What is a silent auction?

A silent auction is a fundraising event where attendees bid on auction items using mobile bidding software or paper bid sheets. Rather than having an auctioneer announce items, attendees can freely walk around the event to view items.

You can host a silent auction either in person or online. With an in-person event, attendees browse items displayed on a table and place bids on their favorites using paper bid sheets or a mobile bidding platform. In a virtual silent auction, supporters view auction items on a website or webpage and place bids online.

Why should your nonprofit host a silent auction?

As a particularly engaging type of fundraising event, silent auctions offer many benefits for nonprofits. Hosting a silent auction allows your nonprofit to:

• Provide supporters with an engaging, fun experience. Auctions allow supporters to engage more directly with the fundraising process. Attendees can not only support your worthy mission but also leave your event with something valuable of their own to take home.
• Reach new donors. Hosting an auction gives your nonprofit the chance to connect with a new audience of potential donors, especially if your event offers multiple forms of entertainment. Prospective donors who don’t have a strong preexisting relationship with your nonprofit may be interested in attending your event if it features engaging elements like live music or a silent disco.
• Spread awareness of your nonprofit’s mission. A silent auction event provides a platform for your nonprofit to share mission-related information and updates. You can hand out information sheets, play inspirational videos, and invite live speakers to share their stories with attendees.
• Form stronger relationships with community partners. Community partners like local businesses and civic organizations can support your nonprofit by donating auction items or funding event overhead costs. In return, your nonprofit can include their logos in your event marketing materials, creating win-win benefits for both community partners and your organization.
• Drive revenue for your nonprofit. Of course, one of the most important benefits of hosting a silent auction is the opportunity to drive major new revenue for your organization. When you plan it carefully, you can turn your auction into a valuable recurring event that drives revenue for your nonprofit year after year.

Silent auctions may require a bit more planning than other fundraising events, but the effort is worth it because of these significant benefits.

10 steps to run a silent auction

If you’ve never hosted a fundraising silent auction before, it may seem intimidating. But when you break down the process into smaller steps, you can simplify planning and make the process much easier for your auction committee. Let’s explore the main steps of running a silent auction.

 

1. Create a planning committee.

The first step in planning your silent auction is recruiting a dedicated team of passionate staff members and volunteers to organize your event. The majority of your planning committee will likely be comprised of internal staff members from your nonprofit’s fundraising team. However, if you need more support, reach out to your supporter network for volunteers—especially if you’ve had people mention their interest in helping you plan events in the past.

Assign the following initial tasks to your planning committee members:

• Establish an event budget. Provide information about costs for past similar events you’ve hosted to give committee members a clearer idea of your budget range.
• Determine whether your auction will be in person, online, or hybrid. Assess the geographic location of your supporters to determine the right format for your event.
• Set fundraising and supporter engagement goals for the auction. These could include how many auction participants you want to attract, what percentage increase you’re looking for in new donors, and the total amount of donations attained at your auction.

Then, work with your planning committee to check the other items off this to-do list. Establish open communication with your team using an instant messaging system or email cadence to keep everyone on the same page.

2. Choose a venue.

If you’re hosting an in-person or hybrid event, you’ll need to find the perfect venue to host your fundraiser. Your quest for the right venue for your fundraising auction depends on several factors:

• Size and location. Determine how many guests you anticipate having at your auction and who they are. Ensure your venue can comfortably host all of your guests and is accessible for all attendees. Also, pick a venue in a central location for your guests. The easier it is for people to get to your event, the more likely they are to attend.
• Equipment capabilities. If you’re hosting a hybrid or virtual event, the venue you choose must have reliable audio and video capabilities for a livestream, especially if you’ll have some form of entertainment. Determine what kind of style and ambiance you’re going for in your livestream. Do you only need a simple, one-angle video stream, or are you opting for a system of cameras streaming from different angles for a dynamic, in-the-room experience? Make sure you have sound equipment that easily hooks into your stream to minimize technical sound issues.
• Catering. No matter what time of day your auction is scheduled, offer some type of food to keep your guests happy. Assess whether your venue offers food options on-site or you’ll need to bring in outside vendors.

As you’re picking your venue, also keep in mind what entertainment options you want for your guests. If you know any local musicians or bands willing to play a set or a local comedian willing to perform a standup routine, try to find a venue with a good stage area. Providing entertainment for your guests will keep your auction fun and engaging.

Bonus tip: Strategize ways to make the event layout visually appealing.

Just like you’re more likely to purchase something that is presented in a visually appealing way at a store, making your auction look nice can result in a higher perceived value and higher bids! Jazz up your event space with themed decor or soft lighting that adds ambiance.

3. Procure auction items.

Finding items for your auction guests to bid on can be stressful if you don’t know where to look. Luckily, your nonprofit likely has corporate partners and donors in your area who’d be excited to support your event. Use these strategies to gather valuable, unique auction items:

• Reach out to past sponsors. For example, if your nonprofit is an animal shelter and you’ve worked with a local pet store before, reach out to see if they would be willing to donate a few items or gift certificates for a pet care basket.
• Find new sponsors. Use your auction event as an opportunity to connect with new corporate sponsors in your community. Present the benefits of getting involved, such as a marketing boost and positive PR opportunities.
• Make a plan for storing, cataloging, pricing, and showing off your auction items. Auction item management software can help you organize your items once you’ve collected them and display them for your guests (more on this in the next section!).

If you need help determining which items will be most enticing for your guests, don’t hesitate to ask! Send a pre-event survey asking for suggestions or encouraging supporters to rank their interest in potential items. This can help you narrow down your search and be more specific when requesting donations from corporate partners.

Bonus tip: Consider picking a theme for your items.

A theme can tie your items together and make your event more memorable. Consider theme options like Winter Wonderland, Summer Splash, or Outdoor Adventure.

4. Select an auction platform.

Thanks to advancements in the event fundraising technology world, paper bidding is no longer the only way to bid on silent auction items. Auction software makes bidding easy for your organization and your auction guests.

In a traditional auction, your guests use bid sheets placed next to items to write down their name and bid amount. However, with mobile and online bidding, guests can bid directly from their smartphones or web browsers no matter where they are, making virtual or hybrid auctions easy to run. You never need to worry about losing pens or ripped bid sheets ever again.

When choosing an auction platform, there are a few factors to consider:

• Does the platform support mobile bidding? This allows attendees to make bids and see if they’ve won items directly from their mobile devices.
• Does your auction software have both app-based and web-based bidding options for your guests to choose between?
• Does the system integrate with your CRM of choice?
• Will your software work with your nonprofit’s size and needs? Will it grow with your organization?
• Does the software enable other mid-event fundraising opportunities, like raffles or merchandise sales?
• Does the software offer simplified checkout with multiple payment options, such as credit card and Apple Pay?

For example, Qgiv’s auction software is great for all organizations, big and small. It’s simple to use, includes award-winning customer support, and offers unlimited users, allowing large organizations to add as many accounts as they need. Plus, with Qgiv, you can set up as many auction events as you’d like, ensuring you can host multiple events throughout the year.

5. Provide additional ways to give.

The auction itself will be your organization’s primary fundraising method, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate other strategies to raise even more from your event.

In fact, not all of your guests will have placed bids or won items. To maximize your fundraising, implement additional revenue-generating strategies at your silent auction.

Let’s briefly look at a few of the most popular options:

• Raffle. Your organization has already done all the work procuring auction items, so you can easily take one of those items out of the auction and feature it in a raffle. Check local legislation to see if you need to follow any specific guidelines to host your raffle, as many jurisdictions have raffle-related regulations.
• Donation page. Make a live appeal to attendees to visit your online donation page and contribute a gift if they feel inclined to do so. Offer a QR code or link leading to the page so attendees can easily access it on their phones.
• Merchandise. People are attending your event expecting to leave with something, so those who don’t win items will likely love the opportunity to purchase merchandise. Offer branded t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, water bottles, and tote bags.

With these additional revenue streams, every attendee can leave knowing they contributed to your mission’s success.

6. Build an auction website or webpage.

Once you’ve put the details of your auction together, make it easy for your guests to find information about the amazing experience you have planned. Building a website or online event page means you can point your guests to a one-stop shop whenever anyone has questions about your event.

Your digital resource should include:

• An event-specific logo and banner image alongside your organization’s logo
• Impact statements so guests understand how their involvement in your organization is changing the communities you serve
• A donation form for those who aren’t bidding on gifts but would like to contribute anyway

Share links to your auction website in your digital and traditional marketing materials (read on to the next section for event marketing tips).

7. Promote your event.

A thorough event promotion strategy will help increase RSVPs for your event, leading to greater fundraising potential. These channels can come in handy to help get the word out:

• Social media: Note which types of social media posts on your pages receive the most engagement and impressions, and design your auction posts based on past successful messages. If your auction has a sponsor, provide them with graphics and videos they can share on their channels to attract new faces. Encourage your guests to share their involvement with your event on their personal channels as well.
• Email: Share auction logistics, item previews, and a link to RSVP using your email marketing channel. You can also create communication segments in your email platform to send personalized messages to different audiences. For example, you could present your auction as an effective way to get more involved with your cause to new donors. On the other hand, you could use your email communications to thank past donors for their previous involvement and let them know you’d love to catch up with them at the auction.
• Direct mail: Direct mail is a tried and true way to connect with supporters who prefer traditional marketing methods. Print personalized event invitations with supporters’ names. Include all the who, what, when, and where information and a link or QR code to register for the event.

Increase your event outreach in the weeks and days before the auction to boost excitement and ensure everyone who may be interested has a chance to see the event’s details.

Bonus tip: Personally invite specific guests to your auction event.

Some supporters would be incredibly valuable guests to invite to your event. This includes major donors, who could potentially help you raise a lot of money through bidding on big-ticket items. Personally invite these supporters to your event with a handwritten note or phone call. Let them know you’d love to catch up with them at the event and get their take on your organization’s recent mission-related efforts.

8. Create a smooth checkout process.

Your fundraising auction software should be able to help you arrange the items in a way that makes it easy for your supporters to see and bid on items. To make the checkout process smoother, once an item has been pulled, pull the item’s sign with it so you can keep a visual tally of what items are left to be picked up. Let your supporters know how to claim their items if they purchased them online or had to leave the event before the auction closed.

Bonus tip: Make sure your auction software offers a secure payment processing system.

