10 Effective Fundraising Ideas for Emergencies and Disasters

Disasters, emergencies- they don’t wait. They happen and what we, as humans, ought to do during such crises is to join hands and help people in need.

Devastation and destruction apart, we need to get back the life of all affected individuals to normalcy. During emergencies and disasters, immediate action and relief are crucial. At such times, emergency fundraising helps.

Start Crowdfunding

And there’s no one way to go about it. We have listed 10 effective fundraising ideas to solicit donations. Try it all because you need to collect funds fast.    

 1. Start crowdfunding

The foremost task you have to do when you plan to ask for donations is to set up a donation page on GivingX, a trusted online fundraising platform. There are various benefits when you start such an emergency fundraising page.

• It costs you very little. (GivingX does not charge you any money to open your fundraiser)
• You can set up the page in minutes.
• It helps you reach a wider audience
• You start getting donations immediately. (Click on this link to follow some tips. It may help)
• Posting updates helps to keep donors in the loop.

Setting up a donation page on GivingX is easy and in situations such as emergencies, there’s nothing better than timely help. Also, social media plays a pivotal role in helping you to share the donation page link.      

 2. Social media

Take the social media route when you want to reach Gen Z. Moreover, social media is fast in reaching a wide network. The younger generation is very generous when it comes to donating money for emergency causes such as disasters and calamities since they are continually informed of the devastation it has caused. And the advantage of setting up your donation page on GivingX, a trusted online fundraising platform, is that you will be able to accept donations from across the border. When you allow people from foreign countries to donate to your link, you open up ways to quickly reach your emergency fundraising goal.    

 3. Messaging app services

Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, WeChat, and Telegram also serve the purpose when you want easy fundraising ideas to seek help. Young or old, people always check their messages on the phone. Prepare a short emergency fundraising appeal and share it with all your family and friends. They then share it across their networks spreading it fast. Do not forget to add your donation page link set up on the online fundraising platform. Use messenger services of Facebook and Instagram too. It will get you additional help.    

 4. Local media

People are always glued to their TVs when something big happens. They need minute-to-minute updates on it. The sympathy wave is strong because they understand the havoc and destruction the disaster has caused to nature and humankind. At such times, an easy fundraising idea is to coordinate with your local T.V news channels and appeal for donations. You get wide coverage in your community and if you show snippets of your volunteering efforts, people will respond and donate as much as they can.   

 5. Nearby communities 

Communities present near the disaster zones have better access to the affected areas and they are more aware of the ground situation. Seek help from such people and communities and they will be more than willing to come forward to help both in cash and kind. Disasters or emergencies need help on a large scale and some of them are needed for the long term. Clean drinking water, food, blankets, shelters, medicines, and other emergency items can be transported immediately when the nearby communities join hands to help others. As a volunteer, you can look for ways to help to reach emergency sites immediately.

 6. Funds from governments, local politicians, and corporate houses

When calamity strikes, the government needs some time to access the situation and decide on the fund amount to be released. Of course, the state and the local politicians come to the rescue immediately. You can also seek help from corporate houses. They will be ready to donate and also help in arranging for immediate necessities. Talk to corporate houses and request them to donate on your fundraiser link.

 7. Call your faithful donors

When in an emergency, a direct call to your most faithful donors may solicit good responses. Direct communication on the extent of damage caused, and the type of rehabilitation work you intend to take both in the short-term and long-term will help them understand your intentions easily and better. Follow it up with an email sending them the emergency fundraising donation page link.

 8. Emails & letters

Though fundraising for emergencies and disasters through emails may not get you an instant response, you can still give it a chance. Get your creative volunteers to do this job of creating and sending emails to your donor list. You can also write letters to faithful donors and request them to donate to your fundraiser.   

 9. Host events

We wouldn’t suggest this when you need to raise funds in an emergency. Hosting events, big or small, needs adequate planning and preparation. But yes, it is effective when you plan to raise funds for rehabilitation and medical expenses. People get affected by floods, earthquakes, or cyclones and they need money to rebuild their houses and lives. Emergency fundraisers take care of the immediate impact. But the affected people have to get back to their feet. For this, host events and spread awareness about the lives of the affected people and how you will utilize the donations for their betterment.

 10. Recurring donations

Again, this is a very good and easy fundraising idea for emergencies and disasters. On the same donation page that you’ve set on GivingX, place a recurring donation CTA and urge donors to consider contributing monthly to the ongoing fundraising efforts. It will help you set long-term goals for the rehabilitation of the affected people.

 

Wrapping Up

Seeking funds and compelling the prospects to contribute is a task in itself. You’ve got to be committed to the cause. And when there are sudden emergencies like a medical need or calamities and disasters, you won’t be prepared enough, and raising funds becomes challenging. You have to act fast for it. Set up a donation page on GivingX, an online fundraising platform, and spread the word on all your social media accounts. It works. And you’ll start receiving donations in minutes. A divine intervention to help the needy, indeed!

 

Some more resources for you to make your fundraising task easy:

Tired of managing your volunteers? Read this blog- 7 top tips on volunteer management.

Do you want to understand what motivates a donor to donate? This blog might help- 10 reasons on what motivates people to donate to nonprofits.

And then there are success stories of nonprofits collecting donations and helping the needy. Click on this link to read some beautiful stories of how love and compassion win.  

It is time to make your emergency fundraising efforts a success. Set up your donation page on GivingX today.