Snowball Fundraising https://snowballfundraising.com Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:01:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://snowballfundraising.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SnowballS-2-150x150.png Snowball Fundraising https://snowballfundraising.com 32 32 The Ultimate Text-to-Give Guide: Mobile Donations Made Easy https://snowballfundraising.com/text-to-give-guide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=text-to-give-guide https://snowballfundraising.com/text-to-give-guide/#comments Mon, 15 Jul 2024 15:07:20 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=30168 Text-to-give fundraising is the future of nonprofit giving! Ready to make the most of it? Read this guide to get started with text-based contributions.

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Text-to-Give | Complete Guide for Nonprofits and Fundraisers

💬❤ Enable donors to give to nonprofits via their mobile phones.

Inside: The Basics of Text-to-Give, Text-to-Give Pro Tips, and Text-to-Give Platforms and Tools

Get the Guide

Nonprofit leaders are tasked with capturing the attention of potential supporters and creating a convenient experience that invites them to continue donating. That’s why fundraising methods like text-to-give are so popular! 

In addition to boosting revenue, text donations enable nonprofits to secure long-term support for their cause via boosted donor engagement and retention. In this guide, we’ll cover all the must-know information and vital tips for better text-to-give fundraising, including:


Text-to-give is an effective giving vehicle that organizations shouldn’t overlook. Ready to enhance your fundraising plan and boost donor engagement? Let’s dive in!

See for yourself why over 15,000 NPOs trust Snowball with their text-to-give fundraisers
Text-to-give enables nonprofits of all sizes to reach new fundraising heights by providing their donors with a new, modern way to give.

Text-to-Give Fundraising FAQs

What is text-to-give fundraising?

Text-to-give fundraising, or text-to-donate, is a form of fundraising that enables supporters to give to nonprofit, faith-based, and political organizations through text messaging. It allows donors to give anytime, anywhere in only a few seconds.

The process is simple: 

  1. Your organization is assigned a phone number by its text-to-give provider.

  2. A supporter texts a keyword (also known as a trigger word) and a donation amount to your organization’s phone number. Alternatively, donors may send only the trigger word and receive a link to your mobile donation page in response, where they’ll submit their gift.

  3. You designate these donations to go toward your annual fund or to a specific campaign.

 

That’s it! Mobile giving is easy for both your organization and your donors. Let’s look at a few other ways this modern fundraising approach can transform your fundraising.

This image shows an example of someone engaging in a text-to-give fundraiser

How much does text-to-donate cost?

The cost varies per platform, but typically, it’s based on a flat fee amount in addition to a fixed processing rate for credit cards. For the most cost-effective investment, choose a platform that gives you unlimited text and text-to-give keywords and bypasses mobile carrier fees (like Snowball!)

 

What’s the standard gift size?

According to Nonprofit Source, the average donation size for text-to-donate campaigns is $107. Not only can these donations be substantial, but text-to-give enables easy setup for future recurring donations. In other words, you may encourage ongoing support and gifts from donors without making additional donation appeals.

 

Is text-to-give secure? 

With a PCI-compliant text-to-give provider like Snowball, your mobile gifts will be in safe hands. We use authentication and tokenization to protect your donors’ sensitive information, such as billing information and addresses.

 

What types of nonprofits host these fundraisers?

Countless nonprofits use mobile fundraising and text-to-give to drive support for their causes, including: 

 

  • Faith-based organizations: Most religious organizations also encourage their members to take out their phones and use text-to-tithe in addition to traditional collection plates.

 

  • Health and wellness organizations: Healthcare organizations can use mobile fundraising as part of their grateful patient programs and annual funds.

 

  • Animal rights organizations: Animal rights charities inspire supporters to give via their mobile devices by sending out cute pictures, GIFs, and videos of animals.

 

  • Educational advocacy organizations: With the increase in popularity of text-to-donate and mobile giving software, one of the best ways teachers can improve their classrooms is to launch their own online fundraisers. It’s also a great resource for PTAs looking to launch a new school fundraiser. 

 

  • Environmental awareness organizations: Text-to-give is a paper-free giving method, meaning environmental awareness and advocacy groups are increasingly imploring donors to use their mobile devices.

 

  • Arts and cultural organizations: Museums, theaters, zoos, and galleries tend to use methods like ticket sales and membership programs to raise money. A growing trend toward using mobile donation software provides more convenient solutions to interested donors. 

 

Any type of nonprofit can benefit from mobile fundraising and any type of supporter can leverage the convenience of donating from their cell phones. 

 

What are the pros and cons of hosting a text-to-give fundraiser?

When someone tells you there’s good news and bad news, which would you rather hear first? Since the list of text-to-give cons is so short, we’ll get the disadvantages out of the way first:

  • Donation amount cap: Some providers (not Snowball!) may put a limit on how much donors can give via text-to-donate. 
  • Engagement limitations: The simplicity of text-to-give also means donors provide minimal information and spend less time interacting with your nonprofit.

 

However, the pros vastly outweigh the cons of text-to-give fundraising.

As one of the most effective donation methods, text-to-give empowers nonprofits of all sizes to reach new fundraising heights. Since so many of your supporters own mobile devices, incorporating text-to-give into your fundraising strategy allows your nonprofit to tap into the growing influence of mobile usage:

  1. 97% of Americans own a cell phone, making it the preferred method of communication. Because text-to-give uses technology that most donors and fundraisers already use on a daily basis, they’ll be more inclined to take the time to send a quick donation to their favorite organization.
     
  2. 57% of nonprofit website traffic came from mobile devices last year, meaning mobile giving aligns with the way potential supporters are already engaging with your nonprofit’s information. In fact, 1 in 4 donors use mobile devices to discover nonprofits they were previously unaware of.

     

  3. Since 91% of Americans look at their cell phones around 80 times a day, mobile giving is an easy way to keep donors involved and excited without slowing them down. Plus, donors are more likely to pay attention to mobile giving requests because 90% of text message reminders are read in 3 minutes.

 

Mobile fundraising is one of the easiest ways donors can contribute to your organization. It completely streamlines the donation process by eliminating the need to use a desktop, a laptop, or even direct mail. Donors can even opt to set up recurring donations and continue showing their support. 

The simplicity of text-to-give also makes it a great way to run concurrent fundraising initiatives. For example, you can promote and accept text donations at your in-person auction to maximize fundraising revenue and awareness of your nonprofit’s programs. This fast, easy, and engaging donation process lays the groundwork for stronger donor relationships. 

Text-to-give is a modern fundraising method that enables donors to give to nonprofits via their mobile phones.

Ready to raise more with Text-to-Give?

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2. Text-to-Give Pro Tips

How to Launch a Text-to-Give Fundraiser

If you’re sold on text-to-give fundraising and ready to get started, you may be thinking, “What now?” Let’s look into the steps you need to take to launch your campaign.

1. Implement a text-to-give strategy.

First, you’ll need to determine the logistics of your fundraiser. To implement text-to-give in your fundraising strategy, answer the following questions:

  • Who will be in charge of running your text-to-give campaign?
  • What will the donations support? Are they for a specific project?
  • When will you launch and close your text-to-give campaign? When do you expect to reach your donation goal?
  • Where will you promote your campaign and post updates?

 

The answers to these questions will guide the rest of your planning. For example, knowing what project will be supported by text-to-give donations can help you craft compelling marketing materials to promote your mission.

This image shows the steps to follow to launch a text-to-give fundraiser

2. Set attainable goals.

Donors should know exactly how their hard-earned money is helping, and so should your nonprofit! Clearly define goals for your text-to-give campaign to determine where the money will go. Use the SMART goal framework to ensure your goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Time-bound

 

After you determine your objective and launch your campaign, you’ll need to keep your supporters updated on its progress. Use a fundraising thermometer to show how donors’ gifts contribute to the bigger picture, incentivizing their participation. Feature your thermometer on your donation page and website and share updates on social media. 

 

3. Put a marketing plan in place.

Once you’ve straightened out the fine fundraising details, it’s time to share your campaign with the world! Regularly update your supporters and encourage them to share your text-to-give campaign with their networks. To spread the word, consider the following:

  • An email newsletter with simple guidance on how donors can get started.
  • A press release emphasizing your organization’s role in the community.
  • An announcement on your website such as a video from your nonprofit’s team.
  • Search engine marketing to draw attention to your campaign page.
  • Social media posts that supporters can share with their followers.

 

Seek out influencers to help boost the visibility of your text-to-give campaign. By recruiting influential advocates, you’ll inspire new donors to trust you and contribute.

 

4. Collect data on campaign progress.

Just like any other campaign, you need to track (and act on) key analytics. Remember to track the following:

  • Individuals’ text-giving frequency
  • Average text donation size
  • Marketing channel engagement (website click-through rate, social media engagement rates, etc.)
  • Donor information (name, mailing address, etc.)

 

By tracking this data, you’ll gain a better sense of what’s working and what’s not. Which marketing channels are receiving the most engagement? What about the least engagement? Is your campaign messaging actionable enough? Make strategy adjustments according to what you learn.

10 Text-to-Give Fundraising Tips 

As you become more experienced with mobile giving, employ a more advanced approach to yield the best results. Consider these tips to make the most of your campaign:

This image lists text-to-give fundraising tips that nonprofits can follow to employ a more advanced approach to their campaigns.

1. Focus on clear campaign messaging.

Before you can explain how to give, you’ll need to convince donors why they should give. Be clear about the need for your campaign and its goals by providing: 

  • Specific and actionable reasons for your campaign
  • The importance of your cause (and why it’s worth supporting) 
  • A sense of purpose through the act of giving 


Take the Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts for example:

The organization gives numerous, specific examples of its disaster relief efforts, even giving a specific example of an individual beneficiary. Then, it explains what is accomplished with donor gifts and even gives some impressive statistics about the nonprofit’s reliance on volunteer work.

 

2. Feature it on marketing tools.

Across all your communications, actively promote your organization’s number and keyword with calls-to-action. Adjust your tactics according to the platform: 

  • Direct mail will need eye-catching inserts to capture the attention of recipients. You can also include QR codes to encourage supporters to move online.

  • Emails can highlight the number and keyword subtly in your email signature or loudly with a pop of color.

  • Social media posts provide opportunities to use visuals, such as compelling photos and videos.

 

Feel free to get creative! Most importantly, vary your approach across platforms so that your text-to-give campaign appeals to all of your different audiences.

3. Input collected donor data into your CRM.

Make sure to input donors’ names, phone numbers, email addresses, and billing addresses into your existing database. This way, you can incorporate them into your future fundraising efforts.

 

4. Track and analyze your data.

As with any fundraising activity, you should keep track of your performance. Track text-giving frequency and average text donation size to help inform your future donation appeals. Make note of any trends as well as any shifts away from those trends.

 

5. Host it with an event.

Incorporate text-to-give into your other fundraising events to maximize revenue. For example, you might hang engaging flyers with your text-to-donate number and shortcode around the venue at your auction. 

The right event management software will streamline multiple capabilities, making it easier than ever for you to host concurrent campaigns. That way, you can keep your event tasks and text-to-give fundraiser information all in one place.

 

6. Try a peer-to-peer campaign.

A peer-to-peer campaign isn’t just a great way to spread the word about your cause; it’s a great way to spread your text-to-donate number, too. Encourage your volunteers to create their P2P pages like they normally would. Then, when they share their fundraising pages with their social networks, they can advertise your text-to-give number and shortcode.

 

7. Assign someone to be in charge of new donor data.

When you run a text-to-give campaign, you’ll be flooded with new donor information. Assign a staff member to take charge of the data. Then, put processes in place to account for common concerns, such as what to do if new data differs from old data and how to handle duplicate information.

 

8. Host a pledge campaign.

A pledge campaign is a great twist on traditional text-to-donate campaigns. Since the average mobile donation pledge for fundraising events is $167, your organization stands a good chance of boosting donations. 

Have volunteers create their pledge pages. Then, they can share your organization’s text-to-donate information. Supporters will have the option to pledge their support with the pledge page or donate right then by texting their gift.

 

9. Incorporate matching gifts.

To give via text, donors will have to give you their contact information. This is the perfect opportunity to email them about matching gifts because their text donation might be eligible for a match through their employer. 

Reach out to your text-to-donate participants and encourage them to explore matching gift opportunities through their employer. Once supporters submit a request for their employer to match their gift, your nonprofit could receive another donation!

 

10. Make text-to-give part of your Giving Tuesday efforts.

Giving Tuesday (and other time-based initiatives) represents a great chance to encourage donors to expand their giving as a result of an urgent push. Because there’s a limited time frame, donors are motivated to act fast, and texting their donations is the fastest way to give.

Text-to-Give Platforms and Software

Best Text-to-Give Fundraising Platform and Tools

The key to hosting a successful text-to-donate fundraiser is having the right tool to facilitate it, like Snowball. Snowball Fundraising is a mobile-optimized fundraising suite for any organization, nonprofit, or church. 

At Snowball, we have a simple solution for giving on the go—one that doesn’t require donors to have a credit card handy 24/7. Our text-to-give platform enables donors to give wherever they are, whenever they want. All it takes is a couple of taps: one to send a text with the donation amount and another to confirm the payment. 

With our platform, you’ll receive more than the basics. Streamline all your fundraising efforts with these features:

A list of text-to-give fundraising features included in Snowball’s software, which are listed in the text below.
  • Unlimited inbound text messages
  • Unlimited custom trigger words (or keywords)
  • Instant setup
  • No extra software or accounts for your donors
  • Easy repeat and recurring donations
  • Affordable outbound text messaging
  • Text-to-bid, text-to-tithe, and text-to-ticket capabilities

 

Unlike other platforms, once a donor enters their information for the first time with Snowball, they never have to enter it again—even if they’re donating through another online or mobile avenue. Best of all, with our PCI-compliant technology and single-factor authentication, you’ll know your donors’ information is completely protected. Our platform is highly secure, allows donations to reach your nonprofit within a few business days, and integrates seamlessly with your other fundraising initiatives.

Additional Resources on Text-to-Give Fundraising

Remember, the great thing about a text-to-give campaign is that it can be hosted on its own or in coordination with your other events and campaigns. You’re sure to boost funds so long as you take a strategic approach and keep the donor experience front of mind.

Here at Snowball, our mission is to provide nonprofits with the intuitive tools they need to maximize fundraising success. No matter your organization’s mission, we’ve got you covered. 

Check out these additional resources for more information:

 

Ready to raise more with text-to-give fundraising? Get a demo of Snowball’s software.
Text-to-Give | Complete Guide for Nonprofits and Fundraisers

💬❤ Enable donors to give to nonprofits via their mobile phones.

Inside: The Basics of Text-to-Give, Text-to-Give Pro Tips, and Text-to-Give Platforms and Tools

Get the Guide

The post The Ultimate Text-to-Give Guide: Mobile Donations Made Easy first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> https://snowballfundraising.com/text-to-give-guide/feed/ 11 From Planning to Profit: How to Master Your Silent Auctions https://snowballfundraising.com/silent-auctions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silent-auctions Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:23:01 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=31551 Silent auctions are powerful fundraisers to drive your nonprofit’s mission forward. Learn how to kickstart your nonprofit silent auction in this guide!

The post From Planning to Profit: How to Master Your Silent Auctions first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

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As a fundraising professional, you likely know that effective charity auctions can raise awareness for your cause, boost supporter engagement, and help you solicit critical funding. But perhaps you’ve never hosted one yourself, or you’re looking for a refresher before planning your next big event. 

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to pulling off a successful silent auction. We’ll cover the following topics to prepare you for hosting your own auction and bringing in the big bucks for your organization:

 

Ready to take your fundraising efforts to the next level with a silent auction? Let’s jump in!

Learn how Snowball can improve your nonprofit’s silent auctions by getting a demo of our software
What is a Silent Auction_ FAQ

Silent Auction FAQs

What Are Silent Auctions?

Silent auctions are a type of charity auction in which bidders can browse, bid on, and purchase items without the supervision of an auctioneer by placing their bid electronically or on a physical sheet of paper. 

This format differs from live auctions in the following ways:

This image shows the differences between silent auctions and live auctions, which will be explained in the text below

In silent auctions: 

  • Guests can browse items on display. 
  • Participants place their bids via bid sheets. 

 

Live auctions, in contrast:

  • Are hosted by an auctioneer.
  • Use hand signals for the bidding process while the auctioneer is talking.

 

Whereas guests have to attend a live auction in order to participate, silent auctions can be hybrid by accepting bids on a virtual platform. All you need is an event management tool that offers mobile bidding features. Then, more supporters can participate and donate to your cause!

How to Run a Silent Auction

Why Host This Type of Auction?

Silent auctions are particularly advantageous for the following reasons:

  • They’re inexpensive. All you’ll need are the auction items, your auction platform, and bidders! You can easily set up enticing item displays at low costs and raise even more revenue by selling concessions.
  • Bidding is kept private. More people will be likely to bid on items when they don’t have to engage in a bidding war in front of a large crowd. Bidders can privately compete for items and wait to find out if they’ve won.
  • Supporters are more engaged. Without the presence of an auctioneer and simultaneous bidding, guests can mingle with each other and your nonprofit’s leaders or volunteers. This creates more opportunities for you to communicate your cause, connect with potential donors, and cultivate a healthy community of supporters.


