The Ultimate GroupRaise Fundraising Guide

Looking for a delicious way to raise money for your cause? We’re here to help with this Ultimate GroupRaise fundraising guide. With GroupRaise, you can dine with family and friends at your favorite local restaurant and a percentage of the bill is donated to the organization of your choice.

To help you host an awesome event, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to fundraising through GroupRaise with everything you need to know–and more!

Short on time? Check out this 1 minute video for a quick rundown of the GroupRaise experience.

Make a Request

Choose Your Restaurant

Picking the right location is important. Here are some things to consider when deciding where to host your fundraiser:

• Restaurant Location: Can your supporters get there easily?
• Space Capacity: Will supporters share the meal together or come and go during the event?
• Location Policies: Does your group meet the requirements of the restaurant?
• Average Meal Price: Do the prices align with your fundraising goal?
• Availability: What time is best for your supporters to come out and share a meal? What day of the week?

Check out our blog post Top Tips: Choosing a Venue to learn more about picking the right restaurant for your cause.

Pick a Date and Time

To finalize your request, create your account and group profile. Simply fill in the required fields and you’re ready to go!

Not a nonprofit? Not a problem! Your organization doesn’t need a 501(C)(3) tax ID to participate. To learn more about tax status and how it may be relevant to your group, visit our help center.

Book Your Fundraiser

Promote Your Event

The restaurant has 7 days to accept your event after you’ve submitted a request. Once it’s accepted, it’s time to start promoting! Promotion increases your overall donation amount and is essential to reaching the RSVP minimum of 20 supporters.

Your Meal Page

Every GroupRaise fundraiser comes with a unique Meal Page that is created specifically for your group’s event. It’s a great tool for promotion that can be shared easily via email or social media. For more tips on how to promote, we’ve compiled 9 Promotion Tools and 3 Ways to Supersize Your Event that will help make it a total success.

Once your supporters RSVP on the Meal Page, they will receive an email reminder on the day of your event so everyone remembers to come out, dine with friends, and enjoy!

Need Inspiration?

Check out how some of our groups used their creativity to fundraise while minimizing their efforts and maximizing their success.

• From sharing event updates on Facebook to advertising in chalk on the pavement around the university, the V-Day Warriors at University of Colorado pulled out all the stops to make their event a success.
• GroupRaise co-founder Sean Park turned his birthday celebration into fundraiser supporting female entrepreneurs in Ghana.
• MCHS Lacrosse gave the word “success” a new meaning by turning their already-scheduled parent meeting into a hit fundraiser for the team.
• Makindu Children’s Program, an organization that aids and supports vulnerable children, chose to host their fundraiser on International Children’s Day in order to encourage their supporters to come out for the cause.
• Lambda Theta Phi chose their favorite hangout, Wings N’ Things, to turn an already-popular weekly outing into an event that raised money to promote and empower future Latino leaders.

Eat and Enjoy

Congrats! Your hard work has paid off and now it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a tasty meal with friends and family, all while raising money for your cause.

What’s Next?

Within 4 – 6 weeks after your fundraiser, you will receive the donation check from the restaurant. To ensure your post-fundraiser experience runs smoothly, we put together this post for you!

With this GroupRaise fundraising guide by your side, you’re set for success! Ready to get started?