Introduction
RaiseMoney.ie is a website dedicated to Fundraising ideas and solutions.
As we live in the digital age and technology is changing all the time, so too are the ways which clubs, organisations and charities are fundraising. You often hear the saying ‘If you are not on the internet you may as well be invisible in this day and age’.
As my expertise is in the digital field, this is the niche I can bring most value to you regarding ideas for your fundraising events. Many of the ideas listed for in person events can also include a pay per view model to increase revenue.
This article aims to help you brainstorm an idea, teach some cool tricks or get a resource to assist you with your events. This post will change and grow over time.
Feel free to bookmark it and check back often and please link to this page it via your own website or social media if you think anyone else can benefit from the tips.
FUNDRAISING IDEAS # 1 – Online Donation Page
The first thing that any organisation, club or charity should do is setup an online donation page page that is specifically designed to accept donations from supporters. It is the most convenient way for donors to support your cause anytime, anywhere. A Business can also use a donation page but it is more suited those in the creative field as an add on to their model.
The Importance of a Donation Page
We are living in the digital age and when it comes to donations if you are not taking online donations from your website, you are ignoring that fact to your considerable loss. People like ex pats from your area see social media and a lot of them would like to support events back home. During covid, a lot of people invested money in beer gardens and have got used to not going to events so taking regular payments online is just essential.
Creating a Donation Page
There are so many different ways to create a Donation page on your website but your choice can be determined by whatever website platform you are on.
- If you have a HTML website you can get great donation widgets from codecanyon for around $50/€55
- If you have a WordPress website you can get great donation plugins from codecanyon for around $25-$50/€25-€55
- If you have a Wix website then you can follow their tutorial but you need a premium plan
(see the links in the Topic Resources at the bottom of this post)
Provide Donation Options
Offer different donation options, such as one-time donations, monthly donations, or custom amounts.
This is a huge mistake that most seem to make regarding their donation form. You have a unique chance to upsell another donation product.
A club payments form for instance can feature donations, memberships, 50-50 draw, raffles, tickets, products, general payments
Promotion
Highlight the benefits of donating, such as supporting a good cause or receiving a tax deduction.
Share your donation page on the usual social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram
Run paid ads on social media platforms or Google to reach a wider audience. This is a good strategy for starting off with a donation page.
By creating a well-designed and optimized donation page, you can increase the chances of conversion and generate at least €1k per month. Follow the tips discussed in this article to create an effective donation page and promote it to reach a wider audience.
My personal choice
I use WordPress with the Elementor as my website builder of choice on all of my websites. I also use a separate WordPress dedicated payments plugin to create Donation forms.
This allows me to all of the donation features listed above for clients websites.
Read this post for more details:
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #2 – Fundraising Website
The natural upgrade to a donation page is a fundraising website. There are many ways to fundraise on your own website including, auctions, raffles, online store and live streaming.
The main benefit of your own website is being able to refer potential donors to one place from social media, adverts or word of mouth. If you decide to hold many different events through the year, then a website can take payments for each of these events without anyone having to remember different platforms or web addresses.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best features of fundraising websites that can help you maximize your fundraising potential.
1. Customizable Donation Pages
The ability to customize donation pages to match your brand and messaging is a key feature of a successful fundraising website. By creating a unique and visually appealing donation page, you can help capture donors’ attention and encourage them to give.
2. Recurring Donations
Recurring donations allow donors to make a commitment to your organization by setting up automatic donations on a regular basis. This feature can help you secure more consistent and predictable funding for your cause.
3. Event Fundraising
Hosting fundraising events can be a great way to generate excitement and bring in donations. With a fundraising website, you can create event pages, sell tickets, and collect donations all in one place.
4. Social Sharing
Integrating social media sharing into your fundraising website can help your supporters spread the word about your cause and encourage their friends and family to donate. This could be a powerful way to attract new potential donors.
5. Secure Payment Processing
A secure and reliable payment processing system is critical for any fundraising website. Make sure your website uses a trusted payment gateway to protect donors’ sensitive information and provide a seamless giving experience.
