Online Fundraising: How to Become a (Human) Fundraising Machine

The world is changing—and more rapidly than ever before. The issues that matter change and evolve, as do the ways that we connect with people. And so too should the way that you raise money for your cause, because one thing remains constant: none of us can change the world alone. It takes people coming together and giving their time, their energy, and yes, their money to accomplish great things. And in the internet age, we have more tools than ever for uniting people around a common goal.

Whether you're an established charitable non-profit or just starting out, and whether you're new to online fundraising or have been using it for years, this guide is for you. We'll tackle the whys and hows of using the internet to boost donations for your cause from the ground up to help you get started or inspire you to step up your game. Welcome to Online Fundraising 101.

Why Use Online Fundraising

When the world wide web first went live in the 1990s, it looked a lot different than it does today. Not every household had an internet connection, and most people didn't spend an abundance of time online. Today, the electronic landscape looks drastically different. Now, there are 312 million internet users in the United States, across every demographic—age, gender, race, education level, and more. Simply put, if you want your message to be seen by as many people as possible, the internet is how.

But beyond the simple numbers of reach, modern online fundraising tools also make it easier than ever for people to donate, which in turn leads to more people donating. It also makes it possible for them to easily share your cause with others, even across borders. And when used in conjunction with more traditional methods (snail mail, for example) it can increase the conversion rate of potential donors.

There is also a low overhead cost—a number of online services exist for the purpose of processing online fundraising donations, and take a minimal cut, ranging from a small percentage (3-5%) of each donation or a minor flat fee per donation made. This means you can retain a wider margin of the funds raised, empowering you to put more resources where they're needed most.

Lastly, depending on the tools you use, tracking your metrics can be entirely automated, making everything on the financial side—reporting, taxes, et cetera—infinitely easier.

How to Use Online Fundraising: General Donations, CTAs, and Your Donation Form

It goes without saying that your donation for should be visible from every page of your website, never more than a single click away. A popular place to put the link is at the very top of each page, alongside the general navigation menu. It should also be brightly coloured in a way that matches your branding while still drawing the eye to it. The reasoning behind this is simple: people like to know who they're giving their money to, and will want to research who you are and where their donations go before making a decision; but people are also easily frustrated by confusing user design, so if they have to click through pages and pages to donate, they likely won't.

Your donate button should also feature a CTA, or call to action. In all forms of marketing, a CTA increases click-through rates and conversions. You can say “Donate Now!” or you can get more creative; “Give a Gift,” “Help Your Community,” and “Take Action” are all strong examples of CTAs.

When people arrive on your donation form, it should be as straightforward as possible, and only run for a single page. Fields for name, email address, credit card information, and amount of donation are typically sufficient, as well as options to opt-in for newsletter and make recurring donations.

Why Recurring Donations Matter

People who become recurring donors—even if they're only giving $5 a month—will typically donate more over time than one-time donors. In the past this was tricky, and involved setting up automatic withdrawals through a bank or sending monthly or annual cheques. Today, it can be done with the click of a button, so make sure that button is there for the clicking.

Target Campaigns

If you are running a specific campaign that is separate from your general donations, you may want to set up an entirely new donation page. For example, if your non-profit is centred around humanitarian aid and you want to do online fundraising for disaster relief after a specific event, you would set up an entirely separate donation form this. This allows you to customize the new page to focus on the issue at hand, use SEO strategies to direct relevant search traffic, and track your campaign donations separately from your general donations.

If you have a target goal for your campaign (and you should), be sure to show live updates on the donate page, so people can watch their money go to a good cause in real time.

The Feel-Good Factor

Some say giving is its own reward, but it's still never a bad idea to give donors other ways to feel good. After they donate, be sure to thank them, send a personalized email (autofilled by the details provided), and give them a chance to share their donation online (which lets them show off while simultaneously exposing you to a wider audience).

Volunteer Recruitment

Your donation page should include the option for people to sign up as volunteers as well. The reason is two-fold: sometimes, a person wants to give, but all they have to offer is their time, and volunteers are likely to donate more in the long run.