Plus, silent auctions allow for mobile bidding, which can help your nonprofit reach a larger audience.

 

How Do They Work?

Before you can start planning your event, it’s a good idea to first understand the way it should function. 

For this event, items are typically set up throughout a physical space with a sheet of paper, called a bid sheet, at each one. When participants find an item they’d like, they simply write their bid amount (in dollars) with their anonymous bidding number that they receive upon registration or check-in.

Nonprofit auction software provides a streamlined, tech-based alternative in which attendees can efficiently bid from their phones instead. Users can then be notified when they’ve been outbid and decide to raise their bid to stay in the game.

As participants explore your available items, individuals continually one-up each other by placing a slightly higher bid than the person before them. After the event, the individual with the highest bid “wins” the item in question, pays the agreed-upon amount, and is gifted the item. Proceeds from bids are then collected and go toward funding your mission.

How to Run a Silent Auction

Now that you know the basics of silent auctions, you’re ready to walk through the steps involved in planning and hosting the event itself.

Like any fundraiser, extensive preparation is crucial for ensuring a successful event. An auction may require more planning than most events, so here are three key stages to keep in mind:

The steps nonprofits should follow when running silent auctions, which are detailed in the text below

1. Procure auction items

Donors cherish the opportunity to support your cause while also receiving a tangible item in return—it’s a win-win! 

Your auction items are the star of the show, so it’s crucial to get started with this step as early as possible—typically, 3-6 months before your planned event is a reasonable time frame. Build a procurement team of five or six dedicated individuals—preferably a combination of nonprofit staff and volunteers—who are willing to solicit auction items from family, friends, community members, and local businesses. 

Your revenue collection can be directly impacted by offering high-demand auction items, such as: 

  • Special experiences from local favorite restaurants. Consider which eateries in your community are fan favorites and secure a gift your participants are sure to want. Think about prizes like gift cards, private dinner parties, or tasting events with the head chef.
  • Valuable virtual experiences. Plan a virtual cooking or cocktail-making class with a chef. You might even be able to have a virtual meet-and-greet with a celebrity!
  • Exclusive items. What items are of high value to your participants? Consider items such as expensive wine, an autographed jersey, or perhaps a piece of high-end jewelry.

 

Consider what establishments in your area could contribute an item or experience. When you form partnerships with local businesses, you can solicit gifts for free and low costs, ensuring maximum revenue for supporting your mission.

Remember to choose items that appeal to your specific audience. For example, a local school will have a much different supporter base than a large-scale nonprofit, and auction items should be adjusted as such. Include items of various price ranges so that all bidders can opt for something they’d reasonably be able to afford.

 

2. Organize your event

Once you’ve procured the perfect items, it’s time to pull together the rest of the event’s details. This may include:

  • Volunteers. Plan out the number of volunteers you’ll need and what their roles will be at the event. Then, plan a recruitment and training process to start creating your dream team!
  • Venue setup. From table arrangements to item displays, organize your venue to facilitate a seamless event flow. Put yourself in your guests’ shoes and imagine what their experience should be when attending the event. 
  • Registration. Plan how participants should sign up and check in to your fundraiser. If you use auction software that offers online registration and ticketing, this process will run smoothly. 

 

Just because you need to plan the event’s logistics doesn’t mean this stage has to be boring. In fact, this is your opportunity to infuse your event with creativity! Brainstorm ways your volunteers can add some excitement to the fundraiser or unique venue decorations to wow your guests.

 

3. Promote the auction

Your promotion strategy is one of the most important elements of your silent auction prep. After all, your dedicated supporters must first be made aware of your event plans beforehand to attend and participate. Here are a few easy marketing channels your nonprofit can use to get the word out about your auction:

The channels nonprofits should use to promote their silent auctions, which are detailed in the text below
  • Your website. Use your website as the main source of information for your auction, including event details and a registration form on a dedicated landing page for the event. Your website might already receive a lot of traffic, but you can also use marketing resources like Google’s Ad Grant program to promote the page and draw more attention to your site. Also, keep search engine optimization (SEO) best practices in mind to make your website even more visible.
  • Email. Email is a favorite for donor communications. For one, you can easily invite thousands of individuals in just a few clicks. Plus, email marketing software allows you to personalize invitations and address each donor by name without sending a separate invite to each. Once a supporter receives your invitation, they can quickly navigate to your registration page with a bright and eye-catching call to action.
  • Mail. Everyone loves getting mail, especially when it’s not a bill. That’s why sending invitations via direct mail can be an effective way to inform supporters of your upcoming event and boost excitement from the beginning. Plus, your physical invite can serve as a powerful reminder for individuals who might hang it on their refrigerator or leave it around the house.
  • Social media. This is a great way to spread the word far and wide, including potential guests you may not have on your email or mailing lists. Share posts including the date, time, and if applicable, a location and registration link for your auction. Encourage current supporters to interact with and share your posts with their own social media networks, effectively expanding your reach and introducing you to new avenues of support. 

 

While your outreach strategies will likely be adjusted to your particular supporter base, it’s a good practice to implement multiple of these key suggestions. In fact, studies show that 72% of consumers would rather connect with brands through a multichannel approach.

 

4. Streamline auction checkout

Imagine this: It’s the end of the night and bidders have enjoyed a long evening of mingling with friends and bidding on enticing items. Now, it’s time to pay for and collect the items they’ve won. They’re eager to receive the item they competed for, but as they approach the check-out table near your venue’s exit, they see a long line of guests also waiting to receive their items and feel discouraged from attending future auctions.

At the end of a successful event, finish strong with a streamlined checkout process! With mobile bidding software, participants can input their payment information and pay directly from their phones, eliminating the need for a physical checkout table. You can even send automated email receipts so bidders receive confirmation that you received their payment. 

 

5. Follow up after the auction

Post-auction operations play a considerable role in whether your attendees return for future events. Be sure to have a carefully organized, streamlined checkout process for your winners so that they can pay, receive their items, and head out without complication.

A few days later, be sure to thank all of your guests for participating and ask them to fill out a quick survey. This way you can get a feel for what your attendees really thought about your event, including what can be improved for next time.

Each of these is a crucial element in a successful auction and something you don’t want to leave to the last minute—or to chance! When participants and attendees can tell you put a lot of time, effort, and thought into pulling off the event, they’re more likely to get involved.

When you hear the word auction, your mind might first go toward a rowdy event with a personable auctioneer and a booming voice yelling, “going once … going twice … sold!” While this can certainly be an excellent way to raise money for your cause, some events are better suited for the silent version of an auction. So how do you choose which one is best for your upcoming fundraiser?

Are you ready to plan your best auction yet?

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Planning an Online Silent Auction

Best Practices for Silent Auctions

Even if this is your first time planning a silent auction, the good news is that thousands of organizations before you have helped pave the way for a successful event—and can provide some best practices to ensure yours gets off without a hitch. Let’s walk through some tried-and-true tips to get you started.

1. Set a theme and consider other entertainment

While not every auction has to be a themed one, choosing and sticking with a particular theme is a great way to boost excitement for your event. Depending on when your auction will fall in the calendar year, you may consider planning an event around a major holiday such as: 

  • Valentine’s Day
  • Halloween
  • Christmas

 

Another creative idea would be aligning your silent auction theme with your organization’s mission. For example, if your nonprofit supports wildlife conservation, you could decorate the venue like a rainforest with related items available for bidding.

2. Limit the number of items

It may be tempting to collect and auction off as many items as you can. After all, more items to bid on means more money, right? 

In reality, an overabundance of auction items can spread out bids too thinly and reduce the competition for top items that end up driving prices through the roof. Select a few big-ticket auction items that will be in high demand (such as an automobile or vacation package), supplemented by some smaller and mid-sized items like gift cards, local experiences, and artwork.

3. Offer “buy now” options

Bidding is a great way to drive prices up on valuable and high-demand items at your auction. However, some attendees prefer the convenience and certainty of “buy now” options. 

In addition to your top auction items, provide some items available for immediate purchase. Be sure to set the price high enough to make a decent profit—a good practice is to set the price at twice the item’s retail value.

4. Leverage gamification strategies

In the same way that competitive bidding can spur donations, gamification techniques can boost your auction’s fundraising capabilities. Popular methods include:

 

A great way to implement such a strategy into your silent auction planning is by alerting participants when they’ve been outbid. Provide a countdown clock to motivate users to make their next move before they lose the item.

5. Encourage additional donations

The vast majority of funds raised through your silent auction will likely come from auction item sales. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be your only source of revenue! 

Consider asking for additional donations across multiple points of contact, including pre-registration donation pages and day-of opportunities to give. This way, you can provide an easy way for dedicated supporters to go above and beyond for your organization and bring in more funding for your mission.

6. Use comprehensive auction software

The right software makes any fundraiser run smoothly. Your silent auction is no different! Effective silent auction software allows you to:

  • Accept additional donations
  • Provide mobile bidding options
  • Streamline the checkout process
  • Add photos and descriptions of items
  • Send an email and/or text notifications
  • Compile all your auction data in one spot
  • Implement a countdown when the auction closes

Auction software comes in handy whether you’re running an entirely virtual experience, a hybrid event, or a traditional in-person auction. Be sure to research your options and find the right auction software for your event and your cause.

Top Silent Auction Software

Your auction software can take your event to the next level, so be sure to find the ideal option for your nonprofit. After all, this tool will streamline every step of the auction process—including registration, bidding, and payment.

At Snowball, we understand that the auction software you choose should help things run smoothly, which is why our auction software offers:

A list of features offered by Snowball’s platform for silent auctions.
  • Ability to accept additional donations via your Snowball account
  • Online event registration and ticketing tools
  • Unlimited app-based auctions with unlimited auction items
  • Mobile and online bidding options offering contactless participation, supported by all major browsers and devices for increased accessibility
  • Text-to-bid functionality optimized for live (virtual and in-person) events
  • Streamlined checkout process and automated email receipts
  • Email and text notifications when a guest has won or been outbid
  • Compilation of all auction data in one location 
  • Real-time stats and fundraising updates
  • “Purchase Now” option for raffle tickets or instant item purchases
  • Flexible and secure payment gateways, with the choice of bringing your own or using the dedicated Snowball payment processing tool
  • High-quality customer support available in both English and Spanish

 

…and so much more. Our powerful suite of fundraising tools balances your nonprofit’s need for affordable yet robust fundraising software—we offer the greatest valued auction tools in the market.

Still not convinced? Here’s how our platform helped Friends of Franklin Parks raise more:

  • $41,017—a record-setting amount—raised in auction revenue at the first event using Snowball’s platform
  • 64% increase in auction revenue 
  • 437 bids generated 

 

$77,199 revenue raised on the Snowball Fundraising Platform in 6 months

Read the Case Study

Use our platform to streamline your silent auctions and any other fundraising events you plan after your auction concludes! From text-to-give to pledge campaigns, our software can manage it all.

Get a demo of Snowball’s software to learn how you can improve your silent auctions.

The post From Planning to Profit: How to Master Your Silent Auctions first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> Beyond Fundraising: How to Build Passion For Your Cause https://snowballfundraising.com/building-passion-for-your-cause/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-passion-for-your-cause Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:14:22 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=36293 Looking for ways to cultivate meaningful donor relationships? Learn how to create a passionate community that will go above and beyond to support your mission.

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Imagine cultivating a community of passionate supporters who are deeply invested in your cause, not just with their wallets, but with their hearts and minds. While traditional fundraising is crucial, the real magic happens when you inspire commitment and passion within donors.

Whether you’re just starting a nonprofit or aspiring to grow, community building is the key to transforming one-off donations into a continuous flow of support and loyalty.

To encourage continual support, we’ll explore how to choose compelling marketing ideas aimed at attracting and retaining donors by sparking their enthusiasm and dedication to your cause. This way, your nonprofit can foster a community that will stand by your side and drive your mission forward with unwavering passion.

Why does donor engagement matter?

Donors are the foundation of your nonprofit. Ensuring they feel engaged and valued is crucial for building a sustainable, thriving community that will do anything to help you succeed. Here are some key reasons why donor engagement is crucial beyond securing financial support:

 

  • Enhanced trust: By keeping donors informed and involved in your nonprofit’s activities and successes, you’ll build credibility. Transparency about how donations are used and the impact they create reassures current donors that their contributions are making a difference and potential donors that you’re a trustworthy steward of donations.
  • Volunteer, advocate, and event attendee recruitment: Engaged donors are more likely to show support outside of regular donations by volunteering, spreading awareness, and attending events.
  • Crisis support: During challenging times like economic downturns, engaged donors are more likely to provide additional support. Their ongoing commitment can be a critical lifeline.
  • Cost-efficiency: You likely invest a lot of resources and time into marketing your mission and inspiring prospects to donate. It’s less costly to convince a past donor to give again, especially when you know their giving motivations, communication preferences, and past giving amounts.
  • Word-of-mouth marketing: When you value your donors, the word will get around, and word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful forms of nonprofit communication. Engaged donors can help raise awareness about your cause to attract new supporters.

 

These are just some of the positive effects of a comprehensive donor engagement strategy. Here’s what it all boils down to: engaging donors is vital for your nonprofit’s growth, sustainability, and ability to achieve its mission. It transforms transactional relationships into meaningful partnerships that last.

Donor Engagement Ideas

Forming a strong community requires planning how you’ll connect with and engage your different audiences. Here are some tried-and-true strategies that allow room for creativity.

Personalize marketing.

By tailoring communications to meet the specific interests and needs of your donors, you can create more meaningful interactions. The foundation of this strategy lies in segmentation, a strategy that ensures you understand who your donors are and what motivates them to give. 

This process requires you to take the following steps:

 

  1. Ensure your donor profiles are complete. Collect donors’ demographics, donation history, and engagement preferences. If you’re missing any donor information, consider conducting an append. For instance, you can conduct demographic appends to enrich your donor database with data points such as age, gender, income level, and geographic location.
  2. Identify segmentation criteria. Once your profiles are complete, identify the key characteristics that will form the basis of your segments, such as donation frequency or amount, interests, or engagement levels. This helps in creating meaningful and actionable segments.
  3. Develop and implement personalized messages. Craft tailored messages for each segment, addressing their specific interests and motivations. For example, new, one-time donors might receive welcome messages with introductory information about your organization, while recurring donors might get detailed updates on ongoing projects, custom fundraising eCards, and invitations to exclusive events. 

 

From here, monitor the results of your segmented communications and adjust strategies as needed based on engagement metrics.

Show impact.

Donors are more likely to feel passionate about causes they believe are making a tangible difference. Demonstrating the impact of their contributions helps build trust, satisfaction, and commitment. Here are a few ways to show impact:

 

  • Storytelling: Share compelling stories of individuals or communities whose lives have been affected by your work. Personal narratives create emotional connections and highlight the human side of your work. Be sure to share these stories across your blog, social media channels, email newsletters, and donation request letters.
  • Annual reports: Provide detailed annual reports that highlight achievements, financial health, and future goals. Use visuals and infographics to make the data accessible and engaging.
  • Impact statistics: Beyond your annual report, share clear statistics that quantify your nonprofit’s impact across your marketing channels. You might share the number of beneficiaries served, programs implemented, or funds utilized. Depending on the data you want to publicize, your various fundraising tools will automatically gather some of these helpful metrics.
  • Volunteer opportunities: Encourage supporters to volunteer to see the impact of their contributions firsthand. For example, invite donors to help build a playground they funded, allowing them to see how their donations create a safe and enjoyable space for children.

 

By showcasing tangible results, you not only validate the importance of donors’ contributions but also inspire them to stay committed to your cause.

Host events.

Celebrate your donors’ contributions by hosting an appreciation event. These invite-only events provide the chance to thank donors personally, share the successes their support has enabled, and deepen connections to your mission.

Whether it’s a formal gala, an informal luncheon, or a virtual gathering, appreciation events foster a sense of community and reinforce the value of each donor’s involvement. During your event, you can:

  • Feature guest speakers, such as beneficiaries or your nonprofit’s executive director.
  • Hand out donor gifts, such as branded merchandise or commemorative keepsakes like a limited-edition print related to your mission.
  • Host an award ceremony where you recognize outstanding contributions.

 

eCardWidget’s donor recognition guide suggests sending custom invitations to build excitement for your event. This is a great way to add a personal touch and increase attendance!

An invitation to a donor appreciation lunch

Inspire ongoing support with advertising.

Advertising empowers your nonprofit to build and sustain donors’ passion for your cause. By using targeted advertising campaigns, you can attract potential supporters, reinforce connections, and inspire ongoing contributions.

Getting Attention’s nonprofit advertising guide delves into several platforms you can use to drive donor engagement, such as:

  • Google Ads: Promote your nonprofit’s mission, educational content, and fundraising campaigns via Google Ads. Target specific keywords related to your cause to attract potential donors who are searching for causes like yours on Google. Best of all, eligible nonprofits can use this platform for free. If approved, your nonprofit can receive up to $10,000 in monthly Google Ad credits to promote your website’s content.
  • Social media advertising: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer robust multimedia advertising options. Create compelling ads that highlight the impact of donations, feature success stories, and invite people to join your cause.
  • Video campaigns: Use YouTube and TikTok ads to tell powerful stories of how your nonprofit is making a difference. Engaging videos can convey the emotional impact of your work, inspiring viewers to support your cause.

