How to run a successful Valentine’s Day Fundraiser

Earn funds for your organization with a Valentine’s Day Fundraiser without asking for donations.

Running a Valentine’s Day Fundraiser for your nonprofit does not have to be daunting nor difficult. It also doesn’t have to be a situation where you ask your donors to do anything they weren’t going to do already. You don’t need to push products on them that are outside of the items they normally purchase (read: everyone needs things like cleaning products, clothing, and extracurricular equipment).

You can meet donors where they already are (buying products online for themselves and their households) while earning funds for your organization from those purchases. You don’t have to ask them for an extra dime to benefit.  

The National Retail Federation (NRF) states that Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year, up from $21.8 billion in 2021 (the second-highest year on record). Compared to holiday spending in 2021–which hit $886.7 Billion–is that a relatively smaller chunk of change? Sure. But, if you were asked, “would you like to receive a portion of $23.9 billion dollars for your organization?” I’m sure your answer would be a resounding “YES!”  

Let’s take a look at what consumers are planning to do this Valentine’s Day according to the NRF:

Knowing what consumers are anticipating celebrating and buying, now let’s consider what they anticipate spending on this Valentine’s Day:

Understanding that these numbers represent snippets of the whole picture (and given our current state of economic affairs) we understand that many folks will purchase outside of these brackets. These are strange times, and the shape of personal gift giving has certainly changed with them.

To your donors, maybe that shift might end up meaning they are foregoing traditional gifts and opting for essentials like clothing, household supplies, and/or necessary upgrades (nothing says “I love you” in the winter quite like an unplanned, new furnace). If your donors are of means, perhaps that spending translates to experiential giving and the purchase of future travel packages. Certainly, self-care items from bath supplies to a day at the spa hold both traditional and new ways of giving on Valentine’s Day.

Given that we’ve covered where your donors might be spending this year, how exactly do you go about receiving a portion of their online purchase dollars for your organization? The answer lies in partnering with an online shopping program.

When you engage in this type of partnership, you are able to create a stream of new revenue that can bolster your ability to cover operating expenses via unrestricted funds that are incredibly difficult to attain otherwise.

In as little as one hour, you can set up a shopping fundraiser that will allow you to earn a percentage of everything your donors purchase at more than 1,200 participating retailers. You can create an account with a few clicks and the upload of a photo and logo. After that, email your donors to let them know you have a shopping fundraiser available.  

If you want a robustly integrated shopping program with more distinct features (think making it readily accessible on your website, email footers, and social media channels, etc.) expect to spend between five to eight hours getting your program ready. After the initial set-up, all you really need to do to maintain your shopping program is to remind your donors to shop in the communications you’re sending to them already. Some programs, like ShopRaise, will create co-branded marketing materials for you. All you have to do is upload them to your email system and click send.

If you’d still like to learn more, ask yourself the five questions you need to answer before deciding if integrating with a shopping program is the right fit for your organization. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to be a large nonprofit organization in order to be able to manage integration: schools, teams, clubs, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and even individuals can manage their own shopping fundraisers.

Truth be told, you don’t have to worry about setting up a program in time for Valentine’s Day. You can turn every single day into a fundraiser for your organization with minimal effort and without having to ask for donations.

If you’re interested in a free, no-pressure demo to learn how, please schedule an appointment with our amazing friendly and helpful ShopRaise Team.