Crowdfunding for schools has surpassed projected goals and become a top fundraising method to raise money for projects and programs. With great fundraising tips and a little direction specific to crowdfunding fundraisers for schools, your school can join in the success of others.

Perhaps it is because students, PTA members, teachers, parents, the community and local businesses all join together that make crowdfunding fundraisers for schools such a success. Many dynamic ingredients meld together, and crowdfunding for schools is working.

Fundraising tips for crowdfunding for schools:

One important reason for the success of crowdfunding fundraisers for schools is to focus on specific school projects to share with donors and participants exactly how their money will be of benefit. Donors feel a greater sense of involvement and motivation when they contribute to a project that is actual.

March Mania at the Mill is a basketball-themed school fundraising event on February 29, 2017 and culminates with a teacher free-throw shooting contest on March 31st at the school. Last year this crowdfunding fundraiser for schools event was able to raise over $61,000 which helped them provide Lego enrichment, grade level field trips, professional development and build upon their STEM program. This year March Mania will focus on helping students prepare for their futures with a specific goal of raising $50,000 to support STEM initiatives.

The competitive aspect of this crowdfunding event lies only with the teachers on March 31 during their free throw contest. The unique fundraising idea of a basketball themed crowdfunding event draws in donors because it is fun and out of the ordinary. The students will have a non-competitive time while they watch their teachers compete! The elementary school fundraising event is a chance for the entire community to celebrate and and raise funds for Henderson Elementary. Crowdfunding fundraisers for schools are designed for fun first and raise funds for schools.

Crowdfunding and walk-a-thons are almost synonymous terms given how popular and successful walk-a-thon crowdfunding fundraisers for schools are. Clever themes are what make this school fundraising idea more appealing. Whether donors come to walk in support of your school or for the after-party fun, the annual Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration in April each year has something for all ages. The celebration features live animals including birds, lizards, and snakes; community networking, green businesses and more. Their theme even involves a wild time with frogs and turtles and the Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society. And great fun is featured with solar car races, live music, kids eco-carnival games and organic foods.

Nestled among the redwoods on 355 mountaintop acres, Mount Madonna is a safe and nurturing college-preparatory school that supports students in becoming caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. Their annual school fundraising event enables them to keep their high emphasizing academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development.

Providing students with leadership roles in crowdfunding fundraisers for schools offers a great learning opportunity for them. Many valuable life skills may be taught through hands-on learning regarding marketing, advertising, and finance. Communication and public relations skills are among them, along with problem solving skills and a chance for them to be creative. Crowdfunding fundraisers are an opportunity for students to learn about global issues and feel the reward of being a part of the force of change. Teach your children students what crowdfunding is during class time and after school sessions.

Marketing in and of itself is an area of study for students to learn and make contributions in crowdfunding for schools events. Teaching your students how to prepare newsletters, email lists and blogs may be done in groups with strong leaders while assigning tasks to each member. Social media marketing is second nature to many students, and giving them strategic ideas for a school crowdfunding campaign by getting PTA members involved with students in targeting certain audiences works well. The PTA teaching students some insights to meet with their young tech savvy minds involves learning on both sides of the table.

When it comes time to recruit participants and volunteers, nothing will be more important than your network and your team of PTA members, students, teachers and parents working together. Reach out to folks who are well established in the community who will not only to participate, but ask associates, friends and family members to participate as well – encourage this. Don’t forget about finding Sponsors by reaching out to companies who value opportunities to engage their workforce in community activities. Therefore, it is important to ask companies not only for sponsorship to help offset the event costs, but also for their participation. Team registrations offer a fun and easy way for companies to participate in crowdfunding fundraisers for schools.

With crowdfunding platforms like Dojiggy and others designed for crowdfunding, schools are increasingly turning to this engaging method of fundraising. Choose the fundraising software solution that manages your school fundraising events or elementary school fundraisers seamlessly within a comprehensive website. Your school will have the convenience of adding student registrations, products and sponsor packages with user-friendly, shopping cart. Creating and selling custom products such as fundraising t-shirts, hats, and water bottles are included in your state-of-the-art software.

• Easy participant registrations with few required fields
• Personal fundraising pages for each student and classroom, including pictures and videos, a personal mission statement and goal achievement progress
• Secure pledge (ie per lap or other unit of effort) and donation payments
• Sponsorship sales & sponsor recognition
• Detailed financial & participant reporting
• Online dashboard for students to send emails, update their webpage, manage and track incoming donations
• Included online technical support

DoJiggy Crowdfunding for schools fundraising websites offer your school a cutting-edge, responsive website for crowdfunding fundraisers for school, such as a walk-a-thon, fun run and community service events. Our crowdfunding websites provide a complete management experience with the ability to customize your website with ease of design for all platforms – desktop, tablets and mobile. Try a free trial for a full two weeks and experience our customer support and crowdfunding websites before you make a purchase.

One elementary school has more than 10 fundraising events each year, so dive in and learn by example. Their inspiring school fundraising campaign and concepts make taking new steps in fundraising a real pleasure. The joyful spirit they impart is sure to make you smile.

1. Family Fun Night

Booksin’s Family Fun Night is on May 19 year. This good old-fashioned school fundraising event provides its community with the chance to have fun on a Friday night and enjoy dinner, games and prizes for all ages.  Each classroom sponsors a game or an activity booth, and the night is focused on community spirit and the pure enjoyment of each other.

Tickets are sold on their Family Fun Night Website where they were easily able to manage event details on all platforms and process secure payments.

2. Walkathon Fundraiser

Booksin’s Annual Walkathon has been around for 30 years. Their successful crowdfunding event raised nearly $200,000 in 2015 in support of student activities, teachers and programs including arts, music, science and technology, library books, school assemblies, field trips, and classroom materials. Activities held throughout the walkathon include a Silent Auction, Marketplace, Food Court, Teacher Fun Drawing, and Crazy Hair.

