Community Fundraising: An alternative to funding proposals

Grant funding is an incredibly powerful resource that can change the landscape of organisations and their communities. Funds raised through formal proposals to big organisations like USAID and EuropeAid can support projects for a full year or more, making a lasting impact on their beneficiaries.  Yet the unfortunate fact remains that most grant applications, however good they are, will not be successful. Proposal writing takes considerable time, energy and skill but is there another quicker, more local solution that can raise those all important funds for your organisation?

Community fundraising, raising money from your local community of friends, family, clubs and businesses, generates billions of dollars every year for non profit organisations in the west. The idea is starting to catch on in developing countries too so we have put together ten quick fundraising ideas that can raise some much needed funds quickly and easily.

1. Hold a coffee morning: Whether it is tea, coffee or the local favourite, you can raise some quick money and engage with your community by holding a get together at a local community centre. All you need to do is invite everyone you know and charge a small entrance fee that will be donated to your organisation.

2. Host an auction: Contact local businesses, wealthy individuals and anyone else with something to offer to ask if they could donate something to your cause. It could be an item, their time or anything else of value. Invite everyone you can and auction off all of your prizes. Any money that is raised is all profit and can be used however you wish to support your organisation’s work.

3. Get sponsored: Sponsored events and challenges are hugely popular in the west raising tens of millions of pounds every year. All you need to do is find a challenge for yourself. Examples of sponsored challenges include silences to runs and fasts to lying in a giant bath of beans for a day! The more difficult or fun your challenge is the more sponsorship you should be able to generate. Take up the challenge and get your local community to sponsor you to achieve it!

4. Hold a raffle: Raffles are probably one of the oldest fundraising initiatives around. Step one; find an attractive prize or prizes that as many people as possible will want to win. You may want to contact local and national companies to see what they could donate as a prize. Step two; sell as many tickets for the raffle as you can. Invite everyone to a live prize draw where you can remind everyone of the great work you are doing before drawing all of the entries out of a hat to decide a winner.

5. Host a party: You can raise funds for your organisation whilst showing everyone a great time. Simply find a convenient location, recruit some donated entertainment, cook up some food and charge a small entry fee to join in. Easy money!

6. Bake sale: Everyone appreciates food and it tastes all the better when the profits from it are used to benefit a good cause. You can make this idea work for your organisation by organising for your volunteers, friends and family to create something in the kitchen that you can sell. You should have no costs and any monies raised can be used to support your projects. Hold the event regularly and you have a steady stream of income into your organisation.

7: Another Man’s Treasure: Everyone has bits and pieces lying around that they are not sure what to do with. Books that have been read, equipment that is no longer used and all those other things that clutters up people’s homes. Just ask all of your contacts to consider what they could donate to your cause. Get as many things as you can and then sell them off at a local market. Make sure everyone knows that the money will be used to support local projects and they are sure to dig a little deeper into their pockets.

8. Give it up: Get your supporters to give something up for a full month and donate the money saved to your cause. Whether it is smoking, drinking, sweet foods or any other luxuries that we can all live without, the money adds up fast. If you can get a few volunteers to take part for a full month the money raised could make a positive impact on your work.

9. Business Support: Local companies love to get their name associated with a positive cause. Talk to them and ask if they could donate a small percentage of their proceeds for a day or week to your cause. It may not be a huge amount of money to the company but it could make a big difference to your organisation.

10. Talent show: Most everyone has a hidden talent or at the very least every one can have a go! Organise a stage and provide an opportunity for your supporters to sing, dance and perform their talent to an assembled crowd. Walk around with a bucket calling for donations after each performance and you’ll be amazed at how much people are willing to give to a great cause.

Do you have any local fundraising ideas that have worked for your organisation? Share them in the comments section and help create a more sustainable world for everyone.