Nonprofits today face a challenging landscape where traditional fundraising methods may not be enough to sustain operations and drive impact. Organizations need to think outside the box and diversify their revenue streams to remain resilient. By embracing innovative fundraising strategies such as social entrepreneurship, corporate partnerships, peer-to-peer campaigns, and recurring giving, nonprofits can secure sustainable funding. Here’s how your organization can rethink fundraising and maximize success.
Social Entrepreneurship:
Turning Mission into Revenue
Nonprofits can generate revenue while furthering their mission by adopting social entrepreneurship models. This could include selling products or services that align with your cause. For example:
- A food security nonprofit might start a community café or a catering service, using proceeds to fund food distribution programs.
- An environmental nonprofit could sell sustainable goods, with profits supporting conservation efforts.
Spotlight:
Spirit of Huntington Art Center
Spirit of Huntington runs its own agency, employing individuals who have completed its programs to provide these individuals with meaningful jobs. The agency offers advertising, graphic design, and website development services, creating a self-sustaining revenue stream while empowering individuals with disabilities.
Spotlight:
Spectrum Designs
Spectrum Designs and Spectrum Suds are social enterprises that operate as fully self-sustaining businesses through sales. Every dollar raised through services provided goes directly to expanding and advancing their mission of providing meaningful employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum.
By blending business principles with social impact, organizations can create a self-sustaining source of funding.
Corporate Partnerships:
Aligning Missions for Greater Impact
Businesses are increasingly looking to partner with nonprofits to fulfill their corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. By forming strategic alliances, nonprofits can gain financial support, in-kind donations, volunteer services, and increased visibility. To attract corporate partners:
- Identify businesses whose values align with your mission.
- Offer sponsorship opportunities for events or programs.
- Develop employee engagement programs where corporate teams volunteer or fundraise on your behalf.
Companies benefit from positive brand association, while nonprofits receive much-needed support—creating a win-win relationship.
Spotlight:
Cerini & Associates, LLP x
The Book Fairies
Cerini & Associates partners with The Book Fairies, a nonprofit that distributes books to under-resourced communities across Long Island, NYC, and beyond. For every billable hour, Cerini facilitates the donation of a book to a child through The Book Fairies—supporting literacy while fostering a feel-good culture among staff.
In turn, The Book Fairies promotes Cerini as a valued partner, boosting the firm’s visibility in the nonprofit and education space. Together, they’re turning shared values into lasting impact.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising:
Leveraging Supporter Networks
Peer-to-peer fundraising empowers supporters to raise money on behalf of an organization. This approach taps into personal networks and social media, making fundraising more engaging and far-reaching. Ideas include:
- Hosting a virtual or in-person challenge (e.g., a 5K run or fitness challenge) where participants fundraise for your cause.
- Encouraging birthday fundraisers on platforms like Facebook.
- Launching ambassador programs where dedicated supporters rally their communities to donate.
This strategy builds a sense of community and expands your donor base beyond traditional outreach.
Spotlight:
Lustgarten Foundation’s Long Island Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk
The Lustgarten Foundation’s Long Island Walk, held annually at Jones Beach State Park, is a powerful peer-to-peer fundraising event that rallies thousands to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. Participants form teams and leverage personal networks through online fundraising platforms, often raising nearly $700,000 per event to support cutting-edge research and honor loved ones.
By fostering community engagement and competitive team spirit, this walk creates a sustainable model for driving impactful donations.
Grants & Nonprofit Collaborations:
Strength in Numbers
While grants are a vital funding source, competition is fierce. Collaborating with other nonprofits can improve your chances of securing larger grants and maximizing impact. Consider:
- Forming coalitions with like-minded organizations to apply for joint funding.
- Partnering on program delivery to showcase scalability and innovation to funders.
- Sharing grant writing expertise and resources to improve application success rates.
Funders appreciate collaboration, as it demonstrates efficiency and a broader impact.
