Innovation: (2) Improved fundraising strategies for SOBA America

A: Implement year long, industry proven fundraising strategies:

Vision: We will take advantage of Sasse Alumni Association’s 501c (3) status to raise funds using proven techniques in the fundraising industry that go beyond raising funds at convention galas. We will do the same in Canada once we register Sasse Alumni association – Canada as a charity.

Discussion: Gone are the days when SOBANS will spend hours on the convention gala floor trying to raise money. As a 501c (3) organization, Sasse Alumni association can and will take advantage of several opportunities for fundraising. We will explore these and raise funds BEFORE the convention.

Action items: We will expand our utilization of crowdfunding tools such as our current Crowdrise site. We will also employ other proven fundraising techniques to secure donation money prior to our convention and recognizing the donors/sponsors at the gala, rather than trying to raise the money during the gala. Some fundraising strategies we will consider include, but are not limited to, raffles, 5k runs, grant writing, or corporate sponsorship for our philanthropic causes. We recognize the difficulty in obtaining grants or sponsorship here in the US or Canada for activities in Cameroon. However, we will leverage our Lend A Hand Initiative for scholarships to young SOBANS here in the US and Canada, to secure such funding from grants and corporate sponsorship. Dr. Fote is already working on building a database of potential donors based on their history and his influence and reputation in his community.