Set Up Guide

New Playground Fundraiser

Program Overview: Every child deserves a safe, joyful place to play, learn, and grow alongside friends and family. A New Playground Fundraiser makes this possible by uniting individuals, families, and local businesses to invest in a shared future. From slides and swings to benches and shaded seating, playgrounds provide more than fun — they promote health, learning, and lasting community pride.

Set Up Guide for a New Playground Fundraiser

1. Outline Different Ways to Join the Cause

The first step in any successful fundraiser is giving people clear, meaningful ways to contribute. With a playground project, it’s important to connect donations to visible, inspiring improvements.

Set Donation Levels: Establish giving tiers that reflect playground costs. For example, $250 could provide mulch or safety surfacing, $1,000 might help fund a swing set, $5,000 could cover a pavilion or shaded seating, and $20,000+ could sponsor an entire play structure. Linking contributions to real features motivates donors to give generously.
Allow Custom Amounts: Don’t limit your campaign to set tiers. Allowing families, businesses, and community members to choose custom amounts makes participation accessible for everyone.
Set a Fundraising Goal and Show Progress: Post a clear campaign goal, such as $200,000 for a complete playground build, and use a progress bar to celebrate milestones. Sharing updates keeps donors excited and invested.
Share Impact Examples: Use photos, renderings, or family testimonials to show how contributions create safe and joyful play spaces for children.

Tips for

Successful Fundraisers

Celebrate Progress Together: Rally the community with milestone updates like “halfway funded for new slides!”
Recognize Every Gift: Publicly thank donors in newsletters, events, or plaques on benches and play structures.
Show the Impact: Share photos, designs, and family stories to highlight how each gift supports children’s growth and play.

2.Streamline the Donation Process

Donors are more likely to give when the process is quick, convenient, and secure. Making it easy to contribute ensures broader participation across the community.

Easy-to-Use Donation Pages: Build a simple, mobile-friendly donation page so families and businesses can give from anywhere.
Multiple Payment Options: Offer credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, or cash/check payments. Flexibility ensures participation from digital donors and traditional givers alike.
Instant Digital Receipts: Provide automatic receipts to confirm gifts and help donors for tax season.
Collect Donor Details: Gather names, affiliations, and contact information so donors can be recognized and kept informed.
Secure and Convenient: Protect donor confidence by ensuring every gift is processed reliably and safely.

Did You Know?

Including photos of children playing can increase donations by 20% because donors can visualize the impact of their gift.

3. Tracking, Communication, and Recognition

Strong organization ensures your fundraiser builds trust and keeps donors engaged from start to finish. Clear tracking and thoughtful recognition turn one-time givers into long-term supporters.

Track Contributions Clearly: Record donations by donor, amount, and type, while ensuring every payment is processed securely. Accurate reporting builds trust.
Coordinate Donor Communication: Send timely thank-yous, milestone updates, and share progress as equipment is ordered or installed. Consistent updates keep donors engaged.
Report and Stay Transparent: Show how donations are used, from new swings to shade structures, so donors see the real impact of their support.
Recognize All Donors: Honor contributions of all sizes with donor boards, plaques, or public thank-yous. Recognition strengthens community pride.