The best thing about personal fundraising? There are no restrictions on what projects, life events, or causes you can fundraise for. As long as you can create a page and ask people to donate, the possibilities are endless!
If you want direction on where to get started, we’ve got a list of 18 personal fundraising causes. Keep in mind that there are plenty of other ways you can start a fundraiser.
Each category will take you to a specific fundraising page where you can learn more about your particular cause.
Since it’s easy and quick to set up a crowdfunding campaign, you can start raising funds as soon as you hit “publish.” When correctly promoted on social media, your campaign has the potential to go viral.
In fact, most campaigns are able to reach their goals within 4 weeks! If you’re looking to raise money quickly, creating a personal fundraising page is the best way to get started.
When you create a personal fundraising campaign, you have the opportunity to share your story and let people know about an important cause or situation.
The more people that know about your cause, the more likely you are to reach your goal and get the support you need. Plus, raising awareness can help other people understand your situation and connect them to your cause.
Personal fundraising helps bring communities together to unite and fight for a common cause. Friends and family members can support a personal fundraising campaign by contributing or sharing the cause with their networks.
Whenever an individual reaches a milestone or meets a goal, the community of supporters will be able to celebrate with the person and feel accomplished knowing that they were a part of that success.
Individuals have full control over how much they want to raise and how often they share their campaigns. Depending on the platform you use to start your personal fundraiser, you might have the ability to customize your campaign page to match your personality.
Users have the ability to tell their personal stories through descriptions, images and videos, crowdfunding updates, and social media posts, allowing them to speak up about the causes that matter most to them.
First, you’ll need to choose a platform to host your personal fundraising campaign. There are hundreds of different online fundraising websites, so choose one that meets your particular needs. Price, customer support, social integrations, and ease of use are all components that you should keep in mind when searching for a website.
When setting your fundraising goal, account for any platform and payment processing fees that will be deducted from your total funds. Set a reasonable amount so that you have a better chance of reaching your goal. Most personal fundraising campaigns last for 1-2 months; if you set a shorter date you run to risk of not reaching your goal.
At the end of step two, you should know exactly how much you want to raise and when your campaign will start and end.
Your fundraising page is the core of your campaign; not only is it the place where potential donors will learn more about you and your cause, but it’s also where they’ll make a contribution and stay updated on your progress. Upload images (and a video if possible) and write a compelling description to help people understand your cause.
Your page is now complete and ready to publish at the end of step three. You can launch your campaign!
Sharing your campaign lets people know that it exists and makes it easy for them to access your page and donate. Post your page’s URL on all your social media accounts and ask your peers to contribute (or share your page with their networks if they can’t donate).
At the end of this step, your campaign should be posted to your social media accounts and personally sent to all your connections via email or direct mail.
Now that your campaign has officially launched, the work doesn’t end. Keep your supporters updated on significant milestones, post more pictures, and continue to share your campaign on social media. When you update your campaign, it stays relevant and more supporters will learn about your cause.
You’ve made it to the end of this step when you’ve reached your fundraising goal!
After you’ve reached your goal, it’s time to thank everyone that supported your campaign. You can use several ways to show your gratitude like highlighting donors on social media or sending personalized thank-you letters. Typically, showing your appreciation happens at the end of the campaign, but you can thank your donors at any time to show that you care.
At the end of this step, you should have thanked all your donors using both public and direct acknowledgements.
Amount Raised: $60,915
The Rocco’s Road to Recovery campaign was created to support Rocco Casso, who suffered a stroke. The funds raised in this campaign will help cover his medical expenses so that he can continue to go to his therapy sessions and pay for at-home assistance.
This campaign stands out because of the constant updates that the campaign creator posted to let supporters know about his progress. Posting updates to your personal fundraising page is a great way to let donors know how funds are being used and show that their support made a difference.
Amount Raised: $3,157
The campaign creators of the Great Lakes Great Stories personal fundraiser had a dream of biking around Lake Superior and collecting stories of the amazing people they encountered. The money they raise from the campaign will go towards gear, food, and other expenses for the trip.
This personal fundraising campaign uses giving levels and perks to help motivate people to support their dream. The perks include stickers and postcards from their trip. The creators also post several updates to encourage people to support their cause.
Creating a description will help donors learn more about you and your cause. Engaging, transparent, and error-free copy are all markers of an effective description. Keep your story to 300-700 words and cover the most important information your donors will want to know.
Images and videos can help enhance your story as they help donors develop a connection to you or the person you’re fundraising for. Your personal fundraising page should include at least one image so that your page looks complete and professional. Visuals can also be used when sharing updates or thanking your supporters.
While incentives won’t work for every campaign, when used correctly, they can help motivate donors to contribute. Offer perks that relate to your cause and show your donors you appreciate their support. You don’t have to bust the budget to provide incentives; instead, you can give handmade items.
If people don’t know about your campaign, how can they support your cause? Sharing your story is one way you can spread the word and get people interested in your personal fundraiser. Use social media as your primary method to spread awareness, but don’t forget to use traditional methods, too. Emails and phone calls can be just as effective!
Whenever you reach a milestone, you can post updates to your personal fundraising page. These updates will help keep your page current and your supporters in the loop. Letting supporters celebrate your success and see how their donations have impacted your cause generates excitement and shows that you appreciate your supporters.
The great thing about thanking donors is you can show your gratitude in several different ways. You can thank donors publicly by highlighting their contributions on social media or filming a video that expresses your appreciation. With so many possibilities, you can make your thank you unique to show donors you care about more than just the money.
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.