Virtual Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits and Donations in the Office

It's juuuust about that time of year: 80% of us have already rewatched Love Actually, Elf, and The Princess Switch trilogy. It’s a season of feel-good movies, gatherings, and gift-giving for many worldwide. But it’s also an important season to focus on fundraising campaigns and support nonprofits and organizations that need extra care. What are you and your team doing to raise money this year?

According to Nonprofit Tech for Good, nearly a third (31%) of annual giving happens in the last month of the year. Giving Tuesday, globally observed after Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, is a great way to kick-start a virtual fundraising campaign and spread holiday cheer.

Getting the office involved in fundraising for nonprofits is a tradition as old as the holidays - food drives, pay-to-potlucks, and buying raffle tickets at a reception were popular ways to raise money. But what happens when your team is virtual or hybrid?

Here are some top fundraising ideas for the office that work online through a fundraising platform or peer-to-peer fundraising!

Things to consider for virtual fundraising ideas:

• How do you find the proper charity/ies to support? Dig deep into your organization’s Mission and Vision to find a cause that aligns with your values. Can’t decide where to focus efforts? Ask for suggestions and split donations among the team’s favorites.
• Think big! Ask if your employer or client roster can match the team’s efforts for a larger donation and greater impact.
• Incentivize with prizes Whether cheap and cheerful (a free cup of coffee will get most people out of bed!) or high value (a whole afternoon off, anyone?). Prizes are a no-brainer way to inspire action. Think of them as a way to show gratitude, not just entice more donations.
• Spark friendly competition and track progress on Goosechase. Have your colleagues join to set fundraising goals, show how they’re doing their part (have them record a video message about why they’re fundraising, for example!), and to measure and reward milestones during the fundraising process. Compile the photo and video submissions at the end of the season to celebrate participation or create a heartwarming gift for your beneficiaries.
• Communication is key Tell the team exactly who they’re fundraising for, why, when, and how...and tell them often! Most people want to be charitable but don’t feel they have the channels to do so. Presented with the opportunity, they’re all in!
• Give what you can Is someone interested in giving but unable to join events? Providing other opportunities, like the option to donate an hour’s pay or volunteer with time instead, will help everyone be able to contribute.

One-Day Virtual Fundraiser Ideas

Have a day dedicated to holiday fun - and that includes fundraising. These office fundraising ideas take less than a day to run, and having everyone focus on the same goal for a couple of hours will keep energy high and build camaraderie.

• Exclusive Experience: Host a virtual film screening, cooking class, mixology class, musical performance, or epic scavenger hunt... Airbnb has unique classes from all over the world, and you can create a custom scavenger hunt experience on Goosechase. Use Goosechase to create a custom fundraising experience, where participants pay a small admission fee to join and complete fun virtual challenges.

• Game Time: Going into the office? Host a board game bracket and raise funds by charging both a playing fee and hedging bets on winners (watching people draw Q’s and Z’s in Scrabble is our favorite). If your team’s remote, there’s no shortage of games to play online. Some of our favorites include Codenames and Among Us (more ideas from Parade here).

• Pay for Perks: “Sleep-in Day” has a nice ring and is as fun as it sounds! Have people donate dollars to push their start time by the hour. Offer fun fundraising opportunities like “Sleep-in Day” or premium parking. Employees can pay a small entrance fee or a small donation to enjoy the perks, adding to your fundraising revenue.

Multi-Day Fundraising Event Ideas

Have more time? Keep your office fundraiser efforts alive longer (a week is good, a whole month is better), and keep momentum by regularly checking in and rewarding milestones. Constant communication is key for longer fundraisers, but the team's connection to the cause and each other! - and contributions will be well worth the effort.

• Office jargon jar: If you've caught yourself circling back or touching base a few too many times, take it online with a virtual jargon jar! Taking the concept of a swear jar, commit to donating any time you use typical office jargon or industry lingo. Before officially starting, get everyone together to brainstorm which words and phrases are no-nos (a hilarious event). Then, let the games begin! This one will take some peer-to-peer policing, so create a #JargonJar group chat or Slack channel and keep tabs (and screenshots!) there. Extra donations are necessary for goofing up on a video call. Donate whenever someone uses industry jargon-track contributions through online fundraising pages or Slack channels.

• Scavenger Hunt: Use Goosechase to host a virtual fundraiser. Run a virtual campaign for a week or two, charge a small admission fee, offer bonus points, or send participants to online donation pages as part of the game. Goosechase is an excellent tool for engagement, no matter the fundraising activity, but you can’t go wrong with the scavenger hunt format we’re known and loved for (take a look to see how it works!) Goosechase run times vary according to the experience you create, but keeping your game live for a week or two will keep your team plenty busy (and create a ton of hilarious content to create a slideshow for the holiday party). Here are some ideas to make the chase as fun and engaging as possible, and to raise the most you can for charity.

  • Sell participant or team tickets to play - even friends and families can join in!
  • Create sponsorship packages with branded Missions and prizes and offer them to local businesses. This will drive traffic to their locations and raise funds!
  • Let players pay for bonus points or to skip Missions. It’s not cheating if it goes to charity!
  • Send players directly to donation pages as part of the Missions within the chase.

• ____-a-thon: We all know the premise of running a marathon for charity. If you're in an office full of elite athletes, by all means, lace up. If your team's athletic pursuits are a little more recreational, have fun with the marathon format and commit to raising funds for other activities: Sure, you can run a mile for every $10 donated - or you can do a set of push-ups, read a book, sketch a portrait, do a dare, the possibilities are endless! Work in teams or fly solo and commit to a challenge for every dollar raised.

Planning a charitable initiative is a big (and exciting) responsibility - and we hope these virtual and hybrid fundraising ideas help! - but giving to those in need during the festive season truly is one of the most rewarding gifts you could give your team, community, and yourself. It can be overwhelming to consider all how the world needs to see change for the better, but take comfort in the fact that every act of kindness and charity contributes to something greater.

I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.
Jana Stanfield

At Goosechase, we're humbled that so many non-profits and other organizations rely on our platform to host IRL. These virtual and hybrid fundraisers engage participants and smash goals for the greater good. Giving back is a gift in itself, and its collaborative nature boosts team engagement and morale - textbook definition win-win. (And if using classic office jargon like win-win doesn't convince all your organisations to do some giving this year, we don't know what will. Go! Give! Do good!)

Why Do Virtual Fundraisers Work?

Virtual fundraisers are easier to run for nonprofits and organizations, allow new fundraising strategies, and can reach more participants than traditional fundraising. You can maximize your efforts, create incredible experiences, and track fundraising success in real-time using fundraising software or a platform.

Other top virtual fundraising ideas:

• Virtual gala
• Virtual happy hour
• Virtual cooking class
• Virtual walk
• Virtual concert

These amazing fundraising ideas allow your office to get creative, raise money, and create fundraising opportunities for everyone - while boosting team morale and engagement.

More virtual and hybrid fundraising event ideas we love:

• Fundraising Ideas Employees will Love
• Virtual Fundraising Ideas