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The work your nonprofit does is incredibly important to the people and communities you serve. While achieving your mission is your team’s passion and focus, dedicating time to enhancing fundraising strategies is essential to a nonprofit’s success. Understandably, finding time to review your approach to fundraising can be challenging, but doing so will help capitalize on opportunities and boost nonprofit donations.
In 2023, PayPal customers around the world donated $19.8 billion toward nonprofits and causes, showcasing the impact of innovative digital fundraising solutions.1 Expanding donation options within the PayPal app is one way customers raised more than $342 million through the digital wallet in 2023.1
This highlights the importance of offering multiple donation channels to make contributing easier for supporters. By implementing the right fundraising tips and leveraging tools like PayPal, customers can expand their reach and engage donors in more ways than ever. Whether you’re looking to simplify the donation process, run a holiday campaign, or create a recurring giving program, these easy and innovative approaches can help drive sustainable support.
Read on to discover actionable fundraising tips for nonprofits and proven strategies to ensure your organization has the resources to make a difference throughout the year.
Ready to optimize your fundraising efforts? The following fundraising ideas can help your organization achieve its goals and increase its impact. Whether you’re just starting to raise funds or looking to enhance your current strategies, these easy fundraising ideas for nonprofits will set you up for success.
Your website isn’t the only place to catch a potential donor’s attention. When you create a PayPal Donate button, it comes with a QR code and Donate link, making it easy to share in various channels online and even in the real world. When it comes to in-person donations, you can even accept donations on the go with PayPal Zettle.
To further enhance your efforts, consider using:
These tools can streamline donation tracking, automate donor communications, and help you manage campaigns across multiple channels. By leveraging other technology alongside PayPal’s tools, you can create a seamless and efficient donation process, boosting both donor engagement and contributions.
PayPal tip: Use your QR code or Donate link for live streams, email campaigns, social media, partner websites, events, and printed fundraising materials.
Create a PayPal campaign fundraising page to raise funds on your website for an event, special project, or set a milestone to achieve over time. Receive funds directly into your PayPal account and only incur fees when you receive a donation. You can edit the banner image and text, add video, use comment functionality to engage donors, and more.
PayPal tip: Customize your campaign page with specific information about the impact so donors can understand what their support will help to achieve.
PayPal Giving Fund receives donations through PayPal, eBay, and other partner platforms and makes grants to donors’ recommended charities. PayPal Giving Fund passes along 100% of the funds they receive to the recommended charity.2
Eligible charities can enroll for free with PayPal Giving Fund to receive donated funds seamlessly, gain reporting insights, and benefit from fundraising on partner platforms, including PayPal Give at Checkout.
PayPal tip: Make it easy for supporters to identify your charity online by maintaining a consistent profile, logo, and bio about your mission or current fundraising efforts. This tip applies even if you are enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund — log in to view your charity dashboard and check if your profile is up to date.
When making a purchase online, PayPal consumers have the option to support a cause they care about with a $1 donation when Give at Checkout appears. PayPal covers donation processing fees for all Give at Checkout donations. There are no other deductions or fees, so the charity receives 100% of the funds raised.2
PayPal tip: Utilize the Give at Checkout toolkit (available in the PayPal Giving Fund Dashboard) to encourage supporters to set your organization as their favorite charity displayed when Give at Checkout appears. Only charities enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund can benefit from Give at Checkout donations.
Give your supporters the option to make secure one-off or recurring donations with PayPal. Don’t worry if you don’t have technical support. Log in to your PayPal account to create your first Donate button.
PayPal tip: Mobile purchases are common, and donations are no exception. Make sure the PayPal Donate button on your website is easy to find for users on a mobile device.
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement and a prime opportunity to create holiday giving campaigns to support your cause. In 2024, 36.1 million people participated in GivingTuesday in the U.S., donating an estimated $3.6 billion.3
PayPal tip: It’s never too early to start planning your fundraising campaigns for the holiday giving season.
Looking for fundraising inspiration? There are countless ways to raise money for your cause. From large-scale events to digital-only giving, here are some examples of fundraising events for nonprofits:
Auctions are fundraising activities where individuals bid on valuable items or experiences. Proceeds from the highest bids are donated to your cause, while the winning bidders receive the items.
From walkathons to cycling, these fitness-style fundraising events encourage people to travel a set distance to support your cause.
Looking for out-of-the-box fundraising ideas? Try a theater show. Attendees can purchase tickets or make donations to attend the play, with proceeds supporting your cause or organization.
Showcasing local artists' work, this type of fundraising event provides a platform for art enthusiasts to support both the arts and your cause.
Using these platforms, motivate your supporters to create their own fundraising campaigns to support your cause.
Host a silent disco party, where participants wear wireless headphones and dance to themed music, with entry fees contributing to your fundraising goal.
Plan a casino-themed fundraising event with games like poker, blackjack, and roulette. Guests can donate to your cause to play and win prizes.
Musicians, bands, or performing artists can donate their talent for a live concert while ticket sales or donations go toward your cause.
Instead of receiving gifts for a special occasion like a birthday or wedding, encourage your supporters to create a PayPal fundraiser and reach out to their social network to gather donations.
Host a trivia competition at a local venue or online, with teams paying an entry fee and competing for prizes while proceeds benefit your cause.
PayPal makes collecting donations online easy for nonprofits. By setting up a PayPal account, your organization can add a “Donate” button to your website, allowing supporters to contribute with just a few clicks. This convenience can lead to more donations, as people appreciate simple and secure ways to give.
Additionally, PayPal for nonprofits offers discounted transaction fees so more of each donation goes directly to your cause. By joining the PayPal Giving Fund, your organization can also reach potential donors through platforms like Facebook and GoFundMe, expanding your fundraising efforts.
Incorporating PayPal into your fundraising strategy not only meets the evolving expectations of donors accustomed to digital transactions, but it also leverages PayPal’s extensive network and tools to amplify your fundraising efforts. The platform’s commitment to security and efficiency provides both organizations and donors with confidence, fostering a trustworthy environment for charitable giving.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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