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Fundraising Tuesday: Effectively Marketing Your Nonprofit’s Next Virtual Event

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A guest post by Dominique Desmarais of CharityBids

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted the prominence of virtual charity events. But nonprofits have continued to leverage them beyond the days of lockdown because of their many benefits.

For most of your supporters, virtual gatherings are likely unique, refreshing, and convenient to attend. Plus, they can help your organization save on costs, or tap into exclusive experiences like celebrity appearances or performances. There’s also a wide variety of online fundraising tools and strategies you can use for a virtual event.

However, just because your auction will be held via Zoom or your gala will take place in an immersive virtual reality venue doesn’t mean that your marketing efforts can take a backseat. With virtual events, you still need to pull out all the stops when it comes to promoting the occasion and encouraging people to attend.

In this guide, we’ll help you get started by providing three tips you can use to effectively market your nonprofit’s next virtual event.

1. Take a multichannel approach.

Even though your event is going to take place online, you should still cast a wide net when it comes to choosing marketing channels to promote your virtual event. Use a multichannel approach to make sure that you’re covering all of your bases.

So, what channels should you use?

  • Email
  • Social media
  • Radio and TV
  • Printed materials (such as flyers and posters)
  • Direct mail

Of course, some channels will be more useful than others, depending on what you know about your supporters. But the main idea of a multichannel approach is, according to Double the Donation, to “increase your chances of reaching out to your supporters with their preferred communication method.”

As you cast your marketing net wide, keep these best practices in mind to make your efforts as effective as possible:

  • Brand your materials to your nonprofit. No matter the channel your supporters are using to learn about your event, they should know that the messaging is coming from your nonprofit. Be consistent in using your nonprofit’s brand elements across your marketing materials. Place your name and logo in a prominent place on all of your materials, and use similar color schemes from channel to channel. This way, you’ll build brand recognition for your organization while promoting your event.

 

  • Use calls-to-action to encourage registrations. The end goal of your virtual event marketing strategy is to get your supporters to register for your event. Use calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage them to take that step. A CTA is simply a statement that encourages people to do something. For example, you might include a CTA in an email newsletter that says, “Help end the rhino poaching crisis by registering for our webinar today.”

 

  • Pay attention to timing. Different channels will be useful at different times leading up to your virtual event. For instance, printing hundreds of flyers probably wouldn’t be a very wise move in the last few days before your event. Those materials would better serve your marketing strategy a few months prior to the big day. On the other hand, social media will be a great tool to use in the days and hours leading up to the event because they’ll reach your audience quickly.

As you select the different channels you’ll use to market your virtual event, make sure to be consistent in how you talk about your event. Share critical details like date, time, and cost to register. This way, everyone will get the same information regardless of the way they receive that information.

2. Make your website your event information hub.

Because your virtual event will likely require that your supporters register online, you should use your website as a central event information hub, directing supporters to it no matter how they hear about your event.

CharityBids’ guide to nonprofit event planning suggests creating a microsite or dedicated events page on your website that includes an easy-to-use registration form. This way, you can not only get people registering for your most current virtual event, but also establish a clear section on your website that supporters can visit regularly for news about future events.

Let’s look at some additional ways you can strengthen your website to make it an effective marketing tool for your virtual events:

  • Spotlight your event on your homepage. Put event announcements front and center on your website by including them on your homepage. This way, users will quickly learn about your events when they visit your website and be encouraged to continue their journey by learning more on your event page.

 

  • Create blog posts about your event. Your blog is a great place to plug your virtual events. For example, you might write up the history of your annual gala, share what your attendees enjoyed most about last year’s auction, or publish an interview with your event’s special guest. Don’t forget to include a CTA that encourages blog readers to register!

 

  • Add social media buttons. Once a supporter has used your website to register for your virtual event, they may want to share the event information with their personal networks. Empower them to do so by including social sharing buttons on your website. This way, your supporters can help market your event with one easy click.

As you prepare your website to be the central information hub for your next virtual event, perform some website maintenance. For example, make sure that your website is loading correctly, that every link on your site works, and that any outdated content has been removed. Additionally, ensure that your website is optimized for accessibility so that anyone can use it, regardless of ability. This way, you’ll be ready to welcome as many people as possible to engage with your event-specific web content.

