How to Plan for Last Minute Fundraising

While it is always best to strategically plan out your fundraising calendar at the beginning of the year, sometimes the unexpected happens. Whether your planned fundraiser didn’t raise as much as you hoped or your school suddenly has an urgent need for new resources, there are many reasons why you may find that you need to do some last minute fundraising. The good news is, just because you have less time to plan your fundraiser, doesn’t mean it can’t be a huge success! Read on for tips and tricks on how to host a last minute fundraiser. Plus—learn more about which types of fundraisers work best when you’re strapped for time.

6 Tips to Make Last Minute Fundraising a Success

When you’re planning for last minute fundraising, you have less time to actually—plan! That means you need to make every minute count. From ways to save precious time to ideas on how to work efficiently, these tips and tricks will help you plan and execute your fundraiser.

Keep it simple

A high-energy event fundraiser such as a fun run is super appealing and fun, but this type of fundraiser also requires quite a bit of advanced planning. When short on time, keep it simple and schedule these larger events out on your fundraising calendar.

Use an online fundraising platform

With online fundraising platforms, students and families can share your fundraiser with a quick click via email, text, and social media. This allows them to reach more donors in less time—anywhere in the world! The fundraising platform also cuts out all the tedious time spent tracking and collecting donations. Plus, there’s zero upfront cost and schools on average raise more!

Reach out to your loyal donors

Tap into your list of donors that support your fundraising efforts repeatedly. Reach out via email or phone to share what you are raising funds for. Online fundraising platforms can keep track of your donors and save you time by efficiently sending out emails for you.

Use social media

You will most likely not have time for traditional marketing strategies such as printing up posters and distributing fliers. Social media can help you reach an audience instantly! Use an easy-to-use design website to create some quick graphics—Canva is a great choice and totally free—or use images that showcase what you’re raising funds for and get sharing. Make sure to ask students and families to also share your posts to their pages for increased awareness.

Promote corporate matching

Many companies will make a donation to a fundraiser equal to the donation made by an employee. This is an effortless way to double a donation when you’re under time constraints with last minute fundraising! Get the word out and remind your donors to check the policies at their companies. Some fundraising platforms simplify the process and allow donors to search online while making their donation.

Make your time shortage an asset!

Giving donors a limited amount of time to make a donation will create a sense of urgency which can be a huge benefit. They are more likely to click and donate immediately rather than put it off until later and possibly forget. Also remember that donors are more likely to give when they know what their money is going towards, so share your story and share it often! Explain why you need to raise funds quickly and how this fundraiser will benefit your school.

Last Minute Fundraising Ideas that Work

Selecting the right type of fundraiser is crucial when you have a limited amount of time to plan and execute. These five fundraising ideas can all be up and running quickly, don’t require a huge entourage of volunteers, and promise to raise big funds to help you reach your goal!

Ask for direct donations

Possibly the easiest fundraiser to host, students and families simply ask for donations to raise money for a particular goal. Some fundraising companies will handle all the heavy lifting, contacting your donors in a personal way and making this fundraiser effortless.

Plan a pledge-a-thon

While you may not want to host a large event, you can still plan a pledge-a-thon quickly without the event aspect. For example, a read-a-thon can easily be organized utilizing an online fundraising platform to collect donations for the amount of pages or hours a student reads in a designated time.

Sell custom gear online

There’s no waiting for custom products to be created and shipped when you sell with an online store option—they only ship exactly what is ordered. This also avoids any upfront costs and leftover inventory.

Offer a service

The idea is to offer a service your donors need. For example, if you are in need of a fundraiser around the holidays, set up a gift wrapping service. If you need some last minute fundraising during the spring, organize a pop up car wash. You can get creative with this one!

Host a restaurant night

Ask a local restaurant if they are willing to donate a portion of proceeds from one day to your fundraiser and then get the word out!

While taking the time to plan out a fundraising calendar at the beginning of your school year is ideal, the reality is that unexpected situations can lead to last minute fundraising needs. The good news is, that even with a time crunch, it is still possible to pull off a successful fundraiser. Follow these tips and choose a fundraiser that fits with your time constraints and you will be on your way to reaching your fundraising goals!

If you reside in North Carolina and are interested in school fundraising or fundraising for schools, reach out today to find out more!