Unique School And Church Fundraisers

County's Village in Haiti project focuses on keeping kids in school

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The ties between Cape May County and a 16-family village in Haiti continue to hold firm, but still need to be tended.

“Everyone’s budget has been cut. We don’t like to always have our hands out, but we’ve made a commitment to this village and want to see it through,” said Ann Herron, one of the project’s co-founders. “There is poverty here – in New Jersey and in Cape May County – but we are not seeing people in these kinds of conditions.”

Since 2006, the Cape May County Village in Haiti project has built houses; provided medical assistance; and funded education for Haitian children and families living in extreme poverty.

“This year, our focus remains keeping kids in school. Education will allow them to provide for themselves, so it is a priority,” said Herron. The village is located near Bord DeMer, a northern city near Cape Haitian.

According to the country’s profile in the Library of Congress, the literacy rate in Haiti hovers around 53 percent – far below the 90 percent average reported for Latin America and Caribbean countries. UNICEF has reported that most Haitian schools continue to be privately funded, despite a 1997 education plan calling for universal access to schools. The Haitian constitution requires public and free education to all people

“Last year we were spread a little thin,” said Herron, “so we’ve refocused our commitment on education.”

The local program has cut back its contributions for medical assistance and transportation needs.

Herron said that Cape May County donations are helping nearly 300 children from the village environs remain in school.

“It is easy for these situations to slip out of people’s minds. We continue to work through Food for the Poor, so we are confident that money and services are reaching the people who need them,” she said.

“Food for the Poor” is an interdenominational relief agency that focuses its work in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. A December 2010 survey of the 200 largest U.S. charities in Forbes magazine found that the group was the fourth largest recipient of private support and rated its “fundraising efficiency” at 98 percent – noting that the industry average was 90 percent. The “fundraising efficiency” statistic reflects the cut of gifts left after subtracting the cost of getting them.

The centerpiece of the local group’s fundraising efforts is its annual cruise. This year’s event is planned for Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The sunset cruise has sold out in past years, but Herron advised that tickets for the event are still available.

Non-Profit Fundraisers | Articles Studio

A number of welfare and development programs can be organized with the help of non-profit fundraising events. Fundraising activities are normally undertaken by school fundraisers, college fundraisers, and church fundraisers, or by the youths for various activities.

The purpose of fundraisers varies depending on an organization’s interests. This includes collecting funds for poor children, daycare centers, and hospitals. When raising funds, the process needs to be monitored efficiently to eliminate chances of money laundering or misappropriation. This establishes a fundraising organization as a non-profit organization.

Fundraising activities are quite a challenging job and require a great amount of planning on part of the fundraisers. In many cases it is a feasible option to form a committee and discuss the prospects in a planned manner. There may be some fundraising events that may require money to be organized. In addition to this, if the money to be raised is more, the fundraisers may need to consult professionals dealing with fundraising events. These professionals who assist in fundraising activities have to make sure that the charities they support are legitimate.

A general type of fundraising event is selling food items. The food items that can be sold are candies, ice creams etc. The fundraiser has to simply take orders and money, and deliver the food items to the address provided. In this regard the bake sale is also a good option, where a group can bake and sell various dishes. A very popular option open to church fundraisers is a soup sale wherein several old ladies make and sell soup in bowls. Another attractive option available to fund raisers is a garage sale. A good strategy used by companies assisting in fund raising activities is distributing scratch cards and the number revealed on scratching the card determines the price of the card. Some cards may also contain gifts. An important element, without which a fundraising event may not be successful, is advertising and publicity. The community and the locality have to be aware about the fundraiser, so as to attract maximum people. A well-organized fundraiser is very likely to be a success. Innovative and creative ideas not only draw more funds but also make the event much more fun and enjoyable.

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