You promote a fundraiser by clearly explaining your cause and whatyou hope to change, giving your supporters a single easy action totake after they understand, and gettingthat message out as wide as possible though any communicationchannel you have at your disposal.

You should always start with people already familiar with yourcause and support you as they can help amplify your messaging throughtheir own circles of friends and family. Then as you progress, starta regular schedule of reminders and track which promotional channelsactually drive ticket sales and donations.

This guide outlines practical strategies that realnonprofits use for all types of events, including communitydrives, virtual campaigns, and formal galas. From creating acompelling message to launching targeted outreach, each step isbroken down in plain English so you can build momentum and run asuccessful fundraiser.

Define Your Fundraiser’s Goal, Audience and itsMain Message

Before you begin thinking of ways to promote your fundraiser, youfirst need a clearfundraising goal that answers the ‘why’ and ‘howmuch’ questions your supporters will be asking.

• Example: "We need [$10,000] to [buy 500 winter coats] for local kids."

People don't always donate to a specific charity, but they willdonate for specific causes they’re aligned with. Once your goal isspecific, writing marketing messages that grab their attention willbe a lot easier, which brings us to the next step, grouping yourcontacts into buckets so you don’t send each target audiencethe same generic email.

The first bucket you should create is for your existingsupporters such as past donors and your board members andvolunteers. This group’s message would be asking them to buy eventtickets, or a table at a fundraisinggala.

The next bucket is reserved for local businesses that can be seenas potential sponsors. This group’s message should revolve aroundasking them to cover the event costs or to donate items to raisemoney.

And the last bucket is reserved for the general public and thosethat aren’t familiar with your organization yet. This group’smessage should be more of a general invite with links to your aboutpage and financial disclosure in order to start building trust withthem.

Once you’ve mapped out your targetaudience and understand your messaging, close with ONE clearnext step such as a link or button that goes to a donation link,mobilecheckout or your reservation page that includes ticket sales tothe event. Something as simple as "Click here to reserve yourticket before Friday" makes what you want them to do crystalclear and easy.

Now you can combine those three steps using the formula below tocreate a clar and compelling message:

"Help[Your Charity] supply 500 winter coats by buying a $50 gala ticketbefore November 1st."

Once you have that sentence written down, thenyou go choose which communication channels to use to get your messageout, like emailingyour donor list and posting on social media, or hanging flyers inlocal shops and on telephone polls.

Build a Fundraiser Page That Makes Registering orDonating Simple

This simple step can easily double the amount of people showing upto your event, and when done correctly a dedicated fundraising pageis the work horse of your communication strategy.

A successful fundraising page simply explains the fundraiser andmakes the next action obvious, which is often registeringfor the event or buying tickets, os making a donation straight toyour organization.

No matter what the right choice is for your specific goals, everypage needs to have the information we’ve listed below to be crystalclear for your users:

• Organizer name and charitable cause
• Date, time, venue, or online access links
• Ticket prices and admission details
• Main call to action button
• Contact details and accessibility information
• Alternative donation link for supporters unable to attend
• Clean short URL alongside a scannable QR code

Don’t use unnecessary fluff or clutter on your page. You want tobe as clear and direct as possible. For instance, don’t say thingslike "Visit our website for more information,"rather, be direct and say something like "Reserve yourgala seat today before tickets sell out!"

One quick note here, our eventmanagement software makes it super easy to create a page like this touse in all your communications as a landing page. Paybee’s mobilecheckout and ticketing solutions make it as easy as tap and go foryour users so no one will ever ‘click off’due to a slow loading page or confusing experience. Youcan check out our free demo hereto see how easy it really is, and how blazing fast the pages youcreate and control can be.

Create a Fundraiser Promotion Timeline FromLaunch to Final Reminder

One of the biggest mistakes we seenonprofits make is not havingan actual promotional timeline set up from day one, so they justend up bombarding people all at once at the last minute. This is theexact opposite of what you should be doing.

Rather than trying to play catchup, treat your eventpromotion like a countdown tothe registration deadline.You want to space out your messages in phases so people have time toplan, buy tickets and youcan give them reminders toshow up.

Below is a solid timeline to guide youon how this all should work:

Stage

Promotion Task

Before launch

Confirm details, test landing page, build partner kits

4–6 weeks before

Send save the date, launch main channels & personal outreach

2–3 weeks before

Highlight cause impact, gala features, sponsor spotlights

Final week

Share practical FAQs, event details & reminder messages

Post-event

Share progress update, send thank-yous & preliminary results

One other thing to mention here, never lie about the dates and saythat ‘tickets are almost sold out’ when they aren’t. This isbad faith, and when supporters catch on, they will walk away andyou’ll likely loose their trust forever. So just set a realdeadline that give them the ability to buy their tickets and makeplans to go to the event.

