Blackbaud

Innovation, and in particular Web technology, is fueling improvements in fundraising. New technologies are helping nonprofits reach new donors in new places, tell stories more vividly, make giving easier, maintain more frequent and relevant communication, and lower costs and apply more money directly to causes. 

We reached out to top consultants, solution providers, software developers and nonprofits to get their take on the following question: How can nonprofits leverage technology to improve fundraising?

Lisa Van Giesen from Billhighway shares 10 low-cost donor engagement strategies and five peer-to-peer fundraising tips she gleaned from the second annual Engage Conference.

Nonprofit marketing isn’t the warm, fuzzy “discipline” it once was. If you’re in the business of encouraging donors to hand over dollars to support a mission, you likely get it. Today, your job is much more focused on the percentage point in converting potential supporters into long-term donors than being focused on the color of the new logo or the catchy headline.

Successful nonprofit marketing, especially new donor acquisition, must be targeted, tested and measured to generate a positive return on dollars invested.

Due to the incredible response we received the last time we brought together leading nonprofit experts to share their best fundraising insights, we decided to do it again! That’s right — we’ve rallied 13 nonprofit thought leaders to share their best fundraising strategies, tips and ideas with you. I have no doubt that you’ll improve your fundraising efforts and boost acquisition rates if you take the advice each of these professionals are sharing.

A roundtable discussion during the second annual Engage Conference consisted of an open share of ideas on how to get a peer-to-peer campaign off the ground. I compiled five of the best ideas that you can implement quickly without much headache (or overhead!): 1. Host an open house. 2. Leverage a computer lab. 3. Encourage "friendly co-opetition." 4. Host a fun run/walk/ride event. 5. Enlist community service groups.

We have to let the donor experience drive our giving sites, not our cumbersome internal processes that make things difficult. This process should be filled with joy and ease for the end user, not headaches and frustration. This is especially critical because your online donors make larger gifts than those that come in the mail. Need more proof of the power of online gifts? Check out the annual report from Blackbaud.

To get you thinking, here is a brief checklist of 5 items from the donor's perspective that make a real difference.

I recently read a stat that 70 percent of U.S. disposable income is controlled by baby boomers. Taken together with the stat from Blackbaud’s “Next Generation of American Giving” report that boomers contribute 43 precent of all charitable giving, one thing is clear: Baby boomers should be at the top of every nonprofit professional’s mind.
 
But how do we reach them, and what’s the best offer? How do they compare to the older generation of people who are currently giving? And can we really just lump 70 million people into one segment?

The most meaningful information you have to share should be at the forefront of your website with options for next steps. Giving your visitor too many links, too many choices or too much information divides their attention and detracts from the bare essence of what you are trying to achieve. You’ve got to make it easy for them.

Google got it Right! Google. Now, this is a website we all can relate to. But imagine this … What if Google were a nonprofit? Here’s what its homepage could look like.

The Blackbaud Index reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits increased 0.7 percent and online giving increased 13.8 percent for the three months ending February 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013. As reported in the recently released Charitable Giving Report, overall charitable giving grew 4.9 percent and online giving grew 13.5 percent for the full year 2013 compared to the full year 2012. View the interactive infographic to view highlights from the report.

If you’re a fundraiser whose online income is suffering because of traditional silo-itis, then here are three quick tips to help you on the road to recovery: 1. Don't treat fundraising and online fundraising as different disciplines. 2. Focus first on the basics that will help you deliver more income before investing in innovation. 3. Adopt a consistent approach to planning online activities across all teams.