At this moment, none of us are quite sure how long the effects of Covid may last and for donors these can be financially challenging and worrying times. That’s why we’ve come up with 7 ways you can still encourage your donors and fundraisers to support your cause and stay committed to your charity.
To Be Thankful
Now is the time to reach out to your donors, volunteers and fundraisers by thanking them for their continued support. Its also the time to remind them of the important service your charity does because of their commitment to it. At a time when so much is unknown, a reminder of the impact supporters are having will go a long way towards increasing their overall engagement.
By thanking and reminding your donors of the value of their support you can keep encouraging them to stay committed, even in times of uncertainty. Even if donors have no other option but to cancel charitable commitments due to their own financial circumstances, thank them for their support and remind them of the impact they made regardless of their current decision. By doing so it opens the chance of them returning in the future.
To Be Encouraging
Following on from thanking your donors, is informing them of the ways in which they may be able to help if Covid poses a risk to your charity. There may be income loss challenges threatening your charity or cancelled events due it not being safe enough for vulnerable people in your community. So, if there are ways that your donors or volunteers can assist your charity at this time, make them aware of your needs and the ways in which they can help.
To Be Adventurous
Now that things are going back to ‘normal’, the chances of catching Covid can still be high and that is a risk in itself for many. So you may feel like a big event could cause too many risks.
However, it may be vital that your event goes ahead to bring income in to your charity. So now is the time to start looking in to turning your events in to virtual ones. This strategy can be well suited for all charities if done correctly. In fact it may even bring a fun and inviting new chapter to your charity.
It is essential that social media is used to bring supporters together in a virtual sense when they can’t be physically together as a group. Especially during the national lockdown where many of us were spending more time on social networks. So use your social platforms to demonstrate impact and to tell stories. Encourage your supporters to post on your behalf as social ambassadors before, during and after an event to increase the effectiveness of a virtual event.
The great thing about virtual events is that all your supporters can join because it will be in the comfort of their own home and they will not have to worry about Covid. It will also help those supporters who miss meeting up with your community or are bored at home and would like something to be involved in again. This is where your virtual event can fill in those needs and emotions of your your supporters.
Some examples of virtual events are:
- Virtual bake off
- Live stream cooking classes
- Virtual bingo
- Virtual party e.g. birthday, launch, celebration
- Zoom team meetings with a twist! e.g. costume contest
- Virtual duck race
- Online auctions
- Online gaming tournament
- Virtual walk or run marathon
- Live stream fitness challenge
- Happy hour!
- Cocktail class
- Movie night
- Virtual contests
To Be Digital
It is vital to making sure that your donors can give, and feel safe giving online as it’s now a norm when it comes to donating to a charity and that’s because of Covid and the fact that things are becoming more digital.
Make sure donors clearly know how to make a donation online. Be that via your website, emails or donation platform. If you feel some of your supporters will be reluctant to donate online you can show them support by showing them how easy and safe it is. For example you could record a video showing how to donate on your donation platform. Or you could ask your donation platform if they have a guide to show your donors.
To Be Understanding
When asking your donors to donate or support online it is vital the language of the ask is the same as it would be in person.
Here are a few things to remember:
- Use donor-led language, heavily focusing on the number of times messages make reference to the donor and their impact (more: you, your), rather than the charity itself (less: we, us).
- Lead with impact. If you have a current campaign, lead by explaining the importance of that campaigns results and how there support can help achieve your goals.
- Don’t forget to segment audiences and to personalise messages, where possible.
- Encouraging gifts of any size
Tip: Using the Incentives feature on your Givey platform will achieve this. - Emphasise the difference that can be made when communities join together.
To Be Mindful
Be mindful to your supporters during these challenging times. Rather than donating suggest other ways for individuals to show their support. For example, asking members of your community to be social ambassadors is a great way for them to show their enthusiasm. Or you could provide them with content to post on their social networks to help spread awareness.
To Be On Top
The rise of digital fundraising is changing the way charities fundraise, bringing with it plenty of new opportunities for organisations interested in embracing its potential. More charities are exploring digital fundraising strategies in an attempt to:
- Find new donors and volunteers
- Raise donations and awareness of the cause and charity itself
- Create more engaging fundraising campaigns
- Save time and money
Digital fundraising can be a solution to each of these challenges, and many charities have already proved that highly engaging digital fundraising can lead to greater fundraising success. Some ways of achieving this:
- Instagram Reels
- Givey Donate button on your website
- Social media engagement that include the relevant tags, urls and keywords
- Video marketing
For anymore tips and advice for fundraising during the Covid pandemic, join our monthly Givey Connect events.
Join our dedicated community of thousands of small charities. Givey is an online fundraising platform with an ethos of transparency for donors and no platform fees for charities / causes. We have raised over £2m.