Top 7 Online Fundraising Strategies

Be a hero for your fundraising group by bringing-in money like never before. The strategies detailed in this article provide a proven strategy for multiplying your fundraising income, with a focus on keeping you organized and keeping your costs down. Functionality that has traditionally been prohibitively expensive is now affordable and easy to use. People prefer to make donations and pay for services by credit card and the average online donation is larger than those submitted offline. It’s easier on you and an automated online system will save you time and money. Simple steps with the right support will bring your fundraising efforts to the next level and have you swimming with the big fish.

1. Establish Your Online Presence

Create a functional and affordable website that will promote your cause online. Established charities from around the world have already discovered the benefits of focusing their marketing strategies on the web. But you don’t need programming skills or a hefty budget to take your fundraising to the next level. Online fundraising provides a fantastic opportunity for nonprofit organizations to raise money in a big way. Having a website is a must for those looking to publicize their cause. The average donation submitted online also tends to be significantly larger than those sent traditional ways. Fundraising online is your key to spreading brand awareness and to dramatically increasing donations to your charitable organization. Take control of your online presence with a flexible and feature-rich website.

2. Plan Your Fundraising Events Online

From invitations to RSVPs, your website will become your organization’s information hub. Managing guest lists, registering event guests online, sending & tracking invitations and loading your site with tons of informative event details and logistics makes planning simple, organized and fun. Photos and videos will add an extra level of detail and will set a personalized tone. Your guests will RSVP with a single click, eliminating costly and time consuming stationery and stamps. Easily collect, maintain and update contact information for each of your guests. A Registration Page allows fundraising guests to update their profiles, so you’ll always have current information. Your fundraiser website will become a communications hub for your contributors and will foster a community atmosphere.

3. Accept Donations on Your Website

Giving is now easier than ever before. Donors will be more likely to make a contribution when provided with the convenience of safe and secure credit card donations directly on your site. Be certain that your set-up permits you to accept credit cards without a merchant account. This will increase revenue and save administrative time and money. Highlight your fundraising “donations page” with a compelling description of your goals and a persuasive appeal for contributions. Enhance this page with features like a dynamic graphic thermometer, a donors’ comments display, suggested donation increment levels and optional password protection. Donors remain on your fundraising website throughout the entire donation process. Ensure certification from credible sources like TRUSTe, VeriSign and SecurityMetrics PCI with 256-bit SSL encryption. Secure and user friendly, your website will be the envy of all.

4. Sell Event Tickets Online

Organizing fundraising events need not be a complicated affair. Sell, track and manage event tickets right on your website with no need for a merchant account. Using efficient and user-friendly ticket sales functionality will help ensure smooth organization of your event. Guests can purchase multiple tickets in one transaction and you can track ticket sales in real-time. All data is effortlessly downloadable to Excel. This saves time and guarantees that you will have an up-to-date “Guest List” for your email postings. Patrons stay on your website throughout the entire donation process without needing to register for membership. Most importantly, transactions are secured to the strictest industry standards using 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Encryption.

5. Organize Personal Fundraising Pages

Recruit a team of supporters to help you earn more money for your cause. You will assign each individual their own personal webpage from which they can begin soliciting funds from people in their circle of family and friends. These satellite pages have the same look and feel as your main site and a search feature allows for easy contact with any member. Recruiting supporters with social fundraising will multiply your revenue by expanding your nonprofit’s reach. It is clear that organizations raise more money when they empower individual fundraisers with dedicated fundraising web pages. Those people will reach out to their friends and families with compelling text, images and video explaining their connection to the cause.

6. Host an Online Sponsors Page

A Sponsors Page is a quick and easy method to accept artwork and payments by credit card through your website from advertisers and sponsors. Traditionally known as an “ad book”, this popular and profitable feature provides a forum for your supporters to promote their businesses to your guests or simply to send their greetings. Advertisers will be pleased by the ease of sending art work and payments online. While you might choose to print the final results for distribution as a souvenir of your event, keeping the Sponsors Page online provides an environmentally friendly alternative that will maintain affordable advertising costs for your supporters and direct more profit to your cause.

7. Run Online Silent Auctions

Online Silent Auctions have become a popular way of creating a fun activity with profitable returns. You can accept bids and payments right on your website for online silent auctions that you can run before, during or after an event. Product donors will appreciate the benefit of the added exposure by appearing online. Supporters will enjoy the convenience of being able to submit their donated goods or services directly on your site. The Silent Auction feature comes complete with the ability to accept payment directly on your website with Visa or MasterCard. The entire system is automated, so sit back and watch the action as the bids come in.