Org of the Month: Charity for Debt

I am excited to bring to you this month’s feature organization, Charity for Debt. They are looking for some input from you on the most effective way to bring in $1,000 donations. Please check out past Org of the Months and if you want to promote your small non-profit download the sign-up form and email to infosmallchange@gmail.com.

What is your non-profit about? And what areas do you serve?

Charity for Debt is a new non profit aimed at alleviating student loan debt in America and staffing charities with reliable, motivated individuals through a transparent and personal donor-volunteer experience. Charity for Debt serves students and recent graduates with student loan debt, non profits and charities in need of volunteers, and our donors.

The Charity for Debt model enables our donors to select a student volunteer who matches their interests and values. The student volunteer works with the donor to decide on a charity to contribute his/her time. The charity then receives a reliable, motivated volunteer to fill any labor gaps in their operation. The volunteer works for the charity for 4 to 6 hours per week, usually for 6 weeks, and at the end of this time is awarded up to $1,000 paid directly to the student’s education loan company. The donor receive weekly progress reports and activities, which are tracked and archived on the volunteer’s online portfolio. The model creates a transparent process for the donors, students, and charities to track progress and easily show the positive results that were made possible.

What are the major fundraising programs you have?

We just started the Green Light Campaign to attract $10,000, which will enable two pilot programs of the Charity for Debt model to begin in Washington DC and Dallas TX. We are actively looking for individual donors and corporations to sponsor a student volunteer for $1,000 or more in these communities. The sponsoring donor’s name will be forever attached to volunteer’s positive outcomes porfolio on the Internet to show the results the donor enabled in their community. We hope to create a personal connection between the donor and the volunteer and allow the donor to see how their dollars are being spent.

What sector do you raise money for?

We raise money for the financial debt sector and for non profit staffing needs.

What geographic area does your charity serve and where is it located?

We are located in Washington DC and are currently serving the DC and Dallas, TX areas. We hope to serve every community in the United States at some point. We have been approached by an individual in Wisconsin and South Africa who want to open Charity for Debt branches in their communities. We are working with these two amazing individuals (and our lawyers) to create an expansion system that will easily allow other communities to establish a Charity for Debt branch serving their citizens. If you would like to open a Charity for Debt branch in your community, please contact us at charityfordebt@gmail.com.

Any tips on how to approach donors in your area?

Be honest, show transparency for their dollars, create a personal connection for the donors.

Any pointers for organizations in your area that help non-profit professionals?

Explore the advantages of running non profits more like entrepreneurial ventures.

Do you have any problems or questions that you would like to ask for answers form the philanthropic community?

• What are the most effective methods to find individual donors that will give $1,000 or more?
• What donor materials (simple brochure, flier, postcard, emails) are the most effective communication tool to attract new donors?
• What are the most efficient expansion models non profits have deployed to expand to communities across the U.S., and world?