In 2022, US healthcare increased by 4.1% to reach $4.5 trillion or $13,493 per person. Most American families can’t afford the rising costs of medical care. Peer-to-peer campaigns to raise funds for surgeries and even medicine have become commonplace. Let’s discuss how nonprofits and individuals have moved to raise money online and share twenty unique ways to raise money for medical expenses.
The Importance of Medical Fundraising
Healthcare has continued to be a primary political and social issue in the United States. People struggle to pay for basic health care costs, which often results in individuals skipping doctor’s visits until it becomes a serious issue. Doctors are struggling as well thanks to the increased price of medical insurance, equipment, and emergency services.
There are thousands of online campaigns soliciting funds to cover healthcare costs. Nonprofit and government organizations alike host fundraising events to cover first responders, emergency services, and other medical costs. Individuals rely on friends and family to help cover the cost of expensive surgeries and hospital visits.
Thankfully, online platforms like Donorbox offer a simplified way to raise funds and reach communities that are financially able to assist. However, with so many of these campaigns, it’s challenging to make yours stand out.
We’ve put together 20 inspiring medical fundraising ideas to help you think outside the box and raise more money.
Inspiring Medical Fundraising Ideas
These fundraising ideas can be broken down into four different categories. Traditional, digital, and creative fundraising ideas — each offering unique ways to reach various donors, with fundraising ideas that focus on community engagement. Let’s dive in!
Traditional Fundraising Ideas
Traditional fundraising ideas may be well-known, but because these activities are familiar, they give donors a sense of comfort and can make it easier to inspire them to give.
Charity Auction
Charity auctions are a well-known concept. Many nonprofits add auctions to their annual galas to connect with long-term donors and partners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and other medical organizations began hosting auctions online in a bid to continue vital fundraising efforts. Today, organizations have in-person, online, and hybrid charity auctions to reach more high-net-worth donors to help cover high medical costs and equipment needs.
Raffle
Raffles are another traditional fundraising idea, but the variety of raffles medical nonprofits and individuals can run helps eliminate monotony. Healthcare facilities can offer exciting prizes or cash with 50/50 raffles. They can even turn a regular raffle into an event of its own with a reverse raffle.
Unlike other nonprofits, it doesn’t take a lot to explain how important a medical organization’s work is since everyone has healthcare needs. A compelling story about how donor funds will make a difference in someone’s life has a greater impact than the prize. This is especially true with raffles since ticket prices are typically $20 or less.
Walk-a-thon
A walk-a-thon is popular with hospitals and healthcare facilities because it easily connects with their mission. Another perk is that anyone can hold these fundraising events. All you need is a public space and a host of volunteers. Unlike marathons, most people can also participate in a walk-a-thon.
Craft Fair
Raffles are popular because they give people something for their money. Craft fairs offer similar benefits with a personal touch. Shoppers flock to unique and creative items to help them build a beautiful home. With craft fairs, medical nonprofits can target these individuals and inspire them with the knowledge that their shopping is helping save lives.
Talented individuals with medical debt can run their craft fair and sell products with a garage sale or find local fairs or smaller stores to connect with more shoppers.
Golf Tournament
Golf tournaments are another health-focused activity that medical facilities trend towards. They’ve become as common for nonprofits as auctions, but their revenue is limited since not everyone golfs. Some nonprofits have found unique ways to encourage more participation in their golf tournaments with female-focused golf events and mini-golf tournaments.
Digital Fundraising Ideas
Many traditional fundraisers have found ways to move online. As technology has improved and become more accessible, these and other digital fundraising ideas have made it easier and more affordable to raise funds.
Social Media Challenge
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is the best example of how a social media challenge can raise significant amounts for years for medical organizations. With this digital fundraising and outreach campaign, the ALS Foundation raised $115 million to help with research and care for people living with the disease. Since its success, other organizations have jumped on the bandwagon with creative ways to spread the word about different diseases.
Virtual Gala
While gala fundraising tends to target higher-income donors, a virtual gala can help nonprofits reach a larger audience to raise money. Virtual galas also don’t take as much money or time to plan. Medical facilities and individuals can create virtual galas with unique themes, entertainment, and activities to raise funds for short-term medical emergencies.
Email Campaign
Email campaigns are a simple and affordable way to raise funds from your current donor base. Individuals can use email campaigns to tell their stories, request funds, and keep donors updated about their medical trials and successes. Peer-to-peer fundraising tools make fundraising via email even easier. Healthcare facilities can encourage patients, and individuals can ask friends to share personal stories or videos to raise funds from their community.
Virtual Game Night
The most successful virtual campaigns encourage donor participation. Virtual game nights are another example of nonprofits moving a traditional event online to connect with more people. With virtual game nights, healthcare organizations can choose various themes, like community history and jokes or common healthcare misconceptions. They can charge a fee to join the game, sell raffle tickets, sell products, or ask for donations.
Webinar or Online Class
Webinars and online classes may not make significant amounts, but they are an excellent way to educate and excite donors about the organization’s mission. Medical organizations can invite doctors and other specialists to inform supporters about specific diseases and the efforts their organization has made to make access to healthcare easier and more affordable.
Creative Fundraising Ideas
Traditional fundraisers have helped nonprofits and individuals raise money for decades, but with so much competition for donor dollars, it’s essential to find ways to stand out. That is where creative and out-of-the-box thinking comes into play.
Hollywood or Bollywood Gala
The best part of fundraising galas is the chance to dress up and enjoy quality entertainment. Hollywood galas are a fun way to make donors feel special with a red carpet and paparazzi. With the growth and increased popularity of Indian movies, medical nonprofits can add Bollywood music and dance to entertain and excite donors.
