In our last blog, we discussed some effective ways to start a successful fundraising campaign. Among our tips were soft launching the campaign to friends and family first, creating a sense of urgency and offering to match donations. In today’s blog, we’ll take a look three more tips to help your latest fundraising initiative.
1. Be sure to follow up with your donors.
It’s important that the people who offer donations to your fundraising campaign are not left in the dark. Get in touch with them via email and other methods of your choice to let them know just how much money you raised. More importantly, inform everyone of how their money made differences in the lives of those who benefitted from the donations. This will not only spread positive energy but encourage donors to support your fundraising campaigns in future.
“Don’t just quickly pack up shop after the campaign is over; provide some closure to your supporters,” advises Upleaf.com, “Let everyone know how you did. Did you exceed your goal? Congratulate everyone who participated! Did you fall short? Thank everyone effusively anyway, and launch a follow-up campaign in six months. Then continue to report on the impact of your supporters’ donations.”
2. Offer gifts to donors.
For the most part, people give from the kindness of their hearts. However, it’s never a bad idea to incentivize donors by offering a little something in return. Consider some freebies, discounts or other perks you can offer to those who choose to donate to your fundraising campaign. It will help to elicit greater interest in your cause.
“You can send email appeals that ask recipients to support your campaign by either making a one-time donation or signing up as a recurring giver,” suggests Will Schmidt on Classy.org, “In your messaging, you can push to the monthly gift option with bold calls-to-action, exclusive incentives for monthly givers, and showcasing how much more of an impact a recurring gift makes versus a one-time donation.”
3. Make it easy for people to donate.
The last thing you want is for your campaign to be successful in encouraging donations but difficult in accepting them. Ensure that your ability to accept donations is as easy as the click of a button. If you give people the impression that the donation process is a long and drawn-out one, it will turn potential donors away. Naturally, this will hurt the overall success of the campaign.
Upleaf.com recommends that you “make your donation page mobile-friendly so people can donate from their phone without frustration…Embed a big ‘Donate’ button on your fundraising email that takes people straight to your donation page…Don’t forget to test your website donation set-up – and have other people test it too – to make sure the process is quick and smooth.”
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