10 fundraising tips that are guaranteed to bring in the donations!

Ramadan is one of the best times of the year to raise funds for charity, because it’s the time of year when we reflect most on the struggles of the less fortunate. This reflection leads to action, as Muslims all over the globe pay their Zakat and make donations to charitable causes.

Allah (swt) rewards you for each donation you make and many donors are blessed with Sadaqah Jariyah, for the continuous help they provide to communities all over the world. Donating money isn’t the only way to receive rewards though! You can earn blessings and rewards by fundraising or donating your time and effort to a cause close to your heart.

Push yourself this year by taking on a challenge with Team Orange! You can have fun, raise funds and save lives, all with one of our amazing challenges. So if you haven’t signed up to an event yet, hop, skip, jump or run over to our challenges page and find an exciting way to start fundraising today. 

Now you might be thinking, ‘But Penny Appeal, I’ve already signed up to a challenge!’ Well if so, now’s the time to start raising money! Forget digging through the couch cushions or shaking out your piggybanks, we’ve taken all the guesswork out of fundraising for charity. Have a look at our top 10 Ramadan fundraising tips and start raising those funds.  

1. Research the Cause

It’s important to know what you’re raising funds for, so when people ask you questions you are ready with an answer. The better you know and understand your cause, the better you can sell your campaign - and rake in those donations! Build a passion for your cause by researching your campaign, so you have facts and statistics on hand to wow the crowd. This could be the difference between you convincing someone to donate £100 instead of £10. You can do this if you know your cause.

2. Aim High

Islam always advise its followers to give plenty of charity to those in need, especially during the month Ramadan. Allah (swt) and the Prophet (saw) have emphasized the importance of being a generous and open-handed person. A Muslim who is generous will receive many blessings in return. You should take advantage of this divine month to maximize your rewards! Don’t settle for the minimum, aim high! Setting your donation target high will encourage people to contribute larger amounts. Your goal says a lot about your motive, and this can only be a good thing in Ramadan. Why aim for the minimum, when your ambition can take you higher than ever before?

3. Make a Fundraising Plan

A well planned out fundraiser is sure to go off without a hitch! If you have clear goals and aspirations, and you’re confident in the strategies you’re using to raise the money, fundraising becomes a stress-free job. Set dates for when you would ideally like to have met your funding goal by, and use this as a guideline for the rest of your plan. Organise all your fundraising ideas and activities well in advance of this date and plan accordingly. Think out the details of just how you’re going to pull off the most amazing fundraising this Ramadan – whether that’s talking friends and family’s ears off, blowing your challenge up on social media or getting the whole community involved.  Don’t break a sweat, just break out your calendar and get planning!

4. Post it on Social Media

Social media is probably the most effective tool for fundraising. Sharing your fundraising page on Facebook is just the start… tools like the new Facebook fundraising progress bar help encourage people to donate, and Instagram or Facebook Live provide great opportunities to keep people updated with your training, runs or fundraising activities.

Rather than just sharing your fundraising page, think beyond that; share stories about the people or the issue you’re raising money for, share your progress and your struggles getting ready for your Penny Appeal challenge. These things help people connect with you and they’re much more likely to donate if they see the hard work you’re putting into it, and how their money will help change lives around the world. You can also thank your supporters on social media by publically tagging them in your posts. This will show them you appreciate their help (and give other people a nudge to start donating, too)!

Don’t forget to tag @pennyappeal and @teamorangepa and use the hashtags #PennyAppeal and #TeamOrange for more shares and to connect with other ace Team Orange fundraisers. Be smart, get creative and make the most of social media! You can also join your event’s whatsapp group for daily inspiration, fundraising tips and advice throughout Ramadan. We will send you plenty digital content to help you promote your cause more easily on social media.

