Knowing how to fundraise effectively is half the fundraising battle! We’ve got some hot tips on effective ways of fundraising to help you reach your goal faster. ☆ You have a dream trip, volunteering placement, or opportunity in mind, but you’re worried about how you’ll fund it. (Did we guess right?) We’re here to make sure you have an easy way to collect your funds and find effective fundraising methods—so it won’t be too long before you are booking that plane/train/hot air-balloon ticket and taking a trip that will change your life!
Fundraising can seem daunting at first, but if you know how to fundraise effectively you will be surprised by what you can achieve. Using these handy fundraising techniques will help you quickly realize that you can reach your goal. Plus, using effective ways of fundraising is quite fun! Here’s how to fundraise effectively (and reach your goal):
Tips for how to fundraise effectively
1. Consider your costs (and don’t overspend).
Remember there is no point fundraising lots of money if your upfront costs are nearly the same as what you make! So before you start any event, ask yourself: Will I make more money than it costs to run this event? Will the money I make from this event be more than I could earn from a part time job?
Although these two questions may sound impossible to answer, there are plenty of ways to fundraise without huge upfront costs. Think creatively, and about how can you reduce costs. What do you really need? How can you make the maximum about of money from your event? To fundraise effectively always consider the time you are putting in verses the money you will make.
2. Determine your audience.
Who should you be marketing your fundraiser to? Peers? Your church? Family? Think about who would be willing to donate, who can donate the most, and adjust accordingly. Some people will want lots of details about why you want the money, and others won’t want to be overwhelmed. Will they want visual prompts? Or will a leaflet they can take home with them be enough? At every event you will need to consider your audience and what they will want. (Psst…FundMyTravel has lots more inspiration for fun ways to spread your message to your audience.)
3. Know why you’re fundraising…and sell it well.
There are so many causes wanting our money, but most of them don’t tell us why it is important to support them. But don’t fret! People still want to support each other—they just want to know why they are doing it. Once you know what you’re fundraising for, you’ll need the answers to a few crucial questions: Where will the money go? How will it make a difference? This may sound simple, but it’s amazing how many people don’t make it clear. So make sure you know what you’re fundraising for, and make sure your audience knows.
4. Be authentic.
There’s no reason to downplay your drive behind a meaningful travel. If people can tell that you have a passion for your cause, your passion will quickly rub off on them. Spend time on your FundMyTravel page, and on your information available at events. Let your passion shine, and you will quickly be inspiring people to donate.
5. Save time and take it online.
Cash is no longer king, so don’t expect people to always have cash on hand to donate to you. Crowdsourcing and online fundraising are great ways to collect your donations online, making it easy for both you and your donors. Prepare something to hand out at your events about providing an option for people to donate online later, or create a contact list of attendees and email them later.
Before launching your FundMyTravel page, spend time on creating it (use the resources available to help make yours the best)! People will want to see a compelling page that will effectively convey your message, so that they have a good reason to donate to your campaign. Remember to invoke a sense of inspiration!
6. Celebrate your achievements.
When you first start your fundraising journey, it may seem overwhelming how much you need to fundraise, and you may have moments of doubt. So while you are on this journey, take a moment to celebrate what you have achieved so far. Every step (no matter how small) gets you closer to your end goal. Also, think about all the fundraising techniques you have developed; one day these may come in useful when you are interviewing for a job!
7. Don’t forget the after.
After you have finished your fundraising, it’s nice to keep people informed about where their money went. A quick picture on social media, an email to everyone, a blog post, or a video are all great ways to show people you appreciate their contributions (and how their contributions went to good use!). Everyone appreciates a thank-you now and again. Plus, those positive ties may help further on down the road if you ever need to fundraise again.
Effective ways of fundraising will get you to your goal!
No goal is impossible, no dream is too small, and effective ways of fundraising will get you closer to your ambition. Before you know it, you will have a million fundraising techniques under your belt, and you will be setting off on your next adventure! FundMyTravel has loads of information about effective ways of fundraising, so take a moment to look and get your creative juices flowing.
Don’t forget to enjoy the journey of finding effective fundraising methods; after all, it’s a huge part of the experience. And after all that hard work, overcoming the challenge and going abroad will feel even more sweet.
[Start your fundraising journey and sign up for FundMyTravel account!]
This article was written by Rachel Taylor. After moving to Malaysia, Rachel caught the travel bug and hasn’t been back to the UK since. Her travels have taken her via Europe, East and Southern Africa, and Asia. She is currently settled in northeast China, where she is hoping one day to hold a conversation in Chinese not about the weather.