40+ Virtual Fundraising Ideas for More Powerful Campaigns
CrowdfundingTime Stamp: July 16, 2020 11:19 PM
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Give crowdfunding a whirl! Make it easy to participate in an online campaign by adding crowdfunding to your list of fundraising methods. Crowdfunding campaigns are easy and low-cost to set up, can be set to run for any length of time, and are easy to promote through email, social media, or added to existing fundraising outreach.
With social distancing the rule of the day, many organizations have had to cancel large in-person fundraising events like galas, bake sales, and community fairs. Because crowdfunding campaigns happen online, they often enable organizations to collect less money per donation but from a significantly higher number of people.
This campaign for the Colorado Freedom Fund has raised over a million dollars to pay the bonds for individuals unable to afford their own ransoms.
This crowdfunding campaign posted by One Taft of Minneapolis is less than $100 away from its fundraising goal to support the Tubman Organization.
This family exceeded their fundraising goal with a crowdfunding campaign to pay funeral expenses and support the family in a time of need.
In times like these, nonprofits need to get creative with asking their community for financial support. Asking people to donate in the ways that they did before the pandemic is a surefire way to turn supporters off from your cause. However, there are other ways that your supporters can continue to make an impact, without having to dig deeper into their own pockets.
Introduce your supporters to matching gifts, and they’ll be able to tap into their employers’ matching gift programs in order to make their donations go further for the causes that they love.
For example, if you know that a supporter works for a company with a matching gift program, send them the information that they would need to complete their match request soon after they make their donation. Make sure to highlight how much your appreciate their support in these tough times, and that your nonprofit is especially grateful for their continued support.
Give your annual giving campaigns a modern boost with a text-to-give fundraiser. Donors simply text a predetermined keyword (i.e. DONATE) to your dedicated mobile giving number (i.e. (123)456-7890). Within seconds, users receive a link to a simple online form to confirm their gift!
Just be sure to clearly explain how text fundraising works so people understand how they can participate with just a few clicks on their phone. For more information, Snowball fundraising has a great guide that can help you get started.
A donation page on your website is a great way to remind visitors why their dollars matter, and how easy it is to donate to your organization. And thanks to powerful, easy-to-use donation software, you can quickly build donation pages right into your website.
Plus, you can opt to automatically provide electronic receipts, send recurring giving reminders, and/or thank-you messages to your donors. Giving online has never been soo simple!
Charity auctions have long been powerful fundraising events. Now it’s time to leverage some friendly competition and give people something to talk about by taking your auctions online!
With an online catalog to display available items and mobile bidding tools for participants, you can raise money quickly and relatively easily with a virtual auction.
You can also combine online auctions with other virtual fundraising ideas, such as by auctioning off tickets to an online cooking class or item from an online sale.
The idea behind this fundraiser is to collect as much as you can within a limited time frame. Create a sense of urgency by promoting a 24-hour giving campaign through email, social media, and other digital fundraising channels.
Choose your date carefully! A fundraising ask that coincides with a big annual event, holiday, anniversary, or another event that’s meaningful to your organization often inspires people to like, share, and give more.
If you’re passionate about a cause, chances are your friends and family will care about it too. So if you’re fundraising, make sure your friends and family know about it!
Keep your email short and to the point, and focus on explaining why you care about this particular cause and how each person’s contributions can help. You may be surprised by how much support you get. Take a look at these donation request templates to get started!
Are you fundraising for a cause that tugs on people’s heartstrings or one that has an especially clever tagline? Put the message on a t-shirt and start selling them online!
It’s easier (and faster) than ever to print custom t-shirts through dedicated fundraising platforms like Bonfire. And with some crowdfunding platforms like Fundly, you can even reward participants for reaching donation targets and allow them to handle the printing and shipping themselves!
You’ve likely heard of an “adopt an envelope” campaign as a popular way to raise money for a cause. Now, it’s easy to take the idea virtual and keep donors engaged with social media.
