Which Type of Fundraising Event is Best for You?
By Whit Hunter
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From auctions to fund-a-need campaigns, there are many different fundraising events for nonprofits. How do you know which is right for you?
BetterWorld is an online fundraising platform designed with nonprofits in mind. From well-designed websites to social media integrations, we offer every tool to make it easy to raise the funds you need for your organization. Sign up for free at BetterWorld today!
Different Types of Fundraising for Nonprofits
When choosing the best fundraising events for nonprofits, there are many things to consider. Make a list of what is most important to you, how much you want to raise, and your goals for your event. In addition, be sure to consider how much help you’ll have and how much time you have to prepare for your event.
Here are some of our favorite and most successful fundraising events for nonprofits.
Auction
Online, in-person, or both, auctions are a great way to raise money for your organization while engaging your donor base! You can solicit donations for auction items from your network of friends, families, acquaintances, and local businesses and organizations. Many people will be happy to donate to a charity doing good work in their community!
A-thons
You’ve probably heard of a-thons before, and for a good reason -- they’re great nonprofit fundraising events that raise money while doing something your members are good at or your donor base will enjoy.
For example, if you plan to raise money for a local youth baseball league, host a pitch-a-thon. If you’re raising money for a dance studio, host a dance-a-thon.
Your cause doesn’t even have to connect to the event you’re participating in. For example, one of the nation’s most popular a-thons, THON – a dance marathon benefiting a children’s cancer charity – started at Penn State in 1973.
A-thons are one of the most popular fundraising event ideas for nonprofits and are a great way to get people up and moving while promoting your cause and raising money for your mission.
Art Exhibit
Everyone loves an art exhibit! Use your fundraising goals as a way to bring your community together. Host an art exhibit and use art from local artists. You can charge an entry fee, sell concessions, and host an auction for the art.
If you’re raising money for a children’s charity, have local school children create the art for an extra special touch. Need money for a local community theater? Have the actors create the art! Little, personalized touches like these will go a long way with your donors.
Fun Walk or Run
In our experience, a fun run or walk is one of the most successful fundraising event ideas for nonprofits. Each participant solicits donations from their network via a peer-to-peer fundraising page, with two ways to support the participant: a flat donation or a per-lap donation. After the event, the donor submits the total money pledged.
Increase your donations by offering sponsorships to local businesses or pairing them with other different types of fundraising for nonprofits, such as an auction or a competition.
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Competition
Who doesn’t get fired up by a little competition? Things like Lego building competitions, basketball tournaments, or peer-to-peer fundraising competitions. Let your competitors and participants work together to raise money for your cause.
If you’re hosting an in-person competition event, charge an entry fee for both participants and spectators, have participants solicit donations, or sell concessions. Whoever wins the competition gets a prize!
You can make it even more exciting for your donors by tying in a giveaway or auction of related items. Hosting a Lego building competition? Your giveaway may be a high-end Lego set! Raising money through a community softball event? Host a giveaway of professional baseball game tickets. There are endless opportunities to engage and excite your donor base!
Vacation Auction
Treat your donors to the break they deserve by auctioning off an all-expenses-paid vacation! Whether it’s a weekend away at a local tourist spot or a week on an island, pick something that will inspire your audience to open their wallets and bid on your prize.
Need help figuring out how to get your hands on a vacation to auction off? No problem! You can take advantage of BetterWorld’s Instant Auction Items, available at no additional cost, and provide access to great vacations your donors will love!
Sports Memorabilia
Sports memorabilia sales and auctions are big crowd-pleasers for non-profit fundraising events! Try to get some donated items from your local minor and major league sports teams to auction off to your donors.
Use an online platform like BetterWorld to track your memorabilia inventory, accept bids, and advertise your event. Pair your memorabilia with tickets to games and other fun items to increase your donations!
Raise the Money You Need with BetterWorld
We designed BetterWorld with organizations like yours in mind! We want to help nonprofits and other organizations reach their fundraising goals as quickly as possible so that they can continue to do the work that means so much to their communities.
With our robust suite of free tools, user-friendly dashboard, and countless fundraising event ideas for nonprofits, BetterWorld is the partner you need to supercharge your fundraising efforts! You can sign up for free now or, if you have some questions, reach out to schedule a commitment-free, customized demonstration.
Our team will walk you through our platform, answer any questions, and help you decide which types of fundraising for nonprofits are suitable for you!

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