3. Dining Night Out

On May 10 this year from 3 to 9 p.m. a scrumptious school fundraising event was held at The Crepevine Restaurant. Everyone was invited to have dinner, eat well and help raise money for Booksin through the restaurant donating 20% of its pretax sales to the school. They even included takeout orders.

Dining nights out is a yearlong fundraising program occurring as often as every other month. The whole school is invited to a specific local restaurant, and occasionally there is a shopping component for added satisfaction and fundraising.

4. Student Council Fundraisers

“Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade students participate in Student Council.  Representatives from each classroom in these intermediate grades help make decisions about campus life, choose a Lifeskill for the school to focus on each month, and plan special events such as Spirit Days, Fuzzy Grams, and Smencil sales.  Through fundraising organized by the Student Council, Booksin students contribute to charitable organizations.  Charitible activities change annually and are unique based upon a theme chosen for the year.”

5. eScrip

eScrip is another easy way the school fundraising team makes available to help fund the children’s education at Booksin Elementary School.  Donors simply register the credit or debit cards already in their wallet, and when they shop with select merchants a percentage of each purchase goes to the school.

6. Booksin Garden Fundraising

Booksin’s garden has plots for each classroom to create the garden of their choosing with a mixture of seasonal flowers and vegetables. Children learn how to plant and care for a garden in an outdoor classroom. Families may adopt plots during the summer months for continued learning and added fundraising.

A grant from the Michael Lee Foundation gave the school garden a fresh new look. They were able to use the grant funds to replace the garden beds and remove Bermuda grass. New pathways were created with decomposed granite to keep the garden and tidy. Families are invited to lend a hand in maintaining and enjoying the beautiful and fruitful garden.

7. Red, White, and Blue Week

“Each year, the second week in February is set aside as “Red, White, and Blue Week”.  Students are encouraged to wear patriotic colors all week, and the daily announcements include patriotic songs.  In addition, a special fundraising event is held to benefit a charity.  In 2008, Booksin students Jumped Rope for Heart to raise money for the American Heart Association.  Pennies for Patients, a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and JW House, a residence for families with children in treatment for life-threatening illnesses, have also been projects featured during “Red White and Blue Week”.

A popular school fundraising idea to consider is a student serve-a-thon. It is a crowdfunding event similar to a walkathon theme that is not only intended to raise money for your school, but generate a positive impact on your community. During a serve-a-thon students and classrooms raise money by committing to a service project in the local community or partner with nonprofit organization such as Red, White and Blue Week does.

8. Food and Clothing Drives

Fall and spring food drives happen in November and March benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank. One year children donated their Halloween candy to the Red Cross Operation Care and Comfort serving American soldiers in the Middle East.  Each year the school classrooms adopt families in December through the district’s Healthy Start Program to give and bring cheer to the holiday season. The staff adopts a needy family as well. A spring clothing drive provides donations to San Jose Unified School District’s Healthy Start Program.

9. BIG Week

BIG stands for Booksin Is Generous.  BIG Week focuses on kindness, being inclusive, being healthy, and giving to others.  PTO members can get involved by volunteering to help any day during lunch hour.

• Kindness is Contagious is Monday’s theme. Kids write down their wish on a paper heart, and are encouraged to do Acts of Random Kindness.
• Everyone Belongs is Tuesday’s theme…a scavenger hunt in which students look for a variety of students per their scavenger hunt list.
• Healthy-Get Moving Exercises & Music on the playground are Wednesday’s theme.
• Giving Feels Good is Thursday’s theme. Kids assemble Activity Kits for the patients at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.  Students can bring in personal care items for patients and families such as shampoo and soap.
• Friday is the BIG Party with Music-Limbo, parachutes, and bubbles!

The partnership formed with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is of tremendous value to their school fundraising campaign. By working together, the school forms a potential alliance with the Lucile Packard Foundation as well. The strength of partnerships opens doors to sharing donors, grants, contacts and resources.

10. Volunteer Leadership Program

“The Cornerstone Leadership Program at Booksin is based on the forty-one developmental assets that support children and youth so they can thrive. It is the intention to build these assets with young children, with the focus on sustaining and increasing their optimum relationships/interactions with peers and adults. Booksin students volunteer their time before and after school and at lunch as Big Buddies, Garden Guardians, Library Helpers, Parking Lot Greeters, Peace Monitors, and Safety Patrol Officers to ensure that students have opportunities to serve their school community in meaningful and beneficial ways.”

Planting the seed during elementary education as to the value of volunteerism in the hearts and minds of children benefits all of society. School fundraising campaigns benefit from teaching the joys of this important activity as is clear with Booksin Elementary School. The best fundraising ideas are born from the creative minds of those who are taught that giving is receiving.

Our last article, Ten Charity Events One School, covered the fabulous school fundraising of Booksin Elementary School, yet it doesn’t end there. The school’s PTA fundraising and PTA newsletter add a whole new layer to their school fundraising campaign. PTA fundraising is at its best at with this prolific school fundraising team.

BESCA stands for Booksin Elementary School Community Association and is the School Connected Organization (SCO) that supports Booksin Elementary. An SCO serves to enrich the educational and/or extracurricular programs within the school and is comprised of 5 elected parents, 3 teachers and the principal. It is the hub for PTA fundraising. Each effort is shared on the PTA newsletter, the Booksin Beat.

The PTA fundraising committee benefits every Booksin student. They fund art, music, science, technology, the garden, the library, class field trips and more.  The PTA fundraising events, particularly the crowdfunding walkathon which we discussed in our first article, provide funds to teachers for use within their classrooms, and assist students with fees related to science camp.

The PTA support to Booksin Elementary is more than financial. Known for its culture of parent involvement and volunteerism, members of the PTA community are active on and off campus every day. The PTA team is both in the classroom providing assistance to teachers and outside the classroom working on initiatives and events such as the Book Fair, Safe Side program, the Student Book Exchange and Yearbook.

