How to Promote Matching Gifts (and Other Best Practices!)

,

As a nonprofit organization, everything comes down to your fundraising efforts—whether you’ll be able to meet your program goals, put on a large event, pay for overhead costs, and most importantly, serve your mission.

Sometimes it can be hard to admit this, but fundraising revenue alone isn’t always enough. So what if you could double some of these existing dollars without asking donors to contribute more than they already have?

The answer is simple: matching gifts.

In this article, we’ll be talking specifically about corporate matching gifts, which allow donors to maximize their donations by reaching out to their employers for a company match. If you’re looking for ways to tap into this form of corporate philanthropy, you’re in the right place!

Let’s begin with the basics of matching gift programs, and then we’ll show you how to promote matching gifts to your donor base. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

Get a demo of our recommended matching gift software to streamline matching gift promotion.

1. Matching Gift Basics

The concept of matching gifts is pretty simple: donors give to an organization, submit a match request to their employer, and the employer sends the organization a matching donation.

It seems like everyone should be doing this, right? But there’s a problem: many donors don’t realize their company offers a matching gift program, and even if they do, they aren’t sure how to submit a match request.

Clearing up the haziness surrounding corporate matching gift programs is the first step you need to take as a nonprofit so you and your donors can fully take advantage of them. That starts with understanding the rules of these programs.

Rules for Corporate Matching Gifts

In general, corporate matching gift programs have thresholds that need to be met before the company will issue a matching donation. It’s important to know what these thresholds are so you can make the matching gift process run a lot smoother.

Consider these rules so you can understand how to promote matching gifts.

Here are the basic thresholds you should be aware of:

  • Minimum and maximum match amounts. Typically, companies have a minimum and maximum donation amount they’ll match. The minimum amount is usually around $25, while the maximum can be in the thousands.
  • Match ratio. Most companies match dollar for dollar (a 1:1 ratio), while some companies match at an even higher ratio. In general, ratios can range from .5:1 all the way to 4:1.
  • Employee eligibility. Another guideline to be aware of is whether a donor’s employment status is eligible for a company match. Companies typically specify whether full-time employees, part-time employees, or retirees are eligible. In some cases, this can even expand to spouses or domestic partners of those employees.
  • Nonprofit eligibility. This is a big one. Is your nonprofit eligible to receive a matching donation from the donor’s company? Most companies have a set list of organization types that they’ll donate to, which can include educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, health and human services, and others. The most common restriction is around religious organizations, but again, this can vary by employer.

Understanding these rules for corporate matching gift programs will ensure that your nonprofit makes the most of eligible donations. But there’s more that goes into the matching gift process than meeting the initial guidelines. Your organization plays a key role in the next step: verification.

Verifying Corporate Matching Gifts

One of the most common ways nonprofits accidentally miss out on getting a matching donation from a company is by not verifying the gift. It might go without saying, but actually confirming with the matching gift company that your organization received a donation is pretty important.

Many companies use a third-party vendor to manage their matching gift process and allow nonprofits to verify donations. If your organization will be dealing with these vendors, you’ll want your team to be up-to-speed on how to use them. Whether it’s logging into an online portal or mailing in a letter, do not forget to verify the donation.

Once the donation has been verified, the company will submit their match!

2. Promoting Matching Gifts

Making the most of matching gift programs means understanding how they work. But you won’t get very far past that stage if your organization doesn’t actively promote this giving opportunity to your supporters.

There are several effective ways your team can get matching gifts on your donors’ minds. Check them out below:

If you want to know how to promote matching gifts, consider placing info about matching gifts on your donation page.On the Donation Page

If you think that supporters are most engaged with your organization during the donation process…you’re correct! Those who land on your donation page are seriously considering donating to your nonprofit. That much is certain.

But what if we told you that 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered? That would mean if they saw an opportunity about matching gifts on your donation page, it could be the extra push they need to submit their donation.

Just a simple mention of matching gifts or using a matching gift search tool (more on that below!) will notify donors that their gift can go twice as far and encourage them to begin the process of requesting a match.

Another way to promote matching gifts is through your confirmation page.On the Confirmation Page

Congratulations—your supporter made a donation to your organization! Now what?

The first thing they’re likely to see after pressing Submit is a confirmation page that acknowledges their donation. For many donors, once they’ve given the gift, the process is pretty much over for them. Lucky for you, they’re still close to the height of their engagement.

That’s why promoting matching gift opportunities on your confirmation page is an excellent way to go. Donors already feel good about their gift. Why not make them feel even better by promoting an opportunity to stretch their contribution even further?

Learn how to promote matching gifts by using a dedicated matching gifts page.On a Dedicated Matching Gift Page

Even if supporters are just checking out your organization for the first time and browsing around your website, there are other ways you can promote matching gifts—even if they’re not actively looking to donate.

A dedicated matching gift page, or even a “Ways to Give” page, should include detailed information about matching gift programs and their impact on your nonprofit. Featuring this information in a prominent place on your website will both educate supporters about matching gifts and encourage them to donate in the first place.

Social media is another great place to promote matching gifts.On Social Media

If your organization is active on social media, consider using your platform to share information about matching gifts. Even better, you can schedule posts throughout the year so you don’t have to worry about forgetting.

Link your followers back to your website for more information, use visuals when you can, and keep your messages short and sweet.

You can use Google Ads to promote matching gifts to donors.On Google Search

Paid advertising can increase visibility for matching gifts, and with the Google Ad Grants program, you can tap into paid advertising for free! Eligible nonprofits receive up to $10,000 each month to spend on paid Google Ads.

As explained in Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grants guide, “Organizations can use their grant money to bid on different keywords and promote specific pages on their website through text-based ads. Most often, these pages include donation pages, service pages, and educational content that align with user intent for the search term.”

That makes Google Ads the perfect opportunity to promote your matching gift page on Google Search, especially considering that Google has more than 92% of the search engine market share!

Here's an example of ASPCA promoting matching gifts on Google.

We recommend working with a Google Ads specialist who knows the ins and outs of the program. They can find the keywords that your supporters are searching and create ads that target those terms.

Work with an expert to promote matching gifts on Google.

If you want to know how to promote matching gifts, use your communications.In Your Communications

Beyond promoting matching gifts on your website or social media platforms, your email list is a huge opportunity to get the word out about doubling donations.

There are a few different ways you can incorporate matching gift letters as part of your email outreach and promotion strategy:

  • Thank-you emails. Once a donor has submitted their gift, they’re likely going to receive a confirmation email from your nonprofit thanking them for their donation. This is the perfect spot to also mention that their donation can go twice as far with a matching gift.
  • Newsletters. Does your team send out newsletters on a regular basis? Why not include matching gift information in a dedicated section of the email? Or, you can even send out one or two dedicated matching gift newsletters each year.
  • Year-end emails. A majority of charitable giving takes place during the holiday season. Send out holiday messages as part of your year-end campaign that highlight matching gifts to potential donors. Many companies also allow donors to request a match through the end of the year in which they gave, so be sure to encourage existing donors to check whether their earlier gifts are eligible.

Include links in any of these emails that direct donors back to your website for more information. This is why it’s a good idea to have a dedicated matching gift page on your site.

If you’re looking to take your email outreach a step further, consider using specific links within your messages that redirect donors to different pages of your website. For example:

  • If a donor has submitted a match request, encourage them to click a link in your email that will redirect them to a thank-you page on your website.
  • If a donor determines that their donation is not eligible for a matching gift, offer a link they can click that will show them alternate ways to show their support.
  • If a donor wants to unsubscribe from emails, redirect them to the corresponding page on your website.

Not only does this improve the donor journey, but it also gives your team a way to keep track of which donors have submitted matching gift requests, which donors are not eligible, and which donors want to unsubscribe.

Lastly, don’t forget to incorporate direct mail! Include postcards or inserts that contain info about matching gifts with an easy link or QR code to send donors to your matching gifts page. These inserts can go into any of your printed communications to help spread the word about the opportunity.

