Non-Profits Continue to Get Creative With Fundraising

With tight budgets these days (was there ever a time when a non-profit didn’t have a tight budget?), many charities are getting creative with their fundraising methods. From focusing on individual donors rather than corporations, to virtual participants in various activities, non-profit leaders are definitely thinking outside the box.

With corporations tightening their belts and foundations limiting their grant funding, charities are pursuing creative ways to appeal to new donors. The Washington Post tells how many of their local charities are expanding their vision and changing their fundraising efforts. This was my favorite: “In a YouTube video clip, a middle-aged man with brown hair demonstrates how he can recline on his sofa watching a baseball game and at the same time participate in an upcoming charity walk to raise funds for N Street Village, a women’s homeless shelter… He’s virtual walking, he explains.”

With technology being in the advanced state that it’s in, I don’t see why we don’t use the resources that are available more often. YouTube can be great if you have an upcoming banquet: interview your guests, document your speaker and share the event with those who couldn’t attend. YouTube can also be a valuable tool to explain what your charity does on a day to day basis and shows your donors how their funds are being used.

The Washington Post also reports that, “A recent survey by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement illustrates the financial turmoil roiling Washington area charities: More than half that responded are seeing demand rise for their services, with nearly half of those grappling with a 10 to 50 percent drop in revenue. Nearly 60 percent said they have responded to the funding gaps by cutting salaries or staff.”

With Fundly, your non-profit fundraising initiatives don’t have to face the same detriment that many other organizations are struggling with. Through social media you could reach thousands of new donors and stay in contact with those who are already passionate about your cause. With the ease of giving online and your cause at the forefront of their contacts, your donors will be able stay connected. By using social media creatively, you can increase your revenue with little cost.