At Inspire.World we are often asked which is better, a onetime, short timeframe fundraising blitz, or a fundraising program that is ongoing throughout the year?

The answer is, it depends.

Some important considerations when undertaking a fundraising effort:

• Who is leading it – A short-term, fundraising initiative typically requires more of a concentrated hands-on, volunteer effort.
• What are you providing - A short-term fundraising initiative typically works best when selling just one product, think cookie dough, candy, or wrapping paper. Often it is only targeted to people in a local geographical area and going door-to-door is the typical method of soliciting contributions.
• Often, onetime fundraising works best for a concentrated effort, meaning raising money for a specific event or purchasing new items (i.e. new uniforms).
• On the other hand, year-round fundraising is more passive and can provide a substantial return over time with very little effort.
• Year-round fundraising is often done in conjunction with a partner, for example, a local grocery store, or an organization selling gift cards, or Inspire.World.
• Year-round fundraising - When it involves habits that can be ingrained in “muscle memory” (i.e. always shopping at the same grocery store with a percentage of your total spend going to your designated cause). This can be very effective and requires very little parental volunteer oversight.

Remember any fundraising effort, whether a one-time blitz or year-round, requires good communication with your stakeholders, those interested in your cause, and those willing to contribute.

Remember: who, what, where, why, and how in how you communicate your effort and you will be on the road to effective fundraising!