Have you thought about internal fundraising campaigns at your organization? Fundraisers spend a great deal of time, energy, and money to raise dollars for their organization from external donors. As they should; it’s part of their job to maintain and recruit donors.

In that continued quest for support every year, don’t forget that some of your biggest supporters may be hidden within your organization. This not only includes your board members, but also your executives, staff, and volunteers. They are just as close, if not closer, to your cause than your external supporters. They already understand its importance and, to some degree, the financial support required each year to maintain your important programs and services for those who need them.

Your program volunteer, executive director, payroll clerk, or receptionist can support your organization in other ways besides the jobs they do every day. And don’t be surprised to find that they may really want to, they just need to be asked. Internal fundraising campaigns – or fundraising events and activities – are a way to do just that. In some nonprofits, internal fundraising activities are packaged into a campaign that can last from anywhere between a couple days, to a week, to a month or more. They usually happen around the same time each year. Alternatively, internal fundraising can be as simple as one event or activity per year or even per month. Loonies for dress-down Fridays, annual used-books or bake sales, staff barbeques, even staff donations through payroll deductions are examples of internal fundraising activities.

The W.I.I.F.E. Factor (what’s in it for everybody)

There are several benefits (besides raising money) for nonprofits involved in internal fundraising. The very nature of internal fundraising campaigns lends itself to these benefits. Rallying together staff and volunteers in support of your organization through a timely internal fundraising campaign is a great opportunity for team-building among your staff. Because these campaigns typically involve lots of planning, organizing, and promotion, they also present professional development opportunities for staff who get to build or test new skills in ways not available through their regular ‘day jobs’.

Maybe your organization helps the homeless, abused children, or people with fatal illnesses – let’s face it, sometimes this kind of work presents us with some sad realities that take an emotional toll on frontline workers. Or, maybe your organization has experienced a recent staff turnover and new work relationships need to be forged to keep things running smoothly. Because internal campaigns have the potential to bring staff and volunteers from different departments together for their execution, they can also help to boost ‘company’ morale and foster a sense of community and belonging within organizations.

Find a staff champion or champions

Fundraising consultant Mary Lynne Stewart, of Mary Lynne Stewart & Associates, offers a few good tips on creating the right environment for successful internal fundraising activities or campaigns. “First,” she says, “find a champion within your organization. Then you’ve got to create a team that will provide support…try to make everyone an ambassador of the organization.”

Engage, motivate, incentivize

Ideally, you want to engage and motivate the support of your staff just as you would your external donors (even though they are not new to your cause). “Begin the campaign with an orientation or recruitment session. Offer a variety of ways for your staff to support, as many as five or even twenty if possible…be it through letter-writing or through staff social events,” says Stewart. “Where possible, offer incentives for participation too, like a half-day off with pay or a dinner-for-two [gift certificate].” Stewart emphasizes keeping campaign communications simple but motivating, and organizing standardized events, like a monthly bowling night, as ways to encourage staff participation.

Don’t forget to recognize

Build a closing recognition event or action into your internal campaign planning. This is especially important if you want to maintain and increase staff loyalty for future campaigns. Plus, it’s just the courteous thing to do. “Everyone should feel that what they did is important. Recognize their help and support during the campaign in a staff newsletter or any way you can,” reminds Stewart.

It’s just part of the job at Epilepsy Toronto

Epilepsy Toronto is a nonprofit organization that provides counselling, employment support, education, and other services helping people with epilepsy live independently and with dignity. The organization typically raises about $300,000 each year, in part through the help of staff and volunteers. As Epilepsy Toronto is also a United Way agency, the organization also raises about $3,000 to $4,000 a year in support of United Way through internal fundraising campaigns. The organization has roughly ten core staff and as many as 100 volunteers.

Popular fundraising activities through which staff and volunteers support the organization include Friday lunch sales (one staff member makes a food or treat, enough to feed everyone, and each staff pays a loonie or more, to eat a portion), art auctions, an annual gift wrapping service, and annual city-wide events that support Epilepsy Toronto, like the Toronto Waterfront 5K Marathon or BuskerFest.

“Our board, volunteers, and staff participate in these activities, especially our management, because it’s important that management set an example to others in the organization,” says spokesperson Nicole Nelson.

When asked if there are any challenges to getting staff motivated in fundraising efforts, Nelson answers thoughtfully, “Not really. I think when you work for a nonprofit organization, there’s an expectation that from time to time, you’ll be called on to support it in this way, so people generally know what they’re getting into. Especially in smaller charities like ours, it’s just considered part of the job sometimes to participate in these events.”

Nelson also believes that part of ensuring staff support for future fundraising campaigns or initiatives starts with the hiring process, even before an internal campaign begins. “When you’re hiring for a nonprofit organization you want to find the right people. People who are team players, are flexible, and willing to give a little extra sometimes when needed, like working on a Saturday at a fundraising event.”

Making it a celebration at Canadian Red Cross

“You really need to treat an internal campaign like a celebration,” says Diana Borowski, director of development at the Canadian Red Cross (Ontario Chapter). The notion of celebration in internal campaigns is so important to Borowski that she seems almost to repeat the idea like a mantra.

The chapter’s annual Red Cross Family Campaign runs for about two weeks and has raised an average of about $22,000 per year over the last three years through fundraising efforts and donations made by 60 or more staff, volunteers, and board members. Each campaign sports a different theme, most recently a gardening theme. “The idea was ‘plant a seed in the garden of community’,” Borowski explains.

Key elements of the annual staff campaign include a lively kick-off event, special guest speakers (international Red Cross delegates), viewing Red Cross videos, and sharing testimonials written or presented by people who have been helped by Red Cross programs and services. Examples of testimonials include letters from people in communities that have experienced natural disasters, or from a person who has used the Red Cross Meals on Wheels service. Testimonials from people helped by your organization can be just as motivating for donations with staff as with external donors.

“Leadership giving is also an important part…everyone in the management team, including myself, gives a minimum $1,000 donation as part of the campaign. With an internal campaign, management needs to take the first step,” advises Borowski.

Though internal campaigns can be lots of fun, Borowski also emphasizes that nonprofits treat them with as much care and consideration as external campaigns. “Work as hard at getting internal support as you would for external support,” she encourages. “Make sure that no one in your organization is taken for granted. After the campaign, we acknowledge staff contributions in our newsletters and on our ‘donor wall’, which is a special area in our staff cafeteria. Treat it like a celebration. Celebrate your organization and celebrate your staff and volunteers’ support.”

Abigail Brown, B.A., has a self-described passion for helping those in need through charity. She is also concerned with telling the important human stories behind the work that charities do. She has worked in several communications and fundraising roles for both corporate and nonprofit organizations, including John Wiley and Sons Publishing, United Way of Greater Toronto, and Youth Without Shelter. She resides in Toronto.