How to run an effective fundraising campaign

One of the most important things any nonprofit organization needs is to raise money to support its programs. I always talk about having a big vision and, when possible, growing to scale. Money is always needed to make these things happen.

The great thing about fundraising in today’s world is that you don’t just have to rely on the people on your list. You can prospect and solicit support from those who may be interested in your cause using multiple techniques, including social media. One platform many charities use is Facebook. Another is YouTube. Both provide nonprofits with resources to help them use each respective platform effectively.

If you’re looking to implement a fundraising campaign that raises a lot of money, there are a few strategies you should always keep in mind.

• Let people know what your financial goal is. I’ve seen hundreds of campaigns on Facebook, and one of the things I’ve noticed is often missing is the goal. What is the amount you want to raise? Put it there. Help people understand your financial need and tell your followers and others how much you need to raise to achieve that goal.

• Fundraisers know that urgency needs to be built into any campaign. If you only have 30 days to raise the money, let people know. No matter how long your campaign is, days or months, people need to know when your campaign is supposed to end. Keep in mind that you will likely see a boost in terms of giveaways from your most active followers on the front end. Many donations come as you reach the end of your campaign and before the deadline because people see a deadline closing.

• Use images. The fact is that we live in a visual world. Digital marketing and social networks are all about conveying a lot in an image or video. Use that to your advantage. Take hundreds of photos related to your campaign. Select those images or videos and present the best in various ways. This may include images or video links in emails or art on social media. Tell your story with both pictures and words.

• Give your followers an understanding of the results. I recently spoke to someone at a non-profit organization and this person told me that it was difficult to get “the numbers” on the impact on their charity. Really? Why should anyone support your organization if they can’t understand how the money is impacting the cause? Be as specific as possible. How many people will be served? How many doses of medication can you supply? How many loaves of bread can you give? How many whales do you plan to save?

• Ask a specific question or call to action. Would $10 help you? Would $20 help? I realize that every dollar helps, but how many people giving you $10 or $20 would it take to achieve your goal? Are you looking for 100 people to teach children to read after school? Whatever it is, insert it into your call to action. Being specific with a call to action, especially asking for money, gives people a minimum that they should consider donating. Some will give more and some will give less, but by giving people a specific request, you give followers a frame of reference.

• Don’t just send an appeal or post and then forget about it. You have to constantly maintain it. Let donors and others know what’s going on in your campaign in multiple ways. Send email updates and social media posts. You can write articles about it on your blog and post those pieces. You can create art on social networks and offer a fantastic image with statistics of what you do and the link to the donation form of your campaign. You can ask followers to share your campaign with their circle of friends. There are many things you can do to keep your campaign top of mind. Be persistent in reminding people of the campaign.

• Get your donation form in shape. If people have to jump through hoops to donate to your organization, here’s the scoop: You’ll turn away donors, and some won’t give. Make donating simple and easy. There is a line of thought that you should require only the absolute minimum from people when making a donation. It makes sense. You want to lower the barriers to giving. Also, if you’re driving people to your site, make your donate button extremely easy to find and have it always present no matter where someone goes on your website.