Fundraising Authority Logo Stacked Transparent
  • Home
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Basics
  • Archives
  • Webinars
  • Books
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Basics
  • Archives
  • Webinars
  • Books

Internet fundraising

  • Home
  • Internet fundraising
  • 5 Tips for Raising More Money Online for Your Non-Profit

5 Tips for Raising More Money Online for Your Non-Profit

  • Posted by The Fundraising Authority
  • Comments 2 comments

Many non-profit organizations feel like they are spending far too much time online trying to raise money, with far too little return on that investment.  Everyone is telling them what a great tool the Internet is for fundraising, but they are frustrated and ready to throw their hands up.

I can tell you from experience that your organization can raise a significant amount of money online – but if you don’t follow the right strategy, online fundraising can be more trouble that it is worth.  Here are 5 tips to help you make sure your online strategy is sound:

#1 – Focus on Building an E-Mail List

The most valuable online fundraising asset you have is your e-mail list… your list of donors, prospects, volunteers, and others who have given you their permission to communicate with them via e-mail.  E-mail is the only truly active medium for online fundraising that allows you to go out and contact your donors whenever you want.

Spend time and energy to build your e-mail list.  Try hard to collect e-mail addresses and sign-up prospects for your e-mail newsletter.  Make sure your website is geared towards collecting e-mail addresses.  Set an ambitious goal for increasing your list size this year.  For more on raising money through e-mail read How to Write Better Fundraising E-Mails for Your Non-Profit.

#2 – Use Online Fundraising as Part of a Comprehensive Program

The average non-profit is not going to raise all, or even most, of their annual budget online.  That’s the truth – and when many organizations realize it, they set up two separate strategies – an offline strategy, geared to raise 100% of their annual revenue, and an online strategy, which is simply icing on the cake, if it raises any money at all.

This is a mistake.  You can raise a substantial amount through your website, e-mail and other platforms, but only if your online fundraising strategy is part of an overall fundraising program.  Don’t build a wall between online and offline.  Communicate, cultivate, and make asks across all channels.

#3 – Cultivate, then Ask

Great fundraisers always cultivate before they ask.  This means communicating with donors and building a relationship with them before seeking a gift.  Yet, many organizations that observe this rule offline wantonly violate it online.

Online donors want a relationship with your organization as much as offline donors.  Build that relationship.  Cultivate them.  Communicate with them.  Then make your ask.  You’ll reap larger gifts and longer-term relationships as a reward for doing so.

#4 – Use Social Media as a Funnel

Social media sites are a great place to have conversations with your donors and prospects, but they are not great places to make asks or receive gifts.

When developing your online fundraising strategy, see social media sites for what they are: excellent funnels where you can engage current donors, find new supporters, and encourage people to visit your organization’s website to learn more.  Once on your site, encourage these visitors to sign-up for your e-mail newsletter, so that you can actively stay in touch with them.  For more on fundraising and social media, read How to Set Your Non-Profit’s Social Media Goals.

#5 – Consider Crowd-Funding

Has your non-profit tried a crowd-funding campaign?  Lots of organizations have had success with raising $10,000 – $50,000 for a specific program or activity through crowd-funding sites like Indiegogo and CauseVox.  If you haven’t tried it yet, consider running a campaign this year.

Photo Credit: Ted Sakshaug

FacebooktwitterredditlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Tag:Internet fundraising

  • Share:
author avatar
The Fundraising Authority

Previous post

Do Your Donors Want Your Fundraising to be More FUN?
May 10, 2017

Next post

The 60 Minute Plan for Increasing Your Fundraising by 100% this Year
May 15, 2017

You may also like

3 Quick Ways to Double Your Online Fundraising Revenue
11 December, 2020

In Mastering Online Fundraising, our class for non-profit fundraisers, we talk a lot about how small changes to your online fundraising strategy can result in major returns, including new prospects, …

Steal this E-Mail! A Sample Year-End Fundraising E-Mail for Your Non-Profit
5 December, 2020

It’s almost the year-end giving season, and most non-profits I know are getting ready to reach out to their donors to ask for one more donation before the end of the …

Tips for Finding New Facebook Followers for Your Non-Profit
7 June, 2017

Posting compelling content on Facebook is nice, but it won’t do you much good if no one ever sees it. For the most part, the only people who will see …

    2 Comments

Fundraising Authority Logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Basics
  • Archives
  • Webinars
  • Books
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Basics
  • Archives
  • Webinars
  • Books
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Envelope

Copyright © The Fundraising Authority 2021

Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy