Overview

A fundraising campaign is fundraising that happens over an specified period of time and highlights a specific, predetermined goal. A campaign is used to raise awareness about your mission, and more specifically, the program or initiative for which you are currently soliciting donations. The exact type of campaign you choose will often depend on your specific goals and resources available at your disposal.

• Major giving campaign -- This type of campaign is generally conducted over a long period of time, directed towards collecting large sums of money, and building relationships with your donor base to make a compelling case as to how a major donation can have a tremendous impact on your mission or the community you serve.
• Advocacy campaign -- A smaller "bite-sized" campaign which supports your overall long-term mission objectives.
• Sponsorship campaign - A campaign designed to encourage regular donation. You might also refer to this type of campaign as sustaining or recurring.
• Peer-to Peer - Your participants have their own fundraising page on your website or social media which they share with their circle of friends and family. This is a good way to expand your sphere of influence and solitite new sustaining donors.

Below you will find a few ideas for Advocacy and Peer-to-Peer campaigns.

Micro Campaign

A micro campaign is a fundraising appeal that asks for very small donations, usually less than $5.

Why consider a Micro campaign? Are there people in your community or mission area that have never contributed to your cause? A micro campaign is the perfect way to provide some donor-based education, create enthusiasm for your cause, and grow your donor database. It's ideal for social media campaigns.

Micro Campaign Ideas

• Create a campaign with a minimum $1 donation.
• Post the campaign details on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter for all your followers to see.
• Ask your followers to share the link with 10 friends asking for a $1 donation to support your cause.

• Create a campaign with a $5 minimum for Cinco de Mayo.
• Post on social media and ask your followers to send to 5 friends.
• Other suggested amounts can be $55 and $550.

• Ask your social media followers to organize happy hour for a cause this month with a $5 at 5 campaign.
• Ask them to send your campaign link to 5 friends with a happy hour Zoom invitation.

*Note - small donations will have a higher effective processing fee. The amount of money raised through a micro campaign may be affected by that processing percentage. However, the goal of a micro campaign is to grow your donor base. Once you get your "foot in the door," so to speak, then you can concentrate on increasing your donor's commitment to your cause.

Fixed Minimum Campaign

• Create a campaign with a minimum donation of $25 in honor of the anniversary.
• Other suggested amounts can be $250 and $2500.
• Consider asking a large donor to turn this into a matching gift campaign, as well!
• This campaign also works well for birthdays -- how about honoring your president's or founder's birthday?

How about a Pi Day Campaign

• Run a campaign with a minimum donation amount of $3.14.

Giving Women the Right to Vote

• Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with a campaign that carries a minimum donation amount of $19. Other suggested amounts can be $100 and $1920.

eCheck Campaign

• eChecks have a processing fee of only 1% + $.30.
• Run a campaign encouraging your recurring donors to spend less of their gift to the credit card companies and more to you by switching their recurring payments over to auto check debit.