Finding Your Fundraisers

By Localgiving

Individuals can take on a fundraising challenge for your cause, creating their own online page and attracting donations towards a target that they have set. This is a time efficient income stream as the fundraiser recruits donors on your behalf and your organisation receives the income. Fundraisers are great ambassadors for your work and all you need to do is thank the fundraiser afterwards. You will access more donors, grow your network and raise awareness about your work. 

It is often easier to initially look internally for prospective fundraisers, such as volunteers. Over 50% of fundraisers to small charities are directly connected to your organisation. Group fundraisers are also worth considering, as people can join together to do a challenge and it takes the pressure off one person hitting the target by themselves or having a big enough network. An even bigger audience will then hear about your work. It is worth inviting existing groups of beneficiaries and volunteers to plan a fundraiser together, perhaps even as a fun activity that is part of their work together. 

Tip: A cause gains new donors from every person that takes on a fundraiser. You will gain donations from those that have never heard of your organisation or those who are already helping other causes, as donors will readily support loved ones undertaking a challenge.

Where can you find fundraisers?

  • Staff

  • Trustees 

  • Volunteers 

  • Family and friends of staff, trustees or volunteers 

  • Family and friends of service users 

  • Existing donors 

  • Local sports clubs and other groups 

  • Staff at local businesses, especially when one employee is connected to your organisation

Fundraising checklist

  • Encourage personalisation of fundraiser pages, providing photos and updates. 

  • Provide fundraisers with a digital toolkit, which includes your logo, a summary of your work, promotional materials and suggested social media posts. 

  • Promote their fundraiser across your organisation’s social media and celebrate their milestones. 

  • Be sure to thank fundraisers and their donors.

There are three main fundraising avenues to consider:

  1. Existing third-party events, such as annual challenge events that anyone can sign up to and raise money against. Your organisation can signpost supporters to these events or buy places for fundraisers. If the latter is the case, fundraisers would usually be expected to raise a minimum amount to balance out the opportunity of a free event place, typically at least triple the cost of the ticket. These are typically events that need a training period, such as runs, cycles or even zip wires. As these are professional events, safety and accessibility concerns are already addressed, making it possible for anyone to take part.

  2. Supporter-led fundraising, where an individual comes up with their own fundraising idea. It will involve a premise that interests the fundraiser and is entirely organised by them. They could choose something that is a personal challenge to them or put a target against something that they enjoy. It could be as small as a coffee morning or as big as a year long challenge. Supporter-led fundraisers are also a good option for those who are not interested in physical challenges, for those who could not easily travel to them or for those who cannot justify the fees of third-party events. It is the fundraiser, not your organisation, who makes the call to action and leads on promotion. 

  3. Your own fundraising event or idea that others could take part in. This could be a group walk or an activity aligned to your cause. For example, a number of charities working to support homeless people organise sleep outs to raise funds.