There’s no such thing as too much funds for a Not for Profit but the charitable dollar is in high demand and sometimes those tried and true strategies just don’t cut it anymore.  It might be time to get creative and step outside your raffle comfort zone. Here are some new fundraising ideas your NFP might consider using.

Get active

Is there a set of steps or a running track nearby? Why not give the locals an opportunity to get their exercise gear on and raise some funds at the same time? Why not get some teams together to race those stairs or run 100 x 100 metres in 100 minutes.  There are more ways to raise active money than a standard fun run. Think about your local area and see what you come up with exercise wise.

Be casual

We all love an excuse to dress down and be comfortable.  Partner with a local business or two, or the local school, the bigger the better. Ask them to drop the dress code for the day in support of your cause, request a gold coin donation per person and it’s a simple and easy way to target donations.

Eat some guilt free treats

Have a pie or lamington drive, but on a bigger scale than you’ve done before. Negotiate a great rate with a large bakery and get your local radio station on board to promote the campaign for you.  In a perfect world you’ll also get a delivery company to support as well and get local businesses into a buying war to see who can order the most product, all played out live on radio.  Fundraising treats have less calories right?

Wrap with love

Gift wrapping for a small fee can be a fun way to raise funds and involve volunteers at the same time. In the week before Christmas set up a gift wrapping station at your local shopping centre and provide a much needed service. This is a very visible and festive way of getting into the community at a time when people’s minds are focused on giving in all its forms.

Lock up the boss

Imprison the mayor or another local ‘celebrity’ in the centre of town and ask for donations to ‘bail’ them out. Set a target and don’t let them out until you reach it. Even funnier if you dress them up in prison greens or stripes and make them do challenges or activities for more cash!

Crowd fund it!

If you have a strong social media presence and good interaction you’re missing a great opportunity if you don’t use this to your advantage and use a crowd funding campaign. There are plenty of crowd funding sites who will also give you plenty of tips to harness your social media following and turn likes into funds.

Throw a party

Maybe you smaller host events during the year with a good return but have you considered a super event with a great result? Sometimes a gala night taking twice as much time and organisation is a better use of time than a number of smaller events with limited cash magnetism.  Take it up a notch and go all out instead.

Clean up

Car washes are not just for the local scouts. Automotive workshops are usually closed on Sundays and are a great location for a car related event.  Enlist the help of the staff and volunteers and offer basic car maintenance and a scrub and tub for a set fee.  Not only does the business get to support a good cause they might get some repeat business for any issues they identify.

Think small

Major donors are awesome but don’t overlook the smaller ones.  Some people might only be able to donate $10 a month but that adds up over the year.  Consider offering a giving or membership program and ‘reward’ your mum and dad donors with a regular newsletter or a bumper sticker to acknowledge their support.

Text it

Combining the power of social media and attractive to smaller donors, there are simple apps and sites that allow people to add a dollar or two to a bill or donate a small amount via SMS and an addition to their phone bill.  The giver will barely notice it but they’ll still get that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help out.

Not all activities suit all organisations and their supporters, but we hope one of these 10 new ideas gets your creative juices flowing and the fundraising dollars rolling in.