eCards are an innovative way to connect with supporters, raise funds, and market your nonprofit. With nearly limitless design options and the ability to be sent instantly, eCards are ideal for nonprofits that want to reach out to supporters in creative, memorable ways.

However, eCard technology is just the initial building block. It’s up to your nonprofit to create standout designs paired with meaningful messages, and those elements are ultimately what make your eCards stand out.

Whether you plan to use eCards to invite supporters to events, boost volunteer retention rates, or thank donors for their gifts, your eCards need compelling designs. To help your nonprofit craft visually striking eCards your supporters will want to save, this guide will explore three essential design elements.

1. Fun and Memorable Visuals

When first opening an eCard, the number one thing supporters will focus on is the visuals. Unique, memorable, and fun visuals will grab their attention and cause supporters to read your card’s message and create a positive association with your nonprofit.

As with any type of marketing, you should first consider your audience and nonprofit’s message before crafting outreach materials such as your eCard visuals. For instance, nonprofits that cater to children and families, like the Girl Scouts, probably have a different idea of what makes for a fun and meaningful visual than a nonprofit dedicated to medical research.

With that in mind, a few ways you can create visually interesting eCards include:

• Photos or illustrations. Both photos and illustrated images can make for standout eCards. Let’s say your nonprofit’s mission lends itself to visually appealing photographs, such as animal shelters or nature preservation groups. In this case, try using professional photographs for your eCards. Or, if you have a skilled graphic designer, create custom illustrations that represent your nonprofit’s cause.

• Animations. eCards can rise above physical postcards with animations. Use your eCard platform to add special effects to your eCards like floating balloons, shining stars, or falling snowflakes.

• Themed images. When creating eCards, many nonprofits design a few staple eCards that can be used for a variety of purposes. In addition to these standard designs that can be used throughout the year, try creating specific themed eCards for holiday fundraisers, supporters’ birthdays, and special occasions. By creating designs aligned with different occasions people already celebrate, you can forge stronger, more meaningful connections.

eCards are highly flexible in how they can be delivered, with various platforms allowing you to send eCards via email, text message, and social media. When designing your eCards consider how you intend to send them to supporters. This can help guide your design choices to ensure your eCards will look right when supporters open them. For instance, for a mobile-delivered eCard, you might choose a vertical design to fit phone screens.

2. Brand Elements

Ultimately, eCards are a reflection of your nonprofit, and supporters should be able to connect their eCards back to your organization at a glance. As such, make sure to include various brand elements in your eCards’ designs, such as:

• Colors. Not every eCard you create needs to be entirely in your nonprofit’s brand colors. Instead, simply add your logo, feature specific elements like the border in your colors, or add versions of your logo in colors that match the eCard. Colors set the tone for your eCard so choose ones that fit your goals and brand identity. To inform your design choices, Kwala’s nonprofit branding color chart breaks down the different types of emotions associated with various colors:

• Logo. As just discussed, your logo can be edited on your eCards to fit their designs. For instance, you might have a red or pink version of your logo to fit the theme of your Valentine’s Day eCards. However, always make sure the logo is clearly visible and legible so eCard recipients can connect it back to your nonprofit.
• Imagery. What types of imagery do you want associated with your nonprofit? This might include specific animals, plants, buildings, flags, people, or anything else. For example, the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast used eCardWidget to create eCards that feature one of their iconic cookies in their eCards.

These elements are especially important if you are using eCards for marketing your cause. For example, if you encourage supporters to send eCards to their friends and family, recipients who were previously unfamiliar with your organization are far more likely to check it out if they can easily connect the eCards to your specific nonprofit.

3. Meaningful Messages

So far, we’ve focused on the visual aspects of eCards, but eCards ultimately have two parts: the visuals and the written message. However, while recipients will look at the message second, it does not mean it’s less important.

Think of it this way: The visuals pique supporters’ interest to get them to open the eCard and read the message. Then, the message is an opportunity to speak directly to the recipient and build a connection with them. Visuals grab attention, and the message holds it.

To ensure the messages inside your eCards accomplish this, follow these tips:

• Get specific. Whether you’re using eCards to thank donors, volunteers, or event guests, get specific about why you want to appreciate them. For donors, this might involve referencing the specific campaign they’ve donated to, while for volunteers, you might discuss projects they’ve contributed to.
• Share impact. eCards are an opportunity to share what your nonprofit has been able to accomplish with supporters’ help. This lets eCard recipients know why your nonprofit matters and feel a need to continue supporting you.
• Tell a story. Try using eCards to tell stories that showcase your nonprofit’s work and why it matters. These might be quotes or short anecdotes from beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, or anyone else at your nonprofit who contributes to your mission.

