How to Run a Virtual Fundraiser

Why is virtual fundraising so important?

• Offers a simplified donation process for donors. By offering a quick and easy donation process, funds can take the simplest route from a donor’s wallet to your bank account. Additionally, the easier the donation process, more money for your organization.
• Safe and sound from home. With the rise of social distancing, but even just considering the sheer convenience, this is a huge benefit for donors— and, as a result, nonprofits. And when you make your virtual fundraising campaigns mobile-friendly, you can further increase the accessibility and spread of your fundraisers.
• Makes use of common tools in the digital age. It’s 2020 and nearly 95% of Americans are described as internet users. That means, to fundraise most effectively you have to meet your audience where they are— online. Organizations without a strong online presence can even be seen as out-dated or out-of-touch, and potential supporters will likely be drawn to more modern organizations instead. Make your fundraising easily available to all by making use of common digital tools.
• Allows for more flexible payment options. Instead of being limited to written checks or cash payments, virtual fundraisers expand payment opportunities to include debit/credit cards, electronic checks, and even newer tools like Apple or Google Pay. Again, the easier it is to give, the more people will do it!

• • Start promoting events long beforehand. Depending on the size and scope of your event, it’s a good idea to start promoting several weeks— or even months— ahead of time. This way you can pique community interest and maintain continuous updates as the date approaches.
  • Make sure all virtual campaigns are optimized for mobile. Did you know that over 50% of total internet traffic comes from mobile devices? That means it’s crucial that you ensure the mobile-friendliness of any virtual fundraising campaign you run, lest you miss out on a significant chunk of potential revenue.
  • Invest in the right virtual fundraising software. Though you might be wary of the upfront costs associated with fundraising software, it’s important to have a solid foundation to build your campaign from.
  • Hire a professional. A live stream represents your company’s brand to the world. Because of that, it’s usually in your best interest to hire a professional production company. Though live streams may seem very simple, they’re actually one of the most complex types of production to complete. Not only can many things go wrong, but the format isn’t very forgiving; when things do go wrong, you have a limited amount of time to fix them.
  • Allow for streamlined recurring donation setup. Encouraging recurring donations is the easiest way to boost your donor retention rates and maintain a stable stream of revenue throughout the year. This way, you can save the time and resources you may have spent on constantly soliciting new donors. You might be surprised at how many donors will opt for a recurring gift when it’s as easy as clicking a button.
  • Have a well-designed donation page as your foundation. There’s a lot of thought that goes into crafting the perfect donation page and maximize donations. While a positive user experience, design, and content are essential, the main purpose behind a donation page is to boost conversions —which, in this case, is donations.
  • Encourage supporters to share your campaign. This is how you can reach new supporters and get the word out. When your current network interacts with and spreads your campaign materials, they help you reach new donors with similar interests and values. It can be as simple as hitting the “share” button on Facebook!

• Have language prepared so it’s easy to individually send emails to supporters after the fundraiser. Thank all the participants for joining and be sure to include any upcoming events or information provided during the presentation part of the event.
• If there was a link/article your candidate mentioned that people responded positively to, considering including it in the email. If there were folks on the call who said they might want to support the campaign further or may have friends who can support, make sure to send them the link to donate again so they have it readily available.
• Keep notes on donors’ expressed interests and preferences

Virtual fundraising is a strategy that will significantly improve your nonprofit’s operations not only during this time of disruption but going far into the future as well. If your organization has yet to adopt virtual fundraising as a practice, now is the perfect time to do so.

With the right tools, you’ll be able to ensure sustainability, and maybe even growth, in the midst of a pandemic. After all, the world is struggling and your constituents may need you now more than ever!