Tips for Donate-to-Vote Fundraising in 2026

Many nonprofits have told us that fundraising has been complicated lately, to say the least. The 2024 election cycle drew attention (and donations) toward political candidates, and 2025 brought ongoing economic pressure for many households.

This tells us that organizations need fundraising approaches that keep supporters engaged, even when giving conditions are less predictable.

We have been in the donate-to-vote space since 2005, and we have seen these fundraisers succeed through every kind of economic cycle, including the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the right tone, message, and creativity, your own contest can inspire participation and meaningful 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.

Reward-Driven Giving
The exciting and competitive vibe, paired with the right prizes, turns it from simply 'giving' into truly 'FUN'raising.

Low Donation 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.

Ideas for Your Donate-to-Vote Fundraiser During Economic Uncertainty:

Lower the Participation Bar

• Allow participants to enter for free, or for a small fee (like $5.00)
• With recent inflation, it might be tempting to raise your vote fee, but we still 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 votes, a calendar, or bumper sticker.

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 (See Animal Welfare League of Arlington's Rescue Brew Label Contest: 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 People's Choice Prize is a great example).

  Find more Mini Contest ideas at this link!

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 Positive Impact

• After the campaign, be sure to 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).
   

Avoid These Pitfalls:

⚠️ Tone-Deaf Messaging

• Don’t make it feel like it's only “fun and games” while ignoring the financial realities many people are facing. Acknowledge the moment, and clearly communicate why support is especially needed for your organization right now.

⚠️ 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.

  Use 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 will be asleep as last-minute voting (and donating) in your contest ends.

  Ask yourself: Would YOU stay awake until midnight to participate in a fundraiser?

  Instead, 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 Donor Burnout

• Keep your donate-to-vote campaign short and punchy, and at a time when you are not holding any other fundraisers.