High-Impact Fundraising Ideas for Charities
Raise Money
Every charitable organization wants to increase their donations in these uncertain times. As the COVID-19 crisis has caused massive layoffs and sent the economy reeling, nonprofits have been hit hard. The services many charities provide will be needed even more now that so many Americans are facing unemployment, eviction, and mental health difficulties as economic opportunities shrink. As part of our jobs, the Cocatalyst team closely follows fundraising trends and this article shares some of the ones that we think are interesting in this current climate.
Why are fundraising ideas hard to implement?
Fundraising is particularly hard right now because the channels to reach your donors are limited. You can’t easily meet people in person nowadays, meaning everyone is fighting for airtime online: social media, Zoom, etc. In all the noise, your charity has to come off as unique that donors want to listen to and drive around.
Online Fundraising Ideas
1: Convert Your Live Event to a Virtual Livestream Fundraiser
With stay at home orders and social distancing policies for COVID-19, organizations of all types are going virtual for their live events instead of meeting in person. For charities that relied on gala, in-person raffle events, or other fundraisers to cover their budgets each year, social distancing can cut key donor engagement opportunities.
However, many charitable organizations are finding creative ways to hold virtual fundraisers and connect with their donor bases through these challenging times. Livestreaming is a great way to achieve the feel of a live event while still keeping your staff and donors safe by socially distancing.
If you haven’t livestreamed before, check out the platforms Facebook Watch, YouTube, or Twitch. YouTube has tutorials and very good livestreaming features, and you can even livestream a Zoom call if you will have multiple speakers or panelists at your event (see #5).
On Twitch, you can approach video creators with targeted viewership to raise funds for your cause. Sometimes, you can set up these relationships in exchange for swag for the creators or donors. Tiltify Giving, DonorDrive Philanthropy, and Steamlabs Online are vendors that can help you fundraise via livestream. You can also host your own livestream events. For example, Jazz Fundraiser at Lincoln Center was a worldwide concert and gala held in April 2020 in immediate response to the pandemic.
Livestreaming your fundraising event can be part of a larger campaign that you undertake through digital means. To see examples of creative digital fundraising, check out St. Jude Play Live Fundraiser, Pride Month Fundraiser, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Game Heroes Fundraiser, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month Fundraiser.
2: Show You Are A High-Impact Non-Profit in Your Fundraiser
These days, everyone is wary of internet scams. That means that you need to do everything in your power to show potential donors that you are a legitimate nonprofit. Make sure that you are visible and transparent on your effectiveness and impact, and showcase the vital (and very real) work of your team as much as possible. If there are any outstanding issues, you may need to reach out to your state regulator.
Now is a great time to review your profiles on CharityWatch, Charity Navigator, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and Greatnonprofits.org. If your profiles are inconsistent, reach out to these organizations to see how you can change your ratings. For an extra fee, these sites will offer seals, certifications, or accreditations that assure donors that you are a legitimate non-profit doing real work with an actual 501(c)3 status.
You can also stay on top of how your organization is showing up online. Google your organization to see what the top results are, look at your ratings, and respond to comments online. This way, you will view what donors see when they look into your organization.
3: Host a Zoom Fundraiser
We’ve all become familiar with Zoom over the course of the pandemic. While we might tire of it at times, it’s one of the best ways to connect remotely and see the faces of your coworkers, friends, or even donor bases. This means it can be a great fundraising tool as well.
You can create a Zoom meeting that is open to the public, or a private meeting that guests can only access if they’ve been specifically invited. Once you’ve assembled the donors you want to reach, you can put a donation link into the chat, and ask donors to contribute through the link. For example, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Giving Network moved their spring fundraising efforts entirely online in 2020, through their campaign “Virtual is the New Purple,” and spread their message through one-on-one communication, virtual town halls, and campaigns held over Zoom.
Make your ask at the beginning, middle, and end of the Zoom call. You and your staff can accept pledges through private chat, and you can save the Zoom chat at the end of the meeting in order to follow up with donors who have pledged.
If you are hosting a Zoom fundraiser, you may want to sign up for Zoom Pro+Webinars. This program allows you to track each attendee in detail, helping you to build your virtual donor base.
4: Newest Fundraising Ideas - Accept Stock Donations
Accepting stock donations can help charities accelerate fundraising by up to 37% within their existing donor bases. Plus, it helps your donors save big on their taxes. This is for one simple reason: donating appreciated stock to a charity allows your donors to avoid capital gains tax. This means the charity gets the full value of the stock – while the donor can deduct the same amount instead of a fraction if they itemize.
