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Promoting Nonprofit Events on Instagram

December 10, 2024 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Jeff Porter of Handbid

Planning a successful event for your nonprofit can be a challenging and resource-intensive task. In addition to all the work you’re putting into planning the event, you’ve also got to make sure that people attend! While promoting your event to ensure you meet attendance goals can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re facing tight budgets, you don’t need to worry. Social media sites like Instagram can help you effectively promote your event on the cheap.

With the right strategy and implementation, Instagram can be a powerful and cost-effective tool for nonprofits to promote their events, reach new supporters, and drive attendance. Let’s explore some best practices that you can use to promote your event on Instagram.

1. Post Interactive Content

When it comes to promoting events on Instagram, engagement is key. By creating content that invites followers to engage, share, and participate in the conversation, you can expand your reach organically and inspire excitement among your supporters.

Instagram has several intuitive features you can use to easily add interactive elements to your content and enhance your event marketing strategy. Here are a few places to start:

  • Polls and Quizzes: These simple, fun tools encourage followers to interact with the content you post on your Story. You can use polls to ask your audience what they’re most excited about at the event or what silent auction items they’re planning to bid on. Quizzes can also be a playful way to get people thinking about your cause or event.
  • Q&A Buttons: The Q&A sticker on Instagram Stories allows followers to ask you questions, which you can answer in real time. For an extra personal touch, a staff member could do a “takeover” of your account, posting short videos to answer each question submitted.
  • “Add Yours” Button: This sticker invites followers to post their own content related to your event, which you can then share on your nonprofit’s page. For example, you could prompt followers to share photos of themselves preparing for the event or a message about why they’re excited to participate. It’s a great way to inspire user-generated content and create a sense of community among your supporters.
  • Instagram Live: Going live on Instagram is an excellent way to give a real-time, interactive experience to your followers. Host a live preview of your event, conduct interviews with sponsors or speakers, or even give a tour of the venue. Not only does this foster engagement, but it also offers a behind-the-scenes look that makes your followers feel more involved in the event before it even starts.

As you experiment with these features, check out other nonprofits’ profiles to see what’s working for them. Each feature offers unique ways to engage your audience, so don’t be afraid to try different combinations to see what resonates most with your followers.

2. Create a Hashtag for Your Event

Hashtags are a fundamental tool for nonprofit marketing on Instagram. When you create a unique hashtag for your event, it not only helps followers easily find and follow event updates, but it also makes it easier for you to track and engage with conversations surrounding your event.

Once you create a fun hashtag for your event (like #HoustonPawsGala), remember to use it in all communications so it sticks in supporters’ minds. This includes:

  • Event invitations
  • Event reminders
  • Posts leading up to the event
  • Posts during the event

This way, it will become a recognizable symbol of your event, making it easier for new followers to discover and get involved.

You can also encourage attendees to use the hashtag before and during the event. This will help create a sense of excitement and community while increasing visibility.

For instance, say your organization is using an online auction platform to host an exciting hybrid event all your supporters can attend. You could create a hashtag like #AuctionForACause2024. Use this hashtag in all of your Instagram posts and Stories promoting the event, and your guests can also use it when sharing their experiences online.

3. Collaborate with Event Sponsors

When you’re working with a tight event budget, leveraging partnerships and sponsorships can be a game-changer. Instagram offers a powerful platform for cross-promotion, where both your nonprofit and your sponsors can benefit from increased exposure. Collaborating allows you to tap into their audience and broaden your event’s reach without spending a dime on advertising.

Once you’ve secured a sponsorship, here’s what cross-promotion might look like:

  • Corporate Sponsors Sharing Event Flyers: Ask your sponsors to share your event flyer or promotional posts on their Instagram Stories or feeds to get the word out and generate excitement among their followers.
  • Behind-the-Scenes Content from Sponsors: If your event has a venue sponsor, ask them to create a behind-the-scenes video or tour of the venue. Not only will this give your audience a sneak peek, but it will also showcase your sponsor’s involvement in the event.
  • Teasers for Auction Items: If a sponsor has donated items for your auction, ask them to post teasers about their contributions. For example, a local business might share photos or videos of their donated item, enticing their followers to attend the event and bid.
  • Influencer Collaborations: If you have sponsors who are influencers or well-known figures in your community, ask them to promote the event on their Instagram pages. Even a simple shout-out can go a long way in raising awareness and encouraging attendance.

