How to Start a Fundraiser for Mental Health Awareness

When have you stopped and reflected on your mental health state? Mental health is often overlooked because of our busy schedules. And because mental health problem is hard to notice, it is harder to treat. Starting a fundraiser for mental health can be a good step to bring awareness and raise money to support mental health advocacy.

However, mental health should be discussed more, especially how our mental health state can greatly impact our overall life. Mental health affects how we think, feel, and act, and influences our ability to handle stress, build relationships, and make meaningful contributions to society.

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, “46 percent of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life, and half of those people will develop conditions by the age of 14.” 

This data shows how important awareness is about this issue which is why every year, the World Health Organization holds a Mental Health Awareness Day on October 10.

The mission of this Mental Health Awareness Day is to provide an opportunity for everyone working with mental health issues to talk about their efforts and discuss possibilities on what can be improved to make mental health care accessible for everyone.

Anyone can make a difference and contribute to this important cause. One helpful way is to organize a fundraiser for mental health. The amount raised can be donated to various mental health charities or organizations.

If you’re planning to organize a fundraiser for mental health, these listed fundraiser ideas here will enable you to start raising money for your mental health awareness event.

Step-by-Step Process for Starting a Fundraising Event

1. Define your fundraiser’s goal

A fundraiser is designed to raise awareness and funds for an organization or charity.

Begin your planning by defining a clear fundraising goal.

You can start listing down the different purposes you need and an estimate of how much each costs. Is this for research, community building, or crisis intervention? After identifying the purpose, a more accurate amount can be defined.

2. Choose a fundraising format

Selecting the right fundraising format can determine the success of your fundraising event. Brainstorm the different ways to take to reach the fundraising goal Will this be a donor-centered fundraising or would it be an open-to-the-public format? 

These are some fundraising formats you can consider: 

• Online Crowdfunding
• Peer to Peer Fundraising
• Charity Auctions
• Corporate Sponsorships
• Product Sales
• Peer-to-Peer Challenges
• Fundraising Events
• Donor Stewardship and Major Gifts

Your fundraiser can be more effective when you consider your audience’s preferences. Are they more likely to respond to an online fundraising event? What are their interests that you can use as a theme for your event? What would your potential donor get the value of?

Aside from interests, another consideration for the format is the resources available to you. Check your connection for potential volunteers, donors, or partners you can tap for your event.

Additionally, consider the nature of your cause and how different formats align with its goals. For example, if your mental health event is about teenagers, the fundraiser format can be fair with games and activities that teenagers enjoy. If it’s mental health awareness for professionals in the workplace, then a seminar or workshop might be an appropriate fit.

3. Set a date and secure a venue

Setting the date and choosing a venue for the fundraiser is one of the first things to accomplish during the initial planning. Adequate lead time is needed to reserve the venue, coordinate with vendors and sponsors, organize volunteers, and promote the event effectively.

The venue sets the tone for your event and can greatly impact the overall experience. Consider convenience, accessibility, and the atmosphere you want to create—whether it’s formal, casual, or relaxed—and choose a venue that aligns with that vision. 

Choosing the date is equally important to avoid conflicts with major events or activities of your target audience. Consider factors such as weekends or time to maximize attendance. Other factors to consider are weather, seasonal relevance, and volunteer availability. 

4. Build your volunteers and core team

The heart of your fundraising lies with your team which consists of your volunteers and core team. They play a crucial role in engaging the community and bringing a diverse range of expertise and skills to the fundraising effort.

Volunteers are in charge of executing the operations of your fundraising event or coordinating with potential sponsors. Build your volunteer’s morale by investing in their well-being. Volunteers often serve as ambassadors, passionately sharing the mission with their networks and encouraging others to participate and donate.

The core team of a fundraiser is usually made up of an event marketer, project manager, event coordinator, volunteer coordinator, donor relations, sponsor relations, and finance. 

