The Donation-Only Approach to PTO/PTA Fundraising

January 28, 2025

Two parents watching their child's baseball game.

Any Parent Teacher Organization or Parent Teacher Association that has been tasked with a fundraiser has faced the challenge of getting school community members on board. After all, we’re all battling time scarcity. That’s why MoneyDolly loves the idea of a donation-only fundraiser. It’s exactly what it sounds like: people donate, and your fundraising goals are fulfilled. So how does a donation-only fundraiser work? Here’s what to know.

Target Your Audience and the Bells and Whistles Don’t Matter

How do you raise funds without hosting a car wash or bake sale? It’s easy when you use a peer-to-peer fundraising app like MoneyDolly. The reason MoneyDolly results in fundraising success? Rather than tapping into a broad audience of strangers and hoping for the best, you can quickly and easily reach out to your contacts, engaging the people who have a stake in wanting your school or community to succeed.

What Does a Donation-Only Fundraiser Look Like?

A donation-only fundraiser doesn’t just mean shaking a jar outside a grocery store. With MoneyDolly’s all-in-one fundraising platform, you can set up a professional-looking fundraiser in minutes. Add photos, explain the specific goal of your fundraiser, and keep donors updated about your fundraising milestones and how the funds are being used. Keeping donors in the loop about the good that their money is doing is a great way to encourage future giving.

Raise More with Matching Donations

84% of donors are more likely to give if a matching donation is offered. Boost your fundraiser success rate by reaching out to local businesses and organizations to see if they can help with donation matching. Similarly, ask donors to approach their employers to ask for a matching donation – it’s a great way to pay it forward for a good cause!

Want to Sweeten the Pot? Add a gift!

Some donors love to receive a little something in return for their gift. At MoneyDolly, we’ve got these donors covered with a wide-ranging catalog of snacks, toys, spirit wear, gadgets, and more. Browse the MoneyDolly catalog and add the items that your fans will love most to your fundraiser page, encouraging more donations! Because MoneyDolly handles the stocking and shipping of gifts, you don’t have to worry about finding room for bags of popcorn or going door to door to drop off chocolates.

Don’t Forget to Recognize Your Donors!

One final piece to the donation-only fundraising approach is being sure to thank your donors. MoneyDolly makes it easy to show your gratitude by reaching out individually, but you can also add donors to your school website or to a physical leaderboard that highlights gift-giving and what donations are being used for. This is a great way to make others more likely to give – and to encourage future donations.

Start Your Fundraiser with MoneyDolly!

It is important to emphasize, that while a donation-only approach is both straightforward and effective, MoneyDolly provides the added flexibility of combining donations with product sales through our extensive catalog of ship-to-home products. Many PTO members remain constrained by the belief that fundraising must follow a single method, either donation-only or product-based. MoneyDolly empowers organizations to transcend this traditional mindset, offering a comprehensive and adaptable platform to maximize fundraising success.

Are you ready to fundraise from the comfort of your phone? Set up your fundraiser with MoneyDolly today!

Damion Smith-profile 2

Damion Smith

Founder and CEO

Prior to starting MoneyDolly, Damion spent the last 25 years helping teams, schools & organizations raise money while growing multiple companies across the country. He has served in many capacities including Sale Representative, Sales Manager, Senior VP of Sales & President.