Fundraising Isn't Always About Money

Popular Topics

Many people think fundraising is all about money. While raising money is, of course, an important part of fundraising, many nonprofits depend on donations of goods and services, as well as in-kind contributions, to meet their missions.

Examples of Goods and Service Donations:

Toy Drives for the Holidays
Consider the Toys for Tots program sponsored by the United States Marine Corps. Every year during the holiday season, the Toys for Tots program reaches out to companies, organizations, and individuals around the world asking for donations of toys that can be used to make holiday wishes come true for needy children around the world.

The Angel Tree program sponsored by the Salvation Army functions in a similar manner. Donors are encouraged to select a particular child's Christmas wish list and donate the items on that list. Many organizations sponsor similar toy drive programs in which donors are asked to provide gifts instead of money.

Make A Wish Foundation
The Make a Wish Foundation is dedicated to making dreams come true for needy children. While the organization welcomes cash donations, it also relies on donations of travel, admission to theme parks, and donations of requested items so that it can make the dreams of sick children around the world come true.

What This Means for You:
If your organization is looking for a creative way to fund needed materials or services, you may want to consider changing your approach to fundraising. Instead of asking for money, you may want to go to companies who provide the types of services or products that you need to request assistance.

Sometimes company policies about financial donations are very prohibitive, which means that managers aren't able to control monetary donations. However, many corporations that are unable to make financial donations are more than willing to donate items that they make and offer for sale, or services that they provide.

Keep in mind that your ultimate fundraising goal is to be able to get the things that your organization needs to meet its mission. It isn't always necessary to raise money to do this. If you need to end up with a new computer lab for consumers served by your organization, donated equipment is just as good as getting money that will be allocated for purchasing equipment.