Fundraising tech is making it increasingly easier to give back. Whether you’re raising money for a local sports team or your nonprofit charity, raising money is crucial to your goals and success. Today, the Internet has helped anyone raise money with newer, tech-based methods along with traditional in-person strategies. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with so many options.
If you’re new to the fundraising game, here are a few smart ways to use fundraising tech in your campaigns for improved outreach and more success:
1. Mobile Giving
Fundraising tech solutions can make it easier and more accessible to give back. Mobile giving software allows donors to give gifts via text messages, member emails or through their organizational app. While it depends what software each organization invests in, a common favorite remains the text-to-give software which gives organizations a dedicated phone number to distribute to supporters. The online forms that supporters complete can also help you collect analytics on the type of people who continue to support your charity.
However, mobile giving is popular amongst a variety of age groups, especially for school fundraising campaigns. Donors will give even when they can’t access via a computer like at local school meetings or events. But to ensure that your mobile giving fundraising strategy is as efficient as possible you should include:
- Present donation amounts in mobile donation form
- Diversify mobile giving marketing strategies
- Send thank you messages after donations are processed
Mobile giving can be a fun and easy way to interact with supporters as you fundraise anywhere.
2. Utilize Online Auction Software
Fundraising events help engage supports through your core mission. It helps people understand your core principles and is a way for your organization to interact with them on a personal level. However, fundraising events are usually expensive or difficult to host. Fundraising software can help.
Online auction software allows you to utilize the fun of a charity auction and save on the expenses like purchasing a venue, hiring an auctioneer and arranging for a caterer. It’s important to invest in a smart online auction platform that allows charities to upload their items, set a minimum bid and showcase pictures. Then you can advertise your items to your supporters beforehand and as they start to bid. The types of items that inspire donors to give back include:
- Food and gift baskets
- Vacation packages
- Experiences
- Unique art pieces
After you advertise and send links to your donors, set a time limit to encourage bidding. But remember that the time limit should be long enough to allow your donors to get a sense of the packages you offer while inspiring urgency.
3. Market Matching Gifts
Specifically used by 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, this process is lucrative and easy for all organizations. Matching gift programs are utilized by many nonprofits who don’t market even market this program to subscribers because organizations tend to think it’s not worth it. But it’s a practice that should be used more!
Matching gift programs allow employers to match gifts that an individual employee donates to a nonprofit and thus doubles the employee’s original contribution. Employees merely submit a form with donation information. Instead of doing the tedious work researching matching gift policies, organizations should invest in matching gift database software. The tool helps donors learn about their own eligibility to match gifts along with an employer’s minimum, maximum and ratio information. This way you can introduce matching gifts to your supporters in a convenient way during the donation process.
Depending on the type of software you use, you can include matching gift databases in different places:
- Attach a link to the database in thank you emails
- Embed the database search tool in your donation or home page
- Embed a database search tool within the thank you email
To further educate donors, remember to include information on matching gifts in newsletters and other communications.
Utilizing these processes can help you secure faster, easier donations while connecting with members in a strategic and interactive way.