To define exactly what they do and how your school PTA fundraising committee can grow, we detail each effort:

PTA Newsletter

The Booksin Beat is central to keeping parents and the entire community informed and involved in school fundraising and volunteerism. One way they have done this recently on their bi-monthly PTA newsletter is to ask for volunteers: “Booksin Robotics Club needs adult volunteers for next year! Are you interested in Robotics? Could you donate an hour of time per week? We need help preparing for next year’s season and putting in place some volunteers for leadership roles.”

Yearbook

The Booksin yearbook, organized by the PTA, is a photo memory book that highlights students, staff and important PTA fundraising events that show the positive attitude and liveliness of the school. They sold 640 yearbooks last year at $20 per book.

They specifically asked for these parent and volunteers on their nonprofit website and PTA newsletter:

1. Photographers – class candid’s, WAT, Halloween, after school programs, 5th grade event photographers (science camp, revolution enactment, etc.)
2. Photo page upload designer – this is a role for the volunteer that has less access on campus and enjoys placing photos on the page…several of you did more than 1 page this year and your work was awesome! Having a volunteer that is able to collect, take some photos, and do the page layout really makes the page layout pop.
3. Public relations – assist with copying/distribution of flyers, monthly email blasts requesting/reminding Booksin community to share/upload photos
4. End of year Yearbook distribution (assist with label application and delivering books to classes)

Book Fair

Their PTA event fundraising team holds The Book Fair is a week-long event where the local children’s bookstore, Hicklebee’s, provides an opportunity to sell books and other items to raise money for the Booksin school library.  In 2014 they earned $4,922 donated in books. Collaboration with community businesses by PTAs is called smart school fundraising.

Safe Side Program

“Monday, October 19, at 6:30PM is Parent Education Night in the Booksin Cafeteria, where you’ll learn the skills to help keep your kids on the Safe Side, both on the Internet and in the real world.Remember, this is for parents only. Wednesday, October 21, at 6:30PM is Super Safety Night, where kids will watch The Safe Side Stranger Safety video, followed by the Internet Safety video for kids in grades 3 through 5. We will meet in the Booksin cafeteria.”

 PTA Recognition

On their PTA fundraising website they share individual contributions of parents, recognizing them for their dedication and specifically which program they helped. Sharing “the countless hours and an amazing amount of thought into our new art program” was shared recently of two parents.  “The Art room is very well organized and the docents will have better access to lesson plans and materials. All of the Booksin students will benefit from their hard work.  Please be sure to ask your kids about their monthly art lessons and if you see Tara or Chelsea on campus, maybe give them a shout out for all their hard work!”

PTA Fundraising Considerations

Parents and school administrators work together to determine goals, set budgets, manage timelines, and organize various details of a fundraising campaign. Consideration of these factors in your planning efforts will help make your fundraiser a greater success:

• What age are the students? Consider what students are interested in and capable of doing prior to selecting your fundraising events. You want to spark your children’s interest with a fundraising campaign. See Fundraising Through The Years for more ideas.
• Financial Planning: What is your budget for producing the fundraiser? What are the upfront costs and how will your organization cover these? What are your fundraising goals? How will funds be used?
• What resources do you have to work with, including: Parents, volunteers, local business & media relationships that can assist with sponsorships, advertising and marketing of your PTO/PTA fundraising efforts?
• What tools and resources (i.e. online fundraising software) will you use to collect donations and manage all the planning details of your PTA fundraising campaign? Take advantage of a free trial of PTA fundraising software.
• What are your plans for promoting your PTA fundraising events? Networking, social media, community relationships, local businesses, event calendars, email blasts, website links, school gatherings, etc.
• What message and skills are you teaching students through your fundraiser? Are you choosing healthy options such a walkathon or book fair?
• How will you motivate participants? Will there be prizes or awards for top performers and classrooms?

PTA Fundraising Ideas

Creative school fundraising & PTA fundraising ideas are needed to set your school fundraising team apart from the crowd. That’s why we’ve created a whole page loaded with 50 fun and unique fundraising ideas to help get organizations started with planning your fundraiser. Scope out all of the colorful details of a color run fundraiser for a PTA fundraising event loaded with creativity.

Find 40 great fundraisers for schools on our new DoJiggy web page detailing each one. Our Favorites top the list, and next comes High School Fundraising, Middle School Fundraising and Elementary School Fundraising lists. New school fundraising ideas are included so your school or PTO are seen as a leader.

Our Favorite Fundraisers for Schools

This section includes 10 fundraisers for schools with a Literary Festival, Color Run, Farm to Table Events, Adults Night Only, Yoga Classes and more.

Literacy Festival

Host a Literary Festival and read aloud short stories, poetry and novels. Enjoy a fun afternoon and raise money to buy new books for school and update the library computers. Begin with a fundraising website which offers a writing competition; one for adults and one for each grade level for the best short stories and poems. Embrace literacy and educate at the event by reading classic literature and poetry above the grade levels of students to stimulate their minds. Award prizes to the writing contest winners.

Elementary School Fundraisers for Schools

Our elementary school fundraising category appeals to kids and adults. Find new fundraisers that you may not have heard of. Educating through fundraisers and having fun are great bi-products of raising money for your school.

Zoo Walk

Walk participants and donors enjoy the entire day at the zoo while they learn about your school science projects. Walking around the zoo with family and friends, seeing lions, tigers and bears, oh my! shall be enjoyable for everyone. Take this as an opportunity to talk specifically about why you need to raise money to keep high educational standards projects. Have an information table for science and other subjects outlaying the great work you’re doing in math, English and science. Create a school fundraising peer-to-peer fundraising website with a Zoo theme.

Middle School Fundraisers for Schools

Next up are middle school fundraisers for schools that inspire budding teenagers to step into a new phase. The fun and nurturing for students continues for this age group while keeping the focus on attracting donors. Parents, teachers and the PTA are important to middle school fundraisers.

Lip Sync Competition

Bring out the stars with a lip sync competition. A fabulous voice is not needed, so everyone can compete. A planning committee to help middle school students pick their songs and costumes can be tracked on your fundraising event website. What fun this would be while giving students a chance to build their confidence on stage. Award great prizes for best costume, best female performance and best male performance. Add a few teacher performances to truly entertain the kids. Imagine what a fun after party it would be in costume…let the performances continue.