By building these partnerships, you not only reduce your marketing costs but also create a mutually beneficial promotional strategy that helps both parties reach new audiences. Be sure to discuss these opportunities with your sponsors early in your event planning process to ensure seamless collaboration.


Jeff Porter Jeff Porter, CEO

Jeff is no stranger to fundraising events, having participated in them for over 25 years. He ran his first fundraiser in 2005 and has managed over 50 auction events and fundraisers for his own charities, not to mention hundreds more with Handbid.

Jeff has been involved in technical product and software development since 1996 and has built and managed mobile app solutions since 2008. When it became clear that he and his wife, Kari Porter, needed a better solution for their fundraisers, developing a mobile bidding app was a no-brainer. The result? Jeff and his wife Kari developed and launched Handbid in 2011. The rest is what they call “history.”

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Fundraising Tuesday: Improving Donor Affinity–3 Event Ideas for Nonprofits

February 1, 2022 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Sarah Tedesco, DonorSearch

Donors contribute to your nonprofit because they are passionate about your cause. However, with so many worthy causes out there, you need to nurture each donor’s personal interests in your nonprofit in order to retain their support.

This natural interest in your cause or nonprofit is called donor affinity. Cultivating donor affinity is an effective way for your nonprofit to maintain engagement and ensure donors remain connected to your cause.

So how can you encourage donor affinity? One great way to ensure your donors continue to care about your organization is to host an event that sparks their passion. Here are our top three event ideas for improving donor affinity:

  1. Charity Auction
  2. 5K Run or Walk
  3. Educational Webinar

Each of these events will allow your organization to connect with donors and build a stronger community among your supporters. By growing your community and reminding donors of their impact, you can improve donor affinity and ensure that your supporters remain engaged. Let’s take a closer look at each of these events and how you can plan them successfully.

1. Charity Auction

Auctions are not only a great way to raise money for your nonprofit, but they’re also a very engaging event for your supporters. Auctions provide an opportunity for your donors to support a cause they care about while also purchasing something they truly love. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your auction:

  • Determine what type of auction you’ll host early on. Before you dive into the details of planning your auction, you’ll need to determine what type of auction you’d like to host. Will it be a traditional or silent auction? In-person, virtual, or hybrid? Once you determine the type of auction you’ll host, you can adjust your planning and marketing strategy accordingly.

 

  • Connect with local businesses. Local businesses can have a huge impact on your local community and how involved they become with your work. Consider reaching out to local businesses to see if they’d be interested in donating items to your auction to demonstrate their support for your cause. Local businesses can also connect you with patrons of their establishments who might already have an interest in your cause.

 

  • Emphasize the impact of bids. To cultivate donor affinity, you need to demonstrate how your donors are making an impact. During the auction, be sure to emphasize how donations and bids will help your nonprofit achieve your goals, launch new initiatives, and forward your mission.

While an auction doesn’t explicitly draw on a donor’s natural interest in your nonprofit, there are plenty of opportunities to nurture donor affinity. Because auctions are such engaging events, your donors will likely already be paying close attention to the event, meaning it’s the perfect chance to share important information about your cause.

2. 5K Run or Walk

One reliable way to improve donor affinity is to build community. A strong community of supporters can motivate, inspire, and educate each other, and there’s no better event to build community than a 5K race. These races can gather many of your supporters together and rally everyone around your cause. When planning your 5K run or walk, you should:

  • Encourage teams. Teams are a great way to add some friendly competition while getting more supporters involved! For instance, if you have an active alumni network, encourage them to form their own teams and see which alumni groups can raise the most funds.