5. Create a marketing plan for your fundraising

What is your strategy to get attendees to participate in your fundraiser that they may have yet to hear of? How can you make your target audience care enough for your cause?

You can start by creating a fundraising page on social media. Provide resources and content that connect with your audience. Practice storytelling techniques by starting with a strong hook, painting your donors as the hero, evoking emotions, and highlighting the real impact of the fundraiser.

A good marketing strategy can help sell out your event tickets or secure support from donors or sponsors.

6. Plan the fundraising event program

Keep your event smooth and organized by creating an event program. An event program contains all the necessary information for your fundraising event like the timeline of events, scripts of the hosts, execution of activities or performances, sponsor information, and more.

Include fun activities and icebreakers in your program to encourage people to interact and form connections.

7. Organize the logistics

A great fundraising idea and the program will not push through without proper coordination of logistics. The logistics to note are transportation, audio setup, stage design, ticket registration, etc. These are part of event production that sets an engaging environment for attendees. 

Make ticket selling and audience management a breeze with platforms like Event Smart or Event Espresso. Setting up is easy. For nonprofit fundraisers, this is the ideal platform for you compared to other platforms because of its $0 commission fees on an unlimited number of tickets sold. 

8. Send a thank you message

Finally, after a successful fundraiser, it’s time to send a thank you message. Event expert AMy Milene shared a tip on her podcast about the importance of sending a thank you message. She said organizers express their gratitude within 24 hours after the fundraiser including fun photos or a link to the fun photos from their event to make it memorable for volunteers or stakeholders. 

Fundraising for a nonprofit is heavily relational so make sure to add that extra touch of personalization to your stakeholders. 

Now that you have an idea of the process of how to organize a fundraiser, we listed down some fundraising ideas to get you started faster. 

Best Mental Health Fundraising Ideas

• Counseling Sessions Drive

Offering counseling sessions with mental health professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists is a great way to give opportunities for people seeking professional help. It is a win-win situation to raise money and also promote mental well-being for participants. 

You can partner with health centers like hospitals to recruit psychologist or psychiatrist volunteers to participate.

• Art Therapy Classes

Art therapy consists of different types and forms of art like painting, dance, theater, music, craft, painting, etc. Studies have shown that participating in art classes is a therapeutic outlet and relaxation to improve mental health.

For your fundraising event,  you can organize a group therapy painting session with art enthusiasts as volunteers. You can sell art kits as an add-on. You can also conduct a theater acting workshop among participants and then a show that’s open to the public. The tickets sold can be used as the amount to donate to the chosen mental health organization. 

• Yoga and Meditation Classes

Yoga and Meditation classes are known to activate the relaxation response in the body, which helps to counteract the effects of a stress response. Regular practice promotes mindfulness and present-moment awareness, which can help practice them to ground hard feelings. 

You can choose a relaxing outdoor garden area to host a class. You can collect an entrance fee for a one-time class or a package price for a series of classes. 

• Community Fairs and Booths
  

  

  Community fairs and booths

A community fair with a lot of booths is a profitable fundraising idea because it can offer more variety and fun to guests.

Booths can follow a mental health theme with activities like emotion charades, positive affirmation matching, stress ball toss, feelings wheel, etc. 

• Sportsfest or Tournaments

Sports or physical activities are classic fundraisers for mental health. Some examples are charity walks or fun runs because it gives opportunities for good physical activity and helps fundraise at the same time.  

Aside from walks and runs, people enjoy a good friendly sports competition. You can organize either a basketball, soccer, golf, volleyball, or ultimate frisbee tournament and sell tickets to the audience for a minimal fee. You can also widen the reach and awareness for your cause through the audience and supporters of the players. 

• Bake Sale or Food Sale

An easy way to raise funds is to provide a product or service that people won’t hesitate to buy like food. You can organize a food fair and gather vendors to sell their specialty dishes. 

