Synchronizing Online and Offline Fundraising for Better Results

Some of the best online fundraising campaigns have a strong offline component. Often when people "go digital," they believe they need to direct all of their efforts to the online world. We find this is not always the best way to maximize fundraising revenues.

Great fundraisers and campaigners recognize that individuals fall across a spectrum of preference. While one person’s attention may be best captured through social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, others are more effectively captivated through direct mail and telephone appeals. Picture a Venn diagram in your mind. In one circle are people who love to open their postal mail. In the other circle are people who couldn't go a day without Twitter. The overlap between the two circles may not be large, but it does exist.

Recall the line from the movie "Field of Dreams": "If you build it, they will come." Kevin Costner’s plan worked … they came! Fundraisers are not always so lucky. Given that we're now in 2010, my advice to you is don't spend a lot of money up front for a website. I've seen many fundraising teams spend a lot of money on a website and have nothing left over to market the website. Just because you spend a lot of money constructing a website does not mean that anyone is going to visit it. Don't make that mistake: Online publishing platforms such as WordPress are free and extremely powerful.

Just to make matters super-challenging, there has never been a more difficult time in history to attract someone's attention and get your message across in a cacophony of commercial messages. People are literally bombarded with a myriad of ads and pitches to get you to part with your hard-earned money. In order for anyone to pay attention to you, you have to stand out and be remarkable.

But there’s good news! There are many innovative tools and techniques available today to help fundraisers reach target audiences. Your inspiring missions allow you to find unique angles of approach that large mega-brands such as Coca-Cola cannot employ. Some of the most successful and powerful online fundraising campaigns are simple and grassroots, turning to family, friends and acquaintances and asking them to be online fundraising ambassadors. Seeking the help of those close to you works wonders: People rarely refuse personal appeals from people they know. For example, if you send your family members an e-mail (or Facebook status update, or tweet), they will almost certainly read it and try to help you make the world a better place. And if they become inspired and begin fundraising on their own, you are a glorious path to online fundraising victory.

As Neil Gallaiford, president and CEO of StephenThomas.ca, likes to say, “Always keep in mind that your campaigns should be branded, time-limited, cause-focused, goal-oriented and multichanneled.”

Some success stories may help paint a picture. The Canadian Diabetes Association ran an online/offline fundraising campaign this past summer branded “Summer Surge.” It asked people to help by becoming online fundraisers. One elderly gentleman created an online fundraising page he named "The Loser" and attempted to raise $10,000 by losing five pounds of body weight by practicing Tai Chi. He instead raised $14,000 and did it through multiple media channels (Facebook, print, e-mail). The Canadian Diabetes Association raised more than $535,000 and attracted more than 1,000 Facebook fans … and plans to run “Summer Surge” again this year.

Another success story is the campaign that Kids Help Phone launched called “Buy a Kid Some Time.” It utilized dramatic lines such as "I want to be dead by Christmas," and "I think suicide is my only way out" to grab people’s attention and deliver a powerful, emotional message. It asked people to literally “buy a kid some time” by making online donations. Each donation equalled a certain number of minutes. This multithreaded campaign (Web, e-mail, Facebook, billboards, newspaper, TV ads) helped Kids Help Phone raise 2.5 times more revenue than it had raised the previous year.

The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation in Australia recently launched the “Virtual Everest Challenge,” where participants are asked to do a virtual climb in teams and raise sponsorship money. Each participant receives a branded pedometer to strap to his or her belt, and everyone keeps track of how many steps he or she takes each day. The accompanying iPhone app allows participants to input their steps, as well as check on their online fundraising success. When climbers reach a certain level, the iPhone app lets them know that a funky T-shirt is on the way, and if they keep fundraising they may be lucky enough to get a mug to go with it!

So keep in mind that some of the best online campaigns have strong offline components … and happy fundraising!

Philip King is president and CEO of Artez Interactive, an online fundraising solutions provider.