6 Online Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits and Individuals

Online fundraising has become increasingly popular, with many tools and platforms out there to help make the process easier. A few well-known websites that allow people to raise money for causes like medical expenses, memorials, education, etc. include GoFundMe,YouCaring, and CrowdRise. These sites usually can be used by both individuals and non-profits.

In the last few years online fundraising has started to grow and attract more attention as an effective way to attract donations. The Charitable Giving Report in 2013 found that from 2012 to 2013 online giving grew 13.5%, and accounted for 6.4% of all charitable giving in 2014. While this report focuses on the non-profit sector, individual online fundraising has also become more common. Here are a few secrets to online fundraising that you can use to help reach your goals:

1. Segment your audience.

A post by the Network for Good Learning Center summarized a review they conducted of more than 180 fundraising appeals in 2006 to see what types of tactics worked most and what didn’t. One thing they found was that fundraising campaigns with several different appeals have a higher rate of response and larger average gift ($99 as opposed to $55 for single appeal campaigns). They also found was that focusing on a deadline yielded higher donations. Donation requests that specified a deadline received an average donation of $93, compared to $60 for those who didn’t.

2. Tell your story honestly.

Let’s face it – people are weary of crowdfunding scams these days. Every once in a while we hear a story about how a sad cause (like a medical fundraising campaign) was used by scammers to try and make money off of a tragedy. To ease these concerns, it helps to tell your story in a way that is personal to you. Show your vulnerability, tell people why you need their assistance, and where their money will be going.

On top of writing a letter explaining your situation on your campaign page, you can also put together a video to post on YouTube. This will give you extra content to share and give people a chance to see you presenting your story in your own words may increase their trust and donations.

Make sure that any explanations you write are not too long. Include the important parts but remember that people should be able to read through your page quickly enough that they don’t lose interest before deciding to donate.

3. Go mobile

Mobile internet usage is quickly starting to surpass desktop use. Take advantage of on-the-go donations by maximizing the usability of your mobile site if you are accepting donations through your own landing page. If you are raising money on a fundraising platform try to choose one that has a good mobile site. For a video tutorial on how you can track the mobile traffic going to your page, check out this article by npENGAGE.

4. Be creative

Using fun incentives to get people to donate to your cause can be an easy way to increase engagement without being expensive. Even small things like sending a silly picture of yourself to supporters after they donate, or agreeing to shave your head (pick whatever you are comfortable with, of course) once you reach a funding milestone can help create a buzz and get there faster.

5. Use email

Email may seem a little old-school at this point, what with all the social media sites that connect us with our friends and family. Email campaigns (when executed well) are still very effective for online fundraising though. In an npENGAGE post, a Movember participant pointed out his experience:

“I know social media is a bright shiny toy right now, but it’s still playing second fiddle to email when it comes to soliciting online donations. While my initial social media campaign generated plenty of interest and a few donations, I was shocked at how quickly people responded to my email. Within 20 minutes of sending the first email I had 5 donations, and another 5 by the next morning. And the average gift was larger.”

This is because email is more personal – sending someone an email shows you thought of them and really need their support. It comes across as more genuine than a plea sent out to all of your Facebook friends on your news feed. It is recommended that you send out individual emails that are personal and include a call to action.

6. Catch people’s attention

Catching people’s attention is key to getting people to notice your online fundraising efforts. A frogloop article gives a great example of how differently worded subject lines can make a big difference in encouraging people to take the time to listen to your story and donate to your campaign:

“Example of Bad Subject Line: Renew Your Commitment to End Dog Homelessness

… Aside from this subject line being BORING, you are also intimidating your members to shoulder a very big issue – that they alone are responsible for saving all dogs. Bad idea!

Example of Good Subject Line: Help Keep a Puppy Safe in DC’s Blizzard!

This is a good subject line because it’s focused, local, timely, and a bit emotional. Who doesn’t want to keep a puppy safe from a terrible blizzard in their hometown?”

The idea is that your fundraising appeal should make people feel like their donation will really make a difference. If you make the task seem impossible people will be less likely to feel like a small amount will count and may not donate.

Was this article helpful?

Nonprofit or personal fundraising campaigns online often lack some of the bells and whistles of other crowdfunding efforts like reward-based projects. Still, simple tactics used by non-profits and other experienced fundraisers can help you find ways to raise money faster and reach wider audiences.

What strategies do you find most effective when fundraising online?