Digital fundraising is a win-win – not only does it contribute to the revenue and sustained growth of your organization, but it also gives your supporters the chance to engage with you – and make a donation – in a digital environment. It can increase your visibility, provide more opportunities to reach donors with your messaging, and even enable you to collect more donor info than ever before.
But what exactly does digital fundraising encompass? In short, it covers everything that’s accessible in the digital world. This may include your website, online giving form, social media, and email marketing, as well as digital advertising, peer-to-peer and crowdfunding campaigns, text-to-give, virtual events, and more.
To start, you should think about what digital strategies will work best for your organization. This may be determined by the capacity of your staff, as well as the experience they may have (or can quickly learn). You can always add more tactics as your organization grows, or as you become more comfortable with those you choose to implement in the beginning.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Website: At a bare minimum, you should have a powerful website and online giving form. This will establish your online presence, as well as give you a place to point all of your other communications towards.
- Social Media: Social media marketing can be ideal because it is free (although paid ads and posts are available) and it is a great way to engage and build relationships with your audience, as well as visually represent your mission and your programs. But don’t just jump on all of the social media platforms – consider which ones are a good fit for your audience and your goals. You also want to be sure that you can manage a consistent level of posting and engagement!
- Email Marketing: As you build up your online giving, you’ll also start capturing donor emails. Turn this into an outreach opportunity by launching an email marketing strategy! There are several types of emails you can send, including newsletters filled with updates and stories, stewardship outreach that thanks your donors and shares impact, and fundraising appeals with a direct ask for donations.
Download the free guide to digital fundraising above for several additional ideas, as well as digital fundraising metrics you should be tracking, tips on how to choose a digital fundraising platform, and much more. This blog also details 11 proven digital fundraising strategies and best practices, and is another great resource.