Vintage Tea Party
Tea parties are the go-to activities for little kids dreaming of the future. Medical organizations and individuals can run vintage tea parties to touch the heartstrings and memories of their donors. Tea parties offer numerous options for themes, decorations, and food. Medical nonprofits can turn a tea party into an information-filled afternoon or keep the event fresh and fun.
Superhero Costume Run
There are many times when individuals suffering from diseases wish they could have a superhero. A superhero costume run gives patients the opportunity to be one for themselves, and family members, and friends the chance to be that for their loved ones. Attendees for this type of event are inspired to collect pledges from their community with peer-to-peer campaigns. They can use online tools to tell their stories and provide updates on how their treatment is going.
Escape Room Challenge
Escape rooms can be affordable and simple to set up. Participants also have a great time joining together to figure out the challenge. This is why an escape room challenge is an excellent fundraising idea for medical nonprofits.
Art Show
Art shows are a traditional fundraiser you can turn into your own. The primary goal of participants is to sell their art, so they’re willing to purchase space to set up and sell. Attendees may be willing to purchase tickets to come in and enjoy the ambiance if there is additional entertainment and food available at no extra cost. Finally, medical nonprofits can choose themes and educational materials to share their mission and educate the public about their services whenever possible.
Community Engagement
Raising money is only one part of a fundraising event. Any event’s main goal should be to connect with an audience and form solid relationships. The following community engagement events can help nonprofits do this.
Night Out
National Night Out is an annual community engagement event that hopes to build safer communities and introduce the police and other first responders to the public. Although the event was originally introduced in 1984, its popularity has recently grown in suburbs throughout the United States.
Nonprofits with similar missions can create their similar free events with education and entertainment activities open to the public to share what they do on the ground.
Food Truck Festival
Food trucks are another trend that’s growing in popularity across the country. This is especially true in suburban communities. Medical nonprofits can hire various food trucks to provide unique food items for existing events. Organizations can also create an international food truck night with food choices from around the world.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to add a few tables with fun activities and information on what your nonprofit does.
Block Party
A block party can be an excellent way to raise money for nonprofits and individuals in need. Neighbors can be your best resource to help during hard times. A block party can get everyone involved, share your story, solicit funds, and volunteer to help in other ways. Approach local rec centers, schools, and businesses to cover food and entertainment to keep costs low. Set up tables for food and drink and add an extra space to collect funds and sign up volunteers.
Pro Tip: Another way to get your neighbors involved is a community garage sale where all funds go towards the patient’s medical bills.
Volunteer Day
Most nonprofits rely on volunteer support. While a volunteer activity may not raise money on the day of the event, the relationships an organization can build will be transformative. Medical nonprofits can turn corporations from these events into event sponsors. Nonprofits may even find a few high-level professionals to become board members and major donors.
Public Speaking Engagements
Medical nonprofits can develop one-time and series of talks and workshops on relevant topics to connect with the public. Nonprofits can charge a fee to go towards medical funds, but it may be better to use these as free educational opportunities and ask for donations.
Medical Fundraising Ideas for Treatments
Online platforms that offer peer-to-peer fundraising have become synonymous with individual medical fundraisers. These fundraisers can raise a few hundred to millions of dollars. The success of these events relies on the size and passion of the audience.
Nonprofits and individuals should start with a few individuals who can reach large groups of people. If they have access to a popular influencer, they can be a fantastic way to connect with new people.
As these individuals begin to share the campaign and reach more people, it’s essential to promote their successes and provide details on how others can join. Creating a fundraiser competition can be a fun way to encourage more participation. As the campaign continues, nonprofits and individuals can’t forget to keep donors updated on how their gifts are being used.
Medical Fundraising Inspires Hope
Proof of successful online medical fundraising campaigns can inspire nonprofits and individuals to keep going when times get tough. The following organizations and individuals found ways to have fun and personally connect with donors.
Caolifhionn
The first example is from a woman’s fight against stage four breast cancer. While going through extensive radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery she needed financial support. Friends and family started a campaign to raise $9,765 with 110 donations. The campaign used Donorbox’s donation page to share Caolifhionn’s picture and compelling story.
Donors gave donations and words of support on the campaign’s donor page which helped make her story more personal and share their love for the woman.
Maya’s Hope
Maya’s Hope supports orphaned and impoverished children with disabilities by paying for medical care and surgeries, nutrition, and basic needs. Their average donation doubled since they started with Donorbox with an average donation of $514. They raised over $826,649 with peer-to-peer on Donorbox from only 41 supporters and raised over one million for their Ukraine Emergency Campaign.
Maya’s Hope was able to use over 44 currencies and 11 languages to raise funds. By adding videos to the campaign page with the story of their successes, they also shared an impact report in an entertaining way. They also offer one-time or monthly donation options and employer donation matching to raise more with every donation.
Conclusion
Medical fundraising stands as a crucial tool in addressing the financial strains of healthcare, offering hope and tangible support to those in need. By employing a variety of strategies – from classic charity auctions to modern digital campaigns and engaging community events – fundraisers can not only raise essential funds but also foster meaningful connections with supporters. Leveraging platforms like Donorbox can simplify the fundraising process and amplify its impact, making it easier to reach and exceed goals.
As you embark on your fundraising journey, be sure to visit our Nonprofit Blog, a great destination for a host of tips and resources to inspire creative ideas and connect with your donors.
Kristine Ensor