 

When designing your ads, focus on promoting valuable content that donors will find useful and informative. For instance, if your nonprofit focuses on environmental conservation, share stories about specific projects and emphasize the impact of donations to captivate donors who are passionate about sustainability. Be sure to adjust each ad to fit the style of the different platforms you’re using, drive users to take a specific action, and direct traffic to your nonprofit’s website.

With targeted ads, you can effectively maintain donors’ passion for your cause, ensuring they stay connected to your nonprofit’s mission.

 

Final Thoughts

Your donors are the reason you can fulfill your mission. Inspire them to stick around, so you can keep building your community and fueling your work. As you implement new engagement strategies, pay attention to how donors respond. Knowing whether your strategies are making a difference allows you to adjust and make your donors feel like you care about your relationship with them.

The post Beyond Fundraising: How to Build Passion For Your Cause first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> From Fundraising to Marketing: 3 Smart Nonprofit eCard Uses https://snowballfundraising.com/nonprofit-ecard-uses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nonprofit-ecard-uses Wed, 01 May 2024 15:13:55 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=36286 Flexible marketing tools give your nonprofit the power to engage supporters in numerous ways. Explore a few top ways your nonprofit can use customizable eCards.

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Digital fundraising tools allow your nonprofit to connect with supporters instantly. However, most modern nonprofits understand the importance of online engagement. This means your organization will need a creative approach to ensure your digital outreach efforts grab supporters’ attention and have the desired impact. 

For instance, you might try out multi-channel marketing, text-to-give tools, and one flexible but underused outreach strategy, eCards.

eCards are electronic postcards that nonprofits can use to connect with supporters in a variety of engaging ways. In this guide, we’ll review a few ways smart nonprofits are incorporating eCards into their supporter communications. 

 

Donor Recognition 

Recognizing donors is an essential step for inspiring future giving. Regularly emailing thank-you messages whenever donors give is a good practice your nonprofit should adopt if it hasn’t already. Try sending an eye-catching eCard alongside these donor recognition messages. 

Compared to a standard email, eCards add extra flair to your donor recognition messages. This makes communication with your nonprofit more memorable, making donors more likely to remember and connect with your nonprofit again in the future. 

Here are a few opportunities you can use eCards to steward donors:


  • Donations. When a supporter donates, send them an eCard thanking them for their gift. You’ll want to follow many of the same best practices of regular donation emails, such as sending them within 48 hours after the initial donation and tailoring the message to the donor. For the eCard’s visual element, consider adding a photo of your beneficiaries or an illustration that helps supporters visualize how their donation helps your cause.


  • Special events and occasions. For your recurring donors, send eCards on their birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions, such as the anniversary of your nonprofit’s founding. This will help you keep in touch with donors throughout the year and make your organization stand out as having unique outreach.


  • Event attendance. If a supporter attends an event, thank them for their participation with an eCard. You can also use eCards to invite supporters to events you think they may be interested in or to make an event feel a bit more special. For example, you might send out eCards for a gala aimed at your mid-tier supporters. 

 

When it comes to recognizing donors, eCards are faster and cheaper than physical mail and more memorable than generic emails. Plus, once your nonprofit has a few eCard designs on hand, sending eCards to supporters can become an automatic part of your donor communication strategy. 

Donor Recognition 

Recognizing donors is an essential step for inspiring future giving. Regularly emailing thank-you messages whenever donors give is a good practice your nonprofit should adopt if it hasn’t already. Try sending an eye-catching eCard alongside these donor recognition messages. 

Compared to a standard email, eCards add extra flair to your donor recognition messages. This makes communication with your nonprofit more memorable, making donors more likely to remember and connect with your nonprofit again in the future. 

Here are a few opportunities you can use eCards to steward donors:

  • Donations. When a supporter donates, send them an eCard thanking them for their gift. You’ll want to follow many of the same best practices of regular donation emails, such as sending them within 48 hours after the initial donation and tailoring the message to the donor. For the eCard’s visual element, consider adding a photo of your beneficiaries or an illustration that helps supporters visualize how their donation helps your cause.


  • Special events and occasions. For your recurring donors, send eCards on their birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions, such as the anniversary of your nonprofit’s founding. This will help you keep in touch with donors throughout the year and make your organization stand out as having unique outreach.


  • Event attendance. If a supporter attends an event, thank them for their participation with an eCard. You can also use eCards to invite supporters to events you think they may be interested in or to make an event feel a bit more special. For example, you might send out eCards for a gala aimed at your mid-tier supporters. 

 

When it comes to recognizing donors, eCards are faster and cheaper than physical mail and more memorable than generic emails. Plus, once your nonprofit has a few eCard designs on hand, sending eCards to supporters can become an automatic part of your donor communication strategy. 

Charity eCards

eCards can be used to thank donors and earn new donors through charity eCard fundraisers. Rather than sending eCards to donors, nonprofits can sell celebratory eCards to supporters so they can send them to friends and family. 

To set up a charity eCard fundraiser, follow these steps:

  1. Determine your audience. Who are you selling eCards to, and why would they want to buy one? Many nonprofits host charity eCard fundraisers around holidays when supporters are likely already interested in buying greeting cards. Additionally, consider your audience when setting your price point. Most supporters will be willing to pay more for a charity eCard than a regular postcard, knowing their money is going to a good cause. However, some audiences, such as school students, will appreciate eCards in their budget.

  2. Partner with an eCard platform. To create and distribute eCards, your nonprofit needs to partner with an eCard service. Look for eCard platforms that have previously worked with nonprofits. These vendors are more likely to have tools and features suited to charitable organizations like yours.

     

  3. Design the eCards. Create eCards with fun designs that will appeal to the audience you identified in step one. Your designs can be photographs, illustrations, or even animations. For inspiration, eCardWidget’s charity eCards guide shares these eCards from the nonprofit One Tail at a Time’s holiday fundraiser:
    Several eCards from One Tail at a Time that feature animals photographed with holiday-themed backgrounds.
  4. Set up your eCard store. To sell your eCards, create a page on your nonprofit’s website where supporters can browse and purchase them. Your eCard platform should provide you with the necessary tools and directions for embedding eCards into your website so supporters can purchase them, add personalized messages, and send them to their intended recipients.

  5. Promote your fundraiser. Once your charity eCard fundraiser is set up on your website, promote it to your supporters. Send them emails and post on social media to show off a few of your eCards’ designs and promote the joy of sending them to friends and family. 



Charity eCard fundraisers are especially effective since they help nonprofits earn revenue and promote their cause to new supporters at the same time. After all, supporters buy your eCards and then send them to members of their personal networks who may be less familiar with your nonprofit. After receiving an eCard from a trusted friend or family member, these recipients may be curious about your nonprofit and become supporters themselves. 

Volunteer Recognition

Just like with your donors, recognizing volunteers is essential to your nonprofit’s long-term health. Double the Donation’s volunteer statistics report shares that one-third of the nonprofit workforce is volunteers, and many small nonprofits rely entirely on volunteers to fulfill their missions. 

Ensuring these supporters feel valued is one of the easiest ways to boost your volunteer retention rates. And just like with donor recognition, you can elevate your appreciation efforts with eCards. 

For your volunteer recognition eCards, create and schedule personalized eCards to be sent automatically after a major event, fundraiser, or other initiative concludes to ensure volunteer appreciation is never forgotten. 

If you need inspiration for unique designs for your volunteer recognition eCards, try looking at eCards that businesses use for employee recognition. These types of eCards usually call out specific positive behaviors, such as teamwork, creativity, and acting with integrity. With this approach, you can reinforce your nonprofit’s core values and send eCards that are highly personalized to each volunteer. 

eCards are a highly flexible fundraising and marketing tool that enables nonprofits to connect with donors, recognize volunteers, and raise funds. Consider how your nonprofit can incorporate eCards into its outreach strategy if your audience is likely to be interested in eCards, and what eCard platforms can help nonprofits like yours.

The post From Fundraising to Marketing: 3 Smart Nonprofit eCard Uses first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> 99+ Church Fundraising Ideas to Energize Your Congregation https://snowballfundraising.com/top-church-fundraising-ideas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-church-fundraising-ideas https://snowballfundraising.com/top-church-fundraising-ideas/#comments Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:26:44 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=31642 To do great things for your congregation and in your community, your church needs to launch fundraisers. But which fundraisers will generate the most support? And how do you know that your fundraising efforts are set up for success?  These 99+ church fundraising ideas will help you decide which fundraiser is right for your church, […]

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To do great things for your congregation and in your community, your church needs to launch fundraisers. But which fundraisers will generate the most support? And how do you know that your fundraising efforts are set up for success? 

These 99+ church fundraising ideas will help you decide which fundraiser is right for your church, broken down into the following categories:

 

Once you’re done checking out our top ideas, you can find some helpful tips about online donation software at the end of this guide. Let’s get started with a few of our favorite fundraising ideas!

church fundraising ideas

Favorite Church Fundraising Ideas

Text-to-Give

A text-to-donate campaign is a highly effective fundraising tool. In fact, it’s becoming a fundraising fundamental for all types of charitable organizations because of its ease, simplicity, and speed. With two clicks, donors text a keyword (such as “GIVE”) to your church’s text-to-give number, then confirm the amount they’d like to contribute. That’s it. It takes just a few seconds to support the church they love.

Not only is text-to-give, aka text-to-tithe, a quick way for parishioners to tithe, but it’s also something you can encourage them to do during live events, including sermons. Consider it the 21st-century version of the offering basket!

To start accepting text donations, you’ll need to find an industry-leading text-to-give software platform. Then, start promoting your new donation method to your congregation.

 

Google Ad Campaign

To raise funds and grow your organization, your church needs new members. However, money spent on marketing is money not going toward bettering your church and funding your programs. Fortunately, your church can earn funding specifically for marketing with the Google Ad Grant. 

The Google Ad Grant allows your church to promote any page on your website, such as your donation, community programs information, or church activities pages. With the Ad Grant, you receive $10,000 in monthly ad credits you can spend to create sponsored ads that appear at the top of Google search results for relevant keywords. 

A screenshot of a Google search results page for bible studies with several sponsored ads at the top of the page.

While some grant programs exclude religious organizations, the Google Ad Grant is not one of them, and as long as your church is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, you’re welcome to apply!


Of course, creating and managing ad campaigns on an entirely new platform can take up a significant amount of your church staff’s time. To ensure you get the most out of your free ad credits and save your staff from devoting all their time to managing your ad campaigns, consider partnering with a Google Ad Grant consultant. Look for organizations that are Google-certified, meaning Google has assessed their practices and determined that they are the best of the best.

eCard Campaign

One highly flexible fundraiser churches should look into is eCards. eCards are digital greeting cards that combine the fun of receiving a card in the mail with the efficiency of email and online delivery.

Churches can use eCards for a number of activities. For example, to fundraise, churches can host donation eCard campaigns. In exchange for a donation, supporters are able to send one of your church’s custom eCards to a friend or family member. These eCards can celebrate holidays and special occasions like birthdays, host thank-you or get-well messages, or include anything else you can think of!

However, this is just scratching the surface of what your church can do with eCards. Send out eCards to volunteers to thank them for their hard work, to members of your congregation when you want to wish them well, or event invitations when your church has a special activity planned. 

For an example of eCards in action, check out Vineyard Church North Phoenix uses eCards to encourage its congregation to invite others to attend church service:

To create, distribute, and manage your eCards, you’ll need an eCard platform. Look for a solution that is used to working with churches and other nonprofits, has custom design tools, and is user-friendly for your staff and congregation.

Matching Gifts 

Corporate matching gifts are an easy way for charitable organizations to earn more without asking their supporters to spend more. While these programs often exempt churches, that’s not always the case, and with a little encouragement and research, you can help your congregation take advantage of these opportunities. 

Often, businesses will match donations made to religious organizations if the organization serves the wider community or conducts secular community programs, like running a soup kitchen or medical clinic. A few well-known businesses that match gifts made to religious organizations include:

 

  • American Express matches gifts to “ongoing and independently-run [programs] affiliated with a religious organization if the gift is restricted to a nonsectarian project that provides needed social services to the community at large on a non-discriminatory basis without any religious teaching, directive, or requirements to receive services.”
  • The Pew Charitable Trust will “match contributions made to religious organizations, such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, shelters, etc., just as it would to any other qualifying organization.”
  • Chevron matches gifts to programs operated by religious organizations that meet the following requirements: “a) are open to all individuals in the community regardless of religious belief; (b) serve a secular purpose, such as a food pantry or a homeless shelter; and (c) do not require participants to join in religious worship as a condition of receiving the services that the nonprofit offers.”

 

These restrictions may sound complicated, so it’s a good thing there’s a way to simplify the matching gift process: auto-submission. Auto-submission is an exciting new advancement in matching gift technology that allows donors to have their match request applications completed for them. 

 

Here’s how the process works:

The matching gift process with auto-submission, written out below.
    1. A supporter donates to your church’s community program as normal. If your church has matching gift software, they will be prompted to enter their work email address or employer’s name to get paired with their matching gift program’s information. 
    2. The supporter checks their employer’s matching gift program guidelines. Given religious organizations often have stricter guidelines than other types of nonprofits, it can be worthwhile to invest in a matching gift database to help supporters easily find this information.
  • Once eligibility is confirmed, the donor has the opportunity to opt into auto-submission. Auto-submission technology uses the information the supporter provided on their initial donation to complete their employer’s matching gift request for them. 

After the match request is submitted, all your church needs to do is wait for the check to arrive in the mail!

 

Direct Mail Appeals

Direct mail appeals are physical promotional materials like targeted letters, postcards, and other tangible forms of communication. Similar to any other fundraising approach, its medium impacts its effectiveness, but so does the effort and strategy behind your approach. 

After all, anyone can mail out simple letters in regular envelopes. While some members of your congregation may open these, chances are that direct mail appeals with low-quality materials or plain designs might get overlooked. Avoid this scenario by adding attention-grabbing graphic design elements to your direct mail. This might include:

  • Bold colors and designs

  • Imagery that represents your church

  • Unique packaging materials 

To create designs for your direct mail appeals, check if anyone in your congregation with artistic skills would be willing to volunteer. Another option for larger churches or those lacking a readily available graphic designer is to hire a third-party service that specializes in graphic design needs for nonprofit organizations, like your church.

Charity Silent Auction

Here at Snowball Fundraising, we’ve seen how powerful silent auctions can be—which is why they’re a favorite fundraising method of ours. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more effective church fundraising event.

Have members of your congregation donate items or services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. You might be surprised by what people will offer up.

You’ll need your technology in place before the auction so you can run the entire silent auction from the first donation to the last receipt and all the bidding in between. Also consider alternate giving methods so everyone is able to contribute, whether they win the auction or not.

Set up a text-to-give campaign with a keyword such as “auction.” Put handouts on the silent auction tables with your church’s text-to-give phone number and keyword, to raise money during the auction and well into the future.

Online Giving

If your church doesn’t offer the option to give online, you’re likely missing out on critical congregant support. 

With online giving, your church can raise funds in a way that’s convenient for your congregation and leadership teams. You can customize your online giving page to match your church’s colors and brand and include it on your church website. You can then promote your new giving page in other marketing avenues and even in services during the offering.

With the right online giving software, you can quickly bring your church giving to the next level. Although many church fundraising efforts are the opposite this is one your church can set up easily and with rapid results.

T-Shirt Fundraiser

Everyone loves a good T-shirt, and more than that, everyone loves to show off that they’re an active member of an organization, especially a church. T-shirt fundraisers are perfect to promote at different events such as Vacation Bible School, field days, or a kickball tournament.

With T-shirt fundraising platforms, you can customize your T-shirt design and either sell it from your website or buy it in bulk to sell at your event.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding campaigns are perfect for raising money for a cause that’s close to your heart, and one you believe others would be interested in donating to. Use your church’s donations platform as a crowdfunding hub, where people can tithe and add comments and messages of support. Here’s an example of what an effective online donation page looks like.

Crowdfunding may be just the tool that allows your next mission trip or community event to thrive even before it starts. Don’t forget to use all your communication channels to spread the word!

Pledge Fundraising

Pledge fundraising is a fantastic church fundraising idea for members of your congregation who may not be able to donate right away. Pledges are promised support of donations to be paid and processed in the future.

To get started with pledge fundraising, look for online or mobile pledge fundraising tools. Make sure you look for a tool that prioritizes speed, ease of use, and flexibility in its fundraising options. This pledge fundraising guide can help your team get started easily.

 

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising is when supporters raise funds on your behalf. Parishioners will set up a fundraising page (with your help!) and ask their friends, family, and online network to donate. The great thing about peer-to-peer fundraising is that you can gain new supporters in the process!

Shoe Drive Fundraiser

Shoe drive fundraisers are a unique church fundraising idea that also helps your congregation declutter! Work with a shoe drive fundraising company to set up collection boxes where people can donate their gently used shoes. Shoe drive fundraising companies will send you a check based on the pounds of shoes you collect.

