As the Christmas of 2021 beckons, are you ready with your fundraising ideas for donations for your cause on Christmas?

Year-end is the time when Giving features in most people’s minds. And, this is the best time for nonprofits to think of fundraising ideas to encourage donors.

Have you geared up for Christmas and thought about how you will collect donations for your cause?

Get Festive with these 15 powerful Christmas Fundraising Ideas for your Nonprofit:

1. Choose a Good Cause

Nonprofits always raise funds for important causes. However, when the spirit of Christmas is in the air, make sure to choose a cause that donors feel connected to and are motivated to give. For instance, it is a good idea to raise funds for donating to the underprivileged section of society. Donors are more likely to contribute where they can uplift someone during Christmas!

2. Make your Christmas Themed Fundraiser

Create a fundraiser where you tell the donors that they are gifting someone during Christmas.

Share Christmas-themed creatives to promote your fundraiser on social media and your website.

You can include a fundraising thermometer with a deadline of Christmas day to create urgency among donors.

3. Promote your Fundraiser on Online and Offline Platforms

Christmas is a time when people are on the move, preparing for the festivities, buying gifts, or meeting people.

Make sure to promote your fundraiser extensively on online platforms and on prominent places, billboards, etc. where passers-by cannot miss it.

4. Make it Easy to Donate

You do not want to miss out on donations because your donors find it cumbersome to donate.

Make sure that your website is easy to navigate and donors can easily reach the Donate Now button.

Responsive websites are a must to make it easy for donors on the move.

Ensure that your forms are not too complicated and offer hassle-free registrations.

Include donation buttons on social media pages.

Send personalized emails to your subscribers informing them about your fundraiser and encouraging them to donate.

Offer mobile giving options like Text to give, text to donate, and scan to give.

These methods encourage donors to give when they see a hoarding or flyer about your fundraiser at any time from anywhere. These methods encourage impulse giving and you don’t want to miss out on these.

5. Matching Gifts

Gifting is the highlight of the Christmas season. Matching gifts is a way to raise funds where corporates donate an amount equal to the amount a nonprofit has generated.

You can contact the HR representatives of corporates and tell them about your cause and ask for donations. Many nonprofits miss out on the matching gifts option for fundraising.

Christmas is the best time to approach corporates for matching gifts.

6. Organize a Gift Wrapping Party

Wondering what a gift wrapping party is?

Everyone is short on time during Christmas with too much on their hands. Gift Wrapping is among the many things to be accomplished during the festive season. So, why not take this task off their list?

Here’s what you can do:

• Organize a team of volunteers to do the gift wrapping for people in the community.
• Designate a specific day close to Christmas day for gift wrapping.
• Host a gift wrapping party where you decorate the venue according to the Christmas theme. Invite all volunteers for wrapping the gifts together.
• You can have Christmas-themed dressing for the party.
• Make it a fun event by playing Christmas carols in the background.
• Offer Christmas treats to everyone at the party. You can get these treats as a donation from bakers/chefs, etc.
• You can reduce the expense of gift wrapping by procuring all wrapping material as a donation.
• You raise funds for your cause by charging an amount for the gift wrapping service you provide.

The party can be an offline or a virtual one depending on the COVID protocols at that time. In case of a virtual event, you can get everyone to dress according to the Christmas theme and join the event over a Zoom call. Volunteers can wrap the gifts from their homes and interact with others virtually.

7. Christmas Treats

Fundraising can be done by offering Christmas treats. You can partner with some local chefs and ask each one of them to make a different Christmas treat. You can also indicate the exact quantity of the treat. Display all these treats on your website by creating a special page for them. When someone orders a specific item from your website, you can inform the concerned baker and ask them to arrange the delivery. The partner bakers will increase the visibility of their products and services. The nonprofit raises funds from the amount collected when people purchase these treats from the website.

Make sure to clearly display the items and their prices. Offer a secure and simple payment method. Promote this offer on online platforms and through emails to your subscribers.

8. Donating Christmas

Donating Christmas is another great way of generating funds during Christmas. The concept of donating Christmas is similar to donating Birthdays where you ask people to donate to your charity instead of purchasing Christmas gifts.

You can reach donors by:

Promoting the fundraiser on your website and social media pages.

Sending emails to all subscribers requesting them to spread the word in their network.

You can also leverage peer-to-peer fundraising to reach a wider donor base. Ask your donors and supporters to ask people in their network to donate to your charity. Donors and supporters can share the details of the fundraiser on their social media pages to reach their network.

9. Share on Partner’s Social Media

This is a fundraising strategy where you connect with corporates, etc., and use their social media pages to promote your fundraiser. This helps you promote the fundraiser directly to their network and increases the funds raised.

10. Christmas Decorating Services

Everyone wants to decorate their homes during Christmas and have a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree at home. You can offer Christmas decoration services at a fee that will add to the funds raised.

11. Provide Christmas Trees

Buy Christmas trees wholesale and sell them at a profit. You can create your own Christmas tree outlet if you have the space. Decorate the outlet with Christmas decorations and lights. Play carols in the background to give a festive fervor.

12. Christmas Gift Boxes

Create Christmas gift baskets or gift boxes with assorted items. Collect items of different price ranges to create differently priced baskets to suit all budgets.

Display gift baskets/boxes on your website. Nonprofits generate funds when these gift items are purchased. Make sure that you clearly indicate the contents of the gift box/basket so that buyers can choose their gifts easily.

Promote these Christmas gifts on the various online message that buyers will be giving a “double gift” if they purchase from you. The first gift is when they gift the purchased item to someone and the second gift is the cause they will support with funds raised through the sale. Provide a simple and secure method of payment to donors.

13. Christmas Cards

Living in an online world, we are inclined to send ecards to our friends and family. But, did you know that there is a huge market for handmade cards?

You can have a team of volunteers make handmade cards and sell them to raise funds.

14. Christmas Carols

Get a group of supporters to sing carols at an event or they can go door to door and sing. You can set up a crowdfunding campaign with your supporters so that they can share their personal funding pages with their social groups and family.

Engage the audience by offering customization of the playlist according to their choice of songs.

Here’s how you can facilitate it:

Members of the audience can be asked to text a keyword to a number.

When they do so, they will be guided to a mobile-friendly form in which they can furnish their details and add the song of their choice.

15. Christmas Gala Dinner

The festive season is a time for dinners and galas. Your nonprofit can organize a Christmas Gala Dinner. The gala may be an offline one or a virtual one. Fundraising can be done by charging an entry fee for the event. Use all your creativity to host an event that your audience will remember!

These are some ideas for raising funds during Christmas. Put on your thinking caps and make fundraising an incredible experience for your audience!

Make sure to keep track of your fundraising goals so that you raise enough to make the Christmas of the disadvantaged section of society worthwhile!

iConnectx offers a platform to streamline all your fundraising efforts!

Merry Christmas!

We are at the end of 2021! And year-end is the time when nonprofits need to perk up to attract donors! Innovative fundraising ideas are needed by nonprofits to make them stand out in the highly competitive market!

This period is not just for hosting fundraisers but also for the time to acknowledge donors and express gratitude to them.

One of the main highlights of the holiday season in the United States is giving back to the community. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November and ushers in the holiday season in the United States.

And, what better time to thank donors than on Thanksgiving?

Here are some interesting trivia about Thanksgiving!

Did you know that Thanksgiving started in the year 1620? Here’s a brief history of Thanksgiving! In 1620 a small ship by the name Mayflower carrying 120 pilgrims set out from England looking for a place where these pilgrims could practice their faith in peace.

