Lessons learned from new fundraising ideas during COVID

Nonprofits tried out many fundraising ideas during COVID to get people virtually involved — here are our favourites, with takeaway lessons!

Now that we’re hopefully through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that there were some upsides: For one thing, fundraising has changed for the better in a few different ways. The initial shake-up of 2020 caused a 7.3% increase in total donors, and small gifts under $250 grew 15.3%. On GivingTuesday alone, 34.8 million people gave worldwide — a 29% increase over 2019.

With increased needs for all kinds of nonprofit aid, higher levels of awareness, and more ways to get involved than ever before, charity organisations were able to take action and innovate like never before.

One of the trends that really inspired us was the collaboration between all kinds of local businesses and nonprofit organisations pooling their resources to make a bigger impact. Community partnerships are still a fun way to open up new possibilities, reach new community members, and multiply your fundraising success with matching gifts and sponsorships. Let’s keep up the spirit of collaboration!

There’s a lot more we can learn from the virtual fundraising ideas during COVID that got us through the toughest challenges. In this article, we’ll take a look at some specific examples.

The Most Innovative Fundraising Ideas During COVID

Think back to the moments when you saw people coming together to take collective action in 2020, like the One World: Together at Home concert and the hugely successful Black Lives Matter movement. Some organisations accomplished more than they had ever thought possible.

A few key insights have completely changed the game for today’s nonprofits:

• Supporters are activists — and they love to participate in their own unique ways.
• Social media is an important tool for fundraising, but it’s always evolving.
• Virtual events can get a great attendance.
• Many supporters prefer giving online.
• You don’t need expensive tech to create impressive campaigns.

Did your organisation learn something that changed your approach or led to new fundraising ideas during COVID? Maybe you learned something new about your supporters — for instance, that they actually prefer to stay at home. Or were they more willing to engage with nontraditional fundraising methods than you would have thought?

COVID-Friendly Fundraising Ideas

Of course, adapting to social distancing, wearing face masks, and mastering virtual fundraising platforms were some of the biggest challenges nonprofits saw in their day-to-day operations. Many organisations switched to a work-from-home model to save on facilities expenses.

But as the world started to venture back into public spaces, online fundraising showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, online donations grew 9% in 2021, wrapping up an overall three-year increase of 42%.

We can’t be certain about much moving forward, but there are bound to be some great opportunities to bring back the fundraising strategies that came about during the coronavirus pandemic.

We consider these eight campaigns the greatest hits of fundraising ideas during COVID. Try bringing one or two of them back when you need to shake up your fundraising strategy:

1. Get Creative With a Virtual Gala

Taking fundraising events online proved that it’s possible to reach people across a wider geographic area, and it’s a more inclusive option for people with different abilities. Virtual events aren’t going away: More nonprofits reported success with virtual fundraising events in 2021 than in 2020, and 31% said they would plan at least one virtual-only event in 2022.

Go big with a fun theme and ask everyone tuning in to decorate their own space at home! You’ll save on expenses for things like refreshments and decorations by livestreaming your programming and entertainment. You can still enjoy most of the same activities you’d plan for an in-person event through online platforms.

2. Go Viral With a Social Media Challenge

People everywhere relied on social media to stay connected during the pandemic, and most of us found ourselves spending a lot more time on our devices. Challenges and peer-to-peer fundraising took off in a big way, becoming one of the most popular fundraising ideas during COVID. For example, The Kids’ Cancer Project raised over $1 million AUD for cancer research and doubled its database with The Better Challenge. Fundraisers were challenged to get active for 90 km, representing the 90 Australian children who are diagnosed with cancer each month.

These viral fundraising campaigns are likely part of the reason that at least 65% of online contributions on the Raisely platform are made from a mobile device. Empowering volunteer fundraisers to accept donations on your behalf is a great long-term strategy because they show a higher donation rate and lower attrition rate than regular donors.

When you start brainstorming your next online fundraising challenge, be sure to use items people are sure to have around the house and keep it safe. Don’t forget a catchy hashtag!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Challenge donors to blow out a candle in a creative way or eat a piece of cake with no hands for birthday fundraisers.
• See how many ice cubes they can fit in their mouth.
• Create a TikTok dance.
• Create a “flip the switch” challenge where people film themselves standing in front of a mirror, flip the light switch off, and then appear with something symbolic of your mission (wacky makeup, a specific outfit, or a costume) when they flip the switch back on.

3. Stream-a-Thon

Volunteer fundraisers can use Twitch or other streaming software to share their talents and interests, whether they love playing video games, reading, making music, painting, dancing, or something else. Ask them to set a fundraising goal and collect online donations for each hour they spend streaming.

Gaming For Charity has raised over $13,000 NZD through gamers of all ages raising funds from their own homes in Australia and New Zealand. Check out their donation page to learn more about this virtual campaign.

4. Host a Safe and Asynchronous Walk or Fun Run

Races, fun runs, and walkathons have been a fundraising event staple for years. But who says everybody needs to get together and do it on the same day? Use Raisely’s active event template to host your own athletic fundraiser without the hassle of getting a permit to block off entire streets. Running your event online also gives participants the freedom to bike, run, skate, swim, or even surf.

Sell T-shirts like you would for an in-person event so supporters can represent your nonprofit wherever they choose to participate. Use the custom questions in Raisely’s new ticketing feature to have registrants add their T-shirt size.

5. Stay-at-Home Game Night

While nonprofits were scratching their heads trying to think of fundraising ideas during COVID, everyone else was looking for ways to make their Zoom hangouts a little more exciting. Virtual game nights were born, and we learned you don’t have to be in the same room to have fun for a good cause! Host a trivia night, bingo night, or murder mystery night on Zoom. Explore the wide array of online video game platforms out there to see what else is possible.

6. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

In a virtual scavenger hunt, you can set boundaries for where your supporters can participate. Whether you have them search for items in their own homes, outside in their neighbourhoods, or in one specific location, it will impact the experience. Will you actually stash prizes for people to find, or will you have participants race to see who can finish the fastest? How can you make it a more meaningful fundraising opportunity by incorporating your mission?

7. Virtual Happy Hour

There are a couple of different ways you can turn this pandemic trend into a fundraising event. You might offer your supporters cocktail kits or flights of wine or beer in exchange for donations. Ship them out in advance and have a master mixologist lead a demonstration on how to mix a signature drink for the event. Alternatively, send a variety of ingredients and have guests create their own drinks. Ask them to vote on the best concoction with their donations. Charge a small entry fee or allow attendees to “tip” virtual bartenders to raise money.

8. Take and Bake Sale

Instead of a traditional bake sale, sell jars of pre-measured ingredients for cookies, cakes, and other treats. You’ll make a lot more with each sale, and the jars are easier to deliver or send in the mail than fresh baked goods. Plus, they make great gifts!

Bake for a Baker put a big twist on the bake sale by sharing recipes online for teams of bakers to make in their own kitchens. The idea is that they will learn to bake and, later, will share their creations at picnics, collecting donations from friends and family.

Fundraising Ideas for a Bright Future

In a lot of ways, 2020 was definitely the worst of times. But the incredible things nonprofit organisations were able to accomplish are a silver lining, and we can continue to make use of the best fundraising ideas during COVID for years to come.

Raisely gives you the technology to support your most creative virtual events, peer-to-peer campaigns and crowdfunding campaigns. And it’s free to use! Sign up for your free Raisely account and start building your next online fundraising campaign today.