No “I” in Fundraiser – Groups are Stronger than One

Motivating people for a fundraiser can be a very difficult endeavor. Often the organizers are so focused on incentives and prizes that they forget that one of the very best forms of motivation is encouraging people by rallying them as a team, making everyone feel as though they are a part of something much bigger. There are many ways to do this, but here are some ideas to help you bring a group atmosphere to your fundraising participants to maintain momentum.

1. Frequent update gatherings: often fundraising planning only has the group meeting at the beginning and the end of the fundraiser. This leaves participants feeling as if they are alone, and they will often stop trying. Having frequent update meetings will remind people that they are in this together as a group and keep the fundraiser at the fore-front of their minds.
2. Have progress posted somewhere visible: it’s important for participants to see the progress that is occurring. If they are able to see that others are continuing to work towards a goal, it will encourage them to continue to work to that goal as well. Displaying group progress also brings about a sense of community in the process.
3. Have group wide incentives! Perhaps along the way you have group wide incentives when the group reaches certain points in the fundraising process. Ideas for this would be: and ice cream social at the halfway point, and a barbeque when the goal is reached. Group wide incentives and activities promote encouragement between participants. It also makes the experience more fun for all involved.
4. Teams: one great idea for fundraisers is to split the participants in teams and promote friendly competition between teams. This lends itself well to schools. A class can be a team, and the class that earns the most is rewarded. Or have the participants choose their own teams so they have invested interest in the process and the progress as they work together.
5. Choose fundraisers that aren’t individual selling! There are fundraising ideas that are group wide projects. Most of these are a single event that the group has to plan as whole and work together to achieve. Some options are: car washes, carnivals, benefit dinners, variety shows, and bake sales. This allows people to feel less of the pressure of achieving individual goals, and more a part of a group that will achieve a purpose.

Categories: Fundraising Inspiration

Tags: Fundraising Help