3. Use personalization to make your communications more effective.

The best way to start personalizing your marketing efforts is to segment your target audience. This is the process of dividing your audience into sub-groups based on shared characteristics. Your promotional messages will better resonate with your audience when they’re tailored to specific audience groups.

To segment your nonprofit’s community of supporters, use your donor data to identify shared characteristics like:

  • Geographical location
  • Age
  • Donor status
  • Communication preference

Here’s an example of what this might look like in practice: Say that you review the donor data in your CRM and learn that 60% of your supporters live in your local community. Knowing this, your team could determine that it would be a good use of marketing dollars to hang up event posters in community centers, and ask local business owners to keep a stack of flyers by their cash registers.

To take your personalization efforts to the next level, use your recipients’ first names and reference their previous donations or involvement with your nonprofit. Personalizing your materials when you can will make your supporters feel seen as individuals and feel like your virtual event invitations are meant just for them.

The success of your nonprofit’s next virtual event will heavily depend on your ability to market it effectively. Leverage the tips in this guide to make your efforts count, and consider working with charity event planning and production experts to make the process even easier. You’ve got this!

Dominique DesMarais head shotAuthor: Dominique Desmarais, Marketing Manager at CharityBids

Dominique is the Marketing Manager at CharityBids. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, specializing in Marketing and International Business.

Over the years, Dominique has developed a strong passion for creative direction and strategy development. She brings a unique and artistic approach to marketing, rooted in her enthusiasm for the creative, entertainment and fashion industries, and their applications to establishing and growing digital presence. Having launched her own creative agency, Dominique was able to collaborate across cultures and bring creative visions to life through disruptive innovation.

When she’s not working, you can find Dominique hunting down the best food in the city, taking in an art exhibit, or capturing the beauty of her surroundings through photographs. She has a fire to create change and a drive to fuel success, while continuously striving to learn, grow, and prosper.

Fundraising Tuesday: The End of AmazonSmile (Everything Nonprofits Need to Know)

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A guest post by Korri Piper at ShopRaise

Online shopping and online fundraising have both grown in popularity in recent years, leading to major changes for both for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations. Shoppers not only gravitate toward online retailers, but they’re also interested in making a difference through their purchases.

In 2013, Amazon.com came up with a solution that combined all of these trends: AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile provided a convenient way to donate while shopping online. The small contributions from this easy-to-run passive fundraising program added up over time to aid the fundraising efforts of more than a million organizations. However, on January 18, 2023, Amazon announced they would be discontinuing the Smile program on February 20.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the discontinuation of AmazonSmile and its effects on nonprofits like yours by answering the following questions:

  • What was AmazonSmile?
  • Why was AmazonSmile discontinued?
  • How has the end of AmazonSmile affected nonprofits?
  • What next steps can nonprofits take?

What was AmazonSmile?

Founded by Amazon.com as one of their business philanthropy initiatives, AmazonSmile was a program that allowed shoppers to give back to their favorite nonprofits while making everyday online purchases. Shoppers could conveniently contribute through purchases that they were going to make anyway at no additional cost. Plus, they could support a wide range of nonprofits, from enterprise-level groups to the smallest community organizations.

For nonprofits, AmazonSmile provided a free, easy way to bring in extra revenue all year long. The program did have its disadvantages, such as its low commission rates—just 0.5% of a supporter’s total purchase went back to the nonprofit. Also, shoppers could only contribute through purchases made on Amazon.com, and nonprofits couldn’t view data on which supporters participated, making it impossible to thank those donors individually. But it was a creative idea that kept supporters engaged and supplemented countless organizations’ annual fundraising efforts.

Why was AmazonSmile discontinued?

In their news release about the end of AmazonSmile, Amazon.com announced that they would be focusing their philanthropic efforts on other programs. Because more than a million organizations participated in AmazonSmile, the business’s leadership said they felt like their “ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.”

The move came alongside other cost-cutting measures for Amazon.com, including widespread layoffs. However, during the transition, Amazon.com has pledged to donate the equivalent of three months of AmazonSmile revenue to each participating organization based on their 2022 earnings. They will also continue to encourage nonprofits to ask for in-kind donations by sharing their Amazon wishlists with supporters.

