Host a Fundraiser

Get ready to raise some funds for a good cause and help change a life!

Simple. Digital. LIGHT THE WAY makes it possible for you to bring your people along for the ride as we work together to provide solutions to those who are hurting in the Valley of the Sun.

We’ve created this collection of resources to help you as you start your LIGHT THE WAY campaign and share with your friends! If you have further questions or a special request, please contact us and we would be glad to help.

1. Create a Fundraiser Page

2. Spread the Word

3. Help Transform Lives

Campaigns

Choose your passion project and build a LIGHT THE WAY page so you can track your own progress toward your goal.


Toolkits

Ready-to-share messages and tips for every step of your LIGHT THE WAY initiative.

for most campaigns

for heat relief campaigns

for church and ministry campaigns

Frequently Asked Questions

Find your answers here or download the PDF version to print or store them.

Have a question that is not answered? Contact us here.

About LIGHT THE WAY Fundraising

Phoenix Rescue Mission’s LIGHT THE WAY Fundraising is our way of helping you help others! It’s a platform to create a personalized fundraising page that can be shared with family and friends, or even with your group or company, to raise awareness and easily collect donations to support the fight against hunger, homelessness, addiction, and trauma. You can easily set a goal, invite people to support the cause, and see in live time how much you have raised. LIGHT THE WAY is our hub for “do-it-yourself” or “third party” fundraising efforts that are being organized by our donors and community members. If you have questions or need further support, please contact lighttheway@phxmission.org.

The sky is the limit. Join with us in our Code:Red Summer Heat Relief initiative or partner with us as we Stock the Pantry for neighbors in need! Plan a charity walk-a-thon, auction, or dinner in our honor! Host a Birthday Charity Giving event online! Every dollar you raise goes towards helping us provide hope, healing, and new beginnings to hungry, homeless, and hurting neighbors.

LIGHT THE WAY is designed to empower you to connect your circles with the cause you are supporting. You are helping the Mission reach people we have probably never met and your personal touch and enthusiasm is what inspires your friends and family to give. Because of that, we do not share individual fundraisers. We regularly share ways that people can support the Mission and be part of this life-transforming work, but we count on you to connect with your circles when you use a LIGHT THE WAY page. It makes an incredible difference!

Yes! We’re thankful for you and your heart to give! Host a fundraiser completely online using your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page or attach it to an in-person event! All ways to give are welcome! Thank you for wanting to make a difference and help transform lives!

All funds raised support our most critical programs and help us provide Christ-centered, life-transforming solutions to persons facing hunger, homelessness, addiction, and trauma. To learn more about the variety of solutions we provide, check out our annual report.

Hosting An Event

The first step is to decide what type of event you would like to organize and then register for a LIGHT THE WAY fundraising account on our JustGiving platform. Once you have registered, your personalized fundraising page will be your one-stop shop for getting started. You can find the Phoenix Rescue Mission logo and branding guidelines here.

Phoenix Rescue Mission will NOT provide financial support or reimburse for LIGHT THE WAY fundraising activities. The organizing group is responsible for all event expenses.

We want your fundraiser to be successful! To be good stewards of the donations entrusted to you, we recommend that event organizers follow the Better Business Standards for Charity Accountability by not spending more than 35% of monies collected on event expenses. Please note that checks made out to the Phoenix Rescue Mission cannot be used for your event’s expenses. Speak to your accountant to ensure a proper accounting of the event revenue, expenses, and net proceeds donation.

We cannot guarantee availability, but we do our best to be present for fundraising events. After registration, share your event details with us by emailing partnership@phxmission.org.

Our Tax ID may only be used when someone makes a direct monetary donation to our organization. Please notify us prior to soliciting a business or company for a donation of cash or in-kind value that exceeds $500 to confirm that we do not have a prior relationship with that organization.

We cannot provide tax acknowledgment for these contributions, since the items are not donated directly to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, but rather to you as an independent third-party. You are required to share with buyers the fair market value of the items they purchase at an auction/raffle at your event where bidders can see them. Tell the buyers to work with their tax advisor to determine their tax implications. Many states and local jurisdictions have strict regulations governing raffles and other gaming events for charitable purposes. Please check with your official state and local websites for details on if and how you can hold a raffle or other gaming activities.

You may have several beneficiaries, but please keep in mind that 100% of any funds received through your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page belong to Phoenix Rescue Mission. If the Phoenix Rescue Mission is one of several beneficiaries, the exact percentage or amount of proceeds that benefit the organization must be clearly stated on all materials presented to the donor.

For legal reasons, Phoenix Rescue Mission may only be identified as the beneficiary. For example, your fundraiser cannot be called “Phoenix Rescue Mission Walk-a-thon.” Instead, it should be called “The Walk-a-thon benefiting Phoenix Rescue Mission”.

Please email us at lighttheway@phxmission.org and we would be glad to advise you on next steps.

Donations

If someone wants to mail a donation to Phoenix Rescue Mission, please put “LIGHT THE WAY for [your name]” in the memo and send it to Phoenix Rescue Mission, PO Box 6708, Phoenix, AZ 85005. After creating your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page, you will have access to a portal where you can manually add non-digital donations so that they appear in your fundraising total.

