Online Fundraising Ideas For A Sustainable 2024

Coming up with killer fundraising ideas is tough. And when you are going for an online fundraiser, one simple idea can make a whole lot of difference.

In this article, I am going to show you 15 online fundraising ideas that can take your fundraising game to a new level.

Also, I’ll tell you about the best practices for online fundraising. And how you can create a donation webpage with just three steps.

So, let’s dive into it.

What is online fundraising?

Virtual fundraisers make it easy to raise money online as there is no need for in-person contacts. And it expands the fundraising horizon as there are no geo-restrictions involved. You can literally go worldwide with your fundraisers.

Nonprofit organizations prefer online fundraising because it opens up more ways of donating money. People all over the world can donate to your cause. And all you need is your laptop and some great ideas that can pull off the fundraising stunts.

Later in this article, I’ll talk about some great ideas that you can pull off for your online fundraising campaigns.

Benefits of online fundraising

Online fundraising is different than physical fundraising. It operates virtually, and that gives you an edge over physical fundraisers.

Here are some key benefits of online fundraising:

• Cost-effective

Virtual fundraisers are very cost-effective. There is no need for a venue, mail, pamphlets, or other physical handouts. Most virtual quick-money fundraising ideas are based on platforms you are already using. Or you’ve already paid for it.

• Easier to operate

Online fundraising platforms give extreme flexibility to operate the whole process. You don’t need a lot of people. Just a handful of organizers and a stable platform to launch the event. As the whole process is digitally documented, the process gets simpler.

• Ability to track donation progress

It’s a hard job to keep track of your donation progress. There are a lot of calculations you have to make. Keeping the books takes the fun out of it. But virtual fundraisers are automated. When a donation is made, it keeps track of it. There are some great donation tools you can use on your website.

For example,
When you use Paymattic on your website, it opens up a donor profile for you. It notes down all the necessary information, like when the donation was made, how much money, and how many times a single donor paid for it. Which is really helpful and makes the process smoother.

• Increase in campaign reach

When you are a nonprofit in the USA, there’s a little chance that someone from India can donate to your cause. Even if their vision aligns with yours. Virtual fundraisers open up the gateway for donations from all over the world. And there are paid mediums like Google Ads and Facebook Ads. You can reach millions of people with these.

• Turn more people into donors

The best way to showcase your project is online. When you go online with your fundraisers, you create the chance to go viral. And viral fundraisers do wonders for your charity. Nonprofits tend to launch online fundraisers because they can turn non-targeted people into donors.

• Opportunity to personalize campaigns

Pitching for accepting donations is tricky. You have to personalize the messages. Virtual fundraisers make this easy and effective. You can send customized emails to potential donors. The chance to tailor your messages increases the probability of clicking with their motive.

• Easy to provide donor support

Most of the donors ask some pre-donation questions before donating. It’s not easy for nonprofits to reach out and tell them how they can give you donations. But with online fundraisers, potential donors can send you messages online. Ask you about the donation process. And it greatly impacts the total donation process in a positive way.

15 online fundraising ideas for a sustainable 2024

Here are some virtual fundraising ideas for nonprofits that can secure your fundraising goals in 2024:

1. Create a donation webpage

Launching a dedicated donation webpage is one of the best quick fundraising ideas. This is a donation page where people can donate to your campaign.

Also, it increases your campaign’s visibility. And it’s possible to optimize your webpage for search engines. So that people can find your donation page by searching on Google.

2. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a very effective strategy that can boost online fundraisers for nonprofits. Crowdfunding is gathering small amounts from a very large crowd. And that adds up to a great sum for your nonprofit.

Design your online crowdfunding page with engaging images and texts. And then spread the word. What makes crowdfunding great is that it tends to get shared a lot. And it gets huge visibility from people who are willing to donate to your campaign.

3. Email campaigns

Sending donation proposals via email is still the number-one strategy for nonprofits. But you can’t send emails at random. Hopefully, you’ve already crafted an email list of your potential donors.

Send pledge emails to your email leads. Chances are, they are getting loads of emails every day. You have to stand out from the crowd. Learn how to ask for donations in an email. Craft email copies with engaging images that get the job done perfectly.

4. Sell novelty items

Selling novelty items for fundraising purposes is a strong move for nonprofits. Sell unique items at a price that covers the expenses. And the best thing is that you can sell items online. Directly from your donation webpage.

Tell people why you are selling those online fundraising products. And what’s the motive behind it. Also, show them how the money will be distributed. And who’s going to get the donations.

5. Virtual workshop

When you are skilled, you can leverage the skills the way you want. Holding a virtual workshop on a specific topic can be a great fundraising medium for you. Teaching people always works.

How to get the money? You can send out the word and sell workshop tickets for a certain amount. It is best if your nonprofits work for a particularly skilled crowd. This way, you can let those skilled people show their work and take over the workshop. Also, people get to know the motive behind your fundraisers.