How has the end of AmazonSmile affected nonprofits?

Despite Amazon’s pledges to ease the transition, many nonprofits have already shared how the discontinuation of AmazonSmile will affect their fundraising. Small to mid-sized organizations in particular pointed out that the ongoing revenue stream made a major difference in their ability to further their mission with limited resources. The discontinuation also eliminated an accessible way for supporters to give to these organizations.

This transition has affected nonprofits’ financial planning as well, particularly because of its timing. According to Jitasa, most nonprofits create a new operating budget at the end of each fiscal year so it can be approved before the next fiscal year begins. Nonprofits whose fiscal year follows the calendar year had likely already finalized their operating budgets when Amazon made the announcement. Learning in January that one of their revenue sources would be discontinued in February has left little time to figure out how to replace that funding.

What next steps can nonprofits take?

The approach to and timing of AmazonSmile’s discontinuation leaves a gap in many nonprofits’ fundraising strategies. If your organization is among those, you’re probably considering how to make up the ongoing revenue you’ll no longer receive. Fortunately, there’s a free and easy solution available: partnering with a dedicated online shopping fundraiser program.

How Online Shopping Fundraiser Programs Work

Participating in an online shopping fundraiser program works similarly to AmazonSmile. Supporters can contribute to your nonprofit as they make everyday online purchases. But rather than being tied to a specific retailer, these programs leverage a wide partner network of e-commerce businesses. When a supporter shops at any participating retailer using the program’s app or browser extension, a percentage of their purchase goes to a nonprofit of their choice.

ShopRaise’s guide to shopping for a cause explains how your organization can get started with an online shopping fundraiser program in three easy steps:

  • Sign your nonprofit up. The program’s fundraising experts will walk you through a simple onboarding process, answer any questions you may have, and handle all negotiations with retailers for you.
  • Market your fundraiser. If your organization is switching from AmazonSmile to a new online shopping program, you’ll need to make supporters aware of the change and regularly remind them to use the app and browser extension as they shop online. The online shopping fundraiser program can help with this step by creating branded flyers, email templates, and other marketing materials for your nonprofit.
  • Track your results. You’ll be able to view real-time fundraising data, allowing you to thank your top supporters individually and see how their contributions add up to make a difference for your organization.

Once your organization is onboarded, online shopping fundraisers are fairly hands-off. All you’ll need to focus on is marketing and tracking results.

Benefits of Online Shopping Fundraiser Programs

Besides helping fill the gap created by the discontinuation of AmazonSmile, online shopping fundraiser programs have several other benefits for nonprofits like yours, including:

  • Bringing in unrestricted funding. You can put the contributions from your online shopping fundraiser toward any area of your organization’s budget, including operating expenses.
  • Providing flexibility for different organizations. Nonprofits of all sizes can fundraise through an online shopping program—along with schools, faith-based organizations, community groups, and even sports teams!
  • Increasing your fundraising capabilities as compared to AmazonSmile. Other online shopping fundraiser programs can get commission rates as high as 10% depending on the purchase, as compared to AmazonSmile’s 0.5% average rate.

Online shopping fundraiser programs also benefit supporters by allowing them to shop more ethically as they go about their daily lives. Plus, they can contribute to your nonprofit with little effort and at no additional cost.

Korri Piper, Sales and Marketing Consultant & Director of Vendor Relationships at ShopRaise – Bio

Relationship director, project manager, writer and general life enthusiast. Let me tell you how online shopping can solve the world’s problems.

Fundraising Tuesday: 3 Strategies to Build Strong Donor Relationships

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Strong donor relationships are the key to securing the longevity of your organization. With consistent donor support, you can push your mission forward and provide the important services that uplift your community day in and day out.

However, without a clear plan to build and develop donor relationships, you might experience donor lapses fairly frequently and struggle with retaining support over the long term. To help you navigate around this obstacle and increase your donor lifetime value, use these essential tips:

  • Send targeted messages
  • Express donor appreciation
  • Ask for donors’ feedback

With these best practices, you’ll be able to engage with donors at a high level, strengthen your fundraising strategy, and develop long-lasting relationships that will power your mission for years to come. Let’s begin.

