SignVine Builder Spotlight- Complete Signs, LLC

SignVine (SV) is a specialized crowdfunding service that utilizes experienced sign project builders, within the SV network, to help provide message signs to deserving nonprofits. But not every sign company is interested in focusing on, much less helping, nonprofits such as churches, schools, clubs and fire departments.

Sometimes it takes additional time and effort to close the sales transaction with the nonprofit and nonprofits may drive a hard bargain and pinch their pennies to save precious funds. Also the committee-process that nonprofits utilize to evaluate project worthiness  exceeds the patience level of some sign companies.

But for those sign companies who sell a lot of sign projects to nonprofits and participate in the SV network, nonprofits are viewed in an entirely different light. Many of these sign companies have a track record of giving back to the community and supporting causes and groups that matter.

Doing it right, doing the right stuff

One such builder within the SV network is Complete Signs, LLC of Dothan, Alabama.

Justin Holland, Vice-President of Sales for Complete Signs, explained their mission, “Complete Signs was established with the vision of becoming a national sign company that is known throughout the industry as being honest, dependable, and unique in their approach to relationship building.”

“Our approach to business with employees, customers, vendors, and the communities we are in is always about doing the right thing, and building lifelong relationships,” he continued.

Holland explained the approach of Complete Signs,” In addition to donations to local and national charities, we also donate LED signs to charities and civic groups. We also sponsor soccer, swim, softball, baseball teams.”

Multifaceted Approach

“We provide deep discounts to churches and non-profits. We also donate labor to help offset maintenance and installation costs.” Holland said, “We understand how powerful a professional image can be to the success of a business, school, or non-profit, so we do all we can to help non-profit organizations have access to a professionally designed brand, and ultimately a sign package that helps them be recognized in the communities they serve.”

Helping a nonprofit with a option of crowdfunding to afford their sign, or supporting and donating to the ensuing fund-raising effort is just one way a sign company can help organizations and "give back". Being a positive influence in the community and executing a vision similar to the Complete Signs model is an even broader approach that will establish goodwill in the community and turns customer heads toward your organization. And, oh by the way, it's an altruistic undertaking that helps those who need help.

Visit the Complete Signs website at www.completesigns.net, or email Justin Holland at justin@completesigns.net for additional information. SignVine can be contacted at 844-807-9720 or www.signvine.org.

This blog represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion, practices, or values of SignVine or any other organization or person. If you have feedback, please email michael@signvine.org.

Info From The Vine: One Big Crowdfunding Mistake

Signvine is crowdfunding for the Sign Industry. If you are a sign company or a sign manufacturer and your nonprofit needs help affording a message sign, call us for crowdfunding assistance. As an industry-sponsored nonprofit company ourselves, we’ve waived all fees through the end of 2014. Now, we can work for you and your customer for zero charge.

Crowdfunding is hot. You read about new funding records being set in traditional crowdfunding while equity and real estate crowdfunding are finding their way into our market dynamic. But whatever the genre of crowdfunding, it is important to avoid the one common mistake that so many campaigns make- there is no such thing as a “river of gold” and you have to promote and market your campaign before the launch, during the execution and after it's conclusion.

Here are three simple suggestions to market, market, market:

•         Before- get the social media universe talking about your plans. Share the campaign launch date, share the concept, ask for help, and involve the organization’s supporters and the community.

•         During- post frequent updates on social media, within the 4 walls of your organization. Set-up teams to make calls and ask for help and direct people to your webpage. Share your goal and actual monies collected- break it down into days remaining and required dollars per day.

•         After- Thank your supporters, send out the rewards you’ve promised, and continue to talk about the installation of your message sign as the project unfolds.

If you execute your grassroots marketing plan your crowdfunding effort will bear fruit on the vine, and not wither from lack of attention. Your supporters need to care, be aware and stay involved- that’s how they became supporters originally, right? 

This blog represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion, practices, or values of SignVine or any other organization or person. If you have feedback, please email me at: michael@signvine.org.

Info From The Vine- 5 Awesome Reasons to Crowdfund

You can call it “donation time”, you can call it an “ante up” event, you can call it “crowdfunding”. 

Whatever you call nonprofit’s fund raising endeavors it’s how many of them accomplish their mission.

Crowdfunding is an electronic, online way to raise funds and SignVine does this for nonprofits when then want a message sign. We are a specialized crowdfunding nonprofit that services the sign industry.

There are 5 Awesome Reasons why every non-profit should crowdfund their next message sign:

• Why spend money you have saved? Keep that for a future need.

• You’re going to purchase that message sign somehow, someway, someday and you’ll use a fund-raising campaign to do it. Why not make it easy on yourself with a single-point to manage the collected monies, and a place people can learn about your project with a click of a mouse 24/7?

