Your senior nonprofit may find it difficult to raise money. Considerations for donor reception, finances, and anticipated time commitment are just a few of the variables. Another thing to think about is if this is a short-term, simple campaign to meet an immediate need or a long-term, significant fundraising effort to support your nonprofit organization.
It can be difficult to come up with event ideas, whether it’s a long-term or short-term fundraising event, so we’ve put up a list of fundraising ideas for senior NGOs. The suggestions range from enjoyable to more involved to easy fundraising ideas.
1) Golf Tournament
Why not have some fun in the sun when it gets nice out while supporting your favorite cause? Create a golf event where participants can join a team with friends and donate a certain amount; of course, the victors will receive a large award!
A golf tournament is tough to beat if your supporters like a little exercise and friendly competition.
Golf events are particularly effective if you have board members or fundraisers present to interact personally with fans and promote day-of donations.
Don’t forget to look for regional
to support your tournament as well! Even though they can be quite profitable, golf tournaments take a lot of preparation. You’ll be well-prepared to enjoy your day at the country club if you have sponsors take part in a load of organization off your shoulders.
2) Charity Gala
A charity gala could be the ideal event for you if your contributors would enjoy a night of sparkle and glamour! A formal meal, some form of entertainment, and lots of activities keep the enjoyment (and money-raising!) going all night long at a gala.
Even though galas demand a lot of preparation and money, when done right, these charitable events can be the ideal method to raise significant sums of money, particularly at the start of a significant project or capital campaign.
You can customize your charity gala to your donors, just like silent auctions. A seated supper doesn’t appeal to you? Add some variety with a live band, a funny speaker, or a special theme. (Consider poker tables at a party with a casino theme or a jazz band at a roaring twenties gala.) When you use a little imagination, the possibilities are unlimited!
Whatever theme you choose for your gala, keep in mind that the best aspect of these occasions is the chance to personally engage with key donors, communicate information about your organization, and mobilize your supporters.
3) Walkathon
The two best things in life—fitness, and fundraising—combine in walkathons! Your donors can create teams using peer-to-peer fundraising tools to collect money for your cause in advance of the big walk. After that, take a stroll through the neighborhood to raise awareness of your cause.
Similar to other active fundraising events, walkathons thrive on crowd engagement. You’ll be astounded by the amount of money you raise when you inspire your fans to involve their communities in your cause!
Many prospective new supporters will learn about your cause when donors spread the word about your event and campaign to their friends and families.
Not only will the walk itself generate a sizable amount of cash, but you can also sell products to solicit further donations and advertise your event at the same time. Custom fundraising hats, water bottles, and t-shirts are all excellent additions to a walkathon.
4) Carnival
Everyone enjoys a good night at the carnival, so pairing one with your nonprofit fundraising effort makes perfect sense! You may make this event as elaborate as you like by organizing fantastical rides or by keeping it straightforward with timeless activities that everyone will enjoy.
The carnival is perhaps one of the few fundraising occasions that appeal to every demographic. A family-friendly, adaptable fundraising event with a carnival theme may amuse participants from all walks of life.
Carnivals, however, are not simply for entertainment; they can generate significant financial support for your cause. You can charge entry and raise more money for charity by offering concessions or branded goods for sale (as well as a donation booth, of course).
5) Trivia tournament
By giving to create small trivia teams, you may encourage your donors to demonstrate their intellectual prowess. Don’t forget to give the winning geniuses a fantastic gift!
A trivia tournament is open to everyone who wants to participate, but more significantly, it’s also easy to organize. Planning for them is among the simplest of all events.
All you need to host a fantastic trivia night are a location, a host, and some thought-provoking questions. By providing concessions or setting up a seated supper, you may keep it basic or spice it up.
The most crucial thing is to break up the evening with a variety of donation requests and brief updates on your fundraising activities. To make the evening both enjoyable and extra-educational, you may even base the categories for your trivia contest on your cause.
6) Movie
Bring on the popcorn! Movie nights are a great way to earn money and spend a relaxing evening watching your favorite movie. Finding a location with enough space and a big screen (or projector), selling some delectable refreshments, and you’re all set. You will need to get the rights to the movie of your choosing, but the rest of the organizing for this fundraising event is rather straightforward.