Your payment processor should have security measures in place such as PCI compliance and data encryption. This gives donors a smooth, painless, trustworthy checkout process.

9. Run through your event.

As the big day approaches, your planning committee should conduct a practice run of your event so you can iron out any potential issues you may encounter during the auction. Prioritize the following tasks during your run-through:

• Streamline check-in and check-out processes to get your auction guests in and out of your auction painlessly. Make your check-in tables a one-stop shop, and ensure your staff and volunteers fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Host a software training day to ensure they’re all familiar with your auction platform, including the mobile tools you offer and how to take payments.

• Pay attention throughout your practice run for any common points of confusion staff members and volunteers may experience. Compile a list, and then create and distribute FAQ sheets to everyone after the rehearsal to avoid any issues when the day of the auction rolls around.

At the end of the day, organization and communication are key when throwing a successful fundraising auction. Brainstorm with your team any pitfalls that may arise during the event and plan ahead for how to avoid them and what you could do if an issue takes place.

Bonus tip: Don’t crowd your tables.

If you’re throwing an in-person event, make sure your items are evenly spaced. They shouldn’t be crowded together at the same table because this will overwhelm your guests and may result in certain items being overlooked. When arranging your items, consider alternating items like gift cards and larger physical items so the tables don’t get too crowded with just one type of item.

10. Conduct event follow-up tasks.

After your auction has concluded and the last gift has been picked up by a winning bidder, your work isn’t over quite yet. To knock your event process out of the park, be sure to conduct the following wrapping-up tasks:

• Have a plan for items that didn’t sell. Will you keep them for a later auction? Donate them? Sell them online? Be intentional about any leftover items so they don’t go to waste.
• Send out thank-you notes. It’s vital to nurture healthy, long-lasting relationships with your supporters so they’ll continue to be involved with your organization. Thank your donors, bidders, volunteers, and corporate sponsors. Be specific about how their donations and support will positively impact the communities you serve. For example, let them know how many more beneficiaries you’ll be able to help or how many new pieces of equipment you’ll be able to purchase.
• Review your event’s results. Identify your wins, and celebrate them with your staff and volunteers. Also, figure out what growth opportunities you have for your future events. Could you tweak your event layout for greater impact? Can you provide a more positive attendee experience through different entertainment options? Note these opportunities to keep them in mind when planning your next event.

Planning this auction was a valuable experience for your organization, so don’t let what you’ve learned go to waste. Your next auction can be even more phenomenal.

Classic live auction item ideas

When you think of a live auction, there are probably several classic items that come to mind. Here are a few tried-and-true go-to items that will give your auction a solid foundation and appeal to all types of supporters.

Autographed memorabilia

Autographed memorabilia often becomes a cherished heirloom. These items can also be very rare, especially ones signed by ultra-famous individuals, making them exciting finds for your event attendees. Here are a few types of memorabilia that work well for auctions:

• Sports jerseys
• Sports equipment (footballs, baseballs, baseball gloves, etc.)
• Musician’s clothing
• Costumes
• Musical instruments

Include a certificate of authenticity with the item to reassure donors of its credibility.

Celebrity meet and greets

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to sit down for lunch or a video call with your favorite celebrity. Offer meet and greet opportunities with celebrities such as:

• Musicians
• Athletes
• Comedians
• Actors

See if you can ask the celebrity to send in a quick video showing support for your nonprofit’s mission to inspire more bidding.

Concert tickets

Buying concert tickets has become like a competitive sport, as passionate fans flood ticket platforms to see their favorite artist live. Help take some of this stress away by auctioning off concert tickets for famous acts coming through town. Donors especially value special seats, such as front-row tickets or box seats.

Major event tickets

Major annual events are bucket list items for many people, but that also makes tickets hard to come by. Tickets to these experiences would be enticing auction items for plenty of attendees:

• The Super Bowl
• Coachella Music and Arts Festival
• The Kentucky Derby
• The Indianapolis 500
• Sundance Film Festival
• The Masters Tournament

Artwork

Attendees often participate in auctions to find a new mural or gorgeous piece of art to add to their collection or spruce up their living room. Recently, modernist and impressionist paintings have been selling particularly well in the art world. Art that has personal meaning for your community is also a safe bet. For example, if your town is known for gorgeous cherry blossom trees, offering paintings with these trees by a local artist can inspire bidding.

Jewelry

Jewelry is an appealing auction item for bidders looking to find the perfect Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift. Seek out rare jewels or valuable antique items that inspire collectors to get involved in the bidding.

Adventure experience

For the thrill seekers in your nonprofit’s audience, consider offering adventure experiences like:

• White water rafting
• Camping/glamping
• Rock climbing
• Skydiving
• Caving

Partner with local adventure companies to see if they’d be willing to donate local experiences that are unique to your area.

Auction basket and package ideas

Auction baskets or packages are intriguing because they allow bidders to win more than one prize at once. Here are a few creative packages and basket ideas to wow attendees.

Beach basket

The winner of your beach basket should leave with everything they need for a fun, relaxing beach day, including:

• Nice beach chairs (backpack-style chairs with cup holders and cooler pouches are popular among beachgoers)
• A cooler
• Beach umbrella or tent
• Voucher for free surfing lessons

Throw in a towel and some sunscreen to complete the basket, and the winner will be ready for the perfect day in the sun!

Sports basket

Choose one sport to focus on for the basket, and acquire several items related to that sport. For example, a baseball basket could include a ball signed by a famous player, a jersey, and season tickets to home games.

Tech basket

Many people prioritize keeping up with the latest tech releases or having the best new gadgets. Offer a basket for the techies at your event that includes:

• Noise-canceling headphones
• A tablet
• A wireless speaker

Holiday basket

If your auction takes place around a holiday, offer a holiday basket to give one lucky winner the supplies they need to plan an unforgettable day.

For instance, a Thanksgiving meal basket could include a coupon for a free turkey, a bottle of wine, charcuterie ingredients, and fancy dinner napkins. A Christmas basket could feature rare ornaments, chocolates, a mug, and hand-knitted stockings.

Corporate sponsorship package

Your nonprofit may have strong relationships with corporate partners in your community, whether they’re small businesses, large corporations, or anything in between. Many of these corporate partners would likely be thrilled to support your auction (after all, 77% of consumers want to make purchases from companies that support charitable causes).

Leverage the mutual benefits of corporate partnerships by asking your sponsors to contribute a corporate package or basket to your auction. The package could feature free items donated by the business. For example, a local bike shop could donate a bike, helmet, and a voucher for a free tuneup. Or, a local auto shop could donate a package that includes a free oil change and tire rotation along with a free car detailing service.

Your corporate partners get more positive publicity for their businesses, while your nonprofit receives valuable auction packages for your event. It’s a win-win relationship!

Streaming service package

Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have millions of subscribers, but many consumers have been dropping these services recently, likely because of rising prices.

Consider auctioning off a streaming service package with one-year subscriptions to platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

 

Gardening package

Appeal to supporters with green thumbs by creating a gardening package with items like:

• Seeds
• Gloves
• A gardening book
• A gardening hat

You could even include a free consultation with a master gardener who can help the winner ensure their garden is in tip-top shape.

Beauty package

The beauty industry benefits from major popularity worldwide, especially with the rise of online beauty and skincare influencers. Auction attendees would be intrigued by a beauty package with valuable products like:

• Makeup
• Skincare
• Haircare products
• Fragrances
• Lotion

Many consumers, especially members of Gen Z, prioritize purchasing from socially conscious brands, so be sure to vet your products before including them in your beauty basket.

Coffee package

Create a basket with a variety of coffee products, such as an espresso machine, coffee mugs, and bags of rare or high-quality coffee. Throw in a few travel mugs so supporters can take their coffee on the go!

 

Travel-related live auction items

People often attend auctions to discover unique experiences or opportunities that help them check off bucket list items. Many attendees are also excited at the prospect of accessing valuable deals on trips they may not otherwise spend money on but choose to bid on because they know it’s for a good cause.

Cruise

Around 35.7 million people are expected to set sail on a cruise in 2024—6% more than the pre-pandemic year of 2019. People are ready to get out and explore the world, all with the comforts of an all-inclusive buffet and leisure activities at their fingertips.

Offer cruise packages as part of your auction lineup to appeal to travelers. Popular destinations include the Caribbean, Alaska, and New Zealand.

All-inclusive resort

All-inclusive resorts allow people to relax on a nice vacation without the hassle of having to figure out where to eat or what activities to do. All-inclusive resorts offer lodging, food and drink, entertainment, and recreational activities all on-site. Choose intriguing warm-weather locations like Belize, Jamaica, Australia, or Greece.

Theme park passes

Theme park passes are a great choice if you’re looking for auction items that appeal to families. Search for passes to the most popular theme parks like:

• Cedar Point
• Disney World
• Disneyland
• Universal Studios
• Six Flags

You can offer one-day, multi-day, or season passes, depending on availability.

Ski passes

Skiing and snowboarding can quickly become expensive. Season passes can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and day passes can cost over $200. Add on the costs of renting or buying the proper equipment, like boots, skis, and poles, and you’re looking at an expensive day out on the slopes!

That makes ski season passes or all-inclusive stays at popular resorts enticing auction items. Ask for donations from ski resorts or partner with a charity concierge service to help find resorts willing to donate free stays.

Bed and breakfast stay

Staying at a bed and breakfast is a unique experience that many travelers crave when they visit a new city. These lodgings are typically within private homes and have fewer guests staying at one time, leading to a more personalized experience. Look for B&Bs in unique locations, such as beachfront or mountaintop locales.

Guided fishing trip

In a guided fishing trip, an experienced professional takes participants out on a boat to catch fish with the help of their expertise. These trips often include all the equipment needed, such as fishing poles, nets, and bait. Guided fishing trips can be very appealing to hobbyist fishermen who want to visit a cool location and catch some fish they might not have been able to on their own.

Food and drink auction items that sell

There are plenty of “foodies” across the country who would be interested in food and drink auction items—surveys show that 69% of Americans cook regularly, and 74% of people who have traveled in the past year do so for the food. Food and beverage items are a great way to capture the attention of the foodies in your nonprofit’s audience.

Private cooking classes

Connect with a professional or celebrity chef to ask if they’d be willing to donate their time to a private cooking class. Specify what the cooking class will entail. For example, perhaps the winner of this item will be able to participate in a class that covers three courses and includes wine pairings and dessert.

