20+ Impactful Memorial Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits
There are countless ways to honor a lost loved one, but raising funds for their favorite cause or organization can be one of the most meaningful. Through memorial fundraising, you can celebrate their life, further a cause they believed in, and build community at the same time.
As a nonprofit, you likely have supporters interested in hosting DIY memorial fundraisers who aren’t sure where to begin. By providing them with accessible tools and creative ideas, you can empower them to make a difference. But first, it’s important to understand the basics of memorial fundraising. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll cover:
- What is Memorial Fundraising?
- What are the Most Effective Memorial Fundraising Ideas?
- How Can I Maximize the Impact of a Memorial Fundraiser?
Let’s explore some of the best memorial fundraiser ideas to help you support the members of your community who need it most.
What is Memorial Fundraising?
A memorial fundraiser is an effort to honor the life and legacy of a loved one by raising money for a cause that was close to their heart. These campaigns bring people together to offer support, share powerful stories, and transform grief into something positive by advancing a cause their loved one cared about.
As a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or supporter-driven fundraiser, this type of campaign is launched by an individual with the support of your nonprofit. Participants have the freedom to raise funds in their own unique way, whether through hosting events, organizing challenges, or expressing their personal connection to your cause.
How Can Nonprofits Play a Role in Memorial Fundraisers?
While memorial fundraisers are typically supporter-led, there are plenty of opportunities for your nonprofit to play a supportive and active role in the process. You might do this by:
- Offering DIY fundraising options on your website (our favorite idea!)
- Providing guidance and resources to families who reach out with memorial ideas
- Reaching out directly with ideas for honoring the memory of a long-time donor or volunteer
Regardless of how a memorial fundraiser begins, your nonprofit can make a significant impact by providing resources, checking in regularly, and sharing participant campaigns. Staying in touch with supporters ensures you’re there for them during a time of loss, helping to honor a cherished community member.
If you offer ongoing DIY options, make sure the community knows about them. This means occasionally promoting DIY fundraising on your website and helping to boost the visibility of any memorial campaigns that get launched.
What are the Most Effective Memorial Fundraising Ideas?
We’ve gathered 20+ effective memorial fundraising ideas for you to share with your supporters to make honoring their loved ones easier.
1. Personalized memorial campaign
Personalized memorial campaigns are an online fundraising method that many fundraisers find success with. In these campaigns, supporters create a dedicated fundraising page that explains the cause they’re raising money for (your nonprofit’s mission) and share the story of their loved one—their life, values, and the lasting impact they’ve made.
Once the campaign is set up, encourage supporters to spread the word about their campaign. We recommend using social media as a main source of marketing, as it’s a powerful, low-cost tool that can greatly increase visibility. The more likes, comments, and shares your supporters get on their posts, the more likely they are to:
- Reach more people with their stories.
- Attract new supporters for your organization.
- Raise more funds in their loved one’s memory.
2. Memorial auction
Auctions are popular, highly impactful fundraisers, and they’re easier than ever to host thanks to user-friendly event software.
To organize a memorial auction, your supporters should procure a wide range of auction items, set up a venue space or an online giving page, plan engaging activities, and start promoting the event. They may even consider taking their memorial auction virtual. In many ways, virtual auctions are easier and more cost-effective to plan than traditional live or silent auctions.
With online auctions and mobile bidding tools, your nonprofit can benefit from:
- Wider audience reach: Supporters won’t be limited by a physical venue or ticket availability. Instead, they can share their fundraising site with friends and family far and wide, expanding the event’s reach.
- Lower cost: Without the need for a physical venue or other traditional event planning costs, more of the funds raised can go directly to what matters most—honoring the loved one and supporting your cause.
- Increased flexibility: Virtual auctions can be easily customized to fit the needs of the fundraiser, the cause, and the community, offering a level of adaptability that traditional events may not.
3. Engraved brick sale
To support families during times of loss, your nonprofit can host an ongoing brick fundraiser. By selling personalized, engraved bricks, supporters can honor their loved ones with a lasting tribute placed in your organization’s garden or memorial wall.
We love this idea because it’s a win-win for donors and the host’s family:
- For donors: Their gift becomes a tangible, permanent representation of their contribution, creating a unique and meaningful keepsake
- For the family: Their loved one’s legacy is honored in a public, visible way that serves as a lasting tribute for all to see.
