The Compete-At Blog

10 Fundraising Ideas For a Shoestring Budget
By Sandy Rees

These days it can be tough to raise money and even tougher when you don't have much to spend on fundraising activities. Here are ten ways to raise money when you have little or none to spend.

1. Invite donors and prospects for tours of your facility. Sometimes seeing your work firsthand will inspire donors to give. Offer a tour on a regular monthly schedule and let staff, Board and volunteers know that they can invite friends to come. Be sure to get names and addresses of visitors so you can send them a thank you note after their tour and also so you can add them to your mailing list.

2. Hold a "Change for Change" event. Ask local civic groups, church groups, or businesses to collect spare change for you on a certain day (every Sunday in May or Friday May 5th, etc.). Provide them with brochures, newsletters or fact sheets so folks can educate themselves about your organization.

3. Do an "Easy Thousand." Get 10 Board members, volunteers, or donors to each ask 10 people for $10 each. You can change this to $15,625 by changing the numbers to 25 people asking 25 people for $25 each. This can also give you a bunch of new donors!

4. Hold a house party. Ask Board members, volunteers, and donors to have a dinner in their home and invite their friends. Have a staff person do a short presentation on your organization followed by a testimonial from the evening's host. Then, give the guests the chance to make a gift. Again, make sure to get names and addresses so you can properly thank guests and get them on your list.

5. Hold a "Non Event" (Example: "No Ball at All"). Create a fictitious event and send out invitations asking people to buy "tickets" to this event that won't take place. It's a great theme for a mailing and usually works well.

6. Put a return envelope in your newsletter. Many donors will respond to great stories in your newsletter. So make it easy for them by including an envelope to send their gift in.

7. Ask donors to give monthly. This is a great way to increase a donor's annual giving and their loyalty to your organization at the same time. Make it easy for donors to participate by giving them 12 envelopes to send their monthly gifts in.

8. Offer a Holiday Gift Card. Let your donors know that they can make a gift to your organization in someone's honor for the Holidays and that you'll send the recipient a card telling them about the gift and who it was from. This can also work for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or other holidays.

9. Ask for donations to your organization in honor of your birthday. Most of us have more than we need anyway, so ask friends and family to make a gift in honor of your special day.

10. Ask your donors to include you in their will. You'll probably have to wait a while for a gift, but when it comes, it will be worth the wait!

(c) Sandy Rees, CFRE

Sandy Rees is a nonprofit fundraising coach, consultant, trainer, and author. She shows small nonprofit organizations how to raise more money, gain more supporters, and strengthen their Boards. Learn more about successful fundraising and get free fundraising tips in her e-zine "Bright Ideas for Fundraising" on her website at http://www.getfullyfunded.com

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