Fundraising Tuesday: 4 Tips for Crafting an Effective Online Fundraising Campaign

A guest post by Wayne Elsey, Funds2Orgs

Did you know that over 60% of donors prefer to give online? Online giving allows your donors to give immediately and with ease.

As a nonprofit, you want to prioritize your donor’s experience so they can give quickly, privately, and securely. To increase donor engagement, follow these actionable tips to develop a thoughtful online fundraising plan:

1. Set a Fundraising Goal
2. Choose an Online Fundraising Method
3. Make it Easy to Donate
4. Use Storytelling to Promote Your Fundraiser

Although online fundraisers do not require planning for a set fundraising event deadline, that does not mean you should view your online fundraising campaign as a “set it and forget it” strategy. Instead, think about how you can measure your progress and engage your donors every step of the way. With this in mind, let’s dive in!

1. Set an Online Fundraising Goal

Align your team with distinct goals, so you can quantify your progress and insightfully structure your fundraiser. Set clear objectives using the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound). Sticking to this method will help your team understand what steps you’ll need to take to meet your fundraising goals and what online platform you might use to solicit donations.

Here is an example of SMART goals at work for an environmental nonprofit:

• Specific: Raise a total amount of $50,000 in online donations to support the nonprofit’s “clean river initiative” and beautify its city’s nearby rivers.
• Measurable: Achieve a 30% increase in donations compared to last year’s campaign total.
• Achievable: Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy that leverages peer-to-peer fundraising and social media advertising to spread awareness.
• Relevant: Align all marketing materials with clear campaign objectives that explain how the funds will be used to implement prevention measures or purchase new filtration equipment.
• Time-Bound: Achieve 50% of funding within six months and complete the funding goal within 12 months.

Discuss your SMART goals with your team to make them as specific as possible. Consult your fundraising calendar to decide the best time to implement your online fundraising plan and begin measuring your progress.

2. Choose an Online Fundraising Method

There are several online fundraising methods available. To decide which one your nonprofit should choose, consider your donors’ communication preferences and your existing resources. For example, if your supporters respond well to email appeals, you can look for fundraising platforms with email integration included.

Here are some popular online fundraising methods:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising involves activating your existing supporters to fundraise on your behalf. Supporters create personal fundraising pages and contact their networks for support.

• Crowdfunding involves having nonprofits create their fundraising page for supporters to donate directly to them and share with their networks.

• Matching Gifts requires nonprofits to leverage this corporate philanthropy opportunity that matches their employee’s donations at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, enabling them to double their donation’s impact.

• Text-to-Give allows donors to contribute from their cell phones by texting a specific keyword to a designated phone number that prompts them to complete the donation process.

Your organization can choose one of the above online methods or combine them to reach your fundraising goals. Consult your budget, audience data, and campaign goals to select a fundraising platform that works best for your organization.

3. Make it Easy to Donate Online

Once you’ve selected an online method, prioritize ease of donation. That means double-checking technical aspects like load time that could keep your donors waiting. Give your supporters every reason to donate (and keep donating) by:

• Optimizing your donation form: To keep your donation form straightforward, only ask for necessary information, including names, donation amounts, contact information, and payment details.
• Ensuring secure payment processing: Use a reliable payment processor that tracks your donations and protects and secures your donor information. Be transparent about how your donor’s gifts will be processed to put their minds at ease.

• Offering recurring giving options: Maximize your donations by offering recurring giving options. Funds2Org’s guide to monthly giving recommends communicating suggested recurring amounts for donors to choose from to increase regular donation amounts.

Online donations can sometimes feel removed and strictly transactional. To avoid this, look for additional ways to personalize your online donation process. For instance, you could optimize your donation confirmation form with a heartfelt thank-you message from your nonprofit’s leadership.

4. Use Storytelling to Promote Your Fundraiser

Because online fundraising happens over a longer period, it does not always carry the urgency and hype as an in-person fundraising event. To energize your supporters, incorporate storytelling into your promotional materials to make them feel more connected to your cause.

Use the following channels to rally your donors and make your fundraising goals a reality:

• Social media: Create Q&A reels explaining the purpose of your fundraiser and on-the-ground posts to capture the challenges and progress of your organization’s work. For example, an organization like CharityWater might post Facebook updates on their well-digging efforts and discuss how many people can now access clean water.
• Your website: Add your online campaign information to a dedicated website page, so supporters can learn more about your cause and how they can help. Compile testimonials and impactful imagery of your team at work to show supporters how their contributions are used to further your mission.
• Flyers: Use thoughtful and concise headlines, copy, and imagery to capture your online campaign’s relevance and inspire support. Include a QR code leading to your donation form and social media links encouraging others to join the conversation and learn more.

Kwala’s guide to fundraising flyers recommends using standout statistics to grab viewers’ attention. For example, you might say, “X million people lack access to clean water,” or “By 2050, the plastic in the ocean will outweigh all the fish in the sea.”

You’ll execute an organized online fundraising campaign by following these steps. For best results, consult your audience in each step. Ask questions like which online fundraising method would they prefer. And which social media platforms are of greater interest to them? This way, they’ll most likely engage from start to finish.

Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises (EE) and a member of the Forbes Business Development Council. Among his various independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs, which is a social enterprise that helps schools, churches, nonprofits, individuals and other organizations raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations.