Nonprofit Pro Article: Community Fundraising Events: How Unique Ideas Can Grow Your Donor Base

Community Fundraising Events: How Unique Ideas Can Grow Your Donor Base

When most people think about nonprofit fundraising events, they tend to think about galas, auctions, fun runs, and golf tournaments. These are all tried-and-true events that can be extremely successful for nonprofits.

But if you’re a small or growing organization — or if you struggle to stand out in a sea of worthy causes — it may be time to think outside the box and create unique, community-oriented fundraising events that are new to your area and distinctive to your mission.

I’ve just come off the heels of a great example. In 2017, I was on the board of a homeless shelter. We wanted an event that would draw attention to our mission and the problem of local homelessness. I had the idea for a lip sync battle fundraiser, with people voting with their dollars to choose the winning team.

In the first year, we raised $10,000. We were thrilled — not just by the funds raised, but by how many people attended. They may have come to support their friends, but we seized the opportunity to educate a captive audience about our mission. After the event, we sent regular updates on the impact of their support.

Each year, we invited teams from different circles of the community to participate, and added a video competition, making room for more teams (and, consequently, more donors). We recently celebrated our 10th year with 22 teams competing from local businesses, schools, sororities, law enforcement agencies, and groups of friends and family. More than 450 people attended in person, and nearly 600 watched the livestream. When all was said and done, we raised $150,000 for this organization. 

Click Here To Read The Full Article.