Wondering how to name your fundraiser? What’s in a name? If you are planning a fundraiser, there could be a lot of money in a name. What you name your fundraiser is important. Every fundraising event needs a good title. Of course, the name of your fundraiser should capture the attention of readers, but it should and can do much more. So, how do you come up with a name for your fundraiser?

Do Your Research

When planning an online fundraiser a unique title is key, especially if you’re making a new site for your event, or if you’re holding an auction on a site like ours or raising funds on a site like GoFundMe. The title needs to be something memorable that is also easily found by search engines. The name of your fundraiser should use relevant keywords. For example, if you’re naming a church rummage sale, you’ll want to include the name of your church and maybe even your town: “St. Cuthbert’s Rummage Sale – Galena.” That way, if someone wants to find your information online, but all they can think of is “Galena rummage sale” or “St Cuthbert’s rummage sale,” Google and other search engines should be able to show them to your site or auction page.

You might be tempted to create a fancy name for your event, say, if it’s a black-tie gala. “Night Under the Stars” is a romantic title, but it doesn’t tell people (or search engines) that this event is a fundraiser or what cause will benefit from it. Try to get a little more specific, if you can fit more words in. 

Finally, you might want to Google your fundraiser name ideas just to make sure that no one else has taken them first. You never know when your organization or event theme might accidentally be almost identical to another organization or business name (Some you may not want to be associated with!). It pays to double check before you start printing fliers and making social media posts.

Hot tip: Another way to find a great name for your fundraising event, is to use a fundraiser name generator. But be sure to double check that it’s unique to your organization or event!

Fundraiser Name Ideas

Below are a few common formats for fundraiser titles:

• [      ] for Change: Walkathon for Change, or Springfield for Change, etc.
• Hope for [      ]: Hope for Katie, or Hope for Paws, etc.
• Seasonal titles like Spring Fling Auction, or Winter Wonderland Walkathon
• Helping Hands for [     ]: Helping Hands for Ridgemont
• Healing Hands for [     ]: Helping Hands for Villa
• Empowering [      ]: Empowering Change in Haven, or Empowering Kids in Haven

Tips on Naming your Fundraiser

• Keep the tone of your fundraiser in mind when choosing a title. Catchy, fun names will work for school fundraisers or celebratory events. More serious events, like ones raising funds for disaster relief or disease research, should be more formal and less punny. In short: the name of the fundraiser should match the tone of the event.
  • To try and make your fundraiser memorable, brainstorm names with puns or alliteration, like “Walk-a-thon for William.”
• Is the fundraiser for an individual? Are you starting GoFundMe page or something similar? Be sure to include the person’s full name in the title of your fundraiser, and close to the front of the title, so that it’s immediately recognizable (longer titles can get cut-off in search results or on mobile pages).
• Are you raising money for someone with a debilitating or terminal illness? Be sure to put the name of the disease in the fundraiser, i.e., “Help Brenda Smith Fight Cancer.”
• Keeping all of these tips in mind, you might choose a lengthy title for your fundraising event. The title should be short and concise. Make a list including all of the important keywords and elements that describe your fundraiser and then begin the task of reduction. What rolls off the tongue?

Once you’ve narrowed it down to 3-5 names, run it through Google search again. You don’t want to use the name of someone else’s fundraiser, they will likely use the name in their social media pages, and if they’re a powerhouse nonprofit it will be harder for you to attract attention. If you’re the boss and the final decision maker, then it is up to you to decide. If you’re working with a team, run your final fundraiser name ideas by them and take a vote.