Fundraising During a Pandemic
By: Kalli Wilson
Tags: Fundraising, Money, Software Development, Charity, Coronavirus

The mysterious arrival of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during the winter of 2020 was an unexpected plot twist that impacted millions of individuals and businesses around the world. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, global economies started to crash as retail shops shut their doors, massive waves of employees were laid off and the global population went into unprecedented hibernation. The universal mindset quickly shifted to focus solely on three priorities: protecting your health, preservation and access to money and looking after loved ones. With the world shifting into a mode of survival through this new reality of a global pandemic, donation-based organizations and sports teams quickly began to struggle to find the funding needed to keep their organizations running.

Nothing seems more fitting to accompany these dramatic changes brought on by a global pandemic than to completely revamp the old and outdated fundraising methods that many of these organizations relied on with newer and more advanced ones. For donation-based organizations to adapt to these new challenges, it will require the fundraising enterprise to go through a complete makeover.

Picture this, you’re a small non-for-profit organization facing the difficult task of spreading awareness about your cause throughout your local community, so you decided to host a fundraising gala to encourage donations and raise money. Your goal is to have a couple of hundred people attend, host a live 50/50 draw, and raise enough money to make a substantial difference. It is also March 2020 and just one week before the event the novel coronavirus pandemic starts to appear in your town. The government quickly imposes social distancing measures, stores and businesses shut down, schools close and your event must be cancelled. Now what? The option of holding a live 50/50 is out the window, you are unable to find any volunteers and large social gatherings are now considered illegal. The future of your gala is looking bleak and the promise of raising enough money for your cause seems almost impossible. What to do?!?!?!

This is just one example of how donation-based organizations, non-for-profits, charities and sports teams are being affected by the challenges imposed by COVID-19. These organizations rely heavily on hosting fundraising events to be able to provide them with enough money to pay staff, rent and to put towards their cause. The traditional fundraising methods, such as 50/50 draws at sporting events or live auctions at galas, are no longer permitted due to coronavirus restrictions. This is where online fundraising can help.

Fundraising for a sports team or charity organization online can eliminate many of the challenges that are being faced due to COVID-19. There are countless benefits to using an online fundraising platform that can lighten the workload and volunteer demand of these organizations. This lower demand for volunteers can be extremely beneficial during normal conditions and especially during a global pandemic when most social interaction is seen as unsafe.

Online fundraising has many dimensions including hosting a home lottery or gala, running individual fundraising marathons, or even hosting an online style TED Talk. It can also be taken up a notch by using a host platform to run live 50/50 draws or online style lotteries. A SaaS company (software as a service) has the ability to obtain a license they can use to build an online database that will allow third-party companies (such as a charitable organization) to host their own online, licensed 50/50 lotteries.

The Lotto Factory is an example of a SaaS solution that provides this service for non-for-profits and sports teams looking to host online 50/50 fundraisers. These companies can be based anywhere in the world (with the exception of the U.S. and unsanctioned countries) and their raffle tickets can be purchased around the globe. The Lotto Factory’s platform is extremely user friendly and can be customized to suit the specific style of the organization using it.

Moving your fundraisers online makes it easier to track and account for earned money through secure payment methods. Payments are automatically authorized through the SaaS company that is providing the service. Automated payment methods will save the organization countless volunteer hours and can eliminate risks such as miscounting or misplacing money. These fundraisers will also enable your organization to reach a wider audience compared to only the handful of select individuals that might see a 50/50 donation box or be attending a sports game. Online fundraising is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This time frame is massive compared to the short window that is available during a specific sports team’s season or for the couple hours that an event is taking place. These individuals are also more likely to promote these organizations and their causes by using other social media platforms potentially engaging an even larger audience.

Whether your organization would benefit more from using an online platform, such as the one provided by The Lotto Factory to host 50/50 draws, or from hosting online auctions or TED Talks, there are still countless ways to meet fundraising goals during this economically and socially challenging time. On average, over 50% of North Americans donate annually to a charity. When an organization and its mission are moved online, the chances of being able to reach out to more of these generous individuals grows exponentially. So what are you waiting for? Start fundraising online today to raise awareness and grow support for your organization because even a small change is better than no change at all.

Author: Kalli Wilson | Marketing Intern | The Lotto Factory Global