We seldom take the time to thank and honor our fathers. Father’s Day is an excellent opportunity to make them feel special and happy. If at the same time, you can give people a chance to help lives in need, there’s nothing like it! On this special day, every kid wants to think of an…
We seldom take the time to thank and honor our fathers. Father’s Day is an excellent opportunity to make them feel special and happy. If at the same time, you can give people a chance to help lives in need, there’s nothing like it!
On this special day, every kid wants to think of an unforgettable way to thank their father. In turn, you can think of different fundraising ideas to make it happen. The gift doesn’t always have to be tangible; it could be a fun event or a special experience. Sometimes it could be just about the happiness of giving and seeing others happy.
So get innovative and come up with interesting father’s day fundraising ideas to engage and excite your donors.
Fear not! We’re here with some amazing ideas to make it easy for you.
In 2020, the total spending on Father’s Day in the US was a whopping $17 billion, with average spending of $148.58. Imagine the same amount being donated to your cause in exchange for a great father’s day experience! When accumulated from many donors, the total funds raised can actually help you make a big difference in your community.
With this in mind, there are so many options and a huge spending opportunity for your nonprofit to gain funds this Father’s Day.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
One-for-one fundraisers not only maximize impact, but they can be even more appealing to community members and supporters because their dollars are going to do good in more ways than one.
One-for-one fundraisers are essentially a model where when people purchase an item, you promise to give a similar item that meets a need for someone else!
With a Father’s Day one-for-one gift basket, try to partner with local businesses to get all the items for your self-care baskets! Razors, shampoo, deodorant, and maybe more luxury products like facial cream: you name it, try to find someone to donate it in bulk for your baskets!
First, gauge interest via social media so you can get an idea of how many supplies you need.
Then, take your social media engagement a bit further, and do your research. Use Facebook polls or Instagram polls to seek guidance from your followers. What would they like to receive? What would be meaningful?
Once you have a general idea of how many of your followers would be interested in purchasing a basket for their dad while also donating a basket to someone in need, reach out to vendors with your ask.
Start marketing and selling the baskets via Facebook, or you can create a Shopify or SquareSpace shop for these items. Just note there will be a cost, but you can pay monthly, and the monthly cost is typically low, especially if you use your nonprofit discount. These shops are easy to set up then delete when you no longer need them.
Pro tip: Turn this one-for-one fundraiser into an engaging event and market it beforehand. Your team of volunteers can pack the baskets. When donors come to pick their baskets, ask them to give away the donation baskets to people you serve. Click some good pictures and videos so you can post them on your fundraising page, website, or social media later on. Engaging donors could be a fun way to build trust in your organization.
There wouldn’t be a Father’s Day if it weren’t for kids, so, in a way, Father’s Day is also a celebration of family! Parents or parental figures love anything the kids in their life create, so why not offer a fundraiser where you can turn a child’s art into something more tangible that a parent can take with them?
Most parents drive, so a keychain or a similar item would likely bring a smile to a father’s face every time he looked at it dangling from his keys!
A fundraiser like this could take one of two different forms.
Firstly, your organization could partner with online platforms that help turn a kid’s art into a form of jewelry or keychain. Reach out and ask if they would be willing to donate partial proceeds to your organization if your donors used a certain promo code at checkout when they purchased a keychain. You can check out sites like Formia Design and Kidoodles.
Many companies specialize in working with nonprofits. If the above fundraiser is not feasible for you or your donors, you may explore such companies. They can make a great partner for a creative father’s day fundraiser. For example, Kids Kreations partners with nonprofits to help create personalized gifts.
Pro tip: Build a landing page dedicated to your fundraiser. You can create a Google Form to receive artwork submissions and add it to your page. Remember to mention your cause and story along with the significance of Father’s Day. With Donorbox, you can easily build a secure donation page with simple, customizable forms and features to make your fundraiser a definite success.
84% of parents agree that family dinners are important, but only 50% of meals are actually eaten together as a family. Once again, Father’s Day is ultimately about family, and what better way to bring people together than food?
