Fundraising

FUND-ray-zing /ˈfʌndˌreɪzɪŋ/
nounB2TOEFLIELTS
general

The process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions of money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies.

Fundraising is the active process of seeking financial support. It involves various strategies and events designed to persuade potential donors to contribute to a cause or organization.

The story behind the word. The word 'fundraising' is a relatively modern compound, appearing in the early 20th century. 'Fund' comes from the Latin 'fundus,' meaning 'bottom, foundation,' and later 'stock, capital.' 'Raise' comes from Old English 'ræran,' meaning 'to lift, to elevate.' Together, they describe the act of collecting or accumulating financial resources, especially for a specific purpose or organization.

Word relationships

  • Solicitation: More formal, often implies a direct request.
  • Capital campaign: Specific type of fundraising for a large, one-time project (e.g., building a new facility).
  • Spending: The act of disbursing money.
  • Disbursement: The payment of money from a fund.

Word family

  • fundraise (verb): To seek to obtain financial support for a charity, cause, or other enterprise.
  • fundraiser (noun): A person whose job is to find money for an organization; an event held to raise money.

Collocations

  • fundraising campaign
  • fundraising event
  • fundraising efforts
  • corporate fundraising
  • successful fundraising

Example sentences

  • "The charity organized a gala dinner as part of its annual fundraising efforts to support children's education." Describing a charity's efforts.
  • "Effective fundraising is critical for political candidates to run successful campaigns." Discussing political campaigns.

Memory hook

You 'RAISE' 'FUNDS' for a good cause. Collecting money

When not to use

Don't use 'fundraising' to describe the actual money received (that's a 'donation' or 'funds'). It refers to the activity of seeking money.

Fun facts

  • The earliest forms of fundraising date back to ancient civilizations, where religious institutions or rulers would solicit contributions for public works or religious ceremonies.
  • Modern fundraising techniques include online campaigns, direct mail, telethons, and special events.

Related words

Donation, Charity, Volunteer

LangBlitz
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz

Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.