Fundraising Tips
Tips to Start Your Fundraising Event
This post provides a few fundraising tips that will help you get started on holding your first fundraiser. Starting a fundraising event is a highly effective way to raise public awareness about the causes you care most about. Moreover, fundraisers are a great way to draw more traffic to your fundraising profile online, increase your visibility on a much larger scale, and have a greater overall impact on your mission. But fundraisers can be a lot of work to manage and there are many “ins and outs” to running a successful campaign. So where do you start? Here are a few fundraising tips to kick start your campaign:
Create a fundraising profile
Creating a fundraising profile can be extremely advantageous as it’s a great place to direct supporters who want to learn more about your cause. Additionally, it’s a fantastic way to raise donations using the power of the web. Many of our Recipients have been very successful raising support for their fundraisers using MicroGiving as a tool to reach a large volume of supporters.
Find local fundraisers
Explore fundraising events in your area and learn what other people are doing in your community. Contact community service organizations, volunteer groups, and local schools to partner with. The greater the body of partners you team up with, the stronger your fundraising event will function.
Arrange a meeting to discuss your fundraising ideas. Brainstorm, collaborate, and bounce ideas among one another. Consider the greatest needs of your community and how you can successfully meet those needs through your fundraiser.
Develop an organizational structure
Planning a fundraiser can be an extensively tedious process. Divide tasks and responsibilities among other volunteers on your fundraising team – don’t take on more than you can handle. The success of any large undertaking is almost always attributed to teamwork. The strengths and talents of other volunteers will carry your event successfully through.
- Delegate a volunteer to manage the event; and arrange a location and ensure the right facilities are available to the public.
- In addition to setting up a fundraising profile, find someone with good networking and PR skills to actively promote your event and raise support for your campaign.
- Create promotional materials to distribute (ie. fliers, stickers, newsletters). Outreach materials raise awareness and encourage people to support your cause. They keep the public updated about your event and are also a great way to attract media attention.
- Consider local businesses that might be willing to support your fundraiser by distributing your promotional materials to their clients and customers.
Fundraiser event planning
Fundraising
Fundraiser Outreach
Build capacity through effective communications
An imperative part of your fundraising campaign boils down to how effectively you communicate with the public.
- Create a contact list of names, phone numbers, and email addresses of all the volunteers, sponsors, and local businesses involved. Remembering every new contact in your phone book can sometimes be difficult so organize your contact list by an individual’s involvement in the campaign. Organizing your contact list will allow you to quickly match contacts with their specific role or affiliation in the your fundraising campaign.
- Cater your fundraising profile to appeal to the public. Create a profile that not only provides people with information and updates, but also engages the public with fun and interactive pictures, blogs, trivia, opinion polls, and opportunities to be vocal on your page.
- Encourage people to return to your profile by promising exciting updates, news, and information regarding the event.
- Use social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter to stay in contact with supporters and reach a larger audience of new prospects. Networking sites are an increasingly powerful way to drive hundreds, if not thousands, of traffic to your fundraising profile.
For more fundraising tips you might also be interested in How To Get More Online Donations.
What are your fundraising tips?
- We’d love to hear from you so please share some of your fundraising tips and advice.
- If you’ve never participated in a fundraiser, what are some causes you care most about?
Tags: Fundraising
25. April 2009 at 12:30 am :
Fundraising is fun if you make it fun. Find businesses to donate prizes to the cause and give them away in drawing or as door prizes. Go to grocery stores and ask for gift cards to pay for the food if your cooking. Make sure you have a letter head and the letter explains exactly what your cause is and what the donations will be spent on. Most grocery stores have gift cards that are sent from their main offices for this so they give them away to help the community with fund raisers. Have a dinner to raise money for a cause and pay for the items needed with the gift cards from the grocery stores and then give the donations from local businesses like tanning salons, nail salons, resturants, ect… you give those away as door prizes. This will make the cost lower on the out of pocket and help raise more money. You want most if not all of the expense to come from donations so that your cause can raise money.
25. April 2009 at 2:47 am :
I am very big on blood drives and the fire dpt I have done many fund raisers for the fire dpt and blood drives for them also. I think when you give blood you give the gift of life what better gift can you give?
25. April 2009 at 12:51 pm :
another things I have always done is have my kids help by putting flyers every whree and I would have local businesses put them in windows. We put them on cars in the parking lots everywhere we could think of. I also always made sure I had lots of kids activities. That was the easy part. All I had to do for that was have the firedepartment bring out the smoke house so the kids could go through the smoke house and at the same time learn fire safety, they would bring the 911 call station for kids to teach them about calling 911, they would bring sparky the firestation robot that spits water out. He is sooo cute the kids would go wild over That and last but not least we would get someone to donate a space walk (jumper thing). When you entertain the kids the parents are more apt to spend time looking and listening therefore helping your cause.
25. April 2009 at 5:54 pm :
I’m great on developing a fundraiser with hands on activities. By using raffles, auctions, cookouts, car washing, I raised a lot money for Lion’s Camp. You can even raise money on someone kissing a pig.
Great Blog! I didn’t realize how online fundraising worked. I wonder why, I wasn’t receiving any donations. Now I see the light, I need to do the networking. I swear; if I had a brain, I would be dangerous. Here all this time, I thought Microgiving.com did the networking. Sorry
Eventhough were in an economic slump, people are looking for tax deductions for organzations. I learned a lot from this blog, an I need to get working on getting donations.
Thanks for the tips!
Christy
25. April 2009 at 7:59 pm :
Some Ways To Promoting Funraiser
Socilal website is a great a great way to promote fundraiser, Emails, make yourself very much active by socialized in your community and every chance you get to communicate with some on the phone, Or which ever ways or means possible.
Tell friends, and make sure they share with their friends about your fundraiser.
This is my first experience of getting involved with fundraiser. So i am still learning different ideas. Thanks to MicroGiving Foundation they gave me insights about fundraiser and how much it ment to some one in needs and wants.
25. April 2009 at 11:29 pm :
I’m sitting here thinking all the money and donations I have raised for the fire dpt. and the blood drives I should be able to get this going. What is the problem here? I have to figure out another way of raising money. I think its harder because I am in a new town maybe I don’t know. But Christy your right I have to get on the social networking on line. That might be the answer is to broden the base I am using to next work and try joining new sites to spread the work. If nothing eles it never hurts to pull new donors into micorgiving or people looking for help that just don’t know where to find it. I am like you new to the on line donation thing, I can organize things and talk to people but this on line thing I have to learn more about.
26. April 2009 at 12:32 am :
What about those can’s your always seeing in the convience stores can anybody do that or do you have to have some kind of a license or something? That would be a great way to raise money especially in a small community. I think also getting the local church or the one you belong to involved in your cause could also be a great way to get the word out that you are raising money. Ideas just keep coming hope you guys don’t mind. Also if you need to make flyers to put on cars or whatever officedepot will make 100 in black and white for free. I am sure kinko’s will do the same.
26. April 2009 at 5:13 pm :
Now, I’ve been doing a lot of research since I read this blog. Online fundraising is actually the wave to the future.
1.) Get leagal with your online fundraising ( Check with your state attorney’s office )
2.) Create a newsletter and include your web address
3.) Use the web sites Microgiving.com gave us
> Don’t spam
> Don’t overwhelm your donor with to much email
> Don’t use email exclusion of other methods of fundraising
> Provide people with other methods to donate ( mail or phone )
> Don’t forget to show your donors on how the donations will help
Try segmenting your audience. This requires good record keeping. This is based on age, gender, income, interest, previous giving history, geography, or role, such as donor or volunteer. Develop your email campaigns to fit targeted group and then test. You can track your results.
This requires a lot of work. ” NO pain No gain” Your cause will get the rewards. Now lets get to work.
27. April 2009 at 1:18 pm :
Christy -
Hahaha! Thanks for making us smile!
27. April 2009 at 1:38 pm :
Absolutely Michelle!
Giving blood is an incredible demonstration of personal sacrifice!
27. April 2009 at 2:45 pm :
Christy – fantastic tips! You seem to know quite a bit about fundraising…
28. April 2009 at 3:18 am :
[...] MicroGiving Blog MicroGiving: What’s going on? « Fundraising Tips [...]
29. April 2009 at 12:02 am :
I too have done several fundraisers in my years. I enjoy it very much and I agree with what others have said… You have to make it what you want it to become, and that comes from lots of hard work and organization and blood sweat and maybe some tears too!
I love all the suggestions that have been added here in the blog by our MG community. I am a big believer that you have to give to receive.
Raffles, Tip Boards, Meat Boards, Bake Boards, Bingo’s Bake Sales.
Heck, go out and sell Avon lotions, showergels or what have you.
Sell candles, wrapping paper and more. Do a penny drive, it all adds up! Spaghetti Dinners are a great fundraiser, as the ingrediants are not expensive!
If anyone EVER has a fundraiser and needs help, please do not hesitate to ask me, I’d be glad to offer suggestions, or help in any way that I can.
I also believe there is a time in our lives that we all may need help, so if you see someone who is struggling, ask what you can do!
29. April 2009 at 1:48 pm :
Reading this has really made me think. I have always been a blood doner, I am signed up to give my organs (what will I need the for? I will be dead.) If tomorrow someone asked for the kidney and I could save them well duh of course you save them. Its not a question its a simple thing really. Life matters you can do without one kidney why would you not give the extra to save someones life? I know some have medical reasons and that is understandable but people who have viable organs who do not want to donate. What is the reason for that? Are you losing anything? NO your giving the most important thing the gift of life. If you don’t have a dime to your name trust me that drop of blood will be more appreciated than any dollar ever could be.
