Fundraising is the lifeblood of charities raising funds for a noble cause and helps to keep your organization running smoothly. However, the most successful efforts are when you constantly infuse fresh and innovative fund raising ideas to keep your followers, sponsors, and donors motivated and interested enough year after year.
Here are some fund raising ideas that you can try both in the offline and online environment. This post will also take you through the steps of how best to conduct a fundraiser.
Offline Fundraising Ideas
When you know your support group and are confident that the members will be backing you up no matter what you try, there is almost no limit on the scope of offline fundraising ideas that you can implement.
Consider these tips and you will not be sorry.
- Quiz night: There is nothing better than a quiz night to get the adrenalin flowing and keep the audience charged up. Apart from being fun and cost-effective, it is also one of the most entertaining fundraising ideas. Keep costs down by getting a pub or restaurant to sponsor the event to eliminate venue hiring expenses. Charge a participation fee from the teams and do not forget to promote the event on social media and through emails.
- Walk for fun: In this fast-paced world, there is hardly any time for people to take a leisurely stroll. Therefore, if you hold a walk for fun event, it will surely be among successful fundraising ideas. It is not only an opportunity for participants to contribute to charity but also tests their physical fitness levels. Raise funds by charging a fee from the participants as well as selling caps and T-shirts that have the logo and message of your charity.
- Sale of old books: Generally, most households have old books discarded and tucked away in the attic – fiction, non-fiction, and leftovers from school and college days. Organize a sale not only to help others read the books but also to freeup precious space in your house. Get your friends and followers to donate too. Keep costs down by holding the sale in your garage or setting up a table on a busy street. You can also sell the books at heavy discounts to students who need them. You will be surprised how well old books sell.
- Sing a song: Hold a sing a song program, usually a much-in-demand event among both kids and adults. Contact a few rising talented singers to be on stage, a great opportunity for them to showcase their singing skills and make a name. Charge an entry fee and sell various items like caps and T-shirts with the name of your charity embossed on them. Encourage the audience to request songs by paying a nominal fee. All these can add up to substantial sums if you plan the event well.
Put on your thinking cap and you will surely be left wondering at how you could generate so many profitable fundraising ideas.
Online Fundraising Ideas
Harness the power of the Internet to come up with some great fundraising ideas. These are especially relevant in today’s Covid-19 scenario where strict lockdowns and social distancing norms have kept people indoors. Most open events that entail the gathering of people in confined spaces are banned. Hence, preferring online fundraising ideas is the way to go.
Here are some of them.
- Hold a challenge: Have your friends and supporters get together on zoom and conference calls and stage events that are hilarious, to say the least, if you can create the right plans. The quirkier and more unique your ideas are the more fun it will be. How about dancing to a few oldies-goldies songs, twist to Chubby Chucker songs, or pushups in a formal suit. Charge a nominal participation fee. The goal is not to make massive profits at a time but to make the event so interesting that people will come back whenever you hold one. Promote the event by creating a buzz on social media channels and special hashtags to spread the word.
- Online auctions: Among most online fundraising ideas, holding auctions is probably the most hassle-free. Contact websites that are specialists in this field and offer fully-managed services, from displaying photos of the items at the auction to conducting the bidding, registration of the participants, and providing payment gateways – all at very nominal charges. However, there are a lot of backend tasks for you like contacting the sponsoring merchants and donors, taking photographs of the items to be uploaded to the site, and after the event arranging for shipping and delivery of the items to the winners. Small price to pay for the quantum of funds generally raised at online auctions.
- Matching gifts: Individuals are likelier to contribute to a cause if they know that the impact of their donation will be doubled. To ensure that this happens, seek a major gift donor or a corporate partner that will match gifts up to a specific amount. Spread the message of this scheme wherever you promote fundraising ideas – website, email, social media platforms, or any other.
- Partner an online business: Many e-commerce sites donate a part of their sales or marketing budget to charity. It is usually mentioned at their checkout. Partner with an online business so that the name of your charity appears there. Funds flow is assured as you get guaranteed amounts for every sale made.
These are some fundraising ideas for your guidance only. The more innovative your ideas are, the more successful will the fundraiser be. So, start thinking now!
