Planning a digital fundraiser is part art and part science.
While creativity is an essential element of crafting a campaign that compels recipients to give, there are some firm rules that fundraisers must follow for the campaign to reach set targets.
Charities are currently fundraising in uncertain times. Every opportunity to encourage a supporter to give must be maximised. Before launching a digital campaign, here are five questions you must know the answer to.
With the end of the financial year approaching, digital fundraising campaigns (and the subsequent follow-up appeal) must be ready for delivery with plenty of time for donations to be received before the end of the tax year.
This is one of the most important dates on the giving calendar and a strict timeline is essential.
What are your fundraising targets?
While fundraising income may have fallen to comparable periods of the previous year, that doesn’t mean you should just cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Realistically, targets may need to be reduced to incorporate the current economic climate but a goal is still essential to help with monitoring the success of a campaign and to allow you to make adjustments at specific points. Analyse previous campaigns to define realistic and attainable targets.
Who will you ask for support?
Decide in advance whether the campaign will be sent to the general supporter pool, if it’s tailored to major donors or if it’s a campaign for corporates.
Using an integrated donor database and email marketing tool allows you to easily segment donor groups and tailor paragraphs to communicate with donors in gift-appropriate language while keeping the crux of the appeal the same.
Is donor data accurate?
To maximise the contact opportunity, donors must receive accurate correspondence with no errors in their details. Make sure you’ve carried out all correspondence request and updated all details BEFORE you segment the data.
How will you approach donors?
A layered approach to a digital campaign can involve creating hype around the campaign via email and social media before delivering the appeal via email. You can also introduce SMS service, follow up emails, online auctions and raffles, video campaigns and more. Utilise all the digital tools at your disposal to maximise the donation opportunity.
SupporterHub is an integrated SaaS platform that links a donor management system with email marketing, a website and online raffles and auctions for maximum digital success. To find out about our FREE trial (no credit card required) and learn how SupporterHub can help take your charity to the next level, click
