Your organization can almost effortlessly receive even more donations with the help of matching gift programs.
Promote matching gift on your donation forms, website, emails, and even on your social media pages. Send automated reminders to donors to remind them to submit matching gift requests and complete the matching gift process.
Double the Donation provides nonprofits with a widget you can embed on your forms and website pages that allows donors to search their employers’ matching gift programs. This way they can determine their eligibility on the spot.
Although it may seem old-fashioned, nonprofits turn to direct mail again and again because it’s a highly effective fundraising channel. In fact, direct mail is actually the single greatest source of individual donations in the U.S.
With a dedicated direct mail platform like GivingMail, you can create impactful, personalized donation appeals that inspire your audience to give. Be sure to use your database to identify supporters’ preferred names and address your letters accordingly.
Also, don’t forget to segment your lists based on donors’ communication preferences. The donors who are interested in direct mail communication may not appreciate an email as much. Luckily, you can save a template of your email messages to create a physical version of your donation appeal as well.
A staple in the fundraising world, t-shirt sales are effective and fun for your whole community.
When you work with a top-notch online retailer, you can create a catalog of custom apparel that promotes your club or organization. You can sell your shirts online or at fundraising events.
The more designs you create, the wider your fundraising appeal will be. Choose a variety of colors, styles, and sizes so anyone who loves your club can show their support.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great fundraising idea for clubs of all shapes and sizes. Not only does it enable your organization to raise more money, it also helps you expand your existing donor base!
In a nutshell, peer-to-peer fundraising enlists the help of your supporters and empowers them to ask for donations on behalf of your organization.
Each supporter builds his or her own donation page from a template that is tied back to your club’s main fundraising page. Then, your supporters reach out to their friends and family members and ask for donations for your cause or project!
With a custom website, you can loop your members into important information as well as reach out to a new audience and tell them about your club or organization.
When you use a specialized website builder, like Morweb, you can easily include donation pages and event pages to raise money.
Create login pages for your members to check out the upcoming events and activities hosted by your club or organization.
If you currently attend high school or college, you can set up a “Best Seat In The House” fundraiser to raise money for your club!
All you have to do is hold a traditional raffle! The only difference is that the prize are two of the best seats at a sporting event.
Sweeten the pot a little by offering free concessions to the winners in addition to their prime seats.
Many clubs and organizations sell doughnuts or other sweet snacks to raise extra money. And there’s a reason for that: it works!
Pick a food item that the members of your community won’t be able to resist. You can also pick seasonal treats that correspond with the time of year.
Make sure that your club explains why you’re raising money when you’re selling the snacks to people.
Whether you’re a Greek organization or an honor society, all on-campus clubs have something to offer when it comes to academics.
Show off your scholastic aptitude while raising money to cover your club’s expenses by offering tutoring services.
You can put up posters in your school hallways, advertise on social media, or partner with a youth center or local elementary or middle school to help with homework and test prep. Make sure to let club members sign up for the subjects they’re most passionate about!
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to pull off this fundraising idea, but it certainly helps!
Offer photography services for members of your campus or community. You can make these photo shoots as professional or silly as you’d like them to be, so feel free to get creative!
No matter what, make sure that you’re taking the photos on a nice digital camera so that supporters get their money’s worth. Add on photo editing services free of charge, too, so everyone looks their best in their pictures.
A Serve-a-thon fundraiser helps your club or organization raise money while cleaning up your community at the same time.
Ask for donations per item of trash that you pick up on a given day. For example, someone might donate a dollar for every aluminum can you pick up.
Collect sponsorships and donations from people in your community, and then get out and clean up your town!
If members of your club, organization, association, or community like to build, refurbish, and drive classic cars, this is the fundraising event for you!
Get as many classic cars together as you can and line them up in a common space like a parking lot or field.
Then, charge admission for people to come through and view the vehicles. You can even have side events like a raffle or auction to raise even more.
Obstacle courses can be fun challenges for kids, teenagers, and adults alike. Your club or organization can set one up to raise some extra money!
Create different games and obstacles that make up the larger course. Then, set up an online registration form.
