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Category: Fundraising Advice

4 Strategies to Help Shift Fundraising Online and Foster Engagement

Posted on by Tim Stansbury

Many charities prefer to host galas to secure life-changing funds for those in need. Large events like galas, for example, are a wonderful way to bring the community together, all while providing a rewarding and memorable experience for participants. However, due to complications from the pandemic, many charities have been facing uncertainty and unprecedented challenges that have hindered their ability to continue their philanthropic efforts.

With many social gathering and event restrictions, it may seem like charitable efforts have been halted. However, there are still many options available to continue wonderful work for the greater good, while also respecting health and safety. It is especially important to be aware of the latest strategies and tools that can help keep your organization on track during critical times. It may seem daunting to find a way to keep your charity afloat and engage donors when you need them the most. Consider the four strategies below to help continue your efforts and foster engagement with your charity by shifting them online.

Leverage a Charitable Fundraising Solution

If donors were most engaged and willing to contribute through galas, do not despair. Your favorite charitable events can be shifted to an online format. Galas that were once held in person can still be held virtually. One way to get started with your virtual gala is by leveraging a virtual fundraising solution. Such platforms allow you to consult a gala host, record or gather visual content, and live stream your gala to your participants. Donors can enjoy the event safely from their homes, and can also place additional donations, participate in a raffle, interact with live comments, and enjoy the host experience virtually just as they would in person. All of the features and conveniences of a fundraising solution make hosting charitable events a breeze even during the most difficult of times.

Ensure Participants Utilize Secure Networks

When moving your charitable fundraising event online, ensure that you have the proper infrastructure in place. Secure networking options, like a software-defined wide-area network, provide a reliable connection for your virtual gala no matter the location of all your participants. Your donors can enjoy a good user experience and also have peace of mind that their connection remains secure. A secure networking option will help to prevent interruptions by keeping uninvited attendees from accessing and disrupting your gala or fundraiser. In addition, it helps to add an extra layer of protection to sensitive information that may be exchanged over the course of your fundraiser.

Express Gratitude

Once your fundraising event is over, it is extremely important to take the extra steps to follow up with your participants. Securing funds is just one part of your charitable fundraising endeavors. It is a fundamental responsibility of your organization to take a moment to demonstrate your gratitude to selfless donors who are willing to help great causes. Now, expressing donor gratitude is especially important because many individuals have been impacted financially during the pandemic and extra funds may be hard to spare. It only takes a moment to send a thank you card to express sincere thanks for contributions that are keeping your organization’s mission alive. Without your donors, your work would not be possible.

Show Your Impact

One powerful way to foster engagement with your charity during critical times is by showing your impact. Many potential donors may be prompted to give for the first time or donate repeatedly when they see firsthand how their contributions are being allocated. Be sure to brief donors on your latest projects and initiatives. This can be done by sending regular charitable email marketing updates to donors. It is essential to cultivate a sense of compassion by telling the stories of good that have come out of your efforts. Donors can often feel removed from those who may be in need. Help your donors walk in the shoes of those you will be impacting by bringing stories from the community to life. Demonstrate how your funds have made a difference on a personal level by showing the individuals behind your campaign. Heartwarming stories bring a sense of hope to the community and can be a call to action to volunteer, donate, and get involved in making a difference.

When times become challenging, your hard work and dedication pays off. It will help you be creative, flexible, and do whatever it takes to grow your charity despite the circumstances. Being able to transition your events virtually and prompt donors to stay engaged with your charity will be a testament to how the will of the community can prevail. Take the time to invest in the strategies and tools that can help you make a difference to those who are counting on us.

7 Tips For Online Fundraising Success

Posted on by Ben Crook

Natural disasters and unforeseen circumstances can cause serious ripples throughout the fundraising industry, and we’re certainly seeing that with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given that many of our charity clients rely on in-person events, which are for the most part now impossible to hold, we wanted to zone in on a few of the best practices we suggest to clients for maximizing fundraising online, and how in some cases it can equal (if not surpass) pre-set fundraising goals.

How We Can Help:

We offer a variety of fundraising tools and excel in running campaigns entirely online. It’s cost-effective and allows your supporters to contribute any time and from any place.

