Essential fundraising tips to get you started (LGBTQ+ Edition)

The queer-trans* community in India faces a number of challenges and hurdles, overshadowed by discriminatory laws and societal stigma that is still rampant.

These challenges make navigating everyday life an uphill battle. From barriers to education and job opportunities, unsupportive  families and non-acceptance to limited access to affirming healthcare and housing, the struggles are multifaceted and intensified, making survival feel overwhelming at times. 

Despite these hardships, the community continues to demonstrate resilience by supporting one another and drawing strength from mutual aid and solidarity.  Fundraising initiatives within community networks have emerged as a vital means of providing assistance and fostering collective empowerment.

You might find yourself in a situation where you need to raise funds for essential needs like medical fees, finding a home, starting hormone therapy, leaving an abusive household, covering rent, or dealing with unemployment, education etc – either for yourself or someone from the LGBTQ+ community.

We understand that fundraising isn’t always easy. That’s why, we’ve put together a list of easy-to-follow tips to help you create and host a successful personal fundraiser. From picking the right platform to crafting a catchy title and sharing your story, we’ve got you covered. We’ll also talk about using visuals to grab attention, keeping your supporters updated, and promoting your fundraiser.

These tips are designed to make your efforts count and help you reach your fundraising goals.

So, let’s get started !

Choose a Platform

Start by choosing the right platform for your fundraising campaign.

When choosing a platform, think about a few things: how much time you can put into your campaign, how much money you want to raise, and how urgent the need is. Also, check if the platform has any fees—some take a percentage of what you raise, or there might be other costs hidden somewhere. Consider the platform’s reach, too—does it have a big audience? And, of course, how comfortable are you using it? Some platforms are better for certain causes, so pick one that fits your goals and what you have available.

• In India, Ketto and Milaap are leading platforms for fundraisers and don’t charge any platform fees ; however there’s a payment gateway fees for both platforms ; 3.54% for Ketto and 0.8%-3% for Milaap. That means that when donors make the payment to your fundraising campaign, that percentage will be deducted from it. 
• Ketto specializes in fundraising for social issues and charitable causes, while Milaap focuses more on medical emergencies. However, both platforms can be used for other purposes as well.
• You can also host a fundraiser on Facebook and Instagram. On Instagram you can pin the fundraiser to the top of your page and give regular updates. If you have a friend or contact who has a large following, ask for their help in platforming or promoting your campaign. Here in, you have to attach your/ someone from your support structure, trustworthy person’s bank details/ UPI/ QR to receive the funds which either of you manages. 

An Engaging Title

Your fundraiser’s title is important  – it’s where you tell people why you are raising money.

The title has to be easily understood – make it clear and to the point.

Try starting the title with action words such as ‘help’, ‘support’, ‘donate’, ‘fund’ etc. 

For example, something like Support (name) Journey” can be vague but “Support (name) HRT journey” is concise and specific.

It also helps to make it catchy – a title like “Help me feel more comfortable in my body” for a gender transition cost related fundraiser because it grabs attention and is memorable! 

Fundraiser Description

Tell your story – Storytelling is a fundamental part of fundraising as it gives context. If it feels safe for you, share your personal story.

Personal stories resonate with people especially when you are asking strangers to donate to a cause so it has to motivate/inspire and get them invested to contribute.

Try to answer the ‘who’ ,‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘what’ – explain who needs the fund, why they need the funds and challenges are they facing and what will the funds be used for and how the people/donors will help change the person’s situation or how do you know the person you are raising money for (if it is not yourself)

Before diving into the details, include a brief summary at the beginning of your fundraiser. This helps people quickly understand the purpose before deciding to donate. If summarizing is difficult, you can just mention the person’s name or alias and a few keywords explaining why you are raising funds – this is for when you are using platforms.

It also helps to include a breakdown of the funds. People like to know how they’re making a difference. Give a brief of how the money will be utilized and the timeline of utilization. For example,  relocation cost, consultation fee, emergency funds, unpaid leaves travel expenses . The message should be about the value they will create by donating versus treating it as a transaction.

The personal story and transparency builds trust and encourages more donations and helps people see how their contributions are making a positive impact. 

Visuals

Visuals grab attention and can significantly increase engagement as they are  the first thing people see when they reach your fundraiser post and when you share it. As with stories, the more personal the visuals are, the more they are relatable and resonate with people.

So try to share at least 2-3 pictures if possible

If you’re hesitant for any reason especially safety and you or your friends/supporters have time, you can create simple creative posts on Canva or any free image editing phone app as well. Just make sure to include your title in bright color and have your amount written clearly there as well – or just post a picture with a heart or emoji on your face!

Fundraisers with pictures, especially of the person the resources are going to, tend to get more engagement but its not a necessity!

Keep Supporters Updated

Keeping your supporters updated on your progress and thanking them for their contributions will keep them engaged with your story and fundraising efforts. Updates also serve as constant reminders as to why you are doing this in the first place and how close you are to achieving your goal.

Try to post an update about the fundraiser within 7 days of starting it to build initial momentum and keep your campaign visible.

Update can be a fundraiser status bar of how much money you have collected that you update regularly to show how close you are to reaching your goal. This can also include percentage markers (e.g., “30% done, 40% closer!”).It also helps create a sense of urgency and buzz around your campaign

• Updates can also be as simple as thanking people for their donations too. You can give shoutouts to the supporters on social media or tag people in your stories, if they are comfortable with it. In fact, as a practice, remember to periodically thank people for their support;
• You can also share stories in the format of a picture from your recent doctor’s visit or a snapshot of the hospital or “Day 20: Thanks to your generous contributions, I’ve been able to purchase my first month of hormone therapy!” 

Continue with updates every week or at major milestones. Updates like these make your progress and cause tangible to the supporters and increases the likelihood of people sharing it and/or donating

Outreach and Promotion

The more people who know about your cause, the more likely you are to reach your fundraising target.

For the first step, try reaching out directly to the people closest to you—your friends and support network. You can give them options that they can help you by spreading the word or by making a small donation to it. You can try a minimum of approaching 5 people a day and then repeating the steps everyday. Don’t send the same message to everyone. A little personal touch and starting with a bit of small talk goes a long way.

Use various platforms to promote your campaign, such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter). Always include a call to action when sharing your post – asking for a manageable donation. It’s helpful to suggest specific amounts, whether it’s 50 INR, 100 INR or 500 INR. Providing a specific suggested amount can help supporters make their decision more quickly and easily. 

Example – Will you consider donating 150 rps to my fundraiser to help me relocate?

The best time to post on social media : 

• Instagram : Between 12pm to 3pm or 4pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday and more engagement on weekends after 9pm 
• Facebook : 3PM on Wednesday, Between 1 – 4 pm on Thursday and between 12PM – 1PM on saturday and sunday

It also helps to share the fundraiser in your city’s or local queer-trans whatsapp groups. Also, see if you can connect with any queer-trans organizations and influencers/activists who would be willing to platform and/or amplify your fundraiser in their networks. This will help build momentum before reaching other potential people who will donate/support

You can also do offline promotion for more visibility by spreading the information in person or using flyers/pamphlets but keep safety in mind first.

And that’s a wrap !!

Fundraising can definitely be tough, but we hope these tips make it a bit easier and help make your campaign a success. We’ve gone over some important steps: picking the right platform, coming up with a title, pointers to include in description, using visuals, and keeping everyone in the loop with updates and how to promote your campaign. 

But hey, take these tips at your own pace—no pressure to do everything! Do what feels good for you and work with what you’ve got. Your comfort and capacity comes first, whether you try all of them or just a few.

You’ve got this!