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What Is A Virtual Fundraiser?
A virtual fundraiser is an online fundraising event or a campaign that is intended to raise funds for a certain cause or organization. The event does not have to bring together many people in one place. Rather, it is conducted through online means, making it available to many people from various places. Such events may include but are not limited to, live events that are streamed over the internet, e-fundraising through online auctions, mobile crowdfunding, social media sites, or even virtual parties.
These activities usually have features such as video conferencing, chats, and live updates with the aim of keeping the participants motivated and making them send in contributions as they participate. This method is cost-friendly and is inconceivably adaptable to various marketing objectives.
However, virtual fundraisers and events can require as much planning as live events to raise money online. The difference is in the tools you use. Technological advancements make hosting an online event easier than ever before. Social media, video conferencing technology, and online donation pages are combined with traditional fundraising tools such as donation request letters, email marketing, and smaller in-person events.
Online fundraisers are not only popular but also a lifesaver for many non-profit organizations. Some organizations are adapting their traditional online fundraising events. Others have come up with new ways to promote their mission. Whether you’re looking for a way to continue your customary events or you’re looking to diversify and raise money online, here are 20 online fundraising ideas for nonprofits to try out. Let’s get started quickly!
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20 Creative Virtual Fundraising Ideas For Nonprofits
Let’s have a look at some of the best online fundraising ideas for nonprofits:
Keep Your Most Important Events
Non-profit organizations have been very successful in organizing annual events such as galas, pub crawls, and concerts. Fortunately, technological advancements have made it possible to run these events virtually and raise money online.
1. Virtual Fundraising Gala
Your annual gala to raise money is probably incredibly important to your budget and among the most creative virtual fundraising ideas. The thought of not having this event is terrifying. Instead of canceling their annual gala evenings, many organizations have opted for an online party that anyone can participate in. This necessary adjustment has made the event accessible to more supporters and has also opened up more fundraising opportunities than before.
The entrance fee to attend a non-profit gala is approximately one hundred dollars. However, these costs can deter many of your donors. Usually, you can make up for the entrance fee with auctions and large donations. But what if your main contributors don’t donate as much as you had hoped for?
Virtual galas are becoming popular out of necessity this year, but the difference in the cost is also worth noting. Galas can raise most of your budget, but the price for one of these events can be huge. On the other hand, virtual galas don’t have to cost a penny. At the same time, sponsors and attendees can enjoy more options with a virtual event, and they could spend more to be part of this new trend.
Competition for event sponsors is fierce, and the exchanges you offer for their support are a bit trite. By organizing online fundraising galas, sponsors can reach a larger than the average audience, and you can offer them an opportunity to air a commercial during the event. In return, you can ask for higher sponsor amounts.
Event attendees have enjoyed a delicious meal at your gala in the past, but this year, the dinner will be held at their homes with these online fundraising ideas. This is a win-win situation for your organization. Instead of spending money on dinner, you can offer your visitors the opportunity to order a meal from your caterer. Since the cost of the dinner usually takes up most of the entrance fee, the cost difference doesn’t matter in the long run. Guests at your online event will be able to enjoy a delicious meal, and your caterer will be delighted to be able to serve a wider clientele.
Pro tip: It doesn’t mean you can’t get attendees in the mood because your money-raising gala is being held online. Get your board members to sell virtual tables and add the option to form smaller groups for each table via Zoom. Ask your guests to dress up and share photos of the celebrations at home. Find an entertainer to perform online and include online auction and raffle options for all attendees.
2. Fundraising Telethon
A fundraising telethon refers to a live event, mostly done over the television or on the internet, geared towards a particular charitable objective. Usually, during the telethons, hosts as well as special guests, for instance, stars entertain the audience and solicit funds while airing interesting segments, success stories, and fundraising informational material about the charity’s work.
The audiences, who are encouraged to give, are as well entertained and given success stories about the charity and how the funds raised are put to use. As a rule, the donations are received in the course of the telecast in the form of either telephone calls or internet donations and periodically during the course of the show, the audience is informed on how much money has been raised.
3. Online Auction
Auctions are a common addition to any other event. They are also one of the easiest fundraisers to run online and were popular before the pandemic. When you run an online auction, there are several auction sites to choose from. The steps to run an online auction are similar to your offline events, but social media makes it easier to reach more people to raise more money online.
4. Online Race/Running Competition
Virtual runs are another popular way to raise money online. Reach out to those who have attended your events before and ask them to find sponsors for their runs. Allow your participants to keep track of the distances they run, and their sponsors can contribute per kilometer. Participants can share their success online.
5. Virtual Talent Show
Talent shows are a tried and tested event for non-profit organizations. Regardless of age, it can be fun to share your talents with your community. There is no need to cancel the event because you can’t host the event in front of a live audience, and you can still raise money online.
