A popcorn fundraiser for nonprofits and charities

A fundraiser that gives supporters something back

Nonprofits and charities ask a lot of their supporters: annual appeals, galas, walks, auctions and year-end giving. Each one takes staff and volunteer time, and many supporters are looking for another way to help besides writing a check. Small community groups feel this most, because the same few volunteers run every event, every appeal and every thank-you note. A popcorn fundraiser gives those supporters something to enjoy in return, and gives your volunteers a break from planning another event.

Stevie G's adds an easy option. A director, development coordinator or volunteer starts a free fundraiser in the app, sets a goal and a last day, and invites volunteers and board members to join with a code. Each person gets a personal link to share by email, by text or on social media. Supporters buy gourmet popcorn online for themselves or as a gift, pay at checkout, and every bag ships to their door. Your organization receives its share through Stripe after the fundraiser ends.

How to run a successful nonprofit popcorn fundraiser

1. Tie it to a program. Name what the money supports, like meals served or a program season, and use it as the fundraiser title.

2. Pair it with the giving season. Gourmet popcorn is a natural holiday gift, so the weeks before the holidays work especially well.

3. Ask your board to share first. Board members who share their links on the first day set the pace for everyone else.

4. Use your newsletter and email list. Your supporters already read your updates. Put the link near the top, with one line about the impact.

5. Invite partner businesses. Local businesses that sponsor your events may order for their staff or their clients.

6. Close with a thank-you. Share the total raised and what it will fund, in your newsletter and on your social pages. Gratitude is the best invitation to give again.

7. Put next year on the calendar today. The day this fundraiser ends, add next year's dates to your development calendar, alongside your annual event.

Make it a yearly giving tradition

Supporters of a nonprofit respond best to a calendar they can count on. Hold the popcorn fundraiser once a year, around your annual event or during the year-end giving season, and it becomes something your community looks forward to. Asking more often than that risks fatigue among the very people who already give the most, and it competes with your own appeals. And each year is easier than the last: supporters already know how ordering works, and your staff and volunteers already have the plan.