For the first town hall of 2024 we covered fundraising for sober livings. It’s a hot topic that people getting into the industry or who are just starting out have questions about. For a full hour we discussed the different ways to fund your sober home. From grass roots fundraising to filling out federal grants, we talked about the ins and outs. Here are the highlights from our discussion!
The first step is setting a goal. What are some typical objectives or financial goals for your fundraising campaign?
For many organizations it depends on the cause. Are you raising money for a specific repair in the house or trying to find donors for your scholarship fund? This can determine if you’re going to have a number you’re working toward or if your goal is open ended. Either way you’ll want to make sure those you’re appealing to know the reason you’re asking for their funds. This will also help you market any fundraising events that you hold or choose which grants to apply to.
How do you market your fundraising?
If you’re going the route of hosting an event, you’ll want to look into sites like Canva. They can help you create professional looking flyers or social media graphics. The more put together your organization looks, the more people are willing to give. They want to know they can rely on you to use the funds they give you for a good reason. You may also want to put a page on your website to talk about the cause you’re fundraising for. One sober home operator mentioned that they keep a paypal or gofundme link on their site to accept donations from loved ones.
What type of events are good fundraising for sober livings?
It’s smart to keep costs low for your first couple of events. Picnics with games and cheap-to-make food like burgers are a great starting place. You’ll get could be donors involved and collect money simply by asking for an entrance fee. It’s a good way to build support and show your community how you’re ready to contribute. Later on, when your organization is a little more stable and you have more funds, consider throwing a “gala”. Hosting a nice dinner for previous donors and their friends could motivate them to give more serious funds to your organization.
What organizations can you partner with or have sponsor your fundraiser?
Local businesses are often looking for a way to get their name out to the community. By asking them to sponsor your event you’ll receive funds and form a partnership. Many organizations at the town hall worked with churches, charities, and thrift stores. Similar programs share your mission and are eager to help. Often you can sweeten the deal by offering to send your residents to volunteer at these businesses.
What if I’m looking for more official funding like grants?
Organizations like SAMSHA offer grants for sober livings. Grant writing can be time consuming. Once you write one, you can adjust the language to fit different grant requirements. One participant in our town hall mentioned that if you need a timeline, you can copy and paste the grant requirements into ChatGTP. This will tell you what tasks to complete by what time so you can meet the grant’s deadline.
Want to join us on our next town hall? Reach out to info@onestepsoftware.com and provide your information so we can get you on the mailing list!