Promote Your Fundraiser With Email and PersonalInvitations

As we spoke about before earlier, you should now have your emaillist segmented so you can use different subject lines and messagesfor each group of people. This is when a solid email newsletter thatexplains the event does its job and your donor segments matter. Andif you have some close donors, take the extra time to write theinvite personally, they’ve already backed you, and a hand writteninvitation shows you actually care.

And if you can, try reaching out to people personally during thelast week. You can use your board members here to help as well asvolunteers to connect with people on the phone or through handwritten correspondence. People definitely notice this personalapproach and it’ll also help to startbuilding deep relationships with your supporters.

We’ve given you a simple template to use for your own needs andit covers all we’ve talked about. Just be sure to change theinformation in brackets!

Subject: Join us for the [Annual Gala Name] on[Date]!

Dear [Name],

Thanks to past supporters like you, [Organization]continues to provide vital community services. We would love for youto join us at this year’s gala on [Date]. Reserve your seat todayto help us reach our goal:

[Link: Reserve Your Gala Seat]

Promote a Fundraiser on Social Media WithStories, Updates and Clear Links

Social media really is a great way to engage with your supporters,and even grab a few new ones too. The trick is to be sure you useeach and every posting wisely. For instance, one post can be a storyexplaining how past efforts have positively effected your cause.Another may be explaining the event and all that will happen on thenight.

But no matter what your doing, always have a clear next step,usually a link to the event’s page so they can sign up and gran aticket. Here’s a few quick wins when it comes to using socialmedia:

• Event page announcements and launch posts
• Consented impact stories highlighting the funded program
• Behind-the-scenes event prep featuring volunteers or table hosts
• Short video updates with captions for accessibility
• Shareable graphics posted in relevant community groups (following group rules)

Always include alt-text for images,captions for video, and a visibledonation link or ticket URL.

Use a clear, structured post like this example:

"Every dollar raised at our Annual Gala provideswarm meals for local families. Join us on [Date] for an unforgettableevening! Reserve your seat today or donate online: [Link]#CommunityFirst"

This draft works because it states exactly what the positiveeffect of their attendance will be, it explains all of the event’sdetails clearly and offers a next step link so they can take action.

Ask Sponsors, Volunteers and Local Media to ShareYour Fundraiser

The easiest way to get people to actually promote your event foryou is to have everything they need all ready for them to simply copyand paste. By creating an ‘ambassador toolkit,’ you relieve anyfriction for those that wouldn’t otherwise know what to say, oraren’t sure what inforamtion would even click with their particularreach.

And speaking of reach, try to tailor their kit to the people yousee as their reach. See if they plan to connect through employeenewsletters, customer channels or local readers and tweak their kitaccordingly. This will give you a much better chance of resonatingwith their network than just giving everyone the same media kit.

Here are some ideas for your own kit:

• A simple kit: local businesses and sponsors receive approved images, short captions and short links that go to your landing page
• Volunteers and table hosts get direct invite scripts
• Outlets receive a tailored press release and community calendar submissions

And here’s a simple script to use when sending your information:

"Dear [Sponsor Name], thank you for supporting[Event Name]! Could you share this 2-sentence blurb and registrationlink in your upcoming employee newsletter or intranet? [Insert ShortLink]."

Promote a Fundraiser for Free Before Testing PaidAdvertising

If you’re planning on running paid ads to promote your event,test your copy and messaging before spending a dime. There aremultiplefree promotion channels you can use to see how well yourpromotional material is landing. Once you get everything aligned andpeople are responding, then it’s time to use your marketing budgetfor paid advertising.

Compare your promotional options:

• Owned and Community Channels (Free): Email newsletters, website banners, social channels, community calendars, local noticeboards and physical flyers or posters.
• Paid Advertising: Targeted ad tests with a strict spending cap on platforms where your prospective donor demographics actively engage.

An effective offline flyer requires four core elements:

1. Clear Cause: A concise headline explaining the funded purpose.
2. Event Details: Date, time, and venue address.
3. Primary Action: Direct call to action to buy tickets or donate.
4. Scannable Access: A prominent QR code with a short URL below it.

Even if staff and volunteer hours are technically free as in nowage is given, that doesn’t mean they don’t come with a cost.Time is just as valuable as money and you need to know if you’reinvesting is turning into actual ticket sales and donations. Here’sa simple formula to see if a paid ads strategy is actually working orif you’re simply burning time and money:

Hypothetical Calculation: If you spend $200 onsocial ads and generate 10 ticket sales, your donor acquisition costis $20 per registrant ($200÷ 10 = $20).

