Whether you’re trying to collect some cash to help refurb a school playground, support a team at work with a volunteer painting project or even raise the money to build a new kind of water sanitisation technology, we really want to help you raise awareness and generate funds to go and do amazing things!
We’ve put together a short list of easy tips to really help get your donation page off the ground, and remember just give us a shout if you want any help in promoting your favourite causes.
#1 Touch, pause, ENGAGE!
Raising funds is at its most effective (and most fun) when there’s real passion behind it! The challenge is getting those hours of training, that heartfelt story or connection with the charity into an exciting but succinct webpage.
Keep your wording clear and concise – stick to a short opening summarising the challenge and the cause. The close you can get to the tweetable 140 characters the better! You want to make this your compelling call to action; what do you want visitors of the page to do? (DONATE, I hear! But how much? Why that much? What else can they help with?)
Save lengthier details for elsewhere on your page or link to a blog you might be keeping about the activity or project. This means that if the potential donor wants more details, they have access to these easily but otherwise the desired behaviour you’d like is clear. Donating often comes from compassion and empathy, so keep your messages focused on the cause and why you really need their contribution.
#2 Getting out of the ‘valley of death’
Even the most experienced charitable supporters fear the ‘lull’ after the first week or so of intense promotion, sharing and buzz! This drop in donation frequency can occur after the initial hype of the campaign, but it is important to maintain the awareness and interest you’ve built. You can do this without flooding news feeds and without deterring donors if you are considerate with content – think about what your audience might be interested in reading or hearing about that isn’t just a plea for donations.
It might be some positive updates on what you’ve managed to fundraise so far and qualify that in terms of what they can achieve with the charity you are supporting. Breaking down the milestones and explaining what each of these will accomplish is a really helpful psychological way or rationalising a donation and also empowering your donating community – they are helping make a real change to someone’s life and that is powerful!
The other types of content that are good to use are links to blog updates – then the bulky text is kept off your social streams but you continue to demonstrate the work and effort that is going into your fundraising.
Thanking your supporters and using photo and video media is also a far more engaging route to take than just block text – take your time with Facebook in particular. Twitter is a far more suitable medium for frequent, shorter updates that probably include a consistent stag and you mention the charity – emails are where you can really expand and talk to your friend and family, and Facebook needs to grab the attention of someone when they are in that illusive ‘scrolling’ mode. So do think about the channels you are using and who you are talking to in each! And you WILL come through the other side of the lull….
#3 A problem shared, is a problem halved
..and a funding page shared is a funding problem halved! Research conducted by JustGiving has shown the average donation sizes driven from a share on each the main social channels;
Twitter – £30.26
YouTube – £28.77
LinkedIn – £25.21
Facebook – £18.33
Google+ – £17.77
… but also highlights that as Facebook is by far the fastest growing of these, by the end of this year over 50% of donation will have come from a Facebook share. (http://www.fundraising.co.uk/2011/11/11/justgiving-reveals-average-donation-values-social-media-shares/)
You may want to split people into groups before you invite them to sponsor you – you may have friends or family whom you know don’t interact on social media and therefore an email is likely to work a bit more effectively for those people. Utilising a mix of social, email, and in person word of mouth is likely to deliver the highest awareness of your project or event, and remember to remind me occasionally – overdoing that will deter donations but a gentle, polite nudge for some may be helpful.
#4 Get down to Business
It’s also worth considering if you know or work with any businesses that would be willing to match donations made to you. Many companies are learning the material value of matching schemes, and according to a study by the University of Warwick, happy, engaged employees are 12% more productive.
Start with a simple conversation with your boss and ask around to see if any local business would like to support your efforts. Many companies do this manually and you would just need to submit proof of your donations, or sites like Givey will do this instantly as the donation is made.
Talking to your supporters about ‘doubling your donations’ is a powerful and compelling message, and really builds momentum quickly on your fundraising page.
#5 It’s not over… even when it’s over
So you’ve completed your event, you’re incredibly proud of your achievement and feeling happy that you could support a cause that is close to your heart. But, you’re just a few pounds away from your target or would really like to raise a little more. A surprisingly high percentage of funds come from AFTER an event has been completed – often supporters have just forgotten to donate or they are truly impressed by your efforts – so make the most of this by letting you friends and family know you made it!! Even if you didn’t quite complete your event, this is a powerful time to tell them what you accomplished and how it went, and hopefully this will take your total over the line.
#6 Thanks for all the fish
No one tires of hearing the words ‘Thank You’. They are important words of appreciation to shout loudly. It reminds your supporters that they’ve contributed to something amazing, and helped you to reach a target that’s really important to you. Thank you is a statement of really potency, so say it meaningfully and say it proudly.
Get in touch if you need any help with promoting your fundraising too – we’re here to help you make real change!
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