Mayflower found its destination in America, then called the New World. The first-ever Thanksgiving was celebrated when the Wampanoag native Americans and these colonists shared an autumn harvest feast. The harvest was the outcome of their joint efforts and so they celebrated together in Plymouth, which is known as Massachusetts today.

And, the tradition of expressing gratitude and celebrating has carried on for years. Food is the chief focus area of Thanksgiving with roast/fried Turkey being the special dish. There is a lot of fun and fervor during Thanksgiving and fun activities like parades, etc. are organized during Thanksgiving.

So, before we get into ideas to raise funds or attract donors, let us start the festive season traditionally by thanking them!

Thanking your donors makes them feel special. They feel connected and know that they are cared for. This helps build loyalty to your brand.

Although you must be sending them automated emails to thank them for their donations, you need to add a personal touch!

Here are some ways of thanking your donors on Thanksgiving:

• The senior executives such as the directors, etc. in your nonprofit can make personal phone calls to donors to speak to them and thank them.
• You can send them letters highlighting their contribution to the charity. For instance, you can explain the total funds raised for cause the donor might have contributed towards and how significant their donation was. And, send a personal thank you note for that.
• Ever since digital media made a huge impact on our lives, sending physical letters and cards seems to have become a thing of the past. But a personalized, handwritten Thank you card or a letter has a more lasting impact on an individual. So, you can send personalized Thank you cards to your donors on Thanksgiving to acknowledge their contributions.
• Thanksgiving is a good time to acknowledge the efforts of your volunteers as well. Some ideas for this are sending them discount coupons, gift vouchers, etc.
• Another idea is to celebrate Thanksgiving with your donors, volunteers and all is by throwing a party! You could think of a virtual party over a Zoom meeting. Usually, nonprofits organize parties for fundraising purposes but hosting a party to thank the donors will make them feel really special.
• You can also thank your donors on social media. Different social media channels have a large user base. So, acknowledging donors on social media platforms means giving them a shout-out in a public forum and this can be really exciting for them.

Close on the heels of Thanksgiving is Giving Tuesday which falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Giving Tuesday came into existence in 2012 when 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation came together and decided to specify a day to celebrate the generosity of Giving, a great American Tradition.

Giving Tuesday is celebrated each year to encourage individuals, families, corporates, institutions, schools, etc. to donate to the less privileged members of society. Giving Tuesday is celebrated with great gusto when donations are made not only in the form of funds but also in other ways. For instance, blood donation drives, donating food from homes to local pantries, and more.

It comes as no surprise then that it is this part of the year when maximum donations are received by nonprofits. Data reveals that 25% or more of the annual giving in the US takes place during the last 3 months of the year! (Source: https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/thanksgiving-fundraising-ideas/)

So, now that it is that time of the year when people are motivated to give, nonprofits can create fundraisers where donors can easily donate.

Here are 10 Simple but Powerful Thanksgiving Fundraising Ideas:

1. Organize a Thanksgiving Themed Giveaway on Social Media

Create a buzz on social media and encourage donors to give with a giveaway. You can partner with a local business and offer a gift card or discount coupon for every donation made. This is a win-win situation for all parties. The nonprofit encourages donors and is likely to receive more donations. The donors receive something in exchange for the donations they make. And, the business sponsoring the gift voucher, etc. gets an opportunity to reach a wider audience and foster partnerships.

2. Giving Tuesday

This is a day to celebrate the generosity of Americans. You will not want to miss out on this opportunity to raise funds for your nonprofit.

Make sure that your website loads quickly and offers a seamless user experience on both desktop and mobile devices.

Ensure that the website is easy to navigate and the donation buttons are easy to locate.

Offer an exclusive Giving Tuesday donation button on your website.

Facilitate online donations through simple and secure methods like text-to-give/donate, scan to give, etc.

Send regular emails just before Giving Tuesday to your subscribers to let them know what you are planning for the day and how they can participate.

Create urgency for donating. Specify a deadline within which donors need to contribute to a specific charity.

3. Host a Thanksgiving Raffle

Thanksgiving is a time for fun and celebrations and off-course giving. You can hold online raffles and give exciting rewards to the winners such as an exotic holiday to a tropical island, etc.

4. Organize Thanksgiving Marathon

Host a 5k or 10k marathon to raise funds during Thanksgiving. Integrate crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising into this. Ask the participants to collect donations for the event through their peer-to-peer fundraising pages. This will not only increase participation but also the funds generated.

5. Host a Thanksgiving Themed Bake Sale

Depending on the circumstances and the number of donors, you can decide on a physical or a virtual thanksgiving themed bake sale.

Here’s how it works:

• Make a list of Thanksgiving favorites like apple pie or pumpkin treats, etc.
• Onboard bakers who can bake Thanksgiving treats. Get the bakers to commit to baking specific treats and the number of items they will prepare.
• Create a dedicated page on your website that includes a list of items with relevant images, prices, and donation links.
• Promote the page on social media and direct your audience to the above page. Once the donor chooses specific items from the list, send the order details to the baker.
• The baker delivers the ordered items to the donor.

6. Thanksgiving Gift Baskets

Thanksgiving is all about gifting and gift baskets are a popular choice for gifts. Create gift baskets with assorted items. Make different baskets in different price ranges to suit varying budgets. You can sell these baskets to donors.

7. Thanksgiving Pumpkin Sale

Pumpkins are akin to Thanksgiving. So, host a thanksgiving pumpkin sale by buying pumpkins wholesale from the local market or other sources. Sell pumpkins at a higher price at a farmer’s market or set up your own Thanksgiving-themed marketing outlet.

8. Offer Services

You can volunteer to give services in exchange for donations. For instance, yards get messy in the fall and it takes a lot of time and effort to get them cleaned. You can offer yard cleanup to your donors in exchange for donations.

9. Thanksgiving Party

Everyone loves parties! Host a physical/virtual party for donors and volunteers. Charge an entry fee for the party and use the money for charity. Donors will be excited to attend the party and they will willingly pay the entry fee if they know it is for supporting a cause.

10. Thanksgiving Gifting

Partner with different local businesses that offer products relevant to Thanksgiving. Create a catalog of these products. You can also offer services such as yard cleanup, etc. in the catalog. Make an attractive catalog and share it on social media and other online channels. You can raise funds when donors purchase these products/services.

These are some ideas for raising funds during Thanksgiving. You can don your thinking hats and think of some out-of-the-box ideas to make Thanksgiving special for your donors!

2020 and 2021 have been turbulent years for people across the globe. The pandemic has taken its toll on businesses and economies worldwide. The non-profit sector also felt the heat of the disturbing times. Fundraising strategies for nonprofits needed to be changed. Virtual events replaced in-person events. And, nonprofits were forced to take a digital route as far as fundraising was concerned.

Responsive website designs, online donations, mobile giving, were some methods that became popular for donating to charities. Different fundraising strategies adopted by nonprofits bore mixed results.

Here’s a look at some of them:

The FEP released its findings for the trend in Giving in 2020 and 2021. (Source: https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/donors/study-first-quarter-2021-fundraising-beat-2020/)

According to their report:

• Giving in the first quarter of 2021 grew over that in 2020 by 6%.
• The number of donors in the first quarter of 2021 grew by 10% over 2020 and the donor retention rate grew by 13.6% in the same period.
• However, it is important to note that not all nonprofits experienced this increase in the number of donors, or the funds raised. The funds raised by charities associated with religious organizations and Human Services experienced an increase while most other charities were not so fortunate.