Social Media

With 90% of the United States population actively using social media, this is an important channel for spreading the word about your church’s fundraisers. 

Use social media to tell people about your church’s work in the community, events, and fundraising initiatives. Share a link to your online donation page, and encourage people to share it with their friends in turn. For example, Facebook fundraisers are an incredibly effective way to raise money for your church.

Recurring Gift Drive

When members of your congregation choose to give through your easy-to-use online donation pages, make sure to provide the option to set up a recurring donation on the spot. Securing recurring gifts is the best way to ensure a steady flow of fundraising revenue year-round, even when you don’t have a campaign running.

Take a Personalized Tour

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Easy Church Fundraising Ideas

Candle Selling

Candles are a great gift for any occasion, especially if you tailor your candles for each upcoming holiday (Christmas, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day). There are tons of great websites that sell heavily discounted candles for fundraisers. Find the site that works best for your church’s fundraising needs, then ask volunteers to sell the candles.

You can sell your candles door to door, or you can advertise and sell them on your church’s website.

Daily Indulgence Drop

We all indulge a little here and there, and that’s okay. But imagine the kind of money you could raise for your church if you challenged your congregation to go one month without that one thing they indulge in regularly. Instead of buying that expensive cup of coffee or fast food snack, congregation members set that money aside as a donation.

At the end of the Daily Indulgence Drop, invite congregants to text-to-give the amount they saved. After a month of not partaking in an indulgence, it will take them just a few seconds to text their donation.

Bonus! Host this fundraiser for the full 40 days of Lent if your congregants are up to the challenge. Lent and indulgence drops go hand in hand.

Popcorn Sales

A popcorn sale is a perfect church fundraising idea to treat your congregation of all ages. To get started, your church only needs to find a company that helps churches and nonprofits sell popcorn as a fundraiser. Send around pledge sheets beforehand to get an accurate idea of who wants what kinds of popcorn, and build up a buzz on social media.

Coffee Mornin’

Your early risers are probably hankering for a hot cup of joe on Sunday mornings. They likely also wouldn’t say no to a homemade muffin or scone. Assemble your coffee and muffin stand right outside of the service to catch congregants before or after church.

Bonus! Get a local coffee shop onboard to sponsor your coffee mornings. You might be surprised by how willing (and even happy) to donate supplies some coffee shops are. They might even include some free cups and lids.

500 Dollar Wheelbarrow

This is not at all what it sounds like. No, you don’t have to go out and buy a $500 wheelbarrow for the afternoon. Why the $500 then? Because a wheelbarrow can hold up to 50,000 pennies, amounting to $500!

Ask to borrow a wheelbarrow from someone in your congregation. Then encourage each member of the congregation to bring their unwanted pennies and coins to dump into the wheelbarrow. You’ll raise more money than you expect!

Pizza Sale

Who doesn’t love a good slice of pizza? It’s cheap, easy, and hard to resist. Order a few different types of pizza and charge a dollar a slice. Ask some church members to volunteer to bring in plates, cups, and some soda. Many pizzerias will offer up deals and specials to churches and schools that are trying to fundraise.

At your pizza sale, you could have a “pizza-themed” thermometer to show your donation goal and how far you are from it. Each level could be represented by a different type of pizza (pepperoni, cheese, veggie, etc.). Fundraising thermometers are an effective tool to motivate donors to give.

Envelope Fundraiser

The basic premise of the envelope fundraiser is that your church labels envelopes with different numbers on the outside. Your church’s members will pluck a random envelope from the bulletin board and donate the amount that matches the number on the envelope. If you number all the envelopes between 1 and 100, you could end up with $5,050!

The envelope fundraiser is a great church fundraising initiative for the more artistic members of your congregation. Let them craft the envelopes to be funky, colorful, and fun!

Quick fundraising tip: For all events, increase donations by putting up posters with your text-to-give phone number. While the activities are going on, people can quickly text in their added support!

Lost Treasure

Have you ever shaken out your couch’s cushions and found an extra chunk of change you didn’t even know you had? A super easy church fundraiser you can host is to implore your members to go on a treasure hunt to look for all that spare change that gets tucked away. Your members can bring in that change and donate it on Sunday.

Have your congregation search their couches, cars, and laundry rooms to find spare change. Because it’s money they didn’t even know they had, they won’t miss it quite as much!

Bake Sale

This classic church fundraising idea only requires some volunteer bakers and some more volunteers to sell the cookies and cupcakes. We suggest enlisting the help of your Sunday school’s finest helpers. You can put out a call on social media and use social media again to spread the word about the bake sale after the details are worked out.

Once you have your volunteer bakers and salespeople, scope out the ideal location for your bake sale. After church lets out, assemble your teams and start pushing those perfect pastries!

Lollipop Fundraiser

Kids of all ages—and grownups too—are suckers for suckers. Lollipops are ultra inexpensive, and there are tons of sites that sell tasty lollipops in bulk for very reasonable prices. You can charge just $1 per lollipop and end up with almost pure profit!

Just let a few people in your church know about your fundraiser, and they’ll be sure to tell their family and friends. Before you know it, everyone will be asking where they can get gourmet lollipops to help out.

Guessing Games

Apart from the cost of a roll of tickets, a large mason jar, and three bags of M&Ms to fill the jar, this fundraiser is essentially free. Fill the container with the M&Ms (or other small countable items). Then charge people $1 for the chance to guess how many pieces of candy are in the jar. Reward the person with the closest answer with the jar itself.

Kids (and adults too) will love the chance to bring home such a big jar of candy.

 

Live Auction

A live auction can be an incredibly engaging event for your church. When planned and executed well, your live auction can set your church up for great success in the long term!

Be sure to invest in auction software to make sure your event runs as smoothly and effectively as possible.

Benefit Worship Concert

Is there an upcoming worship concert by a well-known Christian band or singer in your area? Try to secure some good seats, and auction the tickets off for your church fundraiser. For best results, be sure to take into consideration the music that your congregation is partial to—whether that’s traditional, contemporary, indie, or even Christian hip hop.

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Church Fundraising Events

For all events, before the fun gets underway, make sure your church donations software is up and running. This will help with post-event donations, for attendees who want to keep the generosity going!

Jumble Sale

Jumble sales are perfect for your ministry. It’s pretty likely that everyone has a few articles of clothing they haven’t worn in a while. Families, in particular, can have clothing that their children quickly grow out of. Encourage your participants to do a quick clean-out before your sale!

Jumble sales are essentially yard sales specifically for clothing. Ask your congregants to round up clothes they no longer wear, with prices in mind. Set up those clothes and invite everyone in your church to be a part of the sale.

Trivia

If your church members are looking to have a little bit of family-friendly fun after church on Sunday, you can host an afternoon game of trivia right there in your service hall. Charge a small entrance fee to raise a little money while your congregants have a great time.

Start by coming up with a list of questions and categories. Once you have them, you can create a presentation. Or if you’re more low-tech, you can print off answer sheets to pass out. Designate one member of your church as a game-show host, and let the game begin!

Chili Cook-Off

You probably have more than a few church members in your congregation who think their chili recipe is the best around. The best way to end this silent rivalry between your church’s chili experts is to hold a definitive chili cook-off.

The first step for this church fundraising idea is to pick the time and place for the competition (late fall or early winter is an ideal time for chili). Then, charge a small entry fee to enter the competition. On the day of the competition, provide tasting bowls, judges, and finally a prize to the winner!

Basket Raffle Bingo

Take one part bingo. Add a dash of raffle ticket sales. Mix in a pinch of festive baskets. No need to preheat the oven. Your recipe for the perfect basket raffle bingo is complete. Ask members of your congregation to donate contributions to your prize baskets.

Once you have your prizes, sell raffle tickets for the bingo night. The more tickets a bingo player has, the more likely they’ll be to win the basket of their choice. If you’re struggling with basket ideas, try themes like a spa basket, fruit basket, picnic basket, or coffee basket.

Virtual Road Race

The main difference between a typical road race and a virtual race: a virtual race can be run anywhere. Set a date for your race and have your out-of-town members mark it on their calendars. Set up a giving portal as a way for members to make pledges.

Participants in the race will pledge a few dollars per mile they plan to run, so the farther they run, the more money they’ll donate to your church.

5K Run

Thanks to crowdfunding, 5K fun runs have become one of the easiest fundraisers with some of the lowest overhead—which is great news if you’re looking to host more than just a couple of fun runs a year.

To set up this fundraiser, your first step is to figure out a loop to run. Next, set up your event through your donations platform, and collect your race fees. On the day of the race, place markers in the right spots, and have volunteers pass out race essentials such as water and race numbers. The final step is to just have fun!

If you do end up hosting a more complex event like a 5k, some event management systems will let you arrange unlimited events through them.

Color Run

Color runs are all the rage! Young and old alike will pay to get absolutely covered in colorful powder as they run. And it’s all for a great cause; what could be better? Color runs work just like any other standard 5K fundraiser—they’re just more colorful.

Through online donation pages, you can instantaneously raise the money for your color run. Encourage your race participants to wear their finest white running outfits. They’ll be getting extremely colorful by the end of the race!

Christian Speed Dating

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are a number of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes sitting next to you on Sunday. A great way to bring these Christian singles out to mingle is to host a speed dating night.

All the church’s singles can buy event tickets to participate in a night of quick get-to-know-yous. They may end up meeting a new Bible study buddy!

Yard Sale

Yard sales are a perfect church fundraising event for first-time fundraisers. They’re easy to plan, simple to set up, and almost 100% profitable.

Ask your congregants to bring two or three boxes of gently used items and set up some tables in the churchyard or parking lot. As your members are filing out of Sunday service, they’ll love perusing the goodies laid out in front of them.

Ladies’ Day

Treat the women in your church to a special ladies’ day. First, decide what kind of event you’re hosting. Try ideas like a nice brunch, a spa day, or a good movie. Once you’ve decided what you’re doing, start selling tickets for anywhere between about $10 and $50, depending on what you have planned.

Bingo Night

Establish a regular bingo night. Once you’ve decided to host bingo on a certain day, you can send out an email blast to invite your congregation to participate. Charge just a couple of dollars per bingo card, and get the game rolling.

Bingo is a fun game for folks ages 4 to 99. It’s an incredibly easy church fundraising event. All you need to host it are scorecards, bingo chips, an announcer, and maybe a couple of prizes for winners.

Live Auction

A live auction can be an incredibly engaging event for your church. When planned and executed well, your live auction can set your church up for great success in the long term!

Be sure to invest in auction software to make sure your event runs as smoothly and effectively as possible.

Benefit Worship Concert

Is there an upcoming worship concert by a well-known Christian band or singer in your area? Try to secure some good seats, and auction the tickets off for your church fundraiser. For best results, be sure to take into consideration the music that your congregation is partial to—whether that’s traditional, contemporary, indie, or even Christian hip hop.

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Youth Group Fundraising Ideas

Encourage support of your church’s youth group with the following ideas. For any of them, enhance donations by also highlighting your church’s text-to-give phone number. Nine in ten millennials own smartphones; text donations allow them to use their phones for good!

Retro Game Night

Scrabble! Risk! Monopoly! Life! Battleship! Clue! The list goes on. Nowadays, too many games are virtual. Bring everyone back to a time of simple, old-fashioned board games with a retro game night.

This church fundraising event is as easy as asking congregation members to bring in their favorite old games. Sell tickets for $1 or $2. You can have prizes for the winners, or it can be all about healthy competition.

Bail Out

This is an exciting and engaging fundraiser that’s sure to get participants riled up. Throwing a bail-out fundraiser means tying up one or more church members (or leaders) and refusing to untie them until their “bail” or “ransom” has been met by the congregation. The bail, of course, is the fundraising goal to be met.

Use a fundraising thermometer to show everyone how close they are to letting the person go free. Here’s how. This event would be easiest to pull off during a church service when everyone is in attendance. But you wouldn’t want it to be too much of a distraction, so be sure to pick a less eventful Sunday.

Make the Grade

“Make the grade” fundraisers are a fantastic way to motivate your church’s Sunday school youth group members to get the best marks in school. All it really involves is students (of any age) signing up at the beginning of the semester to be a part of the challenge.

For every A (or B) they receive, participants will ask donors to pledge a dollar or two. At the end of the grading period, youth group members will bring in their report cards and cash in those pledges.

Karaoke Night

Who doesn’t love a fun karaoke night out? Well, now you can bring all of that excitement and good-natured fun into your church hall. Just set up a karaoke machine, or make one of your own using the church’s projector and lyrics videos on YouTube.

Charge a few dollars for admission, or charge per song. Your youth group is bound to love the chance to pretend they’re the next Beyoncé or Justin. This youth group fundraising idea is sure to leave people both singing and laughing.

Hat Day

Your youth group’s members probably own at least a dozen hats. One beanie, one fedora, one baseball cap, one Indiana Jones wool hat, etc. But they’re not allowed to wear these cool hats at school (or during the church service!). They’ll jump at the opportunity to pay a dollar to wear their favorite cap on Sunday morning.

There’s nothing more fun than seeing your members expressing themselves, all while supporting a great cause.

Books for Bucks

Books for Bucks is like a yard sale; it’s just a little more specific. Instead of allowing your old books to gather dust, sell them to fund your next youth group mission trip!

Pick a time and place for the sale, then encourage church members to donate their old books to sell. Your youth might even find next year’s summer reading requirement at this unique church fundraiser.

Magic Show

With the help of Youtube and Google, anyone can become a mind-blowing magician. As a youth group fundraiser, your church can host a night of magic tricks and illusions.

First, pick a night for the event. Treat the magic show as though it were a talent show and present sign-up sheets for willing participants. If a youth group member doesn’t want to show off their magic skills in front of a crowd, they can volunteer to be a part of the backstage crew. Sell tickets ahead of time, and prepare to be amazed by what your church’s youth can do!

Quick fundraising tip: For ticketed events, make sure your event management software collects ticket buyers’ registration information, such as names and email addresses, so you can reach out to them later. Express thanks for their support, and build a relationship that extends beyond the initial donation.

Worm Charming

If you’ve never charmed a worm before, get ready to get your hands dirty! This fundraiser works by providing paying customers (donors, church members, random passersby) with a dirt plot full of worms.

By the end of a certain amount of time (typically 20 minutes), the farmer who has “charmed” the most worms to the surface of the dirt plot without digging any of them out wins a prize.

All-Night Dance Party

Appeal to the night owls and dancing fools alike by hosting an all-night dance party right in your church’s service hall. You only need to charge a few dollars a ticket to break even on costs and make a little extra for your church.

Decorations can be minimal as long as the beats are blasting. Put up fun posters around the dance hall with your text-to-give number and the web page for your church’s online donations. Attendees can donate during dance breaks, before getting back on the floor.

Hire a DJ or master your own playlist. All that matters is that the dancing doesn’t stop ’til morning!

Sunday School Calendars

Get ready to get crafty! Your Sunday school students can craft their own calendars to sell as gifts. Break out the glitter, magic markers, and stickers. Collect your students’ artwork, along with photos of the Sunday school class and pictures of the kids at church, to put together a calendar they will treasure forever.

Don’t forget to pack the calendar full of upcoming church events and other church fundraisers.

Quick fundraising tip: Once your fundraising event or donations page is live, let congregants know about it through social media, your church’s website, email, and any other communication channels you’ve found to be effective. Read more in this guide about social media and fundraising.

Noisy Sunday

Noisy Sunday is a fun and easy church fundraiser that can be used multiple times a year. It involves your Sunday school students running up and down the church aisles with half-empty cans and jars of change, making as much noise as they possibly can.

The point is to encourage everyone in the service to donate as much as they can to fill up the cans and make the noise disappear. Be sure to give your congregation a heads up, so they come prepared with change and bills to fill the noisy cans!

Burrito Mile

Your youth group will love this unique way to raise money for their trips. Encourage them to help host (and participate in!) a burrito mile fundraiser. Burrito miles are just like your typical 5K race, except right before your runners start, they eat a huge burrito.

All you really need to do differently from any normal 5K fundraiser is to find a restaurant that’s willing to sponsor the race by providing burritos. A burrito mile is a fun challenge, and your church’s members will love to buy T-shirts afterward to commemorate the zany experience.

Face Painting

Come one, come all! Get your faces painted like lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Face painting fundraisers are lovely when the weather starts to get nice again, and everyone wants to be outside basking in the glorious sun.

You can easily find inexpensive face painting kits, and there are sure to be at least a few members of your church who would love to volunteer as artists.

Dog Wash

Dog washes are a great church fundraising idea for the whole family, Fido included! You can hold your church’s dog wash in the parking lot or somewhere with a ton of room for multiple “groomers” to set up shop.

Put up signs and flyers all over the neighborhood to attract all the pooches to your fundraiser. Include your church’s text-to-give phone number on them, so even if people don’t come to the dog wash, they know how to show their support.

Charge a small amount for people to come and have their dogs washed. Who doesn’t love a freshly pampered poodle? Those tufts of fur are irresistibly cute!

