This document provides 7 fundraising ideas for Jewish nonprofits. It begins by noting that fundraising involves fears of rejection for many professionals but is necessary for nonprofit survival. The 7 ideas are: 1) Set up an endowment fund for planned giving and legacy donations. 2) Create a dedicated online tzedakah (charity) donation page. 3) Set up a monthly giving program with automatic billing. 4) Organize a Hebrew spelling bee fundraiser. 5) Host a Hanukkah gala near the end of the year. 6) Launch an "8 Days of Giving" social media campaign during Hanukkah. 7) Host a fundraising Passover Seder to encourage donations around that holiday.

1. FUNDRAISING
IDEAS FOR
JEWISH
NONPROFITS

2. For Many Fundraising Professionals
The prospect of asking for money from a donor conjures
 Painful fears of rejection
 Dread of having to be the one
to make that fundraising phone
call

3. This anxiety is usually even more
amplified in religious communities

4. No nonprofit organization survives
without fundraising, and Jewish faith
organizations have started to realize
that, without sufficient resources,
they won’t be able to bring to fruition
their missions

5. 7 JEWISH
FUNDRAISING
IDEAS

6. Set Up an Endowment Fund 1
 Planned giving and endowment programs
 endowment programs let donors establish a legacy
that can help shape and improve Jewish life for
generations
 Endowment gifts to can be made outright during the
donor’s lifetime
 Planned giving and endowment programs can allow
your Jewish nonprofit to maintain a permanent, self-
sustaining source of income

7. Create a Dedicated Tzedakah
Donation Page
2
 The word tzedakah derives from the Hebrew word
tzedek, which means “justice.”
 Create a dedicated landing page dedicated specifically
to receiving tzedakah donations online
 To capitalize on online fundraising, a great donation
page is essential
 Your donation page should be simple, compelling,
and branded

8. Set Up a Monthly Giving
Program
3
 With monthly giving programs, donors’ credit or debit
cards are automatically billed each month
 Create a monthly giving program, brand it by naming
it, coming up with a logo and a slogan
 Growing the number of recurring donations can do
wonders for your Jewish nonprofit’s long-term
financial health

9. Organize a Hebrew Spelling Bee 4
 Particularly well-suited to Jewish youth groups, this
fundraiser can be adapted to become ‘adult-
appropriate’ too
 Consider encouraging teams to compete
 Charge an entry fee per team, and don’t be afraid to
go as high as $100
 With careful planning, good promotion, and
dedicated volunteers, a Hebrew Spelling Bee can be
an outstanding way to connect to the Jewish culture

10. Host a Hanukkah Gala
Fundraiser
5
 With Hanukkah falling late in December this year,
there is a natural connection between Hannukkah
and year-end giving
 The fourth quarter in the calendar year, October-
December, represents the period when most dollars
flow into nonprofit funds and nearly one third (31%)
of annual giving occurs in December

11. Launch an “8 Days of Giving”
Campaign
6
 Near Hanukkah, run a social media campaign “8 Days
of Giving”. You can run it offline in parallel too
 During the campaign, provide eight reasons to donate
corresponding with the eight nights of Hanukkah, one
reason per day
 Choose a hashtag that you will use in every social
post promoting the campaign
 The 8 Days of Giving and Hanukkah year-end appeals
should be positive and uplifting

12. Host a Fundraising Seder 7
 The Passover Seder is one of the most observed
Jewish celebrations on the Jewish calendar
 Encourage your donors to make a gift – or increase
their previous gift – in honor of the Passover holiday,
or host a Seder
 If you choose to host a fundraising seder, be mindful
of the strict rules surrounding the holiday
 One way to encourage participation in the seder is to
ask each guest to bring one item that, for him or her,
represents liberation

13. Rae Ringel, who has helped many
Jewish nonprofit organizations reach
their fundraising goals, emphasizes
the need for a paradigm shift when it
comes to fundraising

14. At Donorbox, we strive to make your nonprofit
experience as productive as possible, whether
through our online donation system or through
resources on our nonprofit blog

15. READ MORE
https://donorbox.org/
nonprofit-blog/jewish-
fundraising-ideas/