Running a GoFundMe fundraiser takes time, effort, and creativity. While you’ve probably done a great job of sharing your fundraiser link with your social network, here’s a list of 25 additional ways to share your fundraiser. Remember, the success of your fundraiser will depend on how effectively you share it.
This is a way to build social media awareness about your fundraiser. Some ideas from past fundrasiers that we love are #willathewarrior, #reunitethetaylors and other tags that spark people’s interest. Use this hashtag across social media.
More tips: How to Create a Hashtag for your Fundraiser
Invite all of your Facebook friends. You can ask people to share photos, videos, memories and comments there. Don’t forget to paste your fundraiser link in the event description.
More tips: Facebook Fundraising for Beginners
Always post a professional and creative update when posting on LinkedIn.
Display it in your car? Chalk it on the pavement? Write it on a poster and hold it up at the World Series? The more creative, the better! – this is a great way to create interest for your fundraiser.
While sharing with your social network is the most important thing, it can also help to contact your local news organisations and blogs to let them know why your fundraiser would interest the community and their readers.
From the GoFundMe app, you can post directly to Instagram. You can also post a screenshot of your fundraiser’s main image when viewing it on a mobile device and share it to your feed with your fundraiser title, hashtag and link (in your bio).
Sometimes you need a little help from your friends. To maximize the number of eyes on your fundraiser. ask your close friends and family members to share your fundraiser with their own networks.
You’ll have to get creative with this one, but posting to Pinterest (and any additional social media outlets) means more clicks to your fundraiser. Here’s some information on how to post a Pin.
Kindly challenge your friends to donate by a certain date, creating an incentive to donate sooner rather than later. There are a few ways we have seen people do this successfully. One idea is to do a birthday fundraiser where you ask friends and family to donate with a post like “Donate $15 on 15 May to help celebrate my birthday and to support my favourite cause.”
See if they’ll offer a fundraising night for your cause at the end of which they donate a percentage of the proceeds to your fundraiser. Or see if a cafe will temporarily name an item after your fundraiser. For example, “Daniel’s Dream Deluxe” or “Cathy’s Battle Cappuccino.” Don’t forget to thank the business in your fundraiser story.
Remember to focus your post on why your fundraiser means so much to you and let all your readers know about the huge power that even just sharing the fundraiser link on social media can have. For example, perhaps your dog needs some emergency veterinary care. Look for groups of local dog owners (especially if you can find one that is breed-specific) who would understand what you’re going through and would be more willing to help.
Post your fundraiser link on your city’s Facebook page. This is a great way to get the word out to local people you may not know, who might be willing to help your cause by sharing your fundraiser link, donating or supporting you in other ways.
Hang up a note about your fundraiser in your community centre, a local cafe, church, temple, etc. This is a tried-and-tested way of getting your fundraiser out to more people.
This way, you increase the amount of places people can see your fundraiser sign. Plus, the individuals who hang up your sign will know that they are making a meaningful contribution to your cause. Don’t forget: people do want to help!
Head to a local watering hole and invite people in your community who would be interested in your cause. You can even work with the restaurant or bar to donate a certain percentage of sales to your cause, or offer discounts to your group.
Use your phone to take a snap of your fundraiser page on a mobile or desktop screen and send it to your friends.
This is a low-cost, fun thing to pass on to friends and family. Consider including inspiring quotes and beautiful photos that relate to your cause, alongside your fundraiser link, hashtag and title.
While photos are meaningful, sometimes a simple video from the fundraiser organiser talking about the impact of the fundraiser can take it from good to great. Here’s some information on how to make a great video.
Use the event to share more information about your fundraiser. For example, when Elayne wanted to help the Octave family after Hurricane Maria, she organised a community bring-a-dish event alongside her fundraiser on GoFundMe. And don’t forget to post about your event on Nextdoor too.
This will do two big things. First, you’ll raise money for your cause. Second, you’ll spread awareness about your fundraiser to those in your community. Get creative by writing your fundraiser link on each bag of homemade biscuits, fairycake case, etc. Cookies 4 Mila is a great example of how both online and offline fundraising can work together to make a difference for a cause.
More tips: Fundraising Event Ideas
Don’t forget to include your fundraiser link or creative fundraiser hashtag. Who doesn’t love a nice sticker?
More specifically, we’ve seen updates that include photos of donors enjoying their reward, or videos of donors wishing the fundraiser organiser or beneficiary all the best.
Is a local event, fair or concert happening in your area? Make sure that your fundraiser sign gets pride of place!
Use your talents: are you a singer, a poet or a great photographer? Get your supporters excited to stay tuned by posting “10 days of Songs” videos or “30 days of Beautiful Photo Updates”.
See if the event coordinators are interested in promoting your fundraiser along with their event (Mic shout out? Fundraiser signs at the entrance?). Even more out of the box? See if they’ll let you set up a stall!
Did you get creative with your fundraiser sharing? We’d love to hear about it. Tweet @gofundme or tag us in your Facebook post and tell us about the out-of-the-box way you shared your fundraiser. If you want more tips for spreading the news offline read Online Fundraising Without Social Media: 42 Ways to Share Offline.