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For many fundraising teams the battle to come up with ever more novel fundraising ideas is a constant preoccupation. Whatever the club, charity, organisation or good cause many fundraisers are obsessed with coming up with unique fundraisers.
There is something to be said for this approach. A good idea can capture people's imagination, re-invigorate jaded volunteers, attract attention and hopefully bring in the cash.
A clever fundraiser however should never be complicated.
I was reminded of this on reading of the fundraising efforts of a local secondary school in the UK. They wanted to raise money for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake and their approach is a great lesson in following what should be every fundraiser's maxim
KISS which of course stands for Keep It Simple Stupid!
The idea came from the school six formers so they automatically had a team of enthusiastic people who wanted to act.
They didn't simply want to have a collection, and some kind of fun event would, in the circumstances, not be appropriate.
Instead they did a little research into Haiti and came up with the idea of a Solidarity Day.
Taking as their inspiration the colours of the Haitian Flag - Red and Blue the pupils organised a Haitian Solidarity Day. Pupils and teachers paid a £1.00 donation to wear red and blue to school to raise money for the Earthquake Appeal.
It really doesn't come much simpler. But the day was a fantastic success bringing the whole school together to support a cause. In one day they also raised over £2,600.
What a great result and congratulations to all concerned.
Ok the disaster in Haiti was a unique event and different from the sort of fundraising most of us are engaged in on a day to day basis. But we should all take inspiration from what this school achieved quickly, easily and respectfully. Whatever we wish to raise funds for try not to tie yourself up in knots - Keep It Simple Stupid.
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Once more, we are reminded about the awful effect and cost of human life, livelihoods and resources that are a result of an earthquake. This time in Haiti on January 12th.
Add to those tears the heartbreak of crumbling public and holy buildings full of memories, faith and art. Unfortunately, though, the country will not likely be on a fast track for repair. It's too rural, not magnificent enough, not published in all the art books, not world famous enough -- and there is a lot of damage to deal with during trying economic times.
Of course, the center of damage is now rubble. But, there are many, many homes in the area that were only badly rattled. That's the case, also, in a hurricane, tornado or even a bad storm; a focused area gets the brunt of the impact and the vast outlying areas just get shook up. So, actually, there are huge numbers of people that were not physically at risk, but they may have lost and had damaged many cherished family treasures.
Disaster preparedness for your personal items includes knowing how to protect your genealogy, heirlooms, photographs, letters, old books, art work and important documents. Set priorities and protect, first, your most important items. Here are 7 tips to help you be better prepared:
1. Use an anchor wax to secure items that can fly off shelves and rattle around in display cases. (Home Depot) This is a VERY good tip!
2. Also, put a couple of nickel sized balls of anchor wax behind the frame of a framed item on the wall to keep it from swinging and popping off the wall when things shake. Broken glass from framed items crashed to the floor will be highly hazardous.
3. Keep photos in archival photo albums that are easy to grab and go. Keep them in a book case or storage box that is easy to get to.
4. Keep storage boxes away from water pipes (water heaters too) that could break and flood on your treasured items (causing water and mold damage).
5. Make sure hanging hooks AND wires are strong, oversized and well anchored into the wood. I can't tell you how many paintings and frames I've repaired that fall off the wall onto a corner of a table or through a vase. Or what about that heavy item hanging over your head in bed!!??
6. Photograph treasured keepsakes and copy docs; keep a copy in another location (another city or state!)
7. You may need supplemental insurance for earthquakes. Make sure your homeowner's policy covers your contents. Heirlooms should not require a Fine Arts rider but should fall under your regular home owner's policy. You will still need photos and values for a claim.