Private chef experience

The lucky winner of this prize could be treated to a private chef experience at their home, where an experienced professional cooks a five-star meal and shares information about their process.

 

Wine tasting

Wine tasting is extremely popular among experienced connoisseurs and casual enthusiasts alike. In a wine-tasting experience, participants sample a variety of wines while evaluating them using criteria such as appearance, smell, and taste. In the United States, areas like Napa Valley in California and the Finger Lakes in New York are popular regions for wine experiences.

Culinary tour

Sometimes one meal or a day trip isn’t enough for enthusiastic foodies to get their fill. Culinary tours allow people to explore a region known for its food over a few days or weeks to get a broader understanding of the culinary background of the area. Search for experiences in countries known for their cuisine, like Italy, France, China, and Mexico.

Charcuterie basket

Charcuterie boards are elevated appetizers that typically include a variety of meats, cheeses, and other snacks laid out on a board. Gathering all of the ingredients for a stellar charcuterie board can take a lot of work and become pricey. By offering a charcuterie basket at your auction, you can provide a convenient option for one lucky winner to create an enviable charcuterie board.

No charcuterie basket is complete without:

• Wine
• Meats
• Cheeses
• Jams
• Crackers
• Olives
• Nuts

Be sure to also include an elegant wooden board to present the items. Connect with a local woodworker to ask if they’d be willing to donate a board to your worthy cause.

 

Arts and leisure live auction items

Many supporters would love nothing more than to spend a Saturday relaxing or participating in something that sparks their creative energy. Consider adding the following arts and entertainment auction items to your lineup.

Tickets to a musical or play

It can be tricky to get tickets when popular musicals like Les Misérables or Hamilton come to town. Wow auction attendees with close-up seats to musicals or plays at your local theater. See if you can acquire season tickets to give theater lovers access to a wider selection of shows.

Spa day

Plenty of people would love to relax at a spa day but don’t feel like they have an opportunity to do so. Offer a spa day package at a local spa for a lucky winner to unwind and receive some pampering.

Museum passes

Offer a local museum bundle for those looking to explore more of the cultural and historical opportunities your city has to offer. For example, you could create a bundle with art, history, and science museum passes.

Art or pottery class

Anyone can be an artist—all it takes is a spark of creativity and a few artistic materials. Art or pottery classes can be popular auction items for attendees looking to get in touch with their creativity. Sip and paint classes in particular have become quite popular as a great way to create while socializing.

Private sports lessons

Around 95% of Americans participate in sports and leisure activities daily, meaning it’s highly likely that many auction participants would be interested in private coaching to help advance their skills. Search for trainers or instructors who would be willing to give private lessons in sports like:

• Tennis
• Golf
• Pickleball
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Dancing
• Kickboxing

Consider throwing in some sports equipment as well, like a tennis racket or snowboard, to make this offering as appealing as possible.

Golf outing

More Americans are playing golf than ever before. Appeal to the popularity of this sport by offering a golf outing for bidding at a prestigious golf course. You could also offer equipment like clubs, golf balls, and gloves.

Unique live auction item ideas

In addition to classic auction items like autographed memorabilia and travel experiences, offering a few unique items can elevate your event and create a more memorable experience for attendees.

Custom artwork

You may think it sounds unwise to sell an auction item that doesn’t technically exist yet, but attendees will be on board when you offer custom artwork. Connect with a local artist who can provide a custom piece for the auction winner, whether a painting, mural, or sculpture. This is a unique opportunity for auction attendees, and the opportunity to purchase custom artwork is very appealing to art aficionados.

Hot air balloon ride

Hot air balloon rides are the perfect activity for any time of year, as long as there are sunny skies. Participants can fly over the city or stunning landscapes, like local mountains or hills.

Zero-gravity experience

Not many people can say they’ve ever experienced zero gravity before. Give auction attendees the chance to experience what it’s like to be an astronaut through a zero-gravity or indoor skydiving experience. These opportunities simulate the experience of being in space, all without having to leave the atmosphere!

Mystery basket

Sometimes the element of surprise can be just as enticing as seeing a physical auction item. Create a mystery basket that remains covered during the bidding process. The winner will have the added excitement of seeing what they’ve acquired when the basket is unveiled.

Instruments

High-quality instruments can get pricey, so attendees might be enthusiastic about the prospect of getting a new instrument for a deal at your auction. Consider acquiring popular instruments such as:

• Acoustic guitar
• Electric guitar
• Violin
• Flute
• Piano
• Drum kit
• Saxophone

If you can acquire instruments signed by famous musicians, like an electric guitar signed by Prince or a drum kit signed by Dave Grohl, that will make them all the more enticing for auction attendees.

Movie or TV extra experience

Have any Hollywood connections? Leverage them to offer one fortunate attendee the opportunity to participate in a movie or TV show filming as an extra.

Private concert

Connect with a local or famous musician to auction off a private concert to be held at the winners’ home. Search for someone who your audience would be excited about. Consider your target audience’s age to find a musician who appeals to their interests.

Cars

A car can be an exciting big-ticket auction item, especially if you can get your hands on a vintage model. If you have a large venue, dazzle the audience by driving the car out to the auction area (if you can do so safely, of course!).

Starting a Nonprofit: Basic FAQs

What is a nonprofit?

In the U.S., the IRS defines nonprofits as “Organizations that are organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, educational or other specified purposes.” In contrast to for-profit organizations, nonprofits rely on donations, usually a combination of individual donations, grants, sponsorships, and corporate donations, to fund their operations and further their charitable missions.

What are the different types of nonprofits?

In addition to charitable organizations, the IRS distinguishes many other types of tax-exempt organizations with the 501(c) designation. Here’s a quick overview of some of the organization types that fall under 501(c):

• 501(c)(3): Charitable organizations, churches and religious organizations, private foundations
• 501(c)(4): Social advocacy or lobbying organizations
• 501(c)(5): Labor, agriculture, and horticulture organizations
• 501(c)(7): Social and recreational clubs

There are many other distinctions in this category—read the full list of other tax-exempt organizations here. However, most individuals looking to start a charitable organization create 501(c)(3) organizations. That’s because donations to these organizations are usually tax-deductible for the donor, making it easier to raise funds.

How much does it cost to start a nonprofit organization?

Starting a nonprofit organization does require some investment up front to cover startup costs. Some of the fees involved include:

• Legal fees
• Accounting costs
• Incorporation fees
• Form 1023 fees to apply for tax exemption
• Office rental/purchase
• Staff salaries
• Other office-related overhead, like equipment and supplies
• Fundraising startup costs, such as fundraising software or event planning costs

These fees can range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, depending on the type of investments you choose to make.

How long does it take to start a nonprofit?

It can take several months to a full year to complete each step of the startup process, which we’ll cover in the next section.

What questions should you ask before starting a nonprofit?

Starting a nonprofit requires a decent amount of time and energy. Before you start a new organization, it’s worth it to fully think through the problem you’re hoping to address and whether a nonprofit is the right way to solve the issue.

Before taking the steps to start a nonprofit, ask yourself these questions:

• What need or problem will the nonprofit address? Can you clearly articulate the issue you’re hoping to solve? Is it one distinct problem or multiple issues? Nonprofits are most successful when they’re focused on one primary issue because it makes it easier to communicate the organization’s purpose to potential donors. You can always expand your operations later on as your organization and donor base grows.
• Does the community have a strong need for this nonprofit? Are there other nonprofits in the area already focusing on the issue you’ve identified? Make sure that by starting a new nonprofit, you’ll be able to fulfill an unmet need in the community.
• Is there a long-term need for your nonprofit, or could the issue be solved with a smaller-scale fundraising campaign or project? The answer could be “both.” For example, perhaps your idea for creating a nonprofit focused on raising funds for children fighting cancer started with one family’s need for support in a challenging time. However, if your idea isn’t very large in scope, a one-time crowdfunding campaign or peer-to-peer fundraising event could achieve the results you’re hoping for.
• Does the community seem excited about your nonprofit idea? Do you receive enthusiastic responses when you tell family, peers, and community members about your new nonprofit idea? If community members seem confused about the nonprofit’s mission, it could be a sign to go back to the drawing board.
• Where will we turn to for financial support? Consider whether your community has a wide range of potential giving sources willing to help out, including individual donors, corporate sponsors, foundations, and government agencies.
• What potential challenges or risks will the nonprofit face? Challenging economic conditions, finding reliable funding sources, local or federal regulations, and staffing challenges are all potential obstacles your new nonprofit could face on the road to getting up and running. Carefully think through these risks and consider how you plan to mitigate them or whether they’d be too challenging to overcome.

If, after thinking through these questions, you determine a clear justification for a new nonprofit, you’re ready to move forward with the steps of getting your new organization in motion.

How to Start a Nonprofit in 12 Steps

Starting a nonprofit requires a combination of strategic planning, financial investment, and regulatory approval. Follow these steps to start your organization on the right foot.

1. Conduct initial research

Before taking any steps to formally establish your nonprofit, conduct background research into the people and groups who will help you get your new organization off the ground. Look into:

• Your primary audience. Who will make up your main audience of donors, volunteers, corporate partners, foundations, and other supporters that will help keep your nonprofit operating? Conduct background research into your potential audience groups to learn more about who they are, the types of organizations they like to support, and how you can connect with them as you get your new organization up and running.
• State and federal regulations for starting a nonprofit. Look into relevant laws regarding starting a nonprofit in your community. For example, different states have different processes for filing articles of incorporation and the fees required. Many states include regulations requiring new nonprofit organizations to not have the same name already claimed by another organization. Check your state’s secretary of state office website for more information.
• Legal services. The American Bar Association (ABA) recommends that nonprofits seek professional legal services during their formation to avoid common errors like failing to meet IRS incorporation requirements, overlooking applying for tax exemption, or filling out tax exemption forms incorrectly. The ABA strongly recommends that lawyers contribute at least 50 hours of pro-bono public legal services per year, meaning there are probably plenty of lawyers in your community willing to help out. Look into pro-bono services offered by local bar associations or law firms.

Understanding your nonprofit’s potential audience and legal considerations will help you get your footing as you start to plan for your new organization.

2. Choose a board of directors

A nonprofit’s board of directors is a governing body typically made up of unpaid volunteers who set policies, determine strategic priorities, and provide oversight. Your board can provide plenty of support when starting your new nonprofit, such as creating your mission statement and leveraging their connections to help your nonprofit get established.

