One of the first stumbling blocks with any form of fundraising is establishing the way to it.  Fundraising doesn’t have to be a hard or complex process but it does require time, effort, planning and strategy.  Some of the different ways to fundraise have been summarised below and these highlight the diversity and the opportunities that are available.

  • Grants:  All levels of government provide grants that range from recurrent funds to one off grants that, for example, may be for the purchase of equipment.  Furthermore, philanthropic organisations also provide grants and are worth investigating.  For more information follow this link that relates to a post we did last year on Where to Find Local Grants.
  • Events:  Depending on your organisation and the amount you are trying to raise then you should consider running an event.  These can be small or large events depending on what you objectives are.  Refer to the recent series of posts in early January that discussed issues with Event Management.
  • Donations:  These can be general donations that help to run the organisation or you can link to a specific activity, program or target.  For larger organisations you can set up regular giving programs where donors have their accounts automatically debited by an agreed amount each month.
  • Product or service donations:  If you are a charity or not for profit you may be eligible to receive resources that are donated or at significantly reduced costs.  Refer to a recent post titled Free Software and Support that detailed ways to obtain free software from organisations including Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec and Adobe.
  • Sponsorships:  A great way for organisations to get some good publicity is through sponsorship arrangements.  Your organisation can benefit through a financial contribution connected to   advertising, they may supply equipment, services or even a motor vehicle.
  • Merchandising:  You may be able sell a range of products that have been branded with the details of your organisation.
  • Outsource:  Organisations such as Australian Fundraising offer a range of programs and products that help your organisation raise funds.  Follow the link for more information as well as some fantastic resources to assist you with any fundraising activity.

These are just some ways you can fundraise and what is important is to identify the method or combination of methods to achieve your objectives.  This is why it is important to develop a fundraising strategy which is covered in the next post.