Each and every year, the American Red Cross in Washington puts on a number of great events that have a couple of intentions. The events are meant first of all to add money to the Red Cross coffers to supplement the car donation program. In addition to that, they are excellent ways for the Washington, D.C. community to come together for something meaningful.

This year, the American Red Cross tournament was a raging success, and raised lots of money that should make it possible for the charity to continue its good work in the capital city.

Car donation has always been the bread and butter for this charity and many just like it, but people are becoming more and more likely to donate their money when there is a fun event involved. Golf is a game that many people might struggle at, but everyone can have fun when they are out on the course.

The money raised by this tournament and other events are going to fund each and every one of the American Red Cross’s existing programs, as well as possible new programs that might be coming in the next few months. Along with the emergency response programs that have always been the staple of the Red Cross, they do much more than that. Car donation and things like the charity golf tournament help the Red Cross support American military and their families, as well as a host of other important community efforts that have come to be a focus for the charity.

Before most people make a donation to something, they want to know what they are helping with. Everyone knows that the American Red Cross does an awful lot of good with their resources, but what about the specifics? What are they using all of the vehicle donation proceeds for?

There are a number of things, including emergency response, blood donation, and everything in between. But there is one program that vehicle donation helps to support that people probably don’t even realize.

The American Red Cross has a long standing and sure tradition of helping out families of those in the military. All in all, military support from the American Red Cross comes in many different ways, but they have a reputation of looking out for the families above almost everything else. That is why they are soliciting people to donate a vehicle and help out in the effort.

How exactly are the families being supported? That depends upon the area, but it mainly has to do with events and things to keep kids entertained. They also put on different events to allow families of different soldiers to come together and exchange stories. It is mainly a time where wives, husbands, sons, and daughters can just relax and realize that there is some organization looking out for their interests.

That is why the vehicle donation program is so important. In addition to all of the emergency response efforts, the American Red Cross is doing so much more to make the community a better place.

Though the American Red Cross is a non-profit business, it is a business like anything else. The goal for the Red Cross is to get as many donations as possible, so that they can put on the programs that keep the community safe. Obviously it goes without saying that the company must get very creative when they develop new programs and new fundraising efforts. For the longest time, car donation ruled the day. Now, things are changing a little bit.

Truck donation is starting to grow along with some of the other progressive efforts, like boat donations and ATV donations.

The nice thing about the American Red Cross is that it keeps an open mind on new ideas for raising funds. When people are giving their cars, that is all well and good. But when car donation takes a bit of a hit, things like truck donation have to step up and fill in the gaps in finances.

This is especially true in Washington, D.C., where the American Red Cross is getting especially active in the fundraising world. There are always lots of organizations that are jockeying for dollars and with the economy hurting a little bit, people are less likely to open up their wallets. But they might be willing to unload an old truck that they are not using anymore, especially when it gets them a nice tax benefit at the end of the year. That is what the fundraising world is all about, and it is helping the Red Cross get ahead sooner rather than later.

Anyone who has spent any time around the charity industry in the last few years understands that vehicle donation is really what butters their bread. There are foundations touting things like kidney cars and there are organizations going out and trumpeting the virtues of vehicle donation and truck donation. The American Red Cross is now holding events to both supplement the vehicle donation effort and promote it at the same time.

The new thing in fundraising is putting on galas and dinners for people who want to get together in their fundraising effort. Especially in the Washington, D.C. area, the American Red Cross is now making a good chunk of its money through these fundraising events.

The basic idea of these events is very simple. Though vehicle donation pays most of the bills for charities like the American Red Cross, they need to supplement their funds every now and then. With charity fundraising dinners, the Red Cross can put on auctions and have people pay to enjoy a dinner together. With all of the money going to a good and worthy cause, people are more willing to contribute.

Make no mistake about it, the vehicle donation program is still where the majority of the fundraising power comes from, but it is not really enough anymore. This summer, the events are out there in almost every community, with different chapters coming up with ways to involve people in their mission. The Red Cross helps us all, so it’s a team effort at the core.

Internet penetration still has some way to go to reach full saturation in American households. Broadband services are projected to account for an ever-increasing share of domestic Internet users, rising to 118.7 million by 2012. With such figures projected there is likelihood that even more users will join social networking sites so the potential for fundraising online is immense.