When deciding your message, consider why you are sending eCards in the first place. For instance, if you’re celebrating a supporter’s one-year giving anniversary, you might share highlights of what your nonprofit has accomplished in the last year. Or, if you’re using eCards to promote an event, you might add details about how your event will support your nonprofit’s mission.

Your eCards’ designs grab supporters’ attention and get them interested in your message. Ensure your designs represent your nonprofit with core branding elements, like your logo, but also fit the theme or message of your eCard campaign. Just be sure to choose an eCard platform that provides the design tools you need to create custom eCards that fit your organization.

Whether you’re the CEO of a profitable company, the pastor of a small church, or the head of a local school’s PTA, your organization has great potential to impact its community. A strong community is key to gaining unprecedented support, which is why you should dedicate time to cultivating relationships with your community.

Charitable giving is a powerful way for you to strengthen community bonds and there are numerous ways you can tap into these philanthropic endeavors, such as through giving or volunteer programs. Let’s explore how different organizations can give back and transform their communities.

1. Launch organization-specific giving programs

Depending on the type of organization you lead, you can launch various programs and opportunities to connect with your community. Consider how charities, religious institutions, and for-profit organizations can strengthen their community bonds.

Charitable organizations

Of course, charities already serve their communities by fulfilling their missions. But to strengthen your nonprofit’s relationship with its community, try giving back in the following ways:

• Nonprofit collaboration: Propose a partnership with another nonprofit, explaining how your missions align and what your two organizations could accomplish together. For example, you might enlist the help of another nonprofit to collect and disperse reading materials to those who can’t access them on their own. By pooling your resources and working toward a common cause, you’ll develop a stronger relationship with similarly driven organizations.
• Cause promotion: Use your nonprofit’s credibility and reputation to advocate for local causes that impact the community. Highlight statistics, specific stories, and compelling visuals to convey the issue to the rest of the community and garner support to address the issue. For example, a community in need of afterschool programs might highlight increasing student dropout rates or literacy rates to inspire support. 

By nature, your organization will more effectively serve its community when it receives more support from donors and volunteers. As you deepen your connection to the community, you’ll ultimately strengthen relationships with donors who will support your efforts in the long term. 

Religious organizations

Outreach is a big part of many church ministries. Whether you’re evangelizing to local residents or working with other organizations to address a social issue, you can strengthen your relationship with the community by:

• Starting a community Bible study: Don’t limit your Bible study invitations to members of your congregation—various Bible study subjects could appeal to people outside of your congregation and give you an opportunity to connect with other community members. According to Esther Press, women’s Bible studies can be topical, scriptural, or Bible-character-focused. Choose one that will help you connect with interested community members and expand your outreach.
• Raising funds for charities: Demonstrate the need for your church’s support to your congregation, explaining exactly how their tithes and other donations are used. Provide contextual details about the nonprofits your church supports to bring awareness to the important work being done in the community and how your congregation can help.

Receiving a fundraising appeal from a nonprofit is also a great opportunity for your church to learn more about local charities and their visions for your community. You might consider partnering with the nonprofit or other churches with a similar mission to continue funding its efforts if your congregation is on board.

Corporations

Giving back not only connects corporations to their local communities but also improves the internal, workplace culture by helping employees feel engaged and supported. Partner with your employees to give back through:

• Matching gift programs: Support your employees’ philanthropic endeavors by matching their gifts to nonprofit organizations. To make the donation process especially easy, consider leveraging an automation tool. 
• Volunteer time off (VTO): Offer paid time off (PTO) for volunteer work in addition to employees’ other benefits. Allowing time to volunteer makes it easier for employees to give back to their communities by opening up their schedules.

By encouraging employees to give back, your company as a whole can make a significant impact on its community. Plus, you’ll develop a positive reputation as a socially responsible corporation which can help you retain and attract more employees.

2. Focus on constituent engagement

It takes a strong team to impact others through charitable giving. Don’t let your efforts to connect with your local community overshadow the importance of engaging your own constituents. Consider the ways you can engage your:

• Donors and volunteers: Encourage donors and volunteers to continue giving and to advocate for your cause. For example, showing your gratitude for volunteers and donors will help them understand the importance of their contributions. 
• Congregation members: Reinforce the significance of charitable giving to bring your church community together in support of a specific cause. Through this, congregants will cultivate a team-like environment in which everyone works together toward a common cause.
• Employees and customers: Employees will be more committed to your organization when they know you care about social impact. This will engage them more in both charitable giving and their jobs, resulting in higher employee retention.

