How to find supporters for your crowdfunder

What kind of people become crowdfunding supporters? The reality is that anyone can fundraise, and You can ask each and every one of your volunteers, donors, members and board members to support your crowdfunding campaign.

That said, there are some people who are more likely to come forward with gusto: people who may be time poor, but enthusiastic about your cause; anyone who can’t give much money themselves; people who regularly participate in challenges like fun runs or giving something up. These people may end up being the most enthusiastic supporters, but you need all kinds of fundraisers to make a great campaign.

Here are some groups of people you can start asking, with the knowledge that there will probably be a few that say yes.

Donors

Your donor pool is probably the largest group you can draw on. If you’ve been conducting effective communications, they should be up to date with your activities. Emailing or calling recent donors is a good way to get them interested in fundraising but be mindful that it might take more than one ask to get them to agree to fundraise. Persevere, and this group will likely produce the highest number of fundraisers.

Volunteers

Your volunteers have already shown that they’re willing to go above and beyond, so it’s likely they’d be happy to raise funds for you. Be mindful, however, that some volunteers are already committing a significant amount of time to supporting you, so it’s worth being mindful that they might need to reduce their volunteer commitment while they’re fundraising.

Members

Members have shown their ongoing commitment to your organisation, and are likely following the latest updates within your organisation. It’s worth asking your members to consider fundraising on your behalf, giving them an opportunity to engage with you and the community you work with in a new way.

Board members

Your board members, whilst only a small group of people, are deeply committed and knowledgeable of the work of your organisation. (They are also intimately aware of your budget!). Board members also typically have connections within the community your organisation works with, and can leverage their fundraising efforts using these unique contacts. Having multiple board members as a part of your fundraising team can also show the other fundraisers your organisation’s commitment to the cause.

Influencers/celebrities

This can be a difficult group to engage at the best of times, so save your ask for celebrities or influencers with which you already have contact or an established connection. If you’re lucky enough to someone well-known sign up to fundraise for you, it means you’ll likely have a big boost in income and awareness building. Just be mindful of how much time you spend chasing these fundraisers.

Friends and families

Whilst many of your supporters’ friends and families may have never heard of your organisation, it can be worth asking those who sign up to fundraise to make a fundraising team with friends or family members. This typically works for the same reason that social fundraising works - having someone you know ask you to do something is more compelling than an organisation asking the same question.

Local groups

Small businesses or community groups in your area can be approached to put forward a team to crowdfund. You can think outside the box - local sporting stores might support a fun run or bike ride. Local Rotary or Lions clubs already have good community organising resources which they can draw on to form a crowdfunding team.

General public

Whilst they’re the most difficult to recruit as supporters, don’t underestimate your ability to move people into participation. If you have a compelling story, or a particularly popular challenge lined up, you can appeal to the general public through social media or news media.

Before you start asking anyone to fundraise for you, make sure you think about what group they’re a part of, whether they should be approached online, by phone, or in person, and what will motivate them to fundraise for you. If you send out tailored requests to each of these groups, you’ll find you gain a diverse range of fundraisers, with different experience levels and fundraising capacity (which is a good recipe for good team-work).

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