Do It Yourself Fundraising: how to raise money as an individual

How to raise money for your own fundraising campaign

You want a gap year to volunteer in a Mexican orphanage…

There’s a special sports program interstate that you really want to attend – if only you could afford to get there…

You’ve dreamt of being a singer – and the auditions are coming up for a national TV talent show 1000km away…

Maybe you want to support a social justice cause that does not have its own fundraising campaign in place.

Raising money for one-off needs can be tough. For starters, philanthropists (people who give) tend to have special ‘causes’ that they support and your new DIY fundraising campaign is unlikely to be on their radar. Some people will say: “if you want to do it, pay for it yourself”. But if you’re truly passionate about your dream… if you really believe this will make a difference…that this is ‘it’…why not pull out all stops to achieve the dream. You’ll never know if you don’t have a go! The Fundraising Directory is here to help you realise these goals. Keep reading for ways to position your fundraising efforts for the greater good – and maximise your profit. Go on: chase your dream!

Fundraising for individuals has just got easier with crowdfunding. You can post your project on one of the many host sites like chuffed.org, indiegogo.com, gofundme.com. Have a look at our articles on crowdfunding for the best results – what is crowd fundraising? & comparing crowdfunders in australia.

Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing 

Think also about why you really want to do this. Who benefits other than you? Is it clearly cause-related or are you the main beneficiary? How much money do you need to raise from this Do It Yourself Fundraising? ‘A lot’ is not an answer. Neither is ‘anything’.

Another article that might be helpful for you as an individual fundraiser: Setting SMART Goals.

Happy Fundraising,

Mandy Weidmann

Originally published 14 September, 2015

You might also be interested in:

• Thanking Volunteers
• Position Vacant: ‘Thank You Sergeant’
• What could you do to acknowledge a long serving volunteer?
• Getting men involved in your committee
• Avoiding Conflict in your Committee