Even if you have a successful nonprofit fundraising event with lots of participants, we’re willing to bet that you’ve got even more supporters out there living their lives with gusto—having birthdays, running marathons, hosting parties, and more. How could your organization increase its impact if they turned these activities into fundraising events for your nonprofit?
With a little effort on your part, you can encourage your supporters to become fundraisers by participating in an online grassroots fundraising campaign. Join Firstgiving’s Account Management team for a discussion of grassroots strategizing and get the creative juices flowing.
2. Your grassroots fundraising
Mostly online
Less than half
online
Considering online
campaign
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call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
3. First things first
• Why grassroots?
• Community building
• SeJng expectaLons
• Grassroots methods & tools
• Things to do right now
• A word from our sponsor
• Q & A
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call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
4. Beyond event fundraising
• PotenLal for small
and large
organizaLons
• How small is small?
• How much Lme?
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call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
5. Event fundraising Grassroots fundraising
Good for larger, well‐established ‐A supplemental strategy for large
organizaLons with broad support organizaLons
base ‐A powerful tool for small
organizaLons
Specific date, Lme, locaLon, “Virtual,” start and end date but
registraLon process (conLnuum)
Requires more logisLcal planning and Requires more communicaLon,
resources (top‐down) outreach, and encouragement
(bo_om‐up)
May involve less commitment on part May involve more commitment on
of fundraisers part of fundraisers?
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
6. Community building
• Grassroots requires support of commi_ed
people
• Who are your supporters?
• Why do you need them?
• How can they help?
• They are volunteers—more likely to help you if
you make it easy for them to get involved
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
7. The grassroots rEvoluLon
• Used to be primarily a strategy for local
community mobilizaLon
• Online tools create new potenLal for
grassroots strategies
• What are your fundraising goals?
• Is a grassroots campaign the means to reach
those goals?
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
8. Why do grassroots? online?
• Grassroots fundraisers typically have a great
deal of drive/incenLve
• Personal, direct appeals
• Efficient
• Bringing a formerly offline campaign online to
take advantage of online networking tools
• Adding a new online fundraising component
to an established strategy
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
9. Why do people fundraise?
• Personal experience—
cause (disease, travel,
etc)
• Personal experience—
organizaLon
• Community need (local
or global)
Flickr photo courtesy of World Development Movement • RecogniLon of need due
to budget cuts
under Crea:ve Commons license
• They have to (board
members)
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
10. Where can you find these amazing people?
• Your staff and board
• Your email list
• Your direct mail list
• Facebook
• Local businesses/
partnerships
• AlternaLve to
corporate Flickr image courtesy of baratunde under Crea:ve Commons license
sponsorships/grants
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
11. The buck stops where?
Grassroots fundraising is powerful when it
connects people to your organizaLon’s work
and mission so that they feel part of it
Your NPO Supporters = Fundraisers Friends & Family = Donors
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
12. Put on your fundraising hat
• Personally meaningful
• Empowering and cause‐oriented
• Tangible impact, feels appreciated
• ExpectaLons are/challenge is clear
• Takes into account a full schedule and other
commitments
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
13. Fundraising ideas by fundraisers
• Host a small benefit house party/BBQ/wine tasLng
• Happy hour/pub crawl
• Nintendo wii tournament/poker tournament
• Charitable golf ouLng
• Give up something for a period of Lme and donate the money (coffee,
eaLng out, movies)
• Collect sponsorships for a skydive
• Train and compete in an endurance event
• Ask for donaLons in lieu of giks (birthday, holiday, wedding)
• Raise money in honor of a friend or family member who ba_led or is
ba_ling a disease
• “Rent” playLme with a puppy or host a “dog wash”
• Car wash
• Fundraising team for an awareness month
• And many, many more. . .
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
15. Break it down
• Give them some ideas and encourage them to
be creaLve
• Suggest fundraising minimum based on goal
and how many parLcipants you expect
• Consider different goals for different groups or
segments
• Inspire friendly compeLLon, offer incenLves
or prizes
• Publicize!
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
26. Recap: what you do v. what fundraisers do
What you do What your fundraisers do
Create framework for grassroots
event or campaign and tell everyone Join campaign
about it
Inspire with examples and ideas for Some use your ideas,
fundraising, connect their efforts to your some come up with their own
work
Generate momentum, encourage and Reach out to their networks (because they
empower (by listening and are commi_ed to the cause and excited to
communicaLng throughout) be part of the campaign)
Thank fundraisers and donors, follow up Feel appreciated and part of a movement
on matching giks that has had a real impact
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
27. How much Lme?
• Try it!
• Smaller orgs tend to benefit because
– More flexible
– Don’t have large base of supporters (corporate
sponsors, government grants)
– They’re used to it
• Larger orgs tend to benefit because
– Can supplement what they have going already
For sound, use your computer speakers or
call 312‐878‐0222 code 357‐847‐886
28. For sound, use your computer speakers
or call 312-878-0222 code 357-847-886
29. Some resources
• Firstgiving’s grassroots event planning
guide
• Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use
Social Media
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/
• Firstgiving on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/firstgiving
• The Grassroots Fundraising Journal
(Klein & Roth)
• Here Comes Everybody (Clay Shirky)
For sound, use your computer speakers
or call 312-878-0222 code 357-847-886
33. Person‐to‐Person Fundraising
Your NPO Supporters = Fundraisers Friends & Family = Donors
• Your supporters make personalized appeals
• Your supporters leverage their social networks
• Give power to the people who want to do more.
For sound, use your computer speakers or call
312-878-0222 code 357-847-886