High School Fundraisers for Schools

Unique fundraising ideas for high school abound with a little less restriction in age. The opportunity to teach students about fundraising itself is great. Topics and themes for high school fundraisers for schools take on more complexity.

Green Week

Bring the entire community and those outlying your town for a lecture series on conservation and the environment. Providing students with leadership roles in fundraisers for schools offers a great learning opportunity with many valuable life skills taught through hands-on experience in marketing, advertising, managing a fundraising campaign and a fundraising website. Invite guest speakers and give your students experience in public speaking.

Overall, find many free school fundraising resources and fundraising ideas for all ages.  Advance your school and keep students interested by reaching ahead creatively and staying current in fundraising. DoJiggy is here to be a part of your success through fundraising websites, fresh fundraising ideas and customer service.

The best school websites manage detailed organization and implementation of many moving parts. They manage the flow of activities and information including fundraising, teacher directories and contact information, school calendars, the PTA, school programs, special activities and social media. The integration of these resources as they talk to each other on a school website will enhance your path to success.

School Calendar

Exactly how central and key your school calendar is cannot be stressed enough. It is central hub for listing everything of interest and importance. How interesting, appealing and inclusive of the personality of your school the newsletter reflects is key to its effectiveness. The heart beat of a newsletter creates the best school websites.

Each newsletter feature we suggest below may be used as an opportunity on your homepage too. Changing a small segment of your homepage will keep parents, donors and students intrigued and draw them to current events.  Add hyperlinks to each program and special event you highlight on your newsletter to create connectivity within your website and easy navigation.

• Select a monthly theme as a way to draw more interest to your school fundraising activities; endangered animals, earth day, nutrition, music, math and poetry are a few ideas
• List special activities and include who to contact to get involved
• List school fundraising events and key milestones; registration dates, contact info, and info regarding fun parties before and after events
• Add schedule changes
• Include a message from the principal or PTO
• Invite parent involvement
• Add photos of events and programs
• Include goal markers and progress
• Honor student achievements and include photos
• Recognize volunteers
• Include testing dates and details
• Spotlight teachers and students
• Recognize donors and community partners
• Include student writing and art
• Add safety tips
• Include parenting tips

School Donations

How concise you are in asking for donations truly matters. Create a clear call to action.

Social Media

We know the basics on social media. It’s time to find some new ways to create your strategy. All roads lead back to creating one of the best school websites as you draw traffic through social media platforms.

Creating different social media accounts for all areas is an effective strategy; athletics, girl’s/women’s athletics, language department and more. These accounts share stories, and celebrate each other’s success.

Many of the known strategies and tactics work too:

• Use a unique and recognizable photo/school logo on profile pages
• Write descriptions and stories that are interesting but also include keywords
• Link back to your website
• Encourage participation from your leaders – principal, PTO president
• Stories and posts from students and teachers are encouraged
• Share between social media accounts
• Share between your school website and social media
• Posting less with higher quality will broaden your reach
• Your school is unique – how often you post and what response you receive is a matter of experimentation

The best school websites reflect the personality of its students, portrays a clear call to action and is easy to navigate. Creating a great newsletter and using it to its full advantage acts as a central hub to your school. Let social media do its job of further spreading the word and driving traffic to your website.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated internationally each October. Nonprofit fundraising for breast cancer is placed in the spotlight to increase awareness and raise funds for research, prevention and treatment. The Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign also features information and support for individuals and families during October.

Fundraising and creative awareness campaigns are held across the globe. This is a time to celebrate each breast cancer fundraising effort and honor their work. Connecting through shared experiences and offering support through fundraising for breast cancer is important every day, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month creates a special season for giving.

Fundraising ideas for medical expenses and research for breast cancer and all forms of cancer are found through the heroes of this field. They’ve created a Breast Cancer Awareness Month theme with many types of fundraising events. Donation websites, crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising, golf tournaments and charity galas are popular fundraisers for cancer. Below we share some DoJiggy client campaigns to highlight exactly how their fundraising websites work.

Spin for Heroes

Raise money for breast cancer one pedal at a time through a crowdfunding event on spinning bikes. Spin4Heroes involves crowdfunding team captains registering the team and recruiting team members. Together they raise funds for the Heroes Foundation. Anyone can participate in Spin4Heroes. It doesn’t matter if you have never been on a spinning bike – work out as hard (or as easy) as you want.

“The mission of the Heroes Foundation is to provide meaningful support to cancer patients, education to promote cancer prevention and resources to advance research for a cure. Our heroes in the cancer fight are just like you — individuals who have a desire to make change and never give in to cancer.”

Breast Cancer Campout

Campout Against Cancer raises support for Kern County patients – 100% of the net proceeds are distributed locally. Generous contributions and fundraising efforts assist with medical costs associated with cancer care, such as prescriptions, insurance premiums, Cobra, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance.

In 2017 the Campout Against Cancer raised close to $400,000. Their 2018 goal is to raise $500,000 which translates to assisting 100 local patients with an average of $5,000 per person.  Currently over 420 local patients have depended on their support to pay for life saving treatment of breast cancer and other forms of cancer.

In Your Corner

In Your Corner is a golf tournament to raise funds for breast cancer. Each year they hold a fundraising golf tournament for breast cancer. The pink ribbon on their homepage honors the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. They create a fun day of golf and include a raffle to fund cancer research and support.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union holds its 18th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 12, 2017. To date, the tournament has provided over $825,000 to Cancer Services, Inc., a local United Way agency established “to enhance the quality of life for those living with cancer, and to provide the gift of life through education.” The agency serves cancer survivors with any type of cancer and offers services and programs at no cost to cancer survivors and their families.

Breast Cancer Walkathons

October is a time to bring breast cancer into the public eye as well as all forms of cancer. Creating a breast cancer awareness walkathon theme transforms this method of fundraising. Silent no more is hosted by the Rhode Island Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Their annual 5K run and walkathon is held to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. They celebrate survivors and remember those lost to the disease. All of the event’s proceeds will help fund ovarian cancer education and awareness and provide support services to ovarian cancer survivors and their families.