In fact, many of our clients have already done this with tremendous success! As an example, using strategic promotions and emphasis on the right team, HOPE International Development Agency raised over $23,000 in the first four hours of opening their online fundraising website. Their dedicated constituents were able to participate in a highly anticipated auction across Canada, creating an impactful atmosphere during these seemingly isolated times.

7 Tips for Online Fundraising Success with Givergy:

Here are a few best practices that we think will help dramatically impact the amount you raise through your virtual event:

1 – Take Advantage of Pre-authorization:

Givergy can require credit card details for auction bidding. This ensures you will have payment details securely stored for anyone who participates in your online auction and simplify your post-event payment collection.

2 – PROMOTE! PROMOTE! PROMOTE!

Use the Internet to your advantage with social media sharing, Facebook and Instagram Live videos, Twitter, your own website, email marketing, co-branding with your sponsors, etc!

Ask your supporters to assist by sending videos or messages that you can share with your audience through your fundraising website. For instance, if you are raising money for specific families in need, ask them to create a video of where the money will go and hyperlink it to that specific page.

Use your volunteers as assets. Ask them to share the website and involve their friends and families.

It’s proven helping others increases happiness levels. You can enable this form of help through online fundraising. It may not be person to person, but it can be just as effective in supporting the causes we care most about.

3 – Choose the Right Team

When it comes to your team, you’ll want to select the right people to be involved. People who have experience marketing and can get the word out – eyes to the site is absolutely crucial.

4 – Give Them a Reason to Come Back

If you’re concerned about low website traffic, you can delay the release of some items and use strategic messaging to drive supporters back to the site. You can create items, have them ready to go, and make them visible at a specific time. You can then send a message to your supporters letting them know new items are available.

5 – Allow Guests to Cover Processing Fees

When using Givergy, by default your guests are given the option to cover the credit card processing fee on your behalf. This could potentially save your organization thousands of dollars and increase your total revenue.

6 – Turn Losing Bids to Donations

When your auction does end, you can message guests who did not win items or make donations through the Givergy platform to ask if they would like to donate.

7 – When and How to ‘End’ the Event

As mentioned, a positive of online fundraising campaigns is you don’t have the same time constraint you otherwise would. You choose when to end your event based on your goals, and our system allows you to send custom ‘thank you’ messages.

Summary:

Due to the impact of COVID-19 we know many businesses and organizations have been forced to function with no in-person contact, online, or close down altogether.

In a drastically different world, Givergy is here to offer support in providing completely virtual events, as fundraising does not have the option of stopping. Although the situation is unprecedently hard, it is a time we can come together and show creativity with how we continue to support the causes we care about.

Our Client Service Managers (CSMs) are constantly speaking with fundraisers globally on how best to apply the suggestions above and Givergy is constantly brainstorming new and improved ideas on fundraising because of it. We are all in this together! And hope we can help you soon.

Any questions or feedback, please do get in touch.

Article contributed by Ashley Missen, Givergy Canada – CSM

How to Successfully Fundraise Through Live Streaming!

Posted on by Tim Stansbury

At a time when the world is at home and going to live events just isn’t possible, the events industry is filling the void with live streaming and virtual events. Just this weekend some phenomenal events took place, including:

  • One World: Together at Home – featuring the likes of Lady Gaga, Elton John and Taylor Swift, to name a few
  • ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ at the Royal Albert Hall
  • Movie Night with Jamie Lee Curtis
  • Robyn D.J.s Live

It’s a concept many are new to, but one we have realised for some time has a lot of potential. We’re learning new tricks quickly and wanted to offer some advice and support.

How it works:

Live streaming events is a fairly simple concept.  You really don’t need expensive or professional equipment, but the clearer the picture and sound quality of course the better it will be. Just make sure the backdrop for your shot is uncluttered, homely or fun, whatever your desire.

Content:

If you’re short on content; i.e. live music, comedy or interesting info, then do not fear – when fundraising it’s fine to be short and sweet.  You must have your Givergy fundraising platform set up where we can embed the live stream of the event, then show your fundraising targets, donation options and auction items (if applicable). Then you’re all set.

Timings:

The barebones are to invite your audience to participate at a specific time (say Saturday 6pm) and for a limited time (perhaps only 30 minutes to an hour).

