserved for unanticipated program needs that arise. In the ever evolving world of youth engagement, we are constantly shifting activities, which can make it challenging to remain accountable to funders who expect their money used in very specific ways.

I love the idea of holding a fundraising event, too! My organization has only ever held events for PR and stakeholder engagement, never for the explicit purpose of soliciting donations.

Plan more fundraising events in the year and positioning them, it would be a good starting point to make those small contributions somehow constant and increase cashflow.

I like that the proposal is aware of the importante of communication, the fundraising campaign would correspondingly benefit from a communication strategy carefully thought for different audiences.

1. I will build a small amount but consistent donor membership. In this way, the donors, even though donate small amount of money, but is ongoing and consistent and when you sum them, it becomes something huge and useful to my organization and will build my capacity
2. Through this method, I m very sure the most of the funds I am going to be receiving is unrestricted which is going to help my foundation so much since I have other petty expenses that I do which I cannot seek for support direct from donors. Part of these monies can be used for that,

This is very true and I also agree to that

I think the team is chasing and wasting time on grants that we don't qualify for. The fundraisers need to be small community fundraisers, and they need to implement community, The mission is flawed

It seems like you've mentioned a podcast on the topic of "Unrestricted Versus Restricted Support" featuring Chandni Kayastha and her experiences with fundraising activities for the Hakuna Matata program at Saath. If you have any specific questions or if there's anything specific you'd like to discuss about the types of support or fundraising activities, feel free to share, and I'll do my best to provide information or insights.

I think unrestricted gifts can be increased in my organisation by building better and stronger relationships with funders by being more transparent about how funds are being used and communicating the impact the unrestricted gifts have on the organisation and the people we serve.

1: What is one way you can think of to increase your organization’s amount of unrestricted gifts?
Including a line that leaves funding open ended.

2: How could this help build your organization’s capacity?
Funding can be applied to where it needs to go.

I agree!

One way to increase the organization's amount of unrestricted gifts could be to implement a targeted and engaging annual giving campaign. In this campaign, emphasize the importance of unrestricted funds to cover basic costs and support various programs and activities. Encourage donors to contribute to the organization's overall mission and give them the flexibility to allocate funds where they are needed most.

l think selling a particular service in fundraising department might help much. This will help assist the organization to gain some money for administration costs further.

Awesome responses...

l agree to what you are saying. This is one of the things that make up organizations grow much better and wider in the short space of time

Yes, planning more fundraising will help shape up our goals for the organization to play more role in the community it serves.

We can share stories of how unrestricted funds have been used to address urgent needs, innovate new solutions, or leverage opportunities that arise unexpectedly. We can also recognize and appreciate donors who give unrestricted gifts, such as by featuring them in newsletters, inviting them to special events, or giving them access to exclusive information.

I think this is a smart and strategic approach that can appeal to donors who are looking for tax benefits and recognition. I agree that the funds raised can help support future outreach events and drive awareness for additional donors and volunteers.

1. a way i can increase my organisations amount of unrestricted gifts is by giving many examples and then add a word like even for other programs.
   2.How could this could help via attracting more restricted funds but with a note

1. a way i can increase my organisations amount of unrestricted gifts is by giving many examples and then add a word like even for other programs.
   2.How could this could help via attracting more restricted funds but with a note

Increasing the amount of unrestricted gifts for an organization can be beneficial as it provides flexibility in allocating funds to areas of greatest need. Here are a few strategies that can help increase unrestricted gifts:

Effective Communication: Clearly communicate the importance and impact of unrestricted gifts to your organization's mission. Explain how unrestricted funds allow you to respond quickly to emerging needs, seize opportunities, and maintain vital operations. Use various communication channels, such as newsletters, website content, social media, and direct mail, to educate donors about the value of unrestricted giving.

Donor Stewardship: Cultivate relationships with donors who have previously made unrestricted gifts. Show appreciation for their support by providing regular updates on how their contributions have made a difference. Engage with them personally through thank-you letters, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings. Building strong relationships can encourage continued unrestricted giving and potentially inspire larger gifts.

Diversify Fundraising Strategies: Explore different fundraising avenues to attract unrestricted gifts. In addition to traditional fundraising events and campaigns, consider online fundraising platforms, peer-to-peer fundraising, and crowdfunding campaigns. These methods can reach a wider audience and tap into new donor pools.

Create an Unrestricted Giving Program: Develop a specific program or initiative focused on unrestricted giving. Highlight the benefits and impact of unrestricted funds and encourage donors to make recurring gifts. Provide recognition and exclusive benefits for donors participating in the program to incentivize ongoing support.

Major Gifts and Planned Giving: Cultivate relationships with major donors who have the capacity to make significant contributions. Engage in personalized cultivation and stewardship strategies tailored to major donors. Additionally, promote planned giving options, such as bequests or charitable trusts, which can provide a long-term source of unrestricted funding.