Good Web Design Makes Online Fundraising Easier

We've mentioned design before, but this is an important point that needs to be driven home for a few reasons.

First things first, appearances matter. If your website doesn't look professional, then neither do you, and potential donors are far less likely to trust you. Taking the time to create a professional online experience that features consistent branding and strong messaging (more on that later) can go a long way toward building trust.

Then there's the question of responsive design. Does your website look as good on a mobile phone or tablet as it does on a laptop or desktop monitor? In the past few years, mobile web usage has outpaced desktop usage, so if your site (and especially your donate page) are not mobile-friendly, you're going to be missing out on more than half of the potential traffic you might receive.

The Social Media Strategy

Your website can't be the only way you reach people online. With banner ads becoming less and less effective every year, your next best bet to get your message out there is through social media. Use your social channels to share stories relevant to your cause, link people to your donate page, and keep people up-to-date on your successes. Here are a few tips for social optimization:

• Resist the temptation to just copy and paste a post from one platform to another. Each platform is different—understand those differences and tailor your message to maximize impact.
• Don't overdo it on the posting (this goes for emails and physical mail, too). People don't want to feel overwhelmed by you; post in moderation but make each post matter.
• Facebook is best-suited to longer content and sponsored content; you can also put a donate button on your Facebook page.
• Twitter's shorter character limit means you should keep your message short and sweet. Don't be afraid to use infographics to supplement your text. Using relevant hashtags and shortened URLs is a must.
• Instagram may have fewer users, but it has much more engagement per user than any other platform. Use compelling images and videos to get your message across, and supplement it with brief text and hashtags. Try to stick to the 4:5 aspect ratio, since it takes up the most real estate on mobile devices.
• Be consistent in your branding and messaging
• Keep things feeling personal and human.
• Use strong CTAs.
• Don't overdo it on the hashtags!

Your Message

Messaging is the story that you tell that makes people invested in your cause and more likely to engage with your online fundraising efforts. While it is important to give some space to the macro side of things—the big picture, statistics and figures, stuff like that—don't ever underestimate the power of focusing on the micro. A simple story, well-told, about a single case, a single person or family in need, can be more powerful than you might think. And human empathy is strongest when it can be applied to a specific scenario, to a name and a face.

Your messaging should also include success stories and even the occasional focus on a donor or volunteer.

Tracking Metrics & Funds

There is a wealth of available tools for collecting funds online for your charity, each with its own features. You can pick and choose which features matter the most for you, but we recommend going with a software solution that includes easy-to-use analytics. Keeping track of how much you are receiving in donations is an absolute must, especially when tax season rolls around and you have to claim every penny donated. This can be a headache of a task without the proper tools.

Boring But Important: Online Fundraising & the Law

If you've never done online fundraising before, then it's your responsibility to do your homework before you begin. Does your state, province, territory, or country have specific laws and regulations about online fundraising? If you can't find this information online or in your public library, then reach out to your local representative to inquire. There may also be laws concerning donations coming from overseas. Remember, lack of knowledge of the law does not make you exempt from it, so take the necessary steps to make sure you follow local regulations for online fundraising!

Additional Resources for Nonprofits and Charities

• Online Fundraising: The Beginner's Guide for Nonprofits
  This guide, courtesy of MobileCause, breaks it down into eight chapters that dive into different aspects of online fundraising, making it indispensable for anyone who wants to look at these methods and tools under a microscope.
• Online Fundraising: The Ultimate Guide
  Double the Donation's guide is also a fantastic resource for anyone looking to either start online fundraising or improve their existing strategy.
• “Click to Donate”: Which States Have Jurisdiction over My Online Fundraising?
  This article from Nonprofit Quarterly is essential reading for any charity operating online in the United States.
• Online Fundraising: The Beginner's Guide for Nonprofits
  Legal matters related to online fundraising and taxes for Canadian charities and nonprofits.