The expansive world of fundraising is one that incorporates many different types of groups and organisations — each with its own unique aims and goals.
When it comes to fundraising as a nonprofit organisation, there are a number of challenges and tactics that it pays to be aware of. If this is something you’re ready to learn more about then you’re in the right place. Today we’ll be sharing everything you need to know about nonprofit fundraising!
What is a Nonprofit Organisation?
A nonprofit organisation (NPO) is an entity that exists to provide social benefit, as opposed to one that operates as a business with the intention of making a profit. All of the money that an NPO makes or receives will solely be used to pursue the aims of the organisation, with no profits being received by any individual involved.
There are many different types of NPOs that operate in various ways, such as Community Interest Companies (CIC) and Cooperative Societies.
Where Do NPOs Get Their Money From?
Nonprofit organisations can raise, earn and receive money in a number of different ways. This will naturally depend on the structure and purpose of the organisation in question.
One of the most common and important ways that NPOs are funded is through fundraising — and this is no small task!
Successful and sustainable fundraising requires a great deal of time, effort, energy, dedication and skill. It’s not as simple as just going ahead and asking for donations — you’ll need to have a powerful strategy in place.
How to Fundraise as a Nonprofit
There are a number of essential actions to take when fundraising as a nonprofit organisation.
1. Create a Case Statement
Before you get started, you should always come up with a clear statement to share your intentions and plans. This statement — often called a case statement — can be shared with supporters and potential donors to explain your mission.
It will also highlight what your money is used for and how this will make a difference in the world, which can go a long way to encouraging donors to be generous!
2. Discover Your Audience
It’s wise to consider your audience before you embark upon your fundraising efforts. This will help to ensure you reach the most relevant people who are likely to be interested in supporting your cause.
When you know who you should be appealing to for financial help and other forms of support, then you can target your marketing accordingly.
3. Run Regular Campaigns
The best way to keep the donations coming in is to run several campaigns throughout the year. It’s a good idea to always either have a campaign live or be building up to one. Not only is this good for generating a steady income stream, but it also helps to keep your audience engaged and aware of your presence.
When you’re planning your campaigns, make sure you keep things interesting and varied. Using a similar format and approach will soon become dull for your supporters, so mix it up. It can be a good idea to reach people online, over the phone, via post, in person and in any other way that you can communicate and interact.
4. Apply for Grants and Funding
Although applying for grants and funding may not seem as though it falls into the category of fundraising, it can help you secure much-needed money for your organisation.
There are a number of different entities offering this kind of financial support to nonprofits, so do your research to find out what help you might be eligible for.
Grants for NPOs can range from small amounts to quite considerable sums of money, so don’t neglect this potentially game-changing avenue of funding.
Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas
Fundraising is a huge concept and will be consistently taking place in a number of ways. This might involve planning live events that guests can attend and donate at, as well as creating campaigns that take place online over several weeks or more. Nonprofit fundraising may also involve smaller events that supporters will organise themselves.
Maintaining your imagination and creativity when planning these events can be difficult, so here are some fantastic ideas to get you started!
Social Media Fundraisers
Social media is an incredibly effective way to reach huge numbers of people — many of who will be more than happy to support you.
These days, there are several great social websites to use for fundraising, so don’t limit yourself to just one or two.
Some social media platforms — such as Facebook and Instagram — now offer the option to run professional fundraising campaigns and collect donations directly on the site.
SMS & Mobile Apps
With mobile phone use only continuing to grow, it makes sense to incorporate mobile into your fundraising efforts. This can take place in multiple ways, such as asking people to text a number to make a donation or creating an app that individuals can use for fundraising.
It’s relatively simple to set up a text-to-donate campaign and you can then circulate this information via your usual marketing channels. Creating your own app for fundraising will naturally take more time and resources, but can be a powerful way to engage with your audience.
Donation Events
Organising a range of donation events throughout the year is a great way to increase financial support while also building relationships with your donors. Receiving an invite to one of your events helps your supporters to know that you value their help and that you’re grateful for their continued involvement.
When you’re thinking about what type of event to organise, you might want to consider a live auction, a silent auction, a gala or an exciting day out. You could also host a smaller donation event, such as a lunch, brunch or dinner.
Sponsored Sporting Events
There are so many exciting possibilities for what this could involve!
Organising an in-person sporting event is a wonderful way to bring people together. Your supporters might pay a small fee to sign up and will then collect donations in the form of sponsorship.
On the other hand, there’s no need for these events to take place in person as it’s possible to organise virtual challenges. With a virtual challenge, participants will usually download an app to track their activity — such as how far they’ve ran or walked — so that they can complete the event when and where they want.
Great activities for sponsored sporting events are:
- Running
- Walking
- Swimming
- Roller skating
- Skateboarding
- Hula hooping
- Skipping
- Golfing
- Bowling
In fact, anything that can be done competitively can make for a fun sponsored sporting event!
Coming up with unique nonprofit fundraising ideas can be difficult, especially with so many different organisations hosting new events regularly. However, putting the extra work and imagination in can go a long way to securing your success!
Your Nonprofit Fundraising Campaign
Now that you know what nonprofit fundraising is and how to get started, you should feel equipped to power ahead with your own plans!
For help with professional event fundraising, you can reach out to us to talk about your unique needs and goals. You can also book a demonstration to find out exactly how we can help and what the fantastic benefits of this collaboration would be!
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