Nonprofits organizations are exploring the latest innovations when it comes to generating funds for a cause. With the help of technology, fundraisers can now easily gather funds for charities and nonprofit organizations. Like other events, virtual fundraisers require intensive planning along the way.
If you’re looking to improve your fundraiser events especially now that everything is done virtually, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind. Here are a few things you have to know before starting your virtual fundraiser.
3 Types Of Virtual Fundraising
All variations of fundraisers, including the virtual ones, have features and advantages that your organization can benefit from. Each fundraising event may differ according to the donation process, long-term goals, and marketing strategies. Thus, here are some common types of virtual fundraising events you can choose from:
1. Virtual Events
Despite the prohibition of face-to-face gatherings, people have found ways to hold events while staying at home. Moreover, these events are taking new forms through the help of the internet. Virtual events are a convenient way to generate funds for your campaign.
Regardless if you’re a beginner or have been in the fundraising industry for a long time, you should focus on your event planning strategies. You can utilize effective tech tools to handle virtual attendance easier such as email invites you can find on websites like Greenvelope.com. Doing so will allow you to keep in touch with your participants and increase your network in the community.
2. Crowdfunding
This is another type of online fundraising event where you fund your cause from large-scale supporters who offer donations in small amounts. This entails not putting a lot of pressure on your donors to give a big amount of money for donations. That’s because your donors can freely decide on how much they’ll contribute.
There are many available crowdfunding platforms out there, some of which are available on popular social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. With this, your supporters can share a link to the page where prospective donors can see your organization and make a donation.
3. Online Giving
Online giving is a type of fundraising event that relies on online donation platforms usually used by charities. This is the easiest and simplest way to host a fundraiser since you’re equipped with the right tools. You’ll need software or a platform to set up online donation and gift pages to host an online giving.
You can also add a page where your donors can access your fundraising data. The good news is that there are many tools and platforms out there to help you get your event up and going.
Planning Your Virtual Fundraiser
After choosing the type of virtual fundraiser you’re going for, you have to execute the proper techniques to achieve your goal. With such, you may want to consider doing the following tips:
1. Focus On Your Mission
Since goals are significant in fundraising, you must have a definite purpose in conducting a fundraiser. With your goals, you’ll have a clear guide on the steps you’re supposed to take. Moreover, it can help bring more people who believe in the same purpose together.
Despite having a new platform to host your fundraising, you should always remember your long-term goals and missions by heart. It would be best to work towards inspiring your supporters by sharing your story. This means that you should let your potential sponsors or donors understand why you’re hosting a fundraiser in the first place.
By doing so, you’ll let them know how their efforts, donations, and support can help on a large scale. You can also do this by sharing the positive changes your supporters have contributed to the organization and the cause.
Most importantly, your goal will serve as your basis in determining whether your fundraiser is successful. If you’ve achieved your goals, then your virtual fundraiser event means success.
2. Communicate Proactively
In all kinds of relationships and organizations, proper communication is crucial. With proper communication, you’ll find out who among your volunteers are less knowledgeable about technology so you can assist them. Moreover, it will also allow you to recognize donors who need help in setting up their accounts and getting ready to donate.
Apart from that, executing and planning the event will flow easier when there’s open communication among your team. You can easily discuss any mishaps and obstacles you might have faced to correct them in the future.
Most importantly, you can market your fundraising event more effectively if you employ proper communication techniques. Here are some ways for you to maintain good communication while planning your virtual fundraiser:
Give Updates During The Campaign: Providing quick digital updates throughout the campaign will help you remain relevant and keep your donors interested. This also lets your participants know that you’re achieving progress. In turn, your participants will more likely be interested in giving more once they see results.
Advertise Your Events Properly: Certainly, no one will participate in your event if no one knows about it in the first place. Thus, you may take this step to ensure that you’re spreading the word. To do this, you can make use of various marketing and social media platforms. You can utilize email blasts, social media posts, or online advertisements.
3. Use The Right Online Tools
- Unlike traditional fundraisers, virtual ones are highly reliant on online tools and software. Contrary to its face-to-face predecessors, you’ll more likely utilize the power of the internet as opposed to venue decorations in holding these events. In doing such, here are a few tools you can use:
- Forms For Donation: Through donation forms like website donation pages, you can gather funds easier without having to leave your home.
- Invitation Tools: For invites, you can use Facebook Invite, Emails, Tweets, and even text messages.
- Streaming Platforms: This is where you’ll be hosting your event. You can use software like Facebook Live, Zoom, Google Meet to host the event and meet your participants.
- Selecting the proper tools for your online fundraiser is significant to your event’s success. When choosing your equipment, you should assess your team’s technological capabilities, including your organization’s needs. On top of that, you should also determine your attendees’ familiarity with the software they’ll have to use.
4. Encourage Your Supporters To Share
The great thing about online fundraising is that it’s easy to share with the world. Because the whole event is done online, you have the power of the internet at your disposal to spread awareness about your cause. With this, you can reach potential sponsors from all over the world.
Conclusion
With online fundraising, you can keep your charity running and continue your organization’s operations. Since you’ll be using specialized software or apps and the internet, you don’t have to spend more money on the venue, food, staffing, and the like. Thus, you can grow your organization and achieve the goals of your cause within the safety of your home.
