... Heard about the Minneapolis church that auctioned off theirthree front pews for the Christmas Eve service as part of theirschool fundraiser? The bids topped $6,000 or $1,000 a pew. Notbad for something that went for free most other places. Justimagine what you can get for the premium seats at your ownevents. Are you hip to Google Grants? The world's favorite search engineprovides free advertising for registered 501c nonprofit groups.The Google Grants program is like Google's...

... pay-per-click AdWordsprogram without having to pay for the clicks.  To be eligible,groups must have a website, non-profit 501(c)(3) status and notbe religious or political in nature. Google picks new granteesevery quarter. To apply for Google's free advertising program,fill out an online application at http://services.google.com/googlegrants/application Got eBay? Not in your fund raising plan? Then go to the world'slargest market place and sign up your nonprofit group for onlinedonations. eBay Giving Works puts the power of the eBayMarketplace to work for nonprofit organizations. Anyone can sellitems on eBay and donate part or the entire final sale price toyour nonprofit organization. Donations from the sales of eBayGiving Works items will be collected and distributed to you, andtax receipts will be issued to the seller on your behalf. Findout more at http://givingworks.ebay.com/nonprofit/ Did you know credit is better than cash? Not only are peoplemore likely to honor a pledge backed by a credit card than anordinary phone pledge (100% to 70%), they are also much morewilling to give more if you split the amount into smallermonthly pledges. Instead of asking for a $100 donation, ask for$10 a month. Make sure you set it up as a recurring billingwhere you can bill the monthly amount for periods up to 36months. Find the monthly sweet spot of your donor base andexplode your donations on autopilot. Shy about asking directly for money? A small Illinois nonprofitheld a fundraising dinner for their supporters and raised$6,000. They prominently placed a big donation jar at theregistration table and raised an extra $18,000. Don't be shyabout asking for help and don't be shy about making it as easyas possible for supporters to give financial support at anyevent. Just be upfront about your needs and give them highvisibility. Know the secret of OTT? Over the top is what you want yourfundraising event to be, the must attend occasion topping thesocial calendar. Pull out all the stops to add glitz andglamour. Be sure to provide multiple attractions that encourageparticipants to join in the fun (and open their wallets)wherever possible. Silent auctions, live auctions, raffles, doorprizes, entertainment, sponsorships, celebrity presenters, andglamorous settings work wonders by boosting turnout through freepublicity and word of mouth. By going "over the top" with yourfundraising event, you'll magnify your donations mightily. Put these fundraising ideas to work for your nonprofit groupand make 2006 your best year ever.