Charitable giving is more than a strategy to connect with your local community—it’s an ongoing effort to positively impact everyone who comes into contact with your organization. 

3. Create mission-centric outreach strategies

360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics show that “90% of Millennial donors are motivated to give by a compelling mission, rather than a specific organization.”

Craft your outreach strategies around community-focused objectives. For example, consider the following ways you can bring the community together through social media:

• Share others’ posts. Connect your followers with helpful content from community-based accounts by sharing relevant content. For example, does your city have an official Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter) account? Share their posts to keep your followers engaged with what’s happening in their local area.
• Tap into an expanded network. Your engagement with other organizations on social media can put your social media content in front of new audiences who can help to make your mission possible. For example, church leaders might connect with a local women’s shelter on social media, resulting in an opportunity to share their favorite Christian books for women.
• Tag relevant organizations in your posts. Draw more attention to your content by tagging other organizations in your posts. For example, tag the associated nonprofit or nonprofits in a post about your employees’ volunteer hours in the past year. Not only will your employees feel appreciated for their philanthropic endeavors, but nonprofits will see your company’s efforts to encourage and celebrate charitable giving. 

Incorporate your mission and your efforts to strengthen your community into outreach of other formats, as well. Depending on the communication channels that your audience is most receptive to, you can craft messages of different mediums and structures.

As a school administrator, football coach, or member of the PTA, you might not look back at your last fundraiser with fondness. Perhaps there were countless hours spent printing and posting flyers around town, chasing down cash and checks, and poring over metrics that never seemed to add up. Not to mention the fact that despite all of your hard work, you didn’t reach your revenue goal.

Scenarios like these are understandably frustrating, but there is a better, more effective way to fundraise. All you need to do is invest in specialized fundraising software that will allow you to move your campaign online. 

To get the most out of your online fundraising, we’ll break down these four fundraising hacks:

1. Use peer-to-peer fundraising.
2. Gamify fundraising efforts.
3. Tell a compelling story.
4. Leverage metrics.

Keep in mind that because one of the key benefits of online fundraisers is their flexibility, you don’t have to sacrifice the fun of in-person events. With a little creativity, you can make them your own and add in-person elements that fuel connection among supporters. For example, you might host a hybrid gala to cap off the fundraising campaign, allowing local supporters to meet in person and those in other locations to tune in online.

To get started, we’ll cover a strategy that is perfect for both new and experienced online fundraisers: peer-to-peer fundraising.

1. Use peer-to-peer fundraising.

Peer-to-peer fundraising (P2P) is a fundraising strategy that involves individuals holding personal campaigns on behalf of a nonprofit or other organization. These individuals raise money from their friends and family to support the organization.

There are a variety of tactics under the P2P umbrella that your organization can use to effectively fundraise, such as using the pledge fundraising model. 99Pledges’ guide to kid-friendly fundraising breaks down this tactic into five steps:

1. Create a pledge fundraising campaign for your group. Set up a group-wide fundraising page and ask participants to create their own personal fundraising pages as well.
2. Encourage participants to share their pages online to spread the word about your campaign.
3. Participants collect pledges from their family and friends. These pledges often correspond to some kind of unit in your fundraiser (e.g., during a read-a-thon, donors might pledge $5 for every 30 minutes spent reading). Donors can also make flat donations of any amount they wish.
4. Track the campaign’s progress carefully to ensure you are on track to meet your goals.
5. Once the event concludes, submit your payment information and 99Pledges will send out funds within 24 hours.

While traditional pledge-based fundraisers can be a pain due to the difficulty of tracking down post-campaign donations, specialized software makes it so much easier. Your software will accept payments for you and send them straight to your bank account—and, it can even send reminders to your donors for a more hands-off experience.

2. Gamify fundraising efforts.

Gamification is the process of adding gaming mechanics or elements to a non-game scenario.

For example, let’s say you are holding a school-wide read-a-thon fundraiser to raise money to purchase new books for the library. To incentivize students to read, teachers create leaderboards to track in their classrooms and online. Students compete to top the leaderboards with the most minutes read (hint: offering prizes for first, second, and third place can motivate students!).

If you’re considering this tactic, here are a few other ways to gamify your online fundraiser:

• Offer virtual badges and achievements for the students who achieve certain goals, like securing ten donations or earning a pledged donation above a certain amount.
• Celebrate fundraising milestones with fun rewards like pizza parties. Consider creating tiers with different rewards—for example, reaching the lowest goal might earn students an extra 30 minutes of recess while reaching the highest goal allows them to have an in-class movie party.
• Plan fundraising challenges that pit different teams, classrooms, or groups against each other. This will spark some healthy competition among the kids and motivate them to try their best to out-fundraise the other teams.