You’ve probably seen the Zoom videos of choirs singing at home. Why not make your own? Virtual apps like YouTube make it easy for individuals and groups of people to perform together online, making it one of the most creative virtual fundraising ideas.
6. Virtual Happy Hour or Sip & Paint
A pub crawl event can be a fun and successful way to raise money. During the Corona pandemic, these events don’t exist, and people are begging for a happy hour to spend with their friends. Non-profit organizations are getting creative in planning virtual happy hours, so sipping & painting could be the answer to this cry for help.
Alcohol is easy to obtain during a pandemic, so why not ask your supporters to grab their own bottle of wine or beer for an evening of artistic expression, a webinar, or just an evening of fun?
Pro Tip: To raise donations for your fundraising campaign during your virtual event or meeting, you can send a text message. WhyDonate’s “text to give” makes mobile giving easy for both one-time and recurring contributors to donate. After your virtual event, you can send a text message to remind participants to donate.
Easy & Creative Virtual Fundraising Ideas: Mission-Oriented Events
Virtual fundraisers are not only cheaper to run but also give you more options to include your mission in your annual events. Online events make it easy to share videos, emails, and images. People are also more focused on what you have to say online because there are not as many distractions.
7. Virtual Sleep Out
Organizations like Covenant House have added virtual sleep to their repertoire and have embraced the requisite social detachment while still raising money online. These online fundraising ideas for nonprofits give participants a taste of how the homeless population lives on a daily basis. This experience shares the mission of these organizations. Visitors can raise money online by finding sponsors to donate based on the hours they spend out in the open.
8. Virtual Cooking Class
If your organization is based outside of the United States, a virtual cooking class can be among the greatest and most creative virtual fundraising ideas to engage your mission in an event to raise money online. Ask a well-known chef to teach a course online and invite your followers to visit your location with their taste buds. As they learn how to prepare a tasty meal, you can share the beneficiaries’ stories and give a virtual tour of your organization.
9. Webinar or a Conversation
Webinars can last for hours or even days. In the past, these fundraising virtual events ideas may have deterred some non-profit organizations. But with more people needing to stay at home, their interest can be piqued by an interesting topic or learning experience.
10. Virtual Book Club
Your contributors have more time to spare and can finally open a good book to read. Why not start a virtual book club and give a few suggestions to educate your contributors about the need for your services and the work you do, and raise money online?
11. Games Night/Trivia Night
Can you find a way to inform your supporters in a fun way? Do your donors know exactly what you are doing? Why not challenge them to a trivia night fundraiser about your organization or add a few questions about your non-profit organization to other challenging trivia questions?
These fundraising virtual events ideas can easily be held via Zoom or other virtual apps. Visitors can pay a small fee to enter the fundraising game and set up a personal fundraising page to recruit sponsors. Your non-profit organization can find sponsors to give gifts to the winners as an added incentive to participate.
12. Virtual Movie Night
Movies are another way to publicize the work you do. Some donors may not want to join a book club but will take the opportunity to watch a new movie. Is there a film that talks about the work you do in a compelling way or that exhibits a need? Invite supporters to watch the movie online together and create a page where viewers can chat and collect donations for the organization.
Best Digital Fundraising Ideas: Campaigns on Social Media
You may have some extra time to spare during the current pandemic, as you will not be hosting larger virtual fundraising events. Now might be the perfect time to start researching social media fundraising campaigns to raise money online.
13. Peer-to-peer Fundraising
With the right tools, your supporters can be the biggest advocates for your organization. Peer-to-peer fundraising is an opportunity for contributors to spread the word on their birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and other important holidays and raise money for your non-profit.
By helping them create a personal fundraising page and giving them stories and images of beneficiaries to share online, you can not only raise more money online but also develop a deeper relationship with passionate followers with these digital fundraising ideas.
14. Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is another way to inspire your supporters to become advocates. If your organization has specific campaigns for which you need to raise money, this may be your opportunity to draw attention to these campaigns. Encourage supporters to join your campaign and raise money online for your cause. With these digital fundraising ideas, you can also reach a wider audience without spending extra money. Platforms like WhyDonate do not charge any platform fee. So, even nonprofits can harness their features without spending a single penny.
15. Lottery
Lotteries are always a hit. Most people are willing to give a small amount to get the chance to win big. With just one sponsor and an excellent gift, you can raise a few dollars from hundreds of online supporters. Today’s technology allows non-profit organizations to reach out and share their story with a whole new audience.
16. Give Something Back Days
Giving Tuesday is a successful international campaign started by a non-profit organization to “unleash the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” Giving Tuesday invites you to donate to a non-profit of your choice on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Millions of organizations have already benefited from this annual donation day.