FAQs
How much should it cost to create a fundraising website?
The cost can vary depending on the platform and extra features you choose. Some platforms offer free or low-cost options, while others may charge fees or require a minimum donation amount.
How do I promote my fundraising website?
Promotion can mainly be done through social media, email marketing, and advertising. Using a combination of these channels can help drive traffic to your website and increase donations.
Can I accept international donations on my fundraising website?
Yes, many fundraising websites offer international payment options to make it easy for donors around the world to contribute to your cause.
How do I track and manage donations on my fundraising website?
Most fundraising websites come with built-in donor management tools that allow you to track and manage donations. You can also integrate your website with a donor management software for more advanced tracking and engagement.
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #3 – Golf Classic
The Golf Classic seems to have become a staple for nearly every club and organisation in the country as it combines love of the sport with an annual event which can raise significant funds.
This is an event which takes a lot of organising and it too can benefit from a website to take payments from supporters who wish to register for the event.
Here is an idea to try and make your event viral on social media.
Ask volunteers not playing to walk the course with each group/team and record shots on each hole with “amateur commentry and have them WhatsApp it to someone hosting your social media. Some of the shots with the amateur Peter Allis will get a lot of attention online and encourage more people to support you.
Here are four ideas to help you make even more money:
- livestream part of the event and appeal for donations with links to your website
- sell food or teas/cakes as part of the event
- host vendors who can sell or chase leads on the day
- create a unique golf item like an event golf ball and sell them marked up as unique momentos of each year’s event
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #4 – Fundraising Gameshows
With the popularity of Gameshows down the years, this is a novel idea with inifinite possiblities when it is combined with a live streaming event.
Read our post here for details:
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #5 – Sponsored Walks
The combination of the love of the great outdoors and the love of sports combined makes this one of the biggest moneyspinners out there.
The fact that people are so conscious of the healthy aspects of walking combined with this being a yearly event, most love the tradition of participating again once they do so the first time.
IT also stands out as one of the few events in which all age groups can participate.
Here are four ideas to help you make even more money:
- host an auction of sports items which you can source from a local store and advertise the business around the event
- partner with a local drinks supplier/shop and make sure you get images of everyone with the shop branding on any of their products on the day
- sell charity tshirts on the day and let participants wear them
- highlight the walk on social media and encourage people to donate on your website
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #6 – Concert with Livestreaming
This is another fundraising idea with a lot of possibilities which could make a lot of money when combined with a live streaming event.
Host a Concert in a large venue such as your local hotel or community centre to maximise numbers on the night.
Partner with local business and give them product placement such as social media adverts played at the venue on the night.
You could also place branding of a top sponsor built into the concert background, or ask talent to wear a Tshirt with the sponsors name during a performance.
Here are four ideas to help you make even more money:
- sell tickets on your website to gather emails so you can keep those people informed about future fundraising events
- sell livestreaming tickets of the event to people living elsewhere or those who would prefer to watch from the comfort of their own home
- sell raffle tickets online during the livestream
- if you decide to stream free on facebook after you sell all of your in person tickets, put a link to your website to take donations
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #7 – Talent Show with Livestreaming
A Talent Show has been very popular for fundraising for a few decades. The sheer number of participants and the diverse nature of acts makes it very entertaining to all age groups. It appeals to the short attention span we have all developed as it is fast paced and hilarious as the ‘best’ talent of the community show people why it may have been best to have kept it hidden.
This is one event on which you seek out the funniest, most aspiring play to the gallery type of people to satisfy that aspiration and perform on the night. Social media is made for exactly this type of fundraising idea and going over the top is to be encouraged as most people will want to be horrified by the acts on the night.
This is also the event that pay per vote was created for. A follow up post will explain how this can work for you and have the double effect of making more money on the night as well as getting people to gain confidence of spending on your website.
