Online fundraising made easy
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Online fundraising made easy
Presented by: Susannah Richardson, FirstgivingJames Campbell, Firstgiving Kathy Tricomi, Humane Society of Broward County
7 Deadly Online Fundraising Mistakes
(and How to Avoid Them)
Call: (641) 715-3222 Access code: 362-049-451
Online fundraising made easy
Agenda
• Person-to-person Online Fundraising• Nonprofits: 4 Deadly Mistakes and Solutions • Humane Society of Broward County Case Study• Demonstration• Fundraisers: 3 Deadly Mistakes and Solutions • Firstgiving Account Types
Call: (641) 715-3222 Access code: 362-049-451
Online fundraising made easy
About Firstgiving
• Who we are- A leading provider of online
fundraising tools
• Some history- Established in 1999 in London and
expanded to the US in 2003
• Our mission- Make possible for anyone,
anywhere, to raise money for important causes
Since 1999, we have raised over $300 million for over 5,000 nonprofits worldwide!
Call: (641) 715-3222 Access code: 362-049-451
Online fundraising made easy
What is Person-to-Person Fundraising?
Your Nonprofit
Supporters/ Fundraisers Donors
Donors
- People making personalized appeals for causes that are important to them
- Giving your supporters the ability to leverage their social network to make a difference
Online fundraising made easy
Example Fundraising Page
• They work to put a face to your organization• They eliminate the “fear of asking” for people
who don’t like asking for money in person.• Gives donors a convenient option to give by
using their credit card• Automatically generates donation receipt,
which may be used for tax purposes.
Progress thermometer
Personal appeal
Donations and comments
Online fundraising made easy
Donors Give to Their Friends and Leave a Comment
“Good luck with your recovery, I admire you more than you know!!!”
“Glad to help! H.S. classmate of your dad.”
“I am so proud of you!”
“Better late than never”
“I Gave More Than Martha, Thus I Care More....”
“You are an inspiration”
Online fundraising made easy
Now:
Deadly Nonprofit Mistakes
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #1Trying to Reinvent the Wheel
Fundraising online doesn’t mean forgetting everything you’ve already learned.
a) Online fundraising is a supplement, not a replacement
• Don’t disregard campaigns that have worked in the past
• Use online fundraising as another option for your supporters to help your nonprofit
b) Integrate the two—mention online options offline
• Newsletters• Marketing Campaigns• On the Phone• Postcards
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #2Neglecting Current Channels
Fundraising online doesn’t mean creating new conduits—maximize what you already have in place
a) Have a website?Add a link to your Start Page to your “ways to help” section
b) Have emails?Add a link to your email signature
b) Have a blog?Add a badge or widget
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #3Not Embracing the Internet and Social Media
Everyone is on email, even 91% of internet users over 65!
a) Give your supporters the opportunity to use it so they think about your cause in everyday life.
Millions of Nonprofits and individuals have blogs, MySpace pages and Facebook profiles.
a) Create them and showcase your fundraising efforts
b) Encourage your supporters to do the same
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #4Neglecting Fundraisers
Once you’ve recruited people to fundraise for you, don’t forget about them. Often, they’ll look to you for guidance.
a) Separate those that are successful from those that aren’t
Ask successful fundraisers what worked and pass on their advice to those who are struggling
b) Keep in regular touch
Send out encouraging emails, campaign examples and suggestions
Online fundraising made easy
Please Welcome Guest Speaker:
Kathy TricomiDirector of Development
Online fundraising made easy
Walk for the Animals is HSBC’s largest fundraising event. 2008 netted nearly $475,000
Strive to maximize return on investment
Adding has made a difference in our fundraising effectiveness
Online fundraising made easy
Walk for the Animals 2004 – The Walk raised $292,000 the year before Firstgiving.
2005 – In our first year with Firstgiving, the Walk netted $385,000. $60,000 raised online from 272 pages. Avg. = $220/page
2008 – This year’s Walk raised $193,000 online from 565 pages. Avg. = $342/page
Firstgiving has also allowed for easier team creation. Our teams, or “packs,” each have their own fundraising team name, which lends itself to better organization for the pack leader.
Pack members set up their own pages under this team name and then the leader is able to see all pack page totals and team total amount raised.