Talent Show

A talent show is an awesome way to give members of your church a chance to showcase their talents. Provide a registration form for acts, and close it after a certain number of participants, to keep the show to a reasonable length.

Your church can host this in a few ways. Make your talent show a live event in your meeting hall or outdoor area. Or, you’re able to make it accessible to supporters across the world by virtually streaming the event or compiling act videos submitted ahead of time. All money raised will benefit your church. Don’t forget to promote the show on your website and social media!

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Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas

International Food Day

For an international food day fundraiser, each member of your youth group or Sunday school class brings in a dish from a different culture. Other church members pay a small entrance fee to come and try all the tasty treats from around the world. Build anticipation for your church’s international food day on social media, and share photos of the event afterward.

International food days are an excellent way to teach youth and adults about diversity to prepare them for mission trips around the world.

Bike-a-Thon

Active mission teams are a perfect fit for a bike-a-thon fundraiser. Much like a marathon, bike-a-thons are pledge-based. Donors pledge per mile that the youth group bikes during the fundraising event.

This church fundraising idea allows your mission team members to bike as long or short as they would like. The point is to have fun, raise money, and stay active.

Encourage donors to text their donations, to reach the per-mile goal. Text donations were used for a 2019 cycling race by W.A.R. on Wheels (short for Wishes, Awareness, and Research), to raise money for the pediatric cancer foundation Cal’s Angels. There’s something exhilarating about supporting the race toward an important goal, with just a few clicks.

Letter Writing Campaign

A classic mission trip fundraiser: the old-fashioned letter-writing campaign. It probably goes without saying, but the real key to a successful letter-writing campaign is a well-written letter. A strong, meaningful message is sure to take your letters to the next level and help your church’s mission team meet its goal in no time.

Always remember to say thank you in the letter. Regardless of whether or not they donate, the recipients of your letter have taken time out of their days to read your words.

Charity Car Wash

Much like yard sales, car washes take little to no effort to plan and set up. This fundraiser is always best during the spring or summer, but if you’re having an unseasonably warm fall, you probably won’t find quite as much competition.

You really only need a few members of the church to volunteer to wash cars, a couple to advertise by the side of the road, and some basic car-cleaning supplies.

Balloon Count

Much like a jar guessing game, a balloon count involves participants paying to guess how many balloons are stuffed into a car. The person who comes the closest to guessing the right number wins a prize of the pastor’s choosing.

Choose a time and location for this mission trip fundraiser, and blow up as many balloons as you possibly can. Charge $1 per guess. For extra fun, try to cram as many balloons as possible into your pastor’s car.

Create a Cookbook

Your congregation might have some of the most talented cooks in town! Let them share their favorite recipes with the rest of the church. Have church members compile recipes into a unique church cookbook, featuring recipes they’ve created or been given by their parents and grandparents.

Once you have enough recipes to fill up a book, you can easily get it bound with and include pictures and neat type. This is a great mission trip fundraising idea to do just before Thanksgiving.

Smoothie Stand

A twist on the traditional lemonade stand, a smoothie stand is a fabulous idea for your church’s next mission trip fundraiser. Who doesn’t love a fresh fruit smoothie on a hot summer day?

You can make the smoothies beforehand, or you can make them fresh to order by bringing an extension cord and portable power source to your smoothie stand location. Set up on the street on a warm, sunny day when everyone’s out and about—or just outside your church’s doors when service lets out!

Pink Flamingo

Pink flamingo fundraisers are an easy way to get your neighborhood involved with your church’s fundraising. All it takes is an obnoxious pink flamingo lawn ornament with a note attached, including your church’s contact information and text-to-tithe number.

The younger members of your congregation will have a blast planting the flamingos in other church members’ yards. Plus, receiving a donation as “ransom” money to have the flamingos removed and going in to clean up can be just as fun.

Classic Lemonade Stand

It’s a hot summer day. Nothing is quite as refreshing as an ice-cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. This may seem like an old-fashioned fundraiser, but it’s one that’s withstood the test of time. And for good reason!

Find a recipe for lemonade, and whip up as much as you can ahead of time. When you’re setting up your stand, be sure to enlist the help of your most artistic Sunday school student to make signs. Pick a busy area, and start selling.

 

Pie in the Face

This fundraiser is super simple (some might even say it’s as easy as pie!)—if your pastor is on board with being pied in the face.

At the beginning of the event, sell as many tickets as church members and Sunday schoolers are willing to buy. Those tickets will then go into a drawing bucket. A ticket is drawn, and the lucky ticket holder gets to run up on stage and throw a whipped cream pie right in the pastor’s face.

Travel Raffle

Imagine the buzz you could create if your church hosted a raffle, and instead of the traditional fare, you were giving away airfare! Before you start planning a true travel raffle, first survey your congregation to see if any one has a connection with any travel agencies or airline companies.

Even if no one is connected, you can still book an inexpensive giveaway, like a camping trip. Use your ticketing platform to set up the raffle, and encourage congregants to share it through their social media feeds.

Your congregation will love a church fundraiser that also allows them to get away for a memorable mini-vacation.

Kickball League

You don’t have to be particularly skilled to play kickball, but it sure is fun for all ages! Divide your church up into teams, and have your members pay a small entrance fee to be a part of your “league” and play in your “tournament.”

You can have a set of trophies made up for the winners. Other than these trophies, kickball is a very inexpensive fundraiser. You can play almost anywhere, as long as there’s enough space.

Volunteer Chore Team

Perhaps your congregation has some elderly members or working parents with young children who might have trouble keeping up with important tasks around their homes. In this case, a chore team is a great resource to auction off at your fundraiser or host at the cost of a small suggested donation. 

To pull this off, be sure you have a team of hardworking individuals, perhaps from your youth group, who are willing to donate their time for a day of chores or yard work.

Sponsor a Child

To host this, you’ll have to partner with a local foster care system or a homeless shelter. You can then arrange a relationship with this organization to help sponsor children. Your congregants can donate to buy them books, school supplies, and essentials on a recurring basis. This can also be done around the holidays to sponsor a child’s holiday gift.

Quick fundraising tip: For all fundraising events, don’t forget to foreground your cause! It’s easy to get lost in the details of event planning, but always bear in mind the mission of your fundraising, and how you’re communicating that mission with congregants. Learn more about branding and church fundraising.

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Holiday Church Fundraising Ideas

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter egg hunts are special-occasion activities that come only once a year. Children of all ages love to go on safari to find precious, goodie-filled eggs.

Egg hunts are incredibly simple to set up with the help of a few volunteers. Gather your supplies: eggs, treats, baskets, and more. On Easter Sunday, hide as many eggs as you can throughout the hunting grounds. Charge a nominal fee (like $1 or 50¢) for each participant, then let them loose to go hunting!

Angel Festival

An angel festival is a fun and exciting way to raise money while allowing your congregation members to dress up and be creative. Angel festivals are just like any other festival, except they’re 100% angel-themed.

Sell angel cakes as your main bake sale treat. Offer up angel-themed crafts. Play classic carnival games with a festive twist. This holiday-themed church fundraiser will raise money and spirits for your church!

Ornament Sales

This is a great church fundraising idea for the holidays. People love to give and receive ornaments for the Christmas season. If you’re using ornaments to help pay for mission trips, have your mission team craft unique ornaments in the shapes of the countries they’re going to serve.

As an alternative, ask your Sunday school class to craft and sell the ornaments for an especially adorable ornament sale.

Quick fundraising tip: For those of us who seek fewer material goods and more spiritual satisfaction, giving someone a gift of a church donation is especially meaningful. Give congregants the chance to donate online at your church on behalf of their loved ones.

Gingerbread House Making

An excellent church fundraising idea for right before Christmas, gingerbread house making is fun for the whole family. You can even make it a competition between the participants as to who can make the best house! Charge a small fee for each entrant at the door, or ask for donations from participants.

All you really need to do is provide the basics (gingerbread, icing, peppermints, and gumdrops). But if your congregants want to get a little more creative, they can bring in their own candy for decorations.

Holiday Symphony

Hosting a holiday symphony gala is a marvelous way to engage the whole family in a night of culturally enriching fun. Pick a date for the performance, and set up online ticketing for it.

Then, pick classic pieces to play along with everyone’s holiday favorites, like “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night.” Try to find musicians who will play these songs for free or cheap (they may even be a part of your congregation!).

On the night of the symphony, have ushers and ticket sellers help set up the venue and make the evening as smooth as possible.

Holiday Child Care

In the midst of the Christmas shopping season, your church can offer a special service that Santa and Mrs. Claus will greatly appreciate. Enlist the help of your church’s youth group, and offer babysitting or child care for the week or two before Christmas, so parents can have time to go shopping for presents.

Ask for suggested donations in return for these services. You might be surprised by how generous parents can be around the holidays.

Pumpkin Patches

Pumpkin patch fundraisers are a fabulous way to raise a few extra donations in the month of October. It’s just what it sounds like: transforming your church’s front lawn into a pumpkin patch, and inviting everyone (friends, neighbors, church members) to come to buy their fall staples from you!

All you really need to do is set up an inviting pumpkin patch and charge a little bit more for each pumpkin than you paid for them. Be sure to set up an area for pictures, and encourage guests to tag your church’s social media in the photo!

Polar Plunge

Only for the bravest of hearts, the thickest of skins, and the craziest of the crowd, the polar plunge involves donating money to get up early on a Saturday morning in January or February and run into a freezing cold lake, river, or pond—whatever body of water you have nearest.

Ask people to pledge money for those who make the jump. And make sure to have hot cocoa and warm pizza to warm up with after they make it!

Quick fundraising tip: Amid holiday busyness and events, it can be easy to let other church management tasks drop. Here are some simple tips for preventing that from happening.

Christmas Lights Removal

Right after Christmas, no one wants to take down the lights they spent so long putting up. That’s why it’s the perfect time to advertise your church’s Christmas light removal service.

Get your youth group out volunteering, armed with ladders and tools. You can ask for donations or a small fee from those who want their lights removed. Giving your church’s members the option to donate via credit card on the spot will make it easier for your light removal crew to accept payments on the go.

Flower Fundraiser

Similar to the lollipop fundraiser, selling flowers for Valentine’s Day is a cost-effective fundraiser that will make everyone’s day a little brighter. Your church’s members pick and pay for as many flowers as they’d like to send to a loved one or a friend on February 14.

Those flowers (and perhaps a sweet message) get delivered in person on Valentine’s Day. Or if you’re not wild about Valentine’s Day at your church, you could easily transform this church fundraising idea for Mother’s Day!

Caroling for a Cause

Another easy church fundraising idea, caroling for a cause is a festive fundraiser to employ right around Christmas. Much like traditional carolers, carolers for a cause wander door to door and sing hymns and cheery Christmas tunes.

While donations are not guaranteed, December is the most generous month, and people love to give to carolers who are singing for a specific cause.

Egg ’Em On!

No, your volunteers won’t be egging houses. For this church fundraising idea, gather willing participants to go to each house in the neighborhood with a basket of eggs (it’s especially fun during Easter when you can color the eggs). They then negotiate how much each neighbor is willing to pay to see the church member do stunts with the eggs. The members can offer to juggle them, toss them up in the air, or even crack them on their own heads!

Quick fundraising tip: The holidays are a wonderful time to ask donors to support your church. ’Tis the season of generosity, after all! When they make donations, give congregants the option to set up recurring donations, to continue in the spirit of giving.

Present Wrapping

Present wrapping is a great church fundraising idea for the holidays. It’s also an easy idea that your youth group can get into. You can buy nice wrapping paper and tape dispensers in bulk. Ask the youth group to bring their own scissors. They can then offer to wrap Christmas presents for busy shoppers.

If you put a jar out on the table where you’re wrapping presents, you can prompt people to make donations without actually charging them for your services.

Wreath Decorating

Encourage church members to get in touch with their artistic side by hosting a holiday wreath sale. This is wonderful for the Christmas season, as everyone is in the spirit and decorating their homes. Ask one of your Sunday school classes or some creative church members to craft wreaths. You’ll need to pay for the supplies, but selling Christmas decorations should generate profit for your church!

Sell these at a sale after one of your Sunday services, or a holiday event. Think about turning it into an annual event that church members come to look forward to every year.

Pictures with Santa

Don’t let your church members fight the long lines at the mall for a memorable picture with Santa. An easy solution and fundraiser includes having a congregation member volunteer to be Santa and host a photo shoot at your own church.

You’ll only need a volunteer Santa and photographer, a plain backdrop, and some props! It’s that easy. Since you’re making the most of your volunteers’ help, you can charge less and spread the joy further.

Quick fundraising tip: For an extra charge, print and frame the pictures. Be sure to upload the digital photos to a storage hub for easy access!

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Fundraising Ideas For Large Churches

For larger congregations, offering streamlined fundraising methods is especially important. Otherwise, you’ll be juggling donation amounts, donor names and email addresses, and everything else that goes into keeping your church running.

Buy-a-Brick

Buy-a-brick fundraisers are typically for physical projects, such as building an auxiliary building for your church or repaving the front walkway. You can host a virtual buy-a-brick fundraiser, and have people buy their bricks (i.e., donate to your church) online or on their cell phones.

Brick by brick, your congregants will help you build up your church in more ways than one! You can charge a little extra to have congregants’ names or a message engraved on the bricks they buy.

Gala

Hosting a gala takes some advanced planning, but it will be well worth it in the end. Everyone loves to get dressed up and feel glamorous.

You’ll need to invest in some decor and enlist a top chef-in-training to whip up some hors d’oeuvres. You may also want to hire entertainment, like a band or DJ, to encourage people to dance, talk, and mingle.

A great way to build donations is by setting up a “donations sprint” during the gala. Over the span of a few minutes at some point in the evening, attendees can text in their donations, sharing in the act of generosity.

“Snowball Fundraising was a critical part of the success of our annual gala. Because of a last-minute glitch with a different product at our event, we needed to find a solution that was easy to set up and configure—and Snowball was that solution! In just a few minutes, we had our campaign created and ready to go for the evening’s event. The attendees loved watching the thermometer grow as our call-to-action continued. In just twenty minutes, we raised over twice as much money as we had set as a goal—it was incredible!” — Matt Hladun, Brave Will Foundation Board President

Sip-and-Paint

Sip-and-paint fundraisers are pretty much just what they sound like: your church’s members pay to learn how to paint a certain work of art while sipping on a beverage of their choice.

Generally, sip-and-paint fundraisers provide canvases, paint, brushes, and wine. After paying for all of those supplies, you might be wondering how this fundraiser could possibly turn a profit. It’s simple: you charge just a few dollars more than the cost of supplies, and you make sure people contribute funds before you purchase the paint.

50/50 Raffle

This church fundraising idea is simple and easy to remember. It can also be done in conjunction with any other event you have going on. All you have to do is sell raffle tickets.

The reason it’s called a 50/50 is that 50% of the proceeds go to the winner of the raffle, and 50% go to the church (or your next mission trip). The more tickets you sell, the greater the jackpot will be—and the more likely people will be to buy tickets.

Photo Pledge

Make everyone in your large congregation feel like a photographer with this fundraising idea. The way a typical photo pledge works is by asking participants to pledge money and submit photos centered around a theme. They can make pledges through your campaign donations page, and then either email their photos to a church member who collects and shares them, or post them on social media and tag your church.

Themes range from cutest pet to the most interesting photo of the pastor you can snap without his or her noticing, and beyond! The photographers of the five best photos will receive a special prize.

Coffee Bean Fundraiser

Coffee is a wonderful item for a fundraiser because let’s be honest, who can go a morning without a hot cup of joe? Chances are, someone in your congregation knows or is willing to reach out to a local coffee roaster. Order a large quantity of coffee at a lower price, then turn around and sell individual bags at a profit.

Movie Night

Who doesn’t love a good, wholesome movie? You can throw a drive-in movie night, or you can go the simpler route and host a classic movie night in your church’s gymnasium or main hall.

Before the opening credits, thank everyone for coming, and ask them to consider showing their support by sending a quick text donation. Give everyone a chance to text (it’ll take less than a minute), and then press play!

Another great way to raise a little extra money (and make the whole experience better) is by offering childcare services during the movie.

Adopt-a-Mile

For the next big mission trip you host, try an adopt-a-mile fundraiser. This church fundraising idea is an easy way to raise money for excursions, especially when the excursion is far away.

Adopt-a-mile fundraisers involve mission trip participants mapping out exactly how many miles away their missions are. For every mile, they have to convince a church member to donate a dollar or two.

Quick fundraising tip: When your events are over, the relationship with participants is still just beginning! Use a CRM or donor database to keep track of who has supported your church in the past. Learn more about donor management.

Fast Food Night

Fast-food night fundraisers are simple, profitable, and popular with congregation members of all ages. All they have to do is purchase fast food from the restaurant that’s sponsoring the charity night, and say they’re with your church. Voilà! Ten percent of their purchase goes straight to your church.

It’s a simple way to get people who rarely participate to join in on the fundraising. They’d already be buying those chicken nuggets, so why not take a 10% tithe out of that?

Chuck-a-Duck

Chuck-a-duck fundraisers, also called rubber duck fundraisers, are a church activity that involves exactly what it sounds like. Participants in the fundraiser chuck rubber ducks at a target.

