Author: Cagnon, Charles

Publication Year: 1981

Media Type: Report

Summary:

A report of the Business Ventures Project of the Northern Rockies Action Group, Helena, MT. This issue of the NRAG Papers features a look at another of these new, creative fundraising ideas. For several years, there has been an undercurrent of interest in profit-oriented business ventures as a potential source of funds for nonprofit citizen organizations. There have been several fascinating experiments with the approach, several of which are described in this Paper.

Abstract:

A report of the Business Ventures Project of the Northern Rockies Action Group, Helena, MT. This issue of the NRAG Papers features a look at another of these new, creative fundraising ideas. For several years, there has been an undercurrent of interest in profit-oriented business ventures as a potential source of funds for nonprofit citizen organizations. There have been several fascinating experiments with the approach, several of which are described in this Paper. The funding crisis has made business ventures an important topic within the citizen movement, and at the end of 1981 NRAG launched a comprehensive study of the business efforts of groups around the country in order to assess the potential of these commercial ventures to help solve funding problems.

Business Ventures of Citizen Groups is organized to provide the reader with a representative inventory of current efforts by citizen groups to use commercial ventures for fundraising, and it analyzes the success of those efforts. Twelve profiles of groups which have attempted business ventures are included at the end of the Paper. A major portion of the publication features some guidelines for choosing appropriate business ventures, an inventory of the possibilities, and a discussion of some essential elements of success. (Foreword)

CONTENTS
Summary.
Elements of a successful business venture.
Making the choice.
Income producing options.
Closing remarks.
Profiles:
     New Resources Group.
     HIRED.
     Illinois Public Action Council.
     New York Public Interest Research Group.
     MASS Fair Share.
     Denver Children's Museum.
     Food Advisory Service.
     Women's Resources.
     Center for Science in the Public Interest.
     Oregon Fair Share.
     Humphrey's County Union for Progress.
     Greenpeace.
Reader's Comment.
Appendix:
     A. Definition of the universe of study.
     B. Methodology.
     C. Bibliography.
     D. Technical Resources.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Fundraising