When it comes to supporting a charity or nonprofit, money is often the catalyst that makes the wheels of a nonprofit spin. While the importance of helping nonprofits through non monetary aid (i.e., volunteering, donating goods, etc.), can’t be understated, raising funds for an organization can help enact positive change, whether that’s providing care to those who need it, raising awareness of an illness or helping those struggling to live happier lives.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to elicit a donation from those around you, regardless of where that money is going. Here are a few fundraising tactics that have proven to be both cost-efficient and effective, good to implement whether you’re a burgeoning business or just someone looking to raise money for your favorite charity!
Charity Walk/Run
Holding a charity walk or run (think 5k) is a great way of killing two birds with one stone: not only are you raising funds, but you’re encouraging people to get up, get out and get active!
These can be run in a number of ways: asking people to pledge a certain number of dollars for every mile ran/walked by participants, getting sponsorships, or by asking runners to raise a certain dollar amount in order to participate.
Matching Donations
If you’re looking for a good way to get your whole company involved in fundraising, consider the idea of matching donations. These matching gift programs are often billed an effective means of getting all members of a company involved in corporate philanthropy while also reflecting positively upon the organization as a whole. The donations are, of course, tax-deductible and represent a positive CSR practice.
Crowdfunding
With the ever-increasing presence of the internet around us at all times, more people are turning to crowdfunding as it becomes an increasingly feasible way of raising large amounts of money at little to no cost up front to you. Websites like GoFundMe allow you to quickly and easily set up fundraisers and, using the power of the internet, reach millions of potential donors. GoFundMe takes a small percentage of all donations received, but the vast majority of proceeds will go directly to the cause.
50/50 Raffles
If you’re looking to raise money internally–particularly as a part of an event like a charity walk, a gala or an auction, consider a 50/50 raffle. They’re very easy to orchestrate, as the only necessary supplies are raffle tickets. The rules of a 50/50 raffle are straightforward–all money that is donated is put into a large pot. At the end of the event (or period of time during which donations are accepted) tickets are pulled and the donor with the matching ticket takes home half of the total money raised, while the rest goes directly to the cause! 50/50 raffles are a great, cost-effective way to incentivize fundraising.