Sample Matching Gift Letters

If you’re looking for specific examples of the matching gift communications we’ve talked about, you’re in luck! Here are some sample matching gift letters your team can send out to promote matching gift opportunities:

Sample 1: The simple nonprofit matching gift letter.

Dear [donor’s name],

Thank you so much for your generous donation of [donation amount] to our nonprofit. Your contribution has already made such an impact to [your mission] by [example of physical impact]. We cannot thank you enough.

We think you might be able to double your impact! Your employer, [donor’s workplace], may offer a matching gift program that can increase your gift! Matching gift programs are a form of corporate philanthropy where businesses match the donations their employees make to charitable organizations.

Taking the steps to get your gifts matched is a simple process and we are happy to walk you through the process:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at [website URL] or [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

We appreciate your support tremendously. You are the reason we are able to [recent accomplishment].

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

This letter is personalized to the donor and includes actionable next steps the donor can take to determine their matching gift eligibility. There’s also an educational element to this letter, which explains what matching gifts are and how they tie into corporate philanthropy.

Sample 2: A higher education institution’s matching gift letter.

Dear [donor’s name],

The students of [school’s name] are eternally grateful for your generous support. They cannot thank you enough for bringing [recent school renovation or improvement, like an improved library, new building, or renovated dorms] to life and providing a space for them to learn and grow.

Last year we raised [last year’s total matching gift revenue] all from matching gifts, or donations made by businesses to match those made by their employees. With very little extra effort, many of our donors were able to double their original contributions because their employers had matching gift programs in place.

In a few steps, you can check to see if your company will match your gift. Here’s what you can do:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at our website [website URL] or phone number [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

Your impact has already created a difference in the quality of life and the academic accomplishments our community has made recently. Imagine what can happen when your gifts are matched.

Thank you,

[school’s name]

This letter outlines the impact matching gifts have had on the institution and provides specific instructions the recipient can follow to submit a matching gift request. This letter in particular also highlights tangible results of the financial support already received (a new building, updated library, etc.).

View more matching gift letters!

Using a Matching Gift Database

While promoting matching gifts through all of the above channels can be effective, you can kick it up a notch or two by using a matching gift database.

A matching gift database is the key to finding tons of information on matching gift programs all over the world. They list thousands of companies, along with those companies’ matching gift guidelines, forms, and instructions. 

So how do you get access to a matching gift database?

This kind of info can be accessed in a couple of ways:

Matching Gift Search Tool

Invest in a matching gift solution that offers a matching gift search tool to embed anywhere on your website. That means on your donation page, your confirmation page, and your “Ways to Give” or dedicated matching gift pages.

Here’s an example of a matching gift search tool in action:

One matching gift best practice is incorporating a search tool as part of your website.

This search tool auto-completes the company name that’s being typed in, making it easy for the donor to select the name of their company and load the results.

Matching Gift Automation

Another awesome tool that can come in handy for larger organizations is a matching gifts automation platform. Once donors fill out the donation form on your website and submit their gift, this platform scans their info for any indication of matching gift eligibility (a work email address, employer details, etc.) and then triggers out customizable emails on your behalf.

Here’s what such an email would look like for someone who was determined to be match eligible:

Another matching gift best practice is to invest in a matching gifts automation platform.

This email explains to the donor that their donation is eligible for a matching gift from their employer. There are buttons the donor can then click to indicate their matching gift status.

Using a matching gifts automation platform saves your team time because each match-eligible donation will automatically go through the platform’s email stream and trigger the appropriate message. This leaves your organization more time to focus on high-value matching gift opportunities.

Get Double the Donation's ultimate guide to marketing matching gifts

3. Other Matching Gift Best Practices

If you’re looking for more matching gift best practices beyond promotion, we’re going to conclude with a few suggestions that can help your team bring in more revenue.

Demonstrate the Impact of Matching Gifts

Donors love knowing their donations made an impact. And not just that—they want to know what their specific gift went toward.

In the case of matching gifts, share how much money has been raised specifically from corporate matches. Explain how this doubled (or even tripled) your fundraising revenue and met your goals.

Then, go even further and explain what reaching your fundraising goals accomplished. For example, did the extra revenue help your organization feed 1,000 more people? Be specific!

You can share this in an annual report, on social media, on your website, and through other communication channels.

Reach Out to Companies

We’ve explored how to promote matching gift opportunities to donors, but companies are the ones that control corporate giving programs. Reach out to companies with similar values to your organization to forge partnerships.

If you find businesses you’d like to work with that don’t offer corporate giving opportunities, explain the following benefits they could receive from engaging in philanthropic initiatives:

  • Increased employee engagement. Employees want to get more out of their roles than the work itself. They want to feel that they are positively impacting their communities. Corporate giving programs like matching gifts allow companies to work together with their employees to support worthy causes, which can increase workplace engagement and satisfaction.
  • Improved reputation. When companies give back to their communities, consumers notice. Corporate philanthropy proves that companies are willing to use their profits for the good of society. As a result, they’ll receive a more positive reputation and may attract more socially-conscious consumers.
  • Better workplace culture. Believe it or not, employees working together through corporate giving initiatives outside the workplace can forge stronger, more positive relationships in the workplace. Employees get to know each other better and build valuable teamwork skills through team fundraisers and volunteer opportunities.
  • Enhanced recruitment. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly important factor in the job search. Prospective employees want to work for companies that contribute to the greater good. Companies that prioritize corporate giving and promote it stand out during recruitment.
  • Innovative operations. When companies focus on CSR, they often discover new and better ways to run their businesses. For example, a company may find that switching to a more efficient energy source for their offices not only positively impacts the environment but also saves the business money.

Companies without formal corporate giving programs may be surprised at how advantageous it can be for them to start their own. Encourage them to talk to their employees about which causes they care about so that their initiatives match their staff’s priorities.

Follow Up on Incomplete Matches

As we’ve mentioned before, keeping track of the status of donors and their matching gifts can help your team stay organized and maximize your revenue from this channel.

This means you should be following up on incomplete match requests—though this can be challenging to do manually.

Using an automation platform, you’ll be able to follow up with donors automatically, but not bombard them to the point where they get annoyed or disinterested.

Automation platforms incorporate sending limits, which helps your team limit the number of emails sent to donors within a given period of time. All you have to do is configure it in your settings. This applies to recurring donors, one-time donors, and even major gift donors. And once a donor indicates that they’ve submitted a matching gift request, they won’t be contacted again about that particular donation.

Following up gets much easier when you have an automated system in place. Don’t let your donors forget to submit a matching gift request if they’re eligible, but keep your communication to a reasonable level. 

Acknowledge Matching Gifts

Last, but certainly not least, thanking your donors at each stage of the process is essential. Of course, you’ll thank donors after they’ve made their initial donation, but you’ll also want to thank them:

  • After they’ve submitted a matching gift request.
  • After the company match has been received by your organization.

Keeping your donors in the loop shows that you value their support and want them to know their efforts made a difference. You should also keep in mind that the matching gift company might have a set preference for acknowledgement, as well. Most companies don’t need to be acknowledged and will say so—but if a company does want an acknowledgment, look for instructions from their outreach.

Incorporating these matching gift best practices and promotional strategies can help your organization raise the funds you need. Now that you have a basis to go off of, it’s time to get back to work!

Additional Matching Gift Resources

We hope these tips have given you some great ideas for your organization! If you’re looking for even more information about matching gifts, check out these additional resources:

Get a demo of matching gift software to assist with your matching gift promotion efforts.

/by

Converting Direct Mail to Donations: 4 Best Practices

,

Direct mail is an integral part of any multichannel fundraising campaign. Your organization benefits from mail’s high visibility, response rates, and separation from online marketing clutter. There are a few best practices you can take to make the most out of your direct donation request letter efforts. 

Effective direct mail can be the turning point in meeting your goals. A physical fundraising appeal can work to direct readers to your donation page, ask for volunteer time, spread news, and anything else you may need to drive your mission forward. The opportunities are vast with effective communication via physical mail. 