Churches and schools can host movie night fundraisers without having to worry about finding a suitable location.
You can decide to screen an informative film that is relevant to your cause or pick a feel-good movie that is purely enjoyable, depending on the kind of fundraising event you’re aiming to have. In either case, your donors will value the opportunity to unwind with neighbors and see a wonderful movie.
Consider going all out and adopting a theme that is related to the movie you are screening if you want to make the event even more enjoyable. The most crucial thing is to offer lots of possibilities for donations during your events, such as a contribution booth and advertisements for your text-to-give alternatives.
7) Talent show
A talent show may be a fantastic nonprofit fundraising event for virtually any audience or purpose while being most popular with schools. Your talent show can be as extravagant or understated as you wish, just like some other fundraising occasions. Simply collect an entry fee from competitors, sell tickets to spectators, and collect additional donations from concession sales.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good show, after all? Everyone has a blast when your community can come together to appreciate the incredible (and occasionally surprising!) abilities that exist there.
A talent show will require some resources to put together (and don’t compromise on quality sound equipment or practice time! ), but it can also significantly improve your fundraising outcomes. Make your performance as inclusive as you can by inviting people of all ages and abilities to participate to maximize earnings (and fun).
By letting the audience vote with their donations, you can add a lucrative twist. Provide tip jars with each contestant’s name and picture, or allow your guests to donate online and tell a volunteer who they think is their favorite.
8) Field day
The entire community may come together during charity field days to have fun and generate money for your cause. Make a whole day of enjoyable activities for both children and adults, including food, games, and (friendly!) competitions. A helpful hint is to plan a backup venue or rain date in case the weather doesn’t cooperate as field days are best held outside on a warm, sunny day.
Field days, which are similar to carnival fundraisers, pack a lot of mini-games and fundraising activities into one whole day.
This does need some careful planning on your part, but it also ensures that practically everyone will enjoy something at your event, which will increase the amount of money you raise.
You can charge per event or for entry for the entire day. For maximum fundraising possibilities, don’t forget to provide snack stalls, contribution booths, and merchandise tables.
9) Cook-off
Chefs are needed! A traditional method to involve your fans and collect money for your cause—and did we mention consume a lot of delicious food, too?—is to host a charity cook-off. You’ll need a theme for this event to be successful (extra points if it supports your cause!) and a large number of eager participants. Sell all your hungry guests tickets to the big event for a little entrance price.
Simply, nobody wants to pass up the chance to demonstrate their culinary skills or to eat wonderful food.
All local foodies should be encouraged to submit a dish, but you could also wish to reach out to local restaurateurs and well-known culinary authorities.
Engaging with important local figures or businesses will help you advertise your event to their devoted patrons and supporters and could pave the way for future sponsorships.
Cook-offs for charities are inexpensive and provide a good return on investment. They also do a fantastic job of promoting participation from your supporters, which is good for keeping your donation base.
10) Penny Social
A penny social, also referred to as a Chinese auction, combines the best aspects of a silent auction and a raffle. Therefore, supporters will buy tickets in advance of the event rather than placing bids via a mobile bidding app or putting down a dollar amount on a paper bidding page.
Your fans will put their tickets in the container adjacent to the item they want to bid on during the auction. They increase their odds of winning by dropping in additional tickets.
The majority of your supporters have taken part in raffles and silent auctions in the past.
Your contributors can take a new spin on two traditional fundraisers with a penny social! Your fans will be inspired to attend this exciting event and support your cause.
Additionally, by having this event, you can still capitalize on the competitive nature of an auction since your fans will try to outbid one another by stuffing as many tickets as possible into the bowls containing their preferred prizes.
Conclusion
It’s time to execute these thrilling endeavors now that you have a multitude of fundraising ideas to pick from. Use this checklist to help you organize, market, and host your fundraising event to make sure your nonprofit doesn’t forget any important stages.
Your upcoming fundraising event can be a huge success with a little work and imagination!