The Host:

Then have your MC ready, an opening speech with your aims for the evening, drawing attention to the fundraising needs and how those at home can access the fundraising platform. For the more advanced, you can have multiple hosts, in different locations and these can include a speaker from the charity, videos, plus elements of entertainment such as a comedian or band. You could even include a celebrity chef with food suggestions or a wine connoisseur with a pre-agreed shopping list, for a fully interactive experience!

Platform options:

There are many different platforms that you can use to deliver your virtual event, some are free such as YouTube Live or Facebook Live. Others come with a cost such as GoToWebinar or one that we particularly like called Glisser. These offer better functionality and will allow you to create a more fluent and easier to manage event.

All platforms enable you to incorporate the live streaming of a host and presentation of your Givergy fundraising platform so your audience can use their phones, iPads or desktop computers to place bids on auction items, or make a donation. It’s genuinely interactive and fun for the MC to comment on and give thanks.

Limitations:

Guests can get distracted, or possibly confused if content doesn’t simply flow from one section to another. So, it’s crucial your content is simple, clear and structured.

How to fundraise:

We’ve already seen some great success stories supporting live streamed events. Again, it’s important to keep it clear and simple. Guests would have a giving platform on their computer, tablet or phone at the same time as having the live event open as well. Some suggestions for event fundraising:

Pre-Event Ticketing – You can sell tickets to attend the live event, either per person or per family / home. You can then share the link where the Live Event will be, or password protect to allow access. Learn more.

Donations – For most, a focus on donations throughout the event will be the main giving option. You can break this down to offer different levels with a clear explanation on what will be achieved with that amount. Or provide a simple ‘give any amount’ page where guests can choose the amount they want to donate. Check out an example. 

Silent Auction – Our bread and butter! Online silent auctions with eye catching imagery and descriptions is what we’ve been perfecting for 10 years. Include different categories, buy it now options and sealed bidding. If you need help sourcing some /all of your items , just let us know. Here is an example of a silent auction! 

Integrated Payment – Our online system includes integrated payment, so guests add in their card details at the time of giving or bidding to ensure that no money is lost. There is a payment processing fee, but you can ask your guests to cover at the time of the transaction.

We hope this helps. We believe now is the time to engage your donors to offer quality content, remind them of all the great things you are doing, and how they can help in this time of need.

For more information or any questions, please do get in touch.

Understanding Matching Gifts: Top 4 Insights for Nonprofits

Posted on by Ben Crook

These days, nonprofits need all the revenue they can get. Luckily, corporate philanthropy is at an all-time high, and companies big and small are looking to leave their marks on causes they care about. What’s the top way they accomplish this you ask? Matching gifts, of course!

Matching gifts have the power to transform your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy. They can effectively double (sometimes even triple!) the donations you’re already receiving. When donors know that their impact can potentially multiply without having to reach back into their pockets, they’re much more likely to express their philanthropic desires.

Even with the tremendous potential that matching gifts represent, many nonprofits overlook them in their fundraising strategies. Either they simply don’t understand the process, or worse, they don’t even know the opportunity exists.

To guide you through the process, we’ve compiled a number of industry best practices to maximize matching gifts across your organization.

1) Educate your staff and donors on matching gifts.

To fulfill your matching gift potential, you must start internally. First and foremost, it’s imperative that your leadership and staff understand them in full. Then, they can effectively advocate for matching gifts, relay information, and answer any questions donors and prospects may have.

Simply put, corporate philanthropy refers to the social and philanthropic initiatives that companies launch. It’s a way for businesses to give back to their communities and make an impact on worthy causes. Most commonly, they accomplish this through sponsorships, partnerships, grants, and employee giving programs.

For nonprofits of all sizes, employee giving programs are the most accessible form of corporate philanthropy. Companies create these programs as a way to generate positive PR and to encourage employees to become more well-rounded individuals. While corporate giving programs encompass a range of programs, matching gifts represent your biggest opportunity for growth.

Matching gifts are a specific type of corporate giving program in which a company matches its employees’ donations to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations. Acquiring these funds is a fairly straightforward process. Simplified with dedicated matching gift tools, here’s how the process typically looks:

Step 1: A donor makes a gift to your nonprofit.