Susan G. Komen Walks are some of the biggest walkathon fundraisers each year. How about hosting your own breast cancer walkathon where members of your community can gather together, exercise and raise funds for a great cause? You’re not limited to just walking – make it a color run fundraiser or pink themed walk to add to the fun.

Breast Cancer Products

Many fundraisers show support for breast cancer and raise money for research with a product fundraising website. They sell t-shirts, jewelry, ribbons, and anything pink. Jewelry is a unique product to add since there are many forms and materials to choose from. Consider partnering with local jewelers to create pink leather bracelets and necklaces with silver charms. Partnerships with artists of all forms presents many opportunities for breast cancer fundraising.

Partner with local retailers by advertising a day or weekend “Shop for the Cure” event. During your campaign a small percentage of sales made at participating retailers will go towards breast cancer research. Make sure to promote the event through local media, especially outlets who target women. Consumers may decide to make a special shopping trip the weekend of your event. It’s a great excuse to spend money while contributing to a good cause. Consider adding prizes such as a Mall Shopping Spree and retail gift certificates. Anyone making a purchase during the Shop for a Cure event can be entered into a chance to win, adding a fun twist and added incentive to the fundraising event.

Spread the Word

Regardless of the breast cancer fundraising ideas your organization decides to undertake, the key to any successful fundraising event is getting the word out. A press release announcing the fundraising initiative and follow up with local media is important to see if they might want to be involved. Work with local businesses for sponsorship opportunities, donations, and helping to spread the word. Encourage community members to volunteer their time, to participate in the event or support participants by making a donation.

Making the donation process easy for contributors is essential. Provide a way for people to contribute online through a fundraising website, and make the steps for making donations and pledges seamless. Offering easy online fundraising software tools from DoJiggy creates a stress free experience for donors.

Find more resources for Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

• Breast Cancer Fundraising Ideas
• Free Trial Website
• Fundraising Software Solutions
• Fundraising Event Ideas
• Walkathon Resources for Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
• Fundraising Resources: Tips, Templates & How-to Guidelines

Bring more donors to your fundraising website through social media fundraising channels. Engage in a day to day communication with your global audience with simple Social Media Fundraising Tips. Be consistent with who you are and be an inspiration, and use your posts as a way to connect more intimately with your audience. Draw people to your Donate Now button by sharing the personality of your organization in more depth than your website does.

Social media fundraising it not about the platforms – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google + and Instagram. These channels are simply vehicles for you to communicate with donors and volunteers in establishing relationships with them. Social media sites set the stage for you to share your work and build a global network of supporters. Let´s discuss 15 ways to help you in doing so.

1. Add a new photo on Instagram every day of a story you wish to tell about your non-profit. It may be of an individual your organization has helped, or several. Or it may be sharing pictures of a project such as the stages of designing a new school library or embarking upon a school fundraising campaign. Add a few sentences or a caption to each photo and keep your audience captivated with something new every day in building upon each story.
2. Sharing more about the details of your work is what social media in essence can do for you in creating a strong, global donor base. Post the results of your fundraising events on social media pages. This offers donors a chance to celebrate the success that they are a part of. It gives potential donors a concrete example of your successful fundraising. Post on Facebook (and more) not only the money you have raised through an event, but how much fun everyone had and how much networking occurred.
3. Linking social media channels to each of your posts, for example on Facebook, encourages your donors to click and find out what you´re saying on Instagram and Twitter. This method may be used to save time in a pinch if you only post on one channel on a hectic day.
4. Another way to use links to bring more information to donors is to place a link to a video which leads back to your website from your YouTube channel or your Instagram page, and add expanded content around the video. Drive donors on Instagram back to longer content version on your YouTube channel by asking them to click the link in the description of your Instagram page.
5. Brand your non-profit with the photos and graphics you choose to post on social media pages. What will reach your audience and speak to your image and charity work? Customizing your SM pages with the same images across channels is a way to brand your organization. Your about us tab should be brief and quickly describe who you are and what you do for the world articulately.
6. Crowdfunding events are a grand opportunity to encourage participants to re-post and share event information that you have shared. In turn, re-posting their photos, videos, event information and each success along the way is an easy way for you to promote your non-profit by sharing personalized information about your efforts.
7. Add a LinkedIn Company Page and upload the most current information about your non-profit. Your LinkedIn non-profit page should share your mission, current news and stories of success. Make it informational and add heart rendering photos. Keep your associates engaged so they’ll be your ambassadors as well.
8. How can you woo more donors and volunteers? Add hyperlinks to your fundraising appeals for volunteers, event sponsors and donors that lead to the exact page where they can sign up to participate and donate. Make it easy for them to get involved with clear pathways and easy to use fundraising software. Put yourself in their shoes and think of the times you have left a website because it too much work…offer a rewarding experience for your donors from the very beginning.
9. Upload YouTube videos of your fundraising events – show the funny costumes of your themed walk-a-thon or fun run. Create short videos of the families and individuals in the crowd asking them why they contribute and participate in your crowdfunding event. Any fundraising campaign type is a playground for such social media videos; dinners, luncheons, wine tastings and golf tournaments are all opportunities to capture the candid words of donors as to why they are giving to your non-profit.
10. Ask your volunteers to tell everyone why they give of their time to your non-profit through impromptu videos at the office; 20 volunteers make for 20 video posts on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. This strategy shares the very core of your work by those who do it out of sheer commitment to your cause.
11. Video fundraising appeals are perfect for Youtube as well, yet there´s a lot of day to day work to publicize as well. Short videos of the projects you are starting will teach your social media audience about your work, and motivate you to take creative steps each day on projects. Such a process shares your voice and face, tells donors what you do, and helps you to shape and define your projects.
12. On the flip side, your website content or any text you publish such as blog articles can be converted to snippets into images. Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram are image centric, and this method allows to you to gain exposure through the power of such social media networks.
13. Twitter empowers you to send a link across the web with tremendous speed. Ask your followers to join you on Twitter and ask them to retweet your posts. This gets the message out quickly regarding an event or a fundraising campaign roll out.
14. Create a Google + page for your fundraiser to raise awareness. Google + pages work similarly to Facebook and allow you to communicate with people who are interested in your cause, share updates, photos and videos to attract donors. If you ask, what can Google + do that Facebook cannot, the answer is that the more social media exposure you have the more people you´ll reach.
15. Thank your top donors on all social media platforms. Tell a short story them or add brief points about their bio and let your followers know who is contributing to your organization. When people see on Facebook which donors are passionate about a cause, they may want to join a great team in a concerted effort to make an impact. The same is true about thanking your volunteers individually, giving them recognition for their gift of time and brilliance – tell their story too!

