9 Easy Fundraising Ideas
“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.”
It can be daunting to suddenly find your organization with the need to raise funds quickly. But it doesn’t have to be. With a little creativity and planning, you can raise funds for your nonprofit organization quickly and easily.
Below are nine ideas to get you started.
If Time Is Of The Essence…
1. Board Member Emails: Draft an email for your board members (and other volunteers) to send to their contacts. Make sure the email is short, and highlights the urgent need for funds. Include a link to an online donation page.
2. Themed Movie Night: Choose a popular movie, pick a venue, and charge an admission fee. Sell popcorn, candy, and drinks for additional revenue. To make it even more special, consider incorporating a costume contest or trivia related to the movie's theme. You could also partner with a local theater to host a movie that’s related to your work, with a panel discussion afterwards.
3. Game Night: Plan a fun game night with board games, card games, or bingo. Charge an entry fee or sell tickets. Bonus points if the games are related to the work of your organization.
4. Scavenger Hunt: If there are local sites that are meaningful to your clients or your organization, you could also organize a scavenger hunt–telling stories about your work as participants move from site to site! Charge an entry fee per person or per team, and get local businesses to sponsor each site on the hunt.
5. Dine to Donate: Collaborate with a local restaurant to host a "dine-out" fundraiser. The restaurant agrees to donate a percentage of their sales on a designated day to your organization. You help to drive traffic to the restaurant, and the restaurant donates a percentage of sales to your organization–win-win!
If You Have a Bit More Time to Plan and Implement…
6. Online Auction: Online auctions are a great way to raise funds and get your supporters excited about your organization. Ask for donations of items from local businesses and individuals. Then, set up an online auction (there are many free or low-fee options available) and publicize the link to your supporters and followers.
7. Peer-to-Peer Campaign: Peer-to-peer campaigns (where individual supporters raise funds from their networks) are a great way to reach a large audience and raise funds for your organization. Create an email template or sample pitch that your supporters can use to solicit donations from their personal networks.
8. Year-End Appeal Update: Update your Year-End Appeal solicitation with recent accomplishments and the ongoing need for support. Email your contacts with this new message.
9. Local News Feature: Reach out to your local print and television media to pitch a story about your work, client stories, and the need for resources. Including a client story is critical here–stories are the hook that generates interest in readers/viewers accessing the feature.
While fundraising can be challenging, with a little creativity and planning, you can raise funds for your nonprofit organization quickly and easily. Remember to focus on engaging your supporters and sharing the impact of your work to maximize your fundraising. Let us know in the comments if you’re going to try any of these–or if you have more to add to the list!
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