A

Advocacy- The work of an attorney or legal advocate. Can be used casually, as well, to mean pleading or arguing a case. For instance, “The little girl’s advocacy for Christmas every day fell on deaf ears.”

Auction- A method by which one can sell or buy items through the act of bidding. The item is then awarded to the highest bidder. The bidding is monitored by an auctioneer, who, as is often mocked and imitated, talks really, really fast while calling out each bid, and then hammers a gavel when participants cease to bid. There can be certain rules to auctioning, such as requiring a maximum or minimum price for an item, or having the identities of the bidders remain anonymous to their subsequent “competition.” For fundraisers, auctions will most likely be used to raise money for a cause, such as a nonprofit charity, in which case the item or service that is being sold is donated and the money spent on it is given to the particular organization, not the owner.

B

Benefactor- Good deeds in the shape of a dollar sign. An individual who assists a person, group or organization known as a beneficiary (or receiver). While the Latin roots of the word mean “making good,” the most common modern usage implies “assistance through an endowment,” in this case, some financial don.

Benefit- A performance of sort (e.g. concert, play) to raise money for some cause or charity.

Best Practices- The results from gathering and analyzing field-tested data and implementing programs based on what has worked most successfully.

Black Tie- Formal clothing for a fundraising event, such as a gala. Men wear tuxes (penguin tails and all) while women are required to be as uncomfortable as humanly possible, though corsets and smelling salts are no longer necessary. While usually floor length gowns are the most appropriate for galas, edgy fashionistas such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Madonna have been known to show up in shorter, cocktail length dresses, paving the way for perhaps a more casual definition of black tie. Heels are not optional.

Board of Trustees- Individuals who are elected for a term(s) to collectively govern a nonprofit. The Trustees act as ambassadors for the nonprofit and usually have an annual financial obligation to the nonprofit as well as the expectation that they will donate to any capital campaign.

C

Capital Campaign – Implemented to drive donations for a particular project rather than normal on-going operating expenses.  An example would be for a nonprofit focused on the homeless to embark on a campaign to raise money to build a housing shelter.

Cause- What a charity, nonprofit or volunteer focuses on. A cause can be anything from natural disaster relief to disease prevention to getting Mom and Dad to buy you a new car.

Cause marketing- Marketing that pairs businesses with nonprofits in order to benefit both parties.

Charitable event- A party, gala, fundraiser, or other type of bash that has the primary focus of raising money for a cause. The secondary focus is, of course, eating mini-cupcakes and rubbing elbows with Bono.

D

Donor- An individual who donates or voluntarily gives something to a donee (recipient of a donation) as an altruistic act, usually without receiving something in return…except maybe an always-sought-after tax deduction.

E

Empow[H]er- Though originally the word “empower” had a more technical definition, meaning to officially invest power in someone (usually through legal terms), the word has expanded to include a more motivational definition, often associated with charitable works and feminism. At Vivanista, we work to empow[H]er women by presenting them with opportunities they might not otherwise have, therefore not only investing power in them, but allowing them to invest it within themselves.

Event Chair- The person in charge of an event. The head honcho. The big cheese.

Executive Director- Often in a nonprofit organization, this is the person who runs the organization, similar to a CEO in a for-profit. The Executive Director reports to the Board.

F

Flash mob- A group of people who appear from out of nowhere to do a pre-planned surprise performance. This can be a dance, a musical number, or a complex juggling routine. The possibilities are endless, but each one in sure to confuse passersby.

Fundraiser- An event or campaign that raises money for some type of cause, be it a non-profit or charity. While auctions may be the most traditional way to raise money at events like galas, recently, online fundraising has become more popular, a more modern twist on direct mail fundraising.

Fundraising- The act of raising money, often for a nonprofit. Usually involves hosting a fundraiser. Can range from setting up a traditional lemonade stand to raising money via text messaging.

G

Gala- A formal event or celebration. Usually requires black tie attire.  

Giving- Bestowing something upon someone else.

Giving circle- A group of charitably-minded individuals who band together to collectively donate to a selected non-profit organization(s). These groups can reap the rewards of voluntarism and collaboration without the time and effort of committee-produced fundraising events.

Grassroots fundraising- A method of fundraising (typically used by or for political candidates). Money is raised via inexpensive means, including word of mouth and social media. 

M

Mobile giving- When one donates via their cell phone, usually by texting a short, relevant word to a certain number. This is typically a pre-determined amount—usually small, like $5 or $10. Mobile giving is a key method of grassroots fundraising.

N 

Nonprofit Board of Advisors- Individuals selected for their particular expertise which can benefit the nonprofit. Their commitment is usually to share that expertise in a variety of ways including one-on-one strategic input, outreach to their own network and advocacy on behalf of the nonprofit.

P

Parties for a Purpose - A social gathering that has a philanthropic component. Easy-to-implement fundraisers that generate charitable donations for a common cause. It’s a great way to raise money and have fun while doing it. They are designed to be fun ways to introduce friends and family to your charity and generate small donations from participants.

Philanthropy- The act of donating time and/or money to a cause.

Philanthroteen- A teen or young adult who works actively to support a cause or charity. Occasionally sharing with siblings does not qualify one to be a philanthroteen.

S

Social good- Using social media, e.g. Twitter and Facebook, for charitable purposes.

Social media- Websites specifically designed to instigate and support social interaction, e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

Sustainer- A member of an organized volunteer group who has fulfilled her obligations in terms of time, donations and committee assignments. Committed to the organization, she wants to continue to be involved but without the constraints of donating a minimum amount of time, donations or committee obligations.

T

Twitter- A social media site. Users share their thoughts in concise 144-character snippets (known as “tweets”). Though Twitter can be useful, it’s usually just all of your friends reporting what they ate for breakfast and how Mondays are a bummer.

V 

Voluntarism- Relying on volunteers or voluntary action to get something done.

Volunteer- An individual who offers her time voluntarily without receiving compensation. Will often cause said volunteer to feel warm and fuzzy afterwards.

Volunteer organization- A formalized group that can either be its own 501(C)3 or, oftentimes, is an unpaid fundraising arm of a nonprofit. Usually with its own set of bylaws and requirements, the volunteer organization cultivates prospective members who become provisional members for some period of time (usually a year) and then are ‘Active’ members.  After fulfilling their obligations, active members can become Sustainers (see Sustainers above).  Most performing arts companies have at least one volunteer organization.

Y

Young Professional Organization- A community of young, successful professionals, through which they network and interact.

Young professionals- Sometimes referred to as “yuppies.” Young professionals are recent university graduates who have jumped onto business scene and want to give back to the community. These tech-savvy do-gooders may not be able to make top dollar donations yet, but they bring creativity, energy and a crowd of friends to the party.

Numbers

501(C)3- A not-for-profit organization as designated by the IRS. Also referred to as a “nonprofit,” an “NGO” (non-government organization) or a “Charity.”