As top leaders in your organization, your board members should be skilled, trustworthy, reliable individuals who are passionate about your mission. Follow these steps to choose the right board members to lead your nonprofit to success:

Step 1. Determine the type of leadership your nonprofit would benefit from

What skills or connections would you like board members to have? For example, you might seek board members who have former leadership experience, work well within a team, and are impeccably organized and punctual. You might also seek individuals with a variety of valuable connections within the community and the ability to network to help your nonprofit earn greater community support.

Step 2. Recruit potential members

Look for people who are passionate about the cause, have experience relevant to the mission, and have served in a fundraising or volunteer role at a nonprofit in the past.

Prioritize diversity to ensure your board benefits from a variety of perspectives. Seek diversity across a variety of categories, including age, race, gender, level of ability, and educational background. This ensures that your board will take steps and recommend actions that benefit your entire community, not just a select few.

Step 3. Host interviews

After you’ve identified potential board members, invite these individuals to an in-person meeting or video conference interview to get to know them and see if they’d be a good fit for the role. During these interviews, ask them about their educational background, professional experience, familiarity with your mission, and experience as a member of your community.

Additionally, clearly outline the requirements of the position so board members can think carefully about whether the role will work for them. Common board expectations include:

• Attending board meetings
• Serving on committees, such as the fundraising or finance committee
• Acting as an advocate for your mission
• Supporting your fundraising efforts
• Staying updated about the nonprofit’s current priorities, programs, and how they fit into the community
• Informing the rest of the board about potential personal conflicts of interest

Be sure to identify any possible conflicts of interest during the interview process. A conflict of interest is a situation where a board member may not be able to make objective decisions because of some aspect of who they are. For example, if the potential board member already serves in a leadership position with a similar organization, or is the family member of your new nonprofit’s executive director, they may not be in a position to lead your organization with an unbiased perspective.

Step 4. Check references

Ask for several references for each potential board member to hear from trusted sources about whether they think the individual would be a good fit for your organization.

After a thorough review process, you’ll be ready to select your nonprofit’s board. Keep in mind that the IRS requires a minimum of three board members, but you may select more based on your organization’s needs.

3. Write a mission and vision statement

Your nonprofit’s mission and vision statements are guiding principles that justify your organization’s purpose. Explore some examples of mission and vision statements below:

Mission statement

Answers the question: What does your nonprofit seek to accomplish, and how?

Vision statement

Answers the question: What will the world look like if your nonprofit’s mission succeeds?

Examples

• CARE
  • Mission statement: CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice.
  • Vision statement: We seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security.
• World Wildlife Fund
  • Mission statement: The mission of World Wildlife Fund is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
  • Vision statement: Our vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • Mission statement: The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
  • Vision statement: To accelerate progress against catastrophic disease at a global level.

As you craft your mission and vision statements, remember that they shouldn’t put the main focus on your organization. They should focus on your beneficiaries: the people, animals, or natural spaces you seek to help. It can also be helpful to run your statements through a testing tool like Bloomerang’s communications audit to ensure readability and audience-centricity.

4. File for incorporation

File articles of incorporation within the state your nonprofit will operate from. This legally designates your nonprofit as a business entity. Having a clear corporate structure limits the individual liability of your nonprofit’s leaders, employees, and board of directors. Plus, your nonprofit needs to be legally incorporated to apply for tax exemption with the IRS.

Requirements vary from state to state, but most applications for incorporation require information like:

• Your nonprofit’s name
• Your organization’s purpose
• Your nonprofit’s address
• A statement about whether your organization will have members
• Information about how long your organization will exist (typically perpetual)

Often, you’ll also have to publish a notice of intent to incorporate within your local newspaper. Search for information about your state’s requirements on your Secretary of State’s website.

After incorporating, you can also apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which identifies your organization to the IRS. The IRS requires all organizations to apply for an EIN, even if they do not have any employees. You can apply for an EIN online, or by mail or fax.

5. Create bylaws

Nonprofit bylaws are legally binding regulations that outline how the organization will operate. Examples of bylaws include:

• The composition of your board of directors
• The process for selecting board officers
• How committees work
• How board meetings work
• The definition of your nonprofit’s fiscal year
• Dissolution procedures
• Board member removal processes
• An indemnification clause to protect individuals like the board of directors and employees from personal liability while carrying out their duties on behalf of the organization
• Your record-keeping and reporting processes

Review Bloomerang’s sample bylaws for a template you can use to structure your organization’s bylaws.

6. Develop a conflict of interest policy

A conflict of interest is any circumstance where an individual’s personal relationships or financial situation could influence their ability to make unbiased decisions on behalf of your nonprofit. The IRS recommends that nonprofits develop conflict of interest policies to prevent any issues down the line regarding the appearance or actuality of impropriety.

Your conflict of interest policy should:

• Define what constitutes a conflict of interest (typically a personal or financial situation that compromises an individual’s decision-making ability, or the perception that such a situation exists).
• Require those with a potential conflict of interest (whether the executive director, a board member, or an employee) to disclose it.
• Outline procedures for dealing with the conflict of interest, such as when individuals should abstain from certain decisions or conversations.
• Describe how your nonprofit will handle a breach of the policy, such as disciplinary actions or removal of the individual from their position.
• Include specific times of the year when the organization’s board members and staff will review the policy.

Make it clear that your conflict of interest policy applies to everyone in your organization. Host an informational meeting with board members and staff (once you hire them) to ensure everyone is on the same page.

7. Apply for tax exemption at the federal level

Next, you’ll file with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to apply for tax-exempt status. You can either file Form 1023 or 1023-EZ. The main differences in these forms are their complexity and cost. Form 1023 costs $600 to file and is much longer, while Form 1023-EZ only costs $275 and is much more simple.

However, only certain organizations qualify to fill out Form 1023-EZ. Complete the Form 1023-EZ eligibility worksheet to determine if your nonprofit qualifies.

1023-EZ applications are often processed in as little as four weeks, whereas it can take six months or longer for the IRS to review 1023 applications. You can speed up the process by ensuring there are no errors in your application. Review the IRS’s Top Ten Tips to shorten the tax-exempt application process to ensure a speedier turnaround.

8. Register to fundraise where applicable

According to the National Council of Nonprofits, “The majority of states (40) require charitable nonprofits, as well as any paid professional ‘fundraising counsel,’ or consultant hired to assist the nonprofit with fundraising activities, to register with the state before the nonprofit solicits any donations from residents of that state.”

Requirements vary from state to state, so be sure to consult with your legal counsel to understand your registration requirements. You can also explore the National Association of State Charity Officials website, which lists contact information for the government agency of each state that is tasked with managing nonprofit affairs.

9. Hire staff members

According to the Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector Annual Review, nonprofits make up about 6.5% of the overall workforce. Nonprofit employees are the lifeblood of charitable organizations, ensuring that the necessary work is completed to advance the organization’s mission.

Take these steps to hire effective nonprofit staff members:

• Determine what positions you need to fill. Since your nonprofit is just starting, you don’t need to worry about building a huge team. After all, you may have minimal funding to contribute to employee salaries at the beginning. Stick to essential roles like a development director, communications manager, and marketing coordinator. You can use software to help fill gaps in your staffing, such as HR software or volunteer management software.
• Determine salary ranges. Create an employee compensation strategy that looks at compensation holistically, incorporating base salary, variable pay (like bonuses or commissions), benefits (like paid time off and health insurance), and perks.
• Identify skill requirements. Determine skill expectations for each position to help find employees who are the best fit for the role.
• Write job descriptions. Your job descriptions should include details about the salary range, role expectations, usual responsibilities, skill requirements, preferred experience, and time requirements. Be honest about the role’s expectations and requirements to whittle down your recruitment pool to the most qualified candidates. Explore Bloomerang’s sample job descriptions for positions like major gift officer and development director.
• Hold interviews. Ask potential candidates about their job experience, whether they’ve worked at a new nonprofit before, and what they will bring to the team. Again, be transparent about the challenges that will come with working at a brand-new nonprofit. Your employees will help lay the groundwork for your organization’s future success, making it crucial to recruit talented, passionate people who don’t mind a challenge.

In addition to paid staff, start to think about different ways volunteers can support your mission and help your organization find its footing. Volunteers comprise one-third of the nonprofit workforce in the U.S. Plus, the value of one hour of volunteer work is an estimated $31.80. These supporters can give your nonprofit the boost it needs in your crucial start-up phase.

10. Invest in nonprofit software

Nonprofit software solutions are digital tools that help organizations manage all aspects of their operations, including donor relationships, fundraising, communications, volunteer management, and more.

As a new nonprofit, you might be tempted to start with free software solutions to minimize spending. However, many nonprofits find that these solutions become limiting as their organization grows and don’t offer the scalability necessary to support their activities. Most organizations find it more convenient to invest in an affordable all-in-one solution upfront to ensure they don’t have to manage any costly data migrations in the future.

To make the most of your investment, it’s helpful to find an all-in-one platform with top-quality solutions for all aspects of nonprofit management, like Bloomerang. With a robust donor management system like Bloomerang, you can access the following tools all in one place:

• Donor database: Store donor data, track supporter interactions, screen donors to discover major giving opportunities, and create donor segments for more personalized outreach. Bloomerang’s donor database also includes an interactive dashboard to monitor metrics like donor retention, incoming donations, and campaign progress.
• Fundraising tools: Accept online donations (including recurring gifts), offer multiple payment options, encourage engagement with peer-to-peer fundraising tools, and allow donors to manage their giving using a personalized portal.
• Marketing platform: Grow your donor network with email marketing tools and insights, donor surveys, and communications audit tools. Build stronger relationships by reaching out with prompt thank-you messages and personalized communications.
• Volunteer management software: Keep volunteers organized and boost program retention with recruitment workflows, scheduling tools, reporting features, and a user-friendly mobile app.

Learn more about why nonprofits love Bloomerang’s platform here:

No matter what software platform you choose, make the most of it by reaching out to the vendor for support as needed. They can ensure you’re using the tools to their fullest extent to enhance your ROI.

11. Start fundraising

Your new nonprofit might start with minimal funding, and that’s normal! As you solidify your mission and purpose and start spreading the word to your community, you’ll be able to increase brand awareness and recruit supporters. The most effective way to get new donors on board is to launch a fundraising campaign!