6. Google Ads

You must’ve heard about Google Ads. But do you know you can set up Google Ads for nonprofits too? And there’s an awesome offer from Google. They provide Google Ad Grants for nonprofits at zero cost.

You choose the donation keyword in Google Ads. And publish the Google ad for your webpage. Now, when people search for related donation terms, they see your ads. Pairing with persuasive headlines and images, you can gather a lot of donations from random people searching to donate.

7. Online talent show

Hold online talent shows. You can arrange competitions like singing, dancing, and painting. Arrange talent shows that your potential donors might like.

Ask them for donations when virtually attending the show. Or charge them a certain fee to be on your show. This is how you attract potential donors both within and outside your network.

8. Online recipe share

Well.. you like knowing about a secret recipe. And other people like that too.

Hold a recipe-sharing program in the name of your donation drive. Invite famous chefs from your locality. Let them share their best recipe. Also, you can invite local people to that platform. They can disclose their recipe and show how they make the awesome food you all like.

9. Online photo exhibition

Conduct a virtual photo exhibition. There are plenty of mediums where you can hold photo contests online. And it’s easy.

When holding the photo contest, charge a certain amount from both the attendees and participants. And let people know about your fundraising campaign.

10. Pledge drives

A pledge drive is a special fundraising program where you ask for donations from individuals, businesses, or other organizations. And all in terms of meeting a certain goal. When you meet the predefined goal, donors tend to increase their donation amount.

Pledge drives are usually held on TV and other broadcasting mediums. That’s why these are very effective online donation campaigns.

11. Online Gaming

Online gaming has been on the rise for so many years. And you can use them for your benefit. Hold an online gaming contest where you choose champions based on their performance.

And you can set up a registration fee for the contest. And tell them the money is going to a specific donation fund. For example, it can be a great online fundraising idea for your sports teams.

12. Podcasts

People love podcasts. You can hold an online podcast where you invite popular individuals and let them talk about your campaign. You can show a donation amount on the screen.

If your guest is very trending or popular, you can charge certain fees for people to attend your podcast. And show them where the money is going. Transparency is the number one priority in donation campaigns.

13. Social media contest

Social media is a place where people crave interactions and engagements. You can use these platforms for your fundraising events. Hold social media contests that attract potential donors for your campaign.

For example, you can start a social media competition where people get to design the cover of children’s playbooks. Or ask people on social media to donate balls and toys for your school. These are great online fundraising ideas for schools.

14. Virtual tour

A great way to fundraise for your event is by offering a virtual tour. You can choose a place and show people live how it feels to be there.

This way, you can attract more people. Give them a tour of your factory or a historical place. The place can be a refugee camp. Or a celebrity’s house. Tell them stories about the place. Provide them with valuable information.

15. Virtual comedy night

Laughter is contagious. There’s a huge audience for comedy shows. Holding an online comedy show in the name of your fundraisers can be very effective.

You get to sell tickets for the show. And when you pair the ticketing with fundraising donations, it’s a great move. Also, many comedy artists love attending charity shows. This way, you get more exposure for your virtual event.

Online fundraising best practices

I’ve shown you 15 online fundraising event ideas in the upper section. You can use one or multiple ideas for your campaign. And that doesn’t mean just putting up those ideas and hoping they work for you.

Your campaign should follow some best practices for fundraising campaigns. Here are some online fundraising best practices that your nonprofit should follow:

• Set realistic and achievable donation goals.
• Set up suggested donation amounts.
• Use your social media platforms.
• Always ask for recurring donations.
• Match your brand identity throughout the donation page.
• Express gratitude to donors.
• Use your donor data for improvement.

How to create an online donation website?

By now, you know a lot about online charity fundraising ideas and their best practices. But how do you set up an online donation webpage?

In this section, I am going to show you the simplest method to set up a donation webpage in just three steps.

We are going to use the simplest website builder, WordPress. And the simplest donation plugin, Paymattic.

Step 1: Set up your WordPress website and activate

Go to wordpress.com from your browser and create a free website.

Step 2: Install the Paymattic plugin

Go to the plugin directory and search for “Paymattic. Install the plugin and activate it.

Step 3: Choose a template and publish your webpage

Go to the plugin and select “Create Form.” Select the donation template you like from the huge template directory.

Customize the template if you want. And you are good to go.

The donation page is set. Now you can publish your webpage and receive donations from your donors.

Closing thoughts

To be honest, it’s a tough job to arrange fundraisers. There’s lots of brainstorming to do. Checklists to fill. And the main struggle is planning and coming up with an idea that suits your mission.

Well, you can go with any online fundraising ideas from our list. We have listed the most effective ideas. And these ideas are easy to implement.

Also, after choosing an idea, you want to market your fundraiser. So that people can find your campaign easily.

Thank you, and Godspeed!

Check out this article to learn how to market your virtual fundraiser.