National Nonprofit Day is coming up on August 17th! It’s all about celebrating the incredible work nonprofits do across the country. As a nonprofit, this is your time to shine: highlight the amazing work you’re doing and brainstorm future plans to keep the momentum going strong.
Fundraising is key so you can keep your mission and vision alive in the community. From fancy galas to auctions, bake sales, and car washes—there are so many ways to raise funds. But where do you start when planning a fundraising event? Check out the steps below to set up a successful fundraiser for your nonprofit.
Planning a fundraiser can be thrilling, a bit nerve-wracking, or a mix of both. Whether it’s a yearly tradition or a brand new effort, hitting your fundraising goals is super important for your nonprofit's financial health. So what’s the first step? First things first, set a goal and a game plan. Ask yourself questions like:
Don’t take on more than you can handle—rely on your awesome team. Focus on these goals to come up with a clear fundraising plan and use your team’s creativity to brainstorm your fundraiser theme. Most importantly, have fun! These events are all about showcasing your passion and your organization’s incredible work in the community. Share your excitement, and others will get excited too!
Once you’ve nailed down the basics, it’s time for the nitty-gritty. Think of your fundraiser like planning a wedding. Create a schedule and figure out when you need to have important tasks done. If it’s an in-person event, when do you need to book the venue, vendors, and entertainment? When do you start promoting?
You can’t promote your event without resources! If it’s an invite-only event, decide how to invite guests. Will you send paper invites or e-vites? If it’s a public event, do you need posters and flyers to spread the word? How about yard banners? Below are some top ways to get the word out about your fundraiser.
Marketing is everything for a successful fundraiser. If people don’t know about it, they can’t participate! A classic way to get the word out is through posters, flyers, and yard signs. Spread the word around town: put yard signs in your yard and others to remind people about your event. Include simple details like the date, times, and location of your blood drive, school book sale, or donation drive. These can also grab attention on the day of your event.
Posters and flyers are also great attention-grabbers. Create custom flyers and posters that are catchy, simple, and full of the info people need to join your fundraiser. Reach out to local businesses to see if they’ll place posters in their windows and flyers by their checkout counters. Hand out flyers to your volunteers to share with family, friends, coworkers, and peers. Every person can make a difference!
Why not go old-school and promote your fundraiser via snail mail? People love getting letters, and a personalized, thoughtful note might encourage them to attend or donate. Nothing says "you’re appreciated" like a handwritten note. It could be as simple as writing their name at the top of the invitation or adding a short card. A simple piece of snail mail could make all the difference.
If you don’t have time for handwritten letters, don’t stress! Any piece of mail can brighten someone’s day, especially since it stands out from bills. Create a custom postcard for your fundraiser and, if you have time, hand-address the envelopes for a personal touch. Bright colors will attract and entice potential participants: be sure to include all the critical event details.
After your event, send out thank you notes. Consider a mix of handwritten and pre-printed notes, depending on your time and volunteer availability. Thank you notes are classy and thoughtful, especially for new or particularly generous donors—they want to feel like more than just a checkbook.
A quick email is a fantastic way to reach out to supporters, volunteers, and donors. Keep it short and sweet, like a virtual postcard! Put together a brief blurb inviting people to your event and, afterward, send a thank-you note. You can keep it simple or add a photo. Many mass-email platforms like Mailchimp or Dotmailer offer attractive templates to help you arrange info beautifully and compellingly.
For some extra PR after the event, include a link for people to download photos from your event. Add your watermark so when people share them, others can see and hear about your organization!
If your organization has a newsletter, don’t forget to use it to spread the word about your event. Keep it brief, especially during the planning stages—like a ‘save the date’ invite. As the event approaches, share more details. Be sure to post this on your website too!
Leverage the power of the press to reach a wider audience. Connect with local journalists to get coverage or send press releases to local media outlets: TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers. Besides news stories, consider running ads. Spend on newspaper ad space, billboards, or reach out to organizations for in-kind donations.
Be sure to use your social media accounts to get the word out about your fundraiser. Through a site like MissionPrint.com you can create a custom image to promote like the one above for social media. After designing and personalizing the image, you can then use it in a variety of ways on social media: post it, place it as a banner or profile picture, and even put it in a story or reel. If you can, use a photo of your previous fundraising event. Show off that picture of your volunteers cheering on runners as they finish your 5K fundraiser, display an image of college students taking part in your sorority’s 24-hour dance marathon, or include an image of the guests dressed to the nine at your previous black tie gala.
If you have extra time, turn to video! Create a short video that you can post on TikTok and as a reel on Facebook and Instagram. This video can be as intricate or simple as you like. You can put images together to music or use video from a previous event or promotion. Make sure to crosspost this on all your social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn to get the most out of your post.
Making the Most of Your Fundraiser
When the big day of your fundraiser arrives, make sure you have everything needed to pull it off: tabletop banners, wristbands, and even swag for people to take home after the event like buttons, magnets, cups, and stickers. While the main goal of fundraisers is to raise money, they’re also a great opportunity for you to get the word out about your nonprofit and what you do to people who may be learning about your work for the first time.
We know it can be a lot to organize and put on a fundraiser, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. That’s why we at Mission Print are here: sign up here to check out our affordable templates and custom designs. We hope this helps your fundraiser be a big success!
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