{"id":83063,"date":"2024-12-06T21:04:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T21:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glosario\/fundraising\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T22:47:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T22:47:26","slug":"fundraising","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/fundraising\/","title":{"rendered":"Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fundraising is the act of raising funds: all the actions an organization takes to obtain money and other resources to finance its projects.<\/strong> It is used mainly by NGOs, foundations and associations, but also by universities, hospitals, cultural projects and startups.<\/p>\n\n

Resources are not just money. They can also be food, supplies, free services or volunteers’ time.<\/p>\n\n

What does fundraising mean?<\/h2>\n\n

Fundraising<\/em> combines the English words fund<\/em> and raise<\/em>. In Spanish it is translated as captaci\u00f3n de fondos<\/strong>, recaudaci\u00f3n de fondos<\/strong> or, in Mexico, procuraci\u00f3n de fondos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The person in charge of it is the fundraiser<\/strong>, or captador de fondos in Spanish. Large NGOs usually have an entire department dedicated to this task.<\/p>\n\n

The term has two main uses:<\/p>\n\n

Area<\/th>What it means<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
NGOs and nonprofit organizations<\/td>Obtaining donations, members and grants<\/td>A Christmas campaign to fund a soup kitchen<\/td><\/tr>
Startups and companies<\/td>Obtaining investment in exchange for a stake in the company<\/td>A funding round with investors<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Here we focus on the first, which is the most common.<\/p>\n\n

Types of fundraising<\/h2>\n\n

Depending on where the money comes from, there are two main types:<\/p>\n\n

Public fundraising.<\/strong> The funds come from public administrations: grants, agreements or public contracts.<\/p>\n\n

Private fundraising.<\/strong> The funds come from individuals, companies or foundations.<\/p>\n\n

Within private fundraising there are several sources, each with its own way of working:<\/p>\n\n

Source<\/th>How it contributes<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Individuals<\/td>One-off donations or membership fees<\/td>\u20ac10 a month as a member<\/td><\/tr>
Major donors<\/td>Large, personalized contributions<\/td>A patron who funds an entire project<\/td><\/tr>
Companies<\/td>Sponsorship, donations or corporate volunteering<\/td>A company that donates a percentage of its sales<\/td><\/tr>
Foundations<\/td>Grant calls<\/td>A banking foundation that funds social projects<\/td><\/tr>
Events<\/td>Charity dinners, races or concerts<\/td>A fun run with charity race bibs<\/td><\/tr>
Inheritances and bequests<\/td>Assets someone leaves to the organization<\/td>A charitable bequest in a will<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Companies that collaborate usually do so as part of their sponsorship<\/a> or social responsibility strategy.<\/p>\n\n

\"Fundraising<\/figure>\n\n

What is the difference between fundraising and crowdfunding?<\/h2>\n\n

Crowdfunding is a specific form of fundraising, not a synonym:<\/p>\n\n

<\/th>Fundraising<\/th>Crowdfunding<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
What it is<\/td>The whole strategy for obtaining resources<\/td>A collective online funding campaign<\/td><\/tr>
Who contributes<\/td>Individuals, companies, foundations and public administrations<\/td>Many people with small amounts<\/td><\/tr>
Duration<\/td>Ongoing, all year round<\/td>Limited, with a deadline and a goal<\/td><\/tr>
Channel<\/td>Email, events, phone, website, social media<\/td>A crowdfunding platform<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

An NGO can launch a crowdfunding campaign for a specific project. But its strategy also includes members, grants, companies and events.<\/p>\n\n

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Get more donors by email<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Send campaigns and newsletters to your members and donors with Mailrelay and measure the results of each send.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

How do you run a fundraising campaign?<\/h2>\n\n

1. Define your goal.<\/strong> How much money you need, what for and by when. \u201cFund 500 meals this winter\u201d mobilizes people more than \u201chelp\u201d.<\/p>\n\n

2. Get to know your donors.<\/strong> Who they are, why they support you and which channel they prefer you to use to reach them. A CRM<\/a> helps you keep their data organized.<\/p>\n\n

3. Tell a story.<\/strong> People give to people. Storytelling<\/a> with real cases works better than isolated figures.<\/p>\n\n

4. Choose your channels.<\/strong> Email, social media, events, phone or a landing page<\/a> with the donation form.<\/p>\n\n

5. Make donating easy.<\/strong> A clear button, few steps and several suggested amounts.<\/p>\n\n

6. Say thank you and report back.<\/strong> Thank donors right away and later tell them what each contribution has achieved.<\/p>\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n

Email marketing in fundraising<\/h2>\n\n

Email is one of the most effective channels for getting donations, because it reaches people who already know the cause:<\/p>\n\n

Welcome email.<\/strong> When someone subscribes, a welcome email<\/a> introduces the organization and invites them to get involved.<\/p>\n\n

Newsletter.<\/strong> A regular newsletter<\/a> with updates and testimonials keeps members and donors engaged.<\/p>\n\n

Fundraising campaigns.<\/strong> On key dates, such as Christmas or Giving Tuesday, a clear message with a goal and a donation button.<\/p>\n\n

Segmentation.<\/strong> A member is not the same as a one-off donor. With segmentation<\/a>, each one receives the message that suits them.<\/p>\n\n

Thanks and results.<\/strong> An email that shows what the donations have achieved encourages people to give again.<\/p>\n\n

If your organization is choosing a tool, this post on what NGOs should ask when choosing email software<\/a> can help.<\/p>\n\n

How Mailrelay helps you<\/h2>\n\n

With Mailrelay you can capture subscribers with forms, store whether they are members or donors in custom fields<\/a> and send each group the campaign that suits it.<\/p>\n\n

You can see who opens and clicks each send, and automate the welcome email. The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.<\/p>\n\n

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Send your newsletters with Mailrelay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n

These are the most common questions about this topic.<\/p>\n\n

What is fundraising in a nutshell?<\/h3>\n\n

It is the set of actions taken to obtain money and resources to finance an organization’s projects.<\/p>\n\n

How do you say fundraising in Spanish?<\/h3>\n\n

Captaci\u00f3n de fondos or recaudaci\u00f3n de fondos. In Mexico, procuraci\u00f3n de fondos is also used.<\/p>\n\n

What is a fundraiser?<\/h3>\n\n

It is the person in charge of obtaining donations and resources for an organization.<\/p>\n\n

Is fundraising only for NGOs?<\/h3>\n\n

No. Universities, hospitals, museums and cultural projects do it too, as do, in a different sense, startups looking for investment.<\/p>\n\n

Which channel works best for attracting donors?<\/h3>\n\n

It depends on the audience, but email stands out because it reaches people who already know the cause and lets you measure every campaign.<\/p>\n\n

Related entries<\/h2>\n\n