Already the American Red Cross uses the Internet as a tool for communication about events, requirements and disaster status around the world, as well as locally. It provides means to donate a car online so that any vehicle donation could be completed within two days of making a call, sometimes less if the auto donation is local to the collection service, perhaps twenty-fours hours from logging on and actually making the call to place an auto donation in some cases. Browsers can be kept up to date with any change in the schedule for visits from the blood mobile, first aid training classes or life-saving classes. Making life easy for volunteers and donors is something the ARC is very good at. Not only do they make life easy for you but also if you make donations either as cash or from a car donation you are entitled to claim back a percentage in tax. That can be a consideration for some people who are wondering whether they should donate a car or not, being tax deductible means you have some return for your generosity.

The figures mentioned at the beginning of this article – an increase of 118.7 million using broadband – could mean a massive increase in potential funds if appeals are part of an effective multi-media campaign. Instant connection to the Internet rather than having to wait for the snail pace dial-up services does mean that people spend more time surfing the web and may also mean they visit many more sites. If by running their searches they come across the ARC by accident, as long as the message gets through and they become engaged in a fundraising activity, be it a black-tie affair or a simple auto donation it can only be to the organization’s benefit.

Jump from a plane, donate a car, climb Kilamanjiro or sit in a bath of beans; any of these would be deemed fundraisers if money is realized from your efforts and subsequently donated to charities like the American Red Cross. With a physician’s okay, the heart of a lion and the insanity of a sociopath, crazy high-risk adventures are an ideal way to raise funds…if your idea has enough appeal to make people pull out their purse to find you some cash.

Lesser mortals may prefer to follow tradition and observe more conventional methods of fundraising like direct appeals with collection boxes in their workplace or calling up to donate your car, safe in the knowledge that there is neither risk to life or limb by taking this route rather than the adrenalin junkies’ hazardous and tortuous pathways to fundraising. Vehicle donation is hazard and hassle free.

It is quite amazing how much the ARC manages to do considering it is solely dependent on the generosity and benevolence of the public and not only do they secure funds to be able to respond to disasters in the local community if you were to make a vehicle donation say, you could ask that funds raised are directed to the cause of your choice and this will be respected. There may be some area of concern that has special meaning for you and that is why you have your preference for the car donation direction. Be reassured, if there is anywhere requiring help it will need funds to support it and the ARC are glad to place them where you wish; it all helps.

I must admit I do love it when somebody does something out of whack for charity, laughter is good medicine and I’ll pay to laugh at someone else’s expense; being willing to make a fool of yourself in public shows great humility and I prefer that to the righteous pontificating of the sweat, blood and glory groups who take so long to achieve what they did. Why not have a quick laugh and raise instant cash?

Music is a universal language; it crosses all borders and age groups and I suppose in its purist form upholds the values of the American Red Cross. The recent Rock ‘N Runway fundraiser in California and the grand prize for the national Change a Life Contest in March – a two-night trip for two to Washington D.C. to join Keith Urban and his band on August 20th as they play their Escape Together World Tour concert – marry charity and music together.

Music fundraisers don’t have to be big concerts ‘in aid of’, some artists are very willing to offer backstage passes or free tickets to their gigs as a prize for a charity. The ARC has massive appeal and I don’t think anyone would turn them down if they approached them – what’s not to like?

Music is not the only way you can help. You could donate a car, clothes, furniture, garden equipment, sorting through an estate inheritance there may be all manner of things that would make a good sum of money to help raise funds. There might be a property that could be a bequest; real estate can be used in many different ways, it could be sold or used as alternative accommodation or maybe as offices for training or administration or even for the warehousing of supplies and equipment that has to be stored somewhere. An old vehicle donation would save you the trouble of finding a buyer yourself or just organizing getting it off your hands. Bric-a-brac you have no use for could be a donation that might just get those extra cents into the coffers. Vinyl records or vintage (okay…old) vehicles could make money so don’t disregard them, donate them, a car donation gets sold off in auction and who knows who might purchase the records; some older LPs are used by deejays to take samples from in their own recordings.

Car donation, cash donation, goods and services donation, concert tickets donation are all music to our ears, so donate your car, text ‘GIVE’ to ‘2HELP’or donate your time to fundraising activities.

Fundraising has lately been elevated to a new status within the charity community. Professional fundraisers are headhunted and special events can be either swathed in secrecy until the big launch so that no-one else can steal the idea or the high profile personnel involved in the activities or the information is constantly fed to us to make sure we are aware of the big event when it comes and feel left out if we are not part of it. These are the notions of professional strategists and current thought hails them as moneymaking marvels.

