With the world quite literally at our fingertips, digital fundraising should be at the forefront of every charity fundraising strategy.
While there will always be a place for direct mail and community events, digital campaigns are cost-effective, targeted, and results can be analysed quickly to improve fundraising outcomes year upon year.
Now we know you don’t need convincing of the benefits of digital fundraising. That said, some common myths still exist that can lead many to question the overall viability of a digital fundraising strategy.
Baby Boomers are aged between 56 and 74 years of age showing with no uncertainty that it’s not just Millennials who donate online. While the older generation may be slower to adapt to technology, in 2020, 89% of Australians over 50 had access to the internet either at home or in the office making online fundraising pages, websites and online campaigns easily visible.
Myth #2: Digital fundraising gets instant results
You simply can’t wave a digital campaign in front of a supporter and expect them to donate any more than you could with an offline campaign. To help a donor reach their maximum giving potential, relationships must still be built and nurtured organically, and you must appeal to their reasons for giving.
Digital fundraising requires as much of a relationship-building investment as offline fundraising. Nurture these relationships with automated communication sequences and in-depth data analysis surrounding the types of appeals donors give to.
Myth #3: Digital fundraising is emotionless
Because online campaigns are typically centred around data, it can be said that digital campaigns fail to consider the emotional needs of the donor and instead focus purely on the numbers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While data is an essential tool to help a charity target the recipients and personalise campaigns, successful fundraising must stir emotion to empower donors to give.
Myth #4: Digital fundraising is unsecure
While some donors may once have been sceptical about conducting financial business online, with the world quite literally at our fingertips, those beliefs are firmly in the past. With online banking the rule rather than the exception in 2020, donors know that trusted security systems and data protection are always in place any time they engage with a credible brand. Similarly, websites now come with an SSL tick of approval which donors know to look for before handing over their credit card details.
Myth #5: Direct mail recipients prefer to send cheques
It was once a common assumption that if someone responded to direct mail, they’d prefer to give offline too. In these times where donor choice is at the forefront, you can no longer assume how a donor prefers to give without understanding their personal preferences. If you want to know how a supporter likes to donate, analyse data or send a survey to ask them directly.
SupporterHub is helping bust the myths regarding digital fundraising. As an integrated platform, SupporterHub helps charities create and deliver campaigns, analyse results and get to know donors on a deeper level to help them reach their giving potential.
To find out more about our FREE trial (no credit card required), click
