Fundraising is essential for many nonprofit organizations, yet finding the right mixture of strategies to keep the cash flowing in is not straightforward.

If you are looking for some out-of-the-norm money-raising options, the following ideas should inspire you to mix things up.

Work with local companies and share profits

Engaging with business partners in the local area is a common fundraising route for nonprofits, but you don’t just have to request standard corporate sponsorship. In fact you could find a mutually advantageous arrangement, especially if you liaise with smaller industrial operations nearby.

For example, you could start a conversation with local manufacturers: “Would you sell your used packaging equipment, and give the proceeds to us?” This lets them make a donation and also get rid of outdated machinery, killing two birds with one stone.

Make the most of live streaming

If you’re not familiar with the concept of live streaming, it’s been building momentum for more than a decade, and as well as being a profitable career for many people, it also has strong links to charity.

There are a couple of ways to make the most of this; first, you could submit your nonprofit as a potential fundraising partner to an existing live streaming event that’s committed to supporting good causes, or second you could run your own event instead.

With live streaming, you can do almost anything. You could hold a gaming marathon and get donations and incentives involved.

You could simply showcase an event that you’re running anyway, and use platforms like Twitch to broadcast it to a wider audience, so that you’re not limited to the people who can attend in person.

You don’t need a complex setup to live stream today. Even simple social media tools like Instagram come with baked-in live streaming capabilities, so there’s little cost involved.

Sell your skills

Your nonprofit likely runs on special skills of team members, and this type of expertise is likely to be of interest to others who are eager to learn.

If this is the case, you could consider hosting courses on-site or at a remote location where you impart the knowledge you’ve accumulated to adults and kids alike.

Setting up skills workshops can be done on a paid basis, or you could just request that attendees make a donation rather than having to pay upfront.

As well as being a good fundraising strategy, this also helps you to connect with people in the community and improves the reputation of your organization, raising the likelihood of repeat donations in the future.

Link your fundraising to a well-known event

Piggybacking on the popularity and media coverage that is generated by national holidays or internationally significant dates is a good move for all sorts of nonprofits.

There’s a day for almost everything in the modern world, so it’s straightforward to pick one that’s linked to your cause, and make a fundraising push around this time. Don’t forget to submit your press release about your nonprofit event to the local media, as well!

From eco-friendly events like Earth Hour, which are broad enough to encompass almost any nonprofit or indeed business, to a raft of industry and cause-specific days, your choice is extensive. A quick online search will let you find suitable days to target.

Source ideas from staff and volunteers

You don’t just have to rely on your own fundraising concepts to make a connection. In fact, you’ve got a well of good ideas to dip into if you just choose to use it.

What we mean is that team members across your organization, as well as any volunteers who are associated with it, should be solicited for suggestions on how to bring in more money.

Not every example will be worth pursuing, of course, but the point is that by talking to the people who know your operations inside out, as well as the cause you represent, you’ll get bespoke, potentially actionable solutions to your fundraising issues.

The bottom line

The main takeaway is that if you think outside the box, fundraising doesn’t have to be a drag. Also remember that having a diverse set of tactics in play is better than putting all of your focus into one campaign which may or may not pay off.

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