Fundraiser Piggy-Back

I started my 6-week course on Grant Proposal Writing last Thursday and I think it's going to be a good one. I'm excited to learn the art of grant writing and help some great causes get some cash (which will hopefully go to fund community projects, and maybe a great event, too!).

I love when fundraisers piggy-back on an event on a local or national level that is already in play. People are already looking for a chance to socialize during the Super Bowl, the Grammys, or the Oscars (I'm sure most of us have been invited to at least one of these types of parties), so why not use the chance to raise some money for a great cause? These people did:

Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer co-host a Super Bowl party to raise funds for "The Giving Back Fund": http://www.looktothestars.org/news/3788-michael-bay-and-jerry-bruckheimer-to-host-super-bowl-charity-fundraiser

Google Grants - Marketing Your Event

On Thursday I attended a seminar at Google on the use of Google Tools for nonprofits. The seminar also covered the process for getting a Google grant, which gives nonprofits free use of AdWords (the featured advertisements to the top and right of your search results). Since Google grants has become popular, they warned that it may take between four to six months before you hear if your proposal has been approved or rejected. However, if you have an annual event or know well in advance that you have a big event coming up, applying for a Google grant is a great way to get free, very targeted and effective marketing for your event. Even if you don't get the grant, AdWords allows you to name your own budget and therefore can be an economical marketing tool for your event.

For more information, visit http://www.google.com/grants/.