Do you need help getting your fundraiser off the ground in a hurry? Or are you simply looking for a few inspiring ideas to help you reach your fundraising goals?
One of the fastest ways to raise money is to draw people into your story and instill a sense of urgency about your situation. These seven fast fundraising ideas will point you in the right direction and help you kick your fundraiser up a notch.
Your fundraiser story should answer five crucial questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Focusing on the ‘why’ is especially important. If the reason for your fundraiser isn’t clear, people will often assume you have other options.
Try answering these questions when writing your fundraiser story:
A list of expenses tells people exactly what you need and why you need it—and that can help them wrap their heads around the challenge you’re facing. In your fundraiser story, include an itemized list of the expenses you’re raising money for. For example, if you’re raising funds for a medical procedure, list the cost of the procedure itself along with other expenses you’ll incur, like transportation, medication, rehab, lost income, childcare, and copays.
People will quickly see exactly why you’ve chosen your fundraising goals. Another benefit of doing this is that it helps your supporters know how much of a difference they can make by donating.
For maximum impact, try sharing your fundraiser with your close friends and family before you share it with the general public. The reason for this? People who don’t know you well are less likely to make a donation if they arrive at your fundraiser page and don’t see many donations. Sharing your fundraiser with your family and close friends first helps you build up donations before sharing it more widely with others.
Adding special dates to your fundraiser is just one of many quick fundraising ideas that can spark interest in others. Do any of the numbers between 1 and 31 have a symbolic connection to your fundraiser? Perhaps the age of the beneficiary? An anniversary or birthday? Mark that date on your calendar and make a special fundraising push on that day. For example, ask everyone to give $15 on the 15th of the month and explain why.
Updates are a powerful fundraising tool that can make your donors feel appreciated and even increase donor retention. Posting regular updates creates an opportunity to bring people into your story as it continues to unfold. Every time you thank supporters or include them in your updates, other people will see how they might be involved in your story.
Another important function of updates is to show people how you’re spending donations. Sending fundraising updates to supporters shows them how their donations are helping—and that may just inspire them to give again, or to share your fundraiser with a friend.
After you’ve shared your fundraiser with close friends and family members, you might be wondering how to ask for donations from people outside of your social circle. If you feel a little awkward about asking for financial support, these blog posts offer tips on the most effective ways to reach out to everyone from close friends to strangers:
Facebook is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about sharing your fundraiser. While Facebook is a useful tool, there are many other ways to spread the word about your cause. If you still aren’t sure how to raise money by sharing your fundraiser, these are a few ideas:
At GoFundMe, our free online fundraising platform makes it easy to raise money for what’s most important to you. If you haven’t already, start your crowdfunding journey today and put our fundraising tips to use.