Compassionate Hospice Fundraising Ideas That Lighten the Load
You’re deeply committed to providing comfort and dignity to patients and families in your community…
…But juggling volunteer coordination, a growing need for palliative or hospice care services, and your fundraising goals can leave your team feeling strained.
Instead of another roundup of fundraising event ideas consisting of baked good sales, car shows and car washes, or silent auctions (although those are all great things!) this guide offers something different.
What if every activity you host could build long-term, predictable support instead of one-off donations?
That’s where monthly giving comes in: It’s a powerful alternative that can complement your mission while lightening the operational load. And I’ll talk more about that below.
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While gala dinners and charity walks foster a crucial sense of community and bring in support, they’re becoming harder to sustain when economic climates shift, especially if your organization runs on a small staff and caring volunteers.
This guide will spark new hospice-friendly, creative fundraising ideas, so you can reduce burnout, stabilize revenue, and continue providing compassionate care to your community.
8 unique compassionate hospice fundraising ideas that spark creativity
Instead of another walk-a-thon or turkey trot, consider these fresh fundraising campaign and event ideas, each one designed to:
Draw in families, friends, and community supporters
Promote values of sensitivity, honor, compassion, and remembrance
Naturally introduce other long-term ways to give, like a monthly giving program
But if you and your team are burnt out on the labor-intensive cycle of events and quarterly campaigns, go ahead and tap here to skip ahead to my discussion below that tackles the challenges of (and solutions to) this approach.
Before we jump into the ideas below, I should take a moment here and mention why I believe so strongly in the power of nonprofit monthly giving programs (and why I’ll stress them throughout this article):
Legacy giving is an important part of hospice fundraising. Monthly givers are 6 times more likely to upgrade to a planned gift by leaving your organization in their will than other donors.
Monthly giving creates reliable, recurring revenue. A typical monthly donor’s lifetime value (LTV) is around $2,400 on average and recurring monthly givers have retention rates up to 90%.
Your team does so much already, and monthly giving helps lighten the load. Once set up, automated processing makes monthly giving a low-maintenance source of steady income. And you can easily pair your monthly giving program with your other fundraising campaigns and even events and outreach.
Speaking of, let’s jump into some creative, caring events for hospice nonprofit organizations:
In honor of that community, consider hosting an annual peaceful, twilight event in a local park or donated garden space where loved ones can reconnect with the staff, counselors, other families, and medical professionals that contributed to their experience.
Invite family members and friends to decorate and light paper lanterns or candles in memory of their loved ones and suggest a small donation for each.
Include signage at the welcome table that offers information about your monthly giving programs with a simple message: “Support ongoing compassionate healthcare in honor of a loved one with monthly giving.”
Partner with a local restaurants or chefs to teach simple, nourishing meals for busy home caregivers or those navigating grief after loss.
Charge a small ticket fee or ask for a gift-based registration.
Or alternatively, create a more lasting partnership with a community restaurant or grocery store to enter into a branded sponsorship for not only the classes, but also overall organization support.
Facilitate a vibrant community moment that honors those who have not only received care through your organization, but also their families, friends, and loved ones.
Every item has a chance to tell a story.
Invite community contributors to showcase or lend items that represent important memories, like:
Original artwork or photography
Fabrics, quilts, or vintage clothing
Antiques and collectibles
No need to auction or sell family heirlooms, this event is all about showcasing and sharing memories. Charge a small entry fee that will directly go to supporting services your organization provides.
However, if there are beautiful-but-unwanted items that families would like to sell to help fundraise for your organization, specifically mark those items for auction or selling items, emphasizing proceeds go toward sustaining monthly bereavement programs.
At the exhibit, include signage or make an announcement about continued ways to give to support important programs for those receiving compassionate end-of-life care and their loved ones.
There’s a reason fun runs and walk-a-thons are a long-time, tried-and-true fundraising events.
However, what if your event focused on fundraising for the lasting, compassionate support you provide to caregivers, family, and friends?
Offer a short, family-friendly walk or run in a park that celebrates and honors the community your organization serves.
Partner with local businesses to secure sponsorships for family activities (like jump castles, a play area, carnival games) at the event.
At initial registration and the live event, participants can opt into a monthly support circle to provide ongoing support to families instead of a one-time registration gift.
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5. Mobile bereavement resource station
Take your mission into the community with a mobile booth that offers compassionate support and resources where people already gather: farmers’ markets, church and community festivals, wellness fairs, or library events.
Your station can include brochures on grief and caregiving, sample comfort kits (that include items to support caregivers or grieving loved ones), and friendly staff or volunteers trained to answer questions.
The goal isn’t fundraising on the spot—it’s connection.
By offering free materials and a kind presence, you build trust and plant seeds for future giving.
Include simple signage such as: “Your $10/month helps provide comfort kits to support families in our community.”
Use QR codes or short URLs for easy monthly giving sign-up on the spot, and provide takeaway cards so people can consider giving later.
Over time, this outreach becomes a recognizable symbol of support in your community, and a gentle way to invite new monthly donors into your mission.
Bring your community together for an evening of music, laughter, and shared stories.
Whether it’s a local jazz band, high school choir, or a lineup of neighborhood talent, these events offer a joy-filled, life-affirming way to support hospice care.
Plus, a benefit concert is an event that can extend out to your broader local community. Ensure you do enough promotion via social media and local community events boards to get the word out.
With enough time to prep the live talent, offer attendees the option of donation-based sponsorship of particular songs that are important to their loved ones.
Ticket sales can go to support necessary programming and services, and for a bonus donation opportunity, offer raffle tickets for a set of four concert tickets.
Keep your event informal and heartfelt, and consider featuring a short tribute moment between acts to honor loved ones and caregivers.