 

  • Share content about your nonprofit and mission. In the registration process, follow-up emails, and on the actual day, be sure that you’re reminding participants why they’re there: to support your nonprofit. Consider having beneficiaries of your nonprofit speak at the event and share their story to deepen the personal connection that your donors have to your cause.

 

  • Host a celebration at the end. When the 5K run or walk is over, host a big celebration with food, games, and a ceremony to celebrate your fastest runners and most effective peer-to-peer fundraisers. A celebration will ensure that your participants enjoy their time and associate your nonprofit with happy memories!

To help your event run as smoothly as possible, invest in nonprofit software that allows you to register participants, track their donations, and identify relationships between donors (such as members of the same family who joined the same team). With this information, you can identify opportunities to grow donor affinity even after the event is over.

3. Educational Webinar

In many instances, donor affinity can grow out of newfound awareness or education. Perhaps a potential donor had no idea about the cause that your nonprofit is supporting or they were recently affected by the issue you’re trying to address. They will turn to your nonprofit to provide answers to their questions and knowledge about the issue.

With the right approach, your nonprofit can make supporters care even more about the issue, improving donor affinity across the board. To raise awareness about your cause, host an educational webinar featuring informed speakers and representatives of your nonprofit.

To host a successful webinar, you should:

  • Discuss topics that are interesting to your donors. Each donor’s interest in your nonprofit likely grew out of different circumstances, but they probably want to learn more about similar topics. Design your webinar around certain topics that are the most interesting to your donors. And if you’re unsure which topics your donors might be interested in, don’t be afraid to ask!

 

  • Emphasize how your nonprofit has made a difference. While donors may be interested in your cause, they might not have a full understanding of how your nonprofit is making a difference. During your webinar, emphasize the difference that your nonprofit has made and how donations can help you further your impact.

 

  • Host a Q&A session. A great webinar likely prompts questions from your audience, so give attendees the chance to ask speakers their burning questions. Creating a dynamic and engaging conversation will also help donors feel like an integral part of your nonprofit’s dialogue.

Hosting an exclusive webinar is also a great way to nurture affinity among major donors. According to DonorSearch’s guide on major donor fundraising, creating events specifically targeted towards major donors can effectively deepen their engagement and encourage them to donate more. A webinar is the perfect way to combine education with your long-term fundraising strategy.

Cultivating donor affinity is crucial for any nonprofit. Not only can it help you better tailor your nonprofit’s marketing strategy, events, and programs, but it can also help you deepen each donor’s relationship with your nonprofit. Good luck!


Sarah TedescoSarah Tedesco is the Executive Vice President of DonorSearch, a prospect research and wealth screening company that focuses on proven philanthropy. Sarah is responsible for managing the production and customer support department concerning client contract fulfillment, increasing retention rate and customer satisfaction. She collaborates with other team members on a variety of issues including sales, marketing and product development ideas.

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Troubleshooting Your Year-End Giving Challenges

December 21, 2021 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Carl Diesling, DNL OmniMedia

The final three days of December are some of the most significant fundraising days of the entire year. But, when December comes around, will your nonprofit be looking back upon a successful year-end giving season or a series of challenges that prevented you from reaching your full fundraising potential?

Year-end giving in 2021 is rife with challenges both new and old, but that shouldn’t hold your organization back from funding your mission.

In this guide, we’ll cover two challenges that nonprofits are facing with the 2021 year-end giving season, as well as solutions to help your nonprofit confront them. For more tips, explore DNL OmniMedia’s guide to year-end giving.

Let’s get started.

Challenge: Balancing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events

Last year, in-person fundraising events were either pivoted to the virtual sphere or canceled outright as COVID-19 safety protocols prevented in-person gatherings beyond individual households. Now, with vaccinations widely available, in-person events are an option for your nonprofit once more.

