10 Fast Fundraising Ideas to Boost Donations

1. Focus on the ‘why’

Your fundraiser story should answer five crucial questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Focusing on the ‘why’ is especially important. If the reason for your fundraiser isn’t clear, people will often assume you have other options.

Try answering these questions when writing your fundraiser story:

• Why is it crucial that you raise money fast for your cause?
• What will you be able to do if you meet your fundraising goal?
• Why is it important for you to raise this money right now?

2. List your individual expenses

A list of expenses tells people exactly what you need and why you need it—and that can help them wrap their heads around the challenge you’re facing. In your fundraiser story, include an itemized list of the expenses you’re raising money for. For example, if you’re raising funds for a medical procedure, list the cost of the procedure itself along with other expenses you’ll incur, like transportation, medication, rehab, lost income, childcare, and copays. People will quickly see exactly why you’ve chosen your fundraising goal. Another benefit of doing this is that it helps your supporters know how much of a difference they can make by donating.

3. Reach out to your inner circle first

For maximum impact, try sharing your fundraiser with your close friends and family before you share it with the general public. The reason for this? People who don’t know you well are less likely to make a donation if they arrive at your fundraiser page and don’t see many existing donations. Sharing your fundraiser with your family and close friends first helps you build up donations before sharing it more widely with others.

4. Add special dates within the fundraiser

Knowing how to fundraise fast isn’t always intuitive, but there are small ways to market your fundraiser that can definitely help. For example, adding special dates to your fundraiser is just one of many easy fundraising ideas that can spark interest in others. Do any of the numbers between 1 and 31 have a symbolic connection to your fundraiser? Perhaps the age of the beneficiary? An anniversary or birthday? Mark that date on your calendar and make a special fundraising push on that day. For example, ask everyone to give $15 on the 15th of the month and explain why.

5. Reach out to different types of donors

After you’ve shared your fundraiser with close friends and family members, you might be wondering how to ask for donations from people outside of your social circle. If you feel a little awkward about asking for financial support, these blog posts offer tips on the most effective ways to reach out to everyone from close friends to strangers:

• How to Get Donations From These Five Types of Donors
• Use These Fundraising Email Templates to Reach Your Goal
• Learn How and When to Ask for Help with These Tips

6. Get creative with how you share your fundraiser

It’s important to share your fundraiser often and with context in order to potentially raise more money. Facebook is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about sharing your fundraiser. While Facebook is a useful tool, there are many other ways to spread the word about your cause, too. If you still aren’t sure how to raise money by sharing your fundraiser, these are a few ideas:

• Online fundraising without social media allows you to reach out to people in creative ways. Aside from telling people about your fundraiser by word-of-mouth, you can copy and paste your fundraiser link to people via text or email.
• Take advantage of social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Nextdoor, and Instagram to promote your fundraiser. For more Twitter ideas, see our blog post on Twitter fundraising.
• Create a fundraiser hashtag so others can easily follow your story.
• Read our blog post on fundraiser sharing tips for more ways to drive donations.

7. Make flyers to spread awareness of your fundraiser in your community

Spread the word about your fundraiser in your local community by creating flyers. Flyers can quickly and easily be made and posted on bulletin boards in community centers, cafés, and other local businesses.

• Add a QR code to your flyer so that people can scan it to go to your fundraiser and make a donation. You can also copy and paste your fundraiser link onto your flyer instead of adding a QR code.
• Send a digital copy of your flyer to those you know via email or text. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly and easy to read before sharing.

8. Host a fundraising event

In addition to making flyers, spread even more awareness about your fundraiser with a fundraising event. This will give you an opportunity to create strong connections with potential donors. Some simple event ideas include a car wash, a marathon, or a trivia night. For more inspiration, check out our top fundraising event ideas.

9. Create a video for your fundraiser

Take your fundraiser to the next level by creating a video. While photos make a huge impact, a video can increase awareness of your fundraiser and boost donations. What’s more, is that you don’t need expensive equipment or a ton of video skills to make a video. Follow our video fundraising tips to help you get started.

10. Post updates showing how you’re using the funds 

Updates are a powerful fundraising tool that can make your donors feel appreciated and even increase donor retention and recurring giving to your fundraiser. Posting regular updates creates an opportunity to bring people into your story as it continues to unfold. Every time you thank supporters or include them in your updates, other people will see how they might be involved in your story.

Another important function of updates is to show people how you’re spending donations. Sending fundraising updates to supporters shows them how their donations are helping—and that may just inspire them to give again, or to share your fundraiser with a friend.