We do not know exactly how long the pandemic will last or how much it is going to impact the nonprofit sector. But nonprofits can leverage these insights to plan their fundraising for the future.

Now, when 2022 is just around the corner, it is time that nonprofits pulled up their socks and planned their fundraising for the coming year!

Looking at the current scenario, virtual fundraising seems to be an effective means in the near future!

Here are 8 Powerful Virtual Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits:

1. Online Donations

Facilitating online donations for donors is no longer a choice but a must for nonprofits. Data reveals that online donations increased by 23% last year over 15% off the previous year. (Source: https://doublethedonation.com/tips/matching-grant-resources/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/) Hence nonprofits must ensure that they provide easy and simple online methods for donations. Especially in the current scenario when it is difficult for donors to visit specific locations to donate, online donations are necessary to enable donors to contribute.

If donors can relate to a nonprofit and wish to support its cause then online donations make it easy for them to contribute to the charity from any part of the world.

Online donations can be made through the website of the nonprofit. The website should be easy to navigate and the donation page and donation button must be clear and easy to access. Online donations can also be facilitated through the social media pages of the nonprofit.

Non-profits can also offer other means of online donations to make it easy for donors to contribute.

2. Online Auctions

Charity auctions have been an extremely popular means of fundraising among donors for years. However, in-person auctions had to be stopped in 2020 because of the COVID 19 restrictions. However, many nonprofits have switched to a virtual mode of holding charity auctions. In an online auction, the bidders can view the products on which bids are to be placed online. They can place their bids anonymously. They will get an alert when a higher bid is placed. They can raise their bids as and when they desire. The time limit for the auction is indicated by the nonprofit and all bids need to be sent within the deadline specified. The winning bids are announced in a virtual event where all bidders are present.

The benefits of online auctions to nonprofits are that they cut down on several expenses such as venue costs, hosting costs, transportation costs, etc. Besides, they save on the time, effort, and manpower required for hosting the online event. Nonprofits can also reach a wide audience easily online. People across the globe can participate in an online auction.

The participants of the auction enjoy the benefit of placing the bids from the comfort of their homes at a time of their convenience.

However, hosting a successful auction requires an event management platform to facilitate it. The software available for hosting such events can be expensive. Therefore the cost of the platform must be budgeted for while organizing an online auction.

3. Virtual Events

Virtual events have become the alternative to in-person events when the pandemic has forced us all indoors. Nonprofits have created innovative virtual events to attract donors for their fundraisers.

Virtual events are facilitated through Zoom calls, webinars, Facebook Live, or Instagram Live events. In the past year, we have seen how these types of events have been successful in attracting a wide audience.

However, virtual events do not provide an opportunity for physical interaction for the audience. Therefore, it becomes challenging for nonprofits to host virtual events that engage their audience for the entire duration of the event.

Nonprofits have offered different ways of engaging their audience through break room chats, Q&As, etc.

Some of the virtual events hosted by nonprofits include online concerts, digital movie nights, virtual races, and more.

4. Text-to-Give/ Text-to-Donate

Text-to-give and text-to-donate have become extremely popular methods of donation in recent times because of the convenience they offer.

Text-to-give is a method of donating where the donor is required to message a keyword to a shortcode. The amount donated is charged in the cellphone bill of the donor and the mobile service provider remits the amount to the nonprofit.

Text-to-donate is a little different from text to give. In text-to-donate, the donor messages the keyword to a shortcode. He is directed to the registration form of the nonprofit where he furnishes his details and donates the amount directly to the nonprofit.

Text-to-give and text-to-donate are convenient for both donors and nonprofits.

5. Scan to Give

Scan to give is another method of donating using the smartphone. In this method, the nonprofit shares a QR code that the donor can scan and donate the amount to a charity. This method is popular because the donor can contribute any amount at any time of his convenience. Scanning a QR code is possible for donors even when they are on the go. It is a safe and secure method of fundraising which is also easy for nonprofits to provide to their donors.

6. Peer to Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising is an effective fundraising strategy for nonprofits. In peer-to-peer fundraising supporters of the nonprofit and other individuals create fundraising pages on behalf of the nonprofit. They share the page in their community, among their friends and network to ask for donations.

7. Social Media Takeover

This is an interesting and effective virtual fundraising strategy. In social media takeover, you can request your corporate partner permission to use their social media accounts for a day.

You can spread the word about your fundraiser on the social media accounts of your partner. Nonprofits can share links to their website, social media pages, their online donation forms, etc. Social media takeover helps increase the visibility of your brand and raises awareness about your cause. It helps you tap into an existing online audience and boosts your reach.

8. Online Raffle

An online raffle is when participants need to purchase raffle tickets. One lucky winner wins the raffle prize. Raffles have been an effective fundraising strategy in the past and online raffles are also effective in raising funds for a cause.

However, the nonprofit needs to clearly communicate the purpose of the fundraiser and the cause that is being supported to attract donors.

This becomes easier by choosing an event hosting platform like iConnectx which facilitates customizing the event with your brand colors and logo besides making it easy for you to tell your brand’s story to your audience.

Most of the online fundraising strategies require software to organize and host fundraisers. There is a myriad of platforms with specific features available for event management. The non-profit must select a platform that meets all its needs. It is recommended to opt for a platform that helps host different types of fundraisers.

iConnectx is a platform that has all the features that facilitate hosting different types of events and fundraisers for nonprofits. This platform is easy to use and has a team to support the installation and maintenance of the platform. This platform also offers tools for marketing and promotion besides facilitating customization with brand colors and logos.

The number of smartphone users has increased from 3668 billion users in 2016 to 6378 billion users in 2021. (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/). Responsive websites and mobile-friendly methods to donate are no longer an option but a must for nonprofits. One of the most convenient ways of donating using a mobile is text-to-give.

Text to give has become a must-have fundraising option for nonprofits in recent times because of the highly increased screen times of smartphone users during COVID 19. In a survey conducted on 1300 consumers, marketers, and businesses in 2021, 61% of the mobile users say that the time they spend on texting has increased significantly due to COVID. (Source: https://simpletexting.com/2021-texting-statistics/). So, if nonprofits are not offering text-to-give as a method for donating, they are missing out on a huge opportunity!

Text-to-give seems to have become a buzzword in recent times. It is known by different names like text giving, mobile giving, text-to-pledge(if donors pledge to donate a specific amount), etc.

What is Text to give?

Text to give is a method of donating to a charity with the help of a simple text message.

Here’s how it works:

The donor is required to send a specified keyword to a short code. The keyword indicates the charity for which the funds are being donated and the short code is a string of numbers which is a shortened mobile number.

The keyword and the shortcode are specified by the nonprofit that is raising the funds.

There are two ways in which the donation is transferred to the nonprofit:

Text to give: The amount to be donated is added to the mobile bill of the donor. The nonprofit receives donations from the mobile services provider. The main drawback of this method is that cellphone providers usually put a cap on the number of funds that can be donated.

Text To donate: In this method, the donors are directed to a donation page when they text the keyword. They will need to register and fill a form furnishing the details required. They can directly donate the amount to the nonprofit.

Each of these methods has its pros and cons. Nonprofits choose either of the methods for fundraising using mobile. A fundraising platform is required to set up and implement text to donate.

Once the nonprofit receives the donation, the donor receives an acknowledgment from the nonprofit, thanking them for the donation.

The average text to donate amount is $107. (Source: https://www.givesmart.com/blog/text-to-donate-fundraising-statistics/)This indicates that text-to-donate has the potential to attract large donations.

Text to give is an effective fundraising strategy for large events wherein the nonprofit is already connected with donors through presentations, videos, etc. Some examples where the text to give is used are events like galas, outdoor fairs, and more.

One of the recent examples of a successful Text to give campaign is by First Responders Children’s Foundation in March 2020. They organized a living room concert hosted by Elton John. In this fundraiser, the donors needed to message the keyword “Thanks” to the short code 76278 to donate. This campaign generated $140000. (Source: https://www.givesmart.com/blog/text-to-donate-fundraising-statistics/).

Another well-known and extremely successful text-to-give campaign is the one organized by American Red Cross for the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. A staggering $21 million was raised during the text-to-give campaign.

Text to give is popular among donors and nonprofits love it too!

Donors like the text to give because it is convenient. Donors can donate easily from anywhere at any time. It is a secure method of donation. Donors can donate any amount without carrying cash.

Why Nonprofits Love Text to Give?

Nonprofits love text to give because of a myriad of benefits this method offers:

1. Reach a Wide Audience

The number of cell phone users is constantly increasing. In a survey conducted in 2021 on 1300 consumers, business owners, and marketers in the US, it was found that 78% of the consumers check, send, and answer text messages throughout the day. (Source: https://simpletexting.com/2021-texting-statistics/). So, offering a text-to-give method to donors helps nonprofits reach a wide audience.

2. Convenience to Donors

It is a fast and easy way to donate to nonprofits for donors. They do not require credit cards or remember to send a cheque, etc. All they need to do is type in a message.

3. Easy to Operate

Once the nonprofit has the right software to implement text to give, it can be set up to offer a convenient method to donors. Donors are familiar with texting and do not require any training on how to use text-to-give.

4. Can be Integrated with an Existing Infrastructure

The system of the smartphone providers, users, and billing, etc. is already set up and operational. The infrastructure has been working smoothly for years. Integrating text-to-give to the already operational system requires minimal expenses and efforts by the nonprofit. Besides, the audience is already familiar with texting.

6. Promotion Is Easy

Most text-to-give platforms facilitate the promotion and marketing of the fundraising campaign. Therefore, promoting the campaign becomes easy for the nonprofit.

7. Provides Valuable Insights

The software used provides insights about the campaign that helps nonprofits optimize future campaigns.

8. Provides Details About Donors

In a text to donate campaign, donors are required to furnish details like their name and contact details like their phone number, email address, etc. This helps nonprofits establish a personal connection with donors.

9. Attracts More Donations

Since the number of smartphone users is increasing at a very fast pace, this method can reach a wide audience easily. The convenience this method offers encourages donors to contribute more.

Donations can be made by donors on the go. They do not have to be physically present at an event to donate to a cause.

Donors are not restricted by the amount of cash they have in person, they can donate any amount using text messages.

It encourages impulse donations. When you promote your charity and your audience likes what they see and feel the urge to donate, they can donate instantly using text-to-give on their smartphones. They don’t need to be physically present anywhere or have cash in hand.

10. Can be Used with Other Fundraising Campaigns

Many text-to-give platforms facilitate integrating the text-to-give campaign with other fundraisers. This reduces the expenses of organizing separate fundraisers and attracts more donations.

11. Recurring Donations

Some text-to-give platforms support recurring donations by facilitating giving by just repeating the keyword and sending the message. The donors are not required to fill forms, etc. every time.

One of the key elements in organizing successful text-to-give campaigns is the software used for the campaign. The nonprofit must select a platform that caters to all its needs. There are several platforms available for implementing text-to-give campaigns. iConnectx is one of the best platforms for hosting a text-to-give campaign. It is best suited for any fundraising campaign by nonprofits because it provides end-t-end features for organizing any fundraising campaign.

As per the data recorded by Statista, there are 6378 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2021. And this number is expected to increase to a whopping 7516 billion by 2026! (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/) Therefore it comes as no surprise that businesses across the globe are ensuring that they have responsive website designs and facilitate multiple options on mobiles for users. Nonprofits are also adopting mobile-friendly technologies to increase their reach.

Mobile giving increased by 205% in the past year. (Source: https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/text-to-give-fundraising-guide/). This goes on to show that nonprofits must offer mobile-friendly options to donors.

Responsive website designs, QR codes, text-to-give, are some of the ways in which nonprofits are reaching out to donors.

Responsive website designs are web pages that are optimized for mobiles so that users can access the website through their smartphones. These websites also include donation pages that can be accessed on mobiles, where donors can donate directly.

QR codes have brought in the “scan to give” option where donors can scan the QR code and donate directly to the charity.

Text-to-give is another easy and secure method of donating that has become popular among donors.

Text-to-give Overview:

Text-to-give facilitates donations directly through smartphones using the phones’ native texting app or web browser.

How does Text-to-give work for Nonprofits?

• The nonprofit will need text-to-give software to facilitate giving through mobile text messages. Several vendors offer this software.
• Your vendor will provide you with a unique shortcode through which donations are made. A shortcode is a phone number reduced to 5-6 digits.
• The nonprofit can define a keyword that clearly indicates the cause to which the donation is to be made.
• Nonprofits need to promote their text-to-give campaigns to increase their exposure to a wider audience.
• Donors will need to send the keyword as a text message to the short-code provided.
• Nonprofits receive the donation either directly from donors or the donation is received from mobile service providers.
• After the donation is made, the nonprofit sends an acknowledgment that includes an automated receipt via email.
• Nonprofits can also include a repeat feature that encourages donors to repeat their donations.

How Text-to-give works for Donors?

• Donors can donate directly to a charity of their choice with a simple text message.
• The text message to be sent is known as a keyword that directly indicates the cause for which the donation is made.
• A shortcode is provided to which the message needs to be sent.
• There are two ways of donating through this method:
• Text-to-give: The donor messages the keyword to the shortcode, the amount being donated is added to his cell phone bill.
• Text-to-donate: In this method, the donors are directed to a mobile donation page after they message the keyword to the shortcode and they directly donate the amount to the charity.
• Donors can furnish the payment information like the donation amount, etc. in the online donation forms.
• After the donation is made, donors receive an acknowledgment along with a receipt for the donation made.
• Text-to-give makes it easy for donors to make recurring payments with the repeat option.

Text-to-give is becoming popular among donors because of the benefits they offer:

Fast and Convenient

Text-to-give does not take too much time to donate. Donors just need to text a keyword for donating. Donations can be made from anywhere at any time. Donors can donate even when they are on the go.

Secure

One of the main causes of concern while making an online payment is cyber security. Most vendors offer PCI-compliant text-to-give software that makes payments secure. Further tokenization process is used to prevent security breaches. Tokenization is when sensitive data like credit card details are replaced by a token between the text platform and the payment processor.

Intuitive

Texting has become a habit among most people. Hence, sending a text message to donate is almost an intuitive process. Besides, it is such a simple method of giving that it encourages impulse giving. For instance, if a donor notices a billboard, or a post on social media about a charity and feels inspired, he is likely to send in a text message to donate.

Increases the Donor Base

The text-to-give donation option is popular among donors and they are likely to encourage others in their circle of friends and family to donate.

Fundraising for nonprofits using text-to-give can be done either on its own or with other fundraising campaigns.

They are an ideal option for virtual fundraising events. For instance, in an online auction, text-to-give works perfectly. Donors can directly send their bids through text messages. They can be sent information if they have been outbid through push notifications.

You can create a fundraising campaign that relies soles on text-to-give.

Text-to-give is also suited for peer-to-peer giving where volunteers can raise funds via text-to-give.

You can also include the text-to-give details such as the keyword and the shortcode in your promotion campaigns online and offline to make it easier for donors.

