Fundraising in a post-COVID world
We put together some fun and effective ways to raise money online with virtual events, crowdfunding and more. Read our guide to get started.
The COVID pandemic put a two-year pause on so many activities in life, and even though most of the restrictions on daily life are behind us, there are still a lot of lasting impacts to this day. These include certain charity fundraising activities, particularly those that involve vulnerable people, and even some crowdfunding events.
But the silver lining is that charities have found a way to keep charitable donations in Australia healthy with a shift to online events and virtual fundraising.
These changes could be here to stay, and a lot of them are fun, effective ways to raise money for charity or a cause you are passionate about.
On this page
We’ve put together our best crowdfunding in Australia ideas that don’t involve leaving the house!
- Host a virtual event
- Raise awareness
- Create a social media challenge
- Donate your utility bill
- Declutter
- Give it up challenge
- Birthday fundraisers
- Virtual raffle
Host a Virtual Event
Driven by necessity during the pandemic, virtual event platforms are now more accessible than ever. You’re spoilt for choice with choosing a platform for your fundraising event — Zoom, Google, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Facebook to name a few!
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A virtual event could be:
- Dinner and drinks — get people together over drinks for a charity gala from the comfort of your couch — cocktail attire on the top, leisure wear down below!
- Online Fitness — with so many gyms already offering online fitness classes, consider merging a workout with a fundraiser. Get your local gym involved as a way to support the community.
- Online Dance — this could be belly dancing, Zumba, ballet or any type of dancing for that matter. Allow people to express themselves through dance with the profits going to your fundraiser.
- Trivia Night — host a trivia night where donations are put towards your fundraiser. This is a great fundraising idea for schools. There are plenty of trivia companies that now offer online events, or if you have the time and the knowledge, you can be the host!
- Online cooking class — teach people to cook or just showcase a favourite recipe and post the lesson on your fundraising platforms in Australia to keep raising money after the live event.
- Virtual Run/Walk — set a challenge to run or walk a specific target in a month. You can raise funds either by charging a registration fee or encouraging participants to get sponsored for their efforts.
Raise Awareness of the COVID vaccine
Crowdfunding is not just a great way to raise funds, but also a great way to share messages and create awareness. Keeping up to date with COVID vaccinations, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly or people with existing health conditions, is a really important step to keep the pandemic under control.
If your campaign supports any of these groups (or even if it doesn’t!), you can use your platform to spread important information to keep your supporters safe and help save lives.
Create a Social Media Challenge
Create a social media challenge and encourage people to donate when they join in. This will allow you to spread your message further, expand your network of supporters and raise funds at the same time. You might even go viral!
Some of the most successful social media challenges in recent years have been the ice bucket challenge, Movember, no makeup selfie challenge and the 2.6 challenge which was an online campaign used in place of the cancelled 2020 London marathon.
Donate your Utility Bill
This one is perfect for everyone who is struggling in the face of rising living costs. It’s now possible to donate your utility bill to a cause you’re passionate about.
Through icause, a comparison expert will find you a cheaper plan for your utilities and if you make the switch, a donation will be made on your behalf to charity. So you save on your bills and help an important cause at the same time.
Encourage others to get onboard — spread the word on social media, at your workplace and anywhere you can.
Declutter and Raise Funds
One person’s trash is another’s treasure. It’s so easy to raise funds by simply getting rid of things you don’t use in your home. You don’t need to set up your own eCommerce store, instead, consider setting up a virtual marketplace where you can sell your items on a platform such as Facebook or Gumtree.
Raise some much-needed money for charity whilst decluttering. A win-win situation!
Give it up Challenge
This is all about getting rid of bad habits and encouraging good ones. Set up a challenge within your community where you encourage supporters to give up a bad habit or vice for a set period. During this time they pledge a certain amount of money to dedicate to your cause.
Some popular challenges you can take part in include Dry July, Vegan-uary and DECHOX, or you can get creative and create your own.
Birthday Fundraisers
In lieu of birthday presents, invite your friends and family to donate to your page or that of a charity you care about. For instance, if you’re turning 30, ask your friends to make a $30 donation to your fundraising page to make your birthday make a difference to those who need it most.
Virtual Raffle
Remember the good old raffle? Well, now they’re not just limited to your local school fete, they’ve gone online! There are so many online platforms you can use to sell tickets or you can invite people to make a donation to your fundraising page and for every dollar donated, give them a ticket in the draw.
Next steps
Hopefully, we’ve given you some fun ideas for fundraising in a post-COVID world. We’ve loved putting them together for you and hope that they can help make your next fundraiser, whether it’s school fundraising, a charity event or a personal cause, a huge success.
While you’re feeling inspired, start your fundraiser and start making a difference today.