Create an image of envelopes labeled with various donation amounts. Promote your campaign on social media, asking donors to select an envelope and make the corresponding donation. Remember to mark off envelopes as they’re “filled” to keep supporters up-to-date and show your progress!
If you’ve been staying social while keeping socially distanced, you’ve probably attended a Netflix Party or two. If not, Netflix has easy instructions to help you get started.
Essentially, a Netflix Party allows participants from across the world to watch a movie and chat together. For your virtual fundraiser, consider making it a themed event by choosing a film or documentary that aligns with your mission! Once you have a party set up, promote it on social media, and sell tickets online.
Make Marie Kondo proud by turning your box of things to donate into a virtual “garage sale” in service of your favorite organization. Collect your old clothes, toys, books, and electronics— after all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
It’s easy to sell items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or NextDoor, and don’t forget to state that your proceeds are 100% dedicated to your favorite nonprofit or charity. This idea certainly sparks joy in our hearts!
You never realize how much your little expenses can add up to until you put some thought into it. For this fundraiser, invite your parishioners to give up something they enjoy for two weeks and donate the money they save. It can be coffee, ice cream, a trip to the salon, beers with the guys, etc.
It’s a reminder to spend intentionally and an opportunity to raise money for a good cause. Plus it’s fun to share what everyone’s little vices are!
Your Bible schools and Sunday services have likely moved online this year, and so can your Bible trivia night! Set a suggested entry fee and let teams pay online, then send a web conference link the day of trivia night for everyone who’s registered.
Don’t forget to publicize prizes for the winners to get people to participate and share. It’s a great opportunity to show off your Bible knowledge, too!
Raffles have been a favorite nonprofit fundraiser for years. This idea simply takes it to the next level by making it a virtual one! Sell tickets online for a small fee (and encourage multi-ticket purchases, of course!) and choose a winning number at the conclusion of your virtual event.
You may choose to raffle off a big, exciting prize, or you could go with a 50-50 raffle— where the winner simply receives half of the funds raised.
Reach out to local musicians who are willing to throw a charity concert in support of your church. Perhaps your worship team could throw together a set to perform on camera, or for a special treat you could bring in a favorite Christian artist!
Then, broadcast the concert to your social media feeds or other live-streaming platforms for viewers to enjoy. You can charge a set admission fee or keep it open for generous donations.
Recurring gifts are those that are automatically withdrawn on a regular schedule thanks to top-notch fundraising software.
For a recurring gift drive, simply encourage as many donors as you can to register for these— whether on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.
This is a great way for churchgoers to streamline the tithing process so they’ll never forget or miss a week, and you’ll have a steadier flow of revenue to your church budget.
Who doesn’t love a good game of bingo? It’s a fun time-passer and an exciting activity to partake in with friends— not to mention the stakes involved when there are prizes.
Virtual bingo is the next best thing! Invite churchgoers to join you (virtually, of course) for an evening of fun and games with a virtual bingo fundraiser.
Sell cards for a few dollars each, and be sure to have a prize waiting for the winner.
Host an art class for your community and sell tickets to raise money for your cause. Be sure to tailor your art class to fit your audience. You can teach anything from crayon drawing or other family-friendly arts and crafts to photography, sketching, and other skills geared more toward adults.
Invite a local chef, bartender, or Instagram star to teach a cooking class online. You can collect donations or charge an admission fee to the class. It’s a fun way to let people bond over a shared food experience while keeping them safe at home— and practice a new, useful skill!
You get the idea here— it’s easy to take all your favorite classes online! Enlist a volunteer or hire a local fitness guru to teach yoga, a dance routine, or a power workout and sell tickets online. It’ll get everyone’s heart racing for sure, from the safety of their own homes.
Just because traditional galas have been canceled this year doesn’t mean you can’t get creative about getting people together for a good cause. Don’t let a pandemic stop your party!
