Unique Fundraising Ideas You’ve Probably Never Considered

Fundraising can be a fun and great way to finance a personal cause or an organization. The success of fundraising will often be dictated by the cause, the organization, and how the efforts are executed. In other cases, however, the method used can make a world of difference.

Using a different approach could allow you to reach different groups. The most powerful fundraising initiatives are those that can convince people who usually don’t donate to do so. To be able to reach large audiences, however, you often have to think out of the box and try new ideas. Here are some unique fundraising ideas you’ve probably never considered.

Offer to Immortalize their Donation

One of the ways to encourage bigger donations is to offer to immortalize their donations in one way or another. One common way to do so is to have the names of donators engraved somewhere in the building or the property. You can have bricks on a walkway engraved with the names of big donors, or a memorial wall built, for example.

There are a few common methods for brick engraving, but most will use brick sandblasting or laser engraved bricks. Companies like Fundraising Brick, for instance, use laser engraving for their inscriptions. Both options have their pros and cons, but laser engraving will last longer and has a better finish. It also allows for more intricate designs.

Organize a Themed Run

Themed runs are a great way to create an event and attract people that are interested in running in general. Themed runs are also a great way to get press coverage. Note that the originality of the run will make a huge difference. You should also try to make it seasonal for greater impact.

For instance, fall would be the perfect time to hold a Halloween or pumpkin-themed run. You could have people run in their favorite costumes. Or you could hold an Easter run where everyone is dressed as the Easter bunny and gets a gift basket at the end complete with documentation about your organization, of course. These events are not only great for one time fundraisers but could also be turned into an annual thing.

Use Candy Grams

Candy grams are packaged candy gifts that come with a personalized message. What’s great about those is that it allows the donor to put their personal touch on them, give a gift, and spread awareness about your cause and organization. This is also very affordable, will work with people who don’t usually donate, will be something that most people will appreciate.

Chain of Hearts

This option is great if you have a limited budget. You could go around your community and sell paper hearts to donors. They can then put their names and a message on the heart. The hearts can then be displayed in your organization’s lobby or wherever you like.

If you want to reach an even larger audience, you could ask retailers in your area if they would mind selling hearts for you. Maybe they could recommend them after a purchase, or just have them displayed on their counter. This is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to build awareness about your cause and raise funds.

Have a Trivia Night

Another thing you could do is hold a trivia night at a local establishment. Restaurants or small concert venues are perfect for this.

You could organize tables and offer finger foods and drinks. Organize teams from other organizations or civil services, like local firemen for instance. You could also make it a joint fundraiser. Have people pay a small attendance fee and allow teams to compete for a prize for the charity of their choice. Make sure to get the people involved and offer prizes as well.

Spaghetti Dinner

Spaghetti dinners are a great way to bring everyone in your community together and give for a cause. What makes them a good option is that they’re pretty easy to organize. Spaghetti is easy to prepare en masse, and who doesn’t like a good pasta meal? Make sure that there’s entertainment for the whole family as this is who you’re going to cater this towards.

Coupon Books

What makes coupon books such a powerful fundraising tool is that you’re giving people an actual incentive to donate. You can offer coupon books with specific deals only for donors. Reach out to local businesses and see if they’d like to be in the book. Some businesses would love the opportunity of getting more visibility. This is another great way to build awareness about your cause and organization and attract non-traditional donors.

Experience Events

You can also use your fundraising event to help people understand your cause better. For instance, if you want to help the homeless, you could have participants sit on a cardboard box for the whole event. It doesn’t have to be the event’s sole feature, however. You could include special games and entertainment as well.

Pledge Challenges

If you want to raise money for a cause, one of the best ways to do so is through a challenge. For instance, you could ask pledges to be collected once you’ve completed a tough task, like a long run or cycling trip, for instance. Or it could be a specific chore like cleaning X miles of road to raise awareness about plastic waste pollution.

Hold an International Food Festival

If you’re not too crazy about organizing a potluck, you could consider spicing things up with an international food festival instead. Again, this is a great way to attract new donors and raise awareness about your cause. You could get various restaurants in the area involved, and even get them to pay for advertisements. This way, you’ll be able to generate funding from both sides. You could then take a few minutes to address people attending and speak about your cause.

Conclusion

These are all great and original ways to raise funds for any cause and reach people. Make sure that you consider all of these options and don’t be afraid to be creative if you want to get the best results.