Guest Blog by Logan Foote, Sales and Education Manager at GolfStatus
As you know, trying new fundraising ideas is critical for nonprofits to grow and scale. Finding ways to reach specific donor segments with campaigns and messaging that resonate with them is crucial to boosting conversions and retention.
One way to employ this strategy is to target the environmentally-minded people in your donor and supporter base.
Appealing to the eco-conscious segment of your donors can foster increased engagement and boost fundraising for your nonprofit, while also helping them connect with nature and better appreciate and care for the environment.
These four ideas can help you incorporate the environment into your fundraising, either with a new initiative or folding it into existing campaigns.
Get Active Outdoors
We all spend way too much time being sedentary indoors. Try a fundraising event that gets folks active and outside, like a hike, walk/run, sports tournament, or competition. Your supporters will appreciate the chance to help raise money for your cause while enjoying the outdoors and some friendly competition.
A great example, with huge fundraising potential, is a golf tournament. Golf gets people outside for a day of fun, camaraderie, and generosity. Many golf facilities are focused on caring for the environment while keeping the course in tip-top shape. When considering host facilities, you might ask them about some of their maintenance practices and highlight those at the tournament in some way. Golf tournaments also have a ton of ways to boost your fundraising revenue through contests, games, donation appeals, matching gifts, and more.
Other outdoor-focused activities you can leverage as a fundraiser include a hike in your area with a tour guide, fun run or walk, bicycle ride, scavenger hunt, or community picnic. No matter your choice, the goal is to get people moving and enjoy being outside while supporting your nonprofit’s work.
Sell Eco-Friendly Products
“Green” is a buzzword among consumers who are looking to protect the environment. A product fundraiser is a great way to offer such products to your donors while raising money for your mission.
Start by seeking out product vendors that might be willing to donate items to your sale, provide a price break, or donate a significant portion of each sale to your organization. Look for low-cost eco-friendly products that are recycled, sustainably produced, or contain all-natural materials. Some ideas include t-shirts, hats, water bottles, tote bags, or other items. Or my personal favorite: environmentally friendly laundry sheets.
You could offer products in an online catalog, sell them at a fundraising event (like your charity golf tournament) or community event, or host a pop-up shop at your nonprofit’s office.
And if you’d rather not offer anything for sale, you could consider some of these environmentally friendly products as a special gift for membership or for starting a recurring gift. When you do, always offer the donor a way to opt out of receiving a gift.
Start a Community Garden
A community garden is a great chance to serve the community, provide education, and help folks connect with nature. Particularly if your nonprofit has an environmental or educational focus, a community garden allows your organization to build strong relationships within the community you serve. Once the garden is up and running, invite local schools, Scout troops, or other organizations to visit the garden to learn more about gardening and caring for the environment.
A community garden should, of course, be open to the entire community. But there are ways to build fundraising into launching and supporting such an initiative:
- Monthly gift campaign. Invite donors to make a small monthly gift to use the garden for an event or take produce from the garden.
- Sponsorships. Ask businesses and corporate partners to sponsor the garden, either in part or as a whole. One sponsor could underwrite the purchase of the land, another could support garden maintenance, and another could sponsor supplies.
- Crowdfunding campaign. This type of campaign is fueled by gifts from several donors. Create shareable social media graphics and videos and use an online platform to collect gifts and share your progress.
- Lease garden plots to businesses. This might appeal to businesses looking for ways to get more involved in the community or employee volunteer opportunities. They can lease a specific portion of the garden to use as they see fit, and renew the lease on an annual basis.
- Plant sale. Sell individual plants and produce from the garden in a market setting, either at the garden, in your office, or at another event.
Focus on Nature
Immersing people in nature instills an appreciation for the environment and an appreciation for your organization for facilitating the connection. Look for ways to get folks into nature as part of your fundraising events, perhaps by building outdoor walking breaks into a conference or workshop or hosting your annual gala at a camp facility or state park.
You might also consider creating new fundraising event options to connect people with nature. Some examples include:
- Guided tour of a state or national park
- Guided hike at a nature center, park, or prairie
- Camping or glamping trip at a nearby campground
- Sleepaway camp weekend experience
Nature-loving donors will jump at the chance to support your organization through an outdoor experience. You can monetize these events by charging a registration fee and selling add-ons like snacks, drinks, branded merchandise, or outdoor equipment. Boost fundraising revenue further by partnering with sponsors to underwrite expenses. GolfStatus recommends partnering with businesses related to the event’s theme or those interested in reaching the fundraiser’s target audience.
Final Thoughts
Being conscious of your impact on the environment goes further than using it as a way to raise money. Look at your nonprofit’s processes and operations to see where you can make simple changes.
For instance, you could install motion lights in your offices to reduce energy usage, develop a policy to use only recycled materials for marketing materials and office supplies and fix any leaky faucets or toilets to save water.
And, if you’re trying to move away from sending mail to your donors, consider asking them for a recurring gift and keep them up to date on your activities via email.
These ideas can put you on the right track to boost your image, collect more donations, and cultivate an eco-friendly donor community.
Logan Foote has been around the game of golf nearly his entire life. He first picked up a club at the age of four, and despite thousands of attempts, he’s never had a hole-in-one. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and pursued a career in sales. Logan came to GolfStatus in 2017, where he channels his passion for golf to help nonprofits raise money through the game. As Sales and Education Manager, Logan oversees a team that works with thousands of nonprofit clients to maximize their golf fundraisers with the GolfStatus platform, and shares his golf fundraising expertise through GolfStatus’s free educational webinars. He lives and golfs in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife and three sons.