Those who get closest to the bullseye of the target are the winners. Chuck-a-duck fundraisers may sound simple, but they’re actually a lot of fun—and not just for kids. Adults really get into them too. They’re great for the whole family.

Night at the Museum

Essentially, this church fundraising idea is a glorified lock-in. Sell tickets for a “Night at the Museum,” and decorate your church’s atrium, like a museum.

Think large cutouts of dinosaur bones, caveman exhibits, and mockups of famous paintings. Get creative with it! The best way to entice teens and young adults, as well as young kids, is to offer a late-night dance party and game stations throughout the event.

Best in Show

Hosting a dog show can be a lot of work, but it’s well worth the payoff.

People love to show off their prized pooches. Why not give them an arena and the possibility to take home a blue ribbon?

You can have prizes for every sort of category (“waggiest tail,” “shiniest coat,” “cutest bark,” etc.). If you charge entrance fees to the show and for each participant, this easy fundraiser is bound to rake in some moola.

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Fundraising Ideas For Small Churches

Smaller congregations allow for fundraising events that will strengthen the community feeling within your church! Get to know your fellow congregants even better through these creative events.

Baby Picture Guessing Game

The baby picture contest doesn’t answer the question, “Who’s the cutest baby?” It’s a guessing game using baby pictures from the congregation.

All your church needs to do is pool together 15 to 20 baby photos of church leadership and current members. You can post them on either the church bulletin board or your church’s website (or both). Everyone then guesses who’s who if they pay $1. You’re sure to get some outrageous guesses and funny stories along the way!

Pancake Dinner

In this breakfast/ dinner mix-up, a pancake dinner can be a great church fundraising idea that brings the congregation together over a simple meal. No one can refuse a freshly flipped flapjack.

With the price of ingredients so low, you can charge a few dollars per ticket and come out way ahead. Provide extra toppings like chocolate chips and banana slices to make those flapjacks extra flavorful.

Community Work-a-Thon

A community work-a-thon involves your members rallying together to do some good deeds in your local community! Have your volunteers collect pledges for hours contributed to the effort, like picking up trash in the park, or collecting cans to recycle. This can be hosted over a weekend or even an entire month depending on scheduling!

Local Business Partnerships

Partner with businesses in your area to help raise money for your congregation. In having conversations with these businesses,  seek to secure a corporate gift in return for advertising their business at your church, and sending your adult groups to those places for meetings and hang-outs.

Penny War

This is perfect for small congregations, as you can have your Sunday school’s age groups form teams. To run this event, each team gets a jar and is encouraged to bring in coins to contribute. Each coin counts positively towards the team. It gets competitive when children drop dollar bills in their competitors’ jars, who are then forced to subtract points from their total.

Family Photoshoots

Ask some talented congregation members to volunteer to help out with a family photoshoot. In exchange for a donation, families can pose for photos and download them from a photo-sharing site of your choice.

Parents in your congregation will love to hold onto these portraits for years to come and will be happy they didn’t have to pay a professional studio price to have them.

Board Game Tournament

Bring everyone in your congregation together for a phone-free, old-fashioned board game night at your church.

Just like the retro game night outlined above, this is easy to host with donated board games, and a low ticket fee to play. Don’t forget to sell snacks and play some upbeat music!

 

Fundraising Software

Look for an online donation platform that includes the fundamental features listed above. There’s great free software out there that takes just a few minutes to set up—no programming background needed—so you can offer donors a quick way to give donations online. Setting it up means setting your church up for fundraising success.

The reason to do this before pursuing any of the following fundraising ideas is simple: People tend not to carry cash. If your fundraiser inspires them to give more than what they have in cash at that moment—or to give at a later date or on a recurring basis—you need to give them a convenient way to do just that.


Make your next church fundraiser a success with any of these awesome church fundraising ideas. For more information on church fundraising, check out our resources below:

The post 99+ Church Fundraising Ideas to Energize Your Congregation first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> https://snowballfundraising.com/top-church-fundraising-ideas/feed/ 1 How to Hold the Perfect School Fundraiser: 4 Great Tips https://snowballfundraising.com/holding-perfect-school-fundraiser/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=holding-perfect-school-fundraiser Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:49:35 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=29467 When fundraising for your school, it can be tricky to engage students and meet revenue goals. These four tips will help you perfect your next campaign.

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When students, parents, and supporters are engaged with your school’s fundraisers, they can change the trajectory of the campaign. The right school fundraiser gets students excited about supporting a good cause and has a positive impact on your school or community. But what steps can schools take to actually achieve this outcome?

Of course, the first steps are to choose a fundraiser that students will enjoy and market the campaign to your target audience of donors. In this guide, we’ll explore other tactics your school can use to improve its fundraisers:

 

  1. Hold an event-a-thon fundraiser.
  2. Get the community involved.
  3. Encourage and incentivize participation.
  4. Follow up after the fundraiser.

 

To select the right fundraising idea, it’s key to have an understanding of what options are age-appropriate for your students and appeal to their interests. First, we’ll explore the concept of “event-a-thons” and how you can adapt these fundraisers to align with your students’ preferences. 

1. Hold an event-a-thon fundraiser.

Event-a-thon or “a-thon” fundraisers are peer-to-peer campaigns that often involve participating in an activity, event, or challenge. Usually, participants (in this context, your students) collect pledged donations from friends and family for participating. Some common examples of event-a-thon fundraisers include:

  • Walk-a-thons, jog-a-thons, and fun runs
  • Dance-a-thons 
  • Hit-a-thons 
  • Bowl-a-thons
  • Read-a-thons

 

Clearly, this fundraising format is extremely flexible, allowing your school to choose an idea rooted in sports, skills, or interests your students enjoy. Additionally, organizing an event-a-thon is simple and well-suited to online fundraising. 99Pledges’ list of kid-friendly fundraising ideas breaks down the simple process into these five steps:

This image shows the steps of an event-a-thon fundraiser (detailed in the text below).
  1. Partner with a fundraising software provider to help you set up donation pages for your school and individual students.
  2. Ask participants to share their fundraising pages online. 
  3. Encourage participants to collect pledged donations from their families and friends. Donations typically correspond to their participation in your event (e.g., $5 for every mile completed in the fun run).
  4. Track progress throughout the fundraiser to ensure you are on track to meet your goals.
  5. After the event, your school receives the pledged donations.

 

As with any peer-to-peer fundraiser, it’s your participants’ responsibility to spread the word and secure donations. Encourage students and parents to post about the fundraiser and link to donation pages on their social media accounts. Consider writing captions, creating hashtags, and sharing graphics that they can use to make posting easy.

2. Get the community involved.

Depending on the idea you choose, there might be additional ways to generate revenue and bring the community together to support your school. For example, if you hold an outdoor fundraising event like a walk-a-thon, you might recruit volunteers to sell drinks, snacks, and school merchandise to spectators.

Exciting events and fundraising campaigns can also draw the support of community members outside your school, particularly those with an interest in supporting the youth. Get your PTA, local businesses, and other community members and institutions involved with ideas like:

  • A percentage night at a local restaurant. Partner with a restaurant and invite families from your school to go out to eat there on a designated night. A percentage of each bill will go to your school or chosen cause.
  • A craft or bake sale. Parents who enjoy cooking or baking will enjoy the chance to sell their food in support of a good cause, whether this is at your event or after school. Have artistic parents or students? Try an arts and crafts sale!
  • A community movie night. Poll students and families to get a sense of what their favorite movies and genres are. Then, select a few of the most popular options, rent a projector and screen, and sell tickets for outdoor screenings.
  • A school or town cookbook. Give students’ families and other community members the chance to have their favorite recipes immortalized in a cookbook. Request submissions well ahead of the fundraiser, compile them together in a book, and sell the finished copies. If you’re looking for a more low-cost idea, eliminate printing costs by creating an eBook instead.

 

As Funds2Orgs’ guide to fundraising events explains, getting your community involved gives community members the chance to learn more about you, allowing you to build more substantial relationships with them. Remember that by engaging your community, you’ll both tap into a new pool of donors and build your school’s network of supporters by working with businesses.

3. Encourage and incentivize participation.

As a school fundraiser, you know that it can be a challenge to garner the support you need for your fundraiser from students and parents. To inspire participants to share about the campaign and fundraise on behalf of your school, consider using special tactics to motivate them.

To get students involved, try strategies such as:

  • Gamifying the fundraising process. Apply elements of gameplay to the fundraiser to appeal to students’ competitive sides. For example, you might set up milestones for different fundraising amounts and award students who reach the milestones badges, awards, or small prizes.
  • Offering prizes to top earners. Track each student’s progress as they fundraise, creating a leaderboard based on how many fundraising dollars they earn. Offer prizes to those in the top positions, such as passes to skip homework, school t-shirts, candy, or gift cards.
  • Providing frequent updates. When supporters know how close you are to reaching your goals, they may feel more inspired to donate. Set up a fundraising thermometer that tracks your progress in real-time. Host the thermometer on your website and share it on social media, over emails, and in other marketing materials.

 

If your school holds a peer-to-peer fundraiser, remember that you’ll need to engage donors and participants. Make sure to use tailored strategies for both of these audiences to maximize your revenue.

4. Follow up after the fundraiser.

One important indicator of a successful school fundraising idea is whether your students and their families are eager to continue their support for the cause or even host another fundraiser. Whether you’re fundraising for your school or a community organization, lasting support is central to achieving larger goals.

One of the most effective ways to build loyal relationships with your supporters is to remain in contact with them, keeping your school at the top of their minds. Here are some ways you can foster relationships with your supporters:

  • Show gratitude for their contributions. Thanking donors for their generous gifts is critically important. This confirms that you received and deeply appreciate any gift they gave to your school. When sending thank-you messages to donors, make sure to greet them by name, recognize the exact amount they contributed, and share what kind of impact that gift made (e.g., “Your $100 donation bought 20 new books for our library!”).

     

  • Share other ways to get involved. By donating, these supporters have shown that they have an interest in the success of your school and its students. Take the time to share about other ways they can help you reach your goals, as they are likely to participate. For example, they might volunteer with young students who need help reading or contribute in-kind donations of sports equipment to your PE teacher.

     

  • Ask for feedback. Getting input from supporters will help you understand how you can improve future fundraisers to earn more revenue and build a positive reputation in your community. Additionally, accepting and implementing their suggestions shows that you truly value your supporters and their experiences with your school.

 

Your existing donor base is invaluable. Not only do they contribute money to your school, but they may also share positive things about your school and recruit other donors and volunteers. When you take the time to communicate with them, you can cultivate long-term, loyal relationships that translate into hundreds or thousands of dollars in fundraising revenue.

With creative ideas and enthusiastic student participants, your school fundraiser is sure to be a success and help you achieve your goals. Leveraging these tips will empower your school to build deep relationships within your community that go beyond supporting a single fundraiser or event. Instead, you’ll foster a dedicated and reliable base of supporters who are excited to contribute to your school’s lasting success.

The post How to Hold the Perfect School Fundraiser: 4 Great Tips first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> Auction Software: The Best Features And Providers To Explore https://snowballfundraising.com/auction-software/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=auction-software Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:22:32 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=31913 Auction software powers successful fundraising events that drive your mission forward. Check out our list of the top nonprofit auction software providers!

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Quickly create silent auctions that engage your supporters and compel them to bid more with our mobile bidding app—whether they’re virtual or in person.

Are you ready to plan your best auction yet?

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Charity auctions are a brilliant way to engage supporters and rake in donations. In fact, nonprofits see a 50 to 65% average rate of return on charity auction items. But your nonprofit needs the right auction software to reap these benefits, especially while balancing everything from item procurement to bidder participation.

With so many options to choose from, how can you make sure you select the right auction tools for your nonprofit? We’ve put together a list of the most effective software providers for your reference, as well as some background information to help you know what to look for. In this guide, we’ll cover:

 

The right platform can transform a typical event into a successful fundraiser that drives your mission forward. Let’s learn how by exploring the basics of auction software.

Learn more about Snowball’s auction software

What is Auction Software?

Auction software is a digital tool that streamlines auction planning and management for both in-person and online events. These platforms often provide tools for participants, like event check-in and mobile bidding capabilities. 

From event planning to participation to reporting on event success, the right nonprofit auction software can streamline every aspect of your fundraising event. But first, you’ll have to determine what you’re looking for so that you can select the perfect fit for your organization. 

Auction Software Features To Look For

If you’ve never shopped around for this type of software, it can feel overwhelming to find what you’re looking for. Here are the top features you’ll want to keep in mind as you explore your various options:

A list of auction software features to look for when shopping for the right platform (as explained below)

Ticketing and Registration

Whether you choose to host an in-person or a virtual auction, ensuring effective ticketing and registration practices is crucial. After all, it’s how people attend your auction event! Consider the following questions when planning your registration process:

  • Will you charge for tickets? If so, how much will they cost? While some charity auctions charge a flat cover fee for participants, others rely instead on sliding donations or overall bid revenue to raise money. If you decide to charge, keep the price low to keep your guests in the mood to give.
  • Will you enforce a registration cap? A registration cap is primarily important for in-person events where you may run out of physical space for your attendees. However, even for virtual events, guest limits can lead to a feeling of exclusivity and urgency when you begin to promote your upcoming auction. Be sure to let your supporters know when you’re approaching your limit so they have the chance to register before it’s too late.

 

For any auction format, having an accurate estimate of attendees allows you to get a better sense of planned revenue and fundraising goals. Simplify the registration process to get as many guests registered beforehand as possible.

Online and Mobile Bidding

The way participants bid for auction items is arguably the most essential function of your auction software. It is directly through your bidding tools that attendees can take part in the auction and support your cause.

Remember, the more straightforward the bidding experience is, the higher the engagement potential and the more money you’ll raise for your cause. 

With the number of mobile transactions drastically increasing, mobile accessibility is a nonnegotiable feature for your fundraising efforts. Your solution should allow users to bid from whichever device they choose—whether that’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. 

 

Check Out and Donations

The check-out process is one of the most important elements of your charity auction because it’s what will likely leave a lasting impression on your guests. A streamlined and user-friendly process can leave attendees in a great mood and looking forward to your next event.

Here are a few things to consider when planning the auction’s check-out process:

  • Ensure payments are processed securely. Whichever auction software you decide on, make sure it uses a secure payment processing tool. This way, you’ll protect guest information, boosting their trust in your organization, their willingness to give, and your nonprofit’s reputation.
  • Speed up the check-out process whenever possible. Be sure to only require essential information for payments, which your team can even collect beforehand to streamline check-out continuously.
  • Offer multiple opportunities for additional donations. The revenue coming from auction items is a great way to raise money for your cause, but it shouldn’t be the only way. Make sure guests have the option to quickly and easily make additional donations at your auction, including before, during, and after the event.

 

With these best practices, you’ll be able to provide a positive user experience by saving time and keeping sensitive personal and financial information secure.

 

Donor and Attendee Management

Your CRM is the hub for donor profiles, contact information, engagement data, and more. This means it’s your top resource for crucial data that makes supporter outreach possible and provides analytics for your future auctions.

Some auction tools come with their own reporting and dashboard features. However, if you want a more comprehensive look at your data, choose auction software that integrates with your existing fundraising toolkit. This way, the data you collect on auction attendees can be quickly transferred to your donor database. 

Discover the best nonprofit auction software: Snowball

10+ Top Nonprofit Auction Software Providers

To kickstart your research, we’ll walk through our favorite software providers for charity auctions—whether you’re hosting an in-person event, a virtual rendering, or a hybrid event. Let’s explore your array of options.

Provider

Specialty

Snowball

Best overall

OneCause

Configurable

Handbid

Virtual Events

Qgiv

App-based auctions

BiddingOwl

Affordability

Clickbid

Mobile bidding

RainWorx

Auction websites

GiveSmart

Auction planning

Auctria

Multiple Events

BidJS

Accessibility

Silent Auction Pro

Large teams

Gavel Buddy

Virtual auctions

Accelevents

Event management

Xcira

Ease-of-use

The logo for Snowball, which is the best auction software for nonprofits

Snowball: The best nonprofit auction software

Snowball’s powerful suite of fundraising tools effectively tackles your organization’s need for affordable yet robust nonprofit auction software. In addition to our easy-to-use online donation pages and text-to-give functionality, we now offer the greatest valued auction tools in the market. Here’s how we’ve already impacted over 15,000 customers:

  • 4 out of 5 Snowball donations result in a card on file for future giving—effectively allowing for single-click gifts going forward.
  • We have a 98% customer satisfaction rate, empowering nonprofits to achieve their missions with unique fundraising tools and resourced networks.

 

This top-of-the-line auction tool provides fundraisers with the accessible resources they need to pull off a successful event. Supporters from anywhere in the Snowball network can seamlessly donate across organizations (including nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and schools) without having to re-enter their payment information constantly. Plus, participants can receive real-time notifications to keep the competition competitive.

