Fundraisers often need a little inspiration and encouragement to get the ball rolling on their fundraising efforts. Our nonprofit partners equip their fundraisers to raise more money online when they give them a few helpful fundraising ideas to get started. Fundraising ideas might include specific tips about how to ask for donations or more general ideas about how to raise money through an event, like a pub crawl or a marathon. Here's an example of an organization that has given their fundraisers some ideas by encouraging them to:

• Set a fundraising goal.
• Tell their personal stories about why the cause matters to them.
• Ask boldly for donations to an important cause.
• Educate themselves about how effectively donations are used.
• Start fundraising right away.
• Think about their networks of potential donors.
• Follow up on corporate matching gifts.
• Use a sample fundraising strategy.

Once you've put some ideas together, think about where your fundraisers are and how to get this information to them. Here are a few communication tools you can use to get fundraising ideas in the hands of your supporters (we bet you can think of even more):

• Snail mail
• Email
• Your newsletter
• Your blog
• Facebook message to your fans
• A note or discussion post on your Facebook page
• Twitter