Here at iATS Payments, we’ve worked with a wide range of nonprofits to increase their ROI in their fundraising efforts. A common challenge we’ve seen organizations run into is converting direct mail supporters to actual donors. There are a few practices you can use to make your mail work for your nonprofit:

  1. Strategize your direct mail fundraising appeal with donor segments.
  2. Add a personal touch to your mail for each supporter.
  3. Write effective copy in the body of your letter.
  4. Provide ways for donors to give through a payment processor.

With these tips in mind, you’ll get the highest ROI out of your direct donation request mail campaign. Let’s unpack some of the necessary steps.

1. Strategize your direct mail fundraising appeal with donor segments.

One of the first steps your team should take in creating a marketing strategy is to segment your audience. Categorizing your donors is easy and helps you specifically target those who can push your mission forward. Here’s how taking this simple step benefits your marketing efforts:

  • Higher conversion rates
  • Increased ROI
  • Targeted communications

This way, you’ll be sending mail to the segments that have taken previous similar actions to help your mission. These recipients are more likely to help out versus someone who has never interacted with your cause. If you’re looking to move forward with segment your audience, here are three simple steps you can take to do so effectively:

Utilize your CRM data. 

Your CRM works with the data you retain to build profiles and sort your valuable fundraising data. For example, you’re able to see the data inputted during the giving process from your donors. This can look like recent giving, events they’ve registered for, and contact info. Additionally, you’re able to track their interactions with emails you’ve sent and any other interactions with your digital marketing. If your CRM or donor database is missing key data points like date of birth, employer information, mailing address or phone numbers, a data append service can help you fill in the gaps.

Put your CRM to use by incorporating your data insights into your direct mail strategy by focusing on targeted appeals to recipients for the most effective fundraising letter possible. 

Characterize your donor groups. 

When you characterize your donors into groups, you will notice that each segment becomes its own subset within your organization. When this happens, it’s indicative that your data effectively targets different people who participate in your efforts. For example, a school’s groups may look like this: 

  • Students
  • PTA Parents
  • School Board Members
  • Faculty and Staff

With these groups, your team can paint a picture of what it looks like to contribute to each subsection and how to communicate with them efficiently.

Plan separate outreaches to your donor subsections. 

Now that your groups are separated by characteristics, your communication should be strategic for targeting their interests. For reference, DNL Omnimedia provides specific tips for segmenting your donors that your team should consider. A good way to ensure you’re leveraging this data is to make sure your fundraising letters for each group cater to their interests. Be sure to keep track of how they’re responding and adjust accordingly. 

2. Add a personal touch to your mail for each supporter.

The next step after determining your donor segments is to draft your letters with personalization to each recipient. According to Experian, personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates (source). You’re already making a specific ask to your subgroups, and it’s worth it for your team to go the extra mile and incorporate a bit of extra information from your CRM into each letter. Your fundraising software should even automate this process.

Here’s how to catch your donor’s eye. 

  • Writing Dear [their name], rather than a general salutation.
  • Taking care to include the proper spelling of their name and address.
  • Including details about their prior engagements.
  • Recognizing donors for their previous efforts.

These personalized details can save your letter from looking like junk mail to the recipient. In taking these steps, your relationships with your donors also grow that much more. Going the extra mile confirms to your recipient that you recognize their efforts and care about them as an individual. 

3. Write effective copy in the body of your letter.

Now that you have a strategy for targeting individual donors, be sure to incorporate specific writing strategies to fully establish the mission of your letter. Think about how your team can write a letter that both tells a story about your specific fundraising campaign and why you’re asking for their contributions. 

Stories leverage your letter by:

  • Having an emotional appeal to the reader.
  • Being more memorable than numbers and facts.
  • Sharing the reason why you’ve dedicated your time to this cause.

You can tell the story of why you’re devoting time and energy to this specific fundraiser in a variety of ways. For instance, communicate this through how your past efforts have positively affected the community. When recipients read of tangible results, they know your organization is capable and worth investing in. 

Another storytelling route you can take is communicating why you’ve decided to form this nonprofit in the first place. If you’re stuck in writing the body of your letter, refer to this guide of fundraising letter templates for inspiration.

However you tell the story of your mission and efforts, be sure to make the donor feel like they are the hero of your story. This is effective writing because the reader will begin to picture themselves as part of the change your group is making. For example, you’ll want to directly address them as “you”.  Remember, they care more about what they can do for your organization rather than general actions you’ve done on your own.

Finally, end your letter with a straightforward call to action for a donation, whether online or through physical mail. Make sure that you tell your reader exactly how you want them to take action. Don’t leave details up for interpretation as it may confuse them. These details can include:

  • Asking for specific amounts. Include a variety of options for donation amounts. For example, writing out “$10, $25, $50, $100…” can help your donor picture what amount will serve your organization.
  • Cater these amounts to your donor segments. With your CRM’s data, you’re able to get an idea of each recipient’s giving history. With this, you can ask for larger gifts to people with the willingness and ability to give more.
  • Direct them to your giving options. The goal of your letter is to convince your reader to give to your organization. Make sure it’s clear how they can contribute with a link or QR code to a donation page, or a physical donation form.
  • Provide clear contact information. If your recipient has any questions about their donation, be sure to provide multiple lines of contact. This will reinforce your relationship with them even further if they pursue this option.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be writing an effective direct mail appeal in no time. 

4. Provide ways for donors to give through a payment processor.

Now that you’ve inspired your recipients to give to your cause, make sure they’re able to complete the process quickly and easily. iATS Payments explains the impact of your donation page and how its design affects the completion of the donation. If your system is confusing, it can scare away potential donors at the final step. On the other hand, providing a quick and convenient way to give encourages increased or recurring giving!

Let’s get into important items to consider when developing your donation form. Your goal is not not only to capture a single donation but to increase your efforts in any way possible. For example:

  • Suggested donation amounts help donors picture what is needed for your organization to reach its goals. These can also persuade donors to give a little more than they would have previously.
  • Including a recurring donation option can increase the likelihood that your supporter will consider and follow through with this giving tactic.
  • Provide multiple options for giving; this can be through a physical prepaid envelope, your website, etc. 
  • Continued communications that donors can opt in to. Include an area where visitors can indicate that they’re interested in attending events or giving time are great for recruiting more volunteers.
  • A few optional questions to boost your donor data. Consider asking simple questions such as “how did you hear about us?” to track the ROI of your direct mail campaign.

Overall, your donation page is the final and crucial step to securing donations. The choices you make can provide an easy and fast experience for donors, and ultimately can encourage future engagement and increased donations. 

Your direct mail fundraising campaign can bring in a lot of donations for your organization. Be sure you’re taking the above tips into consideration to make the most of your efforts. Get the most out of your CRM and personalize your letters for increased readership, then drive them to your optimized donation page. Happy fundraising!

Author Biography

Robbie Bernstein 

Author photo

Robbie Bernstein, an iATS Payments Account Executive, uses her wealth of payment processing knowledge to help nonprofits thrive. Robbie puts her heart into fundraising for Cancer research, the Make a Wish Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  

/by

Communicating with Volunteers: 5 Best Practices

Volunteers are extremely valuable partners for nonprofit organizations. They donate their time and expertise to help drive your mission forward, making them essential to your mission. When fully engaged, volunteers can become excellent advocates for your organization, spreading word to their friends, family, colleagues, and the rest of their personal networks.

Because volunteers are so essential, it’s vital that their experiences with your organization are positive. After all, their experience volunteering with your nonprofit influences not only the retention of that individual, but whether or not they promote your fundraising campaigns on social media, recruit their friends to help out at your next virtual event, or become donors in the future.

If you don’t communicate effectively with your volunteers throughout their journeys—from recruitment to engagement to follow up—then you won’t be able to maximize volunteer satisfaction and retention. To improve your nonprofit’s volunteer program, we’ve put together the following these best practices for communicating with your volunteers:

  1. Create an easy online experience.
  2. Reach out before, during, and after events.
  3. Recognize volunteers for their support.
  4. Make the most of your time apart.
  5. Make sure they know how to get more involved.

Effective volunteer management can be tricky, but if you follow these best practices, we’re confident you’ll be able to establish long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with a loyal group of volunteers who are passionate about your cause. Let’s get started.

1. Create an easy online experience

The volunteer experience often begins when someone encounters your nonprofit’s website, making it one of the first places your nonprofit should look when improving your communication strategy. To convert prospective volunteers, prioritize clarity and straightforward navigation so visitors can find your volunteer information quickly. 

To create a well-designed, intuitive website, your website should contain the following elements:

  • Logical navigation. Put yourself in a prospective volunteer’s shoes when they first click on your homepage. What steps do they need to take to find your volunteer information? Is any key information buried in a submenu or under an only semi-related heading? Walk through the process of signing up to volunteer and ask yourself these questions to help create a more logical navigation. 
  • Visually appealing layout. Modern websites have eye-catching, sleek designs that strategically draw the eye to key information. Even organizations that don’t have web design experience can create eye-catching designs with help from modern website builders and templates.
  • Clear mission statement. Your prospective volunteers will want to gather as much information about your nonprofit as possible before signing up to work with you. Ensure that your mission statement is easy to find and clearly states what your nonprofit strives to accomplish. 
  • Clear calls to action. Consider the placement of calls to action (CTAs) for volunteers. If the “Get Involved” button is tucked away on a rarely-visited page on your site, you might be losing valuable potential supporters. Instead, your CTAs should be prominent, recurring, and smartly placed near emotional appeals and attention-grabbing photos.

Once your volunteer has clicked on a CTA, they’ll be taken to your registration page. You’ll likely create your registration form using your volunteer management software solution, so when choosing which one to invest in, consider ease of use of the registration forms and whether or not the registration data will integrate with your other tools. 

The registration form itself should be as concise as possible; excessively detailed or complicated forms will discourage supporters from completing the form, potentially leading to page abandonment. Stick to essential information for your required fields, and make less-vital questions (like interests and past volunteer experience) optional. Alternatively, follow up with volunteers later to collect that information after they’ve been approved. Remember, you’ll always be able to learn more about your volunteers as they become involved with your organization.

2. Reach out before, during, and after events

Whether a volunteer signed up to help with a virtual fundraising event, a three-day restoration project, or a training session, the event is not the only thing on their mind. Your volunteers will need and appreciate clear communication prior to coming in. 

Volunteer management software with automated communication features can handle many routine messages for you. Some automated communications you should implement are:

  • Signup confirmations. Immediately after registration, volunteers should receive an automated email or text confirming the date, time, and location of the event they signed up for. Additionally, include other helpful information, like specific directions for accessing the event and parking information for in-person events.
  • Reminders leading up to the event or training. Sending reminder texts or emails to your volunteers communicates that you care about their service, demonstrates understanding about their busy schedules, and lowers no-show rates.
  • Post-event follow-up survey. After a volunteer has generously donated their time and effort to your organization, show them that you value their thoughts and opinions by sending a follow-up survey about their experience. This will not only encourage engagement but will also help you better optimize your volunteer program.

Additionally, encourage volunteers to reach out to each other to help create a community around your volunteer program. Mobilize’s guide to volunteer engagement specifically references how open communication with both your organization and other volunteers can improve your program: 

“Creating a successful volunteer engagement strategy requires giving your volunteers the space to connect with your organization and with each other… send text reminders about volunteer shifts, automate email reminders for your events to reduce no-shows, and embrace communication channels that create community.”

3. Recognize your volunteers for their support

Expressing your gratitude for your volunteers’ hard work is an essential step for building a future relationship with them. As generous as your volunteers are for donating their time, it’s only natural that they’ll appreciate some recognition, and your nonprofit should celebrate everything they helped you accomplish. 

Beginning with a thank-you email, your volunteer appreciation efforts should be customized to fit your organization and the experience your volunteers had. Here are a few appreciation methods that allow for nonprofits to put their own special twist on them:

  • Special events like dinners, shows, and movie nights
  • Perks like raffles and awards (or even just coffee and doughnuts at a morning event!)
  • Thank-you gifts like t-shirts, keychains, and mugs
  • Thank-you letters that feel genuine and personal

Engaging, meaningful volunteer recognition not only makes it more likely that each volunteer will return to help your nonprofit, but also that they may become advocates for your organization. Positive word-of-mouth recommendations can help your volunteer recruiting efforts for your next campaign, as many of your trusted volunteers may encourage their friends and family to work alongside them.

4. Make the most of your time apart

It can be easy to fall into the habit of only contacting your volunteers when you need them to come in and work on something. While you should certainly share news about your next initiative or campaign, be sure to vary your communication to make them feel like a real part of your organization. 

Consider creating a dedicated email stream for your volunteers. In addition to requests for support, include messages that keep them in the loop about your nonprofit’s operations, such as: 

  • Recent accomplishments. Your volunteers support your nonprofit because they believe in your mission. Let them know what progress you’ve made to further your cause since they last volunteered. 
  • The long-term impact of a given project. If a volunteer helped out with a fundraiser or program initiative, let them know what became of it, especially if there was a major accomplishment.
  • Internal strategic updates. If your nonprofit is rolling out new strategies or changing up any internal processes related to your volunteer program, let your volunteers know so they’ll be up-to-date the next time they help out.

You can also create a dedicated volunteer newsletter to share news from your organization, provide information about upcoming volunteer opportunities, and offer other ways for your volunteers to get engaged with your nonprofit. Ideally, the newsletter would serve part of a broader marketing campaign that drives engagement to your website, blog, and social media. 

5. Make sure they know how to get more involved

Because you have a specific mission, you will likely need volunteers to come in and perform the same types of jobs repeatedly. However, if you provide your volunteers very little variation in their opportunities, they may feel unfulfilled and seek opportunities at other organizations. You can avoid this problem by providing your volunteers with a variety of ways to get involved. 

Offering additional engagement opportunities empowers your volunteers, builds their investment, and helps them stay engaged long-term. For example, here are a few ways you can make your volunteer program more valuable to volunteers:

  • Create skill-learning opportunities. There might be opportunities at your nonprofit to help your volunteers gain skills while helping out at your organization. These can be both hard and soft skills, such as teaching sustainable gardening techniques or better communication skills. 
  • Encourage volunteers to network with one another. Volunteering can be a social experience, and getting to know and work with others can become a major highlight of your program. Find opportunities where multiple volunteers can work together and get to know each other while helping your nonprofit.
  • Ask volunteers for feedback. If you aren’t sure what your volunteers would like to see from your volunteer program, ask them. While you may not be able to implement every suggestion you get, simply asking them may help some of your volunteers feel heard.
  • Ask to apply for a volunteer grant. For volunteers who enjoy your program and have worked with you for a significant amount of time, consider asking them to apply for a volunteer grant. Crowd101’s guide to volunteer grants explains that many volunteers have no idea if they’re eligible for one through their employer. Help them look up their company and fill out any necessary forms to complete their grant application, earning your nonprofit a bit of extra revenue and increasing their impact on your work. 

Additionally, be sure to show your appreciation every step of the way. If a volunteer fills out a survey or applies for a volunteer grant, thank them! Whether a volunteer has responsibilities that are vital to your program’s success or is working on something with lower stakes, let them know that it matters and you appreciate their effort. 

Volunteers provide vital services to nonprofits, from planting trees to running events and delivering meals. Don’t miss out on any volunteer support due to lack of communication. Instead, follow these best practices to reach, engage, and retain as many volunteers as possible. From signup confirmations to volunteer newsletters and additional engagement, it’s important to communicate well with your volunteers at every step of their supporter journey.

/by

Aligning Digital and Print Content Strategy for Nonprofits

Imagine you get a postcard in the mail from a nonprofit you’ve supported. It displays a photo of a smiling kid holding a backpack and reads, “Because of supporters like you, Maya can go to school with all of the supplies she needs.” You’re so inspired by the messaging that you decide to give to the organization again.

The above scenario effectively displays why nonprofit marketing leaders should do everything they can to encourage their supporters. A strong content marketing strategy can play a critical role in how supporters respond and engage with your nonprofit. 

You may focus this strategy on digital storytelling efforts, such as email, website, and social media content. Or, you can utilize printed marketing to offer a personalized approach that can be hard to mimic over the computer screen. By mixing the two approaches, you can create multiple touchpoints for donors and expand your reach. 

