When launching a fundraising appeal, one way to keep current donors interested in supporting your cause, while, at the same time appealing to new ones, is by keeping them regularly posted regarding your organization’s current or most recent charitable activities, via various channels of communication. Your choice of channel(s) can be determined by the kind of service you provide, as well as by the composition of your actual and target audiences.
Living in a world which largely revolves around social media, channels easily accessed by most, make “up to the minute” donor engagement relatively simple, albeit time consuming, the more frequent, focused and strategized your posts are to be.
Regularly inviting donors to witness how funds are actually being spent, engages them, making them feel part of the experience and part of your team, no matter how remotely located they may be from where the work is actually taking place.
DISASTER RESPONSE FUNDRAISING
When responding to a disaster, telling your donors you’re on your way there is nice, but showing them the ways you are actually preparing to respond to the various anticipated human needs, is even better, as are “in transit” updates and additional ones upon arrival at the location.
Each update including photos and/or video, is an opportunity for donors to learn more about your work and share in your passion and commitment.
Donors want to see the difference you’re making and all the more in a dire situation.
No infographic, albeit useful, no matter how sophisticated and eye catching, can match the impact of one authentic, on location, client testimonial. Such an account demonstrates your work’s direct impact, so much better than you ever could by merely reporting, especially if fundraising is your focus and you are limited to a couple of minutes of video.
Field data reporting is crucial and including a “human element” adds perspective and creates balance, painting a richer, more colorful picture for the donor.
Describing what type of resource and how much of it each giving bracket will actually provide, creates more of a connection between the disaster response project and the donor.
FUNDRAISING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep in mind that some potential donors may come across one of more of your posts without having a clue about your organization beyond the description in your social medial profile, which may not be sufficient for them to immediately hit the “donate” button
An appeal for funds is more thoughtful and impactful when accompanied by compelling, concise and informative copy, even if very brief, regarding your general mission and/or vision and a link to a more detailed narrative, to make it as easy as possible for the potential donor to obtain all the facts they need to make an informed donation decision.
When responding to an emergency situation and the nature of your work permits, use social media to send field updates to your followers, basing the frequency of those updates on the variety of people, activities, locations and impact. Any major milestone or development is definitely worth mentioning. And if it is positive, it imparts hope to the situation and the audience.
Share a little something about your work, your organization, in the same breath and post space, as your appeal for funds, as, even if your non-profit/charity has been around for a while, it may be the very first time a potential donor has ever heard of it
Because each organization is unique, so should the methods and frequency of communication aimed at current and potential donors. Having someone who understands your vision and can easily incorporate it in social media posts or other content is essential to the success of your fundraising endeavors, as well as to the growth of your organization. Please feel free to contact me, to find out how I can help you streamline your social media and other communications for maximum impact.