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Nonprofits are able to target a diverse audience of volunteers through specific recruitment strategies. Volunteers from a broad base of society bring fresh thoughts and growth to charity organizations. A culture that acts and thinks alike has less room for expansion and creativity. Diverse fundraising teams attract new donors and volunteers.

Recruiting volunteers gives pause for nonprofits to look at who they are targeting. People volunteer for various reasons:

• Some volunteers wish to give something back to their community and make a difference
• For others volunteering provides a chance to gain experience or skills in a new area of interest or for a job market
• Many people enjoy meeting new people or working as part of a team on volunteer projects

5 Strategies to Recruit a Diverse Pool of Volunteers

Volunteerism and Corporate Partnerships

Talented professionals pursue companies who give back to society. Thus many employers actively engage in socially responsible efforts. Partnerships between businesses and charity organizations in volunteerism set the stage. It is as much about fulfillment as it is dollars for businesses and nonprofits. If nonprofits create a flexible environment and means of engagement, they benefit from the talents of corporate employees. A win is found for corporations by keeping their talent on board and providing a chance for enrichment.

Volunteer partnerships between corporations and nonprofits provide opportunities for corporate teams to learn to function well together and build trust. Their interactions during volunteer work are more intimate and heartfelt than in the board room. Corporate employees discover improved self esteem as a result of their positive volunteer experiences. Studies thus show improved conflict management and decision making in employees.

Attracting Young Volunteers

Social media platforms, especially Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, are a great way to attract young volunteers. A visual presentation appeals to a young audience. Young volunteers of the same age range tend to share their photos and stories on social media platforms. A chance for them to meet new friends by working together is a most appealing and alluring incentive. Recruitment in person also works with this audience in visiting universities and alumni institutions as well as youth groups.

Keep young volunteers around by offering incentives such as internships and writing letters of reference. Managing a full fundraising event from start to finish is great work experience. Put the pressure on them to do well by offering job recommendations and extra credit opportunities. A one year internship looks great on a resume. Work in collaboration with nearby universities and high schools.

How you work with young volunteers is a strong consideration in keeping them around. Consider their age in terms of mindset, attention span and interest in technology. Involve them in decisions and learn from them. Find out what roles are best for young adults by asking and listening to them. Assign team leaders who speak their language.

Open Door to Diversity

Perhaps your nonprofit tends to recruit similar kinds of people as those who are already involved as volunteers. This is great if you are building a particular kind of organizational culture, but can be limiting if you want to bring some diversity into your volunteer programs.

Streamlining your recruitment process can make it easier for volunteers from diverse backgrounds to get involved. Consider reducing the amount of forms and paperwork, or include this in the interview process where you can assist the volunteer to fill them out when needed. This may open the door to volunteers of varying levels of education and language background.

Partnerships with Employment Agencies

Create partnerships with local employment agencies and unemployment offices. Job seekers can find training through volunteering by running special events, outreach to donors and recruiting other volunteers. New connections are made with regard to potential employers and networking with other professionals.

Job seekers are able to step into doorways of companies who have a strong culture of social responsibility with volunteer experience. Volunteers stand out in the job market due to the commitment they’ve shown to giving back. Volunteering found on resumes is a topic of conversation in interviews. Unemployed folks using their time to gain new skills and help nonprofits shows real initiative and proactive thinking.

Virtual Volunteering

Bring diversity in volunteerism to your nonprofit by reaching a global audience through virtual volunteering. Virtual volunteers work by phone or online to help nonprofits with online marketing and non-profit SEO strategies, IT, research projects and more. Virtual volunteering allows employees, in partnership with nonprofits, to work on projects without scheduling confines. Add a section on virtual volunteering to your nonprofit website defining your needs. Make it easy for global volunteers to connect with your organization.

More Volunteer Recruitment Advertising Strategies

If your non-profit is looking for new volunteers, here are some advertising strategies to get you started:

• Host a volunteer day with festivities, food and program information booths. While fundraising events (such as walkathon fundraisers) can bring new volunteers to nonprofits, a day set aside to meet potential volunteers is more focused.
• Ask community leaders to promote volunteer opportunities and the benefits. Teachers at universities may share inspiration to students, parents and other teachers. Doctors and lawyers may wish to keep your marketing materials in their lobby as a way to help you recruit more volunteers. Community leaders may wish to be a part of a lecture series on volunteering held at your nonprofit.
• Contact your local TV and radio stations with interesting stories about a volunteer or your nonprofit projects. Host a call-in to promote your organization and the richness of volunteering. Place short radio and TV ads on the benefits of volunteering and being involved your nonprofit in particular.
• Post stories and photos of volunteers on your nonprofit website homepage. Add a volunteer section to your website. Elaborate on the benefits of volunteering for your nonprofit. Post a volunteer sign-up link to your fundraising websites and organization website.
• Host fundraising events that can be managed by volunteers. Give them opportunities to feel a sense of accomplishment and a desire to manage the next event. Charity galas, golf tournaments and peer-to-peer fundraising events hold many roles for volunteers.
• Advertise in your newsletter, and community, business and school newsletters. Find opportunities to advertise in newsletters with libraries, job programs, vocational training centers and any relevant places to find volunteers. And as always, think outside of the box.
• Place a volunteer recruitment ad in local newspapers. Add openings for volunteers and internships in the jobs section. Create an opportunity for publications to offer their ad space free and grow their business through social consciousness.
• Hold information sessions at community centers and at your nonprofit. Brief sessions allow your nonprofit to cover more ground and find volunteers in places you may not expect.
• Create fliers, posters and postcards and distribute them in key places around your community. High-school students are good volunteers for helping you with distribution. Offer them an opportunity to work with college students and your staff in learning how to create marketing materials.

