At least once in your life, you’ve probably heard of organizations doing fundraising drives for a cause. It could be a garage sale to raise funds for children with cancer. It could also be doing an online campaign to gain financial support for survivors of a recent disaster. These are the charitable organizations we’ve grown up hearing about, but did you know that there’s more than just one type of charitable organization?
Types of Charitable Organizations
- Animal Welfare Charities
Animal welfare charities are focused on raising funds for the mobilization of awareness-raising campaigns, rescue missions, and even veterinary costs for domesticated animals and wildlife.
- Education Charities
Education charities or foundations are all about funding a child’s studies. In some cases, education charities may also extend their support to the parents and teachers of the students.
- Environmental Charities
Environmental charities raise funds for efforts towards the preservation, appreciation, and sustainable development of the environment.
- Health Charities
Health charities raise funds for treatment and support of people who are sick or differently-abled. Some health charities may choose to focus on a specific type of disease (e.g. breast cancer, children with cancer, etc.).
- International Nonprofit Organizations
This type of organization usually has their main headquarters in one country, but the work they do extends to another country. Examples are organizations focusing on international disaster relief, peace and human rights, etc.
Challenges Faced by Charitable Organizations
Here are some of the challenges facing the nonprofit sector.
- Identification of new funding sources
Nonprofits need to sustain their organization by continuously applying for funds.
- Competitiveness in the sector.
With the number of nonprofits out there, each of them needs to devise a strategy for them to stand out from the rest.
- Effectiveness of their work
Charitable organizations need to make sure their efforts are bearing results, which they need to report to the donors for transparency.
- Legitimacy
Charitable organizations need to be as transparent as possible, and deliver what they do so as not to be branded as misusing donation money and not delivering on their goals.
- Continuous growth and development
Just like any other organization, charitable organizations need to grow continuously in anticipation of challenges and developments they may face in the future.
Different Fundraising Ideas for Charitable Organizations
It’s always a challenge to seek funding, especially when you’re running a charitable organization. Here are some strategies to use.
- Crowdfunding
This method utilizes social media to gather support for your cause. It’s probably the most versatile and visible method today, allowing you to post photos and videos online to tell your story.
- Giving kiosks
When paired with crowdfunding, this is probably one of the most effective was to gather financial support. You can set predetermined amounts for donations, and potential donors may choose to pay via credit card or online banking.
- Hosting garage sales, concerts, marathons, etc.
Garage sales may consist of secondhand items previously own by members of the organization. You could also invite people to watch a concert you’re hosting, or join a marathon for a minimum fee. The key here is to not overcharge and to showcase your activity as a charity.
Most people nowadays are all about utilizing the Internet for their needs. The same goes for charities. Emails are delivered straight to a prospective donor’s inbox, and this is an effective way to capture attention.
- Direct mail
There’s a reason why some charities still use direct mail; it’s because their cause goes directly into the hands of their prospective donors. This may require additional spending for printing, though. Nonetheless, it’s still very effective.
There are a hundred more methods to use when you’re attempting to raise funds for a cause. Visit this webpage to read more about nonprofit fundraising:
