DIY Fundraising for Nonprofits: 4 Strategies for Success

As the fundraising field diversifies and evolves, new strategies and campaigns have taken center stage. Do-it-yourself style peer-to-peer fundraising is the perfect example.

DIY fundraising, whether it takes the form of a one-time campaign or evergreen fundraising opportunities that are always available for supporters, has become a prominent strategy to get supporters to participate in fundraising for your cause.

But benefits extend beyond just short-term fundraising goals. Encouraging supporters to take an active role in your fundraising efforts can actually increase your donor retention rates. With DIY fundraising, supporters get personally connected to the mission and stay motivated to fundraise because they know what they do makes a difference.

And the best part? Because they are social fundraising campaigns, DIY fundraisers help you reach new donor segments. According to The Giving Experience study by OneCause, 54% of first-time donors to these campaigns contribute because they want to support the person who asked them.

But how can you strengthen your DIY fundraising strategy and provide supporters with the best possible experience? Here are our top four strategies for effective DIY fundraising:This image shows the four DIY fundraising strategies discussed in the text.

  • Encourage passionate fundraisers.
  • Tap into supporters’ broader communities.
  • Use gamification strategies.
  • Offer plenty of support.

While DIY fundraising can take many different forms, following these best practices ensures that your participants stay motivated and engaged from start to finish. Let’s take a closer look at how DIY fundraising can amplify your fundraising strategy.

What is DIY Fundraising?

DIY fundraising, or do-it-yourself fundraising (also known as supporter-driven fundraisers), empowers supporters to fundraise for your nonprofit in their own way. You’ve likely already encountered some forms of DIY fundraising, including:

  • Birthday fundraisers
  • Memorial or tribute fundraisers
  • Personal fitness challenges
  • School-wide fundraisers
  • Individually organized runs, walks, or rides
  • Supporter-hosted events (celebrity bartending events, concerts, food & wine parties)
  • Ambassador campaigns for galas

To get the most from DIY peer-to-peer fundraising, nonprofits need to provide supporters with centralized fundraising resources and tools. From toolkits to peer-to-peer software to personal fundraising pages, you need to have the right resources to set up your supporters (and your nonprofit) for success!

Although your nonprofit won’t be fundraising directly in this type of campaign, strategic vision and guidance from your team are actually quite important for overall success. There are a ton of ways that you can support your fundraisers and help them get the most from their social networks.

Strategy 1: Encourage passionate fundraisers.

Have you ever connected with a supporter and thought they’d be a great ambassador for your cause? These passionate, committed, and impact-driven supporters are likely already in your contact list. All you need to do is sit down and think about who they are. Talk to your team and your volunteer managers, or look back at your donor data to help you identify the perfect people to lead your DIY peer-to-peer fundraising initiative.

Passionate supporters might surprise you and start fundraising on their own if they have the option. You won’t always have control (and you don’t necessarily need to) over who decides to launch a birthday fundraiser for your organization, for example.

But that’s okay! The beauty of DIY fundraisers is you can recruit your participants and set up evergreen DIY fundraising programs that allow engaged supporters to come to you on their own. When identifying potential DIY participants, look for the following traits:

  • Passion: Your fundraisers should be excited to be involved. Perhaps they have a personal connection to your cause or are deeply motivated by your mission. Excitement is contagious, so find supporters who will help spread enthusiasm about your nonprofit and the work you’re doing.
  • Knowledge: Be sure that any fundraiser, whether you specifically recruited them or not, has access to relevant information about your cause. Share an online library of brand assets and mission resources so it’s easily accessible to all your DIY fundraisers.
  • Past Support: Consider a fundraiser’s previous level of engagement with your nonprofit. Invite supporters who have a history of giving, event attendance, and/or volunteering. Past engagement is often a good indicator of DIY success.

No matter what, do everything you can to encourage your DIY fundraisers’ passion. Taking the time to identify the right people for your supporter-driven strategies ensures you have the best of the best on your DIY team and maximizes the chances of retaining them over the long run.

Strategy 2: Tap into supporters’ broader communities.

As you encourage your DIY fundraisers to spread the word, they’ll promote their giving page to friends and family. But consider other pre-existing groups they may be involved with—churches, schools, workplaces—where their connections can generate even more support for your mission.

Workplace giving is a perfect example, and it’s one of the greatest untapped resources for nonprofit organizations. According to 360MatchPro, an estimated $4-7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year.

In addition to matching gifts, there is a variety of other workplace giving methods your donors may have access to, including:

  • Volunteer grants. Like matching gifts, volunteer grants are donations that companies make to nonprofits. Instead of matching employee donations, however, they make contributions based on the number of hours their employees volunteer. If your organization has a strong volunteer base, encourage them to check their eligibility and request volunteer grants from their employers.
  • Annual giving campaigns. Some businesses host yearly fundraising campaigns in which they raise money for a certain cause that their employees care about to encourage participation. If many of your supporters work for the same company, they can introduce your fundraising team to company representatives responsible for workplace giving to kick off a working relationship.
  • Charitable giving stipends. While less common than matching gifts, charitable giving stipends allow employees to give a predetermined amount of money to the cause of their choice. Your donors may have the opportunity to contribute funds to your organization on behalf of their employers instead of using their own money.
  • In-kind donation drives. Monetary contributions are important for ensuring your nonprofit operates smoothly, but you can also benefit from the donation of goods or services. For example, a company may host an in-kind donation drive to support an animal shelter in which their team brings in pet food, toys, and leashes to donate.

DIY fundraising is an ideal way to better incorporate workplace giving into your fundraising strategy. It helps you tap into supporters’ broader circles of contacts, reach brand new supporters, and forge valuable relationships. You can even reach out directly to a business to see if they’ll launch a campaign of their own.

By bringing DIY fundraising to the workplace, you can:

  • Connect with local businesses: Any nonprofit knows that partnerships with for-profit businesses are important. By encouraging local businesses to take action through fundraising, you can begin cultivating these relationships. Plus, if a local business has already run a fundraiser for your nonprofit, they’re more likely to continue sponsoring your work, like by donating items or services to your upcoming auction.
  • Get your fundraisers involved: If you’ve connected with a passionate supporter, ask them if they’d be interested in hosting a fundraising event at their workplace. There are all kinds of workplace-friendly fundraising ideas out there to help them get started, and it’s a great way to broaden your network.
  • Increase visibility: Whether you’re working directly with a business or with an individual fundraiser, bringing fundraising to the workplace allows you to connect with all of the employees working there. This way, you can expand your donor base by meeting potential supporters you might not have encountered otherwise.

By empowering passionate employees to get involved and bring fundraising into their workplaces, you can enhance your DIY fundraising efforts.

Strategy 3: Use gamification strategies.

One challenge of DIY fundraising is keeping everyone motivated from start to finish. The best way to keep supporters engaged is to make it fun! We recommend gamification tactics to bring both competition and enjoyment to your DIY fundraisers.

Incorporating gamification strategies takes even the most creative fundraising ideas to the next level. To add gamification to your DIY fundraiser, try:

  • Fundraising leaderboards: Motivate your fundraisers by showing off top performers. A little healthy competition can go a long way to keep supporters engaged throughout the fundraiser and can help everyone raise more funds.
  • Implement rewards: Offer rewards to incentivize your supporters to hit or even smash fundraising goals. These rewards could include anything from branded merchandise to a facility tour to a prize provided by a local business.
  • Create milestone achievements: Set milestones or goals for your peer-to-peer fundraisers to work toward. Giving people concrete goals to achieve is a great motivator and can help make their impact feel more tangible.
  • Involve teams: To get more people involved and to keep your fundraisers motivated, encourage them to get their friends and family members involved by forming teams. This way, team members can lean on each other for support and work to motivate each other.

If you find that gamification works very well with your donor base, consider investing in dedicated P2P fundraising software to streamline the process and seamlessly integrate gamification into your participant experience.

Strategy 4: Offer plenty of support.

Your fundraisers will feel motivated to continue fundraising if they feel like your nonprofit is there to support them along the way. Be sure to offer your DIY fundraisers a helping hand with:

  • Detailed fundraising guides: If your supporters want to run a virtual program or engage in a more complicated activity, create a step-by-step guide and other training resources. These helpful tools set them on a path to success and provide a roadmap for how to execute a successful DIY fundraiser.
  • Shoutouts on social media: Your DIY supporters deserve public recognition! Share their extraordinary efforts on your social media pages and thank them for their participation. This is also a great way to bring even more visibility to your support-driven fundraising efforts.
  • Share impact: For today’s donors, it’s essential that nonprofits share the impact of their work. Doing so boosts your fundraising efforts by showing donors that their DIY support really does make a difference. Your fundraisers want to know how they’ve impacted your cause, so tell them!

Supporting your fundraisers with guides, social posts, and impact-sharing creates a culture of gratitude and teamwork for your DIY program. It also allows you to support these efforts at scale, giving your participants a helping hand but not overburdening your team. No matter what kind of DIY program you launch, just remember to build in support structures and reach out to your supporters along the way!

Your DIY fundraisers have dedicated time, passion, and energy to raising money for your cause. Some of them have had your help and some of them haven’t, but regardless, make sure to say thank you. Expressing gratitude demonstrates that you are thankful for all their hard work.

Be sure to continue supporting your donors and giving them the tools they need to be successful. You’ll have all kinds of effective DIY fundraisers up and running in no time.

Kelly Velasquez-Hague brings over 20 years of fundraising, nonprofit management, and sales/marketing experience to her role as the Director of Content Marketing for OneCause. As a member of the OneCause sales and marketing team, Kelly manages all of the company’s content strategy and execution. She is passionate about empowering great missions and loves that her current role allows her to continue to help nonprofits reach new donors and raise more funds for their cause.

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4 Tips for Increasing Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Participation

Peer-to-peer fundraising can sometimes seem like a daunting venture. With this strategy, your success or your failure rests in your supporters’ hands. You’re relying on your supporters to champion and fundraise for your cause as proxies for your organization. 

When you have invested supporters, peer-to-peer fundraising allows you to expand your reach and engage new, potential donors in their individual networks. Because these donation requests are being made by a trusted friend or colleague, these potential donors are also more likely to donate to your cause.