You can also extend this strategy to your supporters by adding game elements to the events you hold. If your campaign culminates in a charity run or walk-a-thon, you could add a “bonus round” with extra challenges like an obstacle course. If participants complete those challenges, they could win an additional donation from one of your business sponsors.

3. Tell a compelling story.

Smoothly guiding donors from social media posts or promotional emails to your donation page is key to securing the donations you need to reach your goals. You’ll need to capture their interest, whether with a funny TikTok video or urgent email appeal, and hold their attention until the moment they click “submit” on your donation form—but what’s the best way to do that?

Digital platforms provide an excellent backdrop for storytelling. Getting Attention’s guide to digital marketing explains that social media is one of the best ways to tell your organization’s story because it’s so easy to add in engaging, multimedia elements like text, photos, videos, and audio.

To get started with this strategy, follow these steps:

1. Define your narrative. Identify a central theme that represents your campaign. Consider the impact the funds will have, who benefits from the fundraiser, and the challenges you are hoping to overcome.
2. Highlight personal stories. Next, start crafting stories based on the stories of past and present beneficiaries. For example, you might interview players from last year’s soccer team who got new equipment as a result of your fundraiser to show the impact the campaigns have.
3. Use multimedia elements. A good story should be emotional and make your supporters feel inspired to support you. Using things like inspiring music, audio, and videos to tell these stories will pack a much bigger emotional punch than text alone.
4. Engage on multiple platforms. Each platform has its own rules, trends, and formats, allowing you to deliver your story in different ways. Additionally, you’ll be able to reach more supporters more often this way.

An emotional, engaging story makes the campaign more memorable to supporters, helping you stand out from the cluttered landscape of social media marketing to attract donors and inspire their support.

4. Leverage metrics.

Let’s say your school planned a silent auction to raise money to support your athletic teams. While supporters couldn’t stop talking about how much they loved the event and your school sold all of the auction items, you still aren’t totally sure if the event was a financial success—it seems that some of your metrics got lost in the fundraising shuffle.

With online fundraising, you can easily track key fundraising metrics to measure the profitability of your campaign, how effective your marketing efforts were, and the depth of your supporters’ involvement. For example, fundraising software can help you track data like:

• Total funds raised
• Average donation amount
• Campaign reach and engagement
• Cost per donation
• Conversion rate for different marketing channels
• Donor sources
• Volunteer rates and hours
• ROI

You can also use these metrics as a part of your donor stewardship strategy. These metrics should reveal who donated the most frequently, gave the largest amount, or volunteered the most hours. Make sure to thank these donors for their specific donations or other involvement by sending them an eCard or making a phone call.

Online fundraising has a unique way of reaching and connecting with more potential supporters by leaning heavily on the internet and virtual communities. Remember that you can open up your campaigns to more people by optimizing campaign materials for assistive technology like screen readers, making participation accessible to more people. This, combined with the extended reach of the internet, allows you to connect more compassionate supporters with your campaign so they can support your students.

According to Nonprofits Source, The Google Ad Grants program has provided $10 billion in free advertising to more than 115,000 nonprofits across 51 countries since 2003. That’s a lot of numbers, so let’s break it down.

The Google Ad Grant is a completely free $10,000 monthly grant offered to eligible nonprofits in the form of Google ad credits. Besides following Google’s eligibility criteria and ongoing compliance requirements, there are no other restrictions your nonprofit must adhere to in order to receive funding.

However, because Google is so generous with its funding, the upkeep and compliance associated with the program can be hefty for nonprofits to maintain. That’s where working with a Google Grant agency comes into play. These experts can help you achieve your marketing potential, so you can focus on promoting your mission. Read on to learn more about the benefits of partnering with an agency and four key deciding factors to guide your search!

Why should you partner with a Google Ad Grants agency?

A Google Ad Grant agency is a business composed of experts who help nonprofits manage their Google Ad accounts. So, what’s the benefit of partnering with these agencies? You might be set on managing your account all on your own, but before you embark on your management journey by yourself, consider these key agency advantages:

• Quick setup. Partnering with an agency can help you get up and running fast. They’ll walk you through key eligibility steps and create high-converting ads as soon as your account is approved.
• Compliance. Google’s compliance requirements can be a little tricky to keep up with, but with an expert’s help, you can maintain Google’s required 5% click-through rate with ease.
• Ongoing optimization. A Google Grant agency will have keen insight into campaign creation and maintenance. With deft tracking and reporting skills, these experts can ensure your campaign is optimized by making timely, informed improvements.
• Additional nonprofit time. Managing a Google Ad Grant account can be time-consuming, and with volunteers to train and donors to engage, your nonprofit is likely on a tight schedule. Working with an agency can abundantly free up your time.

