5 Earth Day Fundraiser Ideas for Nonprofit Organizations
Check out our Earth Day donation ideas to help boost your nonprofit’s funding this spring.
Earth Day offers an excellent opportunity to spotlight your nonprofit’s spring campaign ideas dedicated to benefiting our shared environments. It’s also the perfect time to ask for donations to continue driving your efforts forward. After all, this day is dedicated to helping the environment, so donors are more likely to be in the mindset of giving back and supporting the planet.
Whether you’re looking to host a fundraising event or encourage people to volunteer in the neighborhood, we’ve rounded up five Earth Day donation ideas and SMS tips for nonprofits to help you raise funds for the environment this spring.
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5 Earth Day Fundraiser Ideas for Nonprofits
Looking for some Earth Day donation ideas? Check out our list of our Earth Day nonprofit fundraising ideas below for some inspiration!
#1
Organize a Volunteer Day
The best Earth Day ideas involve getting out there and helping Mother Nature. This upcoming Earth Day, organize a volunteering event in your local community. For instance, you could host a beach cleanup, clear the hiking trails at a nature reserve, or plant trees in your local park. Not only is this a great way to benefit the environment and bring your community together, but it can also help boost interest in your nonprofit.
When planning your event, set up a booth where volunteers can register, receive supplies, and learn more about your nonprofit environmental organization. This is also an opportunity to collect donations and encourage others to join your organization by signing up for your text program and social media channels.
Marketing tip: You want a good turnout, so pulling out all the marketing stops is essential. This means passing out flyers around your community, posting event information on your social media channels, and sending out invitations via SMS messages.
Be sure to have additional marketing material at your booth on the day of your volunteering event to reach more donors. For example, you could have a sign that says, “Want to get involved with Pro Planet? Text PROPLANET to 42224 to subscribe and learn more about our environmental initiatives!”
#2
Partner with a Local Business
You don't have to go at it alone when drumming up support for your nonprofit environmental organization. Think of ways that you could partner with other local businesses to bring more attention to your cause.
For example, what if you partnered with a local boutique that sells eco-friendly recycled clothing? As part of your partnership, you could encourage your supporters to shop there while a small percentage of every purchase could go toward your nonprofit.
Or, maybe you could pair up with the pizza joint down the street to host a special event where a certain percentage of proceeds go toward supporting your nonprofit. Of course, this idea would benefit both of you, as it would promote the pizza place and get more traffic through its doors while simultaneously raising funds for your cause.
Marketing tip: The beauty of partnering with another business is that you can leverage your marketing efforts, doubling your outreach. In addition to posting on your respective social media channels, both businesses can send out SMS invitations to the event. For example, the pizza place could send a text saying, “(Pizza Pies) Come dine with us on April 22 to support Earth Day! 25% of all proceeds will go toward our friends at OB Parks Alliance.”
#3
Arrange a Donation Drive
Hosting an environment-focused donation drive is another solid Earth Day donation idea. For this one, think about the kinds of donations that would best support your cause. For example, if your organization focuses on beautifying the community, it may appreciate donations of supplies like trash bags, trash pickers, and buckets. But if your nonprofit plants community gardens, you might prefer soil, gardening tools, and certain seeds.
Once you've decided on the kind of donations you'd like to receive, list them and provide instructions on how, where, and when people can donate them. For example, you could set up a donation bin outside the local library or place one in front of your storefront. And because you'll want to give everyone plenty of time to purchase and donate their items, consider making this a multi-week- or month-long event.
Marketing tip: Make a post on your social media channels announcing your donation drive with all the important details. An example message could be this: "Support our Earth Day Donation Drive! Between now and April 22, Community Care is accepting the following donations: gardening gloves, organic root vegetable seeds, potting soil, eco-friendly garden stakes, and watering cans. Our drop-off donation box is located at Belmont Elementary School. Thank you for your support!"
#4
Plan an Auction
This Earth Day fundraiser idea involves hosting a silent auction to raise money for your environmental nonprofit. At this event, your guests can bid on items, and all the proceeds will support your organization.
To pull off this idea, you'll need to team up with some local businesses so they can donate their goods and services. For example, the spa down the road will offer certificates for free facials and massages, while the bakery next door creates a gift basket filled with freshly baked goodies.
Next, you’ll need a space to host the event, an auctioneer to auction off all the items, and a crowd to bid on them. The auctioneer should also be well informed about your organization so they can encourage the bidders to bid high to support your cause. At the end of the event, your guests will walk away with some amazing prizes, and your nonprofit will have topped off its funds.
Marketing tip: Create invitations to your auction via SMS messages, then send a reminder to those who have RSVP’d closer to the event date. For example, “(Green Goals) Reminder: Our Green Goals Silent Auction is this Friday at 6 PM at 1122 Lynn Way. Get ready to place your bids!”
#5
Host a 5K
Looking for even more ways to earn Earth Day donations? Then consider hosting a 5K in your community! This is one sure way to secure more donations and increase awareness about your environmental nonprofit. However, it does require quite a bit of planning.
To start a fundraiser 5K, you’ll need to acquire a suitable location for the event, like a community park or school track, and get permission to use it on your event day. Next, round up local sponsors willing to donate money and supplies to your race in return for some promotion.
From here, you can begin setting up a registration process and determine how much you’d like participants to pay—this money will go toward your organization. You can also create an online donation page, which participants share with their friends and families. And finally, you’ll want to gather some volunteers to help oversee and run the event.
Marketing tip: Some EZ texting customers incorporate SMS for nonprofits organizations by sending a special SMS invitation to your subscribers, inviting them to receive a perk for signing up early. This will entice them to register and may even encourage them to get others to join, too. For example, “(Go Go Eco) Ready for our fun run? Register for our Earth Day 5K by this Friday and receive a free eco-friendly T-shirt on race day!”
Learn More About EZ Texting
Interested in discovering other ways you can use SMS messaging to help your nonprofit and increase your donations? Contact EZ Texting to find out more about our SMS marketing solutions for nonprofit organizations.
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