Raising funds as a nonprofit organization is often the leading challenge of successfully reaching goals. While people are willing to donate their time and money, reaching out and attracting them can be a challenge. There are, however, a few techniques that can lead to great results, and nonprofits can use the Internet as a great resource. Here are a few tips for online fundraising.
Social Media Fundraising
Social media provides a dynamic platform for those who wish to share what is important to them with their friends and families. Because of this, social media is a great way to have others share fundraising information and encourage their contacts to donate. The most challenging aspect of running fundraising efforts is attracting volunteers; with social media, volunteering merely requires sharing a post with others. These platforms are popular, and particularly effective fundraising pitches have the potential to spread throughout the networks.
Dedicated Websites
Fundraising in person can be a challenge; delivering a long explanation about why raising funds is so important can be difficult, and striking the balance between delivering enough information without becoming pushy can be hard. With a website, visitors can get as much information as they want before making a decision. Further, websites allow fundraisers to post images and other media that can make the difference between receiving a donation and being passed over. Links to the website can be shared through social media platforms, and it may be possible to get free plugs from bloggers and those running other web sites.
Online Videos
Media sharing platforms allow those looking to raise funds to create videos about their particular fundraiser. Affordable video cameras and microphones can allow fundraisers to create high-quality videos on a low budget. Further, people working on the fundraising efforts may have equipment they can lend at no charge. These videos are a potentially powerful tool; it can be difficult to connect with others through text and graphics alone, and videos allow people to put a personal touch on the subject matter. Passion and concern do not translate well in text, but they can be conveyed in a video. These videos can be shared through social media platforms and embedded on websites. All fundraisers should try to incorporate videos within their fundraising efforts.
Goals and Incentives
Many who donate like to see how their donations help with the fundraising efforts. A number of Internet-based tools can allow those running a fundraiser to set a goal and track progress. In addition, these tools can display the names of donors who can then watch as their name and donation amount scrolls by. These tools are powerful and capable of getting people to donate who otherwise would not have. Another possibility is to offer free incentives to those who donate. A personalized email can be a great reward, and even simple image files can be enough of an incentive for some.
The key to successful online fundraising is to be compelling. Online techniques for raising money is not intrusive, so fundraisers are encouraged to be upfront about what they need. It can also help to ask people to sign up for email newsletters and other information to alert them of future fundraisers; people are often willing to donate multiple times if they know the money is going toward a good cause.