30. April 2009 at 5:08 pm :
My friend and I have been thinking about fundraisers lately for the church. In our church you find so many willing to participate for the right reasons. The youth; however, have the most willingness to participate so we have been working on active fundraisers. They have held dodgeball games with other churches, but the idea is slow to gain credit. I made notion of a similar competition called “Ultimate Ball”. I recalled a game we played in Middle School referred to as “Socco”, but apparently there was a professional version of it called “Ultimate Ball”. I can’t find it anywhere on the internet now to give everyone and idea of how it’s played, but it’s a contact sport and very fun to watch and play.
Unlike dodgeball, “Ultimate Ball” involves everyone participating constantly so it makes it fun to play. It’s a fast-paced contact sport so it makes it desirable to watch. It is played by the young and restless so parents are mostly supportive due to their child participating in an athletic activity. It involves many skill levels for many strategies so the less athletic participants can be crowd favorites as well.
Having many aspects to the game, it can be easily arranged as a fundraiser. Make an easy profit on a day or weekend tournament. The kids that choose to participate will be exhausted, but will have felt encouraged and uplifted in their self-esteem for having participated.
I have many activities to come~
30. April 2009 at 5:10 pm :
By the way, my goal is to help children re-establish their outdoor activities resulting in the fight against child-obesity and diabetes in children~
30. April 2009 at 5:11 pm :
In all aspects and with all people, I influence proper nutrition, exercise and sleep~
1. May 2009 at 2:13 pm :
Another way to raise money online is to do auctions. Take a small flat rate box and find things you have and never use from around your house. (when you look you wouldn’t believe the stuff you have) Take pictures and go onto a site where you are a member. List that you are having an auction to fill a small flat rate box and the bid starts at a certain amount ($5.00 is a good amount) let them know that they will have to cover the cost of shipping but you can also offer to ship it parcel post which is much cheaper it just takes longer. This has helped me to raise money.
1. May 2009 at 2:16 pm :
You could also do an online garage sale. Let them buy the items at set prices and make sure they know they have to cover the cost of shipping.
I forgot to mention when doing the auction what I do is they pick an item that I have taken pics of and also made a list of each item. I make one list of whats in the box as they choose and bid on them and I have another list of items still left to bid on. Hope this helps someone. Good luck.
1. May 2009 at 8:50 pm :
I’ve read some of the inputs and I think they are all excellent ideas! I am currently the Fundraiser Coordinator for a start-up church in Acworth, Georgia. This will be our second ministry open; the first one is in Miami, Florida. Our Pastors moved in mid-January (left their secular jobs, home, family and friends for the ministry) and we desperately need finical support! I am responsible of projecting the songs and currently we are borrowing the one from the local church we rent from. I specially do not like it because if it breaks we are responsible, and I am strong believer that that things that we do for the Lord, are meant to be good not average and therefore I am here. I’ve donated my Sony laptop and we are using EZ Worship (donate software, too). I’ve searched on-line and I was referred to Microgiving and here is where I am (with wonderful people). So far, it’s been great, even though I have not received any money, but just the fact that people are donating time, money, items, ideas, and other resources, makes it worth it all. Definitely, I will take in all this good stuff. If anyone knows of anyone that can donate a projector for my local church, the church members will be happily to receive it as well financial donations for office supplies, children church ministry supplies, too. God Bless all and I have enjoyed everyone’s suggestions!!! P.S. Do not forget to wash your hands for 20sec.
5. May 2009 at 1:32 am :
In the motorcycle organization I belong to fund raising is often done through trophy games and raffles. Towns people and local businesses will donate gift certificates, service vouchers, or items. People pay an entry fee into the games and will win something in the end. They money from the entry fees goes to the benefit. Raffles and auctions at these events are pretty much the same, the money goes into the benefit and the items for auction or raffle .are often donated. For our downed riders there is some kind of collection item left in most rider hangouts, in one place there is a boot, in another place a saddle bag etc and the idea is to throw your spare change into the collection bin to put towards helping riders (or their family) who have gone down on their bike.
We don’t only hold events for bikers though of course since it is a bikers rights organization most of the events are aimed at bikers. We also hold fund raisers for veterans, handicapped, disaster or members needs too.
4. June 2009 at 12:17 pm :
Starting with the people closest to you advertise and market yourself. Most family members and friends won’t donate but you can ask them to spread the word because “Word of Mouth” is very powerful. Also take the time to go to different schools and churches and local stores. They are always happy to help advertise. Especially if you are a familiar face.
http://www.microgiving.com/profile/cahomeremodeling
5. June 2009 at 5:02 pm :
C & A -
Thank you C & A, thats a great tip!
In fact, when you “market” yourself you not only increase your chances of raising more donations, but the more donations you raise the more likely others will be inclined to donate too. It’s the “everyone is doing it” effect – people generally seek safety in numbers. If everyone else is donating to you, you must be the ideal candidate!