How to Create a Fundraising Toolkit for Event Volunteers

Volunteers are the heartbeat of your nonprofit’s events. They check people in with a welcoming smile, rally donors to give generously, and are fully bought into your mission. But here’s the challenge: many well-meaning volunteers show up for events like charity golf tournaments or galas with nothing but enthusiasm and maybe branded t-shirts.

Simply put, they need more than that. That’s where your fundraising toolkit comes in. 

A robust volunteer toolkit should include everything your volunteers need to represent your organization like pros. It should set expectations, eliminate confusion, and help everyone stay on-message and on-mission, all while making fundraising feel approachable. 

This guide will walk you through building an A-to-Z volunteer fundraising toolkit from scratch, including what to include, how to share it with your team of helpers, and how to make it even better over time. Best of all? It’s easier (and more fun) than you might think. Let’s dive in! 

Why Creating a Fundraising Toolkit Matters

Your volunteers want to help. But without guidance, even the most enthusiastic of helpers can feel lost, overwhelmed, and unsure. A fundraising toolkit, outlined in this guide, gives them the tools they need to step into their role with confidence and clarity—and to raise more money and awareness for your nonprofit in the process.

Remember, though, it’s not just about the checklists and templates. It’s about building real trust, saving time, and creating consistent messaging across the board.

And when the dust settles and the event is over, you need to say thank you. A small gift, a token of appreciation, or even a handwritten thank-you note goes a long way in showing volunteers that they’re valued. When next year rolls around, they’ll be more likely to accept your invitation to volunteer again!

How to Create a Fundraising Toolkit: Best Practice

 

Step 1: Define the Purpose & Know Your People

Before you crack open your computer and dive in, take a pause to ask yourself: What’s the purpose of this toolkit, and who exactly is it for? The clearer you can be about volunteers’ roles, the better you can equip them to succeed. 

Think through these questions to define what volunteers will primarily help accomplish:

• Are your volunteers directly fundraising for your nonprofit by collecting donations? 
• Are they inviting folks from their circles to your event? 
• Are they representing your nonprofit in the community?

You should also consider volunteers’ experience levels and comfort zones. Are they seasoned fundraisers, first-timers who are unsure where to start, or somewhere in between?

In your toolkit, play to your crew’s strengths and needs. For example, let’s say the volunteer team for your charity golf event is charged with helping drive attendance and is made up of social media-savvy Gen Zers. In that case, your toolkit and volunteer training could focus on visuals and templates to share on their personal social channels instead of printable resources.

Remember to define “success” so your volunteers have a goal to work towards, such as the number of golfers registered, donations made, or social media shares.

 

Step 2: Include Essential Fundraising Topics, But Keep It Light

Now it’s time to fill your toolkit. It should be full of handy tools, but not so overwhelming that they don’t know where to start or can’t find what they need.

Here are some must-haves for your toolkit:

• Event Overview: Include the date, location, goals, pertinent contact info, and the “why” behind the event. Keep it snappy but informative.
• Fundraising How-Tos. Provide instructions for managing the event website, sharing donation links, running the event’s raffle, and thanking donors. Screenshots and sample language are your friends here!
• Messaging Templates. Include easy-to-copy email, text, and social media templates that volunteers can customize and send. They should sound friendly, not formal.
• Branding Materials. Provide event and nonprofit logos, photos, hashtags, brand colors, and tone-of-voice tips so your brand looks and sounds consistent.
• FAQ Sheet. Try to anticipate common general questions, like how to handle donation receipts, what to say when someone asks about your mission, and who to contact if you need tech troubleshooting. You should also include info about the specific event they’re helping with—for example, how to explain a mulligan or how ties will be broken at a charity golf tournament.

Keep in mind that more isn’t always better. To prevent burnout and decision fatigue, keep the toolkit focused, direct, and easy to digest. 

 

Step 3: Make It Interactive

Let’s be real: no one is thrilled to read a 10-page PDF filled with walls of text to get ready for your upcoming event. If you want your toolkit to actually be used, it needs to be interactive and creative.

Here are some easy ways to liven up your toolkit:

• • Embedded Videos or Tutorials. A quick two-minute video showing how to set up a fundraising page or create a social media post is way more helpful than a block of text. Feature a charismatic staff member or volunteer to give a quick elevator pitch about your mission.
  • Mini Quizzes or Knowledge Checks. Try a quick “Three Things Every Donor Wants to Hear” checklist or “Golf 101” quiz in your kit. It’s a fun way to reinforce key info!
  • Progress Trackers. A simple spreadsheet or online dashboard makes it fun and easy for volunteers to track outreach efforts or dollars raised. 
  • Interactive PDFs. PDFs aren’t all bad—as long as they’re interactive! Make any PDFs easy for volunteers to explore, click, and copy with jump links. 
• Microsites. A microsite dedicated to volunteer info is super shareable and lets them work through all they need to know at their own pace.

If your event has a theme (and who doesn’t love a good theme), fold that into the toolkit to make it match. A golf fundraiser? GolfStatus suggests adding golf lingo and visuals. A high-end gala? Think glitzy fonts and elegant design.

 

Step 4: Get It In Your Volunteers’ Hands & Make It Even Better

You’ve put the finishing touches on your toolkit—it’s smart, looks great, and is packed with fundraising goodness. Now it’s time to get it out the door and into the hands of your volunteers. 

Use these tips to keep it working hard for you from the event’s start to its finish:

• Make It Easy to Find and Navigate. Your volunteers need to be able to get to your fabulous toolkit and find the information they need quickly and easily. With that in mind, consider:

• • Including a linkable table of contents for quick jumps in digital documents like PDFs or Google Docs
  • Hosting the kit in a shareable Google Drive folder or other document sharing platform (OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.) or on a dedicated website landing page with downloadables
  • Offering mobile-optimized PDFs or other formats for easy access on the go (or at the event)
  • Printing a shorter “cheat sheet” of vital information for use at in-person events

• Ensure It’s Accessible to Everyone. All your volunteers should be able to access and use the kit, regardless of ability. Use ADA-compliant formatting in your kit, especially if it’s hosted on a microsite. Think large fonts, clear formatting, and alt text for images. If you have multilingual volunteers, make sure it’s translatable. You’ll also want to test the kit out on phones and tablets to make sure it’s mobile-responsive. 

• Embed It in Onboarding and Communication. Link to the toolkit in welcome emails, invitations to training sessions, volunteer dashboards, and any other volunteer communications, so it’s easy to find whenever volunteers need it. Refer to it during webinars or in-person trainings, and encourage team leaders to remind volunteers about the kit. In short, promote it to volunteers whenever possible!

• Offer Optional Live Training. Host short, engaging walkthroughs of the toolkit. In-person sessions are great for connecting with volunteers, but webinars or on-demand recordings also work well. Just make sure there’s a chance to ask questions! You might also offer “office hours” leading up to the event or campaign. 

• Gather Feedback to Make It Even Better. Your volunteers will feel valued when you ask them what they thought about the event and your toolkit. Ask what they loved and what fell flat, how easy it was to get to and use the toolkit, and if the content was understandable and useful. Use this feedback to make updates and fill in any gaps for the next event. 

 

Final Thoughts

A volunteer fundraising toolkit might feel like one more thing on your to-do list, but truly, it’s a game-changer. With a little upfront time and effort, you can empower your volunteers, streamline your planning, and even boost your fundraising in the process.

So, as you jump into planning your nonprofit’s next event, don’t skip this important step. Your volunteers—and your mission—deserve it.

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