You can also use intermissions or emcee moments to introduce your monthly giving program.
For example: “Just $20 a month helps us provide essential comfort items and family support year-round—consider joining our Circle of Care tonight.” Offer QR codes on programs and posters to make sign-up easy on the spot.
When our team interviewed Kelly Horrell, Development Manager at Northwest Arkansas Circle of Life, to learn how they’ve used 4aGoodCause to fuel meaningful growth, she lit up when she talked about their Angels Paying It Forward program.
Angels Paying It Forward is a dedicated group who support Northwest Arkansas Circle of Life through advocacy, volunteerism, and giving.
The membership fees fund special needs that directly benefit patients and their families, from things like unexpected air conditioner replacement or oven repair to special wishes, like a family trip to the beach.
Consider creating a community group or club that not only fosters connection (like Angels Paying It Forward), but also where any club fees go to sustaining a care or wish fund for families.
💡Fun fact:Establish a club-based fund easily with 4aGC’s Monthly Giving Program Toolkit. It has everything in place to collect monthly membership fees. You can even start fees as low as $2 or $5 a month, allowing members to upgrade from there if they wish).
8. Convert tribute giving (or memorial gifts) to sustained monthly giving
Many hospice donors first give in memory of a loved one by offering a touching tribute that honors someone special while supporting your mission.
But what if that powerful gesture could continue making an impact month after month?
Start by identifying donors who have given tribute gifts in the past 12–24 months.
Reach out with a heartfelt message acknowledging their gift and sharing how consistent support helps other families experience the same compassionate care.
Offer a simple, meaningful option: “Your $15/month gift can continue honoring [Name] by helping another family receive comfort and support in their hardest moments.” Include suggested giving levels tied to specific impact, like counseling sessions, comfort kits, or home visits.
You can also include this ask on your memorial giving thank-you page, tribute gift receipts, or in follow-up emails with a gentle message: “Would you consider turning this tribute into a lasting legacy?”
This approach not only extends the life of that initial gift but it also helps families stay connected and builds a steadier stream of support for your organization.
“
One of the things we're most excited about is increased revenue! Because 4aGC makes it so easy for supporters to both add an additional donation for our organization AND cover the transaction processing fees, we've seen increased revenues across the board when compared to the tools we were using before 4aGC.
Kelly Schwartz
MANNA FoodBank
The challenge with classic hospice fundraising strategies
Too often, nonprofit teams rely on labor-intensive fundraising like:
Annual galas or charity walks
Event-based appeals
Quarterly direct mail campaigns
One-time asks to get closer to fundraising goals
These often require volunteer training, permits, promotional efforts (including a game plan for social media posts), logistics, and post-initiative reporting… and they can drain energy rather than replenish it.
Volunteers and donors feel fatigue, too.
This cycle can lead to volunteer burnout, staff stress, and revenue unpredictability, making it harder to plan for long-term services like grief counseling or nighttime respite.
Simple strategies, bigger impact.
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The solution: increase impact with monthly giving
Rather than eliminating events entirely, pair them with a monthly giving program: It’s your not-so-secret weapon against burnout and revenue unpredictability.
Why monthly giving solves these struggles:
Steady revenue: Small gifts of $10–$25/month accumulate into reliable monthly income with no scramble to fund next quarter’s bereavement support.
Deeper donor connection: Monthly donors feel personally invested. Retention is significantly higher than one-time gift cycles.
Less admin overhead: Automated systems mean fewer manual appeals, fewer logistics, and no heavy post-event thank-you mailings… and fewer logging paper checks after a direct-mail campaign.
Volunteer morale: Crew members can see care continuing beyond one event, boosting volunteer retention and emotional fulfillment.
With monthly giving, even a $15 gift per month becomes $180 a year, enough to provide several wellness resources.
See how much you can raise with monthly giving.
How much can you earn?
$
Total raised for your organization
Next steps: launch your monthly giving program today (4aGC makes it that easy)
Donors are already primed to digital subscriptions (think Netflix), so an online donation process comes more naturally here with a monthly giving program.
And establishing a monthly giving program doesn’t have to be complex or a ton of extra work.
Set up a simple landing page. Name your program, create copy to help explain the mission, and set up suggested monthly gift increments ($10 / $25 / $50).
Recruit your first founding monthly donors. Board members, volunteers, past donors, or community partners are a great place to start.
Automate stewardship emails and your process. Use your fundraising platform and email outreach to ensure monthly donors receive a story or resource update monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly.
Tie the monthly giving ask into your next event. For example, for a Memories Lantern Evening, you might include “Click here to light a continued spark of care” in an event follow-up email.
Track impact metrics for this group’s giving. For instance, report on the number of care visits, counseling sessions, wishes granted, or grief care kits this program funded. Use that data in next year’s event materials.
By weaving monthly giving into your event and community engagement ideas, you build:
A predictable income stream, directly supporting grieving families
A deeper, lasting relationship with donors
A lighter operational load, freeing your team to focus on caregiving
Ultimately, when your mission is as heartfelt as hospice and palliative care, your fundraising approach should reflect that same compassion.
With the right mix of creative events and a strong monthly giving foundation, your team can raise more—without stressing more.
And with tools like 4aGoodCause, launching and sustaining these efforts is easier than ever.
Ready to simplify your fundraising and amplify your impact? Let’s get started.
Ronald Pruitt
Ronald is the President and Founder of 4aGoodCause, the fundraising CRM that makes recurring, monthly giving a breeze for small nonprofits.
For over 25 years, Ronald has had the joy of doing what he loves, building online solutions that make a difference in the world. He’s helped raise millions of dollars online for small nonprofits across the country. Connect with Ronald on LinkedIn.
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