Step 2: They check their eligibility for their employer’s program.

Step 3: If eligible, they submit a request for a match to their employer.

Step 4: The company reviews the request and confirms the gift with your nonprofit.

Step 5: The employer sends the match to your organization.

It’s as simple as that! While the process is fairly straightforward, each company sets its own stipulations around its matching gift policy, making it a bit more complicated. Let’s take a look at requirements commonly covered in companies’ guidelines:

– Match ratio: This is the rate at which donations are matched. Most of these are at a 1:1 rate, meaning the initial donation will be doubled. Some employers match at a lower rate, while others will go as high as 5:1!

-Match amounts: Companies set minimum and maximum donation thresholds for the gifts they’ll match. The average minimum amount is around $25 while maximum amounts often range between $10,000 and $25,000.

-Employee eligibility: This indicates which employees are eligible to participate in the program. Usually, these are based on position or status with the company (i.e., part-time, full-time, or retired).

-Nonprofit eligibility: More often than not, companies place restrictions on which organizations are eligible to receive funding as well. This enables them to contribute to the cause that they care the most about.

Knowing the ins-and-outs of these impactful programs enables your nonprofit to make the most of your revenue and engagement opportunities.

2) Promote matching gifts across all communications.

Now that you know the matching gift basics, it’s time to spread the word. To do this, incorporate appeals across all of your communications. Studies have found that employing multiple approaches to identifying match-eligible donors results in 77% more identified match-eligible donations, according to this corporate giving statistics page. In other words, the more communication channels you use, the more visibility matching gifts will receive.

Let’s discuss how you can tie matching gifts into your current communications:

-A dedicated matching gift page. Your website is a great way to kick off the conversation about matching gifts. Create a well-designed matching gifts page that features information on what matching gifts are, how they launch your organization’s efforts forward, and what the typical steps in the process are. Embedding a search tool for donors to easily check their eligibility is a smart move for this page, too.

-Email newsletters. You’re likely sending newsletters on a regular basis, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. This is a great opportunity to promote matching gifts! Consider sending an email about the opportunity, crafting a small section about it, or even dedicating an entire newsletter to it. In any case, make sure to explain what matching gifts are and how supporters can participate. As you start crafting your emails, use these effective matching gift letter templates by Fundraising Letters to guide your efforts.

– Direct mail. While most supporters prefer online communications, nothing replaces the authenticity of direct mail. Anytime you send tangible communications, include a paper insert highlighting matching gifts. Ensure it’s eye-catching, straightforward, and persuasive.

-Educational resources. Producing in-depth content on matching gifts is a great way to generate long-term value for your organization. Provide supporters with all the resources they need, so they fully understand the value of matching gifts. For instance, create compelling blog posts about the process and tell emotional stories about how matching gifts have impacted your mission.

To promote matching gifts to the fullest extent, you need to develop a dedicated strategy in your communications plan. The above suggestions are just a handful of the many ways you can promote matching gifts. Whether you encourage word-of-mouth marketing or rely on social media to get the job done, get creative in your approach and market them whenever possible.

When you let donors know their potential impact through matching gifts, they’ll be much more likely to do everything they can to grow their impact – especially since it comes at no extra cost to them.

3) Tie matching gifts into your special events.

It may come as a surprise, but many companies that offer matching gifts will also match in-person donations made at special events. Whether you’re hosting a gala or a 5K, matching gifts are one major way you can energize supporters and maximize their engagement at your fundraising events.

You could potentially double the revenue you’re earning at your event with a few simple steps:

-Add matching gift information to your ticketing form. One of the first places supporters will encounter your event is your registration form. Make sure registrants know about their opportunities right off the bat by including a short paragraph on your ticketing form. Keep it short and simple—just enough to pique their interest but not so much that it intimidates them. Then, invite them to research their eligibility by linking to your matching gift database.

-Include matching gifts on event promotion materials. After registrants sign up for your event, they’ll feel compelled to share their excitement with their friends. Make sure to include information on your marketing materials that will capture attention. This could include eye-catching images, statistics, and major employers in your area that offer match programs.