To get started, explore how other nonprofits have conducted similar fundraisers and how they publicized them. You can also look into partnering with local companies that specialize in engraving. Many offer their services as a donation, making this a cost-effective fundraising option.
4. Memorial potluck
Memorial potlucks are a great way to bring the community together in remembrance. People can spend quality time with one another, sharing food, stories, and memories of their loved one.
To get started, your supporters should choose a date, time, and menu, and then send out invitations with a link to their donation page. For a more meaningful touch, encourage guests to bring a version of their loved one’s favorite dish or a food that reminds them of them. This adds a special, personal element to the event.
5. T-shirt sale
A t-shirt sale is a creative way for supporters to honor a loved one while raising funds. They can design custom t-shirts featuring meaningful elements such as:
- A favorite quote
- A beloved song lyric
- A go-to vacation spot
- Hometown pride
- Family crest
Not only does this idea help boost fundraising revenue, but the t-shirts also serve as a reminder of their loved one for years to come.
6. Memorial website
One of the simplest and most effective ways to honor a loved one is to create a memorial website. With the right fundraising software, memorial websites are easy to set up and promote to your network. Encourage supporters to include:
- A personalized donation form
- Personal photos and videos
- Stories that capture the essence of their loved one
- Meaningful quotes
- A heartfelt explanation of what a donation would mean to them
7. Tree-planting event
A tree-planting event is a meaningful and lasting tribute that honors a loved one in a way that benefits both the community and the environment. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, as supporters can visit the tree throughout the year and even decorate it for special occasions. The event can be made even more impactful by inviting the wider community to participate, turning it into a larger fundraising opportunity.
Here are the steps your supporters can follow to organize a tree-planting event:
- Partner with a local plant nursery to source sapling trees.
- Find an ideal spot to plant trees, such as your nonprofit’s grounds or at a local park.
- Offer the opportunity to dedicate a tree in honor of a loved one in exchange for a donation.
- Spread the word! Use social media, text, email, and word of mouth.
- Host the tree-planting event where donors can gather, celebrate, and continue showing their support.
8. Walk-a-thon
Hosting a run or walk is one of the most popular peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns because they really bring communities together. Participants can form teams or fundraise on their own, offering different options to get involved and make a difference.
For any successful peer-to-peer campaign, it’s essential to provide participants with fundraising tools that are social, mobile, and fun. When designing a walk-a-thon, encourage your supporters to think through these questions:
- Are you making it as easy as possible to give?
- Do you need to include any virtual elements to expand participation?
- How will you honor your loved one in the day-of activities?
- What’s your launch timeframe?
- How will you promote the fundraiser to reach a wider audience?
With the right peer-to-peer technology, your nonprofit can check all of these boxes and fully support your participants’ walk-a-thon efforts. For inspiration, take a look at this memorial walk-a-thon page created with OneCause:
9. Restaurant partnership
Similar to a memorial potluck, partnering with a local restaurant is an easy, low-stress way to bring people together to share a meal and memories.
Fundraisers can start by coordinating with a local restaurant to set the date, time, and menu before the event. Once the details are in place, they can promote the get-together with friends, family, and supporters.
To make the event even more special, encourage your supporters to invite a few people to speak before dinner, sharing stories or memories of the loved one being honored. Since the restaurant takes care of the venue and food, participants can focus on connecting, reminiscing, and raising important funds for your nonprofit.
10. Flower sale
During a hard time, flowers can bring a touch of brightness to the room. That’s why flower sales are a fan favorite for memorial fundraisers. Plus, flowers are relatively inexpensive, which means:
- More funds go toward your cause
- Less stress on your supporter
Supporters can offer a loved one’s favorite flower, or choose from popular options like roses, tulips, and sunflowers. They can sell flower bulbs online or set up in-person sales in the community. The link to their donation page should be easily accessible so additional donations can be made.
11. Candle sale
Similar to selling flowers, supporters can sell candles to light in honor of their loved one. This fundraising method is highly flexible, opening the door for participants to sell:
- Holiday-themed candles
- Candles with scents that remind them of their loved one
- Taper candles for a community vigil
Candles are easy to purchase in bulk, or supporters can share their story with a wholesaler and ask them to donate.