Spotlight:
Long Island Clean Water
Partnership’s Grant Success
The Long Island Clean Water Partnership, a coalition of 30+ nonprofits like Citizens Campaign for the Environment, collaborates to secure major grants for water quality projects. By pooling grant-writing expertise, they’ve won funding from New York State agencies, raising millions for stormwater and watershed initiatives. This united approach showcases scalability and impact, boosting success rates and benefiting Long Island communities.
Recurring Giving:
Creating a Steady Revenue Stream
One-time donations are valuable, but recurring giving provides financial stability. Establishing a monthly donor program ensures predictable revenue and strengthens donor relationships. To encourage recurring gifts:
- Offer exclusive content, impact updates, or small perks for monthly donors.
- Make it easy to sign up with a seamless online giving process.
- Highlight stories of recurring donors to inspire others to join.
- Give people the opportunity to upgrade their donation at the time of their gift.
A strong recurring giving program allows nonprofits to plan for the future with confidence.
Spotlight:
Hearts to Homes –
Turning Empty Spaces into Homes
At Hearts to Homes, the core mission is to empower individuals aging out of foster care by transforming empty living spaces into a place they can truly call home.
Their recurring giving platform makes impact tangible: $3,100 furnishes an entire apartment, $750 outfits a kitchen, $100 buys a comforter set and pillows. This clarity shows donors exactly how their monthly support changes lives—one home at a time.
By connecting dollars to real items and outcomes, Hearts to Homes builds lasting donor relationships and a steady stream of support for young adults starting their next chapter.
Creative Fundraising Events:
Engage & Excite Your Community
Fundraising events don’t have to be traditional galas or silent auctions. Get creative with engaging, community-driven events that attract new audiences, such as:
- Pickleball Tournament – A fun, fast-growing sport that appeals to all ages.
- Trivia Night – Host a themed trivia competition with entry fees and prizes.
- Scavenger Hunt – Organize an interactive city-wide or virtual scavenger hunt.
- Family Fun Day – Plan an event with games, food, and entertainment for all ages.
- Escape Room Challenge – Work with a local escape room business to host a charity event.
- Community Art Show – Invite local artists to donate pieces for auction or sale.
- Murder Mystery Dinner – A fun, interactive way to engage donors in a unique experience.
- Cooking or Mixology Classes – Partner with chefs or bartenders to create a ticketed experience.
- Fantasy Sports Tournaments – Tap into the excitement of fantasy football or March Madness to raise funds.
Unique and engaging events increase participation, create memorable experiences, and build stronger connections with donors.
Make Giving Easy:
Embracing Digital Payment Options
A seamless donation process is essential for maximizing contributions. Offering multiple, convenient ways to give ensures that donors can contribute in a way that suits them best. Consider integrating:
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal for one-click giving.
- Text-to-give options for fast, mobile-friendly donations.
- QR codes at events to drive immediate contributions.
- Subscription-style giving options to encourage monthly donations.
Removing friction from the donation process leads to higher conversion rates and increased donor satisfaction.
Don’t Forget to Engage Your Current Donors
While attracting new donors is important, retaining existing supporters is just as crucial. Keep your donors engaged by:
- Sending personalized updates on how their contributions are making an impact.
- Hosting exclusive donor appreciation events.
- Offering behind-the-scenes content or early access to special initiatives.
- Encouraging ongoing feedback to build a deeper connection.
By maintaining strong relationships with current supporters, nonprofits can cultivate a loyal donor base that continues to give year after year.
The nonprofit fundraising landscape is evolving, and organizations must adapt by embracing diverse and innovative revenue streams. By integrating social entrepreneurship, corporate partnerships, peer-to-peer fundraising, grants, nonprofit collaborations, recurring giving, and creative events, nonprofits can establish financial sustainability while deepening their impact. Thinking outside the box is no longer optional – it’s essential for long-term success.
Lauren Grandinetti, CPA
Manager
Lauren has been a member of Cerini & Associates’ audit and consulting practice area since 2012 where she focuses on serving nonprofit, healthcare, employee benefit plan, and education clients. Lauren has experience performing assurance work, outsourced accounting work, and government filings. Lauren brings her expertise, diversified background, and helpful approach to all of her engagements.
