Fundraising in the name of charity is one of the nobler things you can do during your spare time, or even when you’re busy at work. The beauty of fundraising is that you can do just about anything to raise funds for charitable institutions. Case in point: Bristol Post reports that a local celebrity has agreed to sponsor a new online fundraiser:
Bristol model Amy Willerton is helping to set people up with a new partner by fronting a new online dating charity.
She is leading ‘My Mate Your Date’, a new social media fundraising initiative from Macmillan Cancer Support. Instead of paying the usual online dating subscription fee, supporters donate money for every date suggested.
She said: “Dating for charity is such a clever idea – I love setting people up so I can’t wait to encourage all my friends to get involved and raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, to help make sure no-one faces cancer alone.”
One of the best ways to raise donations for charitable institutions is to set up an online fundraiser. Apart from the fact that there is no need for capital, the Internet also allows you to access a wider audience than you would have reached had you organized a local event. That said, here are a few nonprofit online fundraising ideas you can use to get you started:
Sell Online
You might have a few things laying around at home that you no longer use. If this is the case, see if your “trash” can be turned into someone else’s “treasure.” Selling items online is an ideal alternative to garage sales, especially when conducted through an online selling site like eBay Giving Works that allows sellers to donate proceeds directly to their favorite charities.
The Prisoner
If you have the time and the connections, you might be willing to try this idea. Build a makeshift prison cell and announce to friends and family that you will keep yourself locked in until you raise your target amount.
The catch is that you can only solicit donations via social media. See if you can hook up a camera to have a live feed stream on your website. “The Prisoner” becomes much more profitable if you have connections with a local celebrity. Be sure to keep the prison cell in a safe and well-lit area in case the fundraising takes longer than expected.
These are only two ideas you can use to raise funds online. When organizing online fundraising for nonprofits, remember to heavily promote your fundraiser over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to increase the number of participants and, subsequently, the amount of donation you can raise.
(Source: Bristol model Amy Willerton launches online dating charity fundraiser; Bristol Post; March 17, 2014)
eBay Giving Works 