However, without supporters’ dedicated participation, this type of campaign is likely to fall flat. So, how can you encourage participation from both existing and potential supporters? 

Whether this is your first peer-to-peer campaign or your fiftieth, follow these four tips to set your fundraising campaign up for the best possible engagement:

  • Set SMART goals.
  • Leverage regular, multichannel communication.
  • Choose powerful peer-to-peer fundraising software.
  • Show your appreciation.

Even though your supporters are in the driver’s seat, you can’t sit back and relax as the donations roll in, especially in the planning and preparation stages. The more work you put in upfront, from recruiting a stellar fundraising team to sending letters requesting donations, the more likely your supporters (and thus your campaign) will be successful.

Set SMART goals.

So where should you start? Before you launch your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign and reach out to supporters, you’ll want to be clear about what you and your supporters will be working toward with your campaign. 

Campaign Goals

In conversations with your financial and development departments, you’ll establish your organization’s overall campaign fundraising goal. Consider: How much revenue do you intend to raise? What will be the impact of that money? Where and how will it be used? 

We recommend that the goals you set follow an established framework such as the SMART model:

  • Specific. Your goals should be narrowly-focused and identify specific, tangible resources, outcomes, and impacts for both your organization and community.
  • Measurable. Your goals should have a quantifiable definition of success and clear, accessible metrics
  • Attainable. Your goals should be achievable within reason. Sometimes organizations will have two goals: a “baseline” goal and a “reach” goal.
  • Relevant. Your goals should be meaningful to your organization, your donors, and the community you serve. 
  • Time-based. Your goals should have a defined target date as well as checkpoints along the way.

Determining the timeline and deadline for your campaign is a crucial but oft-forgotten part of the goal-setting process. If your campaign is associated with a specific event (such as a fun run or gala), you’ll likely align your deadline with that date. If you have more flexibility in your timeline, consider what time of year your supporters are most likely to be able to fundraise and donate. 

For example, if a large portion of your proxy fundraisers are teachers, you might plan the campaign for the summer—when they’ll be off from school and more available. Or since 30% of all annual giving occurs during the month of December, you might choose to host your campaign accordingly.

Individual Goals

While your organization will have an overall fundraising goal, you should also give your supporters the ability to set individual fundraising goals. Depending on the functionality of your fundraising platform, you can suggest achievable individual fundraising goals (plus their associated impact) and allow supporters to then make adjustments to their goal. 

For example, if your organization has an overall goal of $20,000, a supporter with a large network and free time might set a goal of $1,000, while a supporter with a busy schedule might set a goal for $100. Taken together, these smaller goals add up—and give individual supporters a sense of responsibility for meeting their commitment. 

Leverage regular, multichannel communication.

When you clearly articulate deadlines, impacts, and goals, you put your supporters in a strong position to set forth on their individual fundraising efforts. They’ll feel their involvement is making a positive, tangible impact and will communicate that to their network.

Thus, it’s imperative to keep your supporters apprised of how well the campaign is going, how close you are to reaching the overall goal, how they can get involved, and particular highlights and successes. But unfortunately, you can’t reach everyone on the same platform or with the same approach. Some people, for example, don’t use social media. They would miss your clever posts on Twitter or Instagram completely. 

In order to reach as many supporters as possible, plan to share these updates across a variety of channels, including:

  • Email. According to Donately, 28% of all online nonprofit revenue is generated via email outreach. People are constantly checking their emails, so this is one of the easiest ways to get your campaign in front of your supporters. Since emails can be easily forwarded and shared, write them with both your supporters and potential supporters in mind.
  • Social Media. Love it or hate it, social media is now an all but necessary fundraising tool to reach potential supporters beyond your immediate network. Focus on the platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter) your followers use most. 
  • Google Ads. While for-profit corporations pay large sums of money to advertise on Google search results pages, your position as a nonprofit makes you eligible for free advertising on Google with their Ad Grants program. With up to $10,000 worth of ad placements a month at your disposal, you can connect with a broader audience and engage them to join your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. 

Whatever channels you choose, you can use storytelling to effectively engage your audience. According to Getting Attention’s Guide to Nonprofit Storytelling, while 63% of people will remember a story, only 5% will recall a statistic. Using personal narratives, first pose a problem that your nonprofit is working to solve. Then, give followers a way (peer-to-peer fundraising!) to take an active role in shaping the story.

Choose powerful peer-to-peer fundraising software.

You can do everything in your peer-to-peer fundraising outreach right, but your fundraising software will ultimately make the difference in whether that work pays off. The best fundraising platforms are easy to use, offer robust sharing, data tracking, and integration capabilities, and are fully customizable. When choosing your software, consider its: 

  • Usability. Usability is just as important to your proxy fundraisers as it is to their donors. Participants don’t want to struggle to set up their personal campaign page—which can be an immediate deterrent to their participation—and share text and visual updates on their progress. Moreover, many of their donors will abandon the donation process at the first hint of a roadblock. Your platform should make it as easy as possible for visitors to donate without having to jump through multiple hoops.
  • Sharing capabilities. With so many people on social media, your platform’s sharing capabilities are crucial to the success of your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Consider how easy it will be for participants and donors to share using your peer-to-peer solution. What social platforms will it connect to? Will sharing be burdensome or ignored, or actively encouraged with noticeable buttons and prompts? 
  • Data tracking capabilities. The right peer-to-peer fundraising software will support easy and organized data tracking and analysis. You should be able to track your most successful fundraisers, popular donation amounts, and giving trends at the click of a button. Use this information throughout your campaign to adapt to new trends and the needs of your fundraising participants and their networks. Some software can even help you fill in missing data, like employer information, at the click of a button.
  • Integrations. Nothing’s worse than having to retype hundreds of email addresses from one platform to another. For the sake of efficiency, your fundraising software should be able to connect widely to other software, such as MailChimp, Double the Donation, and WordPress. Integrations can also have significant implications for donor participation. For example, when 84% of potential donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, integration with corporate donation matching software can dramatically increase both your number of donors and donation amount. 
  • Customization. While customization is certainly important to your peer-to-peer fundraising participants, it’s also important to how your organization presents itself to the public. For a consistent brand experience, you should be able to set your organization’s colors and logos across all pages.

Don’t let your fundraising software hold back your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. As you choose your software, consider these factors alongside the needs and budget of your organization. 

Show your appreciation.

Don’t save your appreciation till after your peer-to-peer fundraiser is over. Instead, make it a practice to show your appreciation to your supporters at regular intervals. 

Unsure about the best way to say thank you? Ask your supporters how they’d like to be appreciated! Popular thank-you ideas include:

  • Public recognition. Throughout your campaign, highlight your peer-to-peer fundraising participants with shoutouts and profiles in your email newsletter and on your social media accounts. Like any positive reinforcement, sharing positive recognition will deepen your participants’ connection with your organization, incentivize participation, and drive traffic to their individual fundraising pages.
  • Exclusive events. In addition to hosting a celebratory event at the end of your campaign, consider also hosting informal events during the campaign. Use these events to show your thanks and give peer-to-peer fundraising participants opportunities to connect with one another. If your participants are spread across the country—or the world!—use virtual event software to strategically host a hybrid or virtual event.
  • Personalized thank-yous. Once the campaign is over, don’t forget to send participants thank-you letters or emails. You can use your CRM to automatically personalize these with their names, their titles and pronouns, and the amount they fundraised in the campaign.

In addition to thanking your proxy fundraisers, you can also take steps to thank those who contributed to each individual’s campaign page. While they may not yet be invested in your cause, you can leverage your shared connection to convert them into loyal supporters.

As you plan your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, don’t forget to ask for help. Especially with this type of fundraising, your supporters will be your best resource. So ask for their input! Reach out to trusted donors, volunteers, staff, and board members. If you’ve run a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign before, you can ask past participants for feedback on those campaigns—where they were successful and where they could be improved. 

Not only will you gain valuable insights, but your supporters will also feel that their voices are being heard. With this in mind, go for it! We’re excited to see your campaign in action.

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Forming Long-Term Relationships with Supporters: 4 Benefits

While acquiring new supporters is important, there are many often overlooked benefits to forging long-term relationships with your existing donors.

Retaining supporters requires a mix of appreciation strategies, strong communication practices, and a continued dedication to fulfilling your mission. While this can take quite a bit of effort, in exchange, your nonprofit will begin forming relationships that can potentially span decades and can enjoy all of the benefits those long-term connections bring.

Let’s explore four benefits your nonprofits will experience.

1. Reliable support.

According to CharityEngine’s donation guide, “the health of a nonprofit can often be measured by sustainers.” This is because, with long-term donors, your nonprofit can look forward to reliable support on a routine basis. With recurring donations, your nonprofit can allocate your spending for future growth and have a cushion to fall back on if another fundraiser falls short.

The following giving traits may help your nonprofit identify potential recurring donors:

A chart that shows the giving traits that indicate a donor may be interested in recurring giving, which is one of the benefits of forming long-term relationships with supporters.

  • Semi-Regular Donors. Those who give regularly but infrequently are ripe for a campaign encouraging them to become monthly donors, even if the donation amount decreases. You’d rather have $10 a month ($120 a year) than $25 given quarterly.
  • Significant and Moderate Donors. These donors are often your major gift donors, without whom you might struggle to hit fundraising goals. When major gift donors engage in recurring gifts, it significantly strengthens your nonprofit.

Supporters can provide reliable help in other ways, such as campaign involvement and event attendance. Your long-term, dedicated supporters are often regular event attendees, and their presence at your events can help build a sense of community and make event management easier for your planning team. After all, events are at their most fun and successful when there are enough guests to participate in your activities, socialize with each other, and donate if it’s a fundraiser.

2. Increased value.

Few donors give major gifts to unfamiliar nonprofits. Long-term relationships can build the backbone of many nonprofits’ fundraising revenues by fostering recurring gifts.

Mid-level donors also tend to give more the longer their relationship with a nonprofit lasts. The longer a donor has been with your organization, the deeper their investment in your cause becomes and the more receptive they are to requests for increased support.

Here are a few ways you can earn more from your moderate donors:

  • Increased gift amounts. Mid-level donors often increase their support throughout their relationship with a nonprofit. For example, a donor who gives $10 a month will likely be receptive to a request asking for $15 a month after they’ve been with your nonprofit for a significant amount of time.
  • Participation in multiple fundraisers. Supporters familiar with your nonprofit and your usual fundraising methods may become interested in supporting you in other ways, like volunteering.
  • Planned giving opportunities. Planned giving can help nonprofits gain significant funding, and long-term relationships are vital to its success. NPOInfo’s charitable giving statistics found that nonprofits often need decades-long relationships with donors to enroll in a planned giving program.

To track your supporters’ contributions over the years, note their donations and participation in their donor profiles in your CRM. This way, you’ll know exactly where each donor is in their donor journey and be able to ask for a donation increase at the right moment.

3. More networking opportunities.

Donors will feel more comfortable with your nonprofit after seeing an active community, which communicates the organization’s health and success. Your long-term supporters can also take active steps to grow your nonprofit network, such as:

  • Word-of-mouth marketing. Long-term supporters are more likely to participate in word-of-mouth marketing, improving your nonprofit’s reputation while attracting new interest from their friends and family.
  • Peer-to-peer campaigns. Peer-to-peer campaigns leverage your supporters’ relationships as they fundraise on behalf of your nonprofit. Then, rather than giving to an unfamiliar organization, new donors will give to a trusted friend or family member. Plus, if you invest in the right nonprofit fundraising software, you’ll have access to peer-to-peer fundraising and advocacy features that make it easy for supporters to spread the word.
  • Prospective donors introductions. Major donors with whom you have a long-term connection can make introductions between you and their personal friends. Plus, if you’ve discovered a potential major donor through wealth screening, you can see if you have any donors with pre-existing relationships who would be willing to set up an introduction for you.

Remember that donors are most likely to help your nonprofit network when they have a strong relationship with your organization. Create a positive donor experience for all of your supporters to ensure that when they discuss your nonprofit with friends and family, they’ll have many positives to share.

4. Greater return on investment.

Encouraging your current donors to continue giving is ultimately more cost-effective than bringing in new donors. While you should continue your donor outreach efforts, don’t forget to steward your current donors.

Here are a few basic strategies for identifying and stewarding long-term supporters:

  • Identify recurring giving candidates. Once you have basic information about a supporter, such as their contact and giving information, you can determine how likely they are to become a long-term supporter. If you aren’t completely sure about your donor’s eligibility for perks like corporate sponsorships or matching gifts, data appending services can help you fill in the gaps.
  • Show appreciation. Thanking a donor immediately demonstrates your attention and appreciation. Donors who feel noticed are more likely to strengthen their support of your nonprofit and feel more engaged, which benefits your nonprofit in many ways.
  • Collect supporter feedback. Understanding which stewardship strategies are working and which need to be tweaked can directly impact your fundraising. Plus, the sheer act of asking can help many supporters feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Compared to the marketing required to attract a new donor, these steps require few resources besides your time and a robust fundraising platform. While you should still work to attract new donors, these additional steps can help retain your current base and ensure you receive a return on your marketing investment.

Your supporters ensure your nonprofit can continue fulfilling its mission, and your long-term supporters have made the greatest investment in your cause. By maintaining these important connections, your nonprofit can look forward to reliable support, increased revenue, and opportunities to grow your organization. Use your donor management tools to look for ways to build and maintain these relationships with your long-term supporters.

Author: Leigh Kessler

Leigh Kessler is VP of Marketing and Communications at donor management software platform CharityEngine and a frequent speaker on branding, fundraising, data and technology.  He is a former nationally touring headline comedian and has appeared on numerous TV shows including VH1’s “Best Week Ever”, CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight”, Discovery Channel & Sirius Radio.​ He has overseen and informed research and branding strategies for some of the most well known brands in America.

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How Employer Appends Help Your Nonprofit Raise More

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Is your nonprofit making the most of its fundraising opportunities? With employer appends, you can use donor data to improve fundraising efforts.

Employer appends use donor data to give nonprofits information about their donors’ employers. This includes information about matching gift programs, a corporate social responsibility program that allows your donors to double gifts at no extra cost. The employer append process can be a challenge if you’re taking it on alone, but there are plenty of great services to consider.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert in data-driven fundraising, this guide is a great resource for your nonprofit. In this piece we’ll discuss:

Employer appends could be the thing your nonprofit needs to elevate its fundraising efforts and boost revenue. Let’s get started with an overview of employer appends.

Click to get a quote so you can upgrade your fundraising strategy with employer appends.

What are employer appends?

Employer appends add data about donors to your organization’s existing database. More specifically, these appends include information about donors’ employers.

The insights found through employer appends are beneficial to nonprofits in many ways. The main advantage for nonprofits is identifying possible corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunities.

Employer appends are easy to understand, but it may not be clear why they are important. The next sections focus on why employer appends are valuable and what you need to get started.

Why are employer appends valuable?

Capitalizing on CSR opportunities is one of the biggest reasons to use employer appends. But, employer appends offer other valuable insights. Pieces of information like a donor’s job title or their general industry can provide valuable information as well.

Here’s how the main pieces of information provided by an employer append can boost fundraising for your nonprofit:

  • Employer name: Learning a donor’s employer’s name unlocks a wealth of information about their CSR programs. Once you have access to this information, your organization can research how the employer makes good on its CSR promise. For example, if you discover that many of your donors work at the same employer, consider asking that employer to host a sponsored event with your nonprofit.
  • Job title: A donor’s job title gives away a lot of information about them. First, their position indicates how much leverage they have at work— would they be the appropriate avenue for a possible partnership? Second, their role can roughly demonstrate the donor’s financial giving capacity.
  • Matching gift information: This information tells you whether a donor’s employer offers a matching gift program. These programs fall under the umbrella of CSR and mean that employers will match their employees’ gifts to nonprofits. If you and your donors are aware of these programs, your organization can double its revenue at no extra cost to you or the donor.

Learn these key insights by simply running an employer append. Then, your nonprofit can begin to capitalize on CSR opportunities and learn more about its supporters.

What is needed for an employer append?

Employer appends supplement the donor data you already have. But, there are a few pieces of data you need before getting started. The most important donor information is donor email and mailing addresses. If you don’t have this information, check out NPOInfo’s email and address append services.

These are the 8 pieces of data that make employer appends highly accurate.

While these basic pieces of data are the most important, many data appending services ask for more data points. Typically, the more data you can provide, the more accurate the employer append will be. This includes information such as:

  • Unique donor ID number
  • Donor name
  • Region of residence
  • Phone number
  • College or university attended
  • Graduation year
  • Most recent gift amount
  • Most recent gift date

Don’t worry if your nonprofit doesn’t have every data point on this list as they aren’t all necessary. However, you can keep these data points in mind as you gather more donor data going forward, to boost the accuracy of any future employer appends.

Keeping data clean and organized can also expedite the employer append process. Data hygiene refers to taking steps to regularly clean data, making it more efficient to analyze. Good data hygiene includes practices like removing outdated or irrelevant data, maintaining a standard means of data entry, and keeping data organized.

Employer Appends for Nonprofits: Using Donor Data in Fundraising

Donor data shouldn’t go untouched on your organization’s computers, especially when it can be so useful. There are plenty of practical ways to use donor data in your fundraising strategy. Investing in donor data analysis will be reflected in increased fundraising opportunities and revenue.

Fundraising Data Analytics

This explains what fundraising data analytics are.
Fundraising data analytics uses donor data to recognize patterns and trends. These patterns inform nonprofits about how to shape or adjust their fundraising strategies. Good donor data is the foundation that fundraising data analytics is built on, so data upkeep should be a priority.

Within fundraising data analytics, there are three distinct types. Here is a quick breakdown of the three types of fundraising data analytics:

  • Descriptive fundraising analytics: Donor data is used to classify donors. These classifications are usually made based on demographic information like age. Other factors like average gift size can also be used to group donors by their willingness to give.
  • Predictive fundraising analytics: Predictive analytics are used to predict donors’ giving behaviors. These predictions are made based on past behaviors. Often, they use metrics like growth in donation size.
  • Prescriptive fundraising analytics: Here, patterns, trends, and donor classifications are combined to create a strategy. In other words, this stage involves setting up a new and improved fundraising strategy based on insights from prior stages.

While employer appends are a small piece of fundraising data analytics, donor data is crucial to both. Build a strong foundation for analytics and revenue growth by gathering strong, organized data.

Capitalize on Fundraising Opportunities

Donor data can prevent losses on potential revenue opportunities. With employer appends, your nonprofit can identify these opportunities in time to use them.

Employer appends are great at catching matching gift opportunities. There is a lack of awareness about these programs amongst donors—with 78% of donors unsure if their company offers a matching gift program—making it difficult to bring in matching gift donations. The problem is even harder to address if nonprofits are unsure which of their donors have access to these programs.

To better understand just how valuable matching gifts are, check out Double the Donation’s matching gift statistics:

  • Companies donate about $2-$3 billion in matching gift funds each year.
  • $4-$7 billion in potential matching gift funds go unclaimed each year.
  • Out of 250 multi-billion-dollar companies surveyed by Forbes, 92% offer some sort of matching gift program.
  • 1 in 3 donors indicate they’d give a larger gift if they knew it was being matched by their employer.
  • 84% of donors are more likely to donate if they know their gift will be matched.
  • When you mention matching gifts in fundraising appeals, you can expect a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount.

Fortunately, employer appends allow you to tap into this incredible fundraising opportunity by simplifying the matching gift eligibility process. After identifying which donors’ workplaces offer matching gift programs, nonprofits can spread awareness of the programs. One way to do this is to send donors matching gift letters that urge them to take advantage of the programs.

In addition to matching gift programs, corporate social responsibility programs support nonprofits in other ways. Many companies actively seek out nonprofits to support with grants. Taking advantage of additional CSR programs is a great way to garner support from sources beyond individual donors.

Another common CSR program is a volunteer grant program. While matching gift programs match employee donations to nonprofits, volunteer grant programs incentivize employee volunteerism by donating to the nonprofits they volunteer with based on the number of volunteer hours they log. Employer appends can help you to identify which of your volunteers’ employers offer volunteer grant opportunities. Then, you can notify these volunteers to follow up with their companies by sending in a volunteer grant request.

Tailor Fundraising Campaigns

Certain pieces of donor data help nonprofits tailor their campaigns to their audience. Not only does this indicate a better understanding of your organization’s supporters, but narrowly targeting your audience can also be more effective. Knowing exactly who makes up your base of donors and what they respond to means that your fundraising efforts will be more likely to reach and impact them.

These are the 3 pieces of information nonprofits use to tailor fundraising campaigns.

Here are a few pieces of information and their implications for tailoring your nonprofit’s fundraising campaigns:

  • Job title: A donor’s job title demonstrates how financially capable they are of giving and how much decision-making power they hold at work. It is effective to target donors in high positions of authority. Not only are these donors likely more capable of giving, but they may also be able to implement more CSR initiatives at work.
  • Employer name: Learning donors’ employers’ names provides insights into their connections to CSR opportunities. Tailor fundraising efforts towards people with access to CSR opportunities like matching gift programs.
  • Demographic information: Information like age delineates important insights for targeting your nonprofit’s fundraising campaigns. For example, if your donors’ primary demographic is older people, online campaigns may not be successful. In this instance, it may be better to use mailers instead.

Donor data can be an extremely versatile tool as you work to improve your fundraising strategy. Don’t be afraid to get as much use as you can out of each data point— there is no harm in deriving multiple insights from one piece of data.

Grow Revenue Over Time

After incorporating donor data analysis into your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, your organization should see growth in revenue.

Making the most of untapped fundraising opportunities like matching gift programs is one source of growth after a data append. These programs increase revenue by supplying your nonprofit with free money via your donors’ employers. After increasing awareness of matching gift programs, the number of donors taking advantage of these programs should increase as well.

Further, identifying your core audience and catering to their preferences will increase the amount of donations you receive. Reach these audiences in ways that will inspire them to engage with your organization.

Data Append Services: Our Top Picks

Taking on data appends by yourself can be overwhelming. Put your trust in a data append service — these teams of professionals can take the weight off your shoulders. Here are a few of our top picks for data append services.

Double the Donation

Double the Donation offers workplace giving-focused employer append services designed to help nonprofits uncover where their donors and volunteers work—an essential step in maximizing workplace giving opportunities. These services enhance your existing data by identifying employer information through advanced data matching, allowing you to surface workplace giving-eligible supporters who might otherwise go unnoticed.

Here’s what sets Double the Donation’s employer append solution apart:

  • High Match Accuracy: Using a combination of proprietary data sources and intelligent algorithms, Double the Donation delivers highly accurate employer data that helps you confidently target the right donors.
  • Seamless Data Syncing: The employer append service integrates directly with Double the Donation’s workplace giving automation platform, enabling automated follow-ups and real-time workplace giving insights based on newly appended employer data.
  • Scalable Results: Whether you’re working with hundreds, thousands, or millions of records, the service is designed to scale—helping organizations of all sizes uncover more match-eligible supporters efficiently.
  • Ongoing Value: Appended employer data can be used not only to fill in the gaps in your existing donor data but also to identify workplace giving opportunities, corporate sponsorship prospects, and more.

By enriching your donor database with employer information, Double the Donation helps you unlock hidden revenue streams across matching gifts, volunteer grants, and broader corporate philanthropy—making it a valuable asset for any nonprofit looking to grow through workplace giving.

NPOInfo

If you are a nonprofit in need of a quality data append service, look no further. NPOInfo has a team of highly skilled experts ready to take on a wide range of data append services. NPOInfo serves nonprofits, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, and associations, giving it a leg up on services that lack nonprofit specialization.

If these services sound like something your nonprofit needs, NPOInfo might be for you. Reach out for a quote to get started.

Click to get a quote so you can upgrade your fundraising strategy with employer appends.

Wrapping Up

Employer appends are the key to discovering who your supporters really are. After learning valuable insights like donors’ employer’s name, job title, and matching gift information, it is easy to take advantage of fundraising opportunities. However, employer appends are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using donor data in fundraising. Donor data can quickly become an invaluable tool in your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

Interested in learning more about data and matching gifts? Check out these resources:

Click to get a quote so you can upgrade your fundraising strategy with employer appends.

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How Google Ad Grants Can Help Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising

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Technology is more important than ever before, especially in the realm of nonprofit fundraising. With a majority of business conducted online, it is vital your nonprofit establish a strong digital presence to stay competitive in the fundraising space. However, this does not mean simply creating a website— your web presence must be well-known as a source for useful insights. That’s where Google Ad Grants come into play.

These grants are an integral tool in driving traffic to your organization’s landing pages and increasing donations. If you are unfamiliar with Google Ad Grants, no need to worry. This guide will walk you through everything there is to know by covering the following topics:

After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of how to make the most of fundraising opportunities with Google Ad Grants. Let’s get started!

Get a free consultation with our recommended Google Ad Grants managers.

What is the Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grants program is a corporate giving initiative that provides eligible nonprofits with monthly grants to promote their causes via Google Ads.

Eligible nonprofit organizations can display advertisements, products, services, offerings, and other marketing content strategically at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) for relevant keywords. For example, when someone Googles “animal nonprofits near me,” an ad for your organization’s website could appear at the top of the results. This immediately draws eyes to your messaging and helps expand audience reach.

Seeing the value that Google Ads offer businesses, Google created the Google Ad Grants program to provide nonprofits with $10,000 in Google AdWords spending each month. This means that organizations can utilize the “publicity” of Google Ad placement at no financial cost of their own.

Features of the Google Ad Grant

The Google Ad Grant is especially useful for organizations that are well-established digitally with missions that are frequently searched online. 

Google Ad Grants can be incorporated into fundraising by placing your organization’s online giving page at the top of the SERPs for keywords closely related to your nonprofit. Creating a digital campaign through Google Ad Grants is one of the most effective methods for reaching your target audience without breaking the bank on a marketing budget.

A unique component of Google Ad Grants is that any eligible nonprofit can utilize the program. Unlike other grants, it is not awarded to a few lucky winners. This helps to take the pressure off of your organization, as the grant application process can be fairly competitive. If you’re interested in earning $329 per day in free AdWords spending, continue on as we dive deeper into how Google Ad Grants work.

How do Google Ad Grants work?

At first glance, Google Ad Grants can seem daunting. However, we are here to walk you through the information you need to know as you get started on your Google Grant journey – starting with Google Ad Grant eligibility.

Eligibility Requirements

The good news about Google Ad Grant eligibility is that there are only a few organizational sectors unable to apply. Those include:

  • Government entities
  • Hospital or healthcare organizations
  • Schools, academic institutions, or universities

If your nonprofit organization does not meet any of the criteria above, you’re in the clear! The remaining eligibility requirements for the Google Ad Grant program are fairly simple. In order to be considered eligible, nonprofits must:

This graphic highlights Google Ad Grant eligibility requirements.

  • Have a functional website that contains valuable content that is relevant to the nonprofit’s mission.
  • Hold current and valid charitable status, which in the United States means registering as a 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Adhere to Google Grant program policies, including registration with Google for Nonprofits and TechSoup.
  • Obtain a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), proving that your online domain is secure.

If your organization meets these parameters, you are ready to progress in the Google Ad Grant process. As your journey continues, there are a few other factors to pay attention to. When awarding grants, Google works to ensure your organization is well-equipped to use Adwords funding efficiently. Your organization should keep the following criteria in mind:

  • Ensuring your site does not already contain revenue-generating ads.
  • Having the ability to manage Google Ads campaigns, meaning you’re able to evaluate keywords for relevancy, accuracy, and timeliness on a regular basis.
  • Selecting keywords that have a maximum cost of $1 per click.

By determining eligibility you can begin the application process to acquire your nonprofit’s very own Google Ad Grant. Let’s see how to get started.

Application Process

When it comes to the Google Ad Grant application process, there are three key steps organizations must go through to acquire a grant. In this section, we will break each of them down.

This infographic lists the three steps to apply for the Google Ad Grant discussed in the text below.

Step 1: Sign up for a Google for Nonprofits account.

Before you can apply for the Google Ad Grant, you need a verified account with Google for Nonprofits. Along with giving you access to the Ad Grant application, Google for Nonprofits provides organizations with several opportunities to increase visibility and drive conversions.

An account with Google for Nonprofits gives your organization access to:

  • YouTube Nonprofit Program: This program allows nonprofits to utilize YouTube’s many unique features and spread the word about their organization through visual storytelling. Videos are worth incorporating into your digital marketing strategy as humans process visual content 60,000 times faster than written content. With a Google for Nonprofits account, you can experience the benefits of video content and so much more.
  • Google Earth and Maps: This service shares compelling data visualizations that highlight your organization’s impact. Additionally, the use of Google Maps helps community members locate your nonprofit’s programs and resources nearest to them.
  • Google Workspace: This program offers complimentary access to Google’s most useful apps, such as Docs, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Google Meet. These programs allow you to stay organized and efficient, keeping operations running as smoothly as possible.

Your organization can access these benefits and more by registering with Google for Nonprofits. Here is how to do so:

  • Visit the Google for Nonprofits registration website.
  • Agree to Google’s non-discrimination statements.
  • Fill out the subsequent forms, including contact and organization information.
  • Submit your request and await a response.

Filling out the request for a Google for Nonprofits account is a relatively quick process, but be prepared to wait a few weeks for your request to be accepted.

Step 2: Acquire verification from TechSoup or Percent.

Your nonprofit may need to wait a week or two after applying for a Google for Nonprofits account in order to be validated. Essentially, Google uses a third-party service to verify that your organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is eligible for the program before giving you access to a Google for Nonprofits account.