Your nonprofit’s website, email messaging, and other digital materials should all align with and support your printed content. This guide will walk through the following steps to ensure your content strategy is set up for success:

  1. Establish content strategy goals and messaging for your audience.
  2. Map out a timeline to send your content.
  3. Use your content to invest in donor relationships.

Aligning your digital and print content strategy is essential, especially if you want your nonprofit mission to reach and inspire as many people as possible. Read on to learn how. 

1. Establish content strategy goals and messaging for your audience.

When it comes to developing and aligning your digital and print content strategy, you need to establish three key details: 

  • Your goals 
  • Your target audience 
  • Your message

For example, what do you want your nonprofit marketing content strategy to accomplish? Are you trying to reach a specific fundraising goal? To help you figure it out, use the SMART method. Make sure your goals are:

  • Specific: Specify what you want to accomplish. For example, are you trying to raise money for your year-end fundraising campaign or recruit more volunteers? It’s easier to aim for a straightforward goal than a vague one.
  • Measurable: Identify quantitative ways your content strategy should benefit your nonprofit. Look to your past fundraising goals to see what you’ve previously accomplished and create a new goal with similar measurements.
  • Achievable: Observe your previous goals and aim just a little bit higher. Be sure to track your goal and progress within your nonprofit database.
  • Realistic: Make sure you’re setting goals that are ambitious but achievable based on past fundraising results.
  • Time bound: Set a specific deadline and significant checkpoints for your plan. 

For instance, let’s say your nonprofit is focused on providing more educational opportunities for children. You set a goal to fundraise $100,000, which is a 10% increase from what you raised last year, by the end of the year. 

To apply your SMART goals to a content strategy, consider your audience. It’s likely that your digital vs. print audiences are a little different, with your print audience consisting of your older donors, major donors, and other active supporters. In contrast, your digital audience might consist of younger generations of supporters as well as your small and mid-range donors. 

Double the Donation recommends conducting audience research, through which you’ll collect information about your audience’s motivations, priorities, and attitudes. This will give you a better understanding of your current donors, identifying donation patterns that can help you develop targeted messaging.

Targeted messaging will personalize each message to the audience. Be sure to include specific details to personalize your messaging, like the supporter’s specific impact and so on. For example, if you’re reaching out to past volunteers, make the program sound appealing and thank them for the previous hours they contributed to your organization.

2. Map out a timeline to send your content.

According to Kanopi Studios, your messaging should inspire your audience and “speak to their values and priorities.” To ensure your digital and print content strategy impacts your audience, plan a timeline for how each message will be relayed to meet your supporters’ priorities and your organization’s goals.

Consider creating a fleshed out calendar depicting all the times you will send out various marketing materials. Digital and print content will require different timelines:

  • Digital: Even though website content, social media posts, and email newsletters can be published instantaneously, your nonprofit’s digital content marketing strategy should be centered around a well-planned posting timeline. For example, plan which days of the week, month, or year would be best to send out volunteer requests. 
  • Print: Note that you will likely need more time to develop, print out, and send your materials to the right address. Plan in advance the days that you’ll develop the materials as well as the days you plan to send them out so they reach supporters ahead of fundraising deadlines or events.

Planning communication to meet your supporters’ priorities will depend on your audience research from the goal-setting stage. For example:

  • Volunteers: Supporters who have volunteered in the past likely prioritize giving their time to your organization. In return, your nonprofit should be considerate of their time and busy schedules as you request volunteer help. Space out your volunteer requests and offer a variety of sign-up times to make volunteer opportunities more conducive to their schedules.
  • Older donors: Your older supporters might prefer direct mail to anything sent over the internet. Develop a list of supporters who are responsive to this type of communication and compile their addresses. This will speed up the mailing process, since you’ll already have a list of addresses ready to go once you’ve printed the materials.
  • Peer-to-peer donors: Supporters who give as a result of a peer-to-peer campaign are likely aware of your organization because of a family member or friend. Now that you have their attention, consider following up immediately with content that explains what your organization does. This extra information can get them interested in your mission and encourage them to stay involved.

The content in your digital and print materials can be similar, but be aware of the capabilities of each medium. For instance, you can embed an animated explainer video into your website, but will need to include a QR code in your printed letters to direct supporters to your digital content.

You should also assign specific tasks to the key players on your marketing team. Ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the goals, audiences, and messaging strategy that you initially outlined. 

3. Use your content to invest in donor relationships.

With an established timeline and clear goals as your foundation, your digital and print strategy can work together to drive genuine results and engagement for your nonprofit. Engage your donors through digital and print content with the following outreach tips:

  • Ensure your marketing content is as inclusive as possible. For both digital and print content, accessibility is key. Some easy ways to make your content more inclusive is to make sure the color contrast and font size are easily readable. Incorporate branded elements, such as your nonprofit’s logo and brand colors, so supporters can easily associate your nonprofit with the message.
  • Use the same target action in your calls-to-action for both digital and print content. The target action for your marketing content is based on your core goal. For digital content, embed a link or prominent button. For print content, you might have steps listing out how to submit a gift along with a QR code that directs supporters to your giving page. Both types of content should make the call-to-action easy to act on.
  • Thank your supporters and donors for their help. Supporter appreciation is a step that you cannot forget in any engagement strategy. Thank every volunteer, anyone who gives to your organization, and all your event participants. Whether the follow-up is digital or print will depend on your existing relationship with them as well as their individual preferences. 

Engaging and developing relationships is one of the most rewarding parts of being a nonprofit leader. By demonstrating appreciation to your supporters, you’ll be able to retain their support for the long run.

As your content strategy evolves, it’s critical that your nonprofit tools are actively tracking its progress. From the rate of email opens, direct mail responses, online fundraising gifts, and more, you can get a better understanding of which outreach method is garnering effective and valuable results. 

That’s why it’s important to keep track of your outreach data. Once you establish which methods are most effective, you can use this insight to hone your content strategy for upcoming communications.

/by

Training Your Nonprofit Marketing Team: FAQ and Resources

Marketing is still a bad word in a lot of nonprofit circles. It’s easy to see why. 

Unfortunately, the whole field of marketing, especially for businesses, is stained with bad example after bad example. For those of us of a certain age, it can be summed up in a series of very popular 1980s Isuzu car advertisement series where actor David Leisure blatantly told over-the-top lies about the benefits of the product. Everyone felt that they met a “Joe Isuzu” at some time in their lives. He checked all of the stereotype “marketing man” boxes that still linger, reinforced by much more sophisticated “Mad Man” characters who would do anything to sell a product.

Added to the negative image, the concept of good marketing remains unknown to most people. And let’s face it, most people came to the nonprofit sector to do good work through their mission—not put precious time and money into slick advertising campaigns. After all, shouldn’t just doing a great job be enough for anyone to see?

Unfortunately, no. 

But that’s okay. You’d be surprised at how many things you never considered are actually forms of marketing, and how, when done right, they can really boost your income and visibility.

It starts with keeping one thing in mind: everything is marketing. Take a look at these examples:

  • Marketing is whether your receptionist smiles at everyone coming in the door, and sounds cheerful answering every call.
  • Marketing is whether you have fresh paint on your walls and clean furniture for your clients.
  • Marketing is being transparent with your financials, so you build trust with your donors, clients, staff, and volunteers.
  • Marketing is building pride in your staff so that they treat every client like they’re special.

These examples of solid, baseline marketing actions aren’t expensive. They show that every part of your organization has a hand in marketing, whether it’s in their title or not. It changes the role of a Marketing Director to a coordinator of the entire organization’s look, feel and image—and not just one who creates the website or places advertisements in the local newspaper. 

Perhaps the biggest mistake anyone makes when considering marketing in a nonprofit context is to first focus on the tools of marketing, rather than on the purpose and message. Consider that you can have an award-winning website, but if you’re focusing it on people who will never use or support your services, then it’s no good. 

So, before jumping in with training your nonprofit team to be exceptional marketing professionals, be sure to ask yourself these questions:

What are your goals? 

