How to take donations and host a successful fundraiser

These days, it’s impossible to ignore the many challenging issues facing the world. Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re likely hyper-aware of the things that currently plague our planet and society. From the constant threat of climate change to messy politics and troubling world affairs, many dark clouds are looming.

But despite all that doom and gloom, there’s a glimmer of hope: People are determined to create change. The days of ignoring all those issues are long behind us! People are more committed than ever before, and we live in a time where activism isn't just encouraged; it’s an expectation.

Online fundraising is a fantastic way to make a genuine difference. You can do good for the world and use your clout to support the organizations and causes you believe in. Whether you go solo or partner with a nonprofit, there are many ways to raise money.

It can seem overwhelming, but it’s much easier than you think!

What is online fundraising?

Let’s start with the basics. Online fundraising is a method that nonprofit organizations use to collect donations online. While many people think of big nonprofits when they imagine fundraisers, individual influencers and content creators do online campaigns all the time. What makes online fundraising different is the exposure. 

Think about it: In the old days, the only way to get donations was to reach out to people directly. There were also methods like standing outside grocery stores and playing those tearjerker commercials on every TV ad break. Those techniques have merit, and they’ve done a lot for raising awareness.

But we live in a super-connected world. In seconds, you can connect with people on the other side of the globe. You’re no longer limited to communicating with people in your local area. That’s the beauty of going online to seek donation gifts. You have a much larger pool of potential donors, which can lead to some impressive collections. 

Nonprofits everywhere have some way to donate online. With Gen Zers and millennials practically living online, this form of fundraising has made a considerable impact. Larger nonprofit organizations saw a significant boost in fundraising over the last couple of years alone, drawing in millions for worthy causes.

It’s the perfect storm of convenience, accessibility, and an audience that’s more than ready to foster change.

Common types of fundraisers

Online fundraising comes in many forms, and that’s a massive plus for creators like yourself. There’s no one way to raise money for a cause. As a result, you can easily find something that works for your audience and platform.

Getting people to open their wallets isn’t easy. We’ll get into how to encourage donations soon. For now, let’s focus on the types of fundraisers you can do.

The easiest is to invite people to donate whatever they can. The goal here is to educate others and talk about why this particular cause is important to you. It’s about encouraging others to take action and leaving your audience to decide what they want to do.

This form of fundraising is pretty straightforward. You can provide links to donation pages, collect the money, and send it to the organization you’re supporting. In most cases, the donation would be under your name, so it’s always a good idea to give a shout out to your supporters for doing the heavy lifting!

There are many ways to facilitate donations. For example, you could provide a link on your social media platforms or direct people to a specific crowdfunding website. You can even set up text-to-donate numbers and other convenient extras to give people plenty of options.

Another type of charity push you’ll see a lot of influencers doing is peer-to-peer fundraising. Also known as P2P fundraising, a peer fundraising strategy is often put together by a larger nonprofit that will reach out to influencers and ask them to do online fundraisers on their behalf.

In this situation, you’ll usually get a custom peer donation page and other perks so that you can fundraise independently. But since you’re working with the organization directly, everything funnels back to them, and you don't have to worry about too many logistics.

Beyond these two types of fundraisers, you can get creative. Remember: There’s no wrong way to raise money! Do what’s right for you and your audience.

Be sure to look to other influencers and content creators for inspiration. We’ve seen it all! There are tons of techniques to try, from product launches with charitable gifts to fun challenges and ongoing campaigns.

The important thing is that you’re raising money for an important cause. You might as well have some fun and deliver unique content to your audience while you’re doing it, right? Think outside the box and see what works for your online gang.

What you need to have a profitable online charity event

Ready to do some good? Before you dive into a new fundraising endeavor, it’s good to prepare yourself for what’s ahead.

It’s one thing to ask for money. It’s another to be successful and have something to donate to a cause after your online fundraiser.

While people are more eager than ever to make a change, that doesn’t mean everyone will open their wallets the moment you ask. You have to put in the work.

Here are some tips to help you break through to your audience and successfully encourage them to make donations.

Mention important details

Here’s the thing: You can’t expect people to want to donate unless you’re clear about the details. Despite all the good you can find on the internet, there are plenty of bad apples. Unfortunately, some creators in the past have used their influence for nefarious purposes.

People have been burned before! As a result, there’s a natural hesitation if you aren’t super clear about what your fundraiser is for and where the money goes. Provide that peace of mind and talk about all the specifics.

Detail the fundraiser’s goals, who or what it’s for, and where your audiences’ helpful donations gifts are going. Also, don’t neglect to talk about the importance of the cause and let people know why it’s important to you. Be crystal clear here, and provide the confidence people need to feel comfortable giving their hard-earned money.

Tell a story

Do you know what sets successful fundraising efforts apart from those that barely make any money? The charity drives that earn the most typically appeal to the heart. It’s about pulling at the heartstrings and touching people’s emotional side.

That doesn’t mean you have to be over the top or super emotional! But it would help if you told a story and provided the narrative push people need to be generous.

As we mentioned, there are many worthy causes out there that need attention. But there’s so much going on that people can become detached and somewhat complacent. Turning on the news and seeing what’s happening in the world isn’t enough to compel donors; you have to communicate the importance of a cause! Bring it down to the emotional level and paint a picture of why people need to take action.

There are many ways to do that. Do some research and learn as much as you can about the issue and the needs. Being informed will give you the power to stir those emotions and create a deeper connection that drives the point home.

Use social media

Social media is a wonderful thing. Sure, it’s not always perfect. But there’s one way that it helps with online fundraising: It amplifies your message!

Take full advantage of your social media platforms to get the word out. Join the conversation around your cause, and share all your donation links. And please don’t make it a one-off thing. If you want people to keep giving, you need to be proactive about spreading your message.

Communicate with people and let your fundraiser spread like wildfire. The more likes and clicks you get, the better. More eyes on your cause is always a good thing.

Encourage action

You have to remember that not everyone who follows you has the means to make monetary donations. While collecting money is the ultimate goal for any online fundraiser, it’s not the only way people can help.

Encourage your followers to take action, whether that’s in the form of making a small donation or something else. All activity that contributes to tackling challenging issues is helpful.

Invite your audience to take the necessary steps to further the cause. That could be as simple as sharing a link or spreading the word. Any way that they can contribute is welcome here!

Ask for support

In addition to donations and small acts of support, don’t be afraid to go big. Once again, it’s not just about money.

Ask others to go big and take steps to foster real change. You can invite them to write their elected officials or reach out directly to organizations that matter. Politicians, large businesses, government agencies, and other organizations might have the means to make a difference—but many won’t until people make their voices heard. Be a part of a revolution and ask others to join you!

Express gratitude

Of course, you can’t forget to thank people for their work and donations, because you didn’t do this all yourself. It takes a village to facilitate change and make improvements!

The worst thing you can do is take the spotlight and act like you collected the money and took action all on your own. Other people might praise you for that, but never forget that your audience made things happen. Even if your name is on the donation check, the fundraiser wouldn’t be a success without your followers. So express gratitude in any way you can!

Why you should use your platform to raise money

The better question to ask is, “Why not?”

As a content creator and influencer, you have the privilege of an amplified voice. You connect with people all over the world, and your audience trusts you.

While you don’t know everyone who follows you individually, those people feel like they have a personal relationship with you, and they’re eager to see what you do and what you make. Some may even turn to you for guidance about products or entertainment.

Now is your chance to leverage your audience to do more good for the world. Use that trust you’ve earned to be a voice for those causes that lack the resources to speak for themselves. Take this opportunity to leave a lasting impact. The world won’t change without some encouragement. So why not use your voice to make it happen?

Support current issues: Donate to Ukraine

One of the best ways to use your platform is to support current issues. Even if these problems aren’t affecting you directly, you can use your influence to raise both money and awareness for causes that need it.

One excellent example is the current conflict in Ukraine. Entire Ukrainian cities are being destroyed, and many innocent people are losing their lives. It’s a humanitarian crisis that’s evolving right before our eyes.

Ukrainians need our help. Many organizations are seeking charitable gifts to help Ukraine. Here are just some of the organizations that you can support through online fundraising:

• The Ukrainian Red Cross

• GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund

• World Central Kitchen

• Humanity & Inclusion

• USA for UNHCR

• Global Empowerment Mission

• Community Organized Relief Effort

• The International Rescue Committee

• Malteser International

• Voices of Children

• UN Refugee Agency

• Save the Children

• UNICEF

How content creators can help

There are many ways that content creators can get in on the action and lead the charge to change. Here are just a few online fundraising ideas and tips on how you can start your own campaign.

Use your link in bio tool to accept contributions

Link in bio tools are a fantastic way to collect money for important causes. Tools like Beacons provide an easy way to set up fundraisers in minutes, so you can reach out to your followers on every platform and direct them to your unique donations page. It all starts the minute your audience clicks on your link. 

Beacons lets you create a customized landing page that fits your cause. It can also direct them to your socials and serve as the epicenter for your content.

Collect donations, track your progress, and reach your fundraising goal. A link in bio tool like Beacons makes doing fundraisers easy and even provides options to encourage your audience to donate however they want.

Ways to raise money on Instagram

The world’s most popular photo app has some great built-in fundraising tools. There are a few different approaches you can take.

You can start a personal fundraiser directly through the Edit Profile menu. After you set the campaign parameters, your followers can easily donate whatever amount they want.

Another option is to create a donation sticker on your Instagram stories. This feature is perfect for nonprofit organizations and supporters like yourself. All you have to do is make an Instagram story, click on the Donation sticker on the featured stickers page, and find the charity you want to support. It’s as easy as that! Followers can donate and get peace of mind that everything is legitimate.

Ways to seek donations on TikTok

TikTok is the latest craze in social media, and like Instagram, TikTok lets you create online fundraising campaigns in seconds.

The process is similar to Instagram’s and uses a sticker feature. Create a post or go live to add a donation sticker. Choose one of the available organizations, put the sticker on your video, and you’re good to go!

You can also place a sticker on your TikTok profile for greater visibility.

Grow with Beacons today!

Reach your full potential as a content creator and do what you can to change the world with Beacons. Beacons is a link in bio tool that can increase your engagement and unify your online presence. Build a mini-website to connect your social media accounts, merch stores, and more.

Beacons has a feature-rich donations block perfect for fundraising efforts. Accept donations from any platform, create a custom online donation page supporting your cause, and collect money to meet your goals. Any money your followers donate through the Beacons fundraising tool is fee-free, ensuring that you can give as much to your charity as possible.

Grow your brand by joining more than a million other creators using Beacons to promote change!