October 2, 2023
Is there a cause that inspires you to give back? Whether you’re passionate about helping refugees, funding cancer research, or fighting poverty and hunger abroad, chances are there’s a charity committed to that cause.
While not everyone can afford to give money to their favorite nonprofit, there are still ways to raise money for charity through different fundraising strategies. This charity fundraising guide offers tips on charitable giving so you can support charities that mean the most to you, regardless of your financial situation.
Traditional fundraising fosters relationship-building, while online fundraising makes it effortless to spread the word about your cause and reach people around the globe. Some of the most successful charity fundraisers use a combination of online and offline fundraising.
Crowdfunding allows you to support a charity close to your heart and has become an essential fundraising tool for individuals and small groups. It provides a simple, efficient way to accept donations from anyone. Many also turn to crowdfunding to pay for the cost of throwing a fundraising event.
If you’re searching for ways to take your online fundraiser to the next level, this guide can help. From grassroots volunteering to social media competitions, below we share charity fundraising ideas for any cause that can help you increase donations and raise money for charity.
While people can absolutely raise money for nonprofit organizations without contacting them, it’s best to reach out before getting started. This will help you follow any specific fundraising rules outlined by the charity since some nonprofits are strict about sources for charity funding. It will also ensure that you’re fundraising for the correct nonprofit—a single nonprofit can have dozens of individual chapters, each with a unique tax number.
When you contact the nonprofit you’re helping, be sure to:
From happy hours to amateur art exhibits, there’s no shortage of fundraising event ideas. You can turn almost any event into an opportunity to raise money for a good cause—it just requires a bit of planning and ingenuity.
Fundraising events are a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with your community. The more your volunteers and supporters enjoy what they’re doing, the more likely they are to do more of it—supporting your cause in the process.
When you’re fundraising, you’ll often have supporters ask how they can help beyond making donations. The perfect reply? Ask them to volunteer their time.
If a volunteer is a fantastic baker, ask him or her to bake items you can sell, perhaps at a lunch or dinner event. Can an artist donate art you can sell at a gallery event? If you’re raising money for a sports team, can the coach and players host an afternoon sports camp as a fundraiser? There are endless ways for volunteers to use their skills to bring in money for your charity.
Another way people can contribute is by sharing fundraising responsibilities. Our team fundraising feature makes it simple for multiple people to chip in and manage the fundraiser, whether that means thanking donors or writing updates.
You can increase your fundraiser’s reach exponentially by asking friends and family to share your cause with their contacts. Try using one of these fundraising email templates to reach your goal faster and make it as effortless as possible for others to ask for support.
Another approach is to craft the perfect public Facebook post about your fundraiser, then tag a few contacts and ask them to share the post. Pairing this approach with a compelling video is a great way to get people to stop scrolling and pay attention to your message.
We want to help you reach your fundraising goals, and we offer fundraising tips on our blog to make it easy.