Examples of Creative Fundraising Ideas

What does this mean for you and your cause depending on what side of those percentages you are? It’s time to be creative! Here are a few recommendations on bringing creativity to your fundraising and a few recent examples to support them: 

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a popular way to raise funds online by tapping into the power of social media. It involves soliciting small donations from a large number of people through an online fundraising platform. However a lot of nonprofit organizations don’t take advantage of it. Some nonprofits are fearful to move away from current fundraising tools and software. Crowdfunding should be in addition to the other tools and software you are using. They can exist together. One big benefit is reaching audiences that may not know about your organization but care about your cause. There are also opportunities to tap into different generations of donors. 

• • Tap crowdfunding to raise funds for a cause: How to start a fundraiser – The Economic Times Learn simple and straightforward tips on how to create a successful health based crowdfunding campaign. 
  • How to Launch a Successful Social Good Crowdfunding Campaign – Wishes.Inc Guidance on launching your crowdfunding campaign from start to finish. 
  • Crowdfunding for medical care doubles amid record NHS waiting lists, the Guardian reports that many individuals in the UK are using crowdfunding for their personal health expenses as they are seeing decreasing coverage post Covid.  

Online Fundraising 

With the increasing use of digital media, online fundraising has become a popular way to raise funds for nonprofits. It involves creating a donation page on your nonprofit’s website and using social media and email marketing to promote it. Online fundraising has taken many forms but the best pathway to find success is to set up your fundraising campaigns and test, test, test. Test messages, headers, click-through rates, landing page conversion rates, and more. Here are some examples of additional metrics and unique online fundraising campaigns: 

• • Fundraising Metrics
    • 10 Success Metrics to Measure an Online Fundraising Campaign – The Ascend Blog Starting here will help guide you and your organization in the right direction. 
  • Creative Fundraising Ideas
    • Using an online fundraiser to sell t-shirts like these offered through Bonfire: T-Shirt Fundraising, Raise Money with Custom Shirts | Bonfire. 
    • Fundraising games such as the games Guilford Madness introduced during their fundraiser: Guilford Madness combined fundraising, fun and community for a win-win – The Guilfordian.
    • Focus not only on your donors but what big corporate sponsorships or partners could match your donations: Grant money matches donations in ‘Give Local Lewis’ online fundraiser | WBOY.com. 

Virtual Events 

Virtual events have become increasingly popular since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These events include online auctions, virtual walks/runs, and online concerts, among others. Virtual events enable you to connect with your audience wherever they are. Maybe they have moved or their schedule changed (both have happened to me!) but we still want to participate. Here are a few creative ideas for hosting your virtual events:

• • The team at Charity Miles is hosting weekly meditation walks The Official Charity Miles Podcast – Walking Meditation With Cassandra Bianco – Muck Rack to engage their community and get us to invest in a natural state of wonder. 
  • I joined the Challenged Athletes Foundation for Challenged Athletes Foundation to Host Its Extraordinary Celebration of Heroes, Heart and Hope Gala at Home and was able to both enjoy a delicious meal virtually with friends but also witness the impact the Challenged Athletes Foundation has on so many people’s lives. 
  • We also are learning about events across the world like UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge – Virtual Challenges where we are getting people out and exercising and raising money.  

Text-to-Give 

Text-to-give is a simple and effective way to raise funds through mobile phones. It involves asking donors to send a text message to a specific number with a designated keyword and a donation amount. Many nonprofits have tapped into the power of connected apps with text to give. Using it during events, post disasters or even in engagement with their donor base. 

• • York, Pennsylvania just started their 24 text to give campaign that will support local area nonprofits: Support nonprofits in York County with Give Local York | fox43.com  
  • Here is another example in Indiana:‘Send the Love’ to Indiana nonprofits, $5 at a time 

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising 

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a way to leverage the power of social networks to raise funds. It involves asking supporters to create their own fundraising pages and reach out to their friends and family members to solicit donations. 

• Chronicle on Philanthropy shared the Top 30 Walkathons and Similar Fundraising Events that Raised More Than $1 Billion in 2022 with creative ways that nonprofits approached their walk planning. 
• Polling: Social Giving Gets Slight Uptick – The NonProfit Times shares how social giving such as peer-to-peer is seeing an upward trend.
• In the Forbes article, Nonprofits Begin To See Brighter Future For Peer-To-Peer Fundraising, we learn that more than four in five peer-to-peer program leaders expect their campaigns to meet or exceed pre-pandemic revenues. Don’t miss this opportunity.

In conclusion, there are many creative fundraising ideas that can help your nonprofit reach its fundraising goals. By incorporating these ideas into your fundraising strategy, you can engage more donors and increase your fundraising goals. And do what we are all trying to do, make a greater impact in your community. Remember to always stay creative, innovative, and keep the donor’s experience at the forefront of your fundraising efforts.

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