Several vendors provide text-to-give software to facilitate donations. Each software has a specific set of features. The nonprofit must select the software that has features that are relevant to its fundraising campaigns.

Here are some features that are included in text-to-give software:

Customizable: Some platforms allow nonprofits to customize the text-to-give campaigns.

Fundraising Thermometers: Text-to-give platforms include fundraising thermometers that indicate the number of funds created at different stages. It also indicates how far or close are the funds collected from the goal of the fundraising campaign.

Number of Campaigns Supported: Some text-to-give platforms have a limitation on the number of fundraising campaigns they support while others may support unlimited campaigns.

Donation Pages: Text-to-give platforms also include donation pages where donors can provide their details and make donations.

Event Ticket Management: Certain text-to-give platforms facilitate event ticket management as well.

Repeat Donations: Some of the text-to-give platforms offer the feature of repeat donations where donors can repeat a specific donation they have made.

PCI Compliant: Most text-to-give platforms are PCI compliant and offer a secure means of donation.

Marketing and Promotion: Certain text-to-give platforms help nonprofits spread the word about their campaigns by offering tools for marketing and promotions.

Integration to Fundraising Campaigns: While some platforms offer only text-to-give features others facilitate linking the text-to-give feature with fundraising campaigns.

Analytics: Any fundraising campaign must be compared with certain metrics to assess its success or failure. Certain text-to-give platforms include a comprehensive reporting feature that provides valuable insights about the campaign.

Text-to-give platforms may include these and other additional features. Alternatively, they may not include all these features but only a few of them. A nonprofit organization needs to assess what features of the platform are relevant and choose a platform accordingly.

Nonprofits can choose a text-to-give platform based on the following criteria:

• It can meet your fundraising goals.
• It is within your budget.
• The platform must integrate with your existing CRM.
• Choose a platform that your donors are comfortable using.
• Choose a platform where the vendor provides support for setting up and maintenance.
• Make sure that the platform offers a secure environment to users.

While these are some basic features that any text-to-give software must have, you can select additional features as per the needs of your organization.

One of the best text-to-give platforms is iConnectx! It is well-suited for nonprofits and has a myriad of features that benefit nonprofits. iConnectx offers a secure and simple platform that delights the users.

Have you noticed a black and white patchwork of squares at stores, supermarkets, for online transactions, and more?

These are QR codes. They have been around for some time now, but the pandemic has propelled their widespread usage since 2020!

The reason for this is the pandemic forcing the use of contactless methods for transactions. QR codes have served as an excellent means for making contactless payments.

What are QR codes?

A QR code is a two-dimensional bar code image. When it is scanned using a smartphone or a tablet it can open the link to a website, send SMS messages, emails, or dial a phone number. QR codes or Quick Response codes were envisaged as a replacement for bar codes that were traditionally used on products for payment. QR codes carry a lot more data compared to bar codes. They can be easily read, and they simplify the manufacturing and distribution process.

Smartphone owners can scan QR codes by first downloading a QR Code Reader from App Store/ Gallery. Scanning the QR code entails taking a photograph of the code with the smartphone.

Because of the data that can be embedded in a QR code, it offers infinite possibilities to users.

When a QR code is scanned:

• It can open a web page.
• Log into a website
• Display multimedia content
• Provide data to user’s device
• Compose email or text message
• Download apps, and more.

These possibilities have made QR codes extremely popular among retailers and other agencies. And nonprofits are also using QR codes for facilitating donations.

In the last few years, there has been a surge in the number of mobile users worldwide. And nonprofits need to provide responsive websites that can be accessed through smartphones. There has also been a marked increase in mobile giving because of the convenience they offer. Data reveals that half of the website traffic for nonprofits in 2020 was from mobile and tablet users. Offering a QR code to donors is the next step that nonprofits can take to make it easier for donors to contribute to charities.

If you are wondering “How can my charity start using QR codes?” here’s how:

• First of all, you must ensure that your website can be accessed on mobile and tablets. This is because QR codes are designed to be used on smartphones and not on desktops.
• Generate a QR code with the help of a QR code generator. There are several free options available online for generating QR codes. You can also consider paid or subscription versions for greater flexibility. Paid versions offer customization with the brand colors, logo, etc., you can also integrate data analytics to the code, and more.
• Link the QR code to web pages designed for mobile browsing. Make sure the QR code is linked to the Donate Now or Text-to-Give-Now pages.
• It is recommended that you link the QR code to the mobile version of your social networking sites.
• Donors can scan the QR Code from their smartphones. They will be directed to a mobile web browser to view the link in the QR code. Alternatively, they can be sent a text message or a prompt to dial a number.
• QR codes work perfectly for location-based fundraising campaigns.

QR codes can be used in a myriad of ways by nonprofits.

Before you start integrating QR codes into your nonprofit, here are some points to consider:

• Do not use QR code just because it is popular or for the sake of using it. Make sure that the QR code is used for a specific purpose.
• Ensure that scanning the QR code is beneficial for the donor as well.
• Define where the QR code will direct users and ensure that you create the QR code accordingly.
• Test the QR code that is easy to scan and directs users as intended before sharing it.

Check out these areas of application of QR codes:

Tell Your Brand’s Story: A nonprofit can share its mission with its audience by linking the QR code to pictures, videos, and testimonials, etc.

Easy Donations: Linking the QR code to the donation page of the website leads the users to the form where they can donate directly.

Provide Transparency to Donors: Donors like to know how and where their funds are being used. QR codes at the point of donation offer donors a clear view of where their donations are sent.

Resolve Queries: QR codes can direct users to the frequently asked questions page where their queries can get resolved.

Fundraising Appeals: You can use the QR code in fundraising appeals to make it easy to donate.

Fundraising Events: At fundraising events, you can get your donors to participate by scanning the QR code for registration. You can also display the QR code on banners, etc.

Billboards and Flyers: If you are promoting your nonprofit by advertising on billboards or distributing flyers, it is a good idea to include QR codes on billboards and flyers.

Donation Boxes and Buckets: By adding a QR code to donation boxes or buckets, you encourage donors to contribute even if they are not carrying cash. QR codes offer an easy option to scan and give. QR codes can also be placed in different areas within the nonprofit to encourage donors.

Embed QR codes on Partners’ Websites: Many nonprofits partner with the fundraising organizations. You can embed a QR code on the partner website and offer an easy way for their clients, employees, etc., to make donations.

Share on Email Newsletters: You can share QR codes in email newsletters helping donors scan and make donations via emails in their inboxes.

Analyze Donations: QR codes can also be used to study donation trends from different locations. You can assign a different QR code to different locations and check out the number of funds raised from specific locations. These insights will help you optimize your fundraising campaigns.

Boost Future Donations: QR codes capture GSPR compliant data from each donor. You can leverage this data to re-market to these donors for future campaigns.

Besides these, there are umpteen other possibilities of using QR codes by nonprofits. This is why there is an increase in the “scan to give” campaigns of nonprofits.

How do QR codes facilitate scan to give?

QR codes link to different payment options facilitating scan to give.

Donate through Paypal: After scanning the QR code, the donor can confirm donation by entering their Paypal username and password.

Donate using Credit Card: The donor will need to provide his credit card details after scanning the QR code.

Text-to-give using QR code: The donor charges the amount donated to his cellphone account after scanning the QR code.

Supports both Cash and In-kind Donations: This option is more popular among corporates who want to donate. After scanning the QR code, the business can donate either cash or products to the nonprofit.

