<p>I had the great pleasure of being the special guest of <a href=”http://www.sandyrees.com” target=”_blank”>Sandy Rees, CFRE</a> on her <a href=”http://getfullyfundedsupport.com/” target=”_blank”>Get Fully Funded Support Club</a> call today.  We had an awesome discussion on how to utilize the many tools on the Internet for raising funds for nonprofit organizations.</p>
<p>Some of the topics we discussed were:</p>
<ul>
<li>Have an engaging and informative Website</li>
<li>Make it Easy for People to Donate</li>
<li>Utilize a Blog to stay connected to your donors more frequently</li>
<li>Keep the Blog short, simple and conversational</li>
<li>Develop an electronic newsletter/ezine</li>
<li>Do NOT make a PDF of your print newsletter and call it an ezine!</li>
<li>Take advantage of the wide world of Social Media</li>
<li>Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote events and accept donations.</li>
</ul>
<p>Sandy is a fundraising coach, speaker and master trainer and has a wealth of knowledge to assist nonprofits in reaching their fundraising goals.  She also has programs designed to engage nonprofit boards and manage a small nonprofit on a shoestring budget.</p>

My husband says, I have been “running the roads” a lot lately. That’s a southern thing if you don’t understand that phrase. But he is correct. I have been going a lot of places in the last couple of weeks and according to my calendar, I’m not going to slow down until around Christmas.

Now for a virtual professional, that’s a bit of a culture shock to actually go outside of your virtual world. But I love getting out of here. I love to visit and talk with people and network everywhere I go.

I shared a booth with one of my clients at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon in Knoxville last week and enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones. And of course, sharing my business and the services I provide for administrative support and online marketing. I walked away with a great list of people to follow-up with this week.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the East Tennessee Veteran’s Memorial was being dedicated this past weekend and I was honored to be invited to a reception and the dedication ceremony. The Mayor’s were there, as well as other politicians, high-ranking military personel and many familiar faces from my time with the organization. The ceremony was incredibly moving and I was proud to be an American and to have been involved in the early stages of the memorial’s planning. And it proved to be a great place to network. I was invited to be on a local radio show and several people are interested in learning more about my business.

I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks and the many networking opportunties to share what I do and how I can help other business owners with their administrative and marketing needs.

So Honey, I have a few more “roads to run.”

My work as a virtual assistant began in 2003 with a local nonprofit organization, East Tennessee Veteran’s Memorial. When I was hired, I was the first and only employee and I worked from my bedroom office. I set-up a database, marketing materials, assisted with a website and ran the local office right out of my house. At the time, I had no idea that I was working “virtual.” I just thought I was lucky to be able to work from home and still accomplish the goals for erecting a memorial and learning center for the men and women of East Tennessee that gave their lives for my freedom.

I think back to this group and the man that made it his purpose in life to see that the memorial became reality. Retired Colonel J. William Felton, III, (The Colonel to me), is the man who walked on the beaches of Normandy with his wife Betty and reflected on the lives that were lost during WWII. As he returned to the hills of East Tennessee he wanted to thank the local men and women for their sacrifice, but could find no place in which to do that. Thus, the vision of the East Tennessee Veteran’s Memorial Association was born.

Saturday morning, November 15, 2008, the finished memorial will be dedicated in downtown Knoxville, TN. I am honored to be attending the dedication and also honored to have been involved in this extraordinary accomplishment to our brave service men and women.

Just to think, that my journey as a virtual professional began with one man’s dream of a Forever Memorial to our Forever Heros.

I have such a passion for nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. My background was in nonprofit management prior to starting my own business as a virtual assistant. I know the struggles and hardships that face nonprofits in fundraising. Now with the emergence of social media and internet marketing, nonprofit organizations have so many new doors open to them to find those all important dollars. A Virtual Business Solution offers specialized services to nonprofit organizations by utilizing blogs, enewsletters, social media and other innovative ways to reach your donors.

My client and good friend, Sandy Rees, CFRE was highlighted in an article by the Chattanooga Times Free Press where she commented on using blogs for fundraising. Follow this link to read the article and listen to Sandy’s audio interview.

If you are a nonprofit manager looking for new opportunities to boost your funding, contact me at A Virtual Business Solution and we’ll work together to develop a plan for your online fundraising success!

Terri Brooks is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist and owner of A Virtual Business Solution. With more than 35 years of professional experience, including eight years of nonprofit management, she assists many nonprofit organizations with their online marketing and fundraising.

Do you love to network, but don’t have time to follow-up? You’re not alone. The majority of networkers love to mix and mingle with potential new clients at various events, but when they get back to their office, they toss those valuable business cards in a drawer and plan to follow up tomorrow. For most busy professionals, tomorrow brings its own new projects and before you know it, several weeks or even months have gone by with no follow up. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, of dollars in potential revenue has been laying in your top desk drawer!

We have the solution to keep you on top of your follow-up and make you a leader in business prospecting. Our Prospect Follow-up Service – Cards to Cash, provides a quick turnaround to those new business acquaintances and presents a professional image of your business.

Our package offers:

• Each business card scanned into a working database
• The design of a real Follow-up card with your logo or business card imprinted on the inside flap
• The card is mailed to the new prospect on your behalf
• One telephone call is attempted to the new prospect to set an appointment
• Business cards and database file will be mailed back to you for future reference
  

And the best part is that this service is very affordable, around the cost of a nice cup of coffee.

Are there business cards right now laying in your top desk drawer? Have you been too busy to follow-up with the contacts you made at the last Tradeshow? Contact us and we will get your name back in front of these potential new clients. Visit our website at www.avirtualbiz.com, or email to info@avirtualbiz.com.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could help all those struggling non-profit organizations with their fundraising program?  Just to find someone who understands their needs and can offer a simple plan for meeting and exceeding their goals?

Well, I know of just a person.  She is an incredible teacher, coach, mentor and Master Trainer for non-profit fundraisers and I have the privilege of working with her as her virtual assistant.  She is Sandy Rees, Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and one of 125 Master Trainer’s in the world for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Typically, as a virtual professional I don’t leave the “virtual office” very often, however, I have had the opportunity to travel with Sandy recently to other AFP chapters in the South and watch her in action.  To say she is awesome, is truly an understatement.  She is captivating, funny, knowledgeable, engaging and right-on with her information.  People comment as they walk away from her training sessions that they can’t wait to get back to the office and implement the ideas Sandy gave them.  Now just how many times have you been anxious to get back to the office?

This is me at Sandy’s table at the Chattanooga Center for Nonprofits Philanthropy Institute

Sandy is a published author of Fundraising Buffet, A Heaping Helping of 101 Practical Ideas to Increase Donations and Deepen Donor Satisfaction. If you are looking for a dynamic speaker, an engaging trainer or a practical, step-by-step approach to fundraising, then look no further than Sandy Rees, CFRE or check her out at GetFullyFunded.