Virtual Event Fundraising Ideas & Case Studies

By Pesach, we already had one nonprofit client whose main fundraising event disappeared due to the cancellation of international travel — what could someone like that do right now to re-engage the people who already booked and salvage their contributions?   

How will organizations manage without their annual fundraising events — like big gala dinners — in a time of physical distancing? Even if you’re delivering all paid-up participants a gourmet meal (which will suddenly look more like McDonalds) and whiskey samples, to enjoy during an online brewery tour or listening to a fantastic speaker, we have to agree that it’s really not the same as being in the same room with others who love the organisation as much as you do. But, even though some things might get lost without in-person, two-way engagement we’re not going to throw out events altogether. 

Let’s look at a few ways to do that safely, creatively, and SUCCESSFULLY…

Fundraising events gone virtual

Engaging lots of people virtually in one go is an uphill challenge. The first ideas I saw were great engagement builders, but they weren’t major fundraisers. One small idea I really liked was Camp In 4 Camp Simcha: it wasn’t hard work, it was fun when everyone really needed it, and it raised small amounts of money. 

8 small-scale virtual fundraising event ideas

1. Virtual talent shows — suitable for youth groups and schools. 
2. Online auctions — works if you have something to sell or if your cause is championing small businesses or fair trade products. 
3. Open mic comedy night — perfect for youth groups and really, anything. 
4. Challenge events — remember the ice bucket? 
5. Ted-talk style event — excellent for synagogues and schools — generally, people seem to have a lot to say, so give them the chance!
6. Cooking demos — good for synagogues, schools and more — you can take this a step further by prepping ingredient packets. 
7. A Google maps world treasure hunt — escape room type riddles to calculate longitude and latitude and access the right location for the next clue. First person at the last post is the winner. 
8. Live tours around your site! If your site is front-line covid or helping people at this time, show us what that looks like. 
9. If your site is a zoo or tourist site then that’s easy isn’t it? We cooed over the Jerusalem zoo Facebook lives big time. 
10. A drive-in movie has a great physical distance component — don’t forget to check for permit necessity and navigate refreshment packages.It’s a lovely summer option that brings the community out for some light entertainment. 
11. For the best in online, Jewish multiplayer games try Bagels and Locks and compete against others in an Israel trivia fest.  
12. A hosted virtual gameshow at FunSocialDistancing.com.

Major virtual fundraising

What type of event works best for you?

Sending out escape rooms in a box? Organizing an online concert? A virtual trivia night for your supporters? Virtual Dungeons and Dragons? An indoor exercise challenge? How do you decide which type of virtual event is right for you? Format should follow function.

In deciding what format of event to choose, you need to figure out:

1. How much time is needed to mobilize your cause community, usually passionate for your cause (in the case of Hatzala above, they did it in two weeks!)? 
2. What can bring about emotional connection so participants still feel connected to the cause? This works better when it’s a community of usual suspects, like your annual hikers, marathoners, or strong men participants.
3. What elements are non negotiable and can actually exist in the event’s new format?
4. If you don’t generally do a sporting event then what external action will empower supporters when paired with a virtual event — perhaps a dog walk for blind dog training centers or the cutest sponsored toddle?
5. How can your event incorporate reminding participants of their impact in the run up to any event and during an event?

And then integrate fundraising…

1. It’s time to set up a unique landing page on your website for event registration. What else can go there? Can you feature a video from an enthusiastic ambassador with a personal story? 
2. Now is not the time to save on event-branded swag and tools — everyone wants to feel a part of it. If your participants are accustomed to the camaraderie of a pre-race evening meal, then think about how that can be done — if at all. 
3. Keep highlighting stories and relevant discussions in your social media channels to keep the momentum going. 
4. Every virtual element must feel personal, so what does that look like? Perhaps pre-recorded video content to motivate the participant, using gamified systems, or offering prizes for achievements. 

And finally…

Tech solutions that work harder 

So you wanted to do a bike-a-thon but people are hesitant to gather, rules are ambiguous, and you’re limited to stationary bikes? 

Can you build up mission and community, while tracking, motivating and instilling a competitive edge, all at the same time? 

How do you move away from the more one-dimensional virtual events where the viewer is just passively watching or just posting their progress to social media themselves? 

User-friendly tech is available that can help bridge fundraising with engagement:  

1. For YOU: Integrated apps with push notifications and live updates that makes community building easy and campaign management intuitive. Want to quickly add a call to action that fits the dynamic day? No problem. 
2. For SUPPORTER: Quality interaction and gamification with personalized coaching tracks, achievement badges, and milestones means motivation is just a pop-up challenge away, for example: add someone to your team now and level up, keep going you’re only 1 km away from, and you’re on the leaderboards!

There are companies innovating toward the kind of engagement that can help nonprofits now, and I’m looking forward to seeing innovations like these that support more currencies and languages.

Some examples:

If you are fundraising internationally, Give Lively is an option if you have access to a UK/US/other bank compatible with Stripe to receive money. Additional paid features that Israeli organizations can benefit from include PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.  Otherwise, this is a TOTALLY FREE online campaign platform offering user-friendly, custom event registration pages, ticketing, and RSVPs (even for virtual event admission!). You can include video on your custom page and link events to your broader fundraising goals, while their Text-to-Donate feature, updates live. Lack of Hebrew is also a downside for Israeli organizations. 

Here’s a great example of people thinking out of the box to come up with solutions that are good for the organization and the donor! American-based Boundless motion (an add-on option to the main Boundless app) from Charity Dynamics is a live event tracker! Your cyclist can now monitor fundraising progress AND track their own physical activity, all while cycling and having their nearest and dearest throw mud and flies at them, for that genuine outdoor experience. There’s integrations with popular trackers like Apple health, Google fit and Strava and options to set leaderboards, tracking, gamification and challenges. How’s that for motivating your people? 

As this year marches on we will see more of this with the campaign websites we know and love. I wonder what innovative solutions will be created on national and international platforms, is it just a matter of time and tech? 

Success will happen with creativity, engagement, and better user experience. And sometimes, even when there are engagement bumps on the yet-to-be-built road to success — think inappropriate comments in your livefeed — it won’t hinder success. 

Considering a virtual event fundraiser? Book an LSF strategy consult to help your team optimize your virtual fundraising event strategy.