2. Today’s discussion
• Overview of different approaches to
raising money on the web
• Maximize your website
• Free/low-cost online resources
• Goal: provide a basic understanding of the
options and a set of tools to get started in
online fundraising
3. Some stats
• Reasons people visit nonprofit sites are:
– news and events (40%)
– to stay informed about the cause the organization
addresses (40%)
– Almost one in five (18%) website visitors are there
specifically to make a financial contribution*
• Younger generations are very comfortable
online, especially in social media
• The number of people over 70 years old online
increased 60% in the past year**
*from “Trends in Constituent Satisfaction with Nonprofit Websites” report by ForeSee Results 2009
** from “Generations Online in 2009” by Fox & Jones, Pew Internet & American Life Project
4. Raising money on the web
• Donation Forms – many possibilities
– Guidestar/Network for Good,
Google Checkout, Amazon Checkout, PayPal,
Convio, Blackbaud
• Trust plays a role
• Only ask for information you need
• Include opt-in language
• Thank donors throughout the process
8. Raising money on the web
• Consider:
– Cost per transaction
– Data security
– What donor information will you be able to
collect?
– Will the donation form allow an opt-in?
– Does the donation form allow tribute giving or
designations?
– Are you able to brand the form with your
design?
9. Raising money on the web
• Email Campaigns
• Fundraising events with an online
component
• Tribute pages
15. Raising money on the web
• Thank your online donors
• Keep connection with them via email
communications
– Create a series of messages to reinforce
relationship and bring them closer
– Make sure the messages match their
expectations
16. Not Just a Donation Button
• “Donate Now” button is just the first step
• Your website and communications should
build trust, reinforce your mission and
educate how a donation will make a
difference.
17. Maximize your website
• Donation button – must be easy to find
• Content that engages visitors quickly
– 5 second rule
– Taglines
• Show visitors how their donation helps
• Each page should have a goal
– Click to read more
– Email signup
– Donate
– Etc.
18. Maximize your website
• Know your donors!
• Create content for them, not for you
• Provide easy pathways for them to find the
information they seek
• Keep content short and relevant
– Cut it in half, then cut it in half again
• Tell stories, show success
29. Maximize your website
• Make sure potential constituents can find
you online:
– Search Engine Optimization
– Keywords
– Landing pages
– Links from other websites
• Google Grants
• Google Analytics
30. Build Your List
• Offer email newsletter signups on every
page, in the same place
• Make the offer relevant and interesting to
the donor
• Don’t require too much information on the
form (eliminate barriers)
• Make sure the communications you
promise at sign-up match what you deliver
33. Free/low-cost online resources
• www.fundraising123.org
• www.nten.org
• www.idealware.org
• www.techsoup.org
• www.justgive.org
• www.guidestar.org
• Even the “big guys” have lots of free helpful
information:
– www.convio.com
– www.blackbaud.com
35. A word about “social”
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
– Have specific plan, incremental goals
– Not always a slam dunk for fundraising
– A good way to reach constituents and have a
conversation with them, strengthen
relationships
– Require significant staff resources to provide
timely updates and immediate responses that
users expect