5. Make it Personal

Don’t become too reliant on public social media posts and worry why donations aren’t coming in. Your bread and butter is your contact list; your phone book, WhatsApp, SMS & emails. Of course, don’t forget phone calls – yes, pick it up and talk to someone. You could also go door to door fundraising, and knock on doors in your neighbourhood or visit family and friends if need be! They will be supporting you, as you support a good cause, so your personal touch is essential! Make your way through your contact list, A-Z and don’t just paste a template message; ask them how they are and chat them up before you ask for sponsorship support. Let them know you’d really like their support and that even their smallest contribution will make a difference! Mention “even £1” if need be - of course they’ll give more. Mention Zakat as well, and ask if they’re donating or if anyone else in their household has Zakat to offer, too.

6. Ask Your Employer

When you start fundraising, speak to your employer about what you’re doing. You never know what your workplace might have in place already to help fundraisers; lots of employers have match funding schemes, where they’ll match all your donations pound for pound, meaning you’ll raise double the money! Otherwise, your workplace may be able to organise a dress-down day where everyone donates £1, or they could put you in their newsletter or just pop a donation box in the staff room. The most common way to fundraise at work is to organise bake sales. You can sell samosas, cookies, cakes and pies to help sweeten your colleague’s donations. These small things soon add up, even in a small office or team. Basically, if you don’t ask – you don’t get!

7. Kreme De La Creme of Fundraising

Why not take a look at ordering some Fundraising Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme - it's easy, fun and the doughnuts always sell quickly. You can buy them online for only £5.50 for a dozen, and mark them up to make a profit. You can really bring in the funds by delivering these Krispy Kremes as an Iftar treat, make sure to tell everyone that your door to door service is the best way to open their fast! Eid is another good occasion to supply donuts for because no celebration is complete without a whole box of sweet treats. Here’s some fundraising tips to help you get creatively Krispy… make a poster to let everyone know that you’re selling Krispy Kreme donuts, take pre orders from friends and family to make sure you have their favourites on hand, order online well in advance, and then it’s time for delivery with a smile!

8. Street Collections, Collection Buckets and Cans

If you’re fundraising with us, you can order Penny Appeal collection buckets – just fill in this short form, drop our Challenges team a message at [email protected]. Once you’ve got your collection buckets, you can pop into local shops or takeaways, and ask them if you can leave your buckets there to raise money for charity. Adding a photo and descriptions makes raising funds even more effective. After all, Small Change, Big Difference is our motto!  You can also raise extra funds if you approach your local Mosques, organise a stall at events or supermarkets, or even hold street & town collections.

You need a permit to collect in public spaces – luckily, this Ramadan, Penny Appeal have many city permits, so take advantage of these opportunities and collect! Click here to see all the locations where you can get out and fundraise! Go ahead and find a street collection near you! If none of our many permitted locations end up being convenient for you, another street collection alternative is to visit shops and see if you can hold a stall, sell sweets, or organise a bake sale. You can easily raise £300-£400 in just one day by getting your cause out to the public!

STREET COLLECTION

9. Organise a Charity or Family Iftar

It’s Ramadan, so there will definitely be plenty of opportunities to have family gatherings. Why not hire a community hall and invite all your family and neighbours or simply throw an iftar party at your house! You can ask them all to bring a dish and break their fasts together. While you have a captive audience, you can tell them about your fundraising and ask for their support. Along with their donations, you can also see if anyone would be willing to fundraise for you as well. This helps you extend your reach to different groups and communities.  Small or large iftars are all perfect for collecting donations - it all counts. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could organise a ticketed iftar at a restaurant. You will be surprised how much you can raise just from the ticket sales!  If you decide to go all in and organise a ticketed community iftar, the Penny Appeal team will be on hand to help you with everything you need from donation forms, video for presentations, T-shirts for volunteers & buckets and more.

10.  Get That Zakat

It’s your obligation to pay Zakat, and it’s the obligation of most other Muslims in the community as well. You can ask friends and family to donate their Zakat to your cause, and even ask them to collect from their networks on your behalf too. Some people may only have a small amount of Zakat to give in Ramadan but they tend to give even more to charity, so get collecting. At Penny Appeal we have a 100% Zakat donation policy, so be sure to tell them that all of their donation will go to the cause. Go out, get that Zakat and bring in all the generous donations you can!

If you have any queries, or would like to find out more about our amazing challenges please contact [email protected] or have a look at our website to find out more about how to get involved.