How to Actually Get People to Support to Your Fundraiser (Lessons from the Trenches)

Written by Jamboree’s Sam H. about her Mom’s recent fundraiser

I thought raising money for my mom’s high school library would be easy. I mean, who doesn't want kids to support kids’ love of reading? Plus, we had tons of friends and family who I knew would want to support.

But it wasn’t easy.

My mom set up her fundraiser and started sharing it out.

She posted on Facebook. After the first few days, she had some likes and comments, but no actual sales.

She messaged the family group chat. A few heart emojis. Some "great cause!" comments. But again, no actual sales!

We were both confused and honestly, she was a little hurt. Were we doing something wrong?

Here's the thing — once we figured out what actually works, everything changed. We ended up hitting our goal and surpassing it! And the strategies we learned work for any kind of fundraiser.

Why Your Current Fundraising Strategy Isn't Working

Let me guess how you promoted your fundraiser:

• Posted the link in your family group chat
• Shared it on Facebook with a heartfelt caption
• Posted in a few community groups
• Maybe sent it to people in a group email list

And then you waited for the sales to roll in. But they didn't.

Here's why: When you ask for support in a group setting, everyone assumes someone else will support. It's called the bystander effect, and it can be killer for fundraisers.

Think about it. When 200 people see your Facebook post, each person thinks, "I'm sure plenty of other people will support, so I don't really need to." Or worse, they assume (often subconsciously) that the message isn’t really meant for them.

That family group text I mentioned? Same problem. Everyone saw it, everyone thought it was a great cause, but everyone also figured someone else in the family would take care of it.

The solution? You've got to prioritize reaching out to people one-on-one.

The moral: Don't stop posting on public channels for visibility and reach — you absolutely should be sharing on social media to amplify your message — but don’t expect it to drive the support that funds your entire goal.

First thing’s first: start with a great story.

However you’re reaching out, remember that you’re not selling trees, you’re selling your cause. Share why your cause matters to you. The difference reaching this goal will make.

For my mom’s fundraiser, sharing why the library mattered to her students & talking about her vision for making it a more welcoming place, brought in support because they built a connection with her audience.

Why it works: People trust authentic stories about the people who'll actually benefit from the fundraiser.

The 1-to-1 Strategy That Tripled My Sales

Once we switched to personal messages, the sales started coming in. Here's exactly what we did:

Send Personal Messages (Not Group Posts)

Instead of posting once in a group setting and hoping, we sent individual texts and messages. Each one took 30 seconds to write, but they felt personal to the recipient.

What I wrote:”Hey Sarah! My mom is raising money to bring some magic to her high school library; making it a creative, welcoming space where teens want to read. I’m reaching out to my fellow book lovers to see you’d want to support 💛📚. Just $20 helps her reach her goal AND plants a tree in Indiana 🌳. Win-win!”

Why it worked:

• I sent the message directly to them, 1:1
• I used their name
• I connected it to something they care about (reading)
• I gave a specific, small dollar amount
• I made it easy to say yes

How to Find Supporters Beyond Your Friends and Family

Your inner circle can only get you so far. Here's where we discovered the real magic happened:

Focus on People Who Care About Your Cause (Not Your Connection)

My mom started by reaching out to people connected to the high school — parents, teachers, community members. We figured they'd have a vested interest in helping fund new library books since it was "their" school.

But that's not where our biggest wins came from.

I started messaging friends who don't even know my mom and aren't from our hometown. But they were "book people" — friends who read a lot, one who was even an author. These people (who didn’t know my mom or her school) ended up being some of our most generous donors!

The lesson: People who care about your cause may support, even if they have zero connection to you personally.

Use Social Media Posts Strategically (When You Have Momentum)

Here's what surprised me: A Facebook post that pushed us over our goal at the very end.

When she was just $20 away from hitting our target, my mom posted: "$20 will get us to our goal. Can you help push us over the finish line?"

That single post brought in $60, putting us well over our target!

Why it worked: Instead of asking people to help with a big, intimidating goal from zero, she was asking for a tiny final push. People love being the hero of a success story!

Something I didn’t do, but would do next time:

Ask Your Current Supports to Share

Instead of just saying "thanks for supporting me," I will ask people to share with their own networks.

What I would say: "Thank you so much for supporting! If you know anyone else who might want to support kids' literacy, would you mind sharing this with them? It would mean the world to me."

Best Practices for Fundraiser Promotion That Actually Work

Start With 1-to-1 Messages, Not Mass Posts

Mass posts are good for awareness, but don’t count on them to fully drive your goal.

Do this instead: Make a list of 20 people and send personal messages first.

Be Specific About the Impact

Don't just say "help our cause." Tell people exactly what their money will do.

Instead of: "Help support our team"

Say: "Your $20 purchase helps us buy new uniforms and safety equipment."

Make It Easy to Give Small Amounts

I mentioned $20 in most of my messages, even though they could buy more. Giving people a small, specific number made it feel doable.

Use Multiple Channels

Text messages had my highest response rate, followed by Instagram DMs, then email. Try different methods with different people.

What to Do When People Don't Respond

Don't take it personally. People are busy, on a budget, or just might not be interested. That's normal.

Send one follow-up. If they don't respond to that, move on.

Focus on the people who do care. You only need a small percentage of people to support to hit your goal.

The Bottom Line on Fundraising Success

Here's what I learned: Fundraising isn't about having the most friends or the best cause. It's about being willing to have personal conversations with people who might care about what you're doing.

Yes, sending individual messages takes more time & effort than posting once on Facebook. But it works.

Asking for help doesn't have to be scary — it just has to be personal.

The next time you need to raise money for something you care about, save the mass posts and start reaching out to people directly. One conversation at a time, you'll be amazed at how quickly people want to help.

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