When little Shubham’s cancer relapsed, his father could not take it anymore. His entire savings have already gone in the treatment of the six-year-old and once again.
But now, Shubham is getting expert medical attention once again, and the attending doctors are pretty hopeful. But, of course, all this is courtesy crowdfunding.
If you are not familiar with the term, crowdfunding is a method of fundraising. When several small donors contribute to a cause, a tidy sum gets collected. This (small donors contributing) reflects the essence of crowdfunding.
Several online nonprofits put in their organized efforts to raise money for critical medical needs, from cancer treatment for a child to funding stem cell transplantation to providing medical devices. Ketto is one such donation-based fundraising platform in India where it is possible to start a fundraiser in minutes. The only process you need to complete is verifying the necessary documents.
What are the fundraising ideas that work? But before that, let’s understand a little more about nonprofits.
If you are not familiar, nonprofits are organizations formed to provide services (profit is not a motive). A significant function of nonprofits is creating a mechanism or channel for promoting initiatives; the members of the society are the beneficiaries. They attempt to provide relief to people in distress. Whether it is health, education, or social issues, nonprofits act quickly for a redressal. Nonprofits also perform the vital role of drawing public attention to various social problems.
Philanthropy has been in practice in India since ancient times, and the joy of giving fills an individual’s life with happiness and a sense of satisfaction. Today, the channels have changed, with the nonprofits at the center of an ecosystem of organized charity.
Charity Event Ideas
When there is a pressing need to raise funds for a cause, any method is good enough. But when you have a perspective, it becomes easier to plan and execute.
Let us look at a few of the popular campaign ideas and methods. First, at the outset, some of the traditional, popular, and tested ones over time.
Auction
Charity auctions are perfect for raising funds for a cause and can be organized online and offline. From the humble garage sale to the high-profile events of leading auctioneers, charity auctions can happen at several levels.
The auction items can also be anything with material value (a collection of designer clothes) to a souvenir (like the jersey of a top footballer). Besides raising funds, a well-organized event can generate interest and excitement about the cause/purpose of the charity auction. Moreover, involving celebrities will add glamour to the event and also help increase participation.
Cultural Program
A cultural evening is another time-tested method of raising money for a cause. The performances may be individual or a team (drama, dance), organized at school or neighborhood level.
A cultural program can also happen at a bigger scale involving professional musicians/performers. The audience pays for entry. In case of a locally organized event, family members and friends of the participants will undoubtedly love the opportunity to witness the performances of their near ones.
However, programs with professional artists require careful planning and suitable promotion for success.
Walking / Running Event
The charity runs and walks belong to a list of traditional and practical fundraising events. Although a running (or walking) event is a low overhead program, it is considered a high-return event for the organizer.
The success of a walking (or running) event depends on the level of participation. The higher the participants, the more is the scale of success. Besides entry fees, the participants raise awareness and contribute more by joining the fundraiser directly by creating their pages. Good promotion (of the event) may also lead to higher sponsorship.
T-shirt Campaign
Fundraising by selling t-shirts is a standard, time-tested method. Individuals or organizations sell t-shirts for fundraising for a specific cause.
Sometimes a message linked to the objective or the cause (like, for better mental health) is printed on the t-shirt. However, the campaign’s success depends on spreading the word across, using social media and other offline methods. Therefore, a t-shirt campaign can run both online and offline.
Fundraising Dinner
Fundraising or charity dinners are a significant source of funds. They (dinners) also allow the nonprofit’s supporters, volunteers, and staff to mingle and interact, which leads to stronger bonding.
Many nonprofits are organizing annual dinner events that turn out to be a significant source of funds. Detailed planning of the event, from the venue, menu, and most importantly, the guest list, will ensure success.
Sponsorship can further add to the funds. Similarly, the presence of famous personalities helps attract more diners.
Here are a few events involving children:
Planting Trees
Concern for the environment is increasing globally. We all are witnessing and suffering from the ill effects of global warming and climate change. Tree plantation is an effect of the increased focus on environmental issues.
The idea behind a tree planting drive is to get sponsors (a pre-fixed amount for each tree) for each tree. The participating children can arrange sponsorship from their family members/relatives. The event can be organized at any location. The proceeds after accounting for the organizational cost go to the charity fund.
Cleaning up the Locality
Children can participate in a locality cleanup event and collect pledges (donation amount) from seniors (in the locality) for a deserving cause. The event doubles up as a forum where everyone, from local sponsors to the participating children and local community members, can show concern and care about the environment. Local events always help build communities that can be advantageous to every resident of the place.
A Fantasy Walk
Children of all ages (from a school or a local area) walk around the locality in fancy theme-based costumes. They may represent characters from a fairy tale or maybe science fiction. Each child gets sponsors to support them.
In addition, the event not only generates excitement but also teaches care values to the child. Finally, a couple of prizes for the smartly dressed can increase engagement.
A Football match
A football match (or any other popular sport) between two neighborhood schools can create plenty of excitement. Paid entry of spectators and sponsorship from local businesspeople can raise a good amount of funds. The event will also serve to promote the organizing nonprofit.
Food Festival
A food festival coinciding with a school event is one more popular and effective method of raising charity funds. Food is usually brought home by the children, and the profit from sales is contributed to charity funds.
The same concept in a varied form can be applied to community programs, particularly during festivals. Local restaurants and food outlets can also be motivated to participate in such events.
Crafts Bazaar
Homemade crafts or scenic paintings can change the environment. It is always an exciting show when children display their creations.
An art and craft bazaar on the weekend or during festival time can be a big turnout event. Children can display and sell homemade art and crafts, and paintings can be a pick of the town event. The sales proceeds (after cost) can add up to a tidy sum if the event is promoted correctly.
Few more charity event ideas
Karaoke night in a restaurant
A karaoke night is an excellent event to catch the young adults just a few years into their job. It would help if you had a tie-up with a restaurant and a sponsor for the equipment. Guests are charged for attendance, and the restaurant contributes a percentage of their sales for the evening (the restaurant also benefits from extra sales and publicity). In addition, attendees can vote for the best performer, who is then offered a token of recognition. The venue of the event can also be a community hall with arrangements for food.
Costume Contest for Pets
Keeping a pet is a current trend in metro cities, and the owners are known to take extra care of their loved ones. A pet costume contest can draw substantial entries if adequately promoted. Roping in the city kennel club will further boost participation. Entry fees (from participants), paid admission of guests, sale of refreshments, besides donations from local businesses, will aid collection. You can also look for sponsorship from pet care companies.
There is still more
Online campaigns on social media, networking with friends, and family board games are just a few of the many more charity event ideas that may help fundraise.
Fundraising is Easy
During an emergency, one cannot wait to check and verify the authenticity of a nonprofit. The only option then is to choose a trusted and tested platform. Begin your outreach by partnering with Ketto. When you select Ketto, you get 24 X 7 support, transparent dealings, and updates on your fundraiser’s progress in real-time. Moreover, there are no joining charges.
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