12. Video Challenge
Social media makes it easy to communicate your cause and raise funds, even with a small team or budget—making video challenges a popular DIY fundraising idea.
For this memorial fundraiser idea, supporters can challenge their friends and family to:
- Create a video that educates viewers about your cause and honors their loved one.
- Promote it on social media and ask for donations.
Be sure participants include a dedicated hashtag to track the challenge and provide clear instructions for donating to your cause online.
13. Memorial gala
A memorial gala is one of the most impactful ways to raise charitable donations, though it does require careful planning and preparation. It also offers a meaningful opportunity to bring the community together to honor a loved one.
Supporters hosting gala fundraisers should think about their goals and time commitment, then evaluate these options for raising money:
- Ticket sales
- Table sales
- Raffle tickets
- Silent auction
- Live auction
While supporters can pick and choose from the list above, we recommend making the night extra special by incorporating as many elements of their loved one’s life as possible. For help hosting a standout gala, check out our ultimate guide.
14. Text-to-give
With a text-to-give campaign, all your supporter needs is a phone number and shortcode to share with friends and family. They can share the number with network and other community members, making it easy to spread a loved one’s story and raise funds.
If you want to kick your text-to-give capabilities up a notch, find a text-to-give solution that includes a scoreboard. With scoreboards, your supporters can:
- Track donations in real-time
- Display fundraising thermometers to show progress
- Feature donor names for acknowledgment
- Keep donors engaged with your goals
OneCause offers text-to-donate capabilities through our Text2Give solution—perfect for an easy text-to-donate fundraiser.
15. Movie night
A movie night is a fun and engaging fundraising idea that’s sure to draw a crowd. You could choose themes such as a scary movie marathon, old Hollywood movies, arthouse cinema, or classic rom-coms—but our favorite idea for a memorial fundraiser is to compile old videos and photos into a movie honoring the life of a loved one.
To raise money, supporters can charge for:
- Entry
- Snacks and drinks
- A copy of the movie
- And more!
All they need is a projector and a screen, and they’re good to go.
16. Lantern Release
Lantern releases are a beautiful and symbolic way to honor a loved one while bringing people together to support a memorial fundraiser.
Supporters can invite friends and family to an open field, share stories about their loved one, and then release the lanterns into the sky. They can charge per lantern, but a general donation may be a better option. To make giving easier, they can send the link to their giving site out beforehand via text or email so that when people are called to give, they can do so instantly.
17. Social media fundraiser
Social media is a powerful tool for sharing memories, stories, photos, and videos of a loved one while bringing attention to a worthy cause.
Social media fundraisers have made giving a part of our daily lives, which is why they’re so effective. To host one, supporters should:
- Identify their target audience.
- Set up a personalized online fundraising page.
- Create posts that share the story of their loved one and the ‘why’ behind giving to the memorial fundraiser.
- Share content linking to their fundraising page and watch the donations roll in!
18. Photo book sale
One of the best ways to honor a loved one is through a photo book sale. Not only will it help supporters raise funds, but it will also serve as a wonderful walk down memory lane. Empower your supporters to sell photo books with this two-step process:
- Reach out to friends and family of your loved one and gather photos from each stage in their life.
- Work with a printing company that offers bulk discounts. Compile the photos into a book and sell them to those who helped by submitting photos.
19. Benefit concert
Encourage your supporters to tap into the power of music with a benefit concert! Maybe their loved one had a favorite local artist, loved the sound of the piano, or listened to jazz every Friday night. Whatever the case may be, they can find a connection and offer the community the opportunity to buy tickets and donate to your cause.
Be sure your supporters market the event well in advance, using:
- Social media
- Text messages
- Hand-written invites
- Word-of-mouth
But don’t leave them empty-handed when promoting their concert! Provide templates, graphics, photos, and impact statements to share so your supporters are set up for success.
20. Paper Train Fundraiser
Another easy memorial fundraiser is a paper train fundraiser.
All supporters have to do is set up shop with craft supplies and watch the support pour in. People can make a donation in exchange for a piece of the train, where they can write their names and favorite memory of the loved one being honored.
As the train grows, participants will see the tangible impact of their donations and feel connected to the collective memory of the loved one.