This is a unique opportunity to create something that will bring families together while also making your organization money!
Firstly, create a campaign via social media sending out a call for people to submit their best family recipes! Make sure to include multiple categories so you don’t end up with too much of one thing. Appetizers, desserts, drinks, entrees, make sure you have a submission form for each!
Google forms would be an easy way to collect responses, and it’s free! You can have people remain anonymous, or you can collect names to include in the cookbook. Even if people remain anonymous, ask for their address on the submission form so you are sure to thank them for their contribution!
Create another submission form for ordering, or create a landing page for people to pre-order the cookbook so you know how many to order!
Make sure you include some teaser recipes on social media as a part of your overall campaign for the fundraiser.
Once you have a desirable amount of recipes collected, reach out to graphic designers in your area who might do pro bono work. If that is not an option, have a volunteer, intern, or development staff work with Canva or another free, user-friendly design option to create your own!
Pro tip: if you use Canva, you can also print with them instead of outsourcing to someone else!
If you choose not to go with Canva, you can always use PrintNinja, Book Baby, or other cost-effective options.
People can purchase the cookbooks through Facebook, by donating to your organization and putting “Cookbook” in the note, or through a separate campaign page that you create, depending on how much work you are putting into the campaign.
For those who submitted recipes, make sure you send thank you notes after the campaign is over!
A fun, entertaining way to raise money, charity poker nights and poker runs hosted on Father’s Day could be a great activity that the whole family can enjoy if you market and plan it as a family event.
Charity poker nights and poker runs are classic fundraisers that have proven successful for many nonprofits! A poker run is definitely a more socially distant, COVID-friendly option!
The first step is to do some research into local laws, rules, and regulations and make sure that your nonprofit is legally able to host such an event.
When planning the event, you can consider various ways. You may charge a flat rate as an entry fee that includes a certain number of poker chips, as well as any beverages or food that will be available at the event (donated by community partners, if possible!).
Pro tip #1: Create a crowdfunding campaign for your event. With a tight deadline and a fun upcoming event, it will help you raise some quick funds. Tell people why you’re hosting a poker night and how it can make Father’s Day special for the whole family. But that’s not all; eventually, the proceeds will serve their local community. Add some excitement quotient with a goal thermometer and donor wall.
With Donorbox, these features get added to your crowdfunding campaign by default. Here’s an example –
Pro tip #2: Be ready to take a chance. Discuss with your participants in advance if they’ll be willing to donate the winning amount (or a part of it) back into your organization. It’s more about enjoying the day and doing some good, not just a game!
To make the event more exciting, you should consider giving the fathers a shoutout every now and then with special wishes from their kids.
Donations are obviously vital to the existence of every nonprofit. Especially right now when pocketbooks and wallets are tight due to the current economy, donor retention and increasing donors are vital!
Create a special campaign for Father’s Day to raise funds for your cause. Making donations in honor of someone close and special makes people feel good. So they’re more inclined to give to such fundraisers. If in the process you can gain some recurring donors, that’d be the cherry on the cake!
With Donorbox, you can add the in-honor donation feature as well as a recurring form to your website/donation page. Your donors can also choose to send a personalized message to their father through email/postal mail. Here’s how a form like that looks –
Pro tip: Create some sort of leaderboard to see who has donated the most in honor of their dad! Depending on that, give them a shoutout on your social media profiles, create an impact video featuring them, or send a personalized ‘thank you’ letter. Find more ways to thank your donors in our blog here.
There are many ways to encourage engagement and make something like this a success. Don’t forget, when setting up recurring donations, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Use your existing platforms to encourage recurring donors and make the process seamless.
Where would you be without the father or father figures in your life? It’s important to recognize those who have supported us and give back to them for their constant love and support.
Use this holiday that often flies under the fundraising radar to give back to your community and create special opportunities for families to express love.
Happy fundraising!
Feel free to check out our nonprofit blog for some useful tips, trends, and resources on nonprofit management.
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Megan Koontz