It was recently revealed that nearly a third of UK charities are concerned about the rising cost of fundraising, so it’s no surprise that more and more are choosing to harness the appeal of DIY Fundraising. So, what exactly is Do-It-Yourself fundraising (hint, it doesn’t involve any power tools) and how can your charity create its own fundraising campaign?

What is DIY Fundraising?

Conventional fundraising events and challenges are great, but they don’t always suit everyone’s capabilities. This is where DIY Fundraising comes in. It’s a form of peer to peer fundraising that’s designed to empower individuals to fundraise in their own way, at their own pace.

Individuals can choose their own method of fundraising, and although the charity will provide encouragement and support, the organisation and logistics are the fundraiser’s responsibility. It might sound too good to be true, but DIY Fundraising has been shown to generate up to three times the donation revenue of a single charity event.

Getting started

Some charities choose to set up campaigns with specific fundraising suggestions, such as War Child’s ‘Donate Your Birthday’. War Child have created a Campaign Page to make it easy for anyone wanting to collect donations online instead of getting birthday presents. They simply click “Start fundraising” and they get a Fundraising Page where they can receive donations for their birthday. Plus, they share a breakdown on their Campaign Page of the different things each donation amount could buy for a child in need, making it easier for friends to decide how much to give.

You also have the option of letting supporters’s imaginations run wild. We’ve seen Fundraising Pages set up on JustGiving for pumpkin carving, a barrel run, and even five half marathons in five days.

Whichever route feels best for you and your charity, you can get started and create your own DIY Fundraising campaign by following these three essential steps.

Step one: Promote DIY Fundraising on your website

DIY Fundraising gives supporters the exciting opportunity to get creative with their fundraising. However, they might not even know that this is an option. Create a dedicated DIY Fundraising page on your website that you can easily direct people to. You can either have specific asks, like War Child, or provide information and inspiration on how to get started. A great example of this is Battersea Dogs’ and Cat’s Home’s ‘Your Fundraising, Your Way’ page which shares advice and a free fundraising pack.

Step two: Shares resources and fundraising tips

The best way to empower your fundraisers is to give them all the tools they need upfront. Resources such as your charity logo, social media images and a guide on how to set up a Fundraising Page will give your fundraisers confidence. Plus, it will help to keep their activities on brand.

Step three: Use motivational tools

Decide up front what tools you’ll use to motivate your fundraisers. There are lots of cost-effective options, such as using the leader board included on your charity’s Campaign Page on JustGiving. The board is public and so they help to encourage setting targets, accountability and a bit of friendly competition. Another possibility is creating a dedicated hashtag for DIY’ers. This would allow you to easily chat with them on social media, plus you can then share and celebrate their activities.

Tell me more!

Despite its difference, at its core DIY Fundraising is the same as any other fundraising. Just remember the three essential steps and you’ll be a DIY champion in no time. Plus, unlike most events or challenges, you only need to set up a DIY Fundraising campaign once.

If you like everything you’ve read so far, then you’ll also love our ‘DIY Fundraising – What’s the big idea?’ webinar which is available to watch now.