Say a donor owns appreciated stock worth $27,400. If he sells it, he may pay $7,400 in capital gains tax, leaving him with $20,000 to give to the charitable organization of his choice and deduct from his taxes. Instead, he can donate the stock directly to the organization. The charity then receives the full $27,400 value – and he writes the full $27,400 value off on his taxes as well.
While some of your donors may be familiar with donating shares of stock, other donors may need to be educated on the tax benefits of donating stock before they’re willing to dive in. You can easily provide key information to your donors to get them excited.
Make sure your donation page and email campaigns specifically notes that you accept stock donations. Donors will see this when they are considering donating, so sign up Cocatalyst for your charity and fundraiser in minutes.
5: crowdfunding fundraising
Crowdfunding can be a fantastic way to raise money for your organization, especially for a specific project or milestone that you need community support for. You can organize crowdfunding campaigns around projects, single events, niche initiatives, disaster relief, medical events, or more.
Crowdfunding campaigns are most successful when they tell the story of your organization and its need, and raise awareness of your cause. The benefit of crowdfunding is that it brings together a wide range of individuals who share a passion for a common cause.
There are several well-known platforms for crowdfunding, including GoFundMe, Fundly, and YouCaring. You might have also heard of Kickstarter and Indiegogo; while these are generally used for startup companies that can promise some kind of product delivery, they may make sense for your organization.
As you create your crowdfunding campaign, you’ll want to offer perks and rewards for different donation levels. These can include merchandise such as branded water bottles, T-shirts, and more, or experiences such as attending your next donor reception or getting a special ticket to your next livestream. In general, it’s great to offer a mix of material and experiential rewards to attract different kinds of donors.
Crowdfunding campaigns usually have a specific timeframe, and a dollar amount goal. This way, your donors are motivated to get you the funds when you most need them.
6: social media fundraisers
According to a 2018 study, social media is the number one preferred way to give for millennials and Gen X. The following chart shows that most millennial and Gen X donors were most inspired to give by social media, and donors preferred giving online across the generations, from millennials to Baby Boomers. Having a robust social media strategy is now a must for any organization seeking to attract a new generation of donors.
In addition to using social media to get your message into the world, many social media platforms have now launched their own fundraising capabilities. Facebook’s fundraising tool generated over $2 billion in 2019, with over 45 million people donating or creating a fundraiser.
When you create a fundraiser on social media, you engage directly with your donors around the fundraiser. You can start conversations and respond to discussions as you post the fundraiser directly onto social media. You can even create short videos to post to encourage donors to contribute to your cause.
Several charitable organizations have successfully held fundraisers on social media, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same! For inspiration, check out the World Wildlife Fund, the Humane Society, and St. Labre Indian School.
7: subscriptions and recurring giving
Subscriptions are a huge part of our current culture. Many people are comfortable with monthly subscriptions, such as Netflix and other streaming services. You can set up monthly giving plans with your donors in order to have some consistent, sustainable income throughout the year.
Many donors are used to seeing individual fundraising campaigns or end-of-year reminders, but they may not have been asked to donate on a monthly basis. This kind of donation often builds more loyalty and sustainability, both for your organization and for your relationship with your donors.
Subscription giving can help you break the cycle of working hard to acquire new donors who only give once, maybe at the end of the year. Create a community of donors who support your organization on a monthly basis.
8: amazon smile
Amazon Smile is a great way for your donors to support you through their other transactions. When your donors make a purchase on Amazon, they can sign up so that Amazon donates 0.5% of their purchase to your organization. It’s no extra cost to you: just a way that your donors can increase your funds while they do their shopping!
You’ll need to make sure your donors know that you have an Amazon Smile account, and that they take the time to set it up on their accounts as well. Include the button on your website, and encourage your donors through social media and email campaigns to use it. Donors will need to download a Chrome plugin, and make sure they are working for each Amazon purchase.
If enough of your donors participate in this program, it can be a nice additional stream of passive income!
Hybrid Online & Traditional Fundraising Ideas
1: Hold Emergency Fundraising Appeals
A sense of urgency is a great way to get donors to give now, when your organization needs the money the most. You can hold emergency appeals to highlight critical needs to support the mission of your organizations. Reach out via Facebook Ask, weekly live calls, social media, and email fundraising campaigns.
You can also take advantage of the calendar and the news cycle to schedule flash fundraising campaigns. Consider holding a 24-hour campaign on the anniversary of your organization’s founding, or another seasonal occurrence. By publicizing the fundraising campaign ahead of time and then structuring it around such a small window of time, you encourage donors to donate immediately.