QR codes offer infinite options to nonprofits for increasing the visibility of the brand, fundraising, and more. Besides, they are easy to integrate and offer a safe and contactless method of fundraising. They also help increase the reach of the nonprofit. Donors across the globe can easily scan the code and contribute to different charities.

If you have not yet explored the infinite possibilities offered by QR codes, it is time to give it a serious thought! Because if you offer your donors the option to scan and give, you are likely to attract more donors and raise more funds!

Text-to-give is an innovative fundraising technique that allows people to make donations to organizations using their mobile phones. Donors may text donations to their favorite organizations using their phones’ default messaging apps.

Text-to-give has quickly become a need in the charity sector, and for good reason: it works. Individual contributors gave an estimated $43 million through text messages in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Text donations, in addition to increasing income, assist organizations to increase donor engagement and retention, allowing them to secure long-term support for their cause.

In this article, we will give you the complete introduction of the Text-to-give strategy and also discuss text giving benefits, as well as the downside of using text giving.

What is Text-to-Give?

Nonprofits and other cause-based groups can collect money through text message using text-to-give. Anyone can donate to your organization by texting a chosen phone number to a text-to-give service.

Although the method varies depending on the platform, donors are generally required to text a cash amount or a phrase to a specified text-to-give number. They will then either get a confirmation SMS with a link to a contribution form or the amount gets charged on the donor’s monthly mobile bill.

How does Text Giving Work?

The text-to-give procedure varies based on the tools and platform used to collect donations, but it is typically simple whether utilizing a specific text-to-give platform or a payment platform.

STEP 1: Set-up the Keywords

The nonprofit creates a keyword of their choosing (e.g., DONATE). Depending on the platform, numerous keywords can be established to correlate with different cash amounts (for example, text DONATE15 to contribute $15, text DONATE05 to donate $5, and so on).

STEP 2: Advertise your Text-to-Give Campaign

Display your keyword and phone number everywhere your target audience is likely to interact with you (e.g., social media, website, email, radio, newspaper). Depending on the text-to-give technology, you may be issued a campaign-specific phone number or shortcode. Other platforms may permit you to utilize your current company phone number, which is excellent.

STEP 3: The Donor Texts the Number with the Keyword

The donor texts the keyword to the linked phone number and receives an auto-response text message, which begins the contribution. From there, depending upon the service either a text message will be sent that contains a link to the contribution page with a link to a secure payment platform or the donation may be charged on their monthly mobile bill.

STEP 4: Donation is made

The donor chooses to go with the texted amount or set their contribution amount. They may also choose to make a recurring payment or a monthly payment. Once the payment is done, the firm and the donor will get the receipts. And now you can add their name to your ever-growing contributors’ list and innovatively thank them.

What are the Benefits of Text-to-Give?

When used in the proper environment, text-to-give offers several advantages. The simplicity of this fundraising approach is what makes it so successful and popular among organizations and contributors. The best thing is that it is incredibly simple to get started and makes use of the convenience of contributing via mobile phones.

1] Operate from Anywhere

Text-to-give technology enables users to donate to organizations of their choice straight from their mobile devices’ text messaging apps. This method of fundraising allows groups to solicit funds at any time and from any location. It also meets contributors where they are, which is frequently on their smartphones.

2] Easy to Operate

Text-to-give is one of the most straightforward methods of giving. A transaction may be accomplished in only a few clicks with the proper text-to-give software.

3] Using Widely Available Infrastructure

Because most individuals use mobile phones daily, texting to donate is a simple process. Donors may contribute without much difficulty because the learning curve is minimal.

4] Impulse/Fast Giving

Donors who donate through SMS generally make a snap decision in response to pictures they saw on television, with little to no previous research. Furthermore, because the chance to contribute is so instantaneous and the procedure is so quick, donors are more likely to follow through with their first impulse and are less likely to become side-tracked. Online donations, for example, typically take more thought.

The Downside of Using Text Giving

1] No Storytelling

There is very little space for you to convey your organization’s narrative, share the campaign’s mission, and show contributors how they can have a real difference. A lack of storytelling might leave supporters with a slew of unanswered questions, such as:

– To which campaign am I donating?

– Who will be directly benefited by my contribution?

– How does this relate to the nonprofit’s mission?

– Is this gift truly having an effect?

– Can I rely on this SMS message?

These questions are readily answered with the right branding on your campaign website, but text-to-give does not allow you to incorporate that in your appeal.

2] It takes Time to Access the Funds

If your organizations partner with cellular carriers to operate text-to-give campaigns, the proceeds will be sent to the nonprofit whenever contributors pay their phone bills, which might take 30 to 60 days. This might be challenging, especially if your group is seeking funds to help with an immediate need. For example, if a natural disaster occurs, you may have difficulty using the cash you’ve received to give urgent help to those in need. Not to forget that certain carriers will deduct a charge from the donation. This lack of consistency has the potential to wreak havoc on your financial flow and budgeting.

3] Close to Zero Recurring Donations

A one-time donation isn’t always a negative thing; you’re still receiving support for your cause. A frequent contributor, on the other hand, is 440% more valuable to your organization than a one-time donation, according to our latest study (https://learn.classy.org/state-of-modern-philanthropy-2018?sfdc_cid=701440000003jyb).

If you can’t take care of your contributors beyond a one-time contribution, you’re throwing money away. Thus, although text-to-give encourages one-time contributions, it hinders long-term sustainability by not allowing supporters to join up as regular contributors.

4] Cost

Purchasing fundraising software of any kind may be a big investment for your organization. Text-to-give software costs include the program itself, payment service fees, maintenance and installation expenses, supplier fees, shortcodes, and extra keywords and messages. Of course, certain text-to-give providers will be less expensive than others, so your organization may not even have to incur all of these expenses.

IconnectX gives non-profit a sustainable and affordable text-to-give platform. You can click here to know more.

5] Lack of Donor Data

When someone contributes via text-to-give, that’s it. You are unable to collect data other than the amount raised is the greatest failure of text-to-give.

An effective fundraising plan requires donor data to manage donors and encourage them to raise future donations, join up as regular contributors, or soft introduce a new initiative. You’re locked in the domain of “I guess” rather than the concrete reality of “I know” if you don’t have access to this information. As a result, your future funding attempts and your total profits may suffer.

Benefits of Text to Give with IConnetX

There is no shortage of text-to-give platforms, however, if you are looking for a flexible and affordable option IConnectX is a great option. Here’s what you get from IConnectX services:

• The private mobile number included with each event
• Custom donation amounts
• Secure payment process
• Email support
• Donation receipts
• Full reports on donations
• Social Media sharing
• Live Software Support
• Secure payment processing
• File generation for CRM input

As you can see, text-to-donate is a strong fundraising tool that many organizations have been using for a long time. If you haven’t already taken advantage of the opportunity, it’s never too late!

The first cell phone came into being just 30 years ago. Our cell phones have been able to connect to the Internet for just 15 years. And just within the past 2 years, mobile giving has passed fundraising through desktop – we are online on our phones more than we are on our computers. That is a lot of technological change in a very short amount of time. Of course, nonprofits must adapt to keep up. If you didn’t grow up around technology like the millennial generation, how can you adopt the latest technology trends to help nonprofit organizations more efficiently?

Online fundraising accumulates millions of dollars every year using various online fundraising methods like online donations, ticketed events, text giving, or mobile giving.

To make the donation process easy for you, here are some features and methods of the iConnectX online donation process. iConnectX tool is easy for donors to use for all levels of nonprofit fundraising. There are several fundraising sites available for both individuals and nonprofits. iConnectX has made it possible for both.

iConnectX’s user-friendly platform enables anyone to set up a fundraising page to raise funds for the cause you are passionate about.

iConnectX has set itself as a platform for nonprofit fundraising to help nonprofits reach their goals.