Adapt Your Promotion Different Types of EventsFor Schools, Churches, Healthcare, Arts and Community Nonprofits

Differenttypes of audiences respond to different types of messaging andpromotions. We’ll go over some of the most common below to give youan idea on how to tailor your messages to any specific group.

Promote School and PTO Fundraisers Through Parentand Alumni Networks

Start with your PTO or school’s newsletter and then include anyparent group chats or alumni communication networks to widen the net.You should stick to talking about student educational projects duringyour communications and maketicket registration seamless for families.

Promote Church Fundraisers Through Congregationand Community Partnerships

Use your weekly church bulletin,service announcements and congregationemail lists to start getting the word out. Make sure you frame yourchurch fundraiser aroundnon-religous local community service so people of all faiths willfeel comfortable in joining in.

Promote Healthcare Foundation Fundraisers WithConsented Stories and Clear Program Goals

Focus on your specific program goals such as funding medicalequipment or funding further patientsupport services. Promote a healthcarefoundation benefit gala through your board’s networks andhealthcare partners to get your messaging out.

Promote Arts Fundraisers Through Performers,Patrons and Cultural Networks

Leverage your performer’s networks, use your venue’s mailinglists and try to partner with any local culturalpartners to promoteyour arts fundraisers.You want your supporters to clearly understand how their gifts willhelp support the artists and the arts as a whole, so communicatethrough this lens.

Promote Community Fundraisers ThroughNeighborhood Groups and Local Businesses

For a community focused fundraiser, use the very community you’reraising the money for. This can include neighborhood communitygroups, civic classifications and local businesses and churches. Postany updates on your local noticeboards and community calendars tokeep the momentum moving. You can even go as far as having staff andvolunteers hand out flyersat stores and parks to really push your message through.

Measure Which Fundraiser Promotions GenerateTickets and Donations

Vanity metrics like getting a hundredlikes on each Facebook post or 100 retweets on X may look awesome,but if you don’t sell an actual ticket, none of it matters. Whatyou need is ticket sales. Actual people buying tickets or donating toyour cause. And to know what is really working, you’ll need answersto some basic questions like...

How many people filled out yourregistration form?

How many tickets were bought?

How much money was donated?

The easiest way to do this is by usinglinks with UTMparameters for each promotional channel like your Facebook groupor Youtube channel so when you include the link on your post orvideo, you can see who clicked it and what they did afterwards. Howmany people saw the link? How many clicked it? What did they do next?Did they fill out the registration form or click off? Did they buy aticket, make a donation or click away?

This is all crucial information andcan help pinpointproblems in your campaigns.

And while this all may sound highlytechnical, it’s actually very easy, especially when using Paybee.

FAQs: Fundraiser Promotion Questions

How Early Should I Start Promoting my Fundraiser?

The earlier the better. If it is a smaller event, four to sixweeks out is enough time, but for more major events like large galasrequire an even longer promotion timeline that can last up to sixmonths depending. This is so you have time to secure corporatesponsors, book venues and sendformal save the date notices.

Where Can We Promote Our Fundraiser for Free?

Some of our ideas include your organization's email newsletter,organic social media posts, website banners, local community calendarlistings and partner flyers are all greatfree ways to advertise your event, especially if you’re a smallnonprofit just starting out.

How Can You Promote a Fundraiser Without a LargeSocial Following?

You’re going to need to get creative and use what you alreadyhave. This means asking your staff, volunteers, board members and anyexisting supporters to reach out to their own friends and familiesfor support. If you’re doing a local fundraiser, then also turn toyour immediate surroundings and try getting local businesses,organizations like the VFW or even churches to help you get the wordout.

What Should You Do If Fundraiser Ticket Sales AreSlow?

See if the issue is low traffic or your checkout page has anyproblems. If people are not visiting your page at all, you need toget your link in front of more eyes through direct calls, partneremails and personal messages. If a lot of people are visiting yourpage but leave without buying, yourregistration form is likely too complicated and needs to besimplified.

Turn Your Own Fundraiser Promotion Into an EasyNext Step With PayBee

Running a successful promotional campaign comes down to making itas easy as possible for people to go from being interested toactually buying a ticket or donating. Any confusion, extra steps ortechnical glitches along the way and you supporters will simply giveup on the process and leave. This is why using modern event softwarelike ours that keeps your event pages clean, simplifies the ticketcheckout process, and lets people pay quickly on their phones with asimple tap is so important so you never loose a registration or adonation.

To see how Paybee can help you with your events, tryour free demo right now and discover how sophisticatedorganizations run their entire event process through our softwaresolution.