Low Cost Fundraising Ideas
With the rising cost of nearly everything, it’s no surprise that many new nonprofit or smaller organizations have a genuine need for donations, but without a decent budget to attract these donations. If you’re finding yourself stuck between needing donations and not having enough capital to actually create events to attract donors, then continue reading to uncover low-cost fundraising ideas.
Simply Ask for Donations
For some, this task seems simply too easy. People search for hours for school fundraising ideas and would never dream of asking for a donation without a fancy event or cookies to sell. Sometimes the best way to achieve the level of donations you require is to simply ask those you know for donations. Ask all your volunteers and board members to sit down and begin making phone calls. If you require a relatively low amount of money, typically under $15,000, this may be the most effective, and cheapest, way to meet your fundraising goals. Remember, never solicit those who are clearly uninterested in your services. The most successful way to cold-call individuals is to create a list of those who will be most interested in your cause. Be selective, it’ll pay off.
Hold an Event in a Private Home/Business
Instead of renting out a ballroom or restaurant, simply hold a fundraising event as a private residence or in a supporting business. If you’re being sponsored by a local business, perhaps a small fundraising event can be held at their property. If not, ask your friends, relatives or business associates to see if holding a party is an option. If so, you can save hundreds, if not thousands, in rental fees. The most successful events held in these venues are those seeking less than $5,000 through fundraising.
Online Fundraising
Perhaps the most cost-effective way to reach out to potentially millions of interested donors is through online fundraising campaigns. With a myriad of fundraising-centric websites, it’s simple to create a website and advertise via social media and through e-mail. If your nonprofit or cause doesn’t already have a website, set one up. There are many free and low-cost website options.
Many times, this is the most effective way to not only inform the general public of your fundraising attempts, but to inform those who may be interested as you’ll be able to include a myriad of informational pages. Remember, the most effective fundraising campaigns are those that practice complete transparency. The quicker you can answer questions and provide clarification of your cause, the quicker a donor is able to donate.
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Unique Fundraising Ideas
Unique fundraising ideas come in varying sizes and shapes depending on what you intend to achieve. Coming up with a superb program will not only help you raise enough cash but also improve the mission of your cause. Thinking outside the box or tweaking an existing idea can add value to your motive and help raise money for your school or organization.
A simple and the most used method is the raffle. It suits almost any school event. You can twist and turn around this method and come up with a unique idea. Try selling tickets and let the lucky person receive half the cash collected while the other half is left for the function. This can be very enticing and addictive, but you will need good sales people to dispose of the raffle tickets. The internet has become one place you can sell and buy almost anything and everything. There are even websites designed to help you raise money for your occasion. This means you can contact millions of potential donors across the world that would be interested in funding your cause.
The traditional method of contacting all the people you know still works today. Write down all the people and friends you know and let each of them contact at least six people, the multiplier effect can be very amazing. However, this style needs individuals who are passionate to support your mission and willing to put all their energy into achieving your goals. Send emails to your closest friends and ask them to donate on your page to help you build up momentum.
The best fundraising ideas for school are still the door-to-door sales of some type of good. While traditional products such as chocolate, wrapping paper, and Christmas wreathes are still very popular, there are also many new fundraising ideas out there today. Some of the more recent types of fundraisers to enter the game are candle fundraisers, meal fundraisers, coffee fundraising ideas, and store or restaurant coupon fundraisers. People will be more inclined to purchase something that they haven’t tried before, especially if they are interested in supporting the cause.
One of the other best fundraising ideas for school is a carnival or performance. Carnivals and performances such as plays, concerts, or talent shows can involve the entire community. Ticket sales and concessions help cover the cost of production and also raise money for the school. While these events are time consuming, they are usually worth the effort and they are fun to boot!
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3 Bad Habits of Ineffective Fundraising Campaigns
Even the most organized and dedicated fundraising campaigns can make dreadful mistakes that may result in the loss of potentially thousands of dollars. Although it’s nearly impossible to hold a “perfect” fundraising campaign, avoiding these top three bad habits of ineffective fundraising campaigns may increase the profitability and visibility of your fundraising efforts.
