7 Helpful Tools For Running Successful Fundraisers

Resources For Those Planning Fundraisers

Tips & Tricks For Planning An Event

• Use a day planner to stay on schedule
• Know what your goals are
• Don't over-spend
• Keep your workspace organized
• Make sure the venue is reliable
• Use to-do lists to stay on task
• Try not to make last-minute changes
• Use social media to spread the word
• Automate repetitive tasks

3 Ways To Be A More Effective Fundraiser

In Depth

The world of philanthropy is a vast and complex place. With no shortage of worthy recipients, ranging from youth sports teams to underfunded schools, convincing donors to contribute to your cause can seem like a tall order, especially without any outside help. Thankfully, numerous tools, apps, and individuals dedicated to demystifying the fundraising process exist. If you want to learn more about some of the work they do, then here are, in no particular order, seven valuable resources for carrying out quality fundraisers.

Coming in at #1 is Wild Woman Fundraising. Run by speaker and author Mazarine Treyz, this service offers a variety of options for its clients to choose from, including career coaching for individuals and consulting on planning, donor communications, and training. Having co-founded a nonprofit and worked for over a decade as a fundraiser, Treyz is particularly well-suited to assist mid-size and large organizations. In recognition of her work, she has garnered positive testimonials from groups like Food on Foot and HOPE Chinese Charter School.

In addition to this consulting work, Wild Woman Fundraising disseminates free tips and resources via a weekly newsletter. Treyz also has written three books, and she runs her own blog that covers topics ranging from fundraising myths to resolutions for the upcoming year. Her virtual shop has online courses for sale, with examples such as "Secrets of Finding New Donors" and "Your Ultimate Guide to Successful Year-End Appeals."

In addition to this consulting work, Wild Woman Fundraising disseminates free tips and resources via a weekly newsletter.

In the #2 spot is Qgiv. With roots reaching back to 2007, this organization provides an accessible, easy-to-use platform for groups to handle all manner of fundraising matters, like online donations, event registrations, and pledges. Today, it attracts a range of users, including nonprofits, faith-based organizations, political groups, and schools.

Some of the services that Qgiv provides include data-driven insights, CRM and email integrations, and peer-to-peer fundraising. Furthermore, it hosts periodic events and conferences, and it publishes informative posts on its blog, covering, for example, social media blunders and the phenomenon of rage donating. Having helped more than 3,500 organizations, such as Warner University, Pensacola Humane Society, and Kaleidoscope, Qgiv has a track record of success, with numerous testimonials supporting its offerings.

At #3 is FlipGive. Founded by a group of parents with experience in e-commerce and charity fundraising, this online shopping platform connects users with stores. Customers then make purchases from these shops, and in turn, receive cash back for their fundraising effort. Since its founding, people have earned more than twenty-four million dollars for their designated teams using FlipGive.

Customers then make purchases from these shops, and in turn, receive cash back for their fundraising effort.

Accessible as an app or via its website, FlipGive has a well-defined process for groups looking to get started raising money. Its platform allows teams to fundraise individually and collaboratively, receive donations, and make purchases online and in store. FlipGive has partnered with numerous brands, such as Nike, Papa John's, and Pottery Barn, and curious individuals can meet with a team funding coach to learn more about the service.

Coming in at #4 is Snap! Raise. A time-saving tool, Snap! Raise is a fundraising platform that was designed with the importance of group activities in youth development in mind. It streamlines the process of raising money through its user-friendly platform, enabling coaches and youth leaders to dedicate their efforts to working with kids, instead of losing precious hours on administrative tasks. Since its creation, more than 40,000 groups across all fifty states have used this service.

Some of its specific features include personalized campaign pages, customizable online shops, detailed reporting, and real-time participant tracking. It also gives its users access to a collection of online resources, from tips on hosting a banquet to real-life success stories using the platform. Snap! Raise maintains an active presence on social media websites too, posting pictures and information about giveaways and unique fundraising ideas.

It also gives its users access to a collection of online resources, from tips on hosting a banquet to real-life success stories using the platform.

In the #5 spot is Handbid. In 2010, founder Jeff Porter conceived of the idea for the service, initially as a way to deal with the complexities involved in running the auctions at a fundraiser. A mobile fundraising platform, it helps nonprofits and other organizations of all different sizes to connect with their donors via smartphone. Groups that have used Handbid in the past include Aces for Autism and Mattingly Charities.

Stressing a user-friendly experience, Handbid offers a peer-to-peer platform and a single integrated manager interface. Bidders can access the service through the app or online. Furthermore, its website contains educational content too, with links to webinars and blog posts on topics like managing volunteers and what to do when things go wrong. Since 2010, Handbid has been used to raise around 140 million dollars for charity.

At #6 is GoalBusters Consulting. Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, GoalBusters provides services to small and medium-sized charitable organizations whose causes it believes in. Some of these offerings include contracted fundraising and development, strategic planning and development assessment, and capital campaign readiness studies and direction. Collectively, it has helped raise more than 100 million dollars for organizations and philanthropic causes around the world.

Collectively, it has helped raise more than 100 million dollars for organizations and philanthropic causes around the world.

Beyond this consulting work, GoalBusters is available to give presentations, workshops, and speeches to various groups, with sample topics ranging from communicating a mission via storytelling to building a personal brand. Elsewhere, on its website, GoalBusters has gathered a number of free resources, such as recommended books, thought-provoking podcasts, and handouts from its presentations, for people who want to improve their fundraising skills. It also maintains a blog, which has posts on things like diversity and the certification process.

Last but not least, at #7 is GiveCentral, based in Chicago. Founded in 2010 to improve stewardship and financial sustainability among nonprofits, this online donation tool provides a flexible way for donors to contribute to causes. A mobile and online platform, GiveCentral, run by a team of nonprofit experts, offers a range of services to its clients, like access to a mobile card reader, a customizable crowdfunding tool, and software integration. As of 2020, it has helped nonprofits raise 335 million dollars.

By signing up with the service, clients gain access to GiveCentral Community, a management software that organizes donor information and simplifies the fundraising process. GiveCentral's website, meanwhile, has a collection of free webinars and eBooks, touching on, for example, online marketing and thank-you notes. The organization has also appeared by name in the media, in outlets such as "The Chronicle of Philanthropy" and "Forbes," for which CEO Patrick Coleman sometimes writes articles.