• You may not be able to obtain financing, and a crowdfunding effort has no repayment schedule since it’s 100% donations.

• Why waste money on interest rate charges? We send you a check at the end of the campaign and that’s the end of our relationship until the next campaign!

• Crowdunding does more than just collect money for your cause. It shares your story with the world (potentially) and may create brand new interest in your organization.

It’s up to you- you can bake 100 trays of brownies for that Saturday charity bake event, fire up the outdoor deep fryer for that Friday charity fish fry, or you can do it the way many organizations in 2014 raise money- crowdfunding! Think it over, no brownie crumbs, no grease to clean up and more money in your pocket with crowdfunding!

 

This blog post represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion of SignVine or any other company or associated concern. If you are interested in sending me a question or have a comment, please send it to michael@signvine.org.

Info From The Vine- Linkedin

SignVine is crowdfunding for the Sign Industry. We’re in existence to help deserving nonprofits purchase message signs utilizing an online donation campaign the world calls “crowdfunding”.

These online campaigns generally do not tap into a secret “Golden Thread” linked to some mythical vast fortune of the Mayans. They still required a grassroots effort on the part of the nonprofit to entice donors to visit their SignVine campaign and make a donation. Potential donors visit the webpage, review the pros and cons of the nonprofit's storyline and make a donation.

Social media should be a powerful tool utilized by those nonprofits determined to succeed- Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Linkedin. Yes, the professional  networking site- Linkedin.

Founded in 2002, Linkedin has already changed how executive hiring functions in the American workplace and while not as glitzy and trendy as Facebook, it’s where the money is.  Many of you are reading this post on Linkedin.

Is your organization on Linkedin? It should be, because your donors are on Linkedin and they probably looking to check out your organization there as well. No Linkedin presence may mean no donor interest.

Here's who is using Linkedin:

•  Employers (looking to hire)
• Staff (seeking a new career opportunity)
• Students (post graduate opportunities)
• Facebook refugees escaping the omnipresent dancing dogs of Facebook!

Give Linkedin a shot and create meaningful and appropriate posts to discuss your online Crowdfunding campaign! Check me out- I'm there too- www.linkedin.com/in/mprongue/

This blog post represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion of SignVine or any other company or associated concern. If you are interested in sending me a question or have a comment, please send it to michael@signvine.org.

Info From The Vine- Nonprofits Are Important!

The significance of nonprofit organizations in our economy and our community is not always understood by those not directly involved. Many people think of nonprofits as some unimportant group that exists in some corner of their town.

 

Nonprofits have one real mission- to better the world and to pay for their operations so they can continue doing it.

 

Nonprofits improve the world, our economy and better our communities in 3 ways:

 

1) Provide jobs, sometimes jobs that require great skill and expertise.

 

2)  Nonprofits consume goods and services, thereby helping our economy.

3) Their core benevolent work- from educating children, helping the poor, feeding people, to increasing the wisdom of the world... it would be a much more black and white existence without the work of nonprofits.

 

Continuing to grow, function, share, compete and sustain is a prerequisite for any non-profit and on- premise, outdoor message signs can help them.  How can they afford such a large investment? One way is through online crowdfunding.

SignVine is crowdfunding for the Sign Industry and as nonprofit organization we understand just how important nonprofits are to our communities and we help fund on-premise signs.


This blog post represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion of SignVine or any other company or associated concern. If you are interested in sending me a question or have a comment, please send it to michael@signvine.org.

  

Info From The Vine: Year-End Giving Starts Now

When Should I start my Crowdfunding Campaign? 

Well, if you consider it right now, by the time your board of directors signs off on it, and the media is compiled and produced and uploaded it will be the Holiday Season.

Year-end giving, starts a lot earlier than you think and timing your crowdfunding project for a time when people are particularly generous, and loose with their money is smart.  The key is to not wait until December to start!

Actually,  the giving has already started, so delay can be deadly for your campaign. Many donations for the holiday season are starting right now. In 2013 Google did a study that “donation related” searches increased by 30 percent in August and September. People are looking for a way to give, donate, tithe, ante-up, however you wish to name it, RIGHT NOW.

Other studies have shown that 75% of donors research the non-profit online before making a donation. What if your non-profit's website directed visitors to the crowdfunding site and your SignVine campaign to purchase that LED sign? 

Do you think that might get that full-color display fully funded in time for the Christmas Festivities?

Remember you still have to order the display, and have it installed- there is no time to waste. Start today to capture excess holiday giving!

This blog post represents my personal opinion and does not represent the opinion of SignVine or any other company or associated concern. If you are interested in sending me a question or have a comment, please send it to michael@signvine.org.