Support Your Cause

Promote donations from your advocacy site in iConnectX, your fundraisers and events. Any collected monies are sent to your nonprofit weekly.

Increase Your Donations

Solicit donations on your advocacy page within iConnectX, also on your fundraisers and in your event pages. We make it easy by integrating the payment form from a single click button. Payments are sent to your nonprofit directly.

Fundraising Tool to Watch

iConnectX has features a new set of online fundraising tools that are timely and relevant for the year to come. This year’s tools tap into fundraising trends that have emerged because of the COVID19 pandemic, from text giving or mobile giving to virtual events to online donations for nonprofits.

In this guide, we will deep dive to understand the online donations process, new fundraising trends and more. Nonprofits are not immune to the new changes and COVID19 has forced many nonprofits cancel their fundraising events resulting loss of revenue to support the cause.

Turning one-time donors into recurring donors remains one of the major challenges for nonprofits. The benefits of recurring donations are obvious – more funds and the ability to plan more events and programs. Due to the cancelation of nonprofit events, nonprofits losing the funds.

iConnectX, a fundraising tool for nonprofits, offering a platform for millions of 501c charities to create virtual events, online auctions, ticketed events, online donations for charities and more. In this guide, we will deep dive to understand the iConnectX’s Online Donation process.

How to Accept Donations Online

• Select the nonprofits based on City or Industry to make online donation
• Go to the nonprofit page and click on Donate button
• Choose the option to donate with or without registering on iConnectX
• Enter the amount to donate and other details
• Save your details for future recurring donations
• Receive the receipt on your registered mail for your donation

What Are the Best Nonprofits to Make Donations?

Once if you have decided that you want to support a cause based on your interest. The next process is to find the best nonprofits based on industry or city that will use your fund to make impact on the community. If you are making donations then it should not be hard, iConnectX have brought you more than best charities to donate to and 1.5 million non-boarded charities to donate to on our platform. Whether you are looking for charities supporting coronavirus programs or charities doing educational work – iConnectX has listed nonprofit for every cause. Find the list of best charities to donate to.

We are living in the era of smartphones where we prefer to do almost all our transactions on our mobiles. Most businesses had no option but to create mobile-friendly websites and apps so that they can cater to their audience. Nonprofits also needed to adapt to the smartphone era and introduce mobile-friendly techniques to connect to their audience. Text-to-give was a concept introduced to make it easier for donors to contribute to charities with their smartphones.

What is text giving?

Text-to-give or text to donate is a technique where donors text a specific keyword and an amount they wish to donate to a predetermined number. Donors can contribute to a fundraising campaign of a charity to the annual fund.

Let’s now understand how the text giving process works:

• The nonprofit will need to choose a text-giving platform to set up the text-to-give.
• Once the text-to-give system is set up, the nonprofit will need to raise awareness towards it using different promotional strategies.
• Donors will need to type in a keyword specified by the nonprofit and the amount they wish to donate and send the text to a number specified by the nonprofit.
• Once the donor texts, he will receive an acknowledgment and be guided to a responsive donation form. He can fill in the details in the form to donate.
• The nonprofit will send an acknowledgment of receipt of donation to the donor.

It is a straightforward donation process for both, the donors and the nonprofit. Mobile giving has become a popular method of donating because of the rising number of mobile users worldwide.

Besides this there are several other reasons why nonprofits use text giving:

• Text giving has emerged as the simplest method to donate in current times when the pandemic has made it difficult for nonprofits to hold fundraisers.
• It is one of the fastest methods to donate because of the simplicity of the process. The simplicity and speed of the process make it a popular choice among donors.
• Text giving makes it easier for donors to donate on the move. They can donate from anywhere at a time of their convenience. This helps attract more donors.
• This method helps nonprofits build a better relationship with donors because it offers a method of direct communication. The donors can donate directly and receive an acknowledgment instantly for their donations. This builds trust and confidence in the minds of the donors for the nonprofit.
• Nonprofits that offer mobile giving as a method for donating can reach a larger audience because the number of mobile users is large and is constantly growing.
• With effective promotional strategies, nonprofits can reach a wide audience across different age groups and ethnicity.
• Donors who may be hesitant to donate in case they want to donate small amounts find this method a great option.
• Mobile giving also encourages donors to make multiple donations because of the simplicity of the process.
• Text giving is a cost-effective method of donation. This method reduces the costs involved in setting up the donation process. The major cost involved is that of investing in a text-giving platform. Choosing a platform that works in a hassle-free manner and is easy to set up streamlines the mobile giving process for the nonprofit and the donors. iConnectX is one of the best text-to-give platforms that covers all aspects of mobile giving.

It is because of these reasons that text giving is being offered by most nonprofits extensively as a method to make donations. Since it is widely used by several nonprofits, you will need to make special efforts to stand out in the crowd!

You will need to put on your thinking caps and create text-giving campaigns that reach a wide audience and engage them.

Here are some best text giving practices that help you create successful campaigns:

1. Establish your Fundraising Goals

Determine what you wish to achieve through the text to give the campaign. Establish clear fundraising goals and the metrics against which you can measure your goals.

2. Keep Short Code Simple

Shortcode is the alphanumeric code that donors will need to type while donating.

Each text-giving platform has certain specifications to be adhered to while creating the shortcode. Make sure that you find out these specifications before creating your code.

These are details like the number of characters in the code, if the code is case-sensitive, etc.

Creating the shortcode will require some out-of-the-box thinking.

The code must indicate the type of charity it is being used for. For instance, if the charity works for environmental protection, it can have words like GREEN or ENVIRO, etc.

Make sure that you keep the code simple so that is easy to type and remember. Avoid using such a combination of letters which can lead to typographical errors. Complex codes may even discourage donors.

3. Make Forms Straightforward

After the donor texts the shortcode, he will be directed to a donor form. These forms must be simple and straightforward. It is recommended that you do not ask donors for too many details. Create a simple form that does not take too long to fill. However, the form must be designed such that it provides you all the essential information about the donors.

4. Promote Text Giving Campaign

To reach a wider audience across different demographics you must use multichannel marketing strategies.

You will need to create promotional strategies that reach a wide audience. Digital marketing techniques like social media marketing, email marketing, etc. can help you spread the word about your campaign. You could consider using promotional tee-shirts, etc.

Your website is a great platform where you can communicate to your audience details about your campaign. You can promote your campaign with print and online advertising.

It is best to allocate a fixed marketing budget and strategize according to the funds in your kitty. Based on your budget you can choose the right mix of promotional strategies to increase the visibility of your campaign.

5. Instruct Supporters

Once you have promoted your campaign, you will have many supporters who will want to participate in your fundraiser.

It is recommended that you help your supporters by instructing them on how to use mobile giving. Although some of these donors may know how it works, it might be a new concept for others. So, make the process easy for your donors by guiding them.

You can do this by sharing step-wise instructions of how it works in the form of infographics, videos, pictures, etc. These can be shared on your website, social media, and other channels. You can also share it in your newsletters with your email subscribers.

In addition to this, you could consider sharing this information in flyers that can be distributed. Another effective method is holding live sessions where you can explain the process to your attendees.

6. Offer Multiple Donation Option

It is recommended that you do not indicate a preset amount for donation. The reason is that this could discourage many donors who may not be able to donate that amount.

Even if you include options of specific amounts to be donated in the form, ensure that you add a custom field where donors can donate an amount of their choice. This approach encourages more donors to contribute.