Opportunities and benefits for both volunteers and nonprofits are vast in the arena of volunteerism. Consider how to recruit new energy and faces and listen to your current volunteers. Crowdfunding for nonprofits alone funnels a steady stream of new and diverse volunteers to the scene. Strategies that reach a cross-section of society create the strongest base and generate creativity and diversity of thought.

The post Winning Volunteer Recruitment Strategies for Non-profits appeared first on Online Fundraising Today.

Get your spirits up because it’s that time of year! With the fall and Homecoming season in play, it’s the perfect time to brainstorm some ideas for cheerleading fundraisers. Here are five different ways to approach cheer fundraisers, with some ideas to hit the ground running and achieve all of your cheerleading fundraising goals.

5 Great Cheerleading Fundraising Ideas

1. Peer-to-Peer Crowdfunding

Peer-to-peer fundraising events (P2P) that work great for cheer and dance groups include: Fun Run and Walk-a-thon fundraisers, Community Service projects, and Spin-a-thons. We’ve seen the power of peer-to-peer fundraising and how effective fundraising can be when leveraging personal relationships for cheerleading fundraisers. It begins with finding a particular goal or mission to revolve the campaign around, such as new uniforms or an annual trip. Assign each cheerleader a goal of a certain amount to fundraise. Then the cheerleading team contacts their friends, families and community to help support their cause and help them reach their goals. It is also essential to work with the cheerleaders to show them how to communicate the goal and the importance of support from their friends, family and community. See more on encouraging your peer-to-peer participants to fundraise.

2. Sweets, Treats and Goods Cheer Fundraisers

Cheerleaders are outgoing and connected members of the school and community. For that reason, product sales are always a good idea for cheer fundraising.

• Sell School Paraphernalia: Get the crowd ready to shout and cheer with all of the right school paraphernalia. These can include mascot stuffed animals, temporary tattoos, foam hands, pom-poms, jerseys, shirts, caps and more, which are great sources of funds towards the cheerleading fundraisers.
• Sweets: Shop around for the highest profits for selling such sweets and goodies like flavored popcorn, cookies, candy, pretzels and snacks.
• Seasonal Catalog Goods: The holidays always find people looking for unique gift ideas, ready to spend a little more than usual. Another great option is a catalog with seasonal or holiday goods, which often include treats, gift wrap and home goods.
• Natural Specialty Goods: For more healthy goods, consider looking at catalogs that offer specialty items, such as coffee, flower bulbs, candles, and natural soap fundraisers.
• Sell Gift Certificates: Work with local business to sell gift certificates that can give a certain percentage of the certificates sold towards the cause.

3. Raffle Fundraising Ideas

Raffle ticket sales are another great fundraising idea for cheerleading groups. Try these ideas:

• 50/50: An appealing way to raise funds is with a 50/50 fundraiser. The concept of a 50/50 is that people buy tickets for a chance to win 50% of the funds raised. Be sure to take the extra step to research local laws and statutes to confirm that a 50/50 fundraiser is allowed and is not considered gambling – before you start.
• Fundraising Raffles: With strong sponsors on board to donate in-kind services and goods as prizes, sell raffle tickets at a sports or school event for a chance for ticket-holders to win great prizes. The prize can also be as simple as reserving the best seat in the house at the school games.

4. Event-Based Cheer Fundraisers

Get the school and the community excited with these event fundraising ideas. Utilize event management software to make it easy to register participants and sponsors for your cheerleading event fundraisers. Give your donors an easy website to make donations with a secure payment processor.

Local businesses love participating with school events because it provides the benefit of building their brand and reputation within the community. Oftentimes, their employees and their families are students or alumni of the local school, so it is only natural to extend their support. Here are some great ways that benefit both local businesses and help with cheerleading fundraisers:

• Pep Rally Pie Time: Take advantage of the high spirits of the pep rally and host a “We’re Going to Cream the Other Team” theme, which can involve cream pie-related games. One game can be a pie-eating contest where contestants pay to play. Another game option involves attendees dropping money into a bucket or pitcher in front of the teachers, coaches, principals and other school staff they want to see pied in the face.
• Special Night Out: Host a Spirit Night with a local business, in that a percentage of the profits from patronizing on a certain date goes towards the cheerleading fundraisers. These events work well at local diners, pizza joints and any popular family restaurants near the school. Cheerleaders should help staff the event and sell raffle tickets during the evening.

5. Selling Your Own Services & Stuff

Sometimes the best kind of fundraisers are the ones that come from the team’s own hard work.

• Car Washes: Great for the summertime, host a car wash that involves the cheerleading team, sports team, coaches and more to chip-in on the cleaning efforts. Utilize a place that has a lot of space for cars to circulate and hookups to hoses, such as the school parking lot on a free weekend. Include box lunches and cold drinks to earn more.
• Holiday Gift Wrapping: Tis’ the season for gift giving once the days get chilly, and it’s the perfect time for a gift wrapping fundraiser. Inquire with the local mall, stores, church or other businesses if they can host a space for the gift wrapping fundraiser for a given weekend. A great holiday fundraising idea!
• Bake Sale/Food Sale: For a classic cheer fundraiser, have the team get busy in the kitchen and prepare some brownies, cookies and cakes to sell at school or sporting events. Be sure to include gluten-free and low sugar options, so everyone can participate. For a twist on the bake sale, there can also be a food sale, such as a gourmet pancake or waffle breakfast on a Saturday or Sunday morning at school.
• Garage Sale: Got plenty of junk in the closet that you’re looking to get rid of? Why not put it towards a good use and host a community garage sale? Utilize the gym or lunchroom as a place to display all the goods for sale.

