Beyond School Fundraising: Additional Methods to Increase Yields

Earn Capital for Your School Beyond Your Fundraising Campaign.

In need of funds for your school but not interested in launching a traditional fundraiser? A non-fundraiser may be for you. You don’t have to sell popcorn, host an auction, or plead for dollars on a text-to-give campaign to earn revenue for your cause. For instance, grant awards or membership options are highly profitable alternative options. Depending on your school’s needs and abilities, these options may best suit your organization.

Raising Capital Without Fundraising

There are many ways to raise capital for your school without fundraising, often called ‘non-fundraisers’. Reasons to opt for a non-fundraiser method may include a lack of time, resources, or disinterest in typical fundraising methods. Non-fundraisers take work but may be a better fit for some organizations. There are several non-fundraising options to choose from. Let’s take a look at a few.

Solicit Donations

Implementing a crowdfunding, text-to-give, or social media campaign is unnecessary. You can reach out to past donors and strong supporters of your organization and intimately ask for an individual donation, which works exceptionally well when only a small amount of funding is needed. Learn how to format your ask here.

Recurring Donations

The idea of soliciting recurring donations builds on the above. Ask donors if they want to sign up for a recurring monthly, quarterly, or annual donation. A donation of a pre-determined amount will be automatically processed, saving them the hassle of setting up a donation each time they give, providing your school with steady and predictable revenue.

Membership Fees

Build a program with membership options and charge a fee to join and renew annually. Membership options may provide differing levels of access and information. Perks may include pre-sale ticket options for graduation and other events, higher transparency of school news and operations, honorable mentions, and more.

Sponsorships

Partner with local businesses to increase their traffic while earning cash for your cause. An example is a local pizza parlor that donates $5 for every large pizza sold, which increases bonds between the school and the local community while utilizing a non-fundraising method to yield needed revenue.

Grant Awards and RFPs

One of the most profitable non-fundraising options is winning a grant award or RFP. Grant awards are large sums of money and services donated to non-profit and social organizations with a notable mission, problem, or solution. RFPs are similar, only these are federal programs and must be designed to meet the demands of the RFP specifically.

Tips For Non-Fundraising Success

Below are a few ways to increase your chances of non-fundraising success.

Share Results

Have a big win that significantly furthers your cause? Share with your network. Seeing positive change come from donor dollars encourages further giving.

Build Relationships

Strengthen relationships in your network to increase the chances of giving. Focus on communications, transparency, and inclusion in school programs and events.

Know Your Goals and Limits

Knowing and sharing your financial goals and the limits of your time, skill, and resources will give you a clear idea of how to earn capital through non-fundraising best and what type of return to anticipate. Even though you aren’t launching a traditional fundraiser, adequate planning is still crucial to success.

Showcase Gratitude

Share your appreciation with donors and supporters. A valued supporter is likely to continue giving, and non-donors who see your gratitude are more likely to become supporters of the school and the specific cause.

Mind Your Image

These days, image is everything. Your fundraising story should be comprehensive and relatable. Your social media should share images and insights into your needs and wins. Your website should be easy to navigate and share information on your mission, history, goals, and student body. The more familiar you become, the more substantial your relationships and the higher your profits.

FAQ

Below are a few common questions schools ask regarding non-fundraising methods to earn capital for school needs and operations.

Can You Raise Capital Without Fundraising?

Yes, it’s possible to raise capital without engaging in traditional fundraising methods. Grant awards, donor solicitation, and membership fees are a few examples of non-fundraisers.

Should You Opt to Raise Money Using Alternative Methods?

Some non-fundraisers are more manageable and less time-consuming to execute, making them worthwhile. Our advice? Do both! Recruit a volunteer to apply for grant applications while your fundraising committee plans your next big fundraising event. The more revenue channels you have, the better.

How Can I Learn More?

The BFI blog is an excellent resource for everything related to earning funds for schools. An additional resource is the LinkedIn blog, in particular ‘How to Raise Funding Without Fundraising’ article.

How Else Can I Raise Money?

You have more options if you steer clear of product and event fundraisers but aren’t entirely on board with our alternative non-fundraising methods. Crowdfunding, social media campaigns, text-to-give, virtual fundraisers, and peer-to-peer fundraising are all viable options.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.