Online Fundraising
Historically, non-profits have been the top of the heap when it comes to direct marketing. Much of what the for-profit world now adopts as ‘best-practices’ with respect to DM formats, frequency, calls-to-action and testing have been proven through the charitable sector for decades. Now it’s time for non-profits to learn from other businesses how to incorporate the web into their marketing mix.
Like a for-profit business, marketing initiatives for a non-profit ought to be part of an integrated, multi-channel strategy. Once you understand your donors (in all their shapes and sizes) you can more effectively help them donate by providing timely messaging, appropriate calls to donate and a consistent message. By providing donation channel choice, donors are empowered to support your organization in the way they feel most comfortable.
If you take a donor-focused approach to your fundraising, the web will eventually come into play. Whether for communications (keeping your donors updated through e-newsletters etc) or for direct asks (donate online), leveraging your website is key to providing a low cost, always accessible medium for your donors to interact with your organization.
Here are a few quick steps you can take to successfully leverage the web for your non-profit:
- Find out why people come to your website.
Use a survey, web analytics, or casual conversations to understand why people are coming to your site. Are they potential donors looking for information about you? Are they existing donors looking for project updates? Are they constituents of your organization looking for services? This information will help you focus your efforts to better serve your online visitors.
- Leverage the power of email marketing.
By growing and segmenting your email address database you can raise your online donations through solid email marketing. The important item here is to understand your donation cycles – and measure how frequent and how recently your average donor donates. Based on this data, you can target donors who have not made a donation when you expect them to. (I’ll write more on this ‘retention’ type marketing in a future article).
- Measure your online efforts.
It seems obvious if you’re reading this blog, but if you don’t have a web analytics application where you can measure the impact of your online efforts, then you need one. Low cost options (i.e. free) exist which will help you focus on campaigns that positively contribute to your bottom line.
- Start with what you’re comfortable with.
There is a lot of information out there about how to market online – and if you jump in with both feet without due diligence, you can loose a lot of money. Start making small changes, measure the impact and continue to change processes and methods you’re comfortable with. As you learn what works, and what doesn’t, you can focus your efforts on activities which provide the most valuable return.
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Outrageous. Vibrant. Entertaining.
Passionate about assisting others to achieve success in their lives, Abdul Muizz adds enormous value to any function with his engaging and entertaining presentation.
If you’d like ABDUL MUIZZ (project manager) to speak at your next meeting please contact 4MDESIGNERS on (0092) 21 2514015 or (0092) 300 2323707 or email at contact@4mdesigners.com.