Board Involvement: Engage your board members in fundraising efforts and emphasize the importance of unrestricted gifts. Encourage board members to make unrestricted donations themselves, and leverage their networks and connections to identify potential donors who may be interested in supporting your organization's general operations.

Remember, building trust, demonstrating impact, and maintaining transparent financial reporting are crucial in attracting and retaining donors for unrestricted giving. Tailor your strategies to the unique characteristics and preferences of your donor base, and regularly evaluate and adjust your fundraising approach based on donor feedback and results.

Increasing the amount of unrestricted gifts can significantly contribute to building an organization's capacity in several ways:

Financial Stability: Unrestricted gifts provide flexibility in allocating funds to areas of greatest need, including operational expenses, staff salaries, technology upgrades, and capacity-building initiatives. This financial stability allows the organization to focus on long-term planning, strategic growth, and program expansion.

Program Development and Innovation: With a reliable base of unrestricted funding, organizations can invest in program development and innovation. This includes conducting research, piloting new initiatives, and implementing improvements to existing programs. Unrestricted funds enable organizations to take calculated risks, explore new approaches, and adapt to changing needs and trends.

Staff Recruitment and Retention: Unrestricted funds can be used to attract and retain talented staff members. Competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and a supportive work environment made possible by unrestricted gifts can enhance employee satisfaction and reduce turnover. Skilled and motivated staff members contribute to the organization's overall capacity and effectiveness.

Infrastructure and Technology: Unrestricted funds can be allocated towards building and improving the organization's infrastructure, such as upgrading facilities, investing in technology systems, and enhancing operational efficiency. This can streamline processes, improve communication, and enable the organization to work more effectively and efficiently.

Organizational Sustainability: By increasing unrestricted gifts, organizations can enhance their overall sustainability. The ability to cover core operational expenses ensures the long-term viability of the organization, reducing reliance on project-specific or restricted funding sources. This stability allows the organization to weather financial challenges and adapt to changes in the funding landscape.

Leveraging Other Funding Sources: Having a strong base of unrestricted funding can also increase an organization's eligibility and competitiveness for other funding opportunities. Many grantmakers and funders prefer to support organizations with demonstrated financial stability and diversified revenue streams. Unrestricted funds can serve as match funding or contribute to organizational sustainability, making the organization more attractive to potential funders.

Overall, the increased capacity resulting from higher levels of unrestricted funding can support an organization's strategic planning, programmatic impact, staff development, and long-term sustainability. It provides the necessary resources to respond to emerging needs, seize opportunities, and make a more significant and sustainable impact in the community.

Unrestricted gifts are more important for the fundraiser because it can fund different operations of the organization at the same time

1: What is one way you can think of to increase your organization’s amount of unrestricted gifts?

one way to increase my organizations amount of unrestricted gifts is by ensuring that the image of the pyramid of my organization must be supported by the bedrock of many (I want a lot of these gifts), small (I must build a pyramid foundation of small and modest size of gifts and ongoing (donors giving the organization year after another) by established committee of strong chairperson, well organized , good leadership skills and diplomatic when needs be with a team of good volunteers added for the purpose of soliciting the money.

2: How could this help build your organization’s capacity?

these funds can be used for things that many donors are not interested in funding, like electricity bills and other office operational costs and but these funds can help in operational purposes hence build the capacity of the organization.

It's true that individual funding is a source of unrestricted funding, but the learner has not clarified the methodology and process that the organization will follow in collection of funds from individuals to increase the organizations amounts of unrestricted gifts.
The learner has also failed to justify how increased unrestricted funds will enhance the capacity of the organization. The increased amount of unrestricted gifts will help build the organization capacity by supporting its operations that donors providing restricted funds are not willing to pay for, i.e. administrations costs.

1: We plan a targeted and enjoyable event to solicit individual donations. During this process, we collect information such as email addresses and addresses. Subsequently, we send letters inviting individuals to become sustaining members with detailed information about the organization's activities."

2: Hosting charity events can increase the number of visitors to the facility, enhance the organization's visibility, and attract potential donors.

To increase my organization’s amount of unrestricted funding, I would introduce the use of membership contribution and the public fundraising forums to the management.

hosting fundraisers can help build and raise awareness

The fundraisers need to be small community fundraisers, and they need to implement community, The mission is flawed

Insightful

come up with charity events, and sell event tickets online, raise funds from people who attend, and make donations. But this doesn’t have to be the only way to raise money through events. i can get more creative and have a level for general admission, one for VIP admission, one for sponsors, early-bird tickets, group-discount tickets, and more.
during the event i sell raffle tickets and other items .
This will help raise more funds.

One way to increase an organization's amount of unrestricted gifts is to establish and maintain strong relationships with donors who are passionate about the overall mission and impact of the organization rather than specific programs or projects. By clearly communicating the organization's broader goals and the importance of unrestricted funding in supporting its overall operations and sustainability, donors may be more inclined to contribute unrestricted gifts.

This approach can help build the organization's capacity by providing greater flexibility in allocating funds where they are needed most, whether it be investing in staff development, enhancing infrastructure, or addressing unforeseen challenges. Unrestricted gifts allow the organization to adapt to changing needs and opportunities more effectively, fostering long-term stability and growth. Additionally, a diversified funding base that includes unrestricted gifts can reduce dependency on restricted funding sources and provide a more sustainable financial model for the organization.

One way to increase an organization's amount of unrestricted gifts is to diversify fundraising strategies to attract donors who are willing to contribute without restrictions on the use of their donation. This could involve highlighting the broader impact of the organization's work and the importance of flexible funding to support ongoing operations and initiatives.

Increasing unrestricted gifts can help build the organization's capacity by providing financial flexibility to allocate resources where they are needed most. Unrestricted funds can support core operating expenses, staff salaries, infrastructure improvements, and program development, allowing the organization to adapt to changing needs and seize new opportunities for growth. Additionally, having a reliable stream of unrestricted revenue can enhance financial stability and sustainability over the long term.

I agree. And like Tom said, having a variety of fundraising events can drive donations, we just need to be mindful of how much it costs (including in staff/volunteer time) and what the return on the investment is.

I'm really focusing on diversifying our funding streams. We rely heavily on government funding, which is fine, but not always reliable because it's so competitive. A couple of areas of focus we currently have is working with our board to expand our donor pool and seeking smaller, unrestricted grants that we have a good chance of getting and renewing.

I'm really focusing on diversifying our funding streams. We rely heavily on government funding, which is fine, but not always reliable because it's so competitive. A couple of areas of focus we currently have is working with our board to expand our donor pool and seeking smaller, unrestricted grants that we have a good chance of getting and renewing.

I focus a lot on the importance of diversifying funding streams, and you bring an additional perspective of diversifying fundraising strategies. Great idea!

1: Organize a fundraising event or activity where you give people a good time and in return they pay you money.
2: This will help you raise unrestricted funds, which will help pay for expenses that donors wouldn't pay for you, such as rent, water or energy and salaries.

What that membership will offer? I think that is a great idea to keep founding. And the hook may be on what are you offering with the membership.

"GBVAppeal"

"PerksNow"

I engage the unrestricted on location budget

My organisation don't organise frequently the fundraising, whereas there are many projects to be financed. This course will help me to improve that, especialy for unrestricted funds.

1- increase amount of unrestricted gifts by fundraising events 2 - allows for the use of unrestricted funds to cover all the non-project specific costs

Well thought out answer and it makes sense to seek individual donors and not earmark dollars for project specific items.

1. One way to get more unrestricted gifts for our organization is to talk more with our current donors. We can tell them how their donations help us and ask if they'd like to give without any restrictions on how we use the money. We could also offer them special benefits or recognition if they choose to give without restrictions.

2. Getting more unrestricted gifts can help our organization in many ways. It gives us more freedom to decide where to spend the money based on what's most important at the time. This flexibility lets us respond better to changes and invest in things that will help us reach our goals. Unrestricted gifts also help cover basic costs like paying our staff and improving our programs, which are really important for our organization to keep running and growing. By getting more unrestricted gifts, we can be more stable financially and keep growing and helping more people.

one way to increase my organization's amount of unrestricted gifts is by upgrading a little about the donors whom I already have and I think this will increase my capacity as the unrestricted gifts will increase.

The more unrestricted gifts you have, the more freedom you have to decide based on priorities of your organization

This course help me a lot

One effective way to increase the amount of unrestricted gifts for your organization is to educate your donors about the importance and impact of such gift by communicating value, promoting success stories, and recognise significant donations publicly

One way to increase my organization unrestricted support is by fundraising and membership support

One strategy would be to create community impact campaigns, such as improving playgrounds, schools, and homes. In addition to having an open donation program without restrictions so that the Corporation can operate the resources without limits

Another source of unrestricted collections is the channeling of funds through social events to present different projects to be financed.

finding the company's mission can sometimes take time; It is the experience itself that helps us determine the path to take in fundraising

In fundraising events, organizations must collaborate with the beneficiaries, or by providing great opportunities for the beneficiaries to be creative about the successes they achieve in using the funds that come from fundraising.

It is very true that every company has a specific mission in its business operations, therefore, we must find the essence of that mission, so that it is in line with the planning proposal that we submit.

a) Organize a lotery for small prices, connected to the NGO you work with.
b) more people will know what your organisation is about.

The organization should effectively collaborate and create a donor stewardship plan to retain and grow donorship.