 

Key Features

Snowball offers the following features:

A list of features included in Snowball’s nonprofit auction software.
  • Ability to accept additional donations via your Snowball account
  • Online event registration and ticketing tools
  • Unlimited app-based auctions with unlimited auction items
  • Mobile and online bidding options offering contactless participation, supported by all major browsers and devices for increased accessibility
  • Text-to-bid functionality optimized for live (virtual and in-person) events
  • Streamlined checkout process and automated email receipts
  • Email and text notifications when a guest has won or been outbid
  • Compilation of all auction data in one location 
  • Real-time stats and fundraising updates
  • “Purchase Now” option for raffle tickets or instant item purchases
  • Flexible and secure payment gateways, with the choice of bringing your own or using the dedicated Snowball payment processing tool
  • High-quality customer support available in both English and Spanish

 

Your fundraising team will be well-equipped to run a successful auction with these tools and functions and raise more for your mission.

Pricing

Snowball is at the top of our list because it offers the best value of any auction platform out there. Choose from several free fundraising tools with our Essential Plan, or feel free to explore our more comprehensive Premium Plan for $549/year.

Our auction software package can be added for an additional fee but is also included in the Professional and Enterprise plans. If you’re looking for the most robust tools for the lowest price, Snowball is the most suitable tool for your organization.

Learn more about Snowball’s auction software with a demo
The logo for OneCause, which is a fundraising solution that helps nonprofits maximize their impact

OneCause: The best configurable auction software

OneCause is a comprehensive fundraising platform specializing in helping nonprofits maximize the impact of their charity auctions.

This software simplifies the planning, execution, and wrap-up of your charity auction event. With such tools, you’ll be able to raise funds for your organization and build donor relationships. Key features include:

 

  • Auction item management and procurement
  • Online ticket sales
  • Seamless registration process
  • Donation appeals, raffle ticket purchases, and max bids
  • Instant checkout and automatic email receipts
  • Post-event analytics and reporting

 

OneCause offers four auction software packages, ranging from a Do-It-Yourself plan up to a Full-Service plan. Contact their team to get a pricing consultation for more information.

The logo for Handbid, a platform that manages virtual events for nonprofits

Handbid: The best platform for virtual events

Handbid is an online silent auction software platform that works with nonprofits to pull off successful events. Together, your teams can bring in more revenue and better engage your guests and supporters.

With Handbid, your fundraising team can even run the entire show from your own home offices with ease, making this software great for hosting virtual events.

Key features include:

  • Web-based and live event bidding
  • Auction management tools
  • Display of real-time stats
  • Add-on ticketing functionality
  • Custom training and on-site staff availability


Handbid’s auction software is available in five pricing packages, beginning at $696/year. Depending on the number of events you’d like to host each year, you may want to look at one of their more expansive plans. Plus, Handbid offers substantial discounts to organizations that sign on for multiple years at a time.

The logo for Qgiv, a fundraising toolkit that facilitates app-based auctions

Qgiv: The best software for app-based auctions

Qgiv is a comprehensive nonprofit fundraising toolkit with extensive fundraising auction functionality. With an app-based auction platform, the Qgiv team can help your team pull off a successful charity auction whenever you’re ready.

Along with peer-to-peer fundraising tools, online donation forms, and extensive data reporting, Qgiv’s software can bring in increased fundraising revenue for any nonprofit organization.

Qgiv offers the following features:

  • Unlimited app-based auctions
  • Mobile and offline bidding
  • Online sales of raffle tickets, refreshments, etc.
  • App-based or QR code check-in and checkout
  • Tracking and display of fundraising goals

With these auction tools and more, you can begin raising money through dynamic fundraising events in no time.

Qgiv’s software begins at $229/month. Or, you can invest in their all-in-one plan (including mobile fundraising, peer-to-peer, and auction software) for $399/month.

The logo for BiddingOwl, an affordable solution when shopping for nonprofit auction software.

BiddingOwl: The best solution for affordability

BiddingOwl is a dedicated auction platform that can help your nonprofit team get up and running with auction fundraising without huge investments of time, money, or effort.

Not only does this solution provide the tools you’ll need for a successful auction, but it even gets you set up with your own, fully customizable auction website.

BiddingOwl offers the following features::

  • Auction site-building tools
  • Ability to accept donations online
  • Online ticket and raffle sales
  • Previewing and pre-bidding functionality
  • Text notifications
  • Automatic invoice processing

 

BiddingOwl’s auction software pricing is based on a percentage (5%) of total revenue collected by your event. For example, if an item sells for $100, BiddingOwl collects a $5 performance fee.

The logo for ClickBid, an auction software provider that specializes in mobile bidding

ClickBid: The best auction software for mobile bidding

ClickBid has been a pioneer in auction software since the rollout of mobile bidding tools in 2002. This dedicated fundraising auction platform provides the tools and resources any organization needs to ensure a successful event.

Despite its extensive functions and comprehensive offerings, the ClickBid software is intuitive and easy to use, even for auction beginners.

ClickBid offers the following features:

  • Early bidding functionality
  • Mobile bidding
  • Registration and check-in tools
  • Private auction platform
  • Silent or live virtual auction
  • “Second chance” auction to clear out inventory

 

Plus, if you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid event, the ClickBid team has the tools to engage participants in real-time through effective live-streaming practices.

ClickBid’s auction software starts at $795 for an annual license good for up to 4 events in a year. They also offer additional add-on services such as event live-streaming, mass messaging, and ticketing or landing pages.

The logo for RainWorx, a top provider of nonprofit auction software

RainWorx: The best platform for auction websites

RainWorx’s dedicated auction software, AuctionWorx, is a dedicated fundraising platform that empowers nonprofits to create their own charity auction websites with ease. With the available auction tools, you can quickly get your auction site up and running to start selling as soon as possible!

Then, you can decide whether to allow other businesses and community members to sell within your site, or you may decide to be the sole seller for your auction.

RainWorx offers the following features:

  • Ability to list own auctions or enable multiple vendors
  • Fixed price and make-an-offer functionality
  • The choice between single-seller or multiple-seller modes
  • Sales invoicing, sales tax, and shipping options

 

AuctionWorx by RainWorx can be purchased for a one-time licensing fee of $2,995. This includes access to the auction software package along with 12 months of standard support services.

The logo for GiveSmart, which is a fundraising platform offering auction solutions

GiveSmart: The best software for auction planning

GiveSmart hosts various auction tools, including event management, mobile bidding, and silent auction tools. Their comprehensive fundraising platform goes as far as to include intuitive online giving pages, text-to-give fundraising, and integrated live streaming.

With GiveSmart’s auction software, you’ll have everything you need to plan and host a successful charity auction for your cause. GiveSmart offers the following features:

  • Unlimited DIY events
  • Tech support with extended hours
  • Online training academy and onboarding services
  • Ticketing and seating charts
  • Event equipment

 

Plus, the GiveSmart team is ready and able to provide unique insights and dedicated customer support at varying levels, depending on the auction package you choose.

GiveSmart has three service plans, including Do-It-Yourself, Standard, and Premium packages. Request a demo from the GiveSmart team to learn more about their offerings and pricing levels.

The Auctria logo, which is a top auction solution for hosting multiple events

Auctria: The best solution for multiple events

Auctria is a complete auction software provider that you can use to pull off fundraising events of all shapes and sizes. Its platform is easy to use for fundraisers and auction participants alike, providing a seamless experience to all.

Plus, their reporting tools are top-notch, allowing you to collect and analyze fundraising data that you can use to provide valuable insights into your performance strategy.

Auctria offers the following features:

  • Item procurement tracker
  • Bidder automation from registration
  • Printed materials generation
  • Streamlined checkout
  • Mobile and online bidding

 

From the beginning of the planning process to beyond your event, Auctria has the tools and features to help.

Auctria offers a free auction software plan known as the Explorer, which includes basic online bidding tools and other auction resources. However, they also have more comprehensive plans, such as the Emerald for $300/year or the Diamond for $600/year.

The logo for BidJS, which is an accessible fundraising solution for nonprofits

BidJS: The best auction software for accessibility

BidJS provides a dedicated platform that allows nonprofits and fundraisers to bring in more for any cause. The BidJS team prides itself on being one of the most accessible auction platforms, as it’s supported by all major browsers and devices, along with being multilingual-friendly.

BidJS offers the following features:

 

  • Timed auctions (including options to bid, buy now, or make an offer)
  • Live auctions through real-time webcast tools
  • Custom styling and branding
  • Multi-device and mobile-friendly
  • Data collection and management

 

The BidJS software is easy to install on any website, but if you have trouble, they have a team of partners worldwide that can help you out!

BidJS refers to itself as a “pay as you go” auction software package. With no set-up fees or commission, they offer monthly fixed-price contracts instead. Be sure to contact their team to get a quote.

The logo for Silent Auction Pro, which is auction software that offers tools for numerous users.

Silent Auction Pro: The best platform for large teams

Silent Auction Pro offers multi-user silent auction tools that can help your team manage your event in the virtual space from anywhere. This tool automatically produces materials for both your team and attendees, such as program guides, bidding sheets, and invoices. 

Silent Auction Pro offers the following features:

  • Real-time information tracking 
  • Customized print and email templates
  • Streamlined check-in


With Silent Auction Pro’s data-tracking capabilities and follow-up materials, you’ll host an event that will engage your audience and keep them coming back to your future events.

Silent Auction Pro has a few options for your auction software, starting at $19.95/month with a $99 initial setup fee. Two in-person event platforms are available, starting at $348/year and 2% of auction sales and 1% of ticket sales. 

The logo for Gavel Buddy, a software solution that facilitates virtual auctions

Gavel Buddy: The best software for virtual auctions

Gavel Buddy is an excellent solution for a virtual auction, as auctions continue to gain popularity all the time. Gavel Buddy can help your team create your own auction website using their custom tools. Your supporters can view and cast bids from their personal devices from anywhere in the world.

Gavel Buddy’s tool is an excellent option for:

  • Short bidding turnaround
  • Customer support
  • Tracking outstanding balances for bidders to ensure payment
  • Effectively communicating news and updates to bidders and sellers

 

Gavel Buddy’s software packages are both set at $59/month. Check out their pricing page to choose the best package for your needs.

The logo for Accelevents, which is a top provider of auction software

Accelevents: The best solution for event management

Accelevents provides an auction software that lets your event team set up a website quickly, so they can focus on the multitude of tasks an auction requires. Stay in touch with your registrants with Accelevents’s custom messaging features, which help you send out custom emails. 

Accelevents provides key features for your auction such as: 

  • Instant fundraising event analytic reports 
  • Seamless bidding checkout with multiple payment options
  • Mobile and online bidding for any device

 

Accelevents also allows for streamlined registration and a multitude of virtual auction tools to help you raise as much as possible at your next event.

Accelevents offers multiple prices for its array of fundraising, ticketing, and event packages. Specifically, auctions are priced at $1 per ticket with a $249 activation fee for your organization.

The logo for Xcira, which offers easy-to-use auction software.

Xcira: The best auction software for ease of use

Xcira is known for providing an easy virtual and in-person auction experience. Your team can engage all of your supporters near and far with optimized audio and visual auction broadcasting. Additionally, this platform takes the pain out of planning with floor plan options and other auction management tools.

Xcira offers the following features:

  • Floor Plan Management System for organizing your auction’s floor plan.
  • AuctionEar Mobile App for supporters to watch your auction virtually
  • Online marketplace for virtual auctions
  • Intelligent Conditioner Evaluator to create data reports for future fundraising and event strategies
  • Mobile bidding capabilities

 

With these features, your team can easily facilitate an auction in the virtual space that will raise ample funds. Contact Xcira to get a quote on their online silent auction software.

How to Choose Nonprofit Auction Software

After evaluating the top features and providers of auction software, it’s time for your nonprofit to officially make a choice! Follow these steps to narrow down your options and commit to a software provider.

A graphic listing the steps to choosing nonprofit auction software (as explained below

Determine your nonprofit’s needs.

Start by evaluating your nonprofit’s target audience and event details. For example, would your supporter base rather attend a live auction or a silent one? Do you need additional fundraising tools, like mobile giving, or are you searching for auction-specific features only?

These details are specific to your organization and will help you narrow down your needs. This way, instead of looking at generally popular tools, you can identify a solution that streamlines your auction planning and management.

Set a budget.

Since your nonprofit is already paying to host the auction, you’ll want to ensure any tools you use fit into your event-planning budget. Determine how much you’re willing to spend on a platform and look for a provider that meets that price point.

If your budget is a significant factor in choosing auction software, narrow your research to providers that are upfront about their costs and offer flexible plans. This way, you’ll fast-track your search and find the solution that best meets your needs instead of spending too much time tracking down the cost of different solutions. Plus, providers that offer various add-ons can help you build the plan that you need rather than purchase a large plan with unnecessary features.

Compare products.

Once you’ve collected all the necessary information about what you’re looking for, you’re ready to make a decision! Compare the providers that meet your criteria and determine which one best fits your needs. 

As you dive deeper into these providers’ offerings, be sure to consider online reviews and find out what other nonprofits have to say about the solution. For an in-depth look at the platform, schedule a demo with the provider and decide for yourself if the software would work for your nonprofit.

Additional Resources to Maximize Your Fundraising Efforts

Your upcoming auction has incredible potential for both strengthening donor relationships and increasing fundraising revenue. Investing in the right auction software solution can help your organization better manage your event from start to finish.

For more information, take a look at our other informational guides to powerful fundraising tools and strategies:

Click here to get a demo of Snowball’s nonprofit auction software

The post Auction Software: The Best Features And Providers To Explore first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> How to Make Silent Auction Bid Sheets: A Complete Toolkit https://snowballfundraising.com/silent-auction-bid-sheets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silent-auction-bid-sheets Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:55:37 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=35608 Silent auction bid sheets are a vital element of your nonprofit’s auction fundraiser. Learn everything you need to know about bid sheets and how to use them!

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Auctions, whether live, silent, in-person, or online, can generate significant funds for nonprofits. There are plenty of reasons to choose a silent auction as your next fundraiser, from the fundraising potential to building a sense of community among supporters to partnering with local businesses. But to reap these benefits, your nonprofit must provide a positive experience for attendees. 

Silent auction bid sheets facilitate the bidding process for both donors and your nonprofit, making them a vital component of the auction planning process.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry! We’ll cover each of these topics in detail:


Bid sheets aren’t overly complicated, but they contain a lot of important information. Let’s explore the basics to ensure your bidding sheets represent your nonprofit in the best way possible.

Get Snowball’s guide and template for silent auction bid sheets by clicking this graphic

What Are Silent Auction Bid Sheets?

Silent auction bid sheets detail information about each item in a nonprofit auction and provide space for bidders to list their names and bid amounts. These sheets can be physically printed and placed in front of auction items or virtually created and filled out online.

Auction bid sheets both influence the amount that attendees decide to bid and event management for nonprofit teams. Here’s how both bidders and event organizers can use them:

How Do Bidders Use Them?

Here’s what the silent auction will look like for your attendees when using bid sheets:

A list of steps for bidders to use silent auction bid sheets, which are detailed in the text below
  1. Arrive at the auction, register, and get a number from the organizers.
  2. Walk around the space to peruse items, and start making decisions about what items to bid on.
  3. Write their name, number, and bid amount on each chosen item’s bid sheet.
  4. Check the status of items throughout the auction by looking at bid sheets. 
  5. Increase bids by writing a new entry on the bid sheet if they see that someone outbids them. 
  6. Make donations for any items that they won and take home the prize at the end of the auction.

 

In case any of your guests are attending an auction for the first time, include information about how the process works in your promotional materials. For example, you could create a set of branded social media graphics that explain each of these steps and post them on your organization’s Instagram page. This way, you’ll promote your event and help your supporters feel prepared at the same time.

 

How Do Event Organizers Use Them?

Organizers use bid sheets to track auction progress, determine the highest bidder, and close bidding for an item at any point during the auction. Here are the steps your nonprofit’s team will take on the auction day when using bid sheets: 

A list of steps for event organizers to use silent auction bid sheets, which are detailed in the text below
  1. Set up: Arrange your items in an organized way throughout the event space, being careful not to crowd them together. Label each of the items and place the corresponding bid sheets nearby. Be sure to set out plenty of pens!
  2. Register guests: You’ll need plenty of volunteers to run your auction successfully. One of their most important roles during the event is to collect guests’ contact information as they arrive and assign them their bidder numbers. You’ll need this information to be organized and easily accessible when you distribute items at the end of the auction.
  3. Make announcements: Communicate start and end times at the beginning of the event so everyone knows what to expect. Then, announce the remaining time throughout the night.
  4. Monitor bidding progress: Volunteers should walk the floor of the auction and check bid sheets to see each item’s progress. If anyone bids an item’s guaranteed purchase price, close out the item and note the winner immediately. 
  5. Determine and announce winners: Once the time for bidding ends, collect all of your bid sheets and determine the highest bidder for each item. Then announce the winners! Let attendees know the total funds raised for your campaign. This is a great moment to remind them of your organization’s mission and what their donations will help you achieve.
  6. Collect donations and distribute items: Call the winners up individually to process payments and hand out their prizes.
  7. Thank your donors: Be sure to thank every attendee for participating in the auction and donating to your cause. eCardWidget’s guide to donor retention recommends thanking donors within 48 hours of the event to help them feel valued by your organization. 

