A fundraising goal is not just a number. It is a signal to donors that someone has thought this through and has a plan. When your goal is clear and specific, people are more likely to contribute because they can see how their gift fits into something real.
Start by deciding on a specific dollar amount that is tied to a specific outcome. "We need $1,200 to buy jerseys for all 24 players" works better than "We are raising money for the team." Donors give more confidently when they understand exactly where the money goes.
A few things to keep in mind when setting your goal:
Make it realistic but slightly aspirational. A goal that looks too easy to hit signals that the stakes are low. A goal that feels completely out of reach discourages people from trying. Aim for something that takes real effort and creates a sense of shared purpose.
Tie it to a timeline. "We need $800 by October 15th for the field trip deposit" creates urgency without pressure. Deadlines help people prioritize instead of putting off their donation.
Think in round numbers that feel intentional. $500, $1,000, $2,500. These communicate clarity. Goals like $873 can look like they were calculated without any context, which makes donors feel less certain about the accuracy of the plan.
Genius Tip
Show your progress bar early, even before you have many donations. Sharing your page the moment it goes live gives you a head start on momentum, and early donors help your next wave of donors feel like they are joining something already moving.
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A great fundraiser page does three things: it earns trust, shows momentum, and makes it easy to give. Here is how to build one that does all three.
SignUpGenius fundraiser pages include a live progress bar that updates in real time as donations come in. Donors can see exactly how close the campaign is to its goal, which builds momentum and encourages people who are on the fence to go ahead and give.
Choose Suggested Donation Amounts
One of the most effective things you can do on a fundraiser page is give donors a starting point. When someone visits your page without any guidance, they have to figure out what is appropriate to give, and that extra thinking is friction. Suggested amounts remove the guesswork and typically lead to larger average donations.
Here is how to set them:
Anchor your middle option to your target average gift. If you need to raise $1,000 from roughly 20 donors, $50 is your anchor. Build your suggested amounts around that: $25, $50, and $100 cover donors at every level without overwhelming anyone.
Make your highest option feel attainable. If your top suggested amount is $500 but most of your donors are parents or community members on a normal budget, that number can feel discouraging rather than aspirational. Set the ceiling at a level where a small handful of your donors could actually reach it.
Space out your options so each one feels meaningfully different. $25, $30, and $40 are too close together. $20, $50, and $100 give people a real choice. Donors read these as small, medium, and large, and most will gravitate toward the middle.
Always allow open-ended amounts too. Some donors will give more than your highest option if you let them. Others will give $5 because that is what they have right now. A flexible giving field keeps both groups in.
Fundraiser Type
Suggested Low
Suggested Mid
Suggested High
School or PTA
$10
$25
$50
Sports Team
$20
$50
$100
Nonprofit Campaign
$25
$100
$250
Community or Faith Group
$15
$50
$100
These are starting points, not rules. Adjust based on what you know about your group and what feels right for your ask.
Write a Description People Actually Read
Most fundraiser descriptions are too long, too vague, or both. Donors skim. They are looking for three things: who is asking, why it matters, and what their money will do. If those answers are not clear in the first two sentences, many people will move on.
Here is a structure that works:
Start with one sentence about who you are and what you are raising money for. Keep it grounded and specific. "We are the third-grade teachers at Oak Hill Elementary, and we are raising money for our end-of-year field trip to the science museum" is clear and immediate.
Follow with a sentence or two about why it matters. Not a mission statement. A real reason. "This trip will be the first time most of our students have visited a science museum, and we want to make sure every child in the class can go, regardless of family budget."
Then tell donors exactly what their contribution will do. If you can connect a dollar amount to a specific outcome, do it. "$30 covers one student's full ticket and transportation cost." That kind of specificity turns a general ask into a concrete one, and concrete asks convert better.
Close with the timeline and a simple call to action. "Donations are open through November 8th. Every dollar helps us reach our $720 goal." That is enough. You do not need a lengthy closing paragraph.
A few things to avoid in your description: generic phrases that could apply to any fundraiser ("your support means the world to us"), long histories of your organization, and multiple competing asks. One goal. One story. One ask.
Genius Tip
Write your description as if you are explaining the fundraiser to a neighbor you just ran into at the grocery store. If it sounds natural out loud, it will read well on the page.
Verified Nonprofits Get a Donation Receipt
If your organization is a verified nonprofit, SignUpGenius automatically sends tax-deductible receipts to your donors. That is one less thing you have to manage and one more reason donors trust your page.
A well-built fundraiser page still needs an audience. The way you share it, and how often, makes a real difference in how quickly you reach your goal.
Start with a personal message, not a broadcast. The first people you ask should hear from you directly, whether that is a text, an email, or a note in a group chat. A personal ask outperforms a mass post almost every time because it creates a direct connection between the donor and the cause. "I am running a fundraiser for the robotics club and I thought of you" lands differently than "Check out our fundraiser page."
Share it in the right places. For school or PTA campaigns, class communication apps and parent email threads are your best channels. For sports teams, team group chats and coach emails do the work. For community or faith groups, weekly newsletters and bulletin boards. Match the channel to where your audience already pays attention.
Plan for at least two rounds of outreach. Most donations do not come from the first message. Send your initial ask, wait a few days, then send a progress update. Something like "We are halfway to our goal with 10 days left" gives people who missed the first message a reason to give now and shows momentum to anyone who was already considering it.
Recurring giving is an option worth mentioning. If your fundraiser supports an ongoing program, a recurring donation, monthly or quarterly, builds a more stable base of support over time. Some donors prefer this because it spreads out the contribution. Others simply appreciate being asked in a way that fits their budget.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Let your whole team help raise money. Each participant gets their own personal fundraising page to share, so one organizer does not have to carry the whole campaign alone.
How long should my fundraiser description be? Two to four short paragraphs is usually the right length. Cover who you are, why you are raising money, what the funds will do, and your deadline. Donors skim, so put the most important information first and keep each paragraph to two or three sentences.
How many suggested donation amounts should I offer? Three is the standard. A lower option, a middle option, and a higher one. Always include a flexible open-ended field as well, so donors who want to give more or less than your suggestions can do so without friction.
Should I set a public fundraising goal? Yes. A visible goal with a live progress bar creates accountability and momentum. Donors who can see that a campaign is 60% funded are more motivated to help push it over the finish line than donors who cannot see any progress at all.
How often should I send reminders about my fundraiser? Two to three outreach messages over the course of a campaign is a reasonable range for most groups. Send your initial ask, a midpoint update with a progress report, and a final push a few days before the deadline. More than that can feel like pressure; fewer than that leaves money on the table from people who simply forgot.
Can donors give on a recurring basis? Yes. SignUpGenius fundraiser pages support recurring giving, including monthly, quarterly, and annual options. This works especially well for ongoing programs where consistent support matters more than one-time totals.
What happens if I exceed my goal? You keep raising money. Hitting your goal does not close the campaign. You can update your description to reflect what you will do with additional funds, which keeps donors engaged and can push your totals higher.
Do donors need a SignUpGenius account to give? No. Donors click your link, choose their amount, and check out. No account or login needed on their end.
How to Collect Donations Online
A step-by-step guide to setting up your first online donation page and getting contributions from your group.
