Many nonprofits have told us that fundraising has been especially tough lately. The 2024 election season pulled attention (and donations) toward politics, and 2025 has brought continued economic pressure—rising costs, inflation, and tighter household budgets.
Now more than ever, organizations need creative ways to engage donors and strengthen relationships—without burning out.
The good news? We've been in the donate-to-vote space since 2005, and we've seen it succeed through every kind of economic downturn (including the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic). Donate-to-vote fundraising is a flexible, engaging, and accessible strategy that works even in tough times.
With the right tone, message, and creativity, your contest can inspire participation and support for your cause.
Here are some ways to make donate-to-vote fundraising work when times are challenging:
- 💡 Why Donate-to-Vote Fundraising Works in a Downturn
- ✅ Ideas for Your Donate-to-Vote Fundraiser
- ⚠️ Avoid These Pitfalls
Why Donate-to-Vote Fundraising Works in a Downturn:
► Easy to Launch and Cost-Effective
In-person events are expensive and resource-intensive. Running a GoGo Photo Contest allows you to easily raise funds online, minus the overhead of in-person events.
► Low Commitment
Small-dollar donations ($1.00/vote) makes participation accessible, even for financially strained supporters.
► Peer Involvement
People rally friends and family to vote for their entry, increasing the reach of your mission with minimal cost.
► Reward-Driven Giving
The exciting and competitive vibe, paired with the right prizes, turns it from simply 'giving' into truly 'fun'raising.
Ideas for Your Donate-to-Vote Fundraiser During Economic Uncertainty:
Lower the Participation Bar 👇
- Allow participants to enter for free, or for a nominal fee (like $5.00)
- With recent inflation, it might be tempting to raise your vote fee, but we recommend keeping it at $1.00 per vote (you’ll make up for it in volume).
- If you want a higher entry fee ($20+), consider offering something in exchange, like a calendar, bumper sticker, or votes.
Choose the Right Theme and Prizes 📸 🖼️ 🍺 🎁 🍾
- Keep it light, fun, and community-driven (e.g. "Top Pet of Springfield")
- Learn about prizes that work best for donate-to-vote fundraising
Focus On the Right Audience 🎯
- Target your high-dollar donors: They're the ones most likely to compete for the top spots in your contest.
- Are your prizes special and exclusive enough to help drive competition among those donors?
Foster Inclusivity by Offering Alternative Ways to Win 🏆
- Award a prize in a "judged" category, so you have at least one winner independent of vote totals.
- Choose a winner at random from a minimum amount raised (Animal Welfare League of Arlington's Rescue Brew Label Contest is an excellent example: beyond the top three vote-getters, every entrant that raises at least $100 also has a chance to win).
- Give a prize to the entrant that has the highest number of individual donors based on unique email addresses (SPCA of Monterey's Calendar of Superstar Pets Photo Contest second place prize is a great example).
Tie Your Contest to Your Mission 👉❤️👈
- Donors are more likely to jump in and support your mission when they can picture the impact their donations will make.
- Be clear what each donation supports: "Funds raised will go toward a brand new transport van" or “Every $5 raised provides 3 meals”.
- When advertising your contest, be sure to stress the importance: This is our biggest fundraiser of the year!"
Be Transparent & Highlight the Impact 💰
- After the campaign, share the winners and how much they raised.
- Recognize and appreciate all participants, regardless of donation size.
- Also share what you will achieve with the dollars raised (important if you want buy-in on an annual donate-to-vote fundraiser).
Need Help Growing Your Fundraiser? 🌱
Avoid These Pitfalls:
Tone-Deaf Messaging
- Don’t make it feel like “fun and games” while ignoring economic pain. Acknowledge the moment, and make it clear to your followers why their financial support is so important to your cause.
Relying Only on Social Media to Advertise Your Contest
- Social media companies restrict the reach of outbound links on their platforms, which means your supporters may not be seeing posts about your fundraisers.
- Try using email blasts in addition to social media to reach all of your supporters.
Forgetting About Past Donors
- Run a fundraiser with us before? Make sure to reach out to your previous participants.
Ending Your Contest at Midnight!
- This may seem minor, but ending your contest at midnight means that a good chunk of your supporters won't be awake for last-minute voting as your contest ends. Would you stay up until midnight to participate in a fundraiser? Ending your contest at 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM gives you the best chance at having your donor's attention for those last-minute donations.
Watch for Burnout
- Keep your donate-to-vote campaign short and punchy, and at a time when you are not holding any other fundraisers.
The key takeaway:
Despite today’s fundraising challenges, supporters are still willing to give—especially when their contributions create visible impact for your organization and the experience is fun.