Nonprofit Leaders Answer: What is One Creative Fundraising Idea That Worked for Your Nonprofit?
Nonprofit leaders share successful fundraising ideas, from board-funded matching campaigns to visual progress trackers and event-free giving appeals.
Many nonprofits are searching for new ways to engage donors, without increasing costs. These real-world examples from nonprofit leaders show how ideas like matching gifts, visual campaign tracking, and even skipping traditional events can help drive stronger fundraising results.
We recently asked the Blue Avocado community, “What is one creative fundraising idea that worked for your nonprofit?” and, as always, the responses were thoughtful, creative, and full of practical wisdom.
Here’s a summary of some of the best answers we received:
Securing Matching Funds to Incentivize Donor Participation
Desert Foothills Land Trust is located in Carefree, AZ. We do not receive a lot of donations over the summer months, as our donor base is enjoying cooler summers elsewhere.
Three years ago, we decided to have an August Match. We only promoted it via e-newsletter and social media. We did not do a mailing because we didn’t want to cannibalize our year-end donors.
The first year we asked our board to fund the Match ($50,000). We hit our target!
Each year has been a varied amount in funding from various funders, but we have always hit or exceeded our goal — including this year.
This has been a successful way of bringing in money during a typically down time.
— Sue Force from Desert Foothills Land Trust
Driving Engagement Through Goal-Oriented Visual Tracking
At Community Impact Network, we tried a “Fill the Bus” fundraiser that turned out to be one of our best campaigns.
We set a goal of raising $10,000 to provide school supplies for local kids and partnered with a local business to match donations up to $5,000.
Instead of just asking people to donate, we made it visual. We had a large graphic of a school bus on our website and social media, with each section filling in as donations came in. We posted updates throughout the campaign and highlighted some of the stories behind the families we were helping.
It worked because people could see the progress and understand exactly what their donation would accomplish. We ended up raising about $16,000.
I’d encourage nonprofits to find a simple, visual way to show progress and connect donations to a specific outcome.
A clear goal, a short timeline, and a matching gift can make a basic fundraising campaign much more engaging.
— Christine Aucoin from CASA of Terrebonne, Inc.
Respecting Donor Constraints While Maximizing Direct Impact
The community we serve and live in has been very vocal with their support for the work our organization does, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that donors and supporters are busier than ever and don’t have as much time or disposable income as they may have in the past.
Every year, we like to put on a large fundraising gala event that is usually responsible for about 40% of our yearly program budget. Unfortunately, over the last few years, we’ve seen a steady decline in attendance.
So this year, Instead of asking our supporters to buy fancy outfits, hire babysitters, and drive across town to eat rubbery chicken, we sent out hilarious (we thought they were) “un-invitations.”
The card invited them to stay home in their pajamas, eat pizza on the couch, and donate what they would have spent on a ticket, outfit, and evening out directly to our mission.
It completely eliminated our event overhead costs, made our donors laugh, and raised more money than our previous in-person dinners because 100% of their gifts went straight to the work. Plus, our community loved the gift of a free evening on their calendar!
— Sarah Lin from Community First Initiative
Note: The opinions and product/service recommendations expressed above are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of Blue Avocado. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.
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About the Author
Blue Avocado is an online magazine fueled by a monthly newsletter designed to provide practical, tactical tips and tools to nonprofit leaders. A small but mighty team of committed social sector leaders produces the publication, enlisting content from a wide range of practitioners, funders, and experts.
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