6 Top Online Fundraising Ideas
There are so many virtual fundraising ideas to help you reach your goals. There are different techniques to be used across a range of platforms, including using online donation forms and harnessing social media.
1. Try Crowdfunding
One of the easiest, most effective ways to collect donations online is to set up a crowdfunding campaign. GoFundMe is a trusted, easy-to-use crowdfunding platform that will help you reach your fundraising goals. GoFundMe has helped raise more than $40 billion worldwide for a variety of causes through peer-to-peer fundraising.
2. Start a Social Media Contest
Social media platforms are the perfect place to spread the word about a good cause online. A social media contest offers a chance to go viral and reach people beyond your network of followers.
Either jump on an existing viral trend or start your own, by encouraging people to wear a certain color or perform a viral challenge to raise donations. Create a hashtag for participants to use and ask them to tag your personal account or organization page, they could also include a link to your donation page. Use the #icebucketchallenge as a best-in-class example, it has raised $115 million for the ALS Foundation.
3. Email Campaign
Social media isn’t the only place to get the word out. Email campaigns can be super effective in digital fundraising. We’ve compiled a list of impactful email fundraising templates to help inspire you.
4. Partnerships
Engage with corporations or local businesses. Showcase who is supporting you by including logos, links to businesses, and partnership posts on social media. This will enable you to tap into their networks to drive donations.
5. Matching Gift
One of the most effective fundraising strategies is matching gifts. This involves partnering with local businesses or corporations, who pledge to match donations.
Matching gifts double fundraising opportunities with little to no effort on your part. They help incentivize donors to contribute generously to your fundraising campaign.
6. Sell Merchandise
From t-shirts to water bottles, selling branded merchandise through an online store is a great way to raise funds. You could add it as an incentive for people to donate. For example, a $20 donation means you’ll get a free t-shirt. This also helps spread the word about your cause, as people will be spotted using and wearing your merchandise. It’s a win-win.
7 Online Fundraising Event Ideas
Hosting a virtual event is a great way to raise money for a good cause. They’re an accessible and low-cost way to bring people together.
There are several types of fundraisers you can host online to reach your goals and raise awareness. Here are some of our favorites:
1. Cooking Class
A cooking class is a great way to raise money for a good cause. In-person workshops can often be expensive, due to equipment, location, and ingredients cost, but hosting a cooking class online eliminates those expenses. Partner with a local chef or local restaurant to host the livestream and charge a small entry fee to take part.
Remember to send out an ingredients and equipment list in advance to allow people time to stock up, and follow up with a recipe card or class recording. These are both great opportunities to link to your fundraising page and remind people to donate.
2. Game Night
Who doesn’t love a bit of friendly competition? A game night or trivia night offers the perfect way to raise money and build community.
You’ll need to prep activities in advance, whether that’s suitable online games or a quiz, and charge an entry fee for those wishing to take part. You could have a prize for the winners as an incentive to join the event. Tag the winners on social media, along with a link to the crowdfunding page. With any luck, they’ll reshare the posts in their own networks to further drive donations after the event.
3. Talent Show
An online talent show is a great way to bring community members together and raise money. Add a fun twist by adding a pet or baby talent round. Charge an admission fee or include links for donations.
4. Online Auction
Virtual auctions are a great way to raise money. You can either collect items to showcase on the event day itself or ask for donors to share images for you to use. It would be wise to share details of the items up for auction before the event to drum up excitement.
Encourage supporters to donate items and offer services, such as babysitting or manual labor. Reach out to local businesses to donate items for your auction, too. Local restaurants could donate monetary gift vouchers to use in their establishment. This would be great advertising for them and would help generate more business.
5. Raffle
Hosting a raffle is a classic fundraising idea. Hosting it online allows you to maximize donations and reach a wider audience. This exposure could also improve the quality or volume of donations, as local businesses can show off their philanthropy.
6. Online Tutorials
Whether it’s a makeup tutorial or teaching people how to create their own terrarium, online tutorials are a great way to bring people together while raising money. You can either host the tutorial yourself or partner with an expert, such as a makeup artist or florist, to support your efforts. You may find they’re willing to donate their time for a good cause in exchange for the exposure to a new audience.
7. Movie Night
Hosting a movie night is easier than you think. Choose a movie and then use apps like Zoom or Google Meet to share your screen and watch with your friends, family, and supporters. Charge a small entry fee to join, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the movie. Just make sure everyone is on mute!
Ready to Host Your Online Fundraiser?
Look no further than GoFundMe. Your perfect partner for all things crowdfunding, our fundraising tools make it easy to reach your fundraising goals.
Creating a GoFundMe fundraising page is safe, simple, and free. Once the donations start to pour in, you’ll have direct access to the funds. You’ll also join our global community of like-minded fundraisers and supporters who are championing good causes around the world.
Before you begin, look at mistakes successful fundraisers avoid and our fundraising ideas to help you get started.