Before you get started, however, you need to know why you are marketing. Are you looking to take on new constituents who will be served by your organization? Or are you seeking to secure generous donations from individuals who support your mission and want to help fund your programming.

It’s critical to avoid the Cheshire Cat, “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there,” problem. (Which, by the way, can be very expensive in marketing). Answering the following questions can help as you craft the rest of your plan. 

Who do you need to speak to?

This goes right back to your mission. Who you need to reach will make a major impact on what you will say (your message), and how you will say it (the tools and channels you will use).

Do you need more money (of course)? Where does your money come from? Donors? Government? Paying clients? Insurance companies? Are you facing a particular issue, like a zoning fight, where you need community and government support?

Are you getting the right clients for your mission? Are you focused on a specific geographic area, or a larger demographic? It should give you pause, for example, if you’re an HIV/AIDS clinic that targets a young Latino market, and you get more baby-boomers than anyone else. 

Just remember, good marketing starts at home. Perhaps the biggest, most overlooked audience for your marketing are the people who live and work with it daily: your employees and volunteers. Missing them is a major blunder. These are exactly the people who can validate everything you say, and carry your message far and wide—if they hear and see a message tailored specifically to them.

What do you want to say to them? 

What specific information do they need, and what emotions do you want them to feel? This is a good place to remind yourself that good marketing is not manipulative, and it is definitely not counterfactual. But you can tell people what’s important in ways that resonate, like stories backed with solid facts.

So how do you get this information? Interview previous constituents for stories. Collect and analyze data. Take some good pictures. It might take a bit of time, but it’ll be worth it when you see the dynamic impact that your carefully crafted messaging has on its intended audience.

What do you want them to do?

In marketing-ese, it’s called a call-to-action. It’s the action or next step you want the consumer of your message to take. Do you want them to show up for services? Volunteer? Work for you? Vote? Give? Always market with an action in mind, and don’t be afraid to ask for that action, directly. 

What tools do you want to use?

Of course, you’ll think of the traditional strategies, like print or online advertising, social media, email, direct mail, and much more. But what about the less obvious, subtle marketing means, such as consistent email signature lines, new blinds and updated bathroom fixtures? 

Blinds? Bathroom fixtures? Yes, think of the inexpensive ways you update your home. When you do, doesn’t that make you feel better about where you are? You’ve marketed the comfort and safety of your home—to yourself! 

It’s the same thing with your nonprofit’s marketing. Let’s say potential clients are an important group to your nonprofit. They come in and find mismatched or outdated handles on all the bathroom sinks and blinds with missing slats in a grimy conference room. When pointed out, you think “we’re being thrifty and focused on the important things.” They’re thinking, “if they don’t have enough to keep their facilities in order, do they have enough to give me quality service?”  

And that leads to the biggest lesson of them all: Always look at marketing from the point-of-view of the people you want to speak to. 

We can all think of times when we said something innocently that ended up offending someone. It happens, and you are never going to be perfect. It’s not that you need to tip-toe around everything and water down your message—not at all! But when you want support for your mission, you need to know your audience and speak to their concerns with empathy, understanding, and strength. Basically, keep in mind what’s in it for them when they support your cause with their presence, money, votes or whatever else you are asking them for. 

How can you train your team to be good marketers?

Now that you have an idea of what marketing is and how it can improve your overall operations, here are some powerful training resources that can give you ideas on how you can be marketing aware, and marketing effective, affordably:

  1. Marketing for Nonprofits: Get an overview of what makes effective marketing with the video, Marketing for Nonprofits. This free online webinar gives you 10 steps that every nonprofit staff member, board member, and volunteer needs to know about marketing—so you can get more money, and clients, for your important mission.
  2. CX University: An essential, but largely forgotten group when it comes to nonprofit marketing are your clients! Clients are who you serve, yes, but their experience has the power to bring you more clients or keep others away!
  3. Your Daily Dose of Nonprofit Newsletter: Think of it as a “drip marketing” course to your nonprofit brain. You’ll find content on communications, management, email, SEO, copywriting, marketing, video, storytelling, design, HR, events, social media, data security, public speaking, and more. 
  4. Smart Marketing for Small Nonprofits: How about one of the most popular podcasts on the web for nonprofit marketing: the Smart Marketing for Small Nonprofits Podcast? Each week nonprofit marketing expert Cindy May gives you marketing tips, tools, resources, and ideas that help you generate greater awareness and fundraising support for your cause. Each episode is designed to help you take immediate action on the most important marketing strategies that will move your mission forward. 
  5. Mission-Based Marketing: Let’s not forget books! This book from Peter Brinckerhoff is in its third edition, and deservedly so. It’s a great handbook on how to get your program off to the right start through strategic, mission-based marketing tactics.

Most of marketing isn’t crafting clever advertisements, designing impressive billboards, or even sending fundraising letters. It’s deciding what you want to accomplish, who you need to talk to, and what you want to say. Then, beginning with the small, barely noticed, and relatively inexpensive things. Start there, train your team effectively, and grow significantly!

Matt Hugg is the founder and CEO of Nonprofit Courses.This was a guest post contributed by Matt Hugg of Nonprofit.Courses.

Matt Hugg is an author and instructor in nonprofit management in the US and abroad. He is president and founder of Nonprofit.Courses, an on-demand, eLearning educational resource for nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers, with thousands of courses in nearly every aspect of nonprofit work.

/by

Online Auctions: A Crash Course for Successful Fundraising

Let’s be honest— we’re now multiple years past the original “pivot to virtual.” Gone are the days of taking an originally in-person event, grabbing the first online event software you can get your hands on, and slapping together a virtual experience simply to have something that guests can attend.

Now, nonprofits are planning events to take place online from the start. You’re investing in online event software that has built-in engagement tools, to begin building relationships with guests near and far. You’re adjusting entertainment options to opt for experiences that look stellar over live stream and even shipping meals to event attendees to enjoy the full experience from home.

Your organization has adapted to the new reality of virtual events and it has paid off! But, we’re staring down a reality in which virtual and hybrid events are simply the norm. It’s worthwhile to revisit the foundation that you’ve built your virtual events on, to make sure it’s stable enough to support continued innovation.

At Handbid, we worked firsthand with nonprofits as they’ve hosted in-person charity auctions, pivoted to virtual, and now, created a sustainable virtual and hybrid event strategy to last for years to come. In this crash course, we’ll break down one type of virtual event — online auctions, since that’s our specialty— to help your team make sure you’re building from a strong foundation as you continue innovating these events going forward.

How do you host an online auction?

Let’s begin with a bare-bones discussion of planning and hosting an online auction from start to finish.

From planning the event, to promoting the auction, to nailing the day-of execution, these are the key steps that your team should check off to set a strong foundation for your next auction.

Step 1: Planning a Stellar Event

Hosting an online auction is not unlike being the main event at a circus, juggling many balls and working to keep each in the air as more are thrown your way by an off-stage assistant. You’re coordinating several moving parts, including but not limited to your auction software, items, marketing, event sponsorships, entertainment, and event registration. Skimping on preparation is not an option (at least, as long as you want to keep all of your metaphorical balls in the air).

To set a strong foundation for your event from the start, you’ll want to check off the following “to-do’s” during the planning phase:

  • Select the right nonprofit auction software. Your auction software will handle the behind-the-scenes work so you can focus on building excitement for your virtual event. Your platform should allow you to manage your guest list, process invoices, view stats, generate reports, and message attendees. And of course, it should empower guests with convenient mobile bidding! Having all of these features in a single platform will centralize your planning and save time that can be reinvested into making the event more engaging.
  • Set up your auction website. Your auction website will serve as your item catalog. This is where participants will go to browse and make bids. For each item, you should provide key details like the item name, category, item number, images, and description. This will help present the items in a compelling and accurate way to drive bids.
  • Procure auction items. We’ll discuss this in detail later in the guide— but essentially, you’ll want to procure items that are hard for guests to secure on their own, aligned with your guests’ interests, and generally in-budget for your audience.
  • Connect with potential event sponsors. According to Double the Donation’s guide to corporate social responsibility, “businesses are increasingly turning to CSR to make a difference and build a positive brand around their company.” Use this to your advantage when planning your online auction! For example, you can connect with companies to solicit donated items and services, or even invite them to sponsor the event financially.
  • Practice your live program. If you’re planning on having speakers, an emcee, prerecorded videos, or entertainment, it’s best to practice your run-of-show beforehand. Little things like internet connection, auction item promotions, and transitions need to work seamlessly so your guests stay engaged with your online auction.