The validation process will be handled for you by either TechSoup, an international network for nonprofits, or Percent, Google’s nonprofit validation partner. The process typically looks like this:

  • Kick off the validation process by requesting a Google for Nonprofits account.
  • Google sends your request to Percent or TechSoup, who may contact your organization for additional information or documents.
  • Within 2-14 business days, Google’s validation partner will verify that your nonprofit is legitimate and eligible.
  • You’ll receive an email confirming that your nonprofit has been verified. Now, you can activate your Google for Nonprofits account.

Once you have completed this process, the final step is submitting your application for the Google Ad Grant program. Let’s discuss how to do so.

Step 3: Apply for the Google Ads Grant.

It’s time to submit your application for the Google Ads Grant. By following the process outlined below, you’ll open the door to a whole new world of free AdWords spending:

This graphic highlights the Google Ad Grant application steps.

  1. Create a Google AdWords account. AdWords will prompt you to select your billing country and timezone. Once submitted, it will take you to your new account.
  2. Submit your pre-qualification survey and Ad Grant training. The training video will cover policy requirements, key guidelines, and best practices for managing your account along with a short quiz.
  3. Submit the required materials for pre-qualification review. Google will respond with a status on your pre-qualification submission.
  4. Once approved for pre-qualification, set up your first Google Ads campaign.
  5. Submit your AdWords account for final review using the same steps of approval as the pre-qualification process.
  6. Once approved, the nonprofit can begin running Google Ad campaigns!

The process of acquiring a Google Ad Grant is far simpler than it seems. As hassle-free, as it may be, it is important your organization stays on top of proper grant management. Otherwise, your time with Google Ad Grants may be short-lived.

Google Ad Grant Management

To maintain good standing with the Google Ad Grant program, there are a few key policies to follow. These include:

  • Account activity: Log into your account at least once a month and update the information every 90 days. This will show Google you’re still utilizing the program.
  • Ad relevance and geotargeting: It is important to run ads that have specific relevance to your audience. A great way to do this is through geotargeting, a process that ensures users are receiving ads relevant to them geographically.
  • Monthly keyword evaluation: Google requires a monthly Keyword Performance Report to ensure that you are optimizing your keywords for best results. This will put you in the best position to remain profitable. Avoid overly generic keywords and those with a quality score above 1 or 2, which Google will outline for you.
  • A minimum of 5% click-through rate (CTR): Google mandates a CTR of 5% after 90 days, in order to improve user experience and ad relevance. Accounts that fail to meet this requirement will be notified. If the account is not reached after two consecutive months, it will be suspended.
  • Account structure: When it comes to account structure, 2 is the magic number! Google AdWords campaigns must have at least 2 ads per ad group, with at least 2 ad groups per campaign. Additionally, campaigns must have at least 2 sitelink extensions.

Your organization can maintain the status of a Google Ad Grant recipient by practicing proper account upkeep. However, the pressure does not need to ride solely on your shoulders. With the help of an Ad Grant Agency, certified professionals can assist you with all of your Google Ad Grant needs

Running a Google Ad Grant Campaign: 4 Steps

Once your Google Ad Grant application is approved, you can begin researching keywords and planning your first campaign. Here’s a general overview of what goes into hosting a Google Ad Grant campaign: 

1. Establish your goal.

Before choosing keywords or writing ad copy, consider what website pages you most want to drive traffic to. You can create an ad for any page on your website as long as it has valuable content, meaning your goal is only limited by the strength of your website. 

We’ll dive more into how to launch a fundraiser with the Google Ad Grant later, but here are a few common goals that the grant can help you achieve: 

  • Earn donations
  • Attract volunteers 
  • Spread awareness of your cause
  • Promote services

To maximize traffic, create multiple keyword campaigns focused on the same goal. For example, you might create one donation-focused campaign that centers around keywords relating to giving and donating, whereas another might focus on benefits donors receive in exchange for giving, such as becoming a member, joining a community, and supporting a good cause. 

2. Choose your keywords. 

Your keywords impact which visitors see your ads, so don’t hesitate to spend a significant amount of time researching keywords or reaching out to a consultant for help. The exact keywords that will bring your campaign success depend on your audience, but there are a few general guidelines that benefit most campaigns:

  • Keyword relevance. Your keywords should relate to both your goals and your audience’s interests. Consider not just what you want supporters to do, but what they are likely to search for. For example, to promote an upcoming 5K fundraiser, you would choose keywords, like “fall marathons,” “charity 5K,” and “community fun run,” rather than focusing on the donation aspect of your event. 
  • Negative keyword. Use Google Ad Grants parameters to determine what types of queries will show your keyword. In particular, consider if there are any topics that could be mistakenly associated with your keywords and result in useless searches. Use the negative keyword feature in Google Ad Grants to ensure your ads do not show up for queries that include a negative keyword.  For example, if you’re collecting clothing donations for a homeless shelter, you might want to make “buy” and “purchase” negative keywords to filter out queries related to online shopping. 
  • Keyword competitiveness. How many other organizations are likely trying to rank for your target keyword? Google awards ad space to organizations that successfully bid on the placement. While the allocated Google Ad Grant funds can go far, you’ll likely run out of them quickly if you target the same keywords as large organizations with dedicated marketing budgets.

Picking the right keywords is an ongoing process, especially as you launch campaigns with new goals. Stay updated on what keywords are driving traffic and use a keyword research tool like Google’s Keyword Planner.

3. Create your ad. 

Once your ad starts appearing for queries, make sure that it has a headline and description people will want to click on. Here’s a breakdown of the elements of a Google Ad:

The image is a screenshot of a Google Ad with the sponsored label, headline, and description highlighted.

At the top of each ad is a bold Sponsored tag, letting searchers know that this ad was paid for. This helps maintain transparency with searchers. Plus, if you ever need guidance on how to market your pages, you can look at other sponsored content to see what similar organizations are doing with their ads. 

Next, is the headline and description. Your headline will be the title of the page you’re promoting. Choose a headline that won’t get cut off by Google’s character limit. Try keeping it to 50-60 characters to give it plenty of room on the page without getting shortened. 

For your description, you’ll also need to keep character limits in mind (around 150-160 characters), and also consider what text would encourage someone to read your content. Write copy that reflects your content and relates to the user intent behind common search queries for your keyword. 

4. Analyze your results. 

Google Ads are far from a set-it-and-forget-it type of fundraiser. While successful ads can bring in regular traffic, you’ll need to keep an eye on your analytics to tweak campaigns, launch new campaigns, adjust bidding amounts, and pause or remove low-quality campaigns. 

You can monitor your conversions by setting goals in Google Analytics and linking your Analytics account to your Ads account. This will allow you to see the queries that led supporters to click on your website and the actions they took once they got there. 

If you need help managing your campaigns, consider reaching out to a Google Ad Grants consultant who can help you research keywords and maintain compliance with Google’s ad requirements.

Working with a Google Ad Grant Agency

Professionals at Google Ad Grant agencies canmake your Google Ad Grant experience run as smoothly as possible. As experts in their field, these agencies can assist with services like:

This graphic displays Google Ad Grant agency services.

  • Google Grant Application. Experts will walk you through every step of the application process to ensure your account is reviewed and accepted.
  • Google Grant Hygiene. When it comes to Google Ads, data is everything. With the help of professionals, you will not have to deal with duplicate or outdated data weighing down your processes.
  • Google Grant Reactivation. If suspended, agencies can help get your account up and running again, allowing you to avoid the headache of going back and forth with the Google Ad Grant team.
  • Keyword Research. Professionals help make sure your website content is effectively serving audience needs while inspiring them to take action.
  • Google Grant Management. Tracking conversions and campaign performance is an ongoing process. With effective results requiring 3-5 ongoing campaigns, having professionals there to track performance and refine strategies continuously will help ensure success.
  • Optimizing website content. To best serve your audience’s needs, you’ll need to refine your landing pages to account for increased traffic and drive conversions. Ad Grant agencies can help keep your website in the best shape via constant keyword research, landing page relaunches, and more.
  • Practicing account upkeep. Agencies can make sure your organization is in constant compliance with Google Grant guidelines. This will help avoid the headache of having to go through the account reactivation process.

From start to finish, Ad Grant agencies are a valuable resource to help your organization optimize its Google Ad Grant management.

We recommend working with Getting Attention! As leading experts in their field, they’ll handle every aspect of the process for your team, working to understand your mission and achieve your marketing goals. Consider reaching out for a consultation with them to discuss your Google Ad Grant management needs.

Get a consultation with our recommended agency.

Using the Google Ad Grant for Fundraising

Are Google Ad Grants worth it?

Not convinced yet? Here are a few key statistics that showcase the importance of a quality online presence when it comes to fundraising:

This graphic highlights important digital fundraising statistics.

  • 75% of young donors are turned off by out-of-date websites.
  • Donors are 34% more likely to give on mobile-responsive websites.
  • 51% of high-wealth donors (giving $200k+) prefer to give online.
  • When influencing donors, online resources are 20% more useful than direct mail.

To optimize fundraising potential, your organization must create a well-established online presence, and the Google Ad Grant can help immensely.

In addition to strengthening your online presence, there are several benefits of nonprofit marketing grants. These grants help to:

This graphic highlights the benefits of using a nonprofit marketing grant.

  • Carry out charitable initiatives. Online marketing and promotions, exciting fundraising events, and other initiatives can be taken to the next level with the right marketing grant.
  • Pay for your donor outreach. One of the primary components of nonprofit marketing is donor outreach efforts. From email newsletters to direct mail, these efforts can be resource-intensive. On the other hand, Google Ad Grants are free.
  • Help more people with your organization. With a well-developed marketing strategy, your organization will increase visibility and attract more supporters. The more people are aware of the issues your organization is fighting for, the more likely you’ll gain valuable support for your cause and be able to make a major impact.
  • Educate and spread awareness of your mission. A marketing grant helps to best educate and spread awareness of your mission. Effective marketing makes sure that people are aware of your nonprofit and all of its offerings.

These benefits represent the significant untapped potential your organization can unlock through nonprofit marketing grants.