More than likely your supporters have been itching for an excuse to get all dolled up for a nice event. But of course, you won’t judge those who choose to attend in their pajamas instead! And thanks to high-quality live-streaming software, you almost won’t notice that your guests are all still in their own living rooms.
Did you know that billions of dollars in corporate matching gift revenue is left unclaimed by donors each year? By leveraging this highly untapped source of potential funding, you can encourage supporters to double (or even triple!) their gifts without reaching back into their own wallets.
That’s why you should host a matching gift drive, where you take the time to inform donors of their eligibility and direct them to the required materials used to make a request. The more donors know about this opportunity, the more funding you’ll get!
Several years ago, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge broke the internet with its widespread success across social media platforms, bringing in over $115 million in donations from participants. Do you think your organization has what it takes to be the next big challenge?
Start with a unique and engaging idea that participants can partake in on video (pro tip: you’ll want to keep it short and sweet). Then, encourage your own team to start posting their own attempts at the challenge with a unique hashtag, being sure to nominate others and complete their donation.
This one is sure to get those social media “likes!” Ask members, volunteers, staff, and others in your network to submit their most adorable pet photos, then circulate the photos for voting on social networks. The pet who gets the most votes (read: dollar donations) wins!
Pick a theme that relates to your organization— whether that’s animals, nature, families, arts, or something completely out-of-the-box. Post submissions on your website and ask people to vote via donation, with the photo receiving the most donation dollars being the winner.
If your organization publishes an annual calendar, why not take the sales online? Remember to promote each month’s image via social media to entice people to donate. Who knows, this method might even land you some sales outside your home geography.
Reach out to popular local businesses or associations and see if there’s an opportunity to host an online event together. For example, you can host a cooking class with a chef, flower arranging class with a florist, or yoga class with a personal trainer.
It’s a great way to raise money for your organization while drumming up attention for local businesses. Another win-win.
Help donors put a face to your name by hosting live-streamed Q&A sessions on a social media platform such as LinkedIn or Facebook. You can take audience questions about your organization’s activities and plans, or share tips and tricks about a personal hobby like cooking, gardening, mountain biking, etc. Either way, it can help build more personal connections with donors, who will in turn want to contribute more!
Are you looking for a logo refresh for your nonprofit organization? Why not get your community involved and showcase their talent?
The winner gets exposure for their design, (and maybe some free merch!) and you get a logo for less than you’d pay a professional. Plus, everyone who enters the contest gets to have their work featured. It’s a win-win!
Give your little stars a chance to shine by hosting a virtual talent show for your school. Gather participants, who then submit videos that you can promote on your website and social media channels.
Invite parents, staff, and community members to vote for their favorite performers by donating in their name. Proceeds go to benefit the school, with the performer who raises the most funds crowned the virtual talent show winner.
Turn your summer reading list into an online read-a-thon for an effective and powerful fundraiser. Students register to participate and request pledges from friends and family members to encourage their reading.
Donors pledge a certain dollar amount either per book or hour of reading, and kids get a little extra incentive to power through that reading list. It’s a great way to encourage learning while raising money for your school!
Going once, going twice…we’re sold on this idea! A virtual auction is a great way to raise funds for your school in an exciting way. After all, you know students and parents are looking for a fun event to partake in after being home for so long.
Be sure to choose an engaging host that guests will respond well to, such as a favorite teacher or principal. Start collecting items to auction off, and send out an invitation with a link to your web conference on the day of the big event.
Invite parents and students to show their spirit wherever they go by purchasing branded merchandise online. Whether that’s t-shirts, hats, lanyards, or water bottles, everyone will jump at the chance to sport their new gear.
And no longer are your sales limited to those at PTA meetings and sports games! Having your gear available online makes it easier to buy and ship merchandise to spirited grandparents all over the country.
