How to Fundraise on TikTok

Raising serious money for a cause you care about doesn't require a million followers, just a smart TikTok strategy. This guide breaks down exactly how to use the platform's features, create content that moves people to act, and build a community around your campaign. We'll cover everything from adding a donation sticker to your profile to crafting viral-worthy videos that drive real impact.

Getting Started: Your Toolkit for TikTok Fundraising

Before you can craft the perfect fundraising video, you need to know what tools are available. TikTok has built-in features designed to make giving simple and secure for both creators and donors. Familiarizing yourself with these tools first will set you up for success.

The Donation Sticker: Your Direct Link to Giving

The Donation Sticker is the cornerstone of fundraising on TikTok. It's an interactive sticker you can add to your videos or a permanent button you can place on your profile page. When a viewer taps it, they're taken directly to a page where they can donate to your chosen nonprofit without ever leaving the app. The best part? TikTok has partnered with Tiltify, a well-known charitable fundraising platform, and covers all processing fees, so 100% of the money donated goes directly to the organization.

Here's how to set it up:

How to Add a Donation Button to Your Profile:

First, make sure you qualify. Generally, you need to be a Creator account holder over 18. Once you've confirmed that, adding the button is simple.

1. Navigate to your profile and tap "Edit profile."
2. Scroll down and find the option to "Add nonprofit" to your profile.
3. Search for the nonprofit organization you want to support (they must be listed on TikTok for donations to be eligible).
4. Select the organization, and a donation button will appear on your profile, inviting visitors to give.

How to Use the Donation Sticker in Your Videos:

Adding the sticker to an individual TikTok video puts the call to action right in front of viewers when they're most engaged.

1. Record or upload your video as you normally would.
2. On the editing screen, tap the "Stickers" icon on the right-hand side.
3. Select the "Donation" sticker from the options.
4. Choose the nonprofit you want your viewers to support.
5. Place the sticker anywhere on your video and customize its name (e.g., "Help Us Fundraise!" or "Donate for Dogs"). Publish, and you're ready to start collecting donations!

Creating Content That Inspires Generosity

Just having the sticker isn't enough, you need to create content that stops the scroll and makes people feel connected to your cause. Forget stiff, corporate-style PSAs. The content that works best on TikTok is authentic, emotional, and story-driven.

Tell a Personal Story, Not a General Statistic

Statistics can feel cold and impersonal. Telling a story about one person or a single animal makes the problem feel immediate and solvable. People donate to help individuals, not data points. Instead of saying, "Our food bank feeds 500 families a month," create a video that shows a volunteer carefully packing a box of food while a voiceover tells the simple, heartfelt story of one family it's going to.

A good framework for this is Hook, Story, Call to Action:

• Hook (First 3 seconds): Start with an engaging visual or a powerful statement. For an animal shelter, this could be a close-up of a scared, newly rescued puppy with on-screen text like: "They told us Leo wouldn't make it..."
• Story (The middle): Show the journey. This could be a montage of Leo slowly gaining confidence, playing with a toy for the first time, and finally getting a full bowl of food. Use a trending, emotional sound to amplify the feeling.
• Call to Action (The end): Make the "ask" direct and tangible. A line like, "A $10 donation helps us rescue more dogs like Leo a day. Tap the sticker above to give," connects the viewer's potential action to a real-life outcome.

Go Live for Real-Time Impact

TikTok LIVE is an amazing tool for fundraising because it creates a sense of urgency and direct participation. Viewers feel like they're part of a shared event. When you go live, you can enable a donation panel and watch as donations come in.

Here's how to run a successful LIVE fundraiser:

1. Promote It Beforehand: Announce your fundraising LIVE at least a few days in advance. Make several regular TikTok videos about it and use the countdown sticker in your Stories to build anticipation.
2. Set Clear Milestones: Don't just ask for money. Give people concrete goals. Say, "Our goal tonight is $1,000 to buy new art supplies for the school!" Get a physical whiteboard and write the goal in the background, updating it throughout the stream as people donate.
3. Make it Interactive: Acknowledge donations as they happen with real-time thank yous and shout-outs. You can also offer fun incentives. For example, "Once we hit $250, I'll do the silly dance challenge!" This makes giving feel more like a community celebration.

Use Trends Creatively

Jumping on a trend isn't just for fun, it's a strategic way to meet a massive audience where they already are. The key is to adapt the trend to fit your cause's message, not force it.

Look for trending sounds, filters, or video formats. Could a popular lip-sync audio be used to voice the inner thoughts of an animal up for adoption? Can a "before-and-after" trend showcase the impact your environmental cleanup project had on a local park? Using a trend makes your content more likely to be picked up by the algorithm and shown to people outside of your existing followers.

Expanding Your Reach and Building a Supporter Community

One video is unlikely to hit your fundraising goal. A successful campaign is built through consistent promotion, smart strategy, and genuine community building. You want to turn viewers into followers and followers into dedicated donors.

A Hashtag Strategy That Works

Your hashtags are search terms that help TikTok understand what your video is about and who to show it to. Don't just stuff your caption with generic tags. A strong strategy uses a mix of three types:

• Broad Hashtags: These have high traffic and can help with initial visibility. Think #nonprofit, #fundraising, #charity, #givingback.
• Niche Hashtags: These connect you with a more targeted, passionate audience. Examples include #animalrescue, #cleanguatemala, #foodpantry, #mentalhealthawareness.
• Campaign-Specific Hashtags: Create a unique tag for your fundraiser, like #LeosForeverHomeFund or #BuildTheSchoolChallenge. Encourage others to use it, turning your campaign into a user-generated content machine.

Collaborate With Other Creators

Partnering with another creator is one of the fastest ways to introduce your cause to a new audience. You don't have to seek out massive influencers, collaborating with a creator who has a similar-sized, engaged audience can be hugely effective.

You can use the Duet or Stitch features to add your commentary to another creator's video on a related topic. A better approach is to reach out directly to someone passionate about the same cause and suggest a joint LIVE, a collaborative video, or simply agreeing to shout each other's campaigns out.

Consistency and Follow-Up Are Essential

A fundraising campaign isn't a one-and-done post. It's a series of content that builds momentum over time.

Keep People Updated:

Don't be afraid to post multiple reminders about your fundraiser. Share progress updates to keep the energy high. A simple video with text saying, "Wow! In just 24 hours you've helped us raise $1,800! We're so close to our goal!" can re-engage people and encourage those who haven't donated yet to chip in.

Show the Impact:

This is the most important step for building long-term trust. When the fundraiser is over, make a follow-up video showing exactly what the money was used for. If you raised money for new books, show the books arriving at the library. If you fundraised for pet supplies, show a video of a happy cat playing with a new toy. When donors see their money made a real, tangible difference, they are far more likely to support your next campaign.

Final Thoughts

Successfully fundraising on TikTok combines using the platform's donation tools with authentic storytelling, strategic content, and consistent community engagement. By focusing on creating a genuine connection instead of just asking for money, you can mobilize a powerful community of givers around a cause you truly believe in.

A multi-video fundraising blitz can feel overwhelming, but tools built for today’s social media make a big difference. We designed Postbase with a visual calendar that helps you plan your entire campaign from start to finish - scheduling your launch video, progress updates, and thank-you content all in one place. Since it's built for video-first platforms like TikTok, you can trust that your posts will publish reliably every time, letting you focus on the story instead of stressing about your schedule.