Online fundraising made easy
Money Raised
Walker Participation
Online fundraising made easy
How we market online fundraising
1. Frequent e-blasts2. Inclusion on HSBC related materials (brochures, letters, etc.)3. Pack Recruitment / Pack Leader Training presentations4. Myspace.com page and Facebook page5. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Online fundraising made easy
Online Fundraising Benefits Security: Online fundraising is a safe and secure way for
sponsors to donate to the Walk for the Animals
Simple Registration: Pack members register and can then easily create their own personal web pages.
Reach: Pack members are able to send their web page links to everyone in their email address book. This allows their friends & family to easily make a donation.
Reporting: All donations collected on-line will be credited to that individual Pack member, as well as to the Pack’s grand total.
Remember – the more money an individual collects, the greater the value of goodies he or
she will be entitled to.
Online fundraising made easy
Type in your Pack’s name
Insert a past Pack photo or add a personal photo
Explain why you’re
walking or how your
company is helping such
a worthy cause
Online fundraising made easy
Administrative View
Reduces marketing expenses
Money raised is direct deposit
Donor reports are easy to retrieve
Rarely receive questions, e.g. “How do I set up my FG page?”
Donors receive an immediate thank you that the fundraiser creates.
Online fundraising made easy
Benefits to HSBC
Cost – minimal start-up; reasonable processing fee
Always available tech support for us and donors
Increased revenue – with minimal effort from us
Happy donors!!!
Online fundraising made easy
Testimonials “I love using Firstgiving because I can get donations from around the world with ease! People in Germany and Japan were able to give to my Walk for the Animals page with a click of the mouse.”
“Online fundraising equals no excuses! Giving people the technology to create personalized web pages and manage their efforts online is the way it needs to be in today's www-based world.”
“Online fundraising is great because it is so easy to set up and I was able to send the link to so many people. Visibility is great! I didn't have to ask for donations face to face, which is sometimes uncomfortable. Donating online was easily done as well.”
Online fundraising made easy
Thank you, Kathy!
Next: Demo
The Firstgiving Experience
Online fundraising made easy
Now: Fundraising Deadly Mistakes and
Solutions
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #5:Asking Once
How many times have you wanted to help but simply forgot?
a) Send multiple emailsSend updates on your fundraising and trainingThank those who have donatedRemind people it’s not too late to donate
b) Don’t just emailuse online social networks (e.g. Facebook, MySpace)hang posters in your church, temple or mosque, around the office, in your gym, school, etc.send postcards directing people to your fundraising page
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #6Not Tapping into Your Whole Network
Friends and family are easy, but what about everyone else?a) Think far and wide
friends abroad
colleagues and ex-colleagues
college and high school friends
neighbors
extended family
acquaintances and friends of friends
local church/clubs/PTA
b) Ask others to help spread the wordrecruit your friends and family to ask their network too
if a friend isn’t able to donate, ask him to find someone who can
Online fundraising made easy
Mistake #7Not Personalizing the Appeal
Statistics show that the more personal the appeal, the more likely people are to take action.
a) Why is this cause important to you?
b) Why should people donate?
c) Where does their money go?
d) Add a photo and YouTube video
Online fundraising made easy
Cost
• Creating a fundraising page and making a donation are free
• We deduct a 7.35% transaction fee from donations
• Credit card processing charges are included in this fee
Online fundraising made easy
Premium Start Page
Organization and/or event description
Total raised online
Easy call to action for
fundraisers
Your banner
Top Teams
Top Fundraisers
Nonprofit Resource
Center
Up to 3 custom Images
Online fundraising made easy
Firstgiving Nonprofit Accounts
Nonprofit Account
• Cost: Free• Start Page• Unlimited fundraising
pages• Online reports: fundraiser
and donor contact details
Premium Nonprofit Account
• Cost: $300/annually• Branded Start Page
– Branded fundraising pages with your logos and banner
• Includes:– Event registration– Event reports – Team functionality
Online fundraising made easy
Premium Start Page:www.firstgiving.com/sonh
Start Page:www.firstgiving.com/npo/3179
Example Start Pages
Online fundraising made easy
Interested in learning more?– Visit our website – Sign up for a nonprofit account today
• www.firstgiving.com/signup – Email [email protected]
Thank You For Joining Us