-Encourage participation in corporate philanthropy at your event. Since you’ll have everyone’s attention, this is the perfect opportunity to make an announcement about matching gifts. At the very minimum, hand out an informational flyer, but also consider hosting a live demo on the event’s big screen. If any of your sponsors are in attendance, ask a representative to speak about their own matching gift program and answer any questions donors may have.

Once any major event wraps up, remember to highlight matching gifts in your follow-up emails as well. Lack of awareness is a major obstacle to overcome. By simply making a short announcement about matching gifts at your events, you can potentially grow your revenue with ease!

4) Streamline the process with dedicated technology.

Handling matching gifts manually slows down the process and leaves room for human error. Instead, your team should invest in dedicated matching gift software.

As matching gift programs have expanded, some software providers in the nonprofit fundraising space have developed dedicated matching gift technology. In order to properly leverage matching gifts, you’ll need to invest in technology to pinpoint all opportunities. By leveraging a database, your team will efficiently accomplish the following:

-Locate and engage with match-eligible donors.

-Keep up with where they are in the match process.

-Quickly access companies’ guidelines and requirements.

Think of it this way: why wouldn’t your donors want to increase their donations without reaching back into their own pockets?

By outsourcing time-consuming work to a dedicated platform, your team will increase matching gift knowledge, streamline the identification and submission process, and overall grow revenue. Plus, your donors will feel much more crucial to your cause by increasing their impact.

As you start to incorporate matching gifts into your day-to-day strategies, keep these industry best practices in mind. From marketing to event planning, make sure your team is leveraging matching gifts every step of the way.

It’s time to claim your portion of the $4-7 billion that goes unclaimed in matching gifts per year. Now that you’re well-versed in matching gifts, start prioritizing them and rallying up support. You’ll grow revenue and boost donor engagement in no time!

Guest blog: Adam Weinger from Double the Donation

Perfect Your Guest Experience With Our New Ticketing System

Posted on by Ella Jacques

We have been working tirelessly the last few months to complete an update to our ticketing system that will not only streamline your fundraising process from start to finish, but ensure your guest experience is flawless, ultimately helping to raise more for your cause!

Continue reading “Perfect Your Guest Experience With Our New Ticketing System”

4 Tips For Expressing Your Brand On Social Media

Posted on by Jordan Morris

Social media platforms are now part of a multi-hundred-billion-dollar enterprise and everybody wants in. From marketing teams to brand ambassadors, to politicians, it seems that there is simply no end in sight to the number of people trying to capitalize on the massive target audience that companies like Facebook and Twitter have assembled for them.

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Improve Your User Experience To Increase Charity Donations!

Posted on by Jordan Morris

Donating to charity can be an emotional decision, not a rational one. Therefore your website should reflect your story and goals in a succinct manner.

Continue reading “Improve Your User Experience To Increase Charity Donations!”

6 Reasons Why Mobile Bidding Should Be A Staple Element In Your Fundraising Campaign!

Posted on by Jordan Morris

Giving your supporters the opportunity to participate in an online auction in aid of your incredible cause is a simple way to engage your database and attract new supporters! We have the stats to prove it, on average our bespoke online auctions get 253 bids! We know that fundraisers tend to wear many hats, therefore creating and launching elaborate fundraising campaigns can quickly become a daunting prospect. Fear not, were here to help and simplify the process. Continue reading “6 Reasons Why Mobile Bidding Should Be A Staple Element In Your Fundraising Campaign!”

5 Top Tips That Every Fundraising And Event Specialist Can Apply To Raise More At Events

Posted on by Tim Stansbury

Hosting a fundraising event can be the pinnacle point of the year for a charity. Sometimes occurring just once every two years, event co-ordinators put blood, sweat, and tears into the extensive planning of each and every element of the evening. Its crucial that the event runs smoothly to ensure success.

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Get Donors Excited With Sealed Bidding!

Posted on by Ben Crook

Sealed bidding can help you combat fundraising fatigue at events and online, but how does it work? Guests will only see the number of bids that have been placed on an item, traditionally the highest bid is revealed. At the end of the auction the donor who submitted the highest bid wins the item.

Continue reading “Get Donors Excited With Sealed Bidding!”