How to Use Google Ad Grants to Promote Fundraising

Google Ad campaigns should drive users towards your nonprofit’s campaign pages to optimize fundraising potential. Draw inspiration for how to use Google Ad Grants to promote fundraising from the following examples:

We Care Animal Rescue

We Care Animal Rescue’s mission is to promote the general welfare of animals by fostering and caring for homeless cats and dogs. The organization works to find them their forever homes and overall educate the public on animal welfare.

We Care Animal Rescue began their Google Ad Grant journey with a few marketing goals in mind. They wanted to promote their new website, attract volunteers, and drive online donations. With the help of the Google Ad Grant, they saw a 350% increase in website activity and 125% increase in online applications. Needless to say, they experienced great impact.

Days For Girls

Days For Girls centers its work around increasing access to menstrual care and education for women. They do this through developing global partnerships, mobilizing volunteers, and innovating sustainable solutions that help shatter stigmas surrounding the topic of female care.

Their marketing goals included raising more money, getting more email subscribers, and increasing brand awareness. The Google Ad Grant enabled them to see a $212 increase in average donation value, as well as receive $5,000 in donations and 400+ conversions over a 60-day period.

DonorsChoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Their mission is to make helping a classroom in need easy for everyone. More largely, they’re working towards making quality education accessible nationwide, regardless of location. Teachers across America use the website to create projects requesting certain resources and donors are able to select the projects that inspire them.

The marketing goals of DonorsChoose.org were to connect more donors and teachers to the platform while keeping their budget lean. In using the Google Ad Grant, they were able to see 305,000 website visits, receive 4,900 donations, and attract 7,400 teacher registrations all in one year. With the help of Google Ad Grants, their organization underwent significant change.

Final Note on Google Ad Grants

Overall, utilizing Google Ad Grants will best position your organization in the eyes of the public. Google Ad Grants help to:

  • Increase online conversions such as event signups, donations, and volunteer registrations.
  • Broaden your reach to new donors.
  • Market multiple ad campaigns simultaneously.
  • Analyze and track performance to ensure your campaigns are improving.
  • Learn the best way to meet the needs of your digital supporters.

Boost your fundraising efforts with Google Ad Grants—and the assistance of a certified Ad Grant agency—today!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for further resources on Ad Grant programs, consider the articles below:

Get a consultation with our recommended Google Ad Grants manager.

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How to Effectively Market Your Upcoming Fundraiser: 4 Tips

How to Effectively Market Your Upcoming Fundraiser: 4 Tips

Imagine your most perfectly-planned fundraiser. You’re all set with the most desirable auction items, the most engaging entertainment, or the catchiest campaign slogan. With all the details squared away, you can just sit back, relax, and watch the funding come flowing in, right?

Not so fast. In order to rake in the donations and meet your fundraising goal, you need to work to find participants and donors. But how can you strategically share your fundraiser with new audiences and invite existing supporters to contribute to your latest initiative?

With a strong donation page and a multi-channel digital marketing strategy, you can amplify the reach of your fundraiser and generate critical support for your mission.

We’ve helped countless nonprofits reach their fundraising goals, so we’ve seen firsthand how a thoughtful marketing campaign can make all the difference. To make the most of your promotion efforts for your next fundraiser, use the following tips:

  1. Start with an optimized website and donation page.
  2. Incorporate a multi-channel approach.
  3. Simplify the donor conversion process.
  4. Collect and analyze your metrics.

A fundraiser is only effective if you can invite enough support. Let’s go through these tips to help you attract potential donors and secure their donations once they arrive.

1. Start with an optimized website and donation page.

In order to successfully market your fundraiser, you should first confirm that you have a strong foundation to build on. This means optimizing the user experience of your nonprofit’s website—particularly your donation page.

If your donation page is confusing, hard to find, or poorly designed, you run the risk of losing potential supporters. Plus, problems with general web accessibility or mobile-friendliness may mean your donation form is completely unusable for some audiences!

Avoid these challenges by making sure your donation page is:

  • Easy to find. Your website should have intuitive and user-friendly navigation. Supporters shouldn’t have to struggle to locate any of your organization’s information, but especially your donation page. Prominently link your donation page from the navigation menu and in calls to action across your website.
  • Simple. Pare down your donation form to include only the essential elements. While it can be tempting to gather as much information as possible, stick to only necessary fields like contact details and payment information. We’ll dive deeper into why this is important later in this article, but for now, keep in mind that a streamlined form is convenient and easy for donors.
  • Mobile responsive. Linking your donation page in social media posts and emails means that a large portion of potential supporters will be reaching your site from their phones. It is critical that you provide a positive experience for these users by implementing a mobile-responsive layout and ensuring images and text appear at an appropriate size.
  • Accessible. Your website should be in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations in order to ensure access for all supporters. While the full list of requirements is extensive, adding accessibility elements like alt text to images is a great start.

Your CMS or donation software will determine a lot of these factors, so make sure you’re using a well-designed option that fits your organization’s needs. Take advantage of customization features, but ensure that they make your website easier to navigate and not more confusing.

2. Incorporate a multi-channel approach.

Due to strict spam filters and complex social media algorithms, it can be difficult to get your content in front of the right audience. But with a multi-channel approach to marketing, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and increase the likelihood that supporters will see at least one of your messages.

To create a comprehensive campaign, feature content with emotionally resonant imagery, storytelling, and calls to action that you can spread across a variety of platforms. Once you have a strong foundation for your messaging, consider incorporating a few (or all!) of the following nonprofit marketing channels:

  • Your nonprofit’s website. Your website is the core of your digital marketing strategy, so it needs to be well-designed and intuitive to navigate.
  • Email. Launch specific email campaigns for your fundraiser, and incorporate fundraising appeals and updates into your regular email newsletters.
  • Direct mail. Physical letters may feel outdated, but they’re still an effective way to connect with potential donors.
  • Social media. Meet your supporters where they’re already spending their time. Share content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or whichever platforms are most relevant to your audience.
  • Call and text. These methods allow for compelling one-on-one conversations. Use these personal appeals to cultivate relationships, especially with longtime supporters and major donors.
  • Online advertising. Nonprofits can receive up to $10,000 a month in in-kind search advertising through Google ad grants. This program can help your campaign receive more search visibility than from organic traffic alone, allowing you to get your mission in front of more potential supporters.

Throughout all of the marketing channels you choose to incorporate, strike a balance between unifying a central message and tailoring your content to each platform. It should be clear that everything is part of the same fundraising campaign, but you won’t want to replicate the exact text of an email appeal on Twitter.

Additionally, many fundraising software providers have built-in marketing features that allow you to promote your campaign from within a unified system. Determine whether your fundraising platform offers any of these features for an easy way to level-up your marketing strategy.

3. Simplify the donor conversion process.

You want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for donors to give. By streamlining your donation process, you’ll increase your donation page conversion rate and ultimately raise more for your mission.

Simplifying your donation page is especially important for mobile giving. According to Double the Donation’s fundraising statistics, transactions on mobile devices increased by 50% over the past year. Although conversion rates on mobile devices tend to be lower, more and more people are accessing donation pages on their phones.

Take a close look at both the desktop and mobile versions of your donation page to find opportunities to streamline the process. As you evaluate the form, consider the following questions:

  • How many fields do supporters need to fill in? Can any of these be eliminated?
  • On average, how long does it take to submit a donation?
  • Is the form a single page or multiple pages?
  • How many clicks are required to submit a donation?

One useful strategy for simplifying the donation process is incorporating text-to-give. Text-to-give reduces the number of steps between deciding to support your cause and actually making a donation. With fewer steps, it’s more likely that supporters will complete the transaction immediately, without abandoning the page or getting distracted.

Snowball’s text-to-give guide highlights just how streamlined the process can be. For text donations, there are only three simple steps:

  1. Text the number. A donor sends a quick text message with a campaign keyword (for example, #FundFosterCare2023) to a designated phone number.
  2. Follow the link. The individual gets an automatic response with a link to a donation page, then chooses how much to donate.
  3. Submit the donation. The donor fills out a short online donation form and provides their payment and contact information (that can be saved for next time). Once the individual hits “send,” the donation is complete.

Whether you choose to implement a new text-to-give system or improve your existing donation page, making the effort to streamline the process will improve your conversion rate. At this point, you’ve dedicated ample time and energy into marketing your campaign for supporters to find it. You don’t want to lose them once they’ve gotten this far!

4. Collect and analyze your metrics.

Collecting data is vital for improving your marketing efforts and for creating lasting relationships with supporters. Gather data from social media platforms, your website, and your donors, then store it in your organization’s CRM. Throughout the course of your marketing campaign, pay special attention to these metrics:

  • Donor demographics
  • Giving amounts and frequencies
  • Website traffic
  • Email open and click-through rates
  • Social media engagement metrics

After collecting the data, analyze each metric to gain important insight into your donor base and how they respond to different types of marketing.

Analysis of demographic data, for example, will allow you to segment your donors and better target marketing for each group. Implementing segmentation and personalization will then help you to increase your email open and click-through rates. From social media data, you can learn which platforms and types of content your supporters prefer to engage with. Then, redirect your social media efforts to prioritize the content your donors most respond to.

The information you get from these metrics isn’t just valuable for your current campaign, it’ll also be useful for future fundraisers and your organization’s overall marketing strategy. From this data, you can see which tactics were the most effective for different donor segments and focus your attention on the methods that will make the biggest impact in the future.

Your fundraiser needs to reach supporters in order to be successful. By creating a compelling multi-channel campaign that drives prospects back to a streamlined donation page, you’ll be well-positioned to increase the number of site visitors and completed donations.

Once you’ve implemented these strategies, all that’s left to do is thank your donors! Show your appreciation for each and every person who donated, and work on creating relationships that will keep them involved with your nonprofit for years to come.

Guest Author: John Killoran, Clover Leaf Solutions

John Killoran is an inventor, entrepreneur, and the Chairman of Clover Leaf Solutions, a national lab services company. He currently leads Clover Leaf’s investment in Snowball Fundraising, an online fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations. 