Give people the option to participate as individuals or in teams. And don’t forget to offer a small prize for whoever gets through the course the fastest!
Earn extra donations when your volunteers take part in their employers’ volunteer grant opportunities.
For the donors who love volunteering with your organization, there are plenty of employers who offer volunteer grant programs! If eligible, a volunteer can earn donations based on the number of hours they work.
Your donors’ volunteer grant programs will vary depending on their employers. Grant values range from hundreds of dollars to thousands, so there’s more than enough opportunity to meet your fundraising goal with the help of volunteer grants!
Charity auctions can be a fast-paced and energetic way for your club to raise more money and interact with your supporters face-to-face. You also have the opportunity to form some solid business connections!
Ask for charity auction items from local businesses; try to get as many items donated for close to nothing. That way, you can put your budget into creating a great atmosphere for your attendees.
Hire an auctioneer, send out invites, and cater in food and drinks. Make sure that everyone is aware of the rules of your charity auction beforehand. People will walk away with some unique items and experiences, and your club can raise more money!
Writing letters is a great way to raise money for your cause, project, or event. You can send out letters asking for general donations, sponsorships, charity auction items, volunteer time, and more!
Your letters should be genuine and personal. Always start with your donor’s preferred name and try to reference any past relationship or donations.
You can use letters to direct people to your online giving pages or crowdfunding campaign, but you should also include a self-addressed envelope within your letter to encourage people to send in checks (make sure you tell donors not to send cash!).
Silent auctions are a fun way to get a little more face time with your supporters while they bid on unique and appealing items up for grabs. Plus, if you find the right auction items, you have the potential to raise a lot of money!
Ask local businesses and individuals if they would like to donate items to your silent auction. Common items include gift cards to restaurants, signed memorabilia, lessons from a professional of some kind, gift baskets, and more!
You can enlist the help of a mobile bidding tool to create a tech-enhanced bidding experience for your attendees. Mobile bidding software also makes checking in, checking out, and item monitoring easier on your auction volunteers and staff.
Walkathons are perfect for active supporters who like to show their passion for a cause. Walkathons are well-suited for healthcare-related issues and causes, but they can technically be used for any type of fundraising effort!
You’ll need to determine a location and time for your walkathon. Choose a season that is a good temperature with minimal risk of rain. Make sure you have a backup location just in case!
Then, send out invitations and design some merchandise like t-shirts and water bottles. You can sell these for an extra fee to raise money above any entrance costs you charge. Make sure you have medical and first-aid supplies nearby in the case of an accident.
Text-to-give is a relatively new way for clubs to raise money, but it’s an effective way to accept donations while supporters are on the go. Nearly everyone has a smartphone, making text-to-give a natural fundraising technique.
You’ll need to choose a text-to-give provider that offers all of the features you’re looking for. From there, it’s all about promoting your text-to-give option! Post your text-to-give number and short code on promotional materials and mention it in your communications.
Soon, donors will be using your text-to-give tool to give from wherever they are! You can even incorporate text-to-give into your next event or gathering and encourage all of your attendees to pull out their phones and make a donation right then and there.
A Buy-a-Brick fundraiser is perfect if your club or organization is raising money to build or renovate a community building, sidewalk, or other structure.
Before building commences, community members can buy a brick and have a message engraved on one side.
These types of fundraisers are perfect for commemorative walkways, staircases, and archways. They help pay for the structure while allowing people to leave their mark.
If your club or organization needs to raise money fast, why not host a car wash? This easy and inexpensive fundraising idea gets all your members outside and active.
All you need to make this idea possible is soap, buckets, sponges, and water! Don’t forget to have your club members create signs that you can post around the neighborhood.
Just charge $5-$10 per a car, and you’ll reach your fundraising goal in no time!
Hosting a rockathon is a great way to get the community involved in raising money for your club or organization. Essentially, a rockathon requires your club members to ask for pledges from family and friends to see how long they can rock in a rocking chair.
Supporters can donate a specific amount (think $5) for every hour their loved one stays in the chair.
All you’ll need are a few rocking chairs and a well-trafficked place for the event to occur. On the day of the event, have music and actives to help motivate participants.