Bring board game nights online and give players the convenience of participating from the comfort of their own homes. With sites like Meeple League, you can easily set up an online tournament and raise money by requesting or requiring an entry fee.
Whether you stick with traditional favorites like Monopoly or Scrabble or explore new and exciting game ideas, it’s sure to be a blast for everyone involved.
You don’t have to be a daycare to host a cutest baby picture contest! Invite students, teachers, and staff to share their favorite pictures of themselves as babies. Everyone loves this cheerful idea and the opportunity to view precious photos of their friends and classmates.
You can charge a small entrance fee and/or collect donations as votes to make sure the favorite baby wins!
Invite students to donate a favorite piece of artwork, whether that’s something they created in an art class or on their own. Then, encourage your families and the overall community to bid on their favorites!
Beforehand, be sure to promote the art on a website, email, and/or social media post to let your community know about the unique artwork that’s up for auction. You can either accept rolling bids online or host a virtual live auction to sell the pieces.
Box Top for Education has undergone a digital transformation! Now, parents can scan their receipts from the grocery store to search for qualifying box tops. Then, for every eligible product purchased, a certain amount is donated to your school right from their phone.
Write up a quick step-by-step informational and send it out in your next newsletter. This way, you can let parents know how they can stay in the donation game without having to clip or send in any box tops.
Raise money for your organization by selling a digital cookbook! This unique virtual fundraiser can take the place of (or complement) a bake sale.
Simply ask for recipes from your parents, volunteers, and staff to get personal favorites for your collection. Or, you can infuse your cookbook with some star power by asking local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes to donate popular recipes with their community.
Encourage folks to stay in shape while giving back to a good cause by hosting a virtual 5K run. The rules are similar to an in-person event, where participants can pay a flat entrance fee or seek personal sponsors— and you can still send race bibs, t-shirts, and other swag via mail pre-order.
The only difference? Runners complete the race in their own neighborhoods, track their own time, and share their results with you online. It is based on the honor system, but it’s still sure to be a good time!
Most often in the form of an “event-a-thon,” (such as a walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon, dance-a-thon, etc.) participants gather support in the form of pledges beforehand from friends and families. Pledges are typically a dollar amount corresponding to the number of laps or miles the participant is able to do.
After the event, sponsors make a donation to your organization based on the success of their sponsee. For example, a pledge of $5 per lap for 5 laps would become a donation of $25.
Ready… set… game! This virtual fundraiser gives players and team members the opportunity to prove their skills in top video games. Plus, it’s an opportunity to win the ultimate prize— bragging rights!
Gather as many participants as you can find, choose a gaming system, (such as Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, etc.) and a game to get started. Not only is it a great way to raise money for your team or club, but participants will have fun in the process.
Baking has seen a resurgence as people are spending more time at home. For this fundraiser, encourage your amateur bakers to take it up a notch or two and send in photos of a fully decorated, bakery-worth creation.
Let people vote online for their favorite and raise money for your cause. Plus, who doesn’t love a good opportunity to eat more cake?
Let your inner diva out by inviting everyone you know to karaoke night— only this time it will be online! You can use a signup form to schedule performers and take song requests ahead of time, so the whole event goes off without a hitch.
After each participant has had the chance to sing their heart out, let the audience vote with their donations. The singer who raises the most money takes the prize!
This is both a fundraiser and a great way to get in shape! Set group goals (such as weight loss, strength building, or improved endurance) and have each person seek out donors to support them in meeting their individual goals.
Set flat participation standards, or opt for tiered goals to accommodate both couch potatoes and fitness gurus. The participant with the biggest overall change is the winner!
Are you still looking for more fundraising ideas? Check out this list of over 100 top fundraisers for any nonprofit or individual.
Crowdfunding is a powerful method of virtual fundraising. Find out how to make it work to raise more for your mission with this useful guide.
Peer-to-peer fundraising strategies can boost any campaign. Check out the top four reasons why you should consider a P2P fundraiser.
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