Association Fundraising: 5 Engaging Ideas to Raise More

While much of your association’s revenue comes from member dues, those dollars must be supplemented by other revenue streams. That’s where association fundraising comes in. Your association has a number of fundraising options, so let’s dive into five top ideas that raise money, engage your membership, and help you acquire new members.

1. Golf Tournament

What it is: A golf tournament presents a chance for your members, people from their networks, and member prospects to build connections over a round of golf. Charge a registration fee for teams to participate and sell sponsorships that cover the event’s hard costs, provide in-kind support, and support your association’s mission. 

Why this idea works: Golf’s popularity continues to surge, and golf tournaments provide great engagement and brand visibility for sponsors. Plus, tech makes planning a successful golf tournament easier than ever, making it an all-around great fundraising idea for associations. 

Pro-tip to boost revenue: Build on-course games, challenges, and contests into the tournament. These additional tournament components add more fun, draw additional attendees, offer more sponsorship opportunities, and boost revenue. A hole-in-one contest is a great example—a high-end prize is most certainly a draw for golfers, and you can sell a sponsorship to cover the cost of the hole-in-one insurance in case someone hits the lucky shot.

2. Silent Auction

What it is: In this format, members submit bids through a mobile bidding platform or write them down on sheets of paper. Offer appealing auction items that are donated by sponsors or supporters to control costs and ensure more revenue for your association. 

Why this idea works: Effective silent auction software makes it easier than ever to hold a lucrative auction full of items your members and their connections will love. This fundraising idea is a tried-and-true classic that helps supporters win attractive prizes while also supporting your association. It’s a win-win! 

Pro-tip to boost revenue: Silent auctions pair with a number of other fundraising events, so don’t be afraid to add a silent auction to another event. For instance, if you’re hosting a golf tournament fundraiser, you could add a silent auction component that runs in the week leading up to the tournament. You might also mix things up and randomize winners with a raffle format. 

3. Event or Program Sponsorships

What it is: Present businesses with the opportunity to support your fundraising events or association programs. Continuing with the charity golf tournament example, you might offer a pin flag sponsorship, where a business’ logo appears on custom golf pin flags across the course. The sponsor gets great visibility while your association reaps the financial benefits.

Why this idea works: Your association likely already hosts many events with a wide reach over the course of the year. Businesses are looking for ways to boost their brand identity, making events with a large attendance base ideal. Your sponsorship packages should cover many of the event’s fixed costs and offer high visibility and engagement for sponsoring businesses. Your association’s membership likely has valuable networks you can tap into to connect with potential sponsors. 

Pro-tip to boost revenue: Offer sponsorship tiers. Tailor the offerings to the prospective sponsor based on what marketing or philanthropic budget they might have available. Consider tiers like bronze, silver, gold, and platinum that progressively increase in value and what the sponsor should expect in return for their investment. Providing options allows more businesses to support your event or programs. 

4. Employer Matching Gifts

What it is: Matching gift programs allow your members’ gifts to go even further. They submit a request to their employers’ matching gift programs, which match a percentage of an individual’s contributions, and designate your association as their charity of choice. Your association 

Why this idea works: This idea is low-lift for your association. It’s also easy for members—they simply find out the requirements of their matching gift program and submit a request to their employer. 

Pro-tip to boost revenue: Educate your members about matching gifts. According to Double the Donation, 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers a matching gift program, leading to billions in unclaimed revenue each year. Provide accessible resources that help members understand the assets at their disposal and how they can help support your association with little effort. 

5. Giving Day

What it is: Invite supporters to rally together and support your association through a dedicated Giving Day. This might be on a special occasion, such as GivingTuesday, or any day that’s significant for your association, like the date you were founded. 

Why this idea works: Supporters typically respond well to urgency, so hosting a fundraising event that’s only a day or two long can help spur them to action. Highlight the Giving Day in all your member communications—emails, newsletters, mailed pieces, and social media—to ensure members are aware of the day and understand how they can give. 

Pro-tip to boost revenue: Incorporate a matching gift element. Reach out to a business or past donor to ask them to match any donations given up to a certain threshold on your Giving Day. Be sure you have the proper giving infrastructure in place so your members and their networks can easily make donations online.

Next Steps

Your members are the lifeblood of your association. While their dues are critical to your operations, the tips in this guide can help turn your members into loyal donors. Start by creating a fundraising plan incorporating the ideas that will work best for your organization. Whether you choose a sponsored golf tournament combined with a silent auction or a standalone giving day with a matching gift element, your association will benefit from increased fundraising and member engagement.