However, organizations like the American Red Cross appreciate any and every event arranged by supporters who endeavor to raise vital funds. Small, simple and old-fashioned yard sales, home made lemonade stands, sponsored silences, spelling bees or fireside quizzes, swimathons, marathons, triathlons whatever-athons – as long as they are supported by the public and the money raised is donated to the charity, the ARC appreciates it.

One of the regular fundraisers is the car auction when you donate your car and its sale brings in much needed cash to the ARC. Something like a car donation is simple and effective. When you donate your used car, even if it seems a closer cousin of the scrapheap than the showroom, your vehicle donation could be useful for spares. There’s nothing terribly glamorous about auto donation – you call, they collect and the vehicle is sold. Again, something simple that anyone could do or recommend for others to do.

Another fundraiser is the ‘appeal’. This may be broadcasted so that the caring and generous public can ring, text or ping their cash to the crisis of the moment. It’s the modern day equivalent of can shaking though the ‘kerching’ has been lost and the collections are silent now. Don’t be put off by glitzy campaigns or guilt-filled emotional blackmail attempts to get your money – different people respond to different stimuli whether it be fear of failure or a desire for success and for many, the ends justify the means. Any small effort is welcomed and all the little things add up to a lot.

If you like the idea of helping to boost funds for the American Red Cross and enjoy playing golf, rather than something like car donation, you might prefer to attend the ARCNCA 6th Annual Invitation Golf Tournament that is taking place on Monday June 15th at Lowes Island Club, 20391 Lowes Island Boulevard, Potomac Falls, VA, 8am – 5pm. As part of the package when you participate in this event you will be a recipient of a golf shirt, a choice of one TaylorMade tee gift package that retails up to $700, as well as a video swung analysis that will undoubtedly help you to improve your game – off the tee anyway.

This major event, along with regular auction sales of vehicle donations aims to attract vital cash to the organization. Those attending can buy into a variety of sponsorship packages that range from $1500 for individuals as a Friend of Red Cross, through a Tournament Foursome and up to corporate packages starting at Bronze then Silver and finally at Gold Sponsor level for $20,000. One lucky Title-Platinum Sponsor will be awarded for $50,000.

It’s a great way to start the summer and if the weather stays fine it’s sure to be a terrific day out. The hospitality and congenial atmosphere are guaranteed to maintain the popularity of this event. Big fundraisers heighten awareness and receive good media coverage but the ordinary blood, cash or car donations are still needed through the year from the public so don’t give up on the smaller things like vehicle donation even if you do manage to get to one of the big events. Blood, cash and car donations are our bread and butter!

We’d love you to be able to attend and meet other good folk who support us so contact us by sending an email to events@redcrossnca.org, pencil the date in your diary to keep it free and enjoy a Monday that will blow away any blues with just a red cross and a handy set of clubs.

It’s time to party! Cinderella shall go to the ball. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? It’s not until October, which can’t come soon enough for folk. Everyone loves the summer but once Fall starts there’s really nothing on the calendar to excite anyone until Thanksgiving. It’s on a Saturday so thankfully very few will have to take any time off work to get ready. There’s such a lot to think about. Will the summer tan still be glowing on the skin by then or will it have faded and a fake top up be required? Regular manicures means nails should be okay and of course there’s hair to get done and then there’s the gown. Oh! The public just can’t wait for this baby. Roll on October 17th; Mellon Auditorium where all the guests in their finery will join in with the assembled company to salute the Red Cross support of the US Armed Forces.

Little bit of inside information: fortune has smiled on one lucky lady (no names like I promised!) – her boss in her new job has taken a table for eight (it cost him $5,000; she doesn’t know if it’s tax deductible or not but she doesn’t care, it’s a perk she’ll enjoy!) but general admission only costs $400 per person…to attend a ball – that’s got to be a great deal.

This is just so far removed from the humdrum, bland and boring things she normally does that she’s beside herself. I suppose she’d better get used to the idea and practice being underwhelmed so that she can retain some decorum and not let her boss down; she don’t want to lose her job after all. [Really, behave and be good!]

The American Red Cross – people think they’re all about blood donations, cash donations and vehicle donations, auto donations, car donations…donations, donations, donations. Sometimes appearances can be deceptive! It’s not just about trying to get your money, your blood, your time or getting you to donate your car or the guy next door to donate a car – these guys know how to party- check out the 2009 Fire and Ice Ball!