Six Tips for a Successful Social Media Fundraiser

Social Media Giving Day is July 15. We know, we know. You just learned about it!

If you weren’t already planning a campaign for this day, consider it a test run for Giving Tuesday, or at least motivation to get your systems and content organized. Social Media Giving Day encourages online donations and engagement with charitable causes through social media platforms, so it’s a great day to engage with your followers and raise a bit of money in the process.

Whether it’s Social Media Giving Day or Giving Tuesday, here are some best practices to ensure success.

1. Make it easy to donate

You made great social media content. It circulated like crazy, but not so many donations came through. What happened?

Don’t let your Social Media Giving Day efforts fall flat by directing potential donors to hard-to-find, lengthy, or complicated donation processes.

On your website, make sure your donate button exists on the homepage (and preferably all pages!), is near the top, and is eye-catching. Once they click donate, they should encounter a form that is simple and not overwhelming, as people get frustrated having to answer too many questions. Ensure they won’t give up before submitting payment by considering what you truly need to ask them for at this point, and sticking to only what is absolutely necessary.

Consider getting set up for direct giving on social media platforms. Rather than relying on people to take that extra step in clicking over to your website, they can donate directly through Facebook, YouTube, etc. (fewer clicks to complete their donation means less moments they can reconsider!). Plus, these tools have been around for some time so people are familiar with them. Twenty percent of Gen X donors alone give via Facebook fundraising tools.

2. Create a recurring donation option

Looking to increase your nonprofit’s stability and have a better sense of what development dollars may come in from one month to the next?

Start simple! Make sure your donation form gives the option for recurring donations. While the average monthly gift may be just $24, after 12 months, your donor will have given $288, significantly outpacing the average one-time gift of $115!

Want to take a deeper dive into developing recurring giving options? Borrow Dave Raley’s The Rise of Sustainable Giving through hoopla to understand how today’s subscription economy can translate into sustainable funding for your nonprofit.

3. Announce your fundraiser via video

On YouTube, a whopping 57% of people who watch nonprofit videos will go on to donate. Regardless of platform, when it comes to content posts that inspire a joyful emotional response are shared most widely.

An uplifting success story from your organization shared in a brief video may be your key to success. Haven’t leveraged video much? This Digital Storytelling course from Candid Learning includes some great video storytelling best practices and helpful jumping off points in their list of ‘9 Nonprofit Video Types.’

Content that feels genuine resonates well these days, so don’t be too caught up in the perfect production. It’s the story (and your organization’s impact behind it) that’s going to convince the donor.

4. Raise your nonprofit profile

If a potential donor searched your organization online, what would they find? In addition to keeping your own website accurate and up-to-date, evaluate your online presence overall. Is it convincing or motivating to donors?

One way to raise your organization’s profile (and perhaps your search result position too!) is through a Candid profile. These are free for nonprofits to claim, and by submitting additional information ,you may qualify for a more prestigious ‘Seal of Transparency’ badge – bronze, silver, gold, etc.

Seventy two percent of individuals say that the presence of a charity rating badge increases their likelihood of giving, so working toward this certainly won’t hurt! The specialists at the Toledo Library’s Small Business & Nonprofit department can show you how to access Candid. Connect with them at toledolibrary.org/sbn for assistance.

5. Reach out to your current fans & funders

Of all nonprofit donations collected on Facebook, 37% come via fundraisers created by the supporters of organizations. (Ever see your aunt dedicate her birthday to the Red Cross? Yep, that’s what we’re talking about!).

Ahead of a focused giving day like Social Media Giving Day, reach out to your organization’s biggest fans to ask if they’d be willing to create a virtual peer-to-peer fundraiser. Consider giving them a toolkit to make participating easy. This can be as simple as a folder containing a document with your organization’s name, mission, and a paragraph of why you’re raising money now, plus an organization logo and a couple of photos or marketing images. You might also consider including a list of prompts to encourage the individual to share a more personal anecdote about why they choose to support your organization.

New to online peer-to-peer fundraising? Check out LinkedIn Learning’s ‘Using Social Media to Raise Money’ lesson, which is part of their Nonprofit Management Foundations course. You can access LinkedIn Learning for free with your Toledo Library card!

6. Keep them coming back

Look ahead to the particular giving day you are planning for – how will you connect with these new donors after Social Media Giving Day?

This is of paramount importance to your overall fundraising success, as 38% of online donors making a gift in one year will contribute to that same nonprofit organization the year following, and just a 10% bump in retention has the potential to double overall giving.

While keeping your donation form short is crucial, do take care to collect at least one alternate contact method. Nearly 50% of donors say they are likely to stay engaged with an organization via email, while another 28% are inspired by print communication and / or handwritten notes. Find a way to keep in touch!

Looking for more nonprofit marketing and fundraising strategies? Check out our Small Business & Nonprofit department’s upcoming classes, or schedule a one-on-one appointment with a team member.

Data Sources:

https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/

https://doublethedonation.com/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/

https://360matchpro.com/fundraising-statistics/

https://www.zeffy.com/blog/nonprofit-statistics

https://www.nptechforgood.com/101-best-practices/online-fundraising-statistics-for-nonprofits/