While walks, runs and rides remain important, many charities are giving supporters the keys to launch their own “do-it-yourself” fundraising campaigns in which they create personal challenges and invite friends to donate.
The nonprofit charity: water has been among the most successful at encouraging supporters to host do-it-yourself campaigns. And while its supporters have gone to great extremes to raise money on its behalf (one woman raised more than $32,000 for the organization by pledging to swim naked from Alcatraz to San Francisco) it has also managed to raise more than $9 million since 2012 by providing a platform for people to host campaigns in conjunction with their birthdays.
In this video, Kaitlyn Jankowski, charity: water’s supporter experience manager, explains the basics of the campaign and how the organization uses a simple form on its website to encourage people to take part in the program.