Follow these steps to plan your first campaign:

Set a budget

Establish your nonprofit’s yearly budget, along with a budget for your fundraising campaign. Remember that it’s completely fine to start small—in fact, 97% of nonprofits in the U.S. have annual budgets smaller than $5 million.

Plan fundraising activities

The sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing a fundraising idea. Explore Bloomerang’s guide to online fundraising campaigns or resources like Best Fundraising Ideas to find the right activity for your organization. Popular, low-cost fundraising ideas include 5Ks or walk-a-thons, social media campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives, and giving day campaigns.

Start building donor relationships

As donors give to your organization, send prompt thank you messages and ensure their information is stored in your donor management system. This will help you build a contact list and audience for future campaigns and events.

12. Maintain compliance

After going through all the hard work of setting up your nonprofit, make sure it isn’t derailed by compliance issues. Maintain ongoing transparency and compliance through these steps:

• File a Form 990 each year. Form 990 is an annual information notice that allows the IRS to maintain updated information on nonprofits. The form asks for information about charitable assets, total donations and grants received, and board and staff member information.
• Maintain state tax forms. In addition to Form 990, most states require annual filings. Learn more about annual compliance regulations with the help of Hurwit & Associates state-by-state map.
• Comply with your bylaws. Your bylaws are legally binding, so your organization must take them seriously. Regularly review your bylaws with your staff and board members and resolve any issues quickly.

Maintaining compliance allows your nonprofit to continue benefiting from tax-exempt status and shows your commitment to functioning as a transparent, responsible community organization.

1. Qgiv

Overview

Qgiv offers premier peer-to-peer fundraising software for nonprofits looking to level up their supporter-led fundraising with features that promote both team collaboration and competition. With Qgiv, you can easily create branded event pages with custom themes, colors, and styles. Then, you can hand the reins to your fundraising team captains, empowering them to help recruit new fundraisers and keep everyone motivated.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• A fundraising leaderboard that encourages friendly competition
• Gamification features like rewards and badges for top fundraisers
• Ability to embed live stream videos to host hybrid and online events
• Ability to reward top fundraisers with badges for hitting certain milestones
• Social sharing widgets and fully integrated email marketing tools
• An online store to sell merchandise and process shipments
• A reporting platform to monitor campaign success and segment donor data to personalize future outreach

Pricing

Qgiv’s peer-to-peer system is $259 per month, plus a fee of 4.95% + $0.30 per transaction.

2. Bloomerang

 

Overview

When it comes to peer-to-peer fundraising software, Bloomerang is our top pick. Bloomerang’s platform is a holistic solution that makes it easy to start fundraisers and maintain and grow supporter relationships into the future.

Bloomerang’s online giving platform is equipped with modern fundraising tools like branded donation pages, crowdfunding forms, and text-to-donate capabilities. You can also recruit supporters to act as peer-to-peer fundraisers by empowering them to create personalized donation pages and share their connection to your mission. Then, they can easily promote their pages to their family members and friends through social media integrations.

The best part about Bloomerang’s fundraising platform is that it drives proven long-term results for organizations. Users retain 10% more than the industry average of donors. Donors won’t just give to a peer-to-peer campaign—they’ll be more likely to continue donating over the long term due to the built-in donor stewardship and retention tools.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

Bloomerang’s platform allows nonprofits to:

• Centralize donor and peer-to-peer fundraiser data into one platform
• Allow supporters to immediately share their pages on social media, driving greater reach and faster results
• Identify potential recurring donors using the power of engagement scoring metrics
• Cultivate relationships with new donors using personalized, timely outreach, such as emails and direct mail

Benefits of peer-to-peer and donor management integration

Having a peer-to-peer platform that’s integrated with your donor management system (like the Bloomerang + Qgiv partnership) ensures that you won’t let any new donor information slip through the cracks. Take a look at how this integration can benefit your organization:

1. Supporters create peer-to-peer fundraising pages on behalf of your nonprofit.
2. Donors give to the campaign pages.
3. New donor information flows into your donor database.
4. Your nonprofit can begin cultivating relationships with those new donors who gave via a peer-to-peer fundraiser.

Donors who give to peer-to-peer campaigns often do so to support the person running the campaign, not because they feel a personal connection with your mission. However, when your peer-to-peer fundraising and donor management tools are connected, you can foster relationships with peer-to-peer campaign donors by highlighting what makes your cause special and sharing how their impact has helped make a difference. This can encourage them to become supporters in their own right.

Pricing

Bloomerang’s Standard plan is $214 per month. With this plan, you receive donor management tools, peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, and other online fundraising solutions, all in one integrated package. Learn more about pricing.

 

3. Classy

Overview

Classy’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform allows supporters to create personalized donation pages for multiple occasions, including birthdays, weddings, or relevant dates for your cause. Celebrate any occasion by helping supporters launch their own fundraising campaigns to deepen their support for your mission.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Multiple payment options, including credit cards, Venmo, cryptocurrency, and more
• Automated emails that empower fundraisers to continue working toward their goals
• Ability to carry your branding across your fundraising pages, follow-up emails, and receipts

Pricing

Request pricing from the Classy team.

4. OneCause

Overview

OneCause’s peer-to-peer fundraising software places a strong emphasis on making fundraising “social, mobile and fun.” The platform approaches supporter-driven fundraising holistically, with opportunities for supporters to host events and launch challenges on behalf of your cause.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Host campaigns for multiple event types — runs, walks, rides, and more
• Make fundraising fun with contests, head-to-head matchups, and drawings
• Embed your donation pages and fundraising thermometers into your website

Pricing

Learn more about OneCause’s pricing plans.

5. Bonfire

Overview

Bonfire is a T-shirt fundraising platform. Supporters can start their own fundraisers to benefit your nonprofit. Then, your nonprofit can feature active campaigns on your official organization page. Donors not only receive the positive feeling of giving to a good cause, but also a soft, stylish T-shirt to add to their wardrobes!

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Receive email notifications when supporters start campaigns on your behalf
• Showcase your supporters’ giving campaigns on your organization’s page to recognize their hard work and motivate them
• Leverage design templates to make merchandise design simple and quick

Pricing

Bonfire is free to use. Learn more about pricing and fees.

6. Handbid

Overview

Handbid is customarily thought of as an auction platform first and foremost. But it also offers peer-to-peer fundraising features to bring supporters into the fundraising action.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Manage auction events and peer-to-peer campaigns on the same platform
• Help current donors feel more comfortable by offering a familiar user interface
• Allow fundraisers to team up and compete against each other

Pricing

Read about Handbid’s custom packages.

7. Donately

Overview

Donately’s specialty is user-friendly, streamlined, stylish donation pages that can easily be customized to your nonprofit’s unique branding and message. They bring this same professional look and feel to their peer-to-peer fundraising pages.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Five-minute sign-up process to get your fundraisers up and running quickly.
• Customizable pages that allow fundraisers to tell the story of their personal connections to your cause
• Seamless integration with your CMS and donor management system

Pricing

Donately’s pricing starts at $0 per month with a 4% platform fee. Learn more about pricing.

8. Donorbox

Overview

New to peer-to-peer fundraising? Donorbox’s platform is completely free to get started with.

This solution is committed to making peer-to-peer fundraising as painless as possible, empowering your supporters to start fundraising quickly.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Resources to empower supporters and their campaigns, including templates, onboarding emails, and courses
• Opportunities for supporters to add photos, stories, and goal-meters to their pages
• Save time by allowing supporters to promote your cause on your behalf

Pricing

The Donorbox Standard plan is free to get started with. Visit their pricing page for more information.

 

9. Fundly

Overview

Fundly’s online fundraising platform is designed to help individuals and charities launch peer-to-peer fundraisers without hassle and without startup or hidden fees.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Integrate your donation page directly into Facebook
• Use a free mobile app to thank supporters and update your main campaign page
• Free fundraising guides to help new and first-time fundraisers

Pricing

Fundly has a 0% platform fee and a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee for credit card processing.

10. CauseVox

Overview

CauseVox’s peer-to-peer platform prioritizes streamlined fundraising administration and time-saving automation, giving you more time back in the day to devote to personally connecting with supporters.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Send personalized messages to supporters thanking them for their hard work and dedication
• Receive daily email messages summarizing your campaign’s progress
• Easily add offline donations to your campaign total to maintain accurate record keeping

Pricing

The Basic plan is $0 per month with a processing fee of 2.2% + 30 cents per donation via Stripe/PayPal. Learn more about pricing.

11. Fundraise Up

Overview

Fundraise Up offers turnkey peer-to-peer fundraising solutions that smoothly integrate with your nonprofit’s website. Scalability is a top feature of Fundraise Up’s platform, allowing you to be prepared for major giving days and events.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Easily integrate peer-to-peer fundraising tools with your website
• A self-service portal with a dashboard for fundraisers to track their progress
• Enable worldwide fundraising with global payment methods and country-specific features

Pricing

Users can choose from self-managed or custom pricing options.

12. Facebook Fundraising

Overview

Facebook is the most popular social media platform, and Facebook fundraisers are a popular way for nonprofit supporters to show their commitment to a cause and promote your nonprofit’s mission to their friends and family. Anyone can start their own fundraising campaign on Facebook and contributions are sent directly to your cause.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Reach a broad global audience of potential fundraisers and donors
• Interact with fundraisers through comments and social sharing
• Leverage reporting tools such as donation insights and payout reports

Pricing

Facebook Fundraisers are free to start.

13. NationBuilder

Overview

NationBuilder’s platform is all about growing a strong community of supporters surrounding your mission. Their peer-to-peer tools are designed to empower supporters to become leading advocates for your cause.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Ready-made fundraising templates that can be customized in minutes
• Identify and recognize top fundraisers to spark motivation and continued engagement
• Enable recurring donations with just one click

Pricing

The Starter Plan is $34 per month. Learn more about pricing options.

14. Giving Fuel

Overview

GivingFuel’s peer-to-peer fundraising tools make it easy to recruit all types of supporters—including donors, volunteers, corporate partners, and other community members—to crowdfund on your behalf. From mission trips to birthdays, summer camps, and even capital campaigns, GivingFuel’s platform is ready for your unique fundraising needs.

Stand-out peer-to-peer fundraising platform features

• Control your branding by ensuring supporters’ personal campaign pages match your nonprofit’s brand guidelines
• Enable unlimited peer-to-peer fundraising pages
• Inspire urgency with a giving thermometer and countdown clock

Pricing

The Starter plan for smaller organizations is free. Read more about pricing plans.

