Welcome to Grounded Wins — The newsletter for people who'd rather use an idea than just read one.
Special Edition for Lions Club Volunteers. Lions show up when people need help the most. You unselfishly give without expecting a return. Thank you for being the illustration of what it means to love your neighbor. This edition is built to help you multiply that impact.
Todays Wins
💡 How a simple story turned $3.25 into $185.50
🛠 A beginner‑friendly online auction setup for officers & volunteers
🍻 Can Lions unlock hidden community needs?
🌱 PLUS: One problem two Lions can solve anywhere in the world.
Special Offer: We have a donor ready to contribute $1,000 to five qualifying Lions who choose to lead from the front and, try one of the ideas in this edition. Subscribe here to apply.
Fictional Stories That Raise Real Money
Donation Intelligence
The Significant Objects experiment proved something simple: A story can turn an ordinary item into something people value.
A shot glass.
An egg whisk.
A tiny jar of mayo.
All worthless — until someone attached a story
🌟 Your Opportunity
You already have items lying around.
You already have stories.
You just need to connect the two
💡The Simple System
Pick an ordinary item
Write a short story about it
List it for sale or donation
Repeat
Do this often enough and you train yourself to see possibility instead of “junk.”
That mindset alone can raise real money for real needs.
🧑💻 Do What Works:
💼 The System in Action:
Take ordinary items → Give them a story → Offer them through a donation page or auction → Fund a specific cause.
⭐ End Goal:
Turn everyday items into a steady, story‑powered fundraising engine.
TRY ONE ♻️EVERGREEN FUNDRAISER
⚡What would you do with donations that grew 1.3X every month?
Let’s talk about money
Traditional fundraisers end when the event ends. Evergreen fundraisers don’t — they keep building.
🧮 Why Evergreen Matters
• ✅ More predictable than stop‑and‑go events
• ✅ Better donor retention
• ✅ Less volunteer burnout
• ✅ Easier budgeting for clubs
♻️Evergreen doesn’t replace your traditions — it strengthens them.
👉 Traditional fundraisers stop. Evergreen fundraisers keep going.
A donor is ready to contribute $1,000 to five qualifying Lions who choose to lead from the front and, try one of the ideas in this edition. Subscribe here to qualify.
Trailblazer Tutorial: Online Auctions Done Right.
Inspired By BidNow.US
Every nonprofit has its mission and, Every nonprofit is running the same race — they’re all trying to inspire the same action: opening wallets to support it’s mission.
😕 The Real Problem:
Inertia, not indifference. Donors aren’t indifferent — they’re overwhelmed — overloaded, maxed-out, drained and, you’re competing for the same dollar, from the same person.
💡The Fix:
Givebutter.
It reduces friction, adds trust and, taps social proof. If you are a registered nonprofit, Givebutter is your Golden Goose.
🛠️ The Tool: GiveButter
The 1‑1‑1 Setup:
1 donation form
1 fundraising page
1 auction with 1 item
That’s it.
It doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to get started.
Join my Auction Leadership Community by free subscription and watch what happens.
🏆 The Goal
Raise money. Consistently.
The one problem two lions can actually solve.
🚪 A front door for community needs
Believe it or not, people with small, real problems often don’t know where to go and, Lions often don’t hear about those needs until it’s too late.
🤔 The Real Problem:
Most people don’t know what to do with the problem they’ve got — and most needs never get voiced.
🛠️ The Fix: “Ask the Lions”
A simple, always‑open intake point where anyone can submit a need.
Lions decide what they can act on.
No bureaucracy.
Just a front door.
This is the one thing solves everything else.
🧪 Prototyping:
🏆 End Goal:
Try This:
Unlock Hidden Community Impact
Most communities have needs no one sees.
This experiment reveals them.
Try it alone or with other subscribers.
H0 (Null): A centralized “Ask the Lions” system and, story-driven fundraising does not significantly increase problems solved, volunteer engagement, or donations compared to traditional approaches.
H1 (Alternative): A centralized “Ask the Lions” system and, story-driven fundraising significantly increases problems solved, volunteer engagement, and funds raised by:
Study the hypothesis | (it’s a working progress)
👋 Before You Leave
Remember what makes you a Lion. You step in when others can’t. This is your chance to own something that helps you do even more — with less friction.
A donor is ready to contribute $1,000 to five qualifying Lions to try one of the ideas in this edition and, lead from the front. subscribe to apply.
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Old ideas, repurposed— Grounded Wins!
Until next time,
Out of The Den My Lion Friend.