Tips for Successful Cheerleading Fundraisers

Plan the Goals for the Year: Start off the year with a clear fundraising goal. How many funds are needed to successfully reach your goal? From there, decide how many cheer fundraisers and events are needed to achieve your goal, with enough room in between each event to gather all of the resources to execute the event.

Gather All the Man Power to Succeed: Not only do the cheerleaders participate, but get the parents, coaches and community involved. Parents and coaches may have established relationships with businesses within the community, which are essential in gaining sponsorship support for in-kind and monetary donations.

Have All the Right Tools: Many of the ideas above require a lot of organization in both assigning the volunteers for each event and accurately accounting of the funds raised. Make sure to have good fundraising software that can ease your planning and cheerleading fundraising efforts. Another benefit of having good fundraising software is to assure that your cheerleading fundraising goals stay on track as you progress through the school year, especially for peer-to-peer cheerleading fundraising campaigns.

Evaluate the Event’s Success: Event evaluation and recap is an important part of the process of planning fundraising events. Your team needs to learn what worked well and what can be done better the next time around. Be sure to get together and discuss the event within a week, when everyone’s memories are fresh.

Thank the Supporters, Sponsors and Team: Also important after a successful cheerleading fundraiser, always remember to thank the supporters, sponsors and team for their efforts towards achieving the cheerleading fundraising goal. Communication is the key to receiving continuous support and donor loyalty. Keeping your supporters in the loop on how you’ve progressed is vital to maintaining their support to future events and causes. Go team!

The post 5 Winning Cheerleading Fundraisers appeared first on Online Fundraising Today.

Christmas break is a fantastic time of year to manage a successful University fundraising campaign. Hosting the event on your school campus draws donors to the very place you need funds. There are so many opportunities to show off your school and bring its special qualities and offerings to light and inspire donors to give.

One prestigious university, Hofstra University, happens to be holding a crowdfunding event on December 10. They are not simply showcasing their beautiful campus, but are displaying their brilliance, school programming and community service efforts. They are combining their event with another nonprofit they work in partnership with, Community Mainstreaming Associates (CMA), who is committed to providing flexible and innovative services that meet the changing needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Their on campus fun run event this December is an opportunity for the university educators and CMA staff to meet donors personally, and inform them of successful past and upcoming programming. This fall Hofstra Univerity Continuing Education in collaboration with Community Mainstreaming Associates (CMA), provided a half-day of classes for young adults with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities on the Hofstra campus which was open to the community. It was held in 6 sessions and taught the art of communication through several creative pathways. Sharing the specific details of what these nonprofits actually did with the funding of their donors is a big step in the direction of procuring new top donors at the fun run.

The rich fabrics of partnerships is working for Hofstra University and Community Mainstreaming Associates during their fundraising campaign and provides an opportunity for them to show donors what each nonprofit organization is doing for their community, and share the fruits of their collaboration. The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University in partnership with the Disability Opportunity Fund, a NY nonprofit, are endeavoring to uncover gaps and identify creative solutions for housing and related services for people with disabilities and their families. “In an effort to explore both the gaps, as well as potential solutions, we are speaking with a range of stakeholders in a series of focus groups, and conducting a population-based survey to assess need and demand, and to give all consumers an opportunity to have their voice heard.

Our goal is to use the data from the Wait No More Survey to spark creative collaborations among policymakers, providers, developers and funders to find a range of safe, affordable, accessible, preferable and sustainable housing options for this underserved, at-risk population.”

University fundraising at Hofstra is also unique because of their beautiful New York campus. While showing their donors with great pride the grounds and buildings of their impressive school, they have a chance to share their one of a kind mission statement. Donors who give to universities are not solely those who are integrated with the school itself, but with society. Education is the future, so sharing with their entire community the primary mission, in person is powerful …”providing quality its students in an environment that encourages, nurtures, and supports learning through the free and open exchange of ideas, for the betterment of humankind. Hofstra University is fully committed to academic freedom and to the transmission, advancement, and preservation of knowledge for its own academic community and for the community at large. Hofstra University offers undergraduate and graduate programs taught by a research-active and professionally engaged faculty.”

The university fundraising team has chosen the easiest way to get the maximum amount of funds raised during the campaign. As donors receive emails about the campaign they are simply a click away from making an online donation. Online fundraising reaches a broader audience than solely the day of the event will draw. They know it is essential to have an online option for donors to give, rather than miss those who may want to donate but can’t take time out of their busy schedules, or travel a long distance to attend the event. The Hofstra crowdfunding website gives donors the option of making a donation in honor of a teacher or student, or someone instrumental to their education.

There are many different types of fundraising initiatives available to universities such as collecting online donations, organizing a sales-drive or planning an exciting event such as the fun run / 5K race non-profit crowdfunding event at Hofstra University. Free online resources are dedicated to helping you choose which type of fundraiser is right for your team, as well as providing guidelines to help you create a successful university fundraising campaign. An alumni fundraising initiative is another popular university direction and may be designed to bring in dollars to support the development of school projects for the University itself, or to help fund programs for school groups they were involved in such as fraternities, sororities, poetry clubs, political groups and sport teams, Targeting alumni for fundraising efforts is an excellent idea.

Fundraising software by DoJiggy is dedicated to helping university students, faculty, teams and nonprofit organizations to better plan, manage and execute fundraising campaigns. With our university fundraising resource center, we strive to provide the best collection of resources to make university fundraising events and initiatives more successful. Whether the fundraiser is sponsored by the university or conducted by a group within, there is often a need to raise dollars for school developmental projects, new technology and materials, as well as to fund extracurricular activities and social organizations. We provide a complete line of online fundraising solutions to help you plan and manage whatever fundraising event or initiative you choose…helping you save time and money, while executing a successful university fundraiser. Our goal is that these fundraising resources, used with our online software tools will save your organization valuable time and allow you to raise more money for your cause.

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