Send targeted messages

Communications that are highly personalized and relevant to the recipient are more likely to inspire action. With the help of your email provider and CRM, you can group your contacts into segments based on similar characteristics, ensuring that the donation requests and updates your donors receive are pertinent to their involvement in your nonprofit.

According to Kwala’s guide to donor communications, you can create segments based on factors like:

  • Donation frequency, recency, and amount
  • Volunteer status
  • Event attendance
  • Demographics like age and location

For example, you can create a segment for major donor candidates so your donation solicitations are higher than your usual request for the average donor. You could also make a segment for lapsed donors to highlight major updates that have happened since they last gave or remind them of the impact of their contributions. This can help you boost your donor retention rate and kick-start strong donor relationships.

By using prospect research and tapping into your nonprofit’s CRM, you can create personalized messages and gain a better understanding of your audience. Donorly’s guide to prospect research recommends looking for capacity (wealth) and affinity (warmth) markers so you can better understand your current donors and prospects’ ability and willingness to give.

Express donor appreciation

Donor appreciation is one of the most effective ways to increase your donor retention rate. Being seen, heard and appreciated by your organization will result in more repeat donors and actively help you achieve your fundraising goals.

Try these donor recognition strategies:

  • Handwritten letter. Write your supporters a thank-you letter with a personalized greeting, a reference to their specific donation and how it helped advance your mission, and a personal statement of gratitude. If your staff is strapped for time, you can send handwritten letters to your major donors and digitize the rest of your letters using email.
  • Donor recognition wall. A donor recognition wall is a physical or virtual display that recognizes your top supporters. Create a threshold for how much a donor has to give to see their name added to your recognition wall.
  • Social media shout-out. Share engaging visuals that spotlight your donors. Not only does this help your donors feel appreciated, but it can market your donation program to new followers and motivate them to give so they can similarly receive a shout-out.
  • Donor gifts. Give your top donors a special gift like nonprofit merchandise or gift cards to local businesses. Ask your donors ahead of time what gift they might prefer.
  • Exclusive events. Host an exclusive event for leading supporters of your organization to show how much you value their contributions, such as a dinner, awards ceremony, or donor party. You could also host a separate event as part of a larger fundraising event. For instance, if you host a hybrid auction, you can invite major donors to an in-person gathering while hosting all of your other attendees virtually.

Regularly communicating your appreciation can lead to stronger relationships with supporters, ultimately helping your nonprofit meet its goals and elevate its impact in the community. Make sure to send your thanks within a week of receiving the donation so donors immediately feel recognized.

Ask for donors’ feedback

Donors want their voices to be heard, so giving them the opportunity to communicate with your organization can help you nurture their relationships. Create a survey that asks donors questions such as:

  • What inspires you to give to our organization?
  • How engaged are you in our organization’s efforts?
  • Do you feel appreciated for your contributions?
  • Do you have any suggestions on how our organization can improve?
  • What is your preferred communication method?
  • What events have you attended? What was your favorite event?
  • Do you have an interest in volunteering?

If your donors identify areas of improvement, make sure to consider this feedback and implement the necessary changes so you can retain their support. You’ll also want to focus on sending your communications via their preferred communication method.

For your major donors, you can have these conversations in person or virtually. After all, studies show that the top 20% of donors are responsible for 80% of your nonprofit’s revenue. By meeting with your major donors and giving them the opportunity to voice suggestions, they’ll feel like they’re truly a part of your organization’s community. Meet regularly with your major donors to discuss these talking points and let them know different ways they can increase their involvement based on their responses, such as by joining your volunteer program or taking a tour of a facility their donations helped build.

Once you’ve acquired a new donor, the work is just beginning. Donor retention is an ongoing effort and requires frequent communication and transparency so you can build a thriving giving community. Whether you want to boost your recurring giving program or encourage your top donors to stick around for the long run, these tips can help. Remember to remind your donors of their impact and how donating to your organization helps promote your cause. Good luck!

Sandra Davis prospect researchFounder and President Sandra Davis leads Donorly with 30 years of fundraising experience and leadership. Sandra has consulted on numerous capital campaigns, led strategic planning and feasibility study efforts, and managed board development and recruitment efforts in addition to overseeing planned giving, special events, and annual giving programs.

Under her leadership, Donorly has grown to support the fundraising efforts of over 75 clients to date.

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