As a nonprofit organization in Miami, fundraising is essential to supporting your cause, but it can often feel overwhelming to navigate the crowded digital landscape. With countless digital fundraising platforms promising easy ways to raise funds, it’s hard to know which one to choose. The real question is: which platform offers the best opportunity to maximize your fundraising efforts while staying connected to your local community?
That’s where Total Snacks, Miami’s #1 snack food provider comes in. Together with Raising Reimagined, the leading fundraising e-commerce platform, we’ve developed a solution that goes beyond traditional crowdfunding. By offering Dippin’ Dots ice cream and Doc Popcorn—real, tangible products—through a streamlined, digital sales-based platform, we’re reshaping how Miami nonprofits raise money.
Unlike many other platforms that focus solely on donations or project-based crowdfunding, Total Snacks allows you to sell beloved products that your supporters will love, ensuring you generate revenue while deepening relationships within the Miami community. Let’s take a deeper look at the options available and why Total Snacks is the perfect solution for your next fundraising campaign.
The World of Crowdfunding & Fundraising Platforms
The world of digital fundraising is diverse, with platforms catering to everything from creative projects to personal causes and nonprofit campaigns. Choosing the right platform is crucial for maximizing the impact of your fundraising efforts.
Here’s a deeper look at the most common platforms Miami nonprofits encounter:
1. Kickstarter: The Creative Project Hub
Kickstarter is widely known for its focus on creative projects—think films, art installations, and tech gadgets. Operating on an all-or-nothing model, it requires campaigns to hit their funding goal before any money is released to the creator.
Pros:
- Great for creatives: Kickstarter helps creative projects gain visibility and momentum, often fostering tight-knit communities around specific campaigns.
- High energy: The all-or-nothing structure can create urgency, encouraging backers to act quickly and share with others.
Cons:
- Not ideal for nonprofits: Kickstarter is designed for creative endeavors rather than fundraising for causes or organizations.
- All-or-nothing: If you don’t hit your funding goal, you get nothing. This model can be risky for organizations that rely on every dollar raised.
- Fees: Kickstarter charges platform fees (5%) and payment processing fees (~3-5%).
While Kickstarter has its benefits, it isn’t designed with nonprofits in mind. Miami organizations looking for a simpler, community-based fundraising approach may find themselves struggling to adapt to Kickstarter’s unique model.
2. GoFundMe: The Go-To for Personal Causes
GoFundMe is best known for its donation-based fundraising, especially for personal emergencies like medical bills, disaster relief, and family hardships. It’s also used by nonprofits, but it’s not the best tool for long-term campaigns or product-based fundraising.
Pros:
- Simple setup: It’s easy to create a campaign and get it live in minutes.
- No all-or-nothing: You don’t need to hit a funding goal to receive donations. Whatever is raised is yours.
Cons:
- Lacks structure for nonprofits: GoFundMe lacks many of the tools and features nonprofits need to build and maintain a successful fundraising campaign.
- Fees: While GoFundMe doesn’t charge a platform fee for personal causes, it does for nonprofits, and payment processing fees still apply (~2.9%).
GoFundMe can be great for short-term or emergency fundraising, but for Miami nonprofits looking for a platform that supports ongoing efforts with more structure, it’s not always the best fit.
3. Indiegogo: The Flexible Fundraising Model
Indiegogo offers more flexibility than Kickstarter by allowing campaigns to choose between fixed or flexible funding models. It’s an appealing option for Miami nonprofits that may want more control over how funds are raised and distributed.
Pros:
- Flexible funding models: You can choose to keep the money you raise, even if you don’t meet your full goal.
- Global reach: Indiegogo’s platform connects campaigns with potential backers around the world, expanding your reach beyond Miami.
Cons:
- Nonprofit fit: Like Kickstarter, Indiegogo wasn’t designed with nonprofits in mind. While it offers flexibility, its features are better suited for startups and product launches.
- Fees: Like other platforms, Indiegogo charges fees for its services—5% platform fee, plus payment processing fees (around 3%).
For nonprofits, Indiegogo offers some flexibility, but the platform’s design, fee structure, and global reach might not align with local Miami fundraising needs.
4. Classy: Built for Nonprofits
Classy is a platform built specifically with nonprofits in mind, offering tools to create donation pages, manage events, and track donor relationships. For larger Miami nonprofits, Classy provides comprehensive solutions.
Pros:
- Nonprofit-specific tools: Classy was designed to meet the needs of nonprofit organizations, offering features like event ticketing, recurring donations, and more.
- Customizable campaigns: Nonprofits can fully customize their campaign pages to better connect with their audience.
Cons:
- Fees: Even though it’s nonprofit-focused, Classy charges platform and payment processing fees, cutting into your overall fundraising revenue.
- Complexity: While Classy offers a lot of features, it may be more complex than some organizations need, especially for smaller Miami nonprofits looking for simplicity.
Classy is a robust solution for larger organizations, but for Miami nonprofits that want a fee-free, simpler solution with a tangible product-based approach, Total Snacks offers more flexibility and lower overhead.
5. Raising Reimagined + Total Snacks: A Different Approach
Unlike traditional crowdfunding platforms that focus on collecting donations, Raising Reimagined and Total Snacks take a more tangible, product-based approach to fundraising. By selling Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn—products that are well-loved by Miami’s community—your organization generates revenue while engaging your supporters in a fun and interactive way.