By taking the time to prepare upfront, you’ll provide a much smoother experience during the auction itself. Once you’ve wrapped up these steps, it’s time to move on to marketing.

Step 2: Promoting the Event Far and Wide

Okay, hear us out — you can plan an awesome event… but if no one knows about it, the effort is moot!

Marketing your event far and wide is key to making sure it’s full of excited guests, eager to bid on auction items. As you plan your marketing strategy, narrow down your options to determine which channels will best help you connect with your audience.

Getting Attention’s guide to nonprofit marketing discusses a few avenues, including (but not limited to):

  • Email. Leading up to your event, send email announcements to people who haven’t registered yet and updates to people who have already done so. Create segmented email campaigns to appeal to various groups of supporters, so you can create highly-targeted messaging that appeals directly to their interests.
  • Sponsors. Not only will your sponsors help fund the event, but they also serve as a great marketing tool. They can leverage their own networks to spread the word about your virtual event. Ask them to make announcements to their customers and share your social media posts. To increase the chances that they’ll market your event, provide them with promotional materials they can use.
  • Social Media. Determine the social platforms where your supporters are active, whether Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or the latest rising star, TikTok. Then, draft posts that highlight your upcoming event and high-ticket items to encourage people to register.

Center your outreach around three or four platforms. While multi-channel marketing will increase visibility for your event, limiting the number of platforms allows you to focus your efforts on the most effective channels.

Step 3: Knocking the Event Out of the Park

You’ve put in the work to plan and promote the event. Now, it’s time to drive it across the finish line with flawless execution!

While in-person auctions require more time to set up, online auctions are much easier to launch. Your nonprofit auction software will simplify many processes like registration, item management, and payment processing. So, with your auction software doing the heavy lifting, you only have to coordinate a few final details. We recommend the following tips to maintain momentum and maximize participation in your event:

  • Open your auction early. One of the best things about online auctions is that you have more flexibility with your timeline. Consider keeping the auction open throughout the week of the event to fully engage supporters. Providing plenty of time gives everyone the opportunity to browse at their leisure and bid on their favorite items.
  • Live stream during the event. Live streaming adds a face-to-face element to your virtual event, so consider hosting streams to kick off your event, provide periodic updates, and celebrate the end results. Some auction software even comes equipped with its own live streaming tools, so you can stream directly within your mobile bidding app or on the auction website. This way, users don’t have to leave the platform and risk getting distracted.
  • Create clear rules for your event and stick to them. Admittedly, “rules” at a nonprofit auction are more like guidelines than set in stone. However, creating these guidelines and communicating them to guests will set expectations around the event and ensure it runs smoothly. We recommend setting rules around how and when guests need to pay for won items, whether bids can be canceled, and how and when bidding will be closed.

Once your event wraps up, you’ll need to arrange for item delivery or shipping. Then, you’ll want to review your event’s performance. Take a look at which items were popular, which didn’t garner much interest, and who your top bidders were. Understanding what went well (and what didn’t!) will help you refine your future online auctions.

How can you set your online auction up for success?

Now that you understand the basics of online auctions, we can dive into the nitty-gritty details that will make your event shine. We’ve put together three tips to take your event to the next level: careful item procurement, gamification, and thoughtful post-event follow-up.

Procure items your guests want to bid on.

Remember, the success of your event depends on guests bidding (and counterbidding, multiple times!) to win items. So, the items need to be desirable for your specific audience and appealing to both their interests and pocketbooks.

Keep the following tips in mind to procure items that your guests want to bid on:

  • Take a look at past donations to gauge what your average donor would be willing to spend at an auction, then make sure your auction items fall within that range.
  • Focus on procuring items that guests can’t easily get themselves. So, rather than standard sports tickets, aim for the once-in-a-lifetime events like a big playoff game or the Super Bowl.
  • Align items with your guests’ interests. The items that empty-nesters would be interested in may be different than those that would attract young families (i.e. a vacation for two versus a vacation for four).
  • Bundle lower-value items to increase interest. Tying back to our standard sports tickets example, you could bundle the tickets with parking in a prime location, meal tickets, and early access to the stadium. The convenience increases the value of the lesser-value item.

From there, you also need to market and display your items to play up their value. So, in your event marketing, highlight hot-ticket items to build intrigue. Then, take pictures of multiple views of physical items and include them on your auction site— that way, guests can see a 360-degree view of each item.

Encourage (healthy) competition with gamification.

Historically, auctioneers have implemented game-like elements into auctions to liven up events and make them more engaging for attendees. With technological innovations, you can supercharge your events with more modern gamification techniques, such as:

  • Leaderboards to showcase top bidders.
  • Countdown timers to spark a sense of urgency.
  • Fundraising thermometers to display progress toward fundraising goals.

These tools will ultimately drive deeper bidder engagement and challenge attendees to continue participating until the final moments of your online auction. Intuitive nonprofit auction software will come equipped with gamification tools like these to make the most of your event.

Don’t forget the post-event follow-up.

Even once you’ve closed out your auction and distributed items to the winners, your work isn’t quite done yet! There are a few final steps you need to take before calling it a day. Post-auction, make sure to follow up and share results with:

  • Donors. Send thank-you letters to your donors. If possible, give them an update on the item they donated— such as whether the item was won and for how much! This is an easy way to put a number on the value they contributed to your event.
  • Bidders. Using your nonprofit auction software, automate acknowledgments and tax receipts. Then, go a step further by sending custom thank-you emails that emphasize the fundraiser’s impact.
  • Sponsors. Your sponsors make your event possible, from helping with promotion to providing funding and auction items for the event. Send personalized letters to show appreciation and encourage ongoing partnerships instead of letting the relationship dwindle.

Some event organizers skimp on this stage. However, sufficiently thanking donors, bidders, and sponsors will show your appreciation, cultivate relationships, and encourage them to continue supporting your cause.

While the initial pivot to online events was quick, it’s now clear that these events are sticking around for the long run. It’s worthwhile to revisit your online auction foundation to ensure you continue hosting successful events going forward!

Now that you understand the key steps and best practices for these events, you can begin planning your next online auction with confidence. Good luck!

/by

5 Best Practices for More Effective Fundraising Letters

,

Fundraising letters are the backbone of any nonprofit’s direct mail fundraising strategy. Having the most effective fundraising letter possible maximizes the impact of your organization’s marketing spend and helps drive the most donations to ensure you can do what you do best—serve your cause. To help you make the most out of your fundraising letters, here are 5 easy-to-do best practices to think about when setting up your next campaign.

1. Segment your audience.

Segmenting your audience is critical to improving your fundraising results. If your donor list is small, this can be as simple as mailing different appeals to existing, lapsed (those who haven’t given in a few years), and prospective donors (those who have never given). 

For organizations with larger constituent lists, segmentation can get incredibly complex as it’s driven by a number of variables—recency or size of the last gift, total contribution amounts, donor age or gender, type of appeal, etc. 

If you’re worried your data is out of date — or if you’ve never collected that data at all — no worries! One-time data append services can help you fill in the gaps of information like date of birth, address, or telephone number. Additionally, some nonprofit tools like matching gift tools offer real-time appending of specific information, like employer data.

Here's an example of segmenting your effective fundraising letters.

The takeaway here is that regardless of your network of support, some sort of segmentation can have huge benefits to the results of your appeals.

2. Personalize your letters.

Personalization is also incredibly important. This might be the single easiest step a nonprofit can take to improving the response to a fundraising letter. There are levels of complexity that you can use when personalizing a letter—from including the donor’s name in the salutation (i.e. “Dear Jane,”) to referencing the state/county that the recipient lives in throughout the letter (i.e. “your contributions have supported so many impoverished students in the Atlanta area.”