 

Remember, filling out a bid sheet for each item when you receive it makes the set-up process much easier on the day of the auction. Also, in the weeks and months after your silent auction, evaluate your success and brainstorm ways you can make your next auction even better. 

How To Create Virtual Auction Bid Sheets

Online silent auctions work the same way as in-person silent auctions, except guests view and bid on everything online instead of writing bids on physical bid sheets. 

Using an online auction platform, you’ll set up a virtual catalog of items that attendees can browse from their phones or computers. As they bid, the website will track bidding progress and update automatically with the current highest bidder.  This catalog is where you’ll create your virtual bid sheets.

To create bid sheets for virtual auctions, your organization first needs to choose a charity auction website that offers online and mobile bidding features. Your auction software should include virtual bid sheets that you can easily customize with item information.

Snowball’s auction software sets you up with clear, intuitive virtual bid sheets with plenty of customization options. For each item, add up to five photos and the item description. Then, add all of the same information you’d put on a physical bid sheet, such as the name of the donor, the starting bid amount, and the guaranteed purchase price. You can even place items into categories so guests can find items more easily.

Here’s an example of what your virtual bid sheet might look like using Snowball’s online auction platform:

A virtual silent auction bid sheet, created with Snowball’s software.

Once your nonprofit has prepared its virtual catalog with information about each item, guests can begin bidding! This bidding can take place at a certain date and time just like an in-person auction, or you can set a more open-ended run time, such as multiple days or even weeks.

When guests are ready to bid, here’s how they can use their bid sheets:

  1. Guests explore your catalog of virtual bid sheets. 
  2. Bidding starts! Attendees can bid online or using Text-to-Bid.
  3. Your auction website updates automatically and notifies bidders via email or text if another guest outbids them.
  4. At the close of the auction, winners are notified virtually and make their donation through a secure online payment portal.

 

If your nonprofit doesn’t want to go fully virtual, but you still want the ease of online auction functionality and the benefits of mobile giving, consider implementing a Text-to-Bid element to your in-person auction. Give guests the option to write down their bids on bid sheets or text in their bids at any time. Just remember to have volunteers update their physical bid sheets with the highest bid so everyone remains on the same page.

What to Include in an Auction Bid Sheet

During your event, guests should be focused on competing for auction items, not puzzled by the bidding process. Label everything clearly on your bid sheets to make it easy for them to participate and avoid any confusion. Here are the essential elements your auction bid sheet should include:

A silent auction bid sheet with labels for each field.
  • Item name and information: The name of the item should be clearly listed at the top of the bidding sheet. Below, include a short description of the item, its retail value, the item number, and who donated it. Including the name of the person or business that donated each item gives them not only recognition for their donation but also valuable promotion for their business. 
  • Starting bid: You can list the starting bid with the other item information at the top of the bid sheet, but we recommend placing it in the first line of the table with bidder names and amounts. This will make it more obvious for attendees and prevent them from accidentally bidding too low. 
  • Minimum raise: Each new bid must be higher than the last by a minimum number of dollars. The minimum raise will be different depending on each item’s value, so be sure to label this number clearly.
  • Guaranteed purchase price: Also known as the “buy now” price, this is the bid amount that can end all bidding for an item immediately. While this is completely optional, it may allow you to more easily reach your fundraising goal for certain items. To determine the guaranteed purchase price, multiply the retail value by 150 to 200%. 
  • Space for bidder names, bid amounts, and contact information: The number of rows will depend on the size of your event, but we recommend leaving at least 10 blank rows. Asking for a phone number or email address ensures that you can reach the winning bidder even if they leave the event early.

 

Ensure that these fields are organized and labeled with clear directions, and use a readable, appropriately sized font. Remember that the right auction software can make the design process easy, or offer templates so you don’t have to play with the design at all!

Once you’ve filled out a bid sheet for each of your items, create labels or name cards to place next to the items on display at the event. These should match the item names exactly as they’re listed on the bid sheets. 

Free Silent Auction Bid Sheet Template

To simplify your auction planning, we’ve put together a one-size-fits-all solution that you can use to easily fill in information about each of your auction items.

Download a printable PDF of our free bid sheet template

Silent Auction Bid Sheet Best Practices 

Even with the perfect silent auction bid sheet template, there’s still more you can do to make them work in your organization’s favor. Follow these best practices to use your silent auction bid sheets effectively: 

  • Brand your bid sheet to your organization. Include your organization’s name and logo at the top of every bid sheet. If making your own template, align your bid sheet with your nonprofit’s branding. Use the same fonts and colors you use across your regular communications so that your bid sheets remind donors of the cause that they’re supporting. 
  • Make minimum raises at least 10%. To drive higher bids and more donations for your nonprofit, make each item’s minimum raise 10% to 15% of its retail value. That way, bidders can’t outbid someone else by bidding just five more dollars.
  • Consider color coding your bid sheets. You can color code bid sheets for groups of related items so that guests will be able to find other items they’re interested in easily. Or, you can color code items and bid sheets based on retail value. With this system, attendees can focus on the items in their preferred price range. 

 

Also, consider providing an option for anonymity. Leave blanks only for bidder numbers, instead of names and contact information. For the process to work correctly, however, your volunteers need to be diligent about assigning every attendee a number and collecting contact information as guests arrive.

Final Thoughts On Silent Auction Bid Sheets

Now that you understand the basics of silent auction bid sheets, you have everything you need to host a successful silent auction, whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person! Check out these additional resources to expand your knowledge of general auction best practices:

 

When you hear the word auction, your mind might first go toward a rowdy event with a personable auctioneer and a booming voice yelling, “going once … going twice … sold!” While this can certainly be an excellent way to raise money for your cause, some events are better suited for the silent version of an auction. So how do you choose which one is best for your upcoming fundraiser?

1,5000+ organizations host successful auctions with Snowball....

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The post How to Make Silent Auction Bid Sheets: A Complete Toolkit first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> 4 Best Fundraising Ideas for Your Women’s Ministry https://snowballfundraising.com/womens-ministry-fundraising/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=womens-ministry-fundraising Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:48:28 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=36222 With adequate funding, your women’s ministry can greatly impact the women who participate in it. Check out the best women’s ministry fundraisers in this guide!

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If you lead a women’s ministry, you know the importance of regularly engaging your community. From Bible study books to online courses to weekend retreats, the right resources can help you make a lasting impact! But how can you raise the funds needed to access these resources?

Thoughtful ministry fundraising can have more meaningful benefits than a simple donor stewardship strategy—these events and campaigns can financially support your ministry while helping you connect more deeply with the women in your church. In this guide, we’ll review the top four fundraising ideas for your women’s ministry:


Your women’s ministry is unique, and so will be whatever fundraiser you choose to host. Use the following ideas as guidelines to help you brainstorm, but don’t be afraid to put a creative spin on these fundraisers to make them your own or combine them for maximum impact! With that in mind, let’s get started.

If you’re looking for a fun way to raise money and encourage healthy competition, an auction is the way to go. Not only is the highly competitive bidding process fun and exciting, but the women in your church will be able to bid on items that interest them, making them more likely to increase their donations for the sake of winning.

Auction Fundraisers

If you’re looking for a fun way to raise money and encourage healthy competition, an auction is the way to go. Not only is the highly competitive bidding process fun and exciting, but the women in your church will be able to bid on items that interest them, making them more likely to increase their donations for the sake of winning.

To create this atmosphere, you’ll need to collect auction items that will appeal to your ministry. Consider auctioning off Bible study materials or Christian books, but be sure to gather a wide variety of genres so that no two items are too similar. Esther Press’s roundup of Christian books for women categorizes Christian books according to the following topics:

  • Spiritual growth: These books help women deepen their faith by exploring various spiritual topics.
  • Scripture studies: These books draw inspiring insights from the Bible to help women better understand biblical stories and lessons.
  • Group reads: These books encourage relationships between Christian women by allowing them to study and learn together.


Other popular items that may interest your group could include artwork with a Biblical meaning, high-end home goods, or even tickets to a spa weekend. Gather feedback from the women in your ministry to narrow down your top picks and offer a variety of appealing, top-tier items.

Additionally, a fundraiser for your women’s ministry should make fellowship a main focus, meaning attendees should have ample opportunities to mingle. Instead of focusing the event on the fundraising activity, host a silent auction in which women can place bids while talking to each other or even bid from their mobile devices.

Let’s say you’re looking for a fundraising strategy that doesn’t require a venue. Or, maybe you want to double up your fundraising efforts and raise more by hosting two campaigns at once.

Mobile Giving Campaigns

Let’s say you’re looking for a fundraising strategy that doesn’t require a venue. Or, maybe you want to double up your fundraising efforts and raise more by hosting two campaigns at once.

Regardless of your unique fundraising strategy, a text-to-give fundraiser can be helpful for raising money without having to facilitate the donation process. With the help of a text-to-give provider, your church can host a mobile giving campaign in just three simple steps:

  1. Your ministry is assigned a phone number by its text-to-give provider. Share this number with the women in your ministry and explain how they can send a text message to it.
  2. A donor texts a keyword and donation amount to your phone number. Consider making the keyword themed to the topic of your ministry’s current Bible study, such as the name of a woman in the Bible or a biblical attribute the study is talking about.
  3. You receive and allocate these donations. Without any additional work on your part, you’ll receive donations and can start spending them on the resources your women’s ministry needs.


Furthermore, mobile giving campaigns won’t interrupt your usual marketing messages, such as sharing encouragement with fellow believers or inviting more women to your church activities. That’s because text-to-give simply requires a donor to send a text message! You can leave simple instructions in your social media bio or on a short post and center the rest of your communications around impacting women. 

Everyone loves receiving something in exchange for their donations, which is why product fundraisers are such popular options for supporting church initiatives.

Product Fundraisers

Everyone loves receiving something in exchange for their donations, which is why product fundraisers are such popular options for supporting church initiatives. Create custom products with your church’s branding, such as:

  • T-shirts: Think of fun designs and catchy phrases to adorn custom-made t-shirts. You could even customize them to represent a current women’s Bible study or group. Buyers will enjoy the exclusivity of a t-shirt that represents their involvement in your women’s ministry!
  • Baked goods: Invite the women in your church to bring their favorite baked goods to a bake sale. You’ll appeal to both members of your church who want to support your fundraiser and external donors who are just excited for a sweet snack.
  • Books: Research the best Bible studies for women and purchase them at a wholesale price. Then, sell the books at a table after women’s meetings or to the entire congregation on a Sunday after the service has concluded. 


The highly customizable nature of product fundraisers also makes them great tools for ministering to others. For example, you might sell a t-shirt with a thought-provoking phrase written on it, like, “Got Jesus?” or “Jesus saves.” When your ministry’s supporters buy these t-shirts and wear them in public, they’ll start conversations about their faith with strangers and your ministry will reach more people than you imagined possible!

Double the Donation’s list of church fundraising ideas recommends launching a web store, or an online shop, to sell your fundraising products. That way, you can sell any product at all times of the day, and donors will have an easily accessible source through which they can browse your available products. 

While fundraising events can be an exciting way to raise support for your women’s ministry, don’t underestimate the power of directly appealing to potential donors.

Fundraising Letters

While fundraising events can be an exciting way to raise support for your women’s ministry, don’t underestimate the power of directly appealing to potential donors. A direct and specific case for support is one of the most effective tools for engagement, meaning you can secure support for your ministry simply by asking!

Write fundraising letters to potential donors, including information about your fundraising campaign and the specific amount you need to raise. Be sure to personalize each letter and thank recipients for their support to make them feel appreciated and important to your ministry.

 

 

Whether you launch just one of these fundraisers or try all of them, you’re sure to raise support for your women’s ministry when you customize the fundraiser to meet your church’s unique needs. For example, a smaller women’s ministry might prefer to gather for a bake sale while a larger group would enjoy getting to know each other at a silent auction.

Gather data throughout the duration of your fundraiser to gauge its success. That way, you’ll know just how receptive the women in your church were to a particular fundraising idea and how you can increase support next time. You’ve got this!

The post 4 Best Fundraising Ideas for Your Women’s Ministry first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

]]> 3 Reasons Your Church Should Support a Nonprofit Cause https://snowballfundraising.com/3-reasons-your-church-should-support-a-nonprofit-cause/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-reasons-your-church-should-support-a-nonprofit-cause Fri, 26 Jan 2024 16:53:39 +0000 https://snowballfundraising.com/?p=36202 When your church supports a nonprofit, both organizations are better equipped to fulfill their missions! Learn why you should support a nonprofit in this guide.

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As a church leader, you know the importance of community and serving others. In the same way that your congregation gathers to fulfill your church’s mission, other nonprofit organizations depend on a community of donors and volunteers to better society. In fact, the very donors who are stewarded by nonprofits may be members of your church!


By supporting a nonprofit organization, your church can make a greater impact on  members and in the community. In this guide, we’ll explore three reasons you should support another nonprofit cause. Let’s begin!

1. Nonprofit support sets an example to members of your church.

When choosing a children’s curriculum or planning a sermon series, your church likely aims to align with biblical principles. Nonprofit support gives your church opportunities to act on the lessons you teach about service, giving a practical example of what biblical teachings look like in practice.

Through nonprofit support, your church can demonstrate:

  • Servitude: Servitude is a core element of the Christian faith, and what better way to put service into action than by getting out in the community? Nonprofit missions are centered around serving the community in some way, so your church’s involvement will set a positive example of what it means to serve others. 
  • Generosity: By giving freely, your church demonstrates the importance of caring for others above oneself. Whether congregants give large gifts for a nonprofit cause or sacrifice free time on the weekend to volunteer, they’ll have the opportunity to put others’ needs ahead of their own. And what makes it even better is doing it together as a church body. 
  • Good stewardship: With finances, time, and abilities, Christians are called to be good stewards of the resources God gives them. Donating funds, time, and skills to a nonprofit cause demonstrates good stewardship of the church’s resources to make a difference in the community and the lives of others. 

 

You can reinforce the value of congregants’ support by showing your gratitude for their involvement. For example, you might show volunteer appreciation by giving a thank-you gift to members of your church who volunteer. This shows that your church values volunteers’ support and encourages them to continue volunteering.

 

2. Your church can minister to others by supporting a nonprofit.

Whether your church hosts its own fundraising event, participates in Giving Tuesday, or volunteers around the community, your efforts will inevitably introduce you to new people. This valuable time gives you space to build relationships with people you may have never met otherwise. Nonprofit support offers awesome opportunities to meet new people and minister to them.

Through nonprofit support, your church could encounter:

  • Beneficiaries: A beneficiary is anyone who benefits from the services of a nonprofit. And by supporting a nonprofit, your church is either directly or indirectly impacting the organization’s beneficiaries. For example, people experiencing homelessness might be beneficiaries of the local food bank. Church members might interact with beneficiaries through volunteer roles, during which they can connect with people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. In these situations, volunteers might share children’s curriculum lessons with young kids or their personal testimonies with adults. 
  • Nonprofit leaders: Depending on the type of support your church provides, you might build close relationships with nonprofit board members, volunteer coordinators, and other leaders. As you get to know them and their passion for nonprofit work, you may identify ways that your two missions overlap. Then, you can build relationships as you encourage and partner with one another! 
  • Local businesses: According to AlySterling’s corporate philanthropy guide, our purpose-driven economy encourages businesses to consider their social purpose and impact. Many businesses contribute to nonprofits through corporate giving programs, and this can be a great way for your church to connect with local companies. 

 

Think of these interactions as part of your church’s outreach ministry efforts. You may already aim to spread hope in the community, and partnership with a nonprofit is one avenue to do this. These connections can be a platform to connect with those around you and maybe even invite newcomers to your church.

3. Nonprofit support can strengthen relationships among church members.

Your work with nonprofit organizations is not just an opportunity to minister to others, but a way for church members to grow closer together. And cultivating a close-knit congregational culture is key in building the faith community! 

Consider the following examples of how nonprofit support could strengthen relationships between members of your church:

This image lists three ways churches can support nonprofits, which are detailed in the text below.
  • Volunteer: Spending time together is an obvious way to strengthen relationships, but working together toward a common goal can build especially strong connections. When your church encourages members to volunteer together, they’ll learn the spiritual importance of encouraging and uplifting fellow believers.

 

  • Text-to-give: Hosting a mobile giving campaign is an easy way for your church to raise money on behalf of a nonprofit. This opportunity gives space for your church to grow together as they work for a common cause. It’s amazing what can take place when people come together to make a difference! 

 

  • Raise awareness: Think about a nonprofit advocate like a sports team fan. When you support a team by wearing their merchandise or talking about the team, you start to feel connected to other fans of the team. In the same way, when members of your church advocate for a nonprofit, they’ll begin to feel connected to the cause and to the other people involved. 

 

Continue building on the importance of relationships as you gather in your church’s life groups, such as in men’s prayer groups or your church’s youth group. Wonder Ink’s guide to choosing children’s curriculum recommends selecting teaching resources that put “loving your neighbor” into practice, which could help set the stage for connecting with other believers through nonprofit support.

The post 3 Reasons Your Church Should Support a Nonprofit Cause first appeared on Snowball Fundraising.

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