If you’re ready to start giving back to your community, or you want to make a bigger difference, you can begin by learning more about how charity works. If your efforts are successful, it will mean handling large amounts of money, or other types of donations. Understanding the process of charity fundraising will better prepare you for that eventuality.
Reach Out to the Charitable Organization
Once you raise enough money to reach your goal, you’ll need to donate it to an organization that will use those funds to help the cause. It’s beneficial to know which organization you’ll work with in advance and contact them about raising money for them. This will help you meet their requirements for donations under the tax laws. They may also offer you help in organizing your fundraiser.
Marketing Your Fundraiser
In many ways, starting a fundraiser is very much like promoting a new business. You will need to market the event and garner interest among the community. The best way of doing this is by starting a page on your favorite social media sites and creating engaging posts. Don’t forget to mark the posts for public visibility and to use appropriate hashtags, since this will ensure anyone searching for those terms will see your page’s posts.
Seek Out Large Donors
While creating public awareness, and getting the average individual to donate is important, this type of fundraising isn’t usually very cost-effective. The time and money you invest in organizing the charitable event is often much more than the amount you will raise in donations. However, if you can attract a corporate donor or two, this may be enough to help you earn a more substantial return on your investment. This strategy can help you cover the costs of organizing the event, and it will give you a larger amount of capital to donate to your cause.
You Can’t Do it Alone
No matter how emotionally invested you are in the cause, you just can’t organize and run a fundraiser without help. Trying to get your friends and colleagues involved can help you get the back-up support you need, and you’ll be spreading awareness about your cause in the process. As you do interest others in getting involved, be sure to counsel them on your interests and goals, so everyone understands the agenda for the fundraiser.
While helping a worthy cause should come from the heart, it also requires a sensible and financially focused mindset. There are many factors to consider as you begin raising money for the causes you care about. Trying to anticipate these factors will help you be more successful in your philanthropic endeavors.