Snowball was one of John’s first public innovations; it’s a fundraising platform that offers text-to-give, online giving, events, and peer-to-peer fundraising tools for nonprofits. By making giving simple, Snowball increases the donations that these organizations can raise online. The Snowball effect is real! John founded Snowball in 2011. Now, it serves over 7,000 nonprofits and is the #1 nonprofit fundraising platform.

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Matching Gifts: Reap the Benefits for Your Nonprofit

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Corporate philanthropy is a great opportunity for nonprofits seeking additional sources of revenue. In particular, matching gift programs are one of the best forms of employee giving your nonprofit can leverage. It’s estimated that $2-3 billion is donated annually through these initiatives, making them valuable options for nonprofits of all sizes.

To educate you further on how matching gift programs can benefit your organization, we’ll cover the following topics:

Matching gifts are an opportunity for your nonprofit to boost your fundraising revenue significantly, which means your team will have more funds available for programs, events, and everything else you do to serve your beneficiaries. Let’s get started on the basics so you can begin tapping into this form of corporate giving!

What are matching gifts?

In a nutshell? A matching gift is a donation a company makes to match an employee’s initial donation to a nonprofit. So when an individual makes a gift of $50 to an organization, their employer will make an additional gift of $50, for a total of $100.

A matching gift is a donation a company makes to match an employee’s initial donation to a nonprofit.

Now, that’s assuming the employer offers a 1:1 match ratio (a dollar for dollar match). A match ratio can range anywhere from .5:1 to 4:1.

So, let’s say that $50 was matched at a 2:1 ratio instead. That means that initial $50 donation turns into $150 ($50 from the donor plus $100 from their employer)!

Now that our math lesson is over, let’s talk about how matching gifts actually work.

The overall process is pretty simple and tends to be the same across the board:

  1. An individual donates to a nonprofit.
  2. The individual checks their eligibility for matching gifts with their employer.
  3. The individual submits a request for a match to their employer.
  4. The employer reviews the request and verifies the donation with the nonprofit.
  5. The employer matches the gift.

The thing is, most companies have unique policies and guidelines when it comes to eligible nonprofits and their employees submitting matching gift requests.

These can include:

  • Minimum and maximum match amounts
  • Match ratios
  • Nonprofit eligibility
  • Employee eligibility

Not being able to figure out their employer’s guidelines can turn donors away from the process altogether, which brings us to our next point.

The Impact of Matching Gifts

Matching gifts seem like a pretty good deal, don’t they? Turning one donation into two? Well, as we’ve already indicated, not every donor knows how to go through the process of submitting a match request. Remember that number we mentioned earlier? Billions of dollars in matching gift funds go unclaimed every year.

Far too many organizations and donors overlook matching gift programs because there are too many company guidelines to keep track of, and nonprofits can’t easily track the companies their donors work for. Likewise, donors don’t always know whether their companies even offer matching gift programs.

So, it’s simple: matching gifts get overlooked.

But there are more reasons to pursue matching gifts than not.

For example:

Matching gifts have a huge impact on donations.

Did you know that 84% of donors say they’d be more likely to donate if a match was offered? That means if a donor is on the fence about giving to your nonprofit, notifying them that they might be eligible for a match through their company could be the extra push they need to make their donation.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In addition to the donors who would give if a match were applied, 1 in 3 donors say they’d give a larger amount if a match was available.

So not only would you get a donation in the first place, but the amount could be even bigger than it would have been otherwise!

We’ve talked a lot about company matching gift programs and how they can differ from each other. But a common theme is that many of these programs are pretty generous. To give you an idea of what your organization could be missing out on, here are some incredible matching gift programs:

The Coca-Cola Company matches donations made by full-time employees or retirees up to $10,000. As if that’s not enough, they offer a 2:1 match, which means the total maximum cap is $20,000!

Soros Fund Management matches donations made by full-time employees to most nonprofits at up to a 2:1 ratio, with a maximum cap of $100,000.

Merck & Co. matches donations made by active employees at a 1:1 ratio up to $30,000. Most nonprofits are eligible for these matching gifts.

This is just a taste of how generous a lot of these matching gift programs can be. Many companies’ maximum match amounts are in the thousands, and their minimum match amount can be as low as $25, if there’s even a minimum at all.

It should be pretty clear by now that there are a lot of benefits to tapping into matching gift programs. That’s why we’re going to dive deeper into those benefits next.

Who benefits from matching gifts?

As we get into the benefits of matching gift programs, we should also note that it’s not just nonprofits that can benefit from them.

In fact, matching gift programs benefit nonprofits, donors, and companies. Here’s how:

Benefits for NonprofitsThese are the benefits of matching gifts for nonprofits.

Let’s start with you. Matching gifts benefit many types of nonprofit organizations. While some companies are specific about what type of organization they’ll match donations to, a majority of 501(c)(3) organizations are usually eligible. And as a nonprofit, every donation dollar counts. Beyond just doubling donations, matching gifts offer nonprofits a way to build long-term relationships with companies and donors. The more support you have, the more you’ll be able to accomplish.

Benefits for DonorsThese are the benefits of matching gifts for donors.

Matching gifts benefit donors, too. When a donor gives to your organization and then successfully requests a match from their employer, they’re essentially doubling the impact of their gift. This gives donors a greater sense of pride knowing that their donation went twice as far.

Benefits for CompaniesThese are the benefits of matching gifts for companies.

There are many benefits for companies, too. By taking part in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs like matching gifts, companies maintain a positive public image, keeping their employees and consumers happy. In terms of tax benefits, companies can also deduct the amount they matched from the original donation.

In short, matching gift programs benefit everyone involved. Nonprofits get extra support, donors feel proud for making their contributions go even further, and companies look great for supporting nonprofits.

Top 3 Benefits of Matching Gift Programs

As a nonprofit specifically, there are even more benefits of matching gift programs you should be aware of. For that reason, we’ve compiled the top three perks you should keep in mind when deciding whether you want to pursue this type of corporate giving program: 

1. A second donation for the cost of soliciting one.

The most obvious benefit? Matching gifts are cost-effective—you get a second donation for the cost of soliciting one. Basically, this means you’ll get more revenue from one donation without asking donors to reach back into their own pockets. You’ll also save the time you would’ve spent soliciting a separate donation from another donor. It’s a win-win!

2. A deepened relationship with supporters.

Beyond just the monetary aspect, matching gifts allow your nonprofit to develop a deepened relationship with supporters. Matching gifts can actually help with donor retention, which means the more you mention matching gifts and keep your donors in the loop, the higher your retention rate will be. Donors will also feel more engaged with your organization when they know they’re making a bigger impact with their gifts. 

3. Increased fundraising revenue to put toward your programs.

When your organization actively pursues matching gifts, you can significantly increase your fundraising revenue. That means you’ll be able to put on more programs and events that benefit your constituents. 

Matching gifts can also aid in prospect research and finding major gift donors. Imagine if a major donor was eligible for matching gifts through their company—that would be a huge boost for your nonprofit!

Just thinking about these top benefits of matching gifts should get your team excited. There’s so much untapped potential out there that you can explore.

How to Raise Even More with Matching Gifts

You might be thinking that making matching gifts part of your fundraising strategy is easier said than done. 

But there are ways you can benefit from matching gifts without requiring too much extra effort from your team.

We’ve written about promoting matching gifts before, and one of the best ways you can leverage matching gift programs is to meet donors at the point where they’re most engaged: the donation process.

Once a supporter lands on your donation page, that means they’re serious about donating to your cause. Remember how donors are more likely to give if a match is applied? That means if you actively promote matching gifts during your donation process, your donor will be more likely to give and check out the matching gift opportunity.

So, what’s the best way to promote matching gifts during the donation process?

In a nutshell: make it easy for the donor to find out about their company’s matching gift program.

Investing in a matching gift search tool, for example, is a great way to do this. All you have to do is embed the tool into your donation page (or anywhere on your site, really!), and donors can type in the name of their employer. If that employer offers a matching gift program, all of the info about their program (match ratios, eligibility, etc.) will pull up right away.

Here’s what that kind of search tool looks like:

Here's a matching gift search tool that is embedded into a website.

The great thing about matching gift search tools like the above is that they can be customized to match your organization’s branding. And when the tool is embedded directly into your donation process, more donors will see the matching gift opportunity and search for their employer. 

Don’t have your donors’ employment information? Some matching gift tools even come with real-time employer appends, meaning the tool will find and add that data for you instantly.

If you want to take this process several steps further, you can invest in a matching gift automation platform. An automation platform takes the info donors provide as they give to your nonprofit (such as email domain or employer name) and runs it against a database of thousands of matching gift programs. If it turns out your donor works for a matching gift company, the platform will automatically send out a customizable email to that donor that explains how they can submit a match request.

Here’s what that email could look like:

This email is sent from an automated matching gifts platform.

Notice how the email identifies the donor’s employer and offers actionable steps to complete the matching gift process. A customizable experience will make the donor even more likely to be responsive.

When you drop matching gift solutions like these into the mix, you have a chance to skyrocket your matching gift revenue. If you really want to benefit from matching gifts, consider adding these to your team’s toolkit.

Sample Matching Gift Letters

If you’re looking for some guidance as you start to reach out about matching gifts, here are some basic matching gift letters you can use to tell donors about the opportunity. You probably already send out thank-you emails once a donor has contributed to your cause. Why not include these templates, too?

Sample Matching Gift Letter for Small Nonprofits:

Dear [donor’s name],

[nonprofit’s name] could not do what we do without you. Our mission needs all the support and help we can get, and your donation of [donation amount] has brought us further than we ever have been before. We are so close to our goal of [fundraising goal] and making [your mission] happen.

There’s a good chance your employer offers a matching gift program to help double your impact. The process is simple, and we would love to do most of the work for you. In a few simple steps, you can increase your donation and continue to change lives:

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.

[nonprofit’s name] appreciates each donation and act of support you make.

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

Sample Matching Gift Letter for Large Nonprofits:

Dear [donor’s name],

Here at [nonprofit name], we appreciate every gift we receive. Your donation of [donation amount] has made such an impact to [your mission] and has done [a recent accomplishment] for us.

