A Fundraising campaign is a huge part of brand building in today’s industry, especially for nonprofits. If you are new to fundraising, what tactics do you currently have in mind to raise funds for your program? Also, if you are experienced then what tactics have you tried in the past? What has worked for you the most? Have you tried fundraising with Facebook or Crowdrise which is now part of Gofundme? How can you decide what platforms are best for you?
Research shows that most people donate because they know someone who asked them to. You can use your current network and reach out to people they know as well. Live events are another good way to raise funds. You could also receive grants to help with your campaign. Below are 6 resources that you can use to help you reach your campaign goals.
1.) GoFundMe
Crowdrise is a part of Gofundme because it was acquired in 2017. It is a division that focuses on fundraising for nonprofits specifically. They offer a variety of tools and features such as multi-team fundraising, unlimited campaigns and customizable emails. Their website also provides you with fundraising campaign resources and a blog full of helpful content.
The peer-to-peer fundraising tool allows you to convert donors into peer-to-peer as well as reach out to your local community to attract donors. Fundraising events are also easier to launch because of the social fundraising features you have access to such as registration features for managing registrants, teams and donors.
If you are launching a Crowdrise campaign, expect a 3-5%fee.
2.) Fundly
Fundly is another option which functions similarly to Gofundme. All you need is your content and you can customize your fundraising campaign which is optimized for mobile phones and tablets as well. Fundly also has a free mobile app that allows you to thank your supporters and make changes to your page.
A quarter of donations come from social media sources. You receive more impressions when supporters share your campaign on their page to their own networks of potential donors. The Fundly website is full of resources to help you launch your project, especially the blog which is filled with helpful content. They also have the Volunteer Easy which connects people to volunteer opportunities and NonProfit Easy which is a Donor Management, Fundraising, Event and membership platform.
For campaigns with Fundly, expect a 4.9% platform fee, 2.9% credit card fee and $0.30 per transaction.
3.) FreeFunder
If you are more concerned about fees then freefunder.com might be more suitable for you, although they might not be as popular. As the name suggests, they let you create a fundraising campaign for free. FreeFunder was created to provide a free option for quick and easy fundraising for nonprofits or personal causes.
The campaign pages are mobile friendly, they let you send email updates and easy sharing tools are also built into fundraisers. They even donate $20 if you reach at least 100 shares on Facebook. The Text-to-Donate feature also lets you choose a keyword and run offline fundraising events or promotions. You can add team members, and also embed their fundraiser widgets into your site.
4.) SmallGyfts
Are you looking for another creative way to raise money to fund your programs? Want to find new supporters who care about your cause? SmallGyfts can help! It’s simple. Just sign up your non-profit and ask your supporters to download the app and shop with local businesses to raise donations.
SmallGyfts lets your supporters raise money for you by shopping with local businesses that give back. SmallGyfts is similar to AmazonSmile but displays local businesses that care about their community. SmallGyfts allows businesses to reward their customers with a donation to their favorite cause when they buy their products or services.
SmallGyfts, donations of $5 or less, may not seem like much, but when you collect them from hundreds of businesses and then combine them with SmallGyfts from all your supporters, they add up and can make a big difference in helping you reach your goals. To learn more visit smallgyfts.com
5.) Dynamic Pay
Dynamic Pay lets your non-profit earn a portion of the cashback that customers receive on everyday purchases with a digital gift card from their broad range of retail partners. This is more of a long-term fundraising campaign opportunity that you can consider as part of your overall strategy. It is free for nonprofits but there is a small annual membership fee of $25 for the user of the app making the purchase.
6.) Facebook Fundraisers
Don’t forget about fundraising with Facebook as an option. Facebook Fundraisers makes it easy to reach a broader audience and launch your campaign more effectively. Facebook also makes it easier for donors to ask their peers for donations. FB doesn’t charge for donations so nonprofits receive 100% of the donation. FB is also always coming up with new features to help you reach your campaign goal.
You can also join and participate in Facebook groups. There are many Facebook groups that were created just for fundraising. You can also consider the FB groups that your target donors may be members on and create content to drive engagements to your campaign. Overall, fundraising with Facebook makes everything easier
7.) Google For Non-Profits
Another resource that you can leverage to help you launch your next initiative is Google for Non-profits at www.google.com/nonprofits
Google lets you spread the word, engage new supporters and fundraise using their platform which is designed with a range of tools to help you reach your goals.
- Google Ad Grants: You might be elegible for Google Ad grants which allow you to compete for search terms and rank higher on google at no cost. To be considered for A Google Ad grant you need a GoogleAds account, Customer ID, and a Google Non-profit account.
Visit www.google.com/nonprofits/eligibility to see if you are qualified.
- G Suite for Nonprofits: You can select a plan that is feasible for you and collaborate more efficiently and securely with Gmail, GoogleDocs, Calendar, Drive and Meet. Improve your funding proposals, onboard new members, and be more organized as well as connect with team members across different regions.
- Youtube NonProfit Program: Engage your supporters with the power of video which is often more effective than mail or email marketing. With Youtube you have access to over 1billion users across the world. Reach a global audience and amplify your message. Youtube also has giving features to make it easier for people to donate.
- Google Earth and Maps: Leverage the power of Data visualization to track and share your organizations impact. You can also help people locate programs and resources in their local community. You will be provided with a range of features that allow you to create more dynamic and rich visualizations that drive results for your campaign.
In conclusion, fundraising for nonprofits plays a huge role in building a strong brand. Whether it’s fundraising with Facebook or Crowdrise or other platforms, consider what will work for you. Also, Consider social media shout outs and public recognition for people who donate as another way to show appreciation. What other incentives can you offer to motivate people to donate? What other tactics have worked for you in the past? Feel free to leave a comment below with your previous fundraising experiences as well as any other questions or tips you may have to share with others.
