4 Ways to Help Your Fundraiser Succeed

A fundraiser is a great way to secure the budget for that extra copier in the school office, or to fix the roof at your community center. Conducted often by non-profits and organizations that depend on volunteering, a fundraising campaign not only helps you raise money for a good cause, but it also brings people together. A fundraiser galvanizes a community and encourages looking out for one another. But a fundraiser that never finds traction is of little help to you or your cause. Here are four ways to successfully promote and conduct your fundraiser to bring in enough for your not-for-profit cause.

Make It Memorable

Your fundraising campaign will be much more successful if it grabs eyeballs (caveat: but tastefully!). Choose a memorable theme or idea. A classy brick engraving for a fundraiser, for example, is memorable because it is unique and recognizes people that contribute by naming them in an elegant and long-lasting way. Fundraising bricks have been proven to boost donations since people get to see proof of others’ donations and feel motivated to do the same.

Tell a Story

You might have really worthy reasons to want people to part with their money. But that isn’t enough to get people to actually do it. What can help move people enough to want to help is by giving them a good enough reason. Tell them why. Translate what you know into a real, persuasive story. Maybe your cause is about helping victims of a famine. Offer people the context. Let them see that their donation is genuinely going to make a difference. Talk about the individuals that would benefit from the donations, and how it will impact their life.

Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram are a great way to reach many more potential donors from the convenience of your home. Make engaging posts that highlight how the fundraiser will help. Post multiple times but take care not to overdo it or spam. Tag people who you know will be comfortable with being tagged. Post images and videos of the prep, the participants, the activities planned, and the venue. Keep your posts engaging and positive.

Offer a Range of Options

Not everyone can afford to go big or go home. Create funding ranges that appeal to a broad section of the community. For example, even a $10 donation provided by just a hundred odd donors can quickly raise $1,000, and so on. By offering a wide range of donation options, you get to leverage the power of numbers. Most people will feel more comfortable sharing the fundraiser page with their friends and family if they know that donating to your fundraiser will not burn a hole in their pockets. Smaller and mid-ranged amounts add up exponentially, complementing the big-ticket donations quite nicely.

A fundraiser is often a passion project and a labor of love. Use these tips to make sure you get to share your passion for a worthy cause with the whole community.