Consider starting a campaign in response to a major event. Whether it’s a news item, a new accomplishment, or a celebrity showing, you can harness major events relevant to your mission to bring in additional funds through shorter campaigns. Being prepared to act quickly will demonstrate your leadership, flexibility and responsiveness to your base.
2: day of giving
Setting up giving days can be a great way to band together with other organizations and businesses in your community to inspire your donors to give generously. Giving Tuesday is a great example: nonprofits created a special day to focus on charitable giving, and piggybacked on an existing holiday in order to gain recognition for their cause.
Giving Tuesday doesn’t have to be the only example of this. You can coordinate with other nonprofit organizations in your area to hold campaigns on the same day, and reach donors through solidarity. You can even solicit local corporations to coordinate with any giving days they may hold.
By banding together, all nonprofits in your area are able to reach new donors, by sharing each other’s campaigns and missions. Toward the holiday season, your organization can pair with food banks, Toys for Tots, and other holiday giving traditions.
For example, North Texas Giving Day has been a coordinated effort from North Texas nonprofits for the past twelve years. This annual fundraising effort has helped nonprofits in the region raise their profiles and some cash. In 2019, $50 million was raised for charities local to North Texas.
3: virtual walks, runs, hikes, & rides for a cause
Holding charity walks is a longstanding tradition for raising funds while joining your donors together in community and activity. Right now, we’re not able to gather in large groups - but that doesn’t mean your donors don’t still need a reason to get outside!
Instead of a traditional event, you can hold a virtual one for donors to raise funds. Donors can choose their own courses, or travel through one that you designate at their own chosen time. You can have competitions for the fastest time or the longest distance.
By hosting a virtual walk-a-thon, run, hike, or ride, you can preserve the appeal to donors of getting active, and benefit from the peer-to-peer fundraising that these events do so successfully. Make sure to encourage donors to raise funds for their own personal walk, run, or ride.
This year, the Hill Country Ride for AIDS launched a virtual challenge instead of cancelling their ride. This ride has been an iconic fundraising event in Texas contributing to many local health organizations, and they were able to set up competitive elements, and team and individual fundraising. Their campaign spread challenges over twelve weeks, with fundraising persisting through all of them.
4: create or refresh your donor wall of honor
Recognizing your donors is a great way to inspire repeat donations, and new donations from admirers of your organization who may want a piece of recognition themselves. You can go beyond the old-fashioned plaques, and find both digital and physical ways to recognize your donors.
When you’re hosting video narratives and testimonials, consider adding a donor recognition section, or doing your video in front of your wall thanking all of your donors. These videos will then visually inspire the next generation of leaders and funders.
A common reason that donors do not repeat their donations is not feeling they were acknowledged or thanked for their previous gift. Donor recognition can help turn your one-time donors into recurring donors, helping your organization grow a sustainable donor base.
It’s important to review your donor recognition program annually, or whenever you have a shift in your organization’s mission, direction, or needs. You can reach out to your donors and ask for information about what motivates them to give, or why they stopped giving. Then, work on new strategies that can help you retain donors through the years.
5: start a planned giving program
Planned giving can be a difficult subject, but it can allow your donors to continue giving to your organization even after their demise. Small charities can participate in planned giving programs, too - it’s not just for the major organizations.
COVID-19 is a good time to think about the future and bequests. This ask can offer hope, giving individuals a way to help others and contribute to the financial stability of your organization.
The largest gifts an organization receives are often planned gifts. When you open the door for your donor to make a bequest, you solidify a lifelong relationship with that donor. According to Giving USA’s 2019 survey, 7% of planned giving donors say they increased their donations to the organizations after making a planned gift.
If you’re just starting out in planned giving, there are three primary ways that you can receive planned gifts: through bequests, annuities, and trusts. Choose the method that makes sense for your organization and your donors.
Planned giving can make a significant difference to your organization. If you’d like to see case studies of planned giving, you can visit the website of the First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs.
6: start an online auction
An online auction is a great way of raising additional funds in a new, creative way! You can plan your auction for a particular cause, project, or occasion.
Make sure you get desirable prizes for your auction to really drive the bidding up. It’s absolutely still possible to get great finds during COVID-19.
Consider combining a virtual event with your auction. Some auctions can still meet in person, with limited staff or attendees who wear masks and social distance. You can have a hybrid event that meets in person as well as virtually, or set up a virtual auction.
There are several platforms that can help you host your online auction. Check out BiddingOwl, GiveSmart, OneCause, SilentAuctionPro, and SchoolAuction.net, and determine which choice is right for your organization.