Create your organization or club’s crowdfunding campaign for FREE. Pay absolutely nothing until you receive your first contribution.
It only takes a few minutes to create your crowdfunding campaign! With Fundly’s fundraising platform, you’ll be able to start raising money for your club or organization quickly and easily.
Get set up quickly and easily, whether you’re tech-savvy or not. Our interface is super easy to use, and our team is always here to help your team if you ever run into any technical difficulties.
At only a few pennies for every dollar you raise, Fundly is one of the most affordable ways to raise money for your club or organization’s project, event, or cause.
There’s no need to raise a minimum amount, meet a deadline, or pay a penalty if you don’t reach a goal. You get to keep whatever money your club or organization raises, minus any fees.
Reach out to your friends, their friends, and beyond through Fundly’s deep social integrations. Share your campaign on Facebook and Twitter and via email for successful fundraising.
The Eastside Community Center’s crowdfunding campaign is currently asking for donations to renovate their local gymnasium and community center. To date, they have raised $2,6000 from over 30 donors, but their campaign still has a few months to go!
The best part of this campaign is the description that tells donors exactly what the money is going toward. People want to feel a connection to a fundraiser, and this campaign does a great job of explaining the importance of the community center and gymnasium.
The Men of Action of South Florida club decided to set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to continue their mentoring services in their area. So far, 15 donors have given over $1,500, but the campaign is far from being over! They still have several weeks to reach their goal.
One of the greatest things about this crowdfunding campaign is the number of updates that the organizer has posted. There are 11 in total, and each one lets supporters know how much the club appreciates the support and donations of the community.
When your club or organization first sets up your crowdfunding page, make sure that you upload images and videos of the people, animals, or communities that you serve or help. Supporters like to know where their donations are going, and pictures and video footage help to demonstrate your mission.
Learn more about shooting and posting great crowdfunding photos.
There’s no need to go into every single detail of the history of your club or organization, but supporters need some kind of context if you expect them to give to your campaign. Provide your donors with some background into your mission and explain why you’re raising money.
Check out these examples of great crowdfunding descriptions.
People won’t know that your club or organization is trying to raise money unless you let them know! Share your crowdfunding campaign with your friends and family members on Facebook and Twitter and via email to increase the chances that they’ll contribute to your fundraiser.
Learn more about sharing your crowdfunding campaign with your network.
Once your campaign is up and running, you need to provide your supporters with updates and acknowledgements so that they can share in your excitement! You can even post additional photos and videos to inspire other people to contribute to your campaign and help you reach your fundraising goal.
My town’s community center was in horrible disrepair, so we started a crowdfunding campaign on Fundly. Within a couple months, we had enough money to kickstart the renovations and create a great space for kids and families to hang out.
My college’s multicultural club needed to raise money for a special study abroad event we were hosting. I suggested that we set up a crowdfunding page to see if we could bring in the funds we required. Not only did we hit our goal, we raised enough for a second event for next semester!
I’m an active member of an animal-rights organization. Recently, we decided to set up a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for our general operations. In the past few months, we’ve seen such a surge in donations from our local community. I can’t believe how much money we’ve raised!
Every crowdfunding campaign can use a little help every now and then!
Whether you need advice about shooting and uploading crowdfunding photos, writing descriptions and updates, or sharing your fundraiser with your friends and family members, we’ve got your back.
Click below to learn more about the top seven crowdfunding tips that can be used for all types of fundraising efforts and campaigns!
You’ve heard the stories about fundraisers surpassing their goal, but how often does that really happen?
The answer? More frequently than you might think! In fact, individuals and organizations often meet and exceed their goals when they use Fundly to set up a fundraiser and share it with their friends and family members.
Check out these ten crowdfunding campaigns that all exceeded their fundraising goals by sizable margins in just a matter of weeks!
Crowdfunding has been used to raise money for everything from creative projects to medical costs and more!
Why is it so popular? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that a crowdfunding campaign is insanely easy to set up and share with your friends, family members, coworkers, and other peers.
See for yourself! Take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding and learn how you can make the most of this fundraising craze!
Fundly is dedicated to providing you with the tools you need to raise money for whatever your cause may be.