Has anyone done a successful fund drive for a big nonprofit project?

How did you do it?

My dad owns a house that is in severe need of major repairs. He is 88 and has a little too much income to qualify for government grants. I am doing all I can for him financially. I hate to see this property deteriorate further and pull down the neighbors' property values - I'd like to fix it. I'm wondering if anyone has had success with an Internet fund drive that asked for small contributions via PayPal - an amount of money the giver wouldn't miss, whether it's $1 or $1000. Has anyone had any luck with such a project? What were your tactics?

Depending upon how you go about this, it is important to be mindful of potential legal issues. If claims are made about tax deductibility, you need to be registered as such. And if such claims aren't made, it could still be a factor.

Perhaps this is the type of situation where it would work best to work with a community foundation that would establish a fund. You can search for community foundations in your area via either of the two sites below:

- www.guidestar.org
- www.charitynavigator.org

If you do setup a fund, you might be able to use a site like http://www.firstgiving.com to help promote it. You can also register to sell items (and invite others to do the same) on eBay through their charity program to raise funds. (see http://givingworks.ebay.com).

If you do appeal through the internet, be transparent. That is very important. Perhaps you can set up a blog specifically for the project, keep updated on progress, and include a PayPal donate button.