How do you organize a fundraising event?
Unlike other concepts such as online money pool or crowdfunding, fundraising always has a “charitable” and human dimension. Sometimes even social. Many associations and NPOs organize fundraising events every year, or even several times a year, to raise money and finance their projects. But how do you organize a fundraiser?
Before you read our article, if you want to start fundraising online, it’s here! 👇
What you need to know from this article
From setting up a fundraising project, to consulting with professionals in the field, to targeting, online presence and mobilization, discover the essential steps to fundraising!
1. Start by creating an event to support a cause
The first step towards successful fundraising is to bring your idea to life. The simplest concepts are often the most effective. Are you known for your cooking, singing or knitting talents? Why not put them to work for you?
Are you planning an event? It’s an excellent opportunity to raise funds for your association or foundation.
You may be short of ideas, but don’t worry, there are plenty of initiatives already put in place by generous donors to inspire you. To name but a few:
- Organizing a charity birthday party
- Organize a charity dinner
- Organize a dance marathon
- Give guitar or other musical instrument lessons in exchange for donations
- Sell your art photographs to benefit your cause
- Cook and sell meals or snacks at work in exchange for donations
- Sell raffle books
- Cleaning cars
- Mowing lawns…
No matter how far you stretch your imagination, you’ll always find plenty of fundraising ideas.
2. Set a clear, achievable goal
Once you’ve defined your concept, it’s crucial to set a target for the amount you want to raise in your fundraising campaign. It is important that this objective be clear and realistic:
- $10.000
- $50.000
- $100.000
- More
A target that’s too high can discourage your team and donors, while one that’s too low can mean missing out on great fundraising opportunities. So it’s essential to find the right balance!
3. Create your page on a fundraising platform
Creating a web page or a platform for your fundraising campaign can make it easier for you to manage funds and for your friends and family to donate online.
Based on the same principle as the online fund-raising campaigns we’re used to organizing among ourselves for birthdays, group gifts or weddings, online fund-raising can be done in just a few clicks for generous donors.
There are, of course, many platforms where you can do this, including Tiing: 100% Canadian!
| Platform | Fees | Speciality | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiing | 1 per entry + 4% commission | Tiing is a general participatory financing platform that enables individuals, professionals and NPOs to raise money for all kinds of projects. | Montreal, Quebec |
| La Ruche | 7% (plus taxes) if target achieved | Must contribute to the reputation of the region of origin. | Quebec City, Montreal and Mauricie regions |
| Yoyomolo | 6.9% + $0.10 fee for donations of $20 or less | Projects supporting a cause. Possibility of using yoyomolopro. | Quebec |
| Ecloid | Approx. 10% if target achieved | Support from a dedicated consultant. | Quebec |
| Ulule | Between 6.67% and 4.17% if target achieved | Diversified projects, the project must be supported by 5 people to go online. | France (now in Quebec) |
| Indiegogo | All or nothing: approx. 8-10% if target achieved, Flexible: 8-10% even if target not achieved. Return of 5% if target achieved. | Flexible, diversified platform, generally lower targets than Kickstarter. | United States, international scope |
| GoFundMe | 9.25% for charity projects, 6.7% to 7.9% for other projects | Individual projects and personal charitable causes. | United States, international scope |
Once completed, creating your page will also enable you to easily share your fundraising on your social networks, increasing your visibility.
4. Mobilize your friends and family!
Your family, friends, colleagues – everyone can contribute to your fundraising campaign.
By sharing your event regularly on your social networks, you increase your reach and your chances of collecting donations.
Don’t hesitate to use the video format, the most consumed format on the Internet today: 86% of the population consume videos every week on the Internet. On Youtube, Instagram and Tik Tok. So don’t miss out on the viral potential of a short face-cam video in which you present your fundraising campaign, with a link to participate!
With such resources, it’s always easier to mobilize your friends and family, who’ll be proud and more inclined to share your communication materials!
5. Share everywhere!
At the time of writing, the means of distributing your fundraising campaign are enormous:
- mailing
- newsletter
- web advertising campaign: native ads, Google ads, display
- Youtube
- Tik Tok
- Flyers with QR codes
- website
- forums
- Etc.
6. Allow ongoing participation
Whether you use specialized platforms or create your own monney pool on your own website, you’d do well to think about offering your donors the option of ongoing participation.
Every month or every year, donors are either asked to give money again, or they are debited directly, after giving their consent.
7. Call on fundraising professionals
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by organizing your fundraising event, don’t hesitate to call in the professionals. There are fundraisers who specialize in organizing fundraising events for non-profit organizations.
They can also help you navigate the legal and regulatory aspects of fundraising. This can be particularly useful if you’re raising funds for a heritage foundation or other non-profit organization.