Here’s why Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined stand out:
Real Products, Real Impact
Many crowdfunding platforms ask for donations without giving anything in return. While that works for some causes, selling real, tangible products like Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn provides an immediate, rewarding experience for your supporters. Whether it’s for a school fundraiser, local event, or nonprofit campaign, offering products people can enjoy makes fundraising more engaging.
Imagine hosting a campaign where families in Miami can buy Dippin’ Dots to support your cause. Not only are you raising money, but you’re also creating memorable experiences and building long-term community connections. This isn’t just fundraising—it’s a way to engage your supporters with something they’ll love.
Fully Digital or Door-to-Door: The Choice is Yours
Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined offer an incredibly versatile platform that can be used for fully digital campaigns or traditional door-to-door sales—giving Miami nonprofits flexibility in how they want to approach their fundraising.
With the fully digital option, you can set up an online storefront in minutes, share links with supporters, and watch sales come in from anywhere. No need for paper catalogs or tracking orders manually. Everything is handled through the platform, from payments to order tracking and fulfillment. This is perfect for today’s tech-savvy Miami community, where people can support your cause with just a few clicks from their phone or computer.
For organizations that prefer a more traditional, hands-on approach, Total Snacks also supports door-to-door campaigns. This option allows for face-to-face interaction, which is still a powerful way to build community connections and engage supporters. Plus, the experience of going door-to-door can teach valuable skills like entrepreneurship, communication, and teamwork—especially for younger volunteers.
Whether you choose a digital campaign, door-to-door sales, or a hybrid of both, Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined give you the tools to run a smooth, efficient fundraiser that suits your specific needs.
Building Important Skills in Your Community
Beyond just raising funds, Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined offer a unique opportunity to help your volunteers and supporters develop important skills. Running a campaign—whether digital or in person—helps participants learn about customer service, marketing, sales, and leadership.
For students or young people involved in your campaign, the experience of selling Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn can be an introduction to entrepreneurship and financial literacy. They’ll learn how to set goals, engage with supporters, and work as part of a team, all while contributing to a meaningful cause.
Nonprofits also benefit from community-building and deeper engagement with supporters. By offering a product-based approach, your supporters don’t just feel like they’re donating money—they feel like they’re part of something bigger, something they can enjoy while knowing they’re making a difference.
Zero Fees—Keep 100% of Your Profits
The problem with many platforms is the cut they take from your hard-earned donations. With Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and others, platform and payment processing fees can add up, reducing the amount your organization actually receives.
With Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined, there are no platform fees or payment processing fees. That means 100% of the profits from every Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn sale goes straight to your nonprofit. For smaller Miami nonprofits, where every dollar counts, this is a game-changer.
Tailored for Local Impact
Unlike global platforms that may not understand the unique needs of your community, Total Snacks is a Miami-based business that deeply cares about supporting local nonprofits. By choosing Total Snacks, you’re not just raising funds—you’re keeping money within the Miami community, supporting local businesses, and building connections with your supporters.
With Raising Reimagined, the platform’s focus on local community impact aligns perfectly with Total Snacks’ mission of strengthening the Miami economy. We understand the challenges you face, and we’re committed to helping your organization succeed.
Easy Setup with Minimal Administrative Work
One of the biggest challenges nonprofits face is managing a campaign—keeping track of donations, orders, and fulfillment can be a daunting task. But with Total Snacks, the heavy lifting is done for you. Our platform handles everything from payment processing to real-time sales tracking, so you can focus on your cause.
Here’s how easy it is to get started:
- Register with Total Snacks.
- Set up your online storefront with customizable branding.
- Share the link with your supporters.
- Watch the sales come in and enjoy the benefits of real-time reporting.
That’s it! We’ll take care of the backend logistics, including order fulfillment, so you can enjoy a worry-free campaign.
Total Snacks is the Future of Miami Fundraising
For Miami nonprofits, the options for digital fundraising are endless, but most platforms charge fees, lack tangible rewards, or fail to focus on local community impact. Total Snacks and Raising Reimagined offer a different approach—one that’s designed specifically for small nonprofits, ensuring that every dollar raised stays in the Miami community, all while providing delicious Dippin’ Dots and Doc Popcorn products. Why settle for less when you can fundraise with Total Snacks? Check out our website for more details to enroll here.
About Total Snacks
Total Snacks’ mission is to always provide the highest quality snack food for people to enjoy wherever and whenever. The business began in 2015 by entrepreneurs Eleazar López Contreras and Mabe León-Ponte, a husband and wife team, who immediately noticed a lack of high-quality snacking options around their new home in Miami, Florida. From its humble beginnings as a single retail kiosk, the couple has worked tirelessly and creatively to bring the best in class snack foods to the region.
Today, Total Snacks stands out as the premier provider of snack foods and catering in Miami. Its products can be found in over 300 independent outlets, and the company provides contract catering solutions to some of the largest sporting and entertainment venues in the area, while bringing smiles to thousands of people a year through its corporate and private catering activities. Despite its success, Total Snacks has never wavered from its core mission to offer the highest quality snack foods and the best customer service.