It works because it starts from the existing tendency to spend a lot during the Christmas season and concentrates everything into one day. This limit on when to give encourages donations. Your non-profit organization can join this trend by creating your own annual donation day.
Online fundraising campaigns and raising money online can be very successful when you know what to do and with the right tools. Your annual donation day should focus on your mission and be a real holiday that the general population will recognize. The planning of these campaigns should be just as thorough as any other event.
You can use a hashtag to connect social media content and reach a larger audience. Your annual Giving Day campaign can also include peer-to-peer fundraising and smaller in-person events. We’ve written an article about corona-friendly online campaigns with tips that you can use for your unique donation day.
17. Birthday Fundraisers
If you have a Facebook page, you may have noticed a difference in the birthday messages. Instead of just letting you know it’s your friend’s birthday, you may also see a link to an online donation page. Facebook has made it easier for individuals to raise money for their favorite causes.
If your non-profit has a Facebook page, sign up to become one of the thousands of organizations benefiting from these small fundraisers. Let your contributors know that they can start their own campaigns and choose your non-profit organization.
Virtual Fundraising Events To Thank People
It’s easy to forget to thank your volunteers, staff, and even contributors throughout the year. This year, you will not only have the time to thank them but also organize a virtual thank you event to show them how much they are appreciated.
18. Virtual Awards Ceremony
Volunteers are one of the essential parts of your organization and are often the most overlooked. Organizing an annual event to thank the volunteers should be a priority every year. Without showing your appreciation, you can lose quality volunteers. This year, Instagram snapshots and videos from past virtual fundraising events can help make your voluntary thank-you event a fun online experience for everyone. You can even add a gift and a raffle to get your volunteers even more excited.
19. Virtual Lessons or Workshops
Your staff can be your best contributors and advocates of your cause. This is your chance to show your appreciation for everything they do to raise money online. With virtual classes and workshops for your staff, they can progress in their careers and learn more about the work you do outside their field.
Instead of organizing this event yourself, you can also use third parties to train your staff. Give them the opportunity to develop ideas for this event and see if it is a potential annual event to encourage their further involvement.
20. Virtual Tours
Are you outside the US, or are your donors generally not allowed at your location? Virtual tours offer donors an opportunity to get an exclusive tour of your organization for a small fee.
Thank your donors with a 360-degree video of your location and show whom they are helping with their donations. This video can provide a realistic picture of the work your organization produces and may entice donors to give more in the long run.
Conclusion
The Coronavirus pandemic has really opened our eyes to the opportunities that online fundraisers can offer. With a little creativity and courage, you can boost the results of your annual fundraisers and create new online events to reach more people, showcase your mission, and raise more money.
WhyDonate would like to help you with this! Expand your knowledge of virtual fundraising and subscribe to our monthly newsletter for the latest updates from our non-profit blog. Visit our website for online tools to get you started now.
Virtual fundraising is not new, but it has become necessary in the time of the Coronavirus as they are appropriate for social distancing fundraising ideas. However, the fear of spending money on something unfamiliar can feel overwhelming. In reality, these online fundraisers cost less than most in-person fundraisers and can raise just as much money online, if not more.
Virtual Fundraising – Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of virtual fundraisers?
A. Online fundraisers open up your events to many more people from both inside and outside your community. With the knowledge you gain from these virtual events, you can engage in new ways of contacting your fundraising campaigns. Virtual fundraisers also provide non-profit organizations with an opportunity to better educate contributors about the organization’s mission. The technology used for these events and the attention you get from contributors ensures a better learning process for everyone.
How do I organize virtual fundraising events?
As with any event, virtual fundraisers take a long time to plan and require approval from the board and the volunteers involved. Once you’ve done that, you can start planning a virtual event like any other fundraiser. The main differences with virtual event fundraising are the tools you use. Do your research and find the best online app and company to work with your event plan. The WhyDonate support team will be happy to help you with any questions you may have and will work with you to find the best option for your needs.
How do you fundraise digitally?
In order to raise funds digitally, one can make use of the internet by employing tools such as online fundraising platforms and sending out emails as well as harnessing social networks. Create content to engage the audience that includes but is not limited to statements, images, and requests. Organize further activities such as using content in the form of webinars/live streaming and peer-to-peer support where individuals campaign on behalf of your cause.
How to raise funds online?
In order to collect funds online, for instance, one can use WhyDonate, which offers advanced tools for online fundraising. Campaign creation, customizing, donation motivation, and target setting all of these rely on your creativity. Turn to WhyDonate for easy social media and email integration to attract supporters. Welcome Donations will be registered in real-time, and appreciation will be given to donors who give them.