Offline Fundraising Ideas
1: Find Donation Fundraising Multipliers
Don’t you wish you could double (or even triple) every donation that comes to your organization? Well, there are several ways that you may be able to make this wish a reality!
First, many employers offer matching funds for donations made by their employees. You can ask your donors to check if their employer offers matching funds. Many corporations do this as a way to incentivize charitable giving – though some offices will only donate to specific causes. If there are a number of donors coming from the same employer or email domain, consider a targeted marketing campaign for the employer match. A donor whose employer offers matching funds who doesn’t follow through with the matching form is missing out on free money! Doublethedonation offers tools that you can place in your campaigns and website.
You can also create your own matching funds during a fundraising drive. Ask your board or other major donors to match gifts for a week, and then use that to incentivize donations from your donor base. Alternatively, reach out to local corporations in your area or who have previously supported your work to see whether they would be willing to offer matching funds. Watch the news: corporations that have recently increased their social responsibility efforts may be just waiting for a charity like yours to reach out.
2: Fundraise Ideas from Existing Board Members and Large Donors
Your board members are the first people you turn to for all of your fundraising efforts. Your board can inspire goodwill in your donor base. When your donors see your board’s dedication to your organization and its mission, they want to offer their support, too.
Have all of your board members donated this year? If not, it might be time for a gentle reminder that your organization always appreciates their contributions to inspire others. If all of your board members have donated, you can use this as part of your fundraising efforts. “One hundred percent of our board members have donated: now it’s your turn.”
Be sure that you are leveraging your board members’ reputation and status. A fundraiser idea is to have your board member call VIP donors on behalf of the organization, making a personal connection with your base. Board members can also call their own networks, and offer introductions to the Executive Director of your organization. Sometimes all it takes is a simple ask or a brainstorming session of what your board members might be able to do. These are leaders serving as officers who support your organization, so make use of them!
3: peer to peer fundraising campaigns
According to the Peer to Peer Professional Forum, the top 30 largest peer to peer campaigns raised $1.37 billion in 2019. It’s a powerful fundraising tool that expands your reach past your existing audience.
Leverage your member and donor networks to compound their donation impact using multichannel marketing. First, identify the specific cause or project that your campaign will focus on. Then, ask your donors to join your community instead of simply registering. This messaging shows them from the start that you’re asking them to take on a larger role than simply donating one time.
Platforms like Blackbaud Teamraiser, Classy, Onecause, Qgiv, or Salsa make it easy for team leaders to sign up as captains, and coordinate the necessary information and logistics. Your donors become captains, and thus take on their own individual leadership roles within your fundraising campaign. Give your team captains a set of tools, such as logos, photos, videos, and marketing materials. This way, your captains have everything they need to make a compelling case to their networks for why they should donate to your cause.
On these platforms, you can create a competition or scoreboard to cheer on captains, using healthy competition to fuel new donations.
There are many great examples of organizations using peer to peer fundraising campaigns to expand their reach and raise funds. Here are just a few success stories:
Relay for Life – American Cancer Society – $161.4 million (-12.7%)
Heart Walk – American Heart Association – $132.4 million (+7.9%)
Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Alzheimer’s Association – $98.0 million (+1.2%)
Light The Night Walk – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – $80.0 million (+4.0%)
American Heart Association Youth Programs – American Heart Association – $74.3 million (-11.9%)
Pan-Mass Challenge – Pan-Mass Challenge – $70.0 million (+18.1%)
Bike MS – National MS Society – $65.5 million (+.01%)
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer – American Cancer Society – $64.6 million (+1.7%)
JDRF One Walk – JDRF – $62.2 million (-1.7%)
Fundraising Ideas Continued
The Search for More Fundraising Ideas
Fundraising is a constant activity for most nonprofit organizations. In the time of COVID19, we’re all having to rethink what we do and how we do it. Don’t be afraid of virtual fundraising: it can be effective, creative, and fun just given the right ideas!
As you lose the ability to connect with your donors in person, take advantage of every virtual opportunity you have to get face time with your donors. Send personal video messages thanking donors for contributing - these get easier with practice! They are surprisingly appreciated, and you’ll be seen as a leader in virtual communications.
Make sure your organization also has a great fundraising or development person, backed up by performance metrics. You can set up your development coordinator for success with the right tools, such as the ones we’ve covered in this article. Give a new hire time to establish relationships with your donors.
And remember, each of these fundraising ideas will help bring in more money to your organization, allowing you to continue serving the community. One of the easiest approaches is simply to start accepting stock donations, which you can begin doing today with the help of Cocatalyst. If you have ideas that you think should be contributed, please send them to general@cocatalyst.org with the subject line “Fundraising Idea Contribution”.