Nonprofit strategic planning FAQs

What is strategic planning for nonprofits?

Nonprofit strategic planning is the process of creating a blueprint that guides an organization for a specified time period and helps accomplish its goals. The strategic planning process involves reflecting on your mission to identify your most important goals and determining the strategies you’ll use to reach them.

A good strategic plan ensures you have charted the necessary pathways to meet (and hopefully exceed) your organization’s goals.

How often should you develop a standard nonprofit strategic plan?

Ideally, every three to five years, your board and staff directors will meet to realign goals and begin the strategic planning process. This plan is a living blueprint based on everyone’s ideas.

What are common misconceptions about nonprofit strategic planning?

When it comes to strategic planning, there are a few common hesitations that nonprofits voice throughout the process. Here are three misconceptions about the process:

• Our nonprofit should be focused on saving/generating money, not spending it.
  • It’s a cliche, but it’s true — you have to spend money to make money. During the strategic planning process, you should identify areas to spend money effectively in ways that increase your fundraising return on investment. When you make strategic purchasing decisions, you can set your organization up to fundraise more productively than ever before.
• Our nonprofit shouldn’t take any risks.
  • Your nonprofit shouldn’t fear experimentation — taking calculated risks fuels innovation and helps you reach your mission more efficiently.
• Volunteer boards should take charge of fundraising.
  • We recommend that you don’t place board members in charge of setting strategic direction. The board should be tasked with providing oversight of your organization’s strategy, not setting the priorities themselves.

Learn more about common strategic planning misconceptions in this Bloomerang webinar:

How do you begin the nonprofit strategic planning process?

You’ll discuss measurable objectives for the team to reach and draft the priorities for each of these objectives. You may begin with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. This can help you start defining goals and considering which strategic planning model will best work for your organization.

Types of nonprofit strategic plans

Different circumstances and goals will require different types of nonprofit strategic plans. Choose a strategic planning model based on your nonprofit’s current circumstances, opportunities and threats.

Carefully examine the following strategic model plans to decide which one will best suit your nonprofit’s needs:

Standard Strategic Planning Model

The standard strategic planning model, also known as the basic planning model, vision-based model, goals-based model or conventional model, is the most common nonprofit strategic planning model.

It’s best to use this model when your organization’s external surroundings are generally calm. When you start using this model, the economy is probably stable, your community and country are at peace and your organization is well-established in the community.

Generally, this model follows these steps:

• Define your organization’s mission and goals.
• Set specific, short-term goals you would like to reach to get you closer to those larger goals.
• Create a clear plan to reach short-term goals, including who is responsible for each goal’s success.
• Write these actions down and create a timeline to complete each one.

Here’s an example of what this would look like: Let’s say your organization is an animal shelter. In the next year, your specific short-term goal is to increase the shelter’s capacity by 50 animals and invest in the materials to do so.

To do this, your organization will need to increase fundraising revenue by $10,000 by finding new outreach opportunities and strengthening relationships with existing supporters to increase donor retention.

You may decide to ask one team member to post to social media every day to engage your online audience. Meanwhile, you may assign another person to call new donors to thank them and increase your new donor retention.

This model is the most common because the climate in which your organization resides is, more often than not, fairly stable. When it does become unstable, that means it’s time to switch to a different model.

Issues-Based Strategic Planning Model

An issues-based strategic planning model can be used when your organization’s internal operations are in more turbulent conditions. For example, if you’re undergoing frequent staff turnover, a change in leadership or are understaffed, you may find an issues-based strategic planning model to be the best choice.

This nonprofit strategic planning model helps organizations get back on track if they have strayed from the path to success.

To implement this strategic planning model, complete the following tasks:

• Brainstorm the elements that are holding your organization back from success.
• Decide how to address each of those elements to get your organization back on track.
• Carefully monitor your progress and adjust the strategy accordingly.

Consider the following scenario: Your nonprofit has limited staff and struggles to increase fundraising revenue. You may decide to address this by working with an external fundraising consultant or directing your staff’s attention to building relationships with your most engaged donors who are likely to increase their giving amounts.

An issues-based nonprofit strategic planning model is a living plan. Instead of setting it in stone, set check-in milestones and make adjustments based on your progress and results.

Organic Nonprofit Strategic Planning Model

The organic or nonlinear nonprofit strategic planning model is best when there are uncertain external factors that threaten your nonprofit’s situation.

Using this model, your team members will come together to solidify their understanding of the organization’s mission and goals. Each person then comes up with actionable next steps to help get closer to that goal by the next time the group meets.

Generally, putting this model into practice looks something like this:

• You and your team members go on a retreat to unify your understanding of the organization’s big-picture goals.
• Each team member examines their own strengths and decides on an actionable goal they can achieve based on that strength by a certain date.
• The team meets together again either quarterly or annually (or as frequently as you’d like) to discuss your progress toward each goal and mission impact.

For instance, you may find that one team member, Theo, is especially good at face-to-face communication on the retreat. He’s empathetic and understanding and would be a great candidate for holding meetings with major donors to build relationships with them. He may have a goal to leverage the information in your new donor database to foster relationships and grow major giving by 10% in the coming year.

This model never looks the same for two organizations. Each team member has inherent strengths, so this model is designed to help your nonprofit make the most of your unique strengths.

Real-Time Nonprofit Strategic Planning Model

The real-time nonprofit strategic planning model is useful when your nonprofit is in the midst of a crisis, like an economic recession or national/global catastrophe. The situation could also be limited to your organization. For instance, you might have been the victim of a cyberattack or your headquarters might have been severely damaged in a tornado.

This model relies on an extreme focus on short-term goals that aim to help you weather the storm. Your nonprofit staff members might meet as frequently as every week to discuss your progress toward these short-term goals. The model usually looks like this:

• Your organization frequently meets as a large group to define short-term objectives for individual team members.
• In these team meetings, you discuss whether you’ve met these goals, your day-to-day progress and any roadblocks your organization members face.
• After the crisis period, your organization takes inventory of the progress made or damage done, thanks team members for their hard work and creates a new strategic plan using a different model.

Consider the following situation: You discover that your nonprofit was the victim of a cyberattack that potentially left some donors’ information at risk. In response, you meet with your team to define and align on urgent next steps.

You assign several team members to assess the extent of the attack and summarize their findings into a clear report. Then, you designate other team members to notify impacted donors as quickly as possible about the breach. You outline the steps you’ll take to keep donors’ information more secure in the future and prevent future attacks.

As you can see, these goals are small and manageable in a short time. Goals are created as responses to the direct impact that external forces have on your organization’s internal operations.

Alignment Nonprofit Strategic Planning Model

The alignment nonprofit strategic planning model is best when your organization has great individual departments or team members but has trouble when it comes to communication between these departments.

This model tends to look something like this:

• Your team members meet to learn about the issues each individual faces in their position.
• You re-establish the common mission that everyone on your team is working towards.
• You outline tweaks that your team can use to improve internal communication processes.

For instance, say your organization has an incredible grant writer, an excellent executive director, a communicative and empathetic major gift officer and very capable fundraisers. However, they have trouble communicating with one another about the nonprofit’s goals and what each of them is doing to reach those goals. The result is discord among teams and a lack of progress.

In this case, consider ways to encourage teamwork between members. You may provide an overall fundraising goal for your fundraisers and major gift officer to work on together. Or, you may set up check-in meetings for everyone to meet with the executive director and ensure that the director knows what’s happening in each department and can prioritize their tasks accordingly.

The alignment nonprofit strategic planning model is a great way to set new communication standards and processes to incorporate moving forward as a team.

Nonprofit strategic planning template

Before you dive into the strategic planning process, it can be helpful to know what type of plan or report you’re going to end up with. Generally, strategic planning forms look similar to this:

This template outlines all of the essential planning steps that we’ll review in the next section. Here is a high-level overview of what your plan should include:

• Your organization’s mission statement. Your mission statement should dive into why your organization exists. What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? How are you different from other organizations? This statement should use precise language but non-finite verbs. This leaves it open for continuous improvement and development of your mission; it will never be complete but always be a work in progress.
• Your primary goals and specific objectives within those goals. Identify priorities for the types of programs and services you’ll offer to support your goals, target audience for your services, target supporter audiences, advocacy and public policy aims and branding or marketing objectives.
• Who is responsible for each objective and what activities they will complete to work toward the objective. You’ll assign each team member a clear role in the process and outline the tasks they will complete that support your overarching goals.

Let’s take a closer look at how to develop each aspect of your strategic plan.

5 steps of strategic planning for nonprofits

Use these steps to launch the strategic planning process:

1. Set fundraising targets

Use your organization’s budget to determine generally how much you need to raise to achieve your philanthropic goals. Then, outline the strategies you’ll use to acquire that funding.

For example, you may decide to raise:

• 50% of funding from individual contributions to your annual fund
• 20% of funding from your planned giving, legacy and endowment programs
• 20% of funding from corporate giving programs
• 10% of funding from grants

Every nonprofit will have a different breakdown of their fundraising goals based on their current fundraising initiatives and their community’s giving capacity.

2. Get input from key stakeholders

Next, ask your stakeholders for input about your fundraising goals. Provide context for your goals and philanthropic objectives, explain how each will impact your mission, then ask for feedback about the plan.

The different stakeholders you should reach out to include:

• Board members
• Staff members
• Key corporate and community partners
• A fundraising consultant

Running the plan by everyone will help you make sure that the goals you’ve set are achievable and manageable for your team.

Stakeholders might raise the alarm if your fundraising amount is drastically different from last year or if you’re relying on strategies that have been ineffective in the past.

For example, let’s say your nonprofit has a good track record with grant writing. You’ve won 80% of the grants you’ve applied for, so you decide to dedicate a large portion of your fundraising revenue plan to be raised using grant money. Seems reasonable, right?

Well, your grant writer may bring up the valid point that you’ve only been that successful because you’re incredibly picky about the type of grant you apply for. While the percentage looks impressive, there aren’t enough grants out there to meet the goal you’ve set. This is great insight and enables you to switch up your strategy to be as successful as possible.

3. Determine your key fundraising and marketing strategies

You may consider doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of your past fundraising to better understand what areas you’re already strong in and what could be improved.