Often, Google Ad Grant agencies can also pinpoint blindspots your nonprofit could have missed. For example, your landing pages, such as your donation page, could be missing key elements and lowering your quality score. With an agency partner’s help, that page could be spruced up easily to generate a quicker ROI.

Having an agency by your side is incredibly beneficial. So, what should you look for in a partner? Let’s review the four defining elements of a reliable agency below.

1. Experience and expertise

Just like any other provider, you want to choose one with a proven track record and a depth of knowledge that will help your nonprofit succeed. Narrow your choice by looking into agencies that align with your nonprofit’s goals and have high-performance ratings. You can get a closer look by referencing:

• Pricing and criteria. Choose a partner that maintains a fair pricing model and has extensive experience working with organizations similar to yours. Avoid selecting a provider with unnecessary add-ons, and consider scheduling a consultation before making a final decision.
• Knowledge of Google’s compliance rules and upkeep objectives. Choose a provider that’s been Google-certified and well-versed in Google’s compliance requirements. That way, you can rest assured that your campaigns are in good hands once they go live.
• Client testimonials and case studies. For a more in-depth look at an agency’s work, check out their previous clients and testimonials. You can even reach out to clients to get a better understanding of their experience working with an agency you’re interested in.

Compare an agency’s clients to your organization. Do they have similar missions, audiences, and goals? This is another key indicator that you’re on the right track to finding a partner that aligns with your marketing objectives.

2. Relevant services that drive results

Not all Google Ad Grant agencies provide services that will be relevant to your mission and marketing objectives. Reference your goals to be sure the partner you choose has the right features to get you from A to B. These could include:

• Application. There are several steps your nonprofit needs to take to apply for the Google grant. They include ensuring eligibility, registering with TechSoup, creating an account, and more. If you’re looking to get started quickly, partner with an agency that can walk you through the application process in a timely manner.
• Account hygiene. Duplicate, outdated, or unnecessary data can hinder your campaign’s success. Select an agency with extensive account hygiene experience to ensure your account stays clean and effective.
• Grant reactivation. If your account has been suspended for any reason, the right agency can help you get back on your feet with ease. They’ll also generate a new strategy to safeguard against future deactivations or lapses.

A key step of applying for the Google Ad Grants program is ensuring your website is optimized for a valuable user experience. This includes optimizing site navigation, load times, and branding to maximize your conversions. An experienced agency can make the right suggestions to get your site up to par.

3. Thorough campaign strategy

Effective digital marketing of any kind requires a solid campaign strategy, and Google Ad Grant marketing is no exception. Check out each provider’s campaign capabilities to ensure their strategy is thorough and applicable to you. This involves digging into services like:

• Customization. Each nonprofit has a unique audience and mission. Partner with an agency that knows how to target your demographic and increase engagement without taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Keyword research. The right keywords are the bridge between you and prospective supporters. However, they can require additional expertise to select high-performing ones that align with Google’s restrictions. An agency with keyword experience can help you craft a strategy that yields high returns.
• Tracking and reporting. At any given time, you may want to know how your campaign is performing. Partner with an agency that gives you consistent updates and can teach you how to reference your performance easily using a campaign tracking tool such as Google Analytics.

According to Getting Attention’s keyword research guide, there are a few other tools you can use to refine your approach. These include Google Trends, Google Search Console, Moz Keyword Explorer, and SEMRush. You want to strike the right balance between keywords with high search volume and low competition, so be sure to choose an agency that uses extensive research tools like these to guide your campaign strategy.

4. Flexibility and scalability

Your nonprofit will grow and adapt over time whether you choose to tackle your largest capital campaign yet or fill more open volunteer positions, you’ll want to find an agency that can adapt alongside you. This means you’ll want to select an agency with services created to meet your changing needs and adapt to the evolving digital landscape.

Key features that can future-proof your nonprofit marketing include advanced analytics that show trends and patterns, reliable campaign strategies that can be shifted to target a new audience segment, and an adept Google policy understanding that can adapt to any new requirements. An agency with these practices will be able to provide valuable services that evolve with your needs.

The Google Ad Grant is a secret weapon every nonprofit should have in its marketing arsenal. An expert Google Ad Grant Agency can help you make the most of it with high-converting marketing campaigns that connect you with more supporters. Use the above recommendations to identify one that complements your nonprofit’s goals.