Limited Resources for Fundraising? Think About Revenue Sharing!

Last week was a whirlwind for the nonprofit sector. In just 48 hours, the Trump Administration announced a freeze on federal funding—then reversed it just as quickly after a wave of advocacy. The speed of it all left many of us feeling whiplash.

During that uncertain window, nonprofits were staring down the possibility of losing funding for longtime staff, lifesaving programs, and essential services. My phone was flooded with calls—clients, friends, even strangers—worried about what to do next. So, I held open office hours to help anyone who needed to talk through their options. From Scratch Fundraising specializes in helping historically grant-funded nonprofits build individual giving programs, so we wanted to offer our expertise for free to those who needed it most.

Even though the freeze was lifted, that moment of panic won’t be forgotten anytime soon—not by me anyways. It was a stark reminder of how fragile funding streams can be—and how important it is to have a strong community to lean on.

When things feel uncertain, I turn to my community. I look for ways to help, to support, to connect. Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to sustain a community. When the world feels heavy, I remind myself to “look for the helpers,” as Fred Rogers said. And more importantly, I ask: how can we be the helpers?

This idea came up in a recent group coaching call, when a client said something that stopped me in my tracks. She took her group coaching question time to ask for advice for a fellow nonprofit leader. She asked, “We don’t get federal funding, but one of our closest partners does—mostly through HUD programs. If they lose their funding, our community loses critical services. They don’t have an individual giving program, we do. We need them, they are an upstream service to us. How can we help them fundraise?"

Once again, community. No nonprofit works in isolation, we work as a constellation, a web, a network of services that improve life for everyone. If one organization goes down, we'll be left trying to plug a hole.

Luckily, I had an easy answer for her: revenue-sharing fundraising campaigns. A model I’ve used before!

Back in 2016, I worked with a grassroots nonprofit that hosted a major annual event—a Polar Bear Plunge in the Potomac River. It was their biggest fundraiser, but they also used it to help smaller advocacy organizations raise money. They set up a revenue-sharing model: any group that wanted to participate could create a fundraising team. The nonprofit covered event logistics, peer-to-peer fundraising support, and insurance, taking a small administrative fee. Everything else went straight to the partner organizations.

At first, I worried the 10% admin fee might be a deal-breaker, but the response was the opposite. Leaders of these small organizations told me, “We couldn’t pull off an event like this on our own. Without you running it, we wouldn’t raise a dime. Sharing $1,000 with you to raise $9,000? That’s an easy yes.”

That event created a ripple effect. The partners raised funds they never could have on their own, which in turn made the entire advocacy community stronger.

I’ve seen this kind of collaboration work in other ways too. When I worked for a human rights organization, we partnered with community groups in Latin America. Part of my job was helping those groups build sustainable fundraising strategies. Sure, my organization covered my staff time, but it was a win-win: our partners needed funding to do their work, and we needed strong partners to achieve our mission. When they succeeded, we all did.

That’s why I love running a group coaching program. I’ve seen firsthand how collaboration on fundraising leads to results. One client needed appliances for a new kitchen space—another client knew the ins and outs of Home Depot’s donation policies. A week later? They had the appliances. Two clients in the same city realized they could share a fundraising venue.

So how can you leverage community to strengthen your fundraising? Here are a few ideas:

Host a Joint Fundraising Event

Instead of every organization planning separate galas—asking the same businesses for sponsorships, pulling from the same donor pool, and spending money on separate events—what if you pooled your resources? A shared event means lower costs, a bigger audience, and stronger impact. Just be sure to set clear expectations upfront with a memorandum of understanding, so everyone knows their roles and how funds will be split.

Build a Revenue-Sharing Campaign

Can you team up with nonprofits tackling similar issues—like housing, food insecurity, or arts education—and create a joint fundraising campaign? A unified message cuts through the noise more effectively than multiple smaller campaigns. You can fundraise jointly, with one organization gathering and distributing the funds. Or you can fundraise at the same time using the same message, but take in funds separately (think like a mini-Giving Tuesday). 

Partner with Businesses on a Philanthropy Education Day

In my own community, I’m working on an event to teach local businesses and residents about philanthropy. We’re partnering with our local community foundation, business association, and city officials. The event will feature estate attorneys, tax planners, and financial advisors explaining charitable giving strategies, plus insights on the economic impact of nonprofits. Then, participants will connect with local organizations they can support. If this model works, I hope it can be replicated elsewhere. I'll keep you updated!

Find Ways to Share Resources

One of my clients, the Baltimore Community ToolBank, provides shared tools for nonprofits and community groups. Instead of every organization buying their own tools for playground builds or park cleanups, they can borrow what they need—saving thousands of dollars. That’s a brilliant model! Resource sharing doesn’t have to be physical, either. Knowledge-sharing is just as valuable. If you have expertise in an area, especially one that your peers would have to pay for, how can you lend it to your peers?

These are just a few of the creative ways nonprofits can work together to strengthen their communities, raise more revenue, and reduce expenses. These are the ones I've seen work. What models have you seen work or want to try?

Join us on Friday, February 21, for a Fridays 4 Fundraising focus session on “Fundraising in Community.” Let’s brainstorm ways to collaborate and build stronger individual giving strategies—together. I’ll share what’s worked for me, and I’d love to hear your ideas too!