7 fundraising ideas guaranteed to bring in the big bucks
Tips and Tricks | 
Blog | 
3 mins. Tips and Tricks | Blog | 3 mins. 
Tips and Tricks | Blog | 3 mins.
Move aside, bake sales and galas. You’re basic. The team at MFF has curated seven fail-proof ways to boost your fundraising efforts this spring.
Are your family and friends terrified that you’ll embarrass them on TikTok? Perfect. Tap into their fear to fuel your newest campaign: a threat to join Tik Tok unless your fundraiser goals are hit by next Tuesday (include a countdown timer and current amount for extra transparency). Make sure to practice your dance moves and up-the-nose video angles to motivate their giving—and don’t forget to ask for their crush’s username. Rotate employees each week, and watch the next generation rise to the occasion.
Sure, you’ve heard the term disruption a thousands times. But have you ever tried truly disrupting your donors? We’re talking 4am phone calls, blocking their driveway with bouncy balls, stealing their ski poles mid-run, disruption. Show your donors that you truly understand the term and we promise, they’ll remember you.
Every organization and their sister has hosted a 5 or 10k run– but not like this. Take out five thousand dollars in ones, and tape them to the ground making a short money runway. Then invite your patrons to run the best race of their life—clocking times that make Usain Bolt look slow. Who knew 85-year-old Hal could finish a 5K in under a minute? They’ll get bragging rights, and you’ll get competitive, if morally questionable, donors.
Stop trying to rake in the money with a bake sale. When it comes to monosyllabic fundraising, nothing rakes in money like a rake sale. Write down your organization’s wish list on pieces of paper, crinkle them up, and throw them on a patch of grass. Allow participants to either buy a rake for $15 or rent one for $5, and give them a full minute to rake up as many “prizes” as they can. Jokes on them– they now owe you a $5 million new building. Flawless!
Is your current fundraising hitting a plateau? Maybe it’s you. Chances are, you care about your organization and making the world a better place. But in the words of Anna Sorokin, that is soooo boring. Try creating a strange accent, putting on some unshakable confidence and telling donors to stop acting broke and give you money. Be sure to insult your donor’s appearance for added spice.
The next time you go to a conference or convening, bring your own empty jar with “Jargon” written on the side. Whenever you hear someone using the words “transformative,” “disrupt,” “pivot,” “innovate,” “make the world a better place,” etc., walk up to them and demand a donation for the Jargon Jar. We recommend wearing aviators to ensure your authority.
Donors are a lot like dogs: if you chase after them, they’ll run away. Instead of coming off as needy, try giving your donor the cold shoulder. Make sure they know you’re having fun with other donors—whether it’s an Instagram story, an in-person run-in, or an accidental text message (“Oh whoops, that was for Melinda”). We’re sure donors will be knocking down your door once they see you moving on with someone new.
If you made it this far, Happy April Fools! Share your April Fools Fundraisers with @thinkmff on social. And please, for the love of lawyers, don’t try any of these at home.