As the world grapples with change, nonprofit organizations are forced to look for alternatives to physical fundraising events to keep revenue flowing and get donors engaged.
If you need to create a virtual fundraising opportunity, you should consider the creative online fundraising ideas included in this article.
These ideas will help you virtually engage your donors and attract support for your cause, so make sure to keep reading.
1. Host an Online Talent Show
Why not make members of your community the stars of your fundraiser?
Think about people in your community who know/creative talent to share.
Ask them to prepare a short video act/presentation for your event and choose an interesting theme which ties in with your community’s unique talents/knowledge.
You could also book a professional virtual entertainer to make the event even more exciting so that more people will want to join.
A clean comedian such as Marty Simpson would make an excellent choice, as he will captivate the attention of your virtual attendees with his hilarious, self-deprecating humor.
Once you have secured the talent for your virtual event, you can start requesting registrations in advance using an event registration app.
Then provide a virtual ticket to access the talent show via a link you give out.
Services such as YouTube Live and Facebook Live make it easy to live-stream your event to a large number of attendees (for free) – making this one of the most useful online fundraising ideas to get donors engaged.
2. Cooking Class Fundraiser, Virtual Edition
People are spending a lot more time indoors, cooking meals at home, instead of going out. They are eager to learn new skills in the kitchen and be more adventurous with their cooking.
You can take advantage of this opportunity by surprising your donors with an online cooking class fundraiser.
Find an excellent cook to lead the class, and live stream the lessons. Donors will be excited to learn something new while also supporting a good cause.
And if you don’t know where to start your search for the perfect chef whom you can book for your virtual cooking fundraiser, here are two suggestions to take into account.
- Stefanie Sacks. A nationally recognized Culinary Nutritionist and professional, Stefanie will educate attendees on the meaning of eating healthily. Her program also includes a one-hour interactive cooking demo in which Stefanie will prepare two simple, nutritious, and scrumptious recipes.
- Martin Mongiello. As a former White House Chef, Martin will help your remote audience elevate their cooking by sharing some of his top secrets for preparing memorable meals. All his programs are virtual-presentable. Moreover, Martin can also develop a custom program that fits your exact needs.
3. Online Auction
This might be one of the online fundraising ideas that most resembles its offline counterpart.
So, if you already had plans to host an auction as part of a fundraiser this year, you can use technology to convert it into an online auction quickly.
Just like in a traditional auction, you raise money by making it possible for donors to purchase different gift items to support your organization.
To top things off, you could book an event painter such as Heidi Schwartz, who has created a special program that is perfect for a virtual event.
As part of her program, you will get donors engaged when they log in and witness a piece of art being created on streaming video. During this time, Heidi will create a painting that matches the theme of the event.
You’ll then be able to auction off the piece to raise even more money for your cause.
4. A TEDx-Style Virtual Event
Consider hosting a live stream presentation in which a series of professional virtual speakers share their insights with your community of donors, motivating them to improve different aspects of their lives.
Be sure to include links to calls-to-action for donation requests before and after the presentations. You need to make it super easy for your remote audience to provide an online donation to your nonprofit.
All-New Online Fundraising Ideas to Get Donors Engaged
Many nonprofits rely on annual in-person events such as galas to round up their yearly revenues.
However, virtual events can be the solution that keeps your organization above water, and we hope that you’ll walk away from this article with a few new ideas in mind.
And if you want even more inspiration, then you should also check out this article on the best tips which will help you host a successful online fundraising event during uncertain times.
