Why Nonprofits Should Spice Up Their Fundraiser Ideas

November 14, 2023

Funds2Orgs Marketing Team

If you’re on a school or nonprofit’s fundraising team, chances are you might have a secret. In short, you’re tired of the same old bake sales and direct response appeals. Here’s the thing: if you’re tired—so are your donors. It’s time to break free from the monotony and get a bit more creative with your fundraiser ideas.

This article is going to explore the reasons why you should change things up a bit. Perhaps you have a fundraising leader or board who doesn’t realize how tired your donors could get. With this piece, you’ll have what you need to explain why donors crave change. The fact is that fundraising requires an injection of new energy and ideas from time to time. So, let’s go!

1.    Donors get bored—just like everyone else.

Rote repetition is boring. We live at a time when there’s a continuous, more like a firehose, of new ideas and ways of thinking. As a result, people are accustomed to new and different things all the time. So, when your school or nonprofit recycles the same old fundraiser, your donors start to tune out. But don’t worry, we have some fantastic ideas:

2.    Donor fatigue is real.

You probably heard of donor fatigue if you’ve been fundraising for a while. Donor fatigue is real. As mentioned earlier, everyone—including your donors—is inundated with messaging, ads, news updates, and appeals. All. Day. Long. The problem is that your organization has to cut through the noise. It’s important to realize that the competition for people to open their wallets is fierce.

As a result, organizations that stick to the same old fundraiser ideas risk getting lost in the shuffle. Sure, the tried and true appeals may work until they don’t. So, you set yourself apart by regularly introducing fresh ideas and ways to raise funds for your cause. Moreover, if you update your storytelling and tell a good but different tale, you increase the chances of success.

3.    Out with the old and in with the trendy

One of the biggest risks of sticking with traditional fundraiser ideas is that your nonprofit or school will limit its reach. The fact of the matter is that any good fundraiser knows they have to add new donors continually. Social good organizations frequently face the challenge of one-time donors who never give again. As a result, they always have to be looking for new donors.

It’s not only younger generations, by the way, that like fresh ideas and ways of doing things. Regardless of age, anyone can get interested in your new fundraiser ideas, including TikTok fundraisers. When you change up your fundraising approach, you signal that you’re innovative and not a stale organization. So, go ahead and keep up with the trends. Try out new things and see what works. Testing is learning—not failure.

4. Re-engaging with your mission.

Every school and nonprofit organization has a mission that deserves celebration. Our communities are so fortunate to have many organizations that have the mission to make things better for people. Have you ever considered that when you change up your fundraiser ideas, you’re re-engaging with your mission? Essentially, every fundraiser is an opportunity to market your nonprofit or school. It’s a chance for donors to get re-acquainted with your individuality.

For example, consider every program you have within your organization. Each of those programs makes the whole of your nonprofit or school. So, why not look to create different and unique fundraisers that somehow tie into the program you’re doing? For instance, if you have a new music and arts program for your high school, why not consider having a student performance and charge a fundraising donation? Or why not have them play with local musicians to increase the chances of new donors?

5. Spark excitement and fundraising participation

When you do things differently, you re-engage people with what you do. Innovative fundraisers ignite a sense of excitement, and that’s a good thing. We’ve seen with our shoe drive fundraisers with partners who’ve never done them how their communities come together. Sure, the school or nonprofit gets paid, but this fundraiser helps the planet and micro-entrepreneurs worldwide.

Still, it’s not just in our fundraisers where we see how changing things up helps organizations. All you have to do is research and even ask your donors and supporters with surveys. If you take the time to see how doing new things will help you re-engage and broaden your fundraising revenue, you’ll find plenty of resources and support for doing things differently. Again, people want something fresh and vibrant from time to time. It gets their attention. Donors are ready for a change—are you?

Learn more about fundraising and marketing with our webinars, ebooks, YouTube, or Facebook.

 

© 2023 Funds2Orgs. All Rights Reserved.

© 2024 Funds2Orgs. All right reserved.| Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Powered by Elsey Enterprises

Get this free resource by entering your information below.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.