New Donor Tactics: Engaging with Donors in a Digital World
As the COVID-19 virus spread from an epidemic to a pandemic, schools closed, sports seasons were paused, and for nonprofit organizations, in-person fundraisers halted. Despite this roadblock, our digital world offered a myriad number of solutions for nonprofits to continue connecting with donors and piquing the interest of new ones. Now that the pandemic has passed, we are still facing a digital and distanced world due to trends created by the pandemic (i.e., work from home, hosting events online, greater social media connectivity, etc.). With so many options available for online donation platforms, it is difficult to determine which to use; here is a look at four that stand out from the rest of the field and can be key to your nonprofit strategy.
Using Facebook as an online donation platform offers the potential to combine a strong social media follower base and a donation platform. Many organizations already utilize Facebook to connect with, inform, and recruit new donors, and now nonprofits can integrate fundraising campaigns directly into their already existing social media presence. Furthering convenience and maximizing fundraising outcomes, Facebook recently eliminated all fees for charities fundraising through Facebook. This change allows organizations to maximize the outcome of their donors’ generosity, and it makes Facebook the only donation platform available that offers no fees in any way. While many options offer dynamic pricing based on the size of the nonprofit, Facebook’s zero-cost donation tools are an anomaly in the field of online donation platforms.
GoFundMe Charity
While Facebook is a household name for its history as a social media platform, no platform specifically serving the needs of online fundraising efforts is as recognizable as GoFundMe. GoFundMe offers a simple, easy-to-use platform for nonprofits that is free to set up and only charges a small transaction fee. It does not penalize users for failing to reach a benchmark and provides fundraising advice 24/7 through their help page. GoFundMe Charity provides extra services for nonprofits including customizable integration into your nonprofit’s website, so donors can select a gift amount and pay all in one place. Priced at 1.9% + $0.30 per donation, GoFundMe is an affordable and user-friendly donation platform for nonprofits looking for a straightforward, reputable option.
PayPal Donations
Another well-known name in the world of online monetary transactions, PayPal offers online donation software that is user-friendly, requiring no programming for full website integration. Available for 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction and no additional fees, PayPal is more expensive than GoFundMe and Facebook, but the platform offers full customization and supports email, QR code, and URL outreach for fundraising campaigns looking to contact or widely advertise to donors. A reputable source for financial transactions and easy for donors to use, PayPal is a quality option for nonprofits seeking a time-tested online donation platform that is versatile and familiar as a payment platform for many users.
Fundly
Lacking the name recognition of its aforementioned competitors, Fundly has served nonprofits and their donors for just over a decade. Starting a campaign is free but Fundly deducts 4.9% from every transaction, and a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee is applied to every donation. Although it costs more than other, more well-known, fundraising platforms, Fundly offers several features that add to its appeal and fundraising ability. The site functions like a blog and facilitates photo and video sharing. Additionally, it offers an internal system for emailing lists of donors. Uniquely, Fundly's customizable Facebook OpenGraph integration automatically broadcasts key campaign activity. Depending on the organization’s preferences, the site automatically posts updates on fundraising that can call for increased support or to simply thank and update donors. Fundly also offers advice to campaigns to grow their fundraising efforts through the media as well as in-person to person fundraising methods. With the greater cost, Fundly offers help to nonprofits who may not have the time or the staff to effectively market fundraising.
NMBL Strategies’ Role
When NMBL Strategies selected the St. Louis Sports Commission as one of their contest winners, their Managing Director of Nonprofit Services, Dion Brown, was glad to share some of his best practices for adopting culturally responsive strategies and navigating challenging situations. During this time of the pandemic, he is focused on Nonprofit Strategy for the Sports Commission as they work through issues like revenues that have been minimized because the events they produce have been postponed or canceled. NMBL is analyzing current revenue streams and providing a mixture of optimization of the current streams, as well as working to produce new ones. As many nonprofits face similar challenges to the Sports Commission, NMBL Strategies is proud to offer consultants likes Brown, who have real-world experience and have lived through the roles they provide. As the world navigates a reopening process, NMBL Strategies is helping the St. Louis Sports Commission get back in the game.
NMBL Strategies seeks to empower small businesses, nonprofits, and public-private enterprises through trusted consulting partnerships. Our consultants have real-world experience and significant tenure within their fields and are able to deliver the best and most strategic return on investment. Learn how we can help grow your organization today.