While some thought the return of in-person events meant a return to normalcy, that has been far from the case. Instead, your nonprofit is facing a complicated year-end event atmosphere in which all of your supporters are seeking different experiences. For example, you’ll have groups that:

  • Feel safe returning to in-person events.
  • Feel unsafe and uncomfortable with the return to in-person events.
  • Enjoyed digital fundraising events and would like to continue with that format, regardless of safety concerns.
  • Are eager to return to in-person events as soon as possible.

Now, your nonprofit has to decide whether to host virtual, in-person, or hybrid events (or, a combination of all three). Only hosting one of the three puts you at risk of isolating a segment of your supporter base.

Solution: Create a strategy that incorporates a variety of event types to appeal to all supporters.

Incorporate virtual, in-person, and hybrid events into your year-end fundraising strategy to ensure you offer opportunities that appeal to all. Consider the following ideas for each event type:

  • Virtual Events: Livestream a comedy show, concert, or cooking course and raise funds through ticket sales.
  • In-Person Events: Host an outdoor walk-a-thon in which participants raise peer-to-peer funds in anticipation of their efforts during the event itself.
  • Hybrid Events: Host an in-person auction event and allow virtual participants to attend and place bids via virtual auction software.

Note that some of these events may require an investment into new virtual fundraising software solutions, such as livestreaming software, general virtual events software, or even event-specific software such as virtual auction software. You can also turn to your current event software to see if there is existing functionality to support new event types. For example, TeamRaiser, Blackbaud’s peer-to-peer solution, can be used to support virtual and hybrid events alongside in-person events.

Challenge: Decreased team capacity for intensive fundraising efforts

The year-end fundraising season represents the busiest time of the year for your nonprofit in all senses— you have more donations coming in, marketing communications that need to be shared, and events to host.

At the same time, nonprofits aren’t known for having an abundance of staff resources. You likely have a few team members who wear many hats, each of whom is responsible for crucial aspects of your fundraising effort. It can be challenging to cover the basic functions of your nonprofit, let alone try new efforts, like innovative new fundraising opportunities that can diversify your fundraising revenue and add stability to your mission overall.

The last thing you want is for your year-end fundraising campaign to stagnate due to limited staff capacity. However, it wouldn’t make sense to increase the size of your team permanently for the year-end season alone.

Solution: Partner with a nonprofit consulting firm to fill any gaps in your team’s capacity.

A nonprofit consultant can extend your team’s capacity during the year-end season, helping you maximize this valuable fundraising opportunity and optimize your strategy for the future. DNL OmniMedia’s guide to nonprofit consulting firms discusses a variety of consultant types that your organization can partner with for specific aspects of your strategy, such as:

  • Technology Consultants: This team can conduct a nonprofit technology assessment, help you choose new software solutions to invest in, implement any new solutions you purchase, and optimize your current technology to perform at its highest level.
  • Marketing Consultants: This team can develop branding materials and key messaging for your year-end campaign, design marketing materials, and analyze the success of your outreach efforts to continue improving them going forward.
  • Fundraising Consultants: This team can help you research prospective donors, develop fundraising goals and calendars to achieve them, and pursue innovative fundraising opportunities to diversify your revenue streams.

It’s important to find a consultant that not only specializes in the specific service you need but also in the type of organization you are. For example, DNL OmniMedia specializes in nonprofit technology consulting for mid-sized and large nonprofits. However, other consultants specialize in small and growing nonprofits as well.

The 2021 year-end fundraising season is rife with challenges new and old. However, these obstacles don’t need to hold your nonprofit back from reaching great heights in the year-end season. Whether investing in new fundraising software and diversifying your calendar or bringing in a new team member for the season, there are strategies to help your nonprofit troubleshoot your year-end giving challenges.


Carl Diesing DNLCarl Diesing, Managing Director – Carl co-founded DNL OmniMedia in 2006 and has grown the team to accommodate clients with on-going web development projects. Together DNL OmniMedia has worked with over 100 organizations to assist them with accomplishing their online goals. As Managing Director of DNL OmniMedia, Carl works with nonprofits and their technology to foster fundraising, create awareness, cure disease, and solve social issues. Carl lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife Sarah and their two children Charlie and Evelyn.

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