First Fundraising Workshop Series Teaches VISTA Volunteers and Others How to Get In-Kind Donations

Sept. 5, 2007 - PRLog -- SEATTLE, WA. (September 5, 2007) – VISTA Volunteers and Leaders, Americorps Members, RSVP as well as staff and volunteers who work on social justice and poverty issues will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive, multi-media teleseminar series and learn the secrets of successful fundraising, beginning October 2, 2007.

The series of workshops entitled, “Putting the ‘FUN’ Back in Fundraising” kicks off the first teleseminar with “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Getting In-Kind Donations – but Didn’t Know Who to Ask.”  

According to the event coordinator, Cheryl Antier, “The fundraising workshops are free to any member of Americorps, Learn and Serve, VISTA, RSVP, Volunteer Centers or other nonprofit organizations that are working on poverty or social justice issues - but participation at this first teleseminar is limited to 100 people, so it’s really a first-come, first-serve event.”

The Fundraising Workshop Series will give participants proven methods for raising money for their programs, projects and special events, and includes actual templates, worksheets and checklists to walk them through the process.  To ensure each teleseminar is focused on the most relevant issues and problems faced by fundraisers, participants have the opportunity to create the curriculum by asking their “most burning questions” about each topic beforehand.

The Fundraising Workshops are being sponsored by “The Activist Guide to Changing the World” – a Website created for VISTA Volunteers to provide them with the resources they need to create successful, sustainable projects.  Cheryl Antier is a former VISTA Leader, and is now a successful writer, speaker and trainer.  “The workshops are my way of giving something back to the programs and the people who are working so hard to change the world – or their little corners of it,” said Antier.  “This first teleseminar is a kind of test – I want to make sure that I’m providing real information so that people can start using the principles and methods to start getting In-Kind donations as soon as they hang up the phone.”

To create an interactive, multi-media experience, Antier will be working with current VISTA Volunteers before the conference, giving them one-on-one advice and training, and their results will be used as case studies for the rest of the participants.  And participants will be able to download additional tools and resources before and after the teleseminar, to help them achieve their goals. Almost half of the seats have already been reserved for the first teleseminar which begins on October 2, 2007.

At the first Teleseminar about getting In-Kind Donations you will learn:
•   What you need to know about accounting/reporting In-Kind donations for Tax Purposes
•   When is the best time to ask for In-Kind donations
•   How much should you ask for
•   Creating a Timeline for donations
•   What should NEVER go into your donation request
•   The “Secret” of getting In-Kind donations
•   How long should your donation letter be
•   What to do when you’ve been turned down
•   How to train your volunteers to get more In-Kind donations

To register for the first in the series, go to: http://www.activistguide.com/funtelesemonesignup.html

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The Activist Guide to Changing the World is a Website that was created to be a resource for VISTA Volunteers, Americorps members, service-learning practioners and participants, change agents, social entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to take action and make the world - or their little corner of it - a better place!

Website: www.activistguide.com