Have you got a community event or fundraiser coming up and need a bit of inspiration? Here are our top tips on how to raise the most money for your charity fundraising page. We have advice to get everyone involved and having a good time.
Keep it simple, and be specific
We’ve had Patchwork fundraisers set up for everything from NHS food parcels, to art therapy boxes, from Christmas Dinners for care leavers to keeping a Choir singing… We’ve even had an alternative Royal Wedding list for Megan & Harry to support local homeless people in Windsor. So what do the best pages all have in common? They set out their goals clearly, and make their pages colourful and their message simple. In the introduction to your Patchwork page, state the aim of your charity fundraising and what you hope to achieve. Add patches to visually represent how people can support your cause. For example, if you are collecting funds to renovate a Night Shelter be specific about the things you need to fund and add patches for each type of item:
- “New bedding for a good night’s sleep” – £20
- “Tea and biscuits so we can always offer a welcoming cuppa” – £2
- “A new sofa where visitors can relax” – £100
Make it personal and get people involved in your community fundraiser
Talk to your audience, tell them about your project and what it means to the people you’re supporting. Inject some personality by sharing your feelings about the cause. Let people know how much their gift will mean. Don’t be afraid to use humour and warmth to engage people and let them feel really involved. Show people through the patches you add, what their donation will buy. When people can see where their money is going they are more likely to give generously. So, for example, if you’re asking for contributions towards a community garden project break it down in to lots of colourful patches. This way people can see the garden brought to life on your page. Then they can choose which part of the project to fund.
- “Buy us some bulbs” – £10
- “Chip in for some gardening tools” – £20
- “Fund some mature plants” – £40
Make it FUN to increase your FUNDS
One of the best things about Patchwork is not just how easy it is to set your page up, but how creative and colourful your page can be! So, let your imagination run and fill your page with colour, fun and activity and really bring your event to life. Even a virtual event can feel engaging and exciting when you invite people in and encourage them to get involved in the ways that work for them. For example, if you’re setting up a Virtual Christmas Fair fundraiser, make sure you include a range of differently priced patches so that even those on low budgets can get involved in the fun too. Add some festive imagery, sparkle and glitter so your event looks enticing and people really enjoy the whole experience. Here are some examples of easy fundraising ideas for a school Christmas fair:
- “Take part in school Christmas Jumper Day” – £1
- “Enter a virtual Christmas bake-off” – £3
- “Buy a pack of Christmas cards” – £10
- “Book a festive family photoshoot” – £40
Let people choose how to support you
Patchwork is unique as a fundraising platform because as well as having patches where people can donate money or buy items, you can add non-monetary patches too. So people can always choose if they want to “fund” “make” or “do” something to help make your event or project a success. With a page that combines all of these elements everyone can get involved, even those on a low budget. It’s a brilliant and efficient way to best use the resources and skills of your network and create a truly inclusive event that brings the community together!
We’ve been proud to have supported Christmas Dinners for Care Leavers over the last few years and they are perfect examples of a type of Patchwork fundraiser that works really well. The events lend themselves perfectly to the “fund” “make” and “do” options that Patchwork allows. Here are some examples of patches you could add to a community Christmas lunch:
“Fund some festive food” £20 – FUND
“Make some sweet treats to bring on the day” – MAKE
“Help set up the venue” – DO
“Buy a Christmas gift for a guest” £50 – FUND
“Knit a pair of socks for a guest” – MAKE
“Donate some of your decorations” – DO
Ready to start your Patchwork charity fundraiser?
We’ve got loads of exciting and colourful community fundraising templates and school fundraising templates (all inspired by our brilliant Patchwork fundraisers!) so it’s super easy for you to get a page set up in minutes. Simply click ‘use template’ on the readymade that most closely matches your event and then edit the words, images and prices to suit. Or you can set up a page from scratch if you want to get really creative! We’re always happy to add new ideas to our collections so do get in touch at hello@patchworkit.com if an idea you have isn’t already on our site.