Fundraising Tips

Raising money can be hard work and confusing. The following fundraising tips will help your events run smoothly and make the most of your volunteer energies and resources.

Set goals

The first fundraising tip is to set financial goals for your fundraisers. Goals are motivational for volunteers and donors alike. Many fundraisers use graphs or big “thermometers” filled up to show how much has been raised and how far there is to go. Of course you can’t do this if you don’t know what your goals are.

Goals also allow volunteers to see that there is an end in sight – something that they will appreciate in the later stages of a fundraising project!

Choose fundraising events that will achieve your goals

This second fundraising tip follows on from the first. When you know what your goals are, you can think about what type of fundraising events will best achieve those goals.

For instance, if you want to raise $5000, you’ll need more than a bake sale! If it seems like you do not have the resources to organize the kind of events needed to achieve your goal, adjust you goal to something you can realistically achieve .

Set short time limits

Another fundraising tip is to set short time limits for achieving your goals. If you have chosen the right types of events for achieving those goals there is no reason why the a fundraiser should continue for a long time.

Extending fundraisers rarely achieves a worthwhile amount in additional funds. Volunteers become weary and events costs increase.

Organize your fundraising calendar

Many fundraising groups have messy event schedules – a fundraiser here, a fundraiser there. Volunteers and donors alike can lose enthusiasm with this stop-start approach to fundraising.

With this in mind, a valuable fundraising tip is: get organized! Select some key events in the year – ones you do each year – and set firm dates for them that will stay the same from year to year. For instance, decide that your major bake sale will be held on the second Sunday of every August.

By following this tip, your events will become well-known fixtures in the local calendar. Everyone can plan ahead and make sure they are available for the event, including valuable volunteers, and the local paper can log your events to be included in “Upcoming Events” when the relevant months come around.

Ideally, stagger your events evenly throughout the year, concluding with your biggest fundraising event – the grand finale.

Reward your volunteers

Fundraisers would not be possible without the hard work, patience and enthusiasm of volunteers. Though volunteers don’t expect to be rewarded, they will appreciate a token of thanks.

These do not have to be costly items. Perhaps you have surplus goods donated for one of your events – key rings, mugs or t-shirts. Perhaps your group organizer would be prepared to host a barbeque. Alternatively, organize a pot luck picnic in the park, an opportunity for all the volunteers to meet each other and for the group organizer to give a vote of thanks.

Get a database

The final fundraising tip is to collect valuable information on a database. For instance, contact details of volunteers as well as donors to your fundraisers. Having this information organized and at your fingertips will make it easier to plan events.

Tagged with: fundraising tips

Filed under: Fundraising Ideas

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