This chart can help you outline your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats clearly and concisely:

Some of the fundraising and marketing strategies your organization should take into consideration include:

• Major gift fundraising. Major gift fundraising likely makes up a large portion of your proceeds. If it doesn’t already, this is one area of your strategy you’ll want to improve.
• Donor-centric stewardship. Donor stewardship leads to better retention rates and better fundraising results down the line. This ties in well with your marketing strategy and ensures you’re communicating regularly and effectively with donors.
• New donor acquisition and retention. The second donation a donor gives is the “golden donation” because most donors lapse after the first gift. After the “golden donation,” there’s about a 60% chance they’ll give again.
• Online fundraising. While more revenue probably comes from in-person conversations with major donors, most of your donors probably prefer to give online. It’s convenient so long as your fundraising page is well-optimized.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great strategy to attract new donors while raising additional funds from your committed supporters. Leverage the power of your social networks to raise funds using this avenue.
• Monthly giving. Recurring gifts are essential because they’re a consistent source of revenue. If someone sets up a recurring gift, you can probably count on that gift being given for an extended period and account for that in your future budget.

Assign areas that need improvement a lower fundraising target than the aspects of your strategy where you already know you’re strong. This way, you can try out different strategies to make these elements stronger without as much pressure.

For example, if you know your nonprofit has an incredible major giving program, specify that a larger portion of your fundraising will likely come from this avenue. If you know that you could use improvement on your new donor retention rates, you might set that at a lower goal and use this as an opportunity to try out new things like calling new donors and setting up a welcome email series.

4. Establish SMART objectives

When you set your fundraising goals, make sure they’re SMART:

• Specific: Target a specific area for improvement
• Measurable: Quantifiable
• Attainable: Achievable based on your past successes
• Realistic: Reasonable based on your available resources
• Time-based: Aligned with a specific time frame

For example, let’s say you have a specific goal for increasing individual contributions to your annual fund.

Here are a few examples of SMART goals that target this objective:

• Acquire 500 new donors through your online fundraising page within a year.
• Call 100% of the new donors who give within 90 days of their gift.
• Acquire 200 new donors through a 2-week peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
• Expand your monthly giving program by 100 donors within a year.
• Retain 70% of donors from last year.

These goals include specific numbers and time frames to help orient your strategic planning around quantifiable metrics.

5. Choose tactics to support each objective

Use reporting tools in your donor management system and marketing platforms to help keep your team accountable for reaching your goals.

Assign each team member an individual role that they’re responsible for. Here’s an example of a chart that clearly defines each activity, the staff member accountable for the task and the deadline:

When everyone is clearly aware of their role at the organization and how their actions will impact the mission at large, you’ll make sure everything gets done. Plus, everyone will have a sense of purpose as a part of the team.

In addition to assigning team member roles, you can also automate certain processes to free up more staff time. For example, if you used to send out the monthly newsletter manually or personally manage every social media post, consider investing in new marketing software as part of your strategic plan.

Ask yourself some of the following questions.

• What areas of our work do we need more time for?
• What can we automate?
• Who at our organization has repetitive tasks that take time away from more important activities?

Sometimes the answer to these questions leads you to invest in new nonprofit software like a new CRM to automate donor engagement efforts or volunteer management tools to streamline volunteer scheduling.

7 Nonprofit Strategic Plan Examples

Here are links to some strategic plans from other nonprofit organizations for you to analyze and consider while you plan your own:

1. The Denver Foundation’s 2021 Strategic Framework

The Denver Foundation is a community nonprofit foundation committed to strengthening the Metro Denver area.

The organization’s 2021 strategic framework was written to provide guidance for a decade — a longer period than a typical strategic plan. This extended time frame means the document is intended to be a living, flexible blueprint that will evolve as the community’s needs change.

The strategic plan is outlined in a user-friendly online booklet that clearly displays the organization’s mission, vision, purpose and values. It also details new policies, such as a new donor management approach, priority service areas and the organization’s business model.

This represents an example of a more far-reaching plan that will help the organization develop a long-term approach to reaching its mission.

2. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles 2022-2023 Strategic Plan

The Girl Scouts organization provides programming and leadership training for girls in communities across the country and worldwide.

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles outlined a strategic plan for 2022-2023. On the online web page, the organization points out five strategic priorities. This helps interested readers get a quick overview of the organization’s most important plans before diving into the full report.

In the complete plan, each priority also includes information about specific initiatives to support the goal and the intended outcome of each objective. This helps audience members understand the actions they should expect to see from the organization over the coming months.

3. Habitat for Humanity Australia Strategic Plan 2021-2024

Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to provide affordable housing to families in need around the globe.

The organization’s Australian branch published a strategic plan for 2021-2024 that aligns a vision for the country’s programs with the organization’s overarching international activities.

The plan also includes a visually-engaging strategic pyramid that depicts how the strategic plan fits into Habitat for Humanity’s purpose, mission, vision and principles. This can help readers visualize how each element of the strategic plan is like a puzzle piece that helps build the full picture of the organization’s efforts.

4. Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta Strategic Plan 2021-2025

Boys & Girls Club of America is dedicated to providing enriching after-school programs for kids and teens. The Metro Atlanta chapter’s 2021-2025 strategic plan outlines plans to reach more kids, grow their supporter base and improve diversity and inclusion.

The plan includes five main focus areas, each with a few specific objectives, along with specific quantifiable goals. The plan also incorporates a timeline chart depicting when each goal is projected to be completed.

This level of specificity is essential for staying on target and reaching goals effectively.

5. SAMHSA’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a U.S. government agency established to make mental health and substance abuse help and resources more readily available.

The organization’s 2023-2026 strategic plan is oriented around four guiding principles: equity, trauma-informed approaches, commitment to data and evidence and recovery.

The plan includes plenty of data and research to explain why each principle was chosen. It also highlights five priorities for this three-year period that will help bring each principle to life.

6. The Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania and Delaware Strategic Roadmap

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to promote worldwide conservation efforts. The Pennsylvania and Delaware Chapter released a strategic plan for 2022-2024 that illustrates how the chapter will take local actions to support the overarching mission.

The plan is organized into sections based on strategic priority or geographic location. Critically, it includes information about how the chapter will scale up its conservation efforts and how donors, partners and volunteers can support each effort. This brings supporters into the conversation and helps them envision the steps they can take to have an impact on the mission.

7. UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025

UNICEF is a United Nations Agency devoted to providing humanitarian aid to children worldwide.

The 2022-2025 strategic plan starts with an informational overview of the progress that has been made along with challenges that children face around the world. Next, the plan details strategic shifts that the organization is currently taking, along with five goal areas.

The plan ends with a detailed roadmap chart of each principle and objective and the target completion dates.

How donor management and fundraising software can support strategic planning

Donor management and fundraising software can offer plenty of support throughout your entire strategic planning process. Here are just a few of the ways you can use integrated donor management and fundraising software to streamline your planning:

• Review data analytics and reports to understand your nonprofit’s current fundraising and donor engagement situation. Use this information to understand what’s going well and where there is room for improvement.
• Set goals and assess progress made toward them. Using your software, you can establish goals and assign team members to take charge of each task.
• Improve your supporter outreach. Strengthen donor and corporate partnerships throughout your strategic planning work by using your donor management software to create communication segments and campaigns.
• Identify prospective major or recurring donors. With a donor management platform like Bloomerang, your CRM will automatically identify highly engaged donors who are likely to upgrade their giving amount or frequency.

Interested in seeing what these activities look like in practice? Schedule a Bloomerang demo today for a personalized look at how our nonprofit software solutions can support your organization’s strategic plan.

9 festival marketing strategies to attract attendees

Your festival marketing approach should be tailored to your target audience and wide-reaching enough to attract existing and new supporters alike. These strategies will help maximize your reach and boost attendance numbers:

1. Create a festival marketing strategy well in advance

Planning a festival requires lots of work, so it’s crucial to create your marketing strategy well ahead of the big day. Many organizations start planning several months in advance, and some even start the process a year or more in advance to leave room for any obstacles or changes.

Review your previous festival marketing strategies and see what worked and what didn’t. This allows you to determine which strategies to reuse and what you should do differently.

Also, take the time to build a festival marketing team. You might assign roles such as social media chair, email marketing lead and attendee experience coordinator. Assigning clear responsibilities ensures that all of your marketing bases are covered.

2. Research your target audience

Determine which demographic you’re trying to target and create an audience persona to help you reach this audience effectively. A persona helps you understand your audience members on a deeper level and determine the best ways to communicate with them.

For instance, you might determine your target marketing audience for your annual Apple Festival is people between the ages of 30-45 who have young children. Then, you can create your marketing materials based on what you think would appeal to this audience. For example, you might promote your festival’s kid-friendly activities, like face painting or pony rides.

When you understand what excites and motivates your audience members, you can more easily attract them to your festival.

Researching your audience will also help you determine which platforms to use to market your festival. For instance, if your demographic is between the ages of 18-24, Instagram is a great place to reach out. Or, if your target audience is working professionals, then LinkedIn would be a suitable platform. Researching the current trends and behaviors of your audience is vital in helping you reach the right people in the right place.

3. Craft an exciting brand

Optimize your festival’s brand by incorporating uniform elements to boost brand recognition among your target audience. This is a great way to make your festival stand out.

Here are a few event branding best practices:

• Create exciting, stylish event graphics. Visuals make a big difference in communicating event details effectively. Your graphics should use your festival’s color palette, logo and typography to maintain consistency. Including photos from past festivals in your graphics can also help generate hype for this year’s event.
• Ensure your brand is cohesive across all marketing channels. Cohesive branding across all marketing channels helps increase brand recognition. Maintaining a consistent look, tone and style presents an image of professionalism.
• Offer branded merchandise. Get creative by offering a swag bag for attendees complete with a complimentary branded water bottle or sunglasses. This will leave your attendees with something that reminds them of your festival and encourages them to come again next year. Also, when they wear or use your event merchandise, they’ll spread even more brand awareness within the community.

You can even make your festival entry passes memorable and exciting by giving attendees an event passport, lanyard or bracelet that serves as their ticket.

4. Leverage the unique features of each social media platform

There are approximately 4.89 billion social media users worldwide, and this number will only continue to grow. Social media platforms are a great place to interact with your audience using the fun and unique features of each platform.

