When most people think of fundraising, they think of a donation page. A goal. A link to share.
And that works, to a point.
If your fundraiser only asks people to donate, you’re missing a significant portion of the people who actually want to support you. They’re just waiting for a different way to do it.
Here’s what the data shows, and what it means for your next campaign.
Not Everyone in Your Community Gives the Same Way
Here’s a stat that should change how you think about fundraising: 45% of donors prefer to purchase from an online store benefiting a cause rather than making a direct donation.
Nearly half.
That means when you run a donation-only campaign, you’re creating a situation where almost half of your potential supporters look at your fundraiser and quietly move on — not because they don’t care, but because the way you’re asking doesn’t match the way they want to give.
Some people open their wallets. Others open their shopping carts. The organizations that raise the most aren’t choosing between the two. They’re offering both.
Your Supporters Are Your Best Fundraisers — If You Give Them Something to Share
A donation link is passive. It sits there and waits.
But when supporters have a personal role — a page of their own, a product to sell, a challenge to complete — they become active participants. And active participants bring in people who would never have found your campaign otherwise.
The numbers back this up. 87% of peer-to-peer fundraising dollars are raised on individual supporter pages, not the main campaign page. And 39% of Americans say they’ve donated to a cause because someone they knew asked them to.
That last one is important. People don’t just give because they stumbled across your campaign. They give because someone they trust put it in front of them.
A donation-only model keeps that power locked up. A model that gives every supporter a role — participant, buyer, sharer — unlocks it.
What “Choice” Actually Looks Like in Practice
This isn’t about overwhelming supporters with options. It’s about giving each type of supporter a clear, easy way in.
For the donor: A straightforward way to contribute any amount, on any device, without friction.
For the buyer: Products they actually want — with a portion of every purchase going directly to the program.
For the participant: Their own fundraising page, shareable with family, friends, and their extended network. Daily challenges and leaderboards keep them engaged and motivated to spread the word.
For the supporter who lives out of state: An online store that ships anywhere, so grandparents and distant relatives can show up even when they can’t make it to the game.
Each of these is a different door into the same fundraiser. The more doors you open, the more people walk through.
How MoneyDolly Makes It Easy to Do More
MoneyDolly is built around the idea that great fundraising should work for everyone involved — not just the people willing to write a check.
With MoneyDolly, your supporters can donate, buy, share, and participate — all from one platform. Leaders get less chaos and more visibility. Participants stay engaged. Supporters who live across the country can still show up for your program.
You don’t have to build a complicated fundraising operation. You just have to open more than one door.
Ready to see what your fundraiser looks like when everyone has a way to get involved?