21. Dog walk
Nothing brightens a day quite like the unconditional love of a dog. In this DIY memorial fundraiser, supporters invite their community to bring their furry friends for an afternoon walk. They’ll just need to:
- Promote the event
- Set up a 1-mile course (with water stops for dogs!)
- Gather donations from participants
- Have dog bowls and treats for sale
If possible, they can even partner with a local shelter or pet store so guests without their own pets can join the event.
22. Board game tournament
There’s nothing quite like the escape of a fun game night with some friendly competition!
For this memorial fundraiser, supporters can charge a minimum donation to enter the tournament. They can partner with local companies and restaurants to procure prizes for the winners, like gift baskets and gift cards.
Looking for even more ideas? Explore our list of 50+ DIY fundraising ideas you can share with supporters.
How Can I Maximize the Impact of a Memorial Fundraiser?
Providing a way for supporters to fundraise on your organization’s behalf requires the right strategy. Use these best practices to create successful, on-brand memorial fundraising campaigns without the heavy lifting.
Use peer-to-peer fundraising software
Memorial fundraisers raise and reach more with a powerful peer-to-peer fundraising solution. These tools give supporters the opportunity to create their own fundraising page and give to honor their loved one any time they want, providing limitless potential for you and your supporters.
When considering your options for software, there are a few features you should prioritize:
- Fundraising microsite builder: Your solution should help you design an engaging microsite where supporters can give or sign up to fundraise.
- Social integrations: Empower supporters to amplify their memorial fundraising campaigns with ease across social media platforms.
- Built-in gamification tools: Spark engagement by displaying supporters’ fundraising progress and creating friendly competition.
- Event management: Help supporters smoothly run any peer-to-peer event, whether in-person, hybrid, or virtual.
The OneCause peer-to-peer solution has all of these features and more. With our best-in-class tools, your nonprofit can inspire supporters to launch memorial fundraisers with ease.
Give detailed instructions for using your technology
To ensure campaigns go off without a hitch, introduce your supporters to the technology they’ll be using for their memorial fundraising campaign.
Walk them through how to set up and personalize their fundraising pages, then show them how donors use the technology to make a donation. Explain any social media guidelines, including hashtags they should use, accounts they should tag, graphics to include, etc. Prepare supporters by giving them all the information they need to be advocates for your cause.
Provide support throughout the campaign
To help your DIY fundraising participants feel empowered and encouraged, provide support throughout their campaign. By providing marketing advice and templates, you not only help your supporters honor their loved ones, but you may also inspire them to do another campaign in the future!
Create a DIY fundraising toolkit that includes plenty of easy-to-use resources. Your toolkit should include your nonprofit’s:
- Mission statement
- Logo
- Branded images
- Social graphics
- Impact statements
- Message templates
These resources will help your supporters craft their personal stories while still staying on brand.
Additionally, make sure to provide examples to highlight successful DIY fundraising campaigns. This can spark creativity within your supporters and help them identify best practices for success.
Thank participants and donors for their contributions
The final (and most important) best practice to follow is to recognize supporters, thank them for their contributions, and communicate the impact of the funding.
If your organization has the capacity, consider these options for a thoughtful indication of your gratitude:
- A video from your nonprofit’s constituents saying thank you.
- A brochure, pamphlet, or report detailing what your nonprofit is working on.
- A shoutout in your monthly newsletter.
- Highlighting a ‘Fundraiser of the Week’ on social media.
- Swag with the name of the campaign, your logo, or any branded gear that connects them to your mission.
When you continue to engage with your supporters post-campaign, you emphasize that they’re an important part of your nonprofit’s community. Plus, showing gratitude makes it more likely that they’ll want to keep creating new campaigns, sharing your mission, and raising money for your cause.
Wrapping Up
These memorial fundraising ideas are just the beginning of the ways supporters can drive donations for your cause with their own campaigns. For more insight and DIY fundraising strategies, check out the following resources:
- 50+ Best DIY Fundraising Ideas To Raise More For Your Cause: Take your fundraising to the next level with these DIY fundraising ideas.
- DIY Fundraising: The Ultimate Guide For Smart Nonprofits: Learn how you can maximize the impact of your next DIY fundraising campaign.
- 30+ Top Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Ideas or Nonprofits: Check out these top ideas for your next Peer-to-Peer fundraiser.
