Fundraiser Marketing: How to Promote a Fundraiser on Social Media

Advertising a fundraiser effectively means using a mix of channels: social media for organic reach and storytelling, email for your existing donor base, paid ads for new audience acquisition, and printed materials like flyers, event tickets, or raffle tickets for in-person visibility. Social media tends to be the starting point because it’s low-cost and shareable, but campaigns that combine digital and physical outreach typically raise more.

Tips:

• Nonprofits can apply for Google Ad Grants, which provides up to $10,000/month in free Google Ads credits for eligible organizations.
• Email marketing generates around 28% of online nonprofit revenue—build your email list alongside your social following.
• Physical promotional materials like fundraiser flyers, direct postcard mailers, and brochures extend your reach to people who aren’t following your social channels.

Understanding who you want to talk to is crucial to creating an effective social media marketing campaign. So, before you get started, think about your ideal audience. What are their interests? What are their preferred social media channels?

Tips: 

• You likely plan to market your fundraiser to more than one group of people. This is where donor segments come in handy, as you can tailor marketing efforts to each group. To help you figure out what platform your  your audience congregates, review the Pew Research Center’s informaion on various age groups’ social media preferences.
• Keep in mind that organic reach on social media continues to decline—Facebook posts now reach only about 1.4% of followers organically—making targeted content and strategic use of multiple platforms even more important.

As tempting as it is to tap your nearest social media app and post on the fly, thinking ahead will get you much further. Create a social media calendar for your fundraiser. This will help you stay organized and ensure your social media posts are consistent and spaced.

Tips:

• Facebook and Instagram allow you to schedule posts in-app for free.
• Tools like Later and Buffer can also help you schedule posts on all platforms
• Many scheduling services now offer AI-powered suggestions for optimal posting times based on your audience’s activity patterns.

There’s a lot of social media content out there. Snazzy images and videos will increase the chance of your post registering to the eye.

Tips: 

• If you need a little help in the art department, connect with a graphic designer or try your hand at DIY. Or you can avail yourself of a wide array of customizable social media templates.
• AI-powered design tools are making it easier than ever to create professional-looking content quickly. Many scheduling tools now include AI features to help optimize your posting times and content.

Hashtags help your organization reach a broader audience on social media. Choose relevant hashtags related to your online fundraiser and encourage your followers to use them in their posts.

Tips: 

• When choosing hashtags, it’s crucial to be strategic. Remember, the more posts under one hashtag, the higher the risk of your entry getting lost. This is why it’s beneficial to use a mix of higher- and lower-use hashtags. But don’t forget the power of community. By going local and using community-specific hashtags, you can foster a sense of connection and engagement with your target audience, further boosting your visibility and reach.
• Consider creating a unique hashtag challenge that encourages user-generated content. When supporters create their own posts about your cause, it amplifies your reach organically.

Appeal to your audience by helping them relate to your cause. Share stories (literally—in this case we don’t mean Instagram stories, although that’s a great medium!) of the people your nonprofit is helping and why your fundraiser is important. This will help your followers understand the impact of their support and connect with your cause.

There’s science behind this approach—according to Stanford Graduate School of Business research by Professor Jennifer Aaker, stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone.

Video makes this especially powerful—a short clip of a volunteer explaining why they show up, or a moment from the community you serve, lets donors see your cause rather than just read about it. For more on how nonprofits are using video and AI tools to connect with donors, watch our AI and nonprofits webinar.

Announce your fundraiser with a teaser before the official launch date. Share a brief “coming soon” post that explains the cause, sets an opening date, and creates a sense of anticipation. On launch day, post across all your channels with a clear ask: what you’re raising money for, how much you’re hoping to raise, and how someone can contribute right now.

Tips:

• Post a countdown or teaser 5–7 days before launch to warm up your audience before the campaign goes live.
• Your launch post should answer four questions in the first two sentences: who you are, what you’re raising for, what the goal is, and how to give.
• Encourage board members, volunteers, and staff to share the launch post on the same day—early engagement signals boost organic reach on most platforms.

People will see your social media post on their smartphones. So, enabling them to donate the moment inspiration strikes is essential.

Tips: 

• Include a link to your donation page in your profile and include a link to donate within your posts. Unlike Facebook, you can create clickable links within an Instagram post, and you can use tools such as Later’s Linkin.bio to make any images within your Instagram (and TikTok!) feed clickable.  In addition, you can add clickable links within Instagram stories and use Linkin.Bio to associate a link with your reel.
• A word about TikTok: if you want to add a link of any kind in your bio, you will need a TikTok business account. While TikTok offers donation stickers for select nonprofits, using a dedicated fundraising platform like Eventgroove gives you more control over donor data, better analytics, and the ability to integrate with your other fundraising efforts across all social platforms.

It can be tempting to post and then shift your focus to other things like helping those your nonprofit benefits. However, interacting with your audience on social media is key. Check back in regularly to respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage your followers to share their thoughts and experiences. If you don’t have tons of time, consider asking a savvy volunteer for help!

Tips:

• Create ongoing conversations by asking questions in your posts, not just sharing information. People are more likely to engage when they feel heard.
• Remember that engagement looks different on each platform—Instagram favors visual responses and Stories interactions, while Facebook values longer conversations in comments.
• Encourage your followers to share their own stories and experiences with your cause, then engage meaningfully with their content.

Free posts on Facebook and Instagram only reach a small slice of your followers these days. Search results work similarly—ads appear above organic links, and AI-generated summaries now sit at the very top. A modest paid budget, on social or in search, helps you reach people who haven’t found you yet.

Tips: 

• Built-in ad targeting tools—Platforms like Facebook automatically optimize your ads through systems like Advantage+, which analyzes user behavior to show your fundraiser to people who have donated to similar causes before. Tools like Mailchimp and HubSpot can do the same for email campaigns, building segments based on how past supporters have engaged.
• Short video clips also tend to outperform static images in paid ads—even a 15-second clip can stop someone mid-scroll in a way a graphic won’t.
• Test your content. It’s worth trying more than one platform before committing your budget—what works on Facebook doesn’t always work on Instagram, and search ads reach a completely different audience. Start with a small amount on each, see where donations are actually coming from, and go from there.

Embracing the growing trend of influencer marketing can be a game-changer for your fundraisers. By teaming up with influencers who share your passion and boast a substantial following, you can significantly amplify your message, reaching a wider audience and enhancing the credibility of your campaign.

To connect with influencers:

• Start by researching those who align with your mission.
• Reach out via direct messages or email with a personalized note explaining your cause and how they can help.
• Be clear about what you’re asking for—whether it’s a shoutout, a collaborative post, or participation in a virtual event.
• Offer incentives such as exclusive content, early access to events, or public recognition of their support.

Your supporters can be your best marketers! User-generated content (UGC) is when your community creates and shares their own posts about your cause. This authentic content often resonates more than polished marketing materials.

To encourage UGC:

• Create a branded hashtag and ask supporters to use it when sharing their stories
• Share supporter posts on your own accounts (with permission)
• Host photo/video contests related to your cause
• Ask volunteers to document their experiences
• Encourage beneficiaries to share their stories (when appropriate)

UGC gives you authentic content to reshare while building a stronger sense of community around your fundraiser. Plus, when supporters create content about your cause, they’re essentially advocating for you to their entire network.