Make a ‘Big Trade Up’

By Katie Kieffer

Katie & Amie's 'Big Trade Up.' Art copyright Amie Kieffer 2010.

There is always a better and more efficient way to do things, including donating to charity. During this recession, many non-profits are hurting. Government grants and private donations are beginning to dry up. But, local creative entrepreneurs and real estate professionals, Tony DelDotto of NorthMarq Real Estate and Chad Commers of Roseville Properties, have taken on the challenge of raising funds for charity in a down economy.

The concept is called the Big Trade Up. It raises money for Mind The Future scholarships that help inner-city students graduate from high school and move on to college. I want to promote the Big Trade Up’s goal for two reasons:

First, this is a non-profit venture that is overseen by two guys with a lot of business sense. Many non-profits fail to execute their mission, as BusinessWeek reports, because they spend more money than they bring in. Some executive directors and board members think their charity will survive on the mission alone, and consequently lose sight of financial management.

Whereas the Wise Giving Alliance recommends nonprofits limit fundraising expenses to 35 percent of their budget, some non-profits are literally going into debt to woo donors. The Big Trade Up is an efficient, low-cost idea to maximize revenue donated to charity and minimize the cost of attracting donors. This is because the Big Trade Up is spreading by word of mouth and viral online marketing – no costly postage, high-gloss pledge cards or rubber-chicken dinners needed.

Second, I applaud the Big Trade Up because it is an example of what the Cato Institute has shown: The private sector is better at solving social problems than the government. While our government is racking up debt to pay for social programs, the Big Trade Up is successfully raising funds for charity independently.

So, when Tony and Chad called and asked the Kieffer sisters to support the Big Trade Up, we were happy to help. My sister, Amie, painted a majestic, patriotic eagle soaring over a lake against a sunset and offered it up for their sixth trade.

Art packed up for delivery to the Big Trade Up. Copyright Amie Kieffer 2010

I would encourage you to participate in the Big Trade Up. It is a fun and effective way to help inner-city youth become high academic achievers. Tony and Chad have created a short video that explains the story behind the Big Trade Up. Please take a few minutes to check it out:

This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 7:18 am and is filed under Economy, Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.