Print the customized donation form found here and include as many details as possible about your event. (We love seeing pictures also!)

Only donations made directly to your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page online or that you add manually will be applied to your page.

Direct monetary donations made online to the Phoenix Rescue Mission receive a donation receipt via mail and email. Mailed in donations will be mailed a donation receipt. Please do not give out or promise a charitable tax deduction receipt to your donors unless a donor is writing a check or making an online gift directly to Phoenix Rescue Mission. Gifts to Phoenix Rescue Mission cannot be related to event tickets, prizes, or auctions. Inappropriate receipting can put Phoenix Rescue Mission’s charitable-tax status in jeopardy. Consult your tax advisor if you have questions about your tax implications of any kind.

All funds raised support our critical programs, and as such, the local community. If the campaign you create is designated for Code:Red Summer Heat Relief, Stock the Pantry, or another specific initiative, the dollars raised will be earmarked for that program. Otherwise, dollars collected will help us provide solutions where the need is greatest.

First, thank you for your efforts! Please thoroughly review the following options and important information:
You may mail us your funds by making checks payable to Phoenix Rescue Mission and mailing your donations to:

Phoenix Rescue Mission
Attn: Donor Care
P.O. Box 6708
Phoenix, AZ 85005-6708

If the donor needs a receipt, you must provide the donor’s name, address, and the exact amount of the donation.

Please print this form and include your event or campaign name, and any relevant details (we love seeing pictures also!).

Click here to submit your email address. There you can submit your email address to receive an e-mail with your username and a reset password link.

Please reach out to us at lighttheway@phxmission.org so that we can assist you.

Important Notes

  • Phoenix Rescue Mission reserves the right to decline or withdraw as beneficiary of the fundraiser at any time if we feel there is a conflict of interest or the fundraiser may have a negative effect on the image of Phoenix Rescue Mission.
  • No bank accounts in the name of “Phoenix Rescue Mission” can be set up to hold funds from a fundraiser.
  • If including ticketing, raffles, or auctions in your event, please do not use your Phoenix Rescue Mission LIGHT THE WAY page to process payments.
  • The event organizer is responsible for obtaining any permits, authorities, insurances, or licenses for the event as required by local, state, and federal laws.
  • The event organizer must obtain liability insurance to cover “in person” events. A minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence in liability insurance coverage; bodily injury, property damage or death arising out of the organizer’s activities is required.
  • Funds raised through any Phoenix Rescue Mission website cannot be restricted to pay for a service or participation of a specific person in a Phoenix Rescue Mission program or event.
  • Events that promote political parties, candidates or potential candidates will not be approved.
  • Organizers of events that sell tickets should inform attendees of the fair market value of the purchase (the per person cost of the event).
  • If you want to communicate the success of your fundraiser after the event, it is a best practice to publicize only the amount that will be donated to the organization (typically the total amount raised minus all expenses) to ensure transparency for your donors.
  • All proceeds need to be made payable to Phoenix Rescue Mission and mailed to us within 30 days of completing your fundraiser.
  • Consult your tax advisor if you have questions about the tax consequences of any of these activities.

Facebook Donate FAQs

Yes! We highly encourage you to promote your page on social media. However, if you are promoting on Facebook, please do NOT use the “Donate” button feature. Instead, simply copy the link to your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page in your post.

It is a feature on Facebook allowing people to opt in to adding a “Donate Now” button to their posts. People who click on the “Donate” button will be able to give to a nonprofit via Facebook’s Fundraising tool.

When you use language in your Facebook posts such as, “please donate,” “fundraise,” “donations,” etc., Facebook will add a prompt that reads: “Want to raise money for a nonprofit? You can add a donate button to your post to raise money for a nonprofit on Facebook.”

Do NOT opt in to use the “Donate” button if you want your funds to be credited to your LIGHT YOUR WAY fundraising page. Funds given via this button will not be added to your pages but instead will come to us via Facebook and be attributed as anonymous donations.

Unfortunately, we cannot move funds raised through Facebook to your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page. We recommend deleting the post with the “Donate” button immediately. You can create a new post to promote your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page on Facebook, but please opt OUT of using the “Donate” button. That way, people will click the link to your page that you posted, and they can donate on your actual fundraising page. Please contact our Customer Service team at lighttheway@phxmission.org for additional questions.

You will still receive a tax-deductible receipt from Facebook, but we will not be able to credit the donated funds to your name. We receive all donations from Facebook in one lump sum, and all donations will be credited as an anonymous donation via Facebook. If you would like an acknowledgment for your donation or fundraiser, please donate via your LIGHT THE WAY fundraising page or donate at phoenixrescuemission.org/give/.

No, we cannot provide a receipt. But you can always get another copy of your receipt in your Payment History on your Facebook page. To view your payment history, click in the top right of Facebook and select Payment History.

Yes, please send your matching gift receipt to donorcare@phxmission.org, including your receipt from Facebook. We will do our best to verify your gift and submit our verification online through your company’s matching gift site or by filling out the matching gift form received through the mail. Please note that depending on the company’s payment cycle, the matching gift could take three months to a year to receive.