You can promote your fundraiser as a food hub with different dishes from the main course, and snacks up to dessert. 

• Benefit Concert

Organizing a benefit concert is another profitable way to fundraise especially if you have connections with performers or entertainers who are willing to do it for a cause. Choose artists whose branding also promotes mental health wellness. 

Logistics are so important in organizing a benefit concert. Invest in good event production practices and a good ticket-selling platform. A good choice is Event Smart or Event Espresso. You can sell unlimited concert tickets for $0 commission fees and manage multiple concert schedules without a hassle.

• Mental Health Seminars and Conference

What better way to raise funds and awareness for mental health than a mental health seminar or mental health conference? The conference can be an organization of talks on mental health issues, panel discussions, and workshops from different stakeholders in the mental health space.

• Virtual Fundraising

Virtual Fundraising is an ideal way to raise money remotely. The power of the internet enables a wider reach in a cost-effective way. Imagine being able to fundraise and collect donations from all over the world. 

Organizations and individuals can utilize a range of creative approaches, such as virtual walks, runs, cycling challenges, live-streamed events, webinars, social media, or online auctions. These innovative formats enable participants to engage in activities that align with their interests fundraising goals and capabilities while raising funds and awareness for mental health.

• Car Wash Fundraising
  

  

  Car wash fundraising

Create a car washing initiative for men or car enthusiasts. Start by selecting a suitable location with high visibility and easy access, such as a parking lot or community center. 

You can offer different car wash packages at different price points to cater to different audiences. Include add-on services such as interior cleaning or detailing. 

Tips for Organizing a Mental Health Fundraising Campaign

• Maintain relationships with stakeholders

Fundraising is a relationship-centric campaign. After the event, make sure to continue reaching out to your supporters, donors, and stakeholders to maintain a good relationship with them. 

Imagine only receiving an email calling for donations or volunteer service once a year. It won’t make the recipient feel connected with you and your cause. 

• Have a listening and empathetic attitude

Having empathy and humility is an important element for a fundraiser for mental health. There will always be things that we cannot fully understand and every person has a different mental health challenge.

This approach creates a safe and supportive environment for individuals to share their experiences, concerns, and stories related to their lives and mental health. By actively listening and showing genuine empathy, organizers can better understand the needs and perspectives of those affected by mental health challenges.

• Take note of the details in your event planning

The little things add up and make a big difference. Every aspect of the event, from the venue selection to the program schedule, plays a crucial role in creating a memorable and impactful experience.

When planning for your event, think of your attendee’s experience from start to finish. From the decorations to the food and beverage options, each detail should reflect the importance of mental health and contribute to the overall message and mission of the event. 

• Think of your website

When promoting your fundraiser on social media, people will most likely take a look at your website landing page.

Make sure your website is clear with a clear call to action on how people can participate. As the saying goes, “If you are confused, you lose”.  Your landing page must list down everything your target audience needs to know and give clear directions on the call-to-actions. Place the “Register” button at the top right area with the “Buy Now” buttons all over. 

Event Smart can help customize an event website for those who don’t have their event website yet. 

• Use storytelling to amplify your message

Storytelling about the impact of mental illness, and the power of donating to help find cures, is an effective way to get attention and communicate your message to your audience. 

When it comes to raising awareness of stigma and garnering support for mental health fundraising, personal stories can touch hearts, break down barriers, and foster understanding.  Sharing stories of lived experiences, triumphs, and challenges creates a human connection and helps people relate to the cause on a deeper level.

Start Planning a Mental Health Fundraising  

Mental health is an important issue that needs awareness today. Starting a fundraising effort does not have to be complicated especially with the guidelines and strategies listed above. 

We at Event Smart support nonprofit event efforts and offer a 20% discount for nonprofit organizers. You can enjoy higher margins for donating with a reliable and cost-efficient ticketing platform.

Start planning your nonprofit event with Event Smart now. Check out our free trial here.