8 Hot Ways to Fundraise for your Charity

8 Hot Ways to Fundraise for your Charity

Guest Article:  Sandy Rees, Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer of Get Fully Funded

When you have a new Charity, you need money fast to get everything up and running.

You need to pay for programs, overhead, and salaries.

There are thousands of ways you can raise money, but you need something that will work for YOU and generate as much as possible, not just the some cookie-cutter approach.

Before you start fundraising, get clear about why you’re raising money. Will your programs feed the hungry? Save a homeless animal? Be sure you’re asking for something that donors will support.

Once you’re clear, choose a strategy that will play to your personal strengths, appeal to your ideal donor prospects, and meet your revenue goals. In short, don’t try raising money the same way that the Charity down the street does. Try something that will most likely to work for you.

8 Fundraising Ideas for New Charities

Fundraising ideas are a dime a dozen and a Google search will return more ideas than you can ever implement. But not all ideas are created equally. Some are more efficient than others and some produce more revenue than others.

Check out these 8 hot ideas for fundraising. See if there’s one that feels like a good fit for you and give it a shot.

1. Hold an event. Something as simple as a backyard BBQ or a dinner in a church fellowship hall can be simple to organize and promote. Small events are great for raising modest amounts of money but can take a lot of work to pull off, so be ready to put the time in. To push your event over $10,000, create a planning committee to help with the details, get sponsors, and sell tickets.
   ‍
2. Facebook fundraiser. Set your Charity up on Facebook and tap into the power of your current relationships through Facebook. Be sure to tell people WHY you’re raising money (e.g., feed 200 hungry people) to inspire them to give. Set a start and end date, and don’t be afraid to post frequently to remind people about your fundraiser. Don’t give up until it’s over – promote it all the way to the end. Most people are deadline-oriented and may wait until the last minute to give.
   ‍
3. Crowdfunding. There are tons of crowdfunding sites online that can help you raise money through your network of relationships. One of my favorites is GivingGrid, which lets people upload a photo to fill in a blank spot for the donation they make. Understand that crowdfunding is not a “build it and they will come” model. You’ll still need to promote the fundraiser via email and social media to drive people to the crowdfunding site to give. This fundraising tactic can be a good way to get your Board and volunteers involved in fundraising since the ask is easy.
   ‍
4. Online auction. If you have or can get a couple of dozen nice items or packages, consider holding an online auction. The benefit is that people from all over the world can participate as long as you can affordably ship the item to the winner. You can use one of the many online auction tools or use a Facebook group. Either way, the key to success is to have items that people want and can’t easily buy for themselves (artwork, experiences, etc.).
   ‍
5. House parties. One of the best ways to leverage the relationships of key people including Board members, current donors, and volunteers is through house parties. Imagine if each of your Board members hosts a dinner party at their home and invites 20 of their friends, how fast you could raise awareness and find new donors for your organization! It doesn’t have to be fancy and there’s no need for a formal program – just a few words from you about what your new Charity will do once it’s up and running, then pass around some information and pledge cards.
   ‍
6. Giving Day. If your community or province has a specified Giving Day, use that as an opportunity to raise money. There will already be lots of publicity around the day, so jump on the bandwagon to let people know about your organization. If they don’t have a specific site for you to set up a giving page, set up one on your website and track the donations that come in on and just before the Giving Day.
   ‍
7. Champion letters. Invite your Board members and volunteers to send a special letter or email to their friends inviting them to give to your Charity. This is another great way to leverage the power of relationships since people will often give to Charities where their friends are involved. Be ready to write the letter for folks so all they have to do is insert their friends’ names and send.
   ‍
8. Matching gift. Ask a Board member, current donor, or volunteer to offer to match donations up to their gift amount. People LOVE knowing their donation is matched dollar for dollar, and statistically proven to inspire more people to give.
   ‍

Steer Clear of These Fundraising Ideas (at least for now)

You may notice there are a few things that are NOT on the list.  That’s because not every method for fundraising is a good one – some strategies you should avoid.  And not every good strategy works right now.

Here are 3 you should think carefully about while you’re in the startup phase:

Selling t-shirts, candles, calendars, etc. These have their place and can work well for some Charities, but the problem is they’re transactional. If you’re going to work hard to raise money, do it in a sustainable way. Raise money and build relationships at the same time so that people want to give again and again.

