Articles - Your guide to disaster fundraising
16th December 2022

Your guide to disaster fundraising

In recent years,crowdfunding platforms have become a vital piece of the disaster recovery puzzle for individuals, families, communities and even entire regions recovering from hurricanes, fires, floods and other disasters.

This publication walks you through the basics of disaster fundraising.

Unite, tune in, and launch your fundraising campaign

People recover better from a disaster when they work together. For the greatest impact, unite with others affected by the disaster. Form a fundraising team with people taking on specific roles, including local media outreach, social media posting, fundraising event management, photography, videography, interviews, and more.

Check out our article What do we need to know when we want to create a campaign to help victims of natural disasters?

Build your fundraising campaign

When a disaster strikes, social networks quickly generate ways for people to find each other, including a name and hashtag for the event. To improve your donor profile, emphasize your fundraiser description, fundraiser title, and the posts you share on social media.

Share with your community and beyond

After a disaster, coming together to support recovery efforts - including fundraising for survivors - can steer the community in a positive direction. When the time is right (which may be weeks after the initial disaster), a fundraising event can be an important part of your community's practical and emotional recovery. Events come in all shapes and sizes.

Contact the media

When fundraising for a disaster, media attention is very important. Contacting the media can seem intimidating, but it's easier than you imagine once you realize how journalists and television producers think and understand how to approach them.

Remember, all the media attention in the world is useless if the media can't easily direct people to your fundraising campaign.

Media coverage extends your reach

Since many people in the disaster area may also be in need and unable to donate, media coverage can help you reach beyond your immediate community.

Keep the momentum going

One of the best ways to maintain momentum for your fundraiser is by posting frequent updates about your fundraiser on your fundraising page and social media. Instead of thinking of your fundraiser as a fixed request for help that people either respond to or don't, think of it as a developing story that people will want to be a part of. Your story inspires existing supporters to share those updates, spreading your story into their larger circles.

Try a new approach to fundraising

If media and public attention starts to fade before you've reached your fundraising goal, you can inject some energy into your fundraising with new and innovative crowdfundingtactics, from a compelling social media post to a YouTube channel.

Find your path to recovery

The beauty of emergency fundraising is that it provides direct financial and emotional support to people facing hardship. And if you haven't yet organized a disaster fundraiser, start your fundraiser today.

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