Here’s a brief overview of popular social media platforms and the event promotion tools on each platform:

• Instagram: Instagram has become very popular, especially among younger audience members. You can promote your festival event on Instagram using features such as stories, Instagram Live, polls, Reels, and posts. Make sure to include your festival registration link in your Instagram bio for easy access.
• Facebook: Facebook is the largest social media platform, making it the most effective channel to connect with your audience. You can create a Facebook Event for your festival, post about your event in relevant Facebook Groups where followers can connect with you and each other, start discussions, and post frequent festival updates.
• Twitter: Twitter is all about quick updates and short posts. You can share links or photos with important information about your festival, such as the schedule or the link to buy tickets.

Review your audience research to understand which social media platforms your target market uses the most. Also, keep your social media outreach focused on platforms where you already have a presence. For example, don’t worry about posting to Twitter if you don’t have a large following or don’t have a profile in the first place.

5. Use a multichannel marketing approach

To effectively plan and market your festival, use more than just one marketing platform. Use a combination of digital and traditional marketing platforms to reach a larger audience. For example, in addition to social media, try these channels:

• Email. Reach out to existing contacts who attended your event in previous years to get them excited about your upcoming festival. Consider offering exclusive tickets and giveaways to stir even more engagement. Personalize your messages using recipients’ first names to grab their attention.
• Flyers. Design bold and exciting printed flyers with fun graphics and images. Post your flyers around town at well-trafficked locations such as the library, grocery stores and local businesses and restaurants.
• Local media outlets. Get in touch with local newspapers, radio stations and community bloggers to help market your event. If your festival is in-person, local individuals are more likely to buy your tickets.

Expanding your marketing reach helps you reinforce your message and capture your audience’s attention more effectively. If someone scrolls past just one Instagram post promoting your festival, they might not give it a second thought. But, if they see an Instagram post, email, and flyer, and hear about your event on the radio on their drive to work, they might be interested in checking out what your event is all about.

6. Partner with an influencer

Influencer marketing is growing in popularity as more and more people join platforms like Instagram. Influencer marketing is the process of working with external content creators or influencers to promote your message on social media.

You can partner with a social media influencer and ask them to promote your event details on their personal platforms. This form of marketing is highly effective because of the powerful amount of trust influencers have built with their followers.

There’s no agreed-upon definition of how many followers a person must have to be considered an influencer. However, you want to look for someone who has a relatively decent audience of at least 1,000 followers.

Also, look for an influencer who is relevant to your sector or industry. For instance, if you’re hosting a film festival, you can ask a local director to share your event details on their social media pages.

7. Promote exclusive opportunities

Some festival attendees like to feel like they’re receiving a special experience that they can’t get elsewhere. One way to add an element of exclusivity to your festival is by offering a VIP experience.

Your event’s exclusive opportunities could include a VIP refreshment tent, a meet and greet with the artists at your music festival or exclusive early entry.

Conduct audience research ahead of time by sending a survey to determine what type of VIP opportunities are most appealing to your event attendees.

8. Highlight your nonprofit’s mission

Nonprofits hosting festivals have two primary aims: to provide a positive experience for attendees and to raise awareness and funds for their missions.

If your nonprofit is hosting a festival fundraiser event, keep your organization’s mission at the forefront of your festival marketing strategy. Take the following steps to remind attendees about the larger aims of your festival:

• Let prospective attendees know what their tickets and donations will help fund. Get specific about how you’ll use the revenue you earn through your festival. For example, tell attendees that their donations will support your college scholarship program or help you buy necessary new equipment for your community garden projects.
• Share links to your online donation page. Include the link to your online donation page on your event registration page and within your emails and social media posts. Ensure the page is mobile-friendly and that it accepts a variety of payment methods.
• Publicize your fundraising goal. Share your fundraising target with prospective attendees and keep them updated on progress made. You might use a fundraising thermometer to show how much you’ve raised and how far you have left to go until you reach your goal. This can inspire attendees to contribute additional donations on top of their ticket costs.

The fact that your festival will fund your nonprofit’s charitable work is a unique selling point. Philanthropy-minded audience members may be motivated to attend to help you reach your goals.

9. Ask festival volunteers to conduct peer-to-peer marketing

Festival volunteers and staff can play an essential role in event marketing. Even if they aren’t full-blown influencers, they can still play an effective role in marketing your event to their groups of family members and friends. This is known as peer-to-peer marketing.

If your volunteers haven’t participated in peer-to-peer marketing before, offer some advice and guidance to help them feel more confident. You can ask them to create social media posts to invite family and friends to your festival and help you get the word out.

Be sure to thank your volunteers for their efforts. You can send them a prize such as a gift card or free t-shirt for going above and beyond.

3 tips for virtual festival marketing

Virtual festival marketing is slightly different from its in-person counterpart. Since virtual events take place entirely online, it’s more important than ever that you heavily promote the experience on your digital marketing channels.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use any in-person marketing techniques. You can easily use flyers, direct mail ads or ads in local newspapers to send audience members to your online event registration page using a QR code.

Here are a few additional tips for marketing a virtual festival:

1. Share the event schedule ahead of time. Make sure attendees know when to tune into your virtual event. Share the full agenda so attendees can choose which events or activities they want to participate in.
2. Ensure audience members know how to sign up and participate on the event day. Provide instructions for logging into or accessing your virtual event. You can even offer an email address that attendees can reach out to if they have any questions.
3. Make your marketing process interactive, with audience polls and Q&As. For example, send out a poll on your Facebook page asking event attendees about which aspect of your virtual festival they’re most excited about. Or, host an Instagram Live Q&A session with one of your event’s performers or presenters.

These tips will help you create a virtual festival experience that feels just as engaging and interactive as an in-person event.

Music festival entertainment ideas

1. Lawn games

Lawn games are a classic favorite, especially for a summertime event. Get some large wooden blocks for giant Jenga or set up other games like croquet, bocce, cornhole, ladder ball or Spikeball.

2. Food

Food tents are a must, but why stop at cheeseburgers and hot dogs? Mix up your offerings with a sample of local cuisines or unique treats. Barbecue, mac n’ cheese, deep-fried ice cream and funnel cake are all fan favorites. For healthier options, consider having a smoothie tent or salad bar.

3. Face painting

Face painting booths are another way to add color and flair to a festival. Hire a few local artists to paint fun designs on people’s faces. Encourage participants to take selfies and post them on social media with your event hashtag.

4. Arcade tent

Consider setting up an arcade tent. Rent some vintage video games, like Pac-Man. You can also set up foosball and Skee-Ball booths. You’ll get bonus points with your attendees if your arcade tent is air-conditioned (or heated for a wintertime festival)!

5. Volunteer opportunities

Set up a volunteer booth for event attendees to participate in a quick micro-volunteer opportunity that supports your nonprofit.

For example, volunteers might write letters of support for children in the hospital or contribute to a mural that will be displayed in your organization’s community center.

Give booth participants the opportunity to sign up for your volunteer newsletter to receive information about additional volunteer opportunities. Be sure to add their contact information to your volunteer management system to stay in touch.

6. Live demonstrations

Look into hiring some local craftspeople to provide live demonstrations. Glass blowing, weaving, woodcarving and painting are a few good options.

7. Artists

You may not think of music festivals as a place to go to get your portrait painted, but a caricature can make a great souvenir. Or, set up a screen printing station and let people make their own shirts for a fee.

You can also invite local artists to sell their work in a designated area at your festival. Attendees can browse the available artwork in between music sets.

8. Trivia

Set up Trivial Pursuit stations and allow users to log in and play on their phones. This can be another great way to pass the time between bands.

9. Contests

A silly contest can keep things upbeat and put smiles on everyone’s faces. Consider hosting a costume contest or a crazy hat or hair competition. This can make your festival a unique experience that stands out from other events.

10. Kids’ activities

If your festival is family-oriented, it’s essential to have some activities just for kids. Bouncy castles, ball pits and mazes can all be lots of fun. A mini-golf station is another possibility. You can also hire some mascot characters, or even put on a puppet show.

11. 5K

Kick off your music festival with an exciting 5K event. Keep the musical vibes going with a live DJ to help pump up the runners and their supporters. You can even bring race winners on stage during your music festival to offer them their medals.

12. Comedy

Mix up your musical lineup with a few comedians. You can also hire comedians to act as emcees between your musical acts.

13. Magic

Add a unique element to your festival’s lineup by bringing in a magician, mentalist, or hypnotist to delight and dazzle the crowd. It’s helpful if you can provide a large screen on stage so audience members can see everything that’s happening. This is another great kid-friendly idea.

14. Amusement rides

Coachella, one of the world’s biggest music festivals, is well-known for its iconic Ferris wheel. Make your festival stand out by offering amusement rides like a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round or small roller coasters.

15. Photo booth

Let festival attendees capture priceless moments with photo booths or selfie stations throughout your festival. Set up fun props, such as feather boas, signs and sunglasses. Make sure any signs are branded to your organization or festival to help spread brand awareness!

Tips for managing your additional music festival activities

Adding extra activities to your music festival lineup can widen the scope of your festival. That means there are a few additional considerations to keep in mind to promote and accommodate these opportunities effectively.

Follow these tips when incorporating your additional entertainment:

• Ask your existing community members what they’d like to see at your festival. If you’re unsure which additional activities would appeal to your target audience the most, just ask! Send a survey to your volunteers, donors and other stakeholders to ask about their preferences and interests. Involving your community in the decision-making process will help you design an event that speaks to their interests and increases the likelihood of a higher attendance rate.
• Promote your festival’s extra activities in your marketing materials. In addition to your music lineup, make sure your event promotional materials include information about the additional experiences available at the event. Provide a festival venue map so attendees know where each activity is.
• Assign volunteers or staff to help manage each activity. Some activities will require supervision to ensure the safety of everyone involved. For example, if you’re bringing amusement rides into your festival, you’ll have to hire an outside company to provide the rides and safety equipment. You might assign volunteers to roles like supervising the kid’s activities or managing the volunteer booth. Determine how many volunteers you’ll need at each station before launching your recruitment efforts.
• Consider adding an extra cost to some activities to raise more funding for your cause. For instance, you might require 5K participants to raise at least $50 to join the race or include a small fee to use your photo booth. Make it clear how these extra funds will support your nonprofit, whether that means boosting your volunteer program, helping you buy new supplies and equipment or expanding your community investment efforts.

These tips will help increase engagement with your non-musical activities and raise more for your cause while providing a positive attendee experience.