Corporate donations. Outside of event sponsorships, it’s tough to get corporate donations. As a startup, you’ll have a really hard time unless you know someone in a decision-making role in the company. Instead of spending time on this strategy that may not be successful for a new Charity, focus on something else that WILL bear fruit. You’ll be ready to go after corporate donations in a couple of years, especially if you’re growing a signature event.

Grants. Most new Charity founders want to go after grants and certainly it’s attractive, but it’s not as easy as it looks nor as productive as you’d like. Most funders want to see 3-5 years of experience before they’ll give you money. Plus, there’s an art and a science to grant writing that you must master to have a shot at getting funds. It’s smarter to start by building a donor base then working on grants later.

Ultimately, you need a fundraising plan that’s based on strategic decisions and sound fundraising practices to help you raise the kind of money you need to get your Charity up and running quickly.

---

Working with Our Firm

In this evolving economic landscape, collaboration with our firm offers clients a strategic advantage. With Cambodia’s reform-driven investment environment and Canada’s expanding footprint in Southeast Asia, our team of experienced consultants and legal advisors provides tailored guidance to help businesses navigate cross-border opportunities. We focus in developing comprehensive legal strategies, structuring international partnerships, and ensuring compliance in emerging markets.

By leveraging our regional insight and international expertise, you benefit from a trusted partner dedicated to helping you capitalize on growth potential in Cambodia and beyond.

At Northfield & Associates are focus in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), international trade missions, and cross-border legal strategy. Our team of experienced consultants and legal advisors offers tailored guidance and strategic insight to help you navigate the complexities of international partnerships and development opportunities.

Whether you choose to meet in person at one of our offices or connect virtually, we provide flexible and accessible consultation options. During your session, we’ll assess your goals, review key documentation, and guide you through every stage of your FDI or trade mission engagement.

Let us help you take the next step with confidence supported by trusted legal and strategic counsel every step of the way.

Take the First Step Today

If you believe you may be eligible for legal relief or simply need sound legal advice, we’re here to help. Contact us today to book your consultation. Let us provide the clarity, strategy, and peace of mind you need to move forward.

We serve our clients in English, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese, especially in Asian clients.

• If you or anybody that you know, think that you meet the requirements and wish to receive further information.
• We can help you start the application process and confirm eligibility requirements to participate.
• We Offer Consultations & Meetings by Phone & Virtually. Affordable Fees.

---

About Northfield

Northfield & Associates International Corporation is a global consulting firm serving private enterprises, public institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and institutional capital providers. Operating across Cambodia, Canada, and global markets, the firm supports capital deployment, regulatory navigation, and enterprise decision-making in complex economic and geopolitical environments. Northfield & Associates delivers customized, execution-focused advisory solutions that drive measurable transformation, strengthen competitiveness, and enhance long-term highest value opportunities. The firm incorporates consulting, legal, regulatory, financial, and risk expertise to enable disciplined capital allocation, strong governance, and operational resilience. Northfield & Associates upholds a culture of applied insight and innovation, supporting clients across digital transformation, growth strategy, and organizational capability building. The firm advises individual, leading global corporations, midsize enterprises, government agencies, and mission-driven organizations through long-term partnerships. Enterprise-wide risk management, professional ethics, and fiduciary standards are embedded across all operations. Northfield & Associates’ diverse, globally unified teams are committed to execution certainty and sustainable, risk-adjusted returns aligned with ESG and stakeholder objectives.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information. All statements, other than statements of historic fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future constitute forward-looking information.

This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company.

Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the failure to finalize negotiations concerning the increase of the Loan or to close such transaction and the failure of the Company to complete the acquisition of the Company Facility; operating performance of facilities; environmental and safety risks; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; unavailability of plant, equipment or labour; inability to retain key management and personnel; changes to regulations or policies affecting the Company’s activities; and the other risks disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s amended annual information.

Forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Questions?

info@northfied.biz

Within Corporate Newsroom  

Media Contact:

media@northfied.biz

Press contact 

PR consultants
press@northfied.biz

NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Information made available on this website in any form is for information purposes only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice. You should not rely on, or take or fail to take any action based upon this information. Never disregard professional legal advice or delay in seeking legal advice because of something you have read on this website. Northfield & Associates professionals will be pleased to discuss resolutions to specific legal concerns you may have.