We are so close to our donation goal of [fundraising goal] and we think you can help get us there. Your contribution has already done so much, but we believe your employer, [donor’s workplace], may have a matching gift program that will match your generous donation and double your impact!

Taking the steps to increase your gift is a simple process. Please see the instructions below:

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.

We appreciate your support tremendously. You are the reason we are able to reach our goal of [fundraising goal] and achieve [your mission.]

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

Use templates like these to guide you as you set out to find matching gift revenue for your organization. Then, if you ultimately decide to invest in matching gift solutions, you’ll already have a great foundation for communicating with your donors!

Additional matching gift resources…

Now you know how to incorporate matching gifts into your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, you’re ready to start raising more funds to power your purpose. Keep in mind that the largest obstacle to a successful matching gift program is awareness—after all, an estimated $4-7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year. Be sure to properly educate your supporters about this opportunity!

If you’d like to learn more about matching gifts, check out the following resources:

Find more matching gift revenue with a matching gift database!

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Here’s What’s Missing From Your Nonprofit’s Social Strategy

When you Google the American Cancer Society (ACS), the second organic listing is for the nonprofit’s Facebook page. When you click on the first listing— American Cancer’s website— and navigate to opportunities to get involved, Facebook fundraisers are placed front-and-center. In fact, these fundraisers are listed as an opportunity to “make the most impact.”

ACS has a well-established Facebook fundraising foundation and because of that, is very successful when engaging supporters through the platform. Can your organization say the same?

We would guess that you probably maintain Facebook profiles, post regularly to market upcoming opportunities, and even have supporters conducting fundraisers on your behalf. But, there’s still something missing from your strategy, and it’s holding you back from the success ACS and other organizations have experienced.

At GoodUnited, we work with nonprofit organizations to raise their relationships with supporters on social media. We’ve researched and reported on Facebook fundraising for nonprofits, and discovered just what’s missing from traditional social media guidance. We’re going to cover this through the following points:

Before we explore what’s missing from your nonprofit’s social strategy, let’s discuss the best practices that have been commonplace in recent years.

Examining Traditional Nonprofit Social Media Best Practices

Until very recently, the pervading advice surrounding how to use social media for nonprofits went something like this:

  1. Post regularly and create valuable content to increase your social media followings.
  2. Incorporate social media into your overall multichannel marketing strategy, using the platforms to share your online donation, volunteer, and advocacy opportunities.
  3. Make it as easy as possible for users to click on a link in a post, leave your social media page and donate/register to volunteer/complete some other action through your website.

Lather, rinse, repeat. The overarching narrative was that you want to build an audience on social media and then send them elsewhere to take action. That’s no longer the case.

In this GoodUnited guide to Facebook birthday fundraisers, we discuss a narrative that quickly emerged as the platform’s fundraising tools did— the idea that organizations shouldn’t invest time, energy, and resources into Facebook fundraising because it’s a shallow, ineffective way for supporters to give. In our guide, we discuss how that couldn’t be farther from the truth, and in fact, we’ve found that Facebook fundraisers are the first step toward building impactful relationships with the next generation of social supporters.

Here’s What’s Missing: Connecting with Supporters Where They Are

Connecting with supporters where they are— directly in-channel on Facebook— is what’s missing to elevate your nonprofit’s social strategy. Recognizing supporters and donors, having one-on-one communications, and creating a community for your supporters to connect can now all happen directly on the platform.

With tools built directly into Facebook’s platform, you can put a concentrated focus on each individual supporter. You can understand these supporters more comprehensively, create experiences that inspire them to support your organization time and time again, and grow your relationships through regular one-on-one communications.

This is the key to turning a one-off peer-to-peer fundraiser on Facebook into a lifelong supporter of your organization. Rather than a short-term expansion of your audience, gathering a few additional supporters that are willing to conduct a Facebook fundraiser in your next P2P campaign, you can retain these supporters for the long haul.

Let’s explore what this will look like in action.

How To Raise Your Relationships Directly on Facebook

There are two tools built directly into Facebook’s platform that you can use to grow strong relationships with each of your nonprofit’s social supporters. These tools don’t require any additional investments or complicated back-end processes—simply the willingness and efforts of your team.

When building out your digital strategy, look for features like these that allow you to reach more supporters, spread awareness, or improve the quality of your social media content with little to no additional costs. While some tools such as detailed analytics may require registering with a social media site or paying for a premium membership, these tools from Facebook are free for you to use now:

Facebook Groups

Did you know that Facebook groups are now favored over individual posts in the platform’s algorithm? This means that if you make a post through your nonprofit’s main Facebook page, and then make the same post in a group containing your supporters, these individuals are more likely to see the group post than the profile post.

Beyond the enhanced visibility, groups offer the benefit of an in-channel community for your supporters to connect. For example, here are a few unique ways you can use groups to unite your social community:

  • Hosting fundraising events. You can create a closed Facebook group, charge a small donation fee for admission, and livestream an engaging virtual fundraising event from within the group. Further, with Facebook Live, you can make live appeals and receive donations throughout the event.
  • Creating communities for supporters with similar interests. Whether ambassadors, advocates, volunteers, or even those who enjoy conducting Facebook fundraisers on your behalf, create groups for these supporters to connect and bond over their shared interests. In these groups, tailor the information you share to be interesting to each particular audience— such as information about upcoming P2P events in a group for users who are interested in Facebook fundraisers.
  • Uniting participants in peer-to-peer challenges. Let’s say you’re hosting a virtual walk-a-thon, which is an engaging virtual peer-to-peer fundraising idea. Invite participants to connect within a Facebook group, donate to one another’s fundraisers, and share training tips to meet their walking goals.

Once you’ve created communities for your social fundraisers, the fun begins. Share tips to help users reach their fundraising goals, present discussion topics, provide updates on the work of your organization, and even share educational resources. But remember— it should be a two-way conversation. Encourage users to add their own unique voices by posting in your groups as well.

Facebook Messenger

Just like you can use Messenger to connect with your Facebook friends, you can do the same with your nonprofit’s supporters on the platform.

Similarly to sending a thank-you letter to donors, you should also thank each user that creates a fundraiser on your behalf on Facebook. The easiest way to do this is to comment on the fundraisers that users create and post a personalized, genuine thank-you note.

With that note, invite users to connect with your organization via Messenger. You can then tailor this one-on-one conversational messaging to each individual supporter, building unique relationships with your social supporters. For example, you can:

  • Share updates about your organization. You can share upcoming fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, and any new developments within your organization. This information can be tailored to be interesting to the user you’re connecting with.
  • Answer questions and provide tips. If a user is encountering a fundraising challenge, provide tips to overcome those challenges. This will result in fewer unsuccessful fundraisers and set users up for success.
  • Connect during big milestones. If a user has a birthday coming up, you can send them well-wishes and encourage them to start a fundraiser aligning with the effort. Users will notice you went above-and-beyond to acknowledge their special day and feel encouraged to give back.
  • Learn more about your supporters. You can share surveys and ask one-off questions. From contact information to longer answers, such as why they support your mission and how they want to engage going forward, you can learn a good amount about your supporters.

With Messenger, you don’t just connect with users when they’re raising funds for your organization— you can stay in touch year-round and show supporters that you appreciate them for their contributions.

Wrapping Up: Why Invest in Social Fundraising Solutions?

When organizations stumbled across Double the Donation’s matching gift statistics and realized that anywhere from $4-7 billion in matching gifts goes unclaimed each year, did these organizations accept that their matches would never be realized?

No, they invested in technology and processes that would help them secure the unclaimed funds.

Similarly, if your organization doesn’t have an impactful Facebook fundraising foundation comparable to that of the American Cancer Society, you don’t just have to accept that your social efforts are subpar. You can optimize your Facebook efforts by investing in social fundraising solutions.

We’ve presented a variety of ways that you can engage with supporters directly on Facebook to improve your efforts. However, not every organization can dedicate the time and resources internally to connect with each and every Facebook supporter— especially if you have hundreds or thousands of supporters on the platform.

There are now turnkey social fundraising solutions— such as those offered by GoodUnited— that will empower your team to grow these relationships at scale. This provides your team with the people, processes, and technology needed to foster relationships with the next generation of supporters, including thank-you notes sent to every user that starts a fundraiser and custom automated messaging sequences via Messenger.

With these tips, and perhaps managed services for Facebook fundraising, you can take your social media efforts to the next level. Good luck!

About the Author:

Nick Black is the Founder and CEO of GoodUnited, a venture backed Software as a Service (SaaS) startup that helps nonprofits like Wounded Warrior Project, American Cancer Society, World Wildlife Fund create 1:1 relationships with their donors through the combination of data science and human judgement delivered in conversational messaging platforms. Nick’s work with GoodUnited resulted in being named The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 2017 Distinguished Young Alumnus. 

Nick has been an innovator and leader at the intersection of business and social impact for over ten years. The concept for GoodUnited came through Nick’s work co-founding and leading Stop Soldier Suicide, a 501c3 that grew from startup to national leader in reducing veteran suicide to the national average in ten years. Stop Soldier Suicide’s growth and impact resulted in Nick being selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a Leadership North Carolina Fellow. 

Nick co-founded Stop Soldier Suicide stemming from his experiences leading Paratroopers as a Ranger qualified Army Officer with the 173rd Airborne during 27 months deployed to combat zones in Afghanistan. During Nick’s six years of service he was awarded two Bronze Stars, an Army Commendation Medal for Valor and as a Field Artillery Officer, was repeatedly ranked 1st among 50 peer Officers in a premier Infantry Battalion.

Nick received a BA from The Johns Hopkins University. At Johns Hopkins, Nick was a four-year member of the Varsity football team, the first two-time President of Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity and a four-year scholarship winner of the Army ROTC program. Nick received an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. At Kenan-Flagler, Nick was awarded the Rollie Tillman Award for Leadership, selected as a Kenan Institute Leadership Fellow, was President of the Veterans Club and awarded the 2018 Distinguished Young Alumnus

Nick lives in Charleston South Carolina with his wife Amanda. Amanda and Nick have a five-year-old daughter and four-year-old son.

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

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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.

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Converting Direct Mail to Donations: 4 Best Practices

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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.  

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