First, there are many types of fundraising - grants, product sales, special events, phonathons, etc, etc. But, more money is raised every year through direct individual donations (85% of all money raised in the US) than from all other sources combined. That 85% consists of large donations and small. It's true that a single large donation can make a huge impact on a small organization, but it's the steady stream of small donations that keep most nonprofits afloat. Both are essential to the well-being of nonprofits, but for small organizations the small donations are the hard ones to track and maintain. And that's where a donor management program, like the Local Tournaments.com fundraising module, shines.

Fundraising is all about relationships. It's about getting your donors interested and emotionally involved in what your tournament player is going to do for the host's organization he is playing for. You do that by telling stories primarily about who the host's organization and players may have helped, but also about the obstacles overcome (by the hosts and by the players), about the successes achieved, and sometimes about the failures.

It's about getting your donors and prospective donors as excited as you are, and then finding ways to let them express that excitement in a manner that is convenient and affordable for them, and that is rewarding.

With each story and kind phone call, remind them that this success is only possible through the continued support of good friends like them, and then provide the ease and security of accepting donations over the phone or by sending, if they would rather, a pre-addressed envelope (it doesn't have to be stamped) to make it easy to send in a donation.

It's also about maintaining their involvement over time, which requires ongoing contact on your part, and this is where you rely on Local Tournaments.com even more.

First and foremost, you send a thank you letter for each and every donation. "Ongoing contact" means sending a newsletter or personal letter (use Local Tournaments.com to print these) at least twice a year (preferably quarterly) to everyone who has given in the past ( which this information is kept securely in our database of particiapants ).

BENEFITS TO THE HOST
FUNDRAISING ASSISTANCE: Our on-line(web-based) fundraising module and national call center will help you convert your tournament or event into a fundraising event. The unique approach that Local Tournaments.com takes to fundraising will help you improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your fundraising event.