The more the donor feels personally connected to the letter that they’re reading, the more likely they are to respond to the call to action in that letter. People enjoy seeing things addressed to them much more than they do to “dear donor.” Keep this in mind next time you write your fundraising appeal.

3. Incorporate a multi-channel strategy.

Fundraising letters drive the vast majority of individual donations to nonprofits in the US every year. It’s important to know, however, that using a multi-channel approach not only gets you donations from other channels (online donations, text-to-give, etc.) but improves the results from your direct mail campaigns too.

Here's an example of a multi-channel approach to run alongside your effective fundraising letters.

The more channels used for fundraising the better, as long as there is coordination between them. Consistent branding, messaging, and calls-to-action are key.

4. Partner with a fundraising platform.

Choosing a top-tier fundraising partner can help you get the most from your fundraising campaigns. You put in the time and effort to help your cause, so you’ll want to make sure that you use a dedicated direct mail fundraising partner that is easy to work with, affordable, and attentive. 

5. Thank donors for every contribution.

The fundraising campaign shouldn’t end when you receive a donation. In every other situation where you receive a gift, a thank you is appreciated. Donations are no different!

Thanking your donor for their contributions helps them build a stronger connection to your cause, lets them know that they are appreciated, and makes them more likely to give again in the future.

To get started, check out our arsenal of free donor thank-you letters! And when you need to get those letters produced and mailed, GivingMail can help.

/by

Nonprofit ADA Compliance & Web Accessibility: 3 FAQs

,

Your nonprofit’s website is the hub of your organization’s online presence. This is where you host important information about your mission and programming, promote your fundraisers, post involvement opportunities, collect donations, and more. 

Clearly, your website is a critical tool for marketing your mission and connecting with your supporters, whether they’ve just heard of your organization and want to learn more or are regular visitors checking for updates on your work. 

But is your website optimized so that users of all abilities can use it? In other words, is your website ADA compliant? 

This is a critical question to reflect on because web accessibility isn’t just a nice bonus feature on a website that complements a beautiful logo or smooth navigation. In fact, it has increasingly become one of the most important elements of a showstopping nonprofit website.  

In this guide, we’ll cover three frequently asked questions about nonprofit website compliance and accessibility: 

  1. What are nonprofit ADA compliance and web accessibility? 
  2. Why is full nonprofit web compliance and accessibility important? 
  3. What are some quick ways you can optimize your website for accessibility?

Making your website available to all possible visitors allows you to expand your nonprofit’s reach, bolster your reputation, and ultimately pull in more support for your cause, so it’s more than worth the effort to learn about and implement! Let’s begin. 

1. What are nonprofit ADA compliance and web accessibility? 

Put simply, web accessibility is the idea that the internet should be usable by all people, no matter their location, device, or ability. This includes more than just user-friendliness and clear navigation. If the internet (and your website) is fully accessible, then people all over the online world with diverse abilities and devices should be able to engage with it. 

If you want to ensure your own website is accessible, you must consider the needs of all types of visitors, as well as make sure that your site is built with nonprofit web compliance best practices in mind. Nonprofit web compliance ensures that organizations and their websites are aware of and comply with relevant laws—in this case, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires all public accommodations to be fully accessible. Physical offices and facilities of nonprofits that serve the public fall under this category, but legal cases have increasingly considered websites to be public accommodations, too. In fact, as explained in this recap from Venable, in 2019 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated that some websites (including nonprofits) may actually violate the ADA if they are not accessible to people who have visual, auditory, and other disabilities. 

It’s imperative that your nonprofit and website keep the ADA in mind when designing or updating your website. If your nonprofit’s website is brought under scrutiny and is found to violate the ADA, you may even face large fines and legal action. 

To ensure your own website is ADA compliant, look to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a set of usability standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium.  With three levels of compliance (A, AA, and AAA), your website needs to adhere at least to the AA level to be considered legally acceptable.

2. Why is full nonprofit web compliance and accessibility important? 

Besides the fact that a fully compliant website could be legally required for your nonprofit in some circumstances, there is another key reason that accessibility matters. Without accessibility in mind, websites and other online apps can inadvertently exclude entire populations. Consider a nonprofit website that offers training videos for new volunteers but doesn’t offer any text elements alongside those videos. The videos aren’t fully accessible to people who are hearing impaired. To increase accessibility so that hearing-impaired visitors can get the information from those videos, the nonprofit would need to offer subtitles or a transcript of each video. 

On top of making your nonprofit more inclusive, ensuring your website is accessible can provide numerous additional benefits to your nonprofit. Full web compliance: 

  • Makes your website usable on all devices. The best nonprofit websites ensure that anyone can easily engage with them, no matter what device they use. After all, how your content is displayed can chage a lot depending on screen size and light settings. And with 85% of Americans owning a smartphone and over half of all web traffic stemming from mobile users, your website should definitely be usable on mobile screens.
  • Promotes a user-friendly experience. When your website is easy to use and engage with, people will associate it with a pleasant experience. They’ll keep coming back once they know that your website is effectively serving their needs. 
  • Minimizes loss of website visitors. Furthermore, if your website is hard to use and otherwise inaccessible, you’ll likely see a decrease in online engagement. Fewer people will refer to your website and your bounce rate will rise.
  • Improves search engine ranking. A fully compliant and accessible website can also boost your nonprofit’s search engine optimization (SEO) because search engines will have an easier time reading an accessible site. This can in turn increase your search engine results page rankings and increase the number of visitors to your nonprofit’s website.
  • Boosts engagement and fundraising success. The more people access and interact with your website, the stronger their relationship with your mission becomes, which makes it easier to conduct outreach for your fundraising campaigns.

Taking the time to make your website accessible to all truly benefits your nonprofit’s entire community and beyond. By creating a more inclusive online community, you’ll be able to expand your nonprofit’s audience and see more overall success!

3. What are some quick ways you can optimize your website for accessibility? 

In order to determine if your own website is fully compliant and accessible, let’s review the WCAG’s core principles of accessible design:

  • Perceivable information and intuitive user interface
  • Operable UI (user interface) and navigation
  • Understandable information and UI
  • Robust content and reliable interpretation

Considering these WCAG core principles, your top priority should be improving user experience. Consider the following quick ways you can prioritize user experience to improve your nonprofit website’s accessibility:

  • Make sure that all non-written content also comes with a text alternative. This applies to graphics, images, videos, and audio components of your website.
  • Avoid using sensory characteristics to relay important nonprofit content. For instance, if a field on your donation form is required but only designated as such by the color of the text, usually red, that has the potential to be an accessibility issue for colorblind users. Make sure to also indicate any important content or instructions with text as well.
  • Don’t use any graphics or videos with flashes and other bright lights. This can cause problems for those who are seizure-prone. If you really want to incorporate this type of content, make sure to include a clear warning.
  • Ensure that all page titles are clear and entry fields include the necessary instructions. You want to make your nonprofit website as easy to use as possible for your supporters. They should know exactly how to find your online donation page and should be able to fill out the giving form with ease. 
  • Design an intuitive and easily navigable menu. This is a great place to organize all of your most popular landing pages so that users can quickly access the content they want. 
  • Incorporate key calls-to-action (CTA) throughout your website. Make it easy for supporters to access the page they want by adding a link or button CTAs directing to it. This is especially useful for your online donation form and event registration forms. 

As you leverage these tips, rely on Google Lighthouse to give you an idea of how accessible your web pages are. Lighthouse will give your page an accessibility score out of 100 and then highlight opportunities for you to improve your page’s accessibility. 

Having an accessible and ADA-compliant website should be a priority for every nonprofit. After all, as you use tools like your website to connect with more and more supporters, you’re laying the groundwork for long-term relationships and sustained support for your mission. 

Use what you’ve learned from these FAQs to start improving your website’s accessibility today. You can also work with a nonprofit web design company to hone your website’s accessibility. According to Cornershop Creative, the right partner will understand your nonprofit’s needs, including accessibility and inclusivity, and empower you to make your website a useful resource for your entire community.

/by