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raise money for charity

How to Raise Money For Charity

11 min read

Charities and nonprofits can serve a wide range of purposes with many noble goals. But often, those goals are reliant upon the fundraising efforts of organizational members and volunteers. While raising money is not the reason why a charity exists, fundraising is often one of the most time-consuming parts of the operation.

When it comes to how to raise money for charity, there is no singular option. One of the great things about charity fundraising is that there are a number of ways to approach it. But this can also make it more challenging, as some fundraising efforts are more successful in certain contexts than others. Not everybody has access to all of the resources they need for certain types of fundraising events at all times.

When this happens, understanding all of the various ways to raise funds for charity can be useful. To that end, here are some great tips on how to legally raise money for charity that anyone can try.

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How to Help Raise Money for Charity

Whether you work for a nonprofit organization or are simply volunteering, knowing different ways to raise money is very useful. Large-scale events are often a great way for charitable organizations to raise large sums of money quickly. Things like ticket or concession sales, raffles, charity auctions, and event donations are staples of the fundraising agenda.

But, for more consistent year-round donations, organizations often rely on smaller personal donations. The following are some methods for individuals who are wondering how to help raise money for charity on their own.

How to raise money at work for charity

The office is a natural place to try to raise money for charity. At work, you are surrounded by peers who know and trust you and who will be more willing to make donations. But simply asking for charitable donations without offering anything in return can feel awkward and is often less successful.

Instead of cold donation requests, many people seek to raise money for charity at work by hosting office fundraising events. This method allows you to cater your fundraising efforts to the specific interests and personalities of your coworkers. As a result, the exact nature of an office fundraising event might vary from one workplace to the next.

Some of the most successful office fundraising ideas are also very simple. An office-wide raffle, for instance, requires very little commitment from your coworkers but can yield great results. Raffle prizes can be anything from sports tickets to snacks and treats to scented soaps and candles. Having a variety of rewards ensures the widest participation for coworkers from all demographics.

Other methods for how to raise money at work for a charity involve hosting fundraising events. Running a board game or trivia night, for instance, is fun and has universal appeal. People will also be more willing to give money in exchange for a fun social experience like this.

As a bonus, these types of events can also be a great experience for morale and your work’s overall environment.

How to raise money for charity as a teenager

Raising money at work is a great option for many people, but it’s not an option for everybody. Teenagers who want to raise money for charity, for example, often need to turn to other methods. Fortunately, there are still plenty of avenues available for those wondering how to raise money for charity as a teenager.

One simple method that any teen can use is to donate or sell old clothing that they have outgrown. Most teens will have plenty of clothes in their closets that are still in good condition but don’t fit anymore. Those clothes can be donated to charities, or they can be sold, with all proceeds going to charity.

There are also plenty of options available for fundraising events that cater to teens looking to raise money. Hosting a charitable sports or video game tournament for teens can be a fun experience with wide appeal.

Bake sales are another timeless classic when it comes to charity fundraising. Many youth or high school sports teams will also schedule charity events, like a banquet or bake sale, as part of their annual calendar. These are fun events that are also often guaranteed to have high participation rates.

How to raise money for charity by running

Charity running is a popular activity that a lot of people enjoy immensely. And if you are interested in running for charity, the good news is it’s not difficult to find opportunities. Many road races are organized by nonprofits as a means to raise funds for charitable causes. Some races are committed to a single cause, while others allow runners to choose their own preferred charitable cause.

If you want to know how to raise money for charity by running, it’s fairly straightforward. The hardest part for runners is often simply finding races to participate in. But websites like RunForCharity make it easy to search your local area for charitable running events.

When it comes to raising funds for a charity run, social media is a powerful tool. Runners can generate awareness and interest by sharing their training progress for the race while also promoting their charity. This shows that you are committed to your cause and helps keep your fundraising (and training!) effects active.

How to write a letter to raise money for charity

Did you know you can help raise money for charity by writing a letter? Fundraising letters are actually fairly common and can be a very effective way to solicit donations. The format of a letter is a great way to share a detailed, reasoned, and passionate explanation for your charitable cause. Knowing the proper steps for how to write a letter to raise money for charity can make a huge difference.

The first key to writing a strong fundraising letter is to address it as personally as possible. Whenever possible, address the letter to the specific individual for whom it’s intended.

Next, you should explain the goal of your fundraising efforts. Using personal stories about the charitable cause and who it benefits is an effective tactic here. The person reading the letter should have a very clear understanding of why your cause is important before they are asked to donate.

Once your letter has achieved this goal, you can introduce the subject of fundraising. Explain how funds can help and what your fundraising goal is.

Your fundraising letter should end with a strong call to action. Implore your reader to contribute to your fundraising efforts by highlighting the urgency and importance of the cause. The conclusion is about finding the right balance in tone.

You do not want to be too pushy or demanding. But, at the same time, you want your reader to understand how much their donation will mean to you.

All in all, fundraising letters should be short and direct. You do not want to overburden your reader by taking up too much of their time. Keep the letter to one page in length, and always remain focused on your charitable goals.

How to Raise Money for Charity Online

How to raise money for a charity on facebook

Social media is a great tool for raising money for charity. Several platforms, including Facebook, have made it even easier by integrating their own fundraising interface into the platform. The process of setting up a Facebook fundraiser is fairly straightforward:

  • From your Facebook account, select “Fundraisers” in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen
  • Click “Raise Money,” then “Charity”
  • Enter your charity information
  • Enter your fundraising goal
  • Click Create

Once your fundraiser is set up, you can easily promote it to your friends and followers. Posting consistent and engaging content about your fundraiser is the best way to keep it fresh in people’s minds.

You can use Facebook as a platform to share stories about why the cause is special to you and why your fundraising goal is important.

How to raise money for a charity on instagram

Instagram also offers its own built-in nonprofit fundraising feature. The process for creating an Instagram fundraiser is similar to that of Facebook:

  • Click the “+” button in the top-right corner of the screen
  • Select “Fundraiser” in the menu
  • Enter the nonprofit or charity information
  • Provide fundraising details and set goal
  • Share your fundraiser

As with Facebook, Instagram is a great fundraising platform because it is a natural platform to share stories about your cause. The more consistently you share content related to your fundraiser, the more likely you are to receive donations.

Create a donations page on your own website

If you have your own nonprofit or website, another option is to create your own donations page. Ecwid users can collect donations in their online store by following these simple steps:

  • In your catalog, create a product called “Donation”
  • Uncheck the “Requires shipping or pickup” option unless there is a physical item being sold in connection with donations.
  • Click “Manage manage pricing options”
  • Enable the “Pay What You Want” pricing option

Ecwid users can also set a minimum pricing option and tiered pricing options to help make the donation process easier.

Want to learn more about how Ecwid can help nonprofits? Read about getting started with Ecwid to see why Ecwid is the best ecommerce platform for charities and nonprofit organizations.

 

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About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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