Bad Habit #1 – Lack of Confidence
Most people do not enjoy asking for money. If you were the child who quietly asked your neighbors if they’d like to buy driven coffee for your school fundraiser, or worse, you had your parents orchestrate the entire event, you may find yourself paralyzed at the prospect of asking a multitude of strangers for donations. This is the biggest mistake you can make for any fundraiser.
Avoid feeling ashamed when asking for donations by clearly outlining why you need funds and where the funds will be going. Remember, you’re not asking money to help pay for rent. You’re raising funds for a community organization or cause. No matter the reason, build confidence by knowing what you’re doing isn’t “panhandling,” but asking your community to become involved in a cause or organization you feel strong about. Be proud of your attempt to help a situation.
Bad Habit #2 – Talking At, Instead of With Donors
This is one of the hardest habits to break. You’ve spent a considerable amount of time building your knowledge base and researching specifics about your cause or organization. Since you have such a dedicated memory space, it’s easy to begin talking at donors instead of opening up a conversation. You’ll never attract high-quality donors if you do nothing but monologue at them.
Engage donors by opening a dialogue. It is important to take time to divulge what you wish to say while opening up a space to clearly hear the donors. This is the only way you can create open and transparent relationships with donors, and these are the only relationships that yield high-qualty donations.
Bad Habit #3 – Avoiding Fundraiser Changes
While you may have spent countless hours brainstorming and creating your fundraising campaign, the most successful campaigns are those that are open to change. Don’t be afraid to alter your tactics and modes of communication. Just because you spent months creating the “perfect” campaign doesn’t mean that it’ll be successful. The truth of the matter is, some campaigns are destined to fail. Another truth is all campaigns are destined to be successful if you’re willing to adapt and change your game plan according to the unique requirements and demands of your target donor demographic.
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How to Brand Your Fundraising Efforts
If you’ve taken any time to research what it takes to create a successful online fundraising campaign, or to be successful in online marketing at all, then you’ve likely stumbled across the topic of “branding.” In terms of online presence, branding refers to the act of establishing your organization as not only an authority, but THE authority within your industry or niche. While the steps to brand your fundraising efforts may vary based upon your industry, there are several universal rules.
Tip #1 – Synchronize Logo and Color Scheme
Perhaps one of the most important steps in branding your fundraising efforts is to use a uniform logo and color scheme for all communications. This means using the same color scheme and logo for social media posts, newsletters, infographics, websites and in all donor communications. Uniformity is the most powerful element in branding.
Tip #2 – Consistent Message and Mission Statement
Creating and sticking to a consistent message and mission statement is among the most powerful ways to streamline all fundraising efforts and branding your cause. When you go forth with a consistent message then all efforts and communications align with the primary goal. This is essential when communicating with potential donors on a small and large scale. Before ever beginning a fundraiser, make sure your organization and the entire support staff align with your message. If those speaking on your behalf don’t understand what you stand for, then incorrect information may be delivered. Mission organizations are one of the best examples of this branding tip. World Vision, for instance, has a strong mission statement and message available with all of their branding and marketing efforts.
Tip #3 – Become an Authority
If you wish to attract donors who are dedicated to your cause or organization, then you must create a space where valuable information is collected. Creating a blog or content-rich website is essential to branding your organization. Think of ways that you can educate visitors on not only surface-level information, but abstract information as well. The goal is to provide visitors with valuable and unique information regarding your industry or cause. Doing so engages visitors and creates loyalty. The reason: you’re providing free and accurate information. Visitors will want to repay this act by giving donations to your cause.
Tip #4 – Create Social Media Hashtag Campaigns
In order to create a true brand, you must communicate with potential donors in their current language; social media. The most effective way to brand your campaign and organization through social media is to utilize hashtag campaigns. For example, #GiveChildrenBackpacks if your organization provides school supplies to poverty-stricken children. This not only promotes your organization, but also creates a buzz regarding your fundraising efforts. Both are essential when branding your cause.
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