Here are four more ideas to help you make more money:
- setup a crowdfunding campaign before the event for each talent
- set a target total on the crowdfunding campaign and reward each talent reaches this on the live show with extra points added to their score, etc
- setup pay per vote on your website so that online viewers can vote live for the best or eliminate the worst talent from their sight or sound
- setup a splitscreen on your livestream and broadcast a talent’s sponsor advert in the other side next to their performance
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #8 – Fashion Show Livestreaming
A Fashion Show is popular for fundraising in the last ten years or so. This is definitely a fundraising idea that is one for the ladies. The passion for fashion makes these events a very polished affair but there are a few tricks to make them even better.
This is another event where livestreaming adds a lot of value to and it is no exaggeration to say that viewing figures could be at least match those in person at the event if done correctly.
Here are four more ideas to help you make more money:
- setup polished social media video posts of each outfit beforehand and splitscreen it with details and price alongside the livestream
- encourage those in attendance to film the runway walks and post them live
- setup pay per vote on your website so that online viewers can vote live for the best outfit in each category with a chance to win a prize
- setup a splitscreen on your livestream and broadcast the outfit sponsor’s business with details on how to buy it
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #9 – Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding has been made popular by web platforms such as GoFundMe, Kickstarter, or Indiegogo. It can be one of the most effective ways to raise funds for your cause or organization. Provide a compelling story with images, and videos that showcase your cause and how the funds will be used. Promote your campaign on social media, email and other channels to reach a wider audience.
If you can tell a compelling story and your project is well thought out and genuinly worthy of support, then it is just a matter of planning and then following through to get your capaign in front of as many potential backers as possible.d up with their money and more.
Videos are thought to be a big reason for most of the successful campaigns end up with their money. However not everyone is comfortable enough to get in from of camera or play a starring role in their campaign video. What I advise you to do is make more of an explainer video sourcing how to do aspects of how your project will work. I will do a follow up Crowdfunding post with a step by step method on how to do this.
Creative thinking is your best friend with rewards, so do your research and check out the Resources at the bottom of the article for inspiration.
Here are four more ideas to help you make more money:
- ask a local service business to donate services as perks/rewards for donation levels on your campaign. For instance if you have a level where the donation is €100, have a dog grooming business donate x amount of services to those donors. They also gain by catering to potential new customers
- ask a local digital company to donate a unique design of a local sports team’s logo to be printed with a personal name each donor on that reward level
- participation in the event in a role
- offer a VIP package to the highest donors such as dinner before the event, front row seats, appear in the promotional photos on the night etc
FUNDRAISING IDEAS #10 – Race Night
A race night has been a regular fundraising idea to run for a cause or charity. It involves screening pre-recorded horse or greyhound races on a large screen, while guests place bets on the outcomes.
Here’s how to arrange a race night:
- Choose a venue, which is usually a pub or hotel Look for a suitable venue with a large screen and enough space for guests to mingle and place bets. Consider hiring a PA system for announcements.
- Obtain pre-recorded races: Purchase pre-recorded horse or greyhound races and ensure you have the equipment to screen them on the night.
- Sell tickets: Advertise the event and sell tickets in advance to encourage early bird sales. You can also offer group discounts to encourage more people to attend.
- Set up a bar and refreshments: A bar and refreshments can provide additional income on the night. Consider having a themed cocktail or mocktail for the event.
- Race sponsorship: Sell sponsorship of each individual race to local businesses or individuals, who can name the race after their company or a loved one.
- Betting incentives: Offer a prize for the guest who places the highest number of winning bets on the night. This can encourage more people to bet and raise more money for the cause.
Here are four more ideas to help you make more money:
- Sponsorship: Offer sponsorship opportunities to local businesses, who can have their logo displayed on the screen and in promotional materials.
- Auction: Hold a silent or live auction with donated items from local businesses or individuals.
- Raffle: Sell raffle tickets for the chance to win prizes donated by local businesses or individuals.
- Stream the races online as a Pay Per View event and combine them with live betting
Website Links - Fundraising Ideas