In addition to this, you can offer an option for recurring donations wherein the donors contribute a fixed amount to the charity monthly. Recurring donations are especially popular among small donors. A recurring donor is also beneficial for the nonprofit.

Hence, it is a good strategy to offer flexible donation options to your donors.

7. Thank you Donors

The best way to build a long-term relationship with your donors is through clear communication. One of the starting points of building a communication channel is by sending personal thank you messages to your donors. Personal communication with your donors helps build trust and confidence. So, make sure that you acknowledge the contributions of your donors by thanking them for their donations. You can thank your donors by sending emails with thank you messages.

8. Review Donors

Once the campaign is over, you will need to check its efficacy based on the funds raised. You can assess your performance based on the data collected.

You can compare the results of your current campaign with your previous fundraisers. You can also check the success of different marketing strategies used, etc.

You can also check whether you have reached the desired goals.

In addition to this, you can conduct an online survey to get feedback from your donors on their experience.

These insights will help you create your future campaigns.

In Conclusion

Nonprofits need to change their online fundraising strategies from time to time based on the changing needs of their audience. With the rising number of smartphone users across the globe, mobile giving is no longer an option but a must for nonprofits.

Are you using a fundraising thermometer for your nonprofit? Did you know that they are the easiest way to track your fundraising goal? Besides, they offer complete transparency about your nonprofit to your donors!

Most nonprofits are already using fundraising thermometers for managing their fundraising. If you have not started using one, it’s time you did too!

Here’s a quick overview of the fundraising thermometer:

What is a fundraising thermometer?

We know that a thermometer checks the temperature of something. On the same lines, a fundraising thermometer indicates how “hot” your fundraising campaign is! Simply put, a fundraising thermometer indicates the amount of funds your fundraising campaign has generated. It is essentially like a fundraising goal tracker that helps you assess how close or far you are from your fundraising goals.

It is a way of displaying to the audience using the symbol of a thermometer with the analogy of temperature rise. As the temperature in the fundraising thermometer moves from cold to hot, it indicates that the donations are getting closer to the target goal. So, the hottest temperature is reached when the fundraiser reaches its goal.

Fundraising thermometers are known by different names fundraising meter, donation thermometer, or goal thermometer.

Why must you use a fundraising thermometer?

1. Visual Confirmation of Donation

When a donor contributes to a fundraising campaign and he sees the rise in the reading on the fundraising goal thermometer, he gets a visual confirmation of his donation. It is an established fact that visuals have a greater impact on people.

This helps the nonprofit offer complete transparency to its donors. This goes on to build trust and loyalty among the donors.

2. Encourage Donations

When donors see the reading on the thermometer slowly inching towards its fundraising goal, they are motivated to donate more to speed up the process.

A fundraising thermometer is extremely effective in encouraging donors to help the nonprofit reach its goals.

When the nonprofit reach its goals, the donors feel good because they can see that they have played a part in this endeavor. It boosts the donor morale to know that they have done their bit for society.

This builds brand loyalty towards your nonprofit.

3. Effective in Engaging Niche Audience

When donors participate in a fundraising campaign and receive instant gratification for what they have done through the fundraising thermometer, they get a sense of fulfillment.

This is how it works. People like to see any task they take up getting completed. So, when they watch the fundraising thermometer proceed towards its goals, it fills them with excitement to track the progress. This engages them until the end of the campaign. Besides, when they feel that the thermometer is not progressing at the speed it should, they might even go an extra mile and add more to hasten the process.

Once the fundraising goal is reached, the donors feel a sense of personal achievement. They get a feeling of accomplishment on reaching a milestone. This also helps in building the community as donors feel that they have achieved something together, as a community.

4. Team Crowdfunding Thermometers Encourage Peer to Peer Fundraising

By using the team crowdfunding thermometer, you can ask your peer-to-peer fundraisers to set goals on their page. And, the progress on pages of different team members can be consolidated to indicate the overall progress of the fundraising campaign on your campaign page.

Fundraising thermometers are dynamic, in the words, they give live updates on the progress of the fundraising donations towards its goals. These real-time updates can be displayed on large screens at outdoor events for the participants to watch.

Live fundraising thermometers can also be integrated with devices such as tablets, mobiles, desktops, etc. for the convenience of the donors, staff, and others involved with the fundraising campaign.

Several brands create and market fundraising thermometers with different features. Besides these ready-to-use platforms, there are several DIY templates available that can be used to develop a nonprofit donation platform.

Here’s a guide to the features you need for your nonprofit’s fundraising thermometer:

• Choose a fundraising goal tracker that can be customized with your brand logo and colors.
• Optionally, you can choose a template that is aligned with the cause your nonprofit is supporting. This sends a reminder to your donors about the mission of your nonprofit and how their donations are going to be used.
• Ensure that the fundraising meter tracks donations with live updates in real-time.
• Check if the fundraising meter includes a “donor roll.” A donor roll displays new donations as and when they are added.
• It is recommended that you choose a donation tracker in which the anonymity of the donors is maintained.
• The fundraising thermometer must include the Text-to-donate code in addition to the campaign-specific code.

In case, you are looking for fundraising thermometer alternatives to offer something different to your donors, you could try the visual fundraising tracking option.

A fundraising thermometer essentially tracks the progress of the fundraising campaign in terms of the funds generated as it heads towards its ultimate goal. In visual fundraising tracking the basic concept is the same aka indicating the progress of a fundraiser but it is depicted through imagery. An image is created which gets filled up as donations are added.

Some examples of imagery used in visual fundraising tracking are using an image of a night sky that fills up with stars with each donation received. Optionally, an image of a tree can be used where a flower blooms each time a donation is added.

Imagery can be used in innovative ways to choose images that are aligned with the cause supported by the nonprofit. For instance, if your nonprofit is working on saving rainforests, you could use an image of a ground in which a plant/tree sprouts up every time a donation is made.

This concept is also effective in engaging the audience as it clearly indicates their participation in the fundraising campaign. The main advantage of this method is that it does not indicate the exact amount donated. This encourages participation by donors who are hesitant in donating small amounts. This is because they can view their donation in a symbolic form like a star or a flower without the exact amount being displayed.

Visual fundraising is able to attract more small donors. This approach gives the donors the satisfaction of having participated in a philanthropic venture even if they are unable to donate large sums of money.

However, this method suffers from the drawback that it lacks the transparency that fundraising thermometer offers. Also, in a fundraising thermometer the donors can view in numeric value the exact amount reached and how close or further the fundraising goal amount is!

Whether you choose a conventional fundraising thermometer or a visual fundraiser tracking, here are some tools that can simplify your task of creating the platform:

• Canva
• Venngage
• Microsoft Word
• Certain CRMs include built-in features that enable you to create fundraising thermometers.

In addition to these, you have the option of using an online fundraising platform like iConnectX.

Online platforms offer several benefits:

• These pre-designed platforms are ready to use. So, you can get started right away without investing time and effort in designing one.
• Online platforms are automated. Hence, they update the progress of your fundraiser automatically.
• These platforms can sync with multiple fundraising campaigns enabling you to track the progress on all of them.
• Online fundraising thermometers can be easily embedded on your website providing live updates to visitors on your website.

In Conclusion

Fundraising thermometers are the best way to build the trust and confidence of your donors. They encourage donations and help in community building. With healthy growth in philanthropy and giving worldwide, it is a good idea to invest in a fundraising thermometer for your nonprofit, if you aren’t already using one!

Connect with the Experts at iConnectX for more on fundraising thermometers to track your fundraising goals!