Nonprofit fundraising is the process of asking for and collecting money to support a nonprofit organization. Nonprofits can gather money from both individuals and organizations to support their missions.
Fundraising typically makes up the majority of a nonprofit’s revenue and is a massive, year-round undertaking.
Historically, fundraising has been carried out in traditional ways. However, in a post-pandemic world, adopting virtual fundraising and digital payments is not only the safe choice, but may also lead to healthier bottom lines due to the inherent advantages of online fundraising.
This guide will primarily focus on virtual fundraising. Together, we will answer the following questions you may have:
- How can my nonprofit start fundraising virtually?
- Can I use different tools together to improve my fundraising?
- What is the easiest way to collect donations online?
- How can my nonprofit accept donations on Salesforce?
- What other tools can I use to improve my nonprofit’s Salesforce instance?
- Can my nonprofit accept donations with CiviCRM?
- How can I raise funds virtually for my church?
Ready to begin? Let’s get started!
How can my nonprofit start fundraising virtually?
The Blackbaud Institute recently reported a 3-year trend of online donations rising by almost 10%. However, 93% of nonprofits surveyed by Salesforce said that they lack the IT and technical staff required to effectively adopt new technology.
Many nonprofits depend on major fundraising events to remain operational and support their missions. You must find a way to solicit donations, keep constituents engaged, but also recognize that people’s preferences have changed.
Here are some virtual fundraising channels your nonprofit can mobilize without needing additional technical IT expertise to raise funds virtually.
Virtual events and auctions
Online auctions are growing in popularity and many nonprofits have conducted successful online charity auctions in recent years. As a nonprofit, you do not have to bear the cost of organizing a physical space with seating and proper lighting while letting attendees bid from any location at any time. You can also reach more people and raise more money by hosting auctions online.
Livestreaming on Twitch
A subsidiary of Amazon, Twitch is a livestreaming platform on which streamers can broadcast live video content to viewers. Although widely perceived as a platform meant only for gamers, Twitch has hosted events in support of charitable organizations for almost as long as it has existed. Since its founding in 2011, content creators have raised over $120 million for over 300 charities all over the world.
On Twitch, a streamer would host a livestream dedicated to a nonprofit. During their video game, the streamer offers running commentary about the cause the nonprofit supports, asking for donations in real time. Think crowdfunding with a live feed or an online telethon. Twitch itself is not the fundraising platform – content creators use a third-party platform to accept payments.
YouTube for Nonprofits
YouTube Giving enables creators and qualifying nonprofits to embed fundraising campaigns that appear next to videos and live chats on YouTube. Viewers can donate to campaigns directly on YouTube via a ‘donate’ button. Eligible nonprofits can request a free Google for Nonprofits account. There is a short verification process and requests are processed in 2-14 business days.
Donations to nonprofits made on YouTube are non-refundable and you will receive 100% of funds donated, since YouTube covers transaction fees.
You can also make use of the super chat function on YouTube. Super chats allow YouTube users to pay to pin their comment on live chats during live streams, making them conspicuously visible and making it easier for creators to respond to comments and thank donors live on air.
Facebook Fundraisers
Facebook allows users to fundraise for a nonprofit from a repository on the site. Users can then create their own fundraising pages with information about the cause and why they want to support it.
Facebook also allows nonprofits to set up a ‘Donate’ call to action button on their pages, which can redirect users to an external landing page or can allow them to donate directly from Facebook. Organizations can use this functionality on their page header, in advertisements, in posts, and in Facebook live sessions.
To learn more about how your nonprofit can get started with virtual fundraising, click here.
Can I use different tools together to improve my nonprofit’s fundraising?
Despite the fact that there are many great fundraising tools available, adoption of technology has not always been a priority for most nonprofits. Many nonprofits are required to spend their income directly on their mission instead of on streamlining their operations.
However, you can provide more public value by improving operational efficiency. Becoming more efficient is likely to strengthen your impact and make you more competitive when collecting donations.
Many technology companies that serve the nonprofit sector understand the challenges faced by nonprofits of all sizes and tailor their solutions to those needs, from donor management to online fundraising. For example, Salesforce offers the Nonprofit Success Pack, a free, open-source donor and constituent management app developed by Salesforce and supported by a community of Salesforce employees, partners, and customers.
The main benefit of maintaining an organized and up-to-date database of your donors is that it simplifies and accelerates the fundraising process, making sure you have a steady flow of income to support your mission.
We understand this, which is why iATS Payments by Deluxe® has partnered with many like-minded companies to integrate our solutions and provide our nonprofit clients with the most value.
What is the easiest way to collect donations online?
As more of your nonprofit’s fundraising moves online, you may be searching for effective tools to collect online donations from your donors.
You may not have the time or resources to implement complicated fundraising software that could take days to setup, which is why we have developed an easy and reliable fundraising tool that can be ready in minutes.
iATS Online Forms are a useful tool that can be set up within minutes without any programming knowledge. They can be hosted as standalone donation pages or can be easily embedded on your own website. You can also customize the forms to ensure consistent branding with your organization and to reinforce your message.
How can my nonprofit accept donations on Salesforce?
With Salesforce’s customizable nature and access to the pre-configured Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), many nonprofits have found it to be a helpful CRM platform to expand their fundraising and connect with donors. You can also further develop and optimize your solution with tools available in the Salesforce AppExchange.
The Salesforce AppExchange is a vast resource of Salesforce-developed and partner apps to help fundraisers like you build out the perfect suite of nonprofit tools. You should make use of the AppExchange to maximize your fundraising and engage with donors in meaningful ways.
While the Salesforce donation apps you invest in will depend on your unique organization, there are some essentials that all nonprofits should consider. Here are some of the best Salesforce donation apps that can take your fundraising to the next level:
- Brickwork - Top Salesforce Donation App
- CauseView - Donor Management
- FormAssembly - Form Building
- Mogli - Text Fundraising
- Rapidata Services - Data Management
- DonorSearch 360io - Prospect Research
- 360MatchPro - Matching Gift Automation
- OneCause - Auction Fundraising
- ResourceHero - Project Management
- DocuSign - Document Signing
To learn more about fundraising with Salesforce, click here.
What other tools can I use to improve my nonprofit’s Salesforce instance?
The Salesforce AppExchange has both Salesforce-developed tools and third-party integrations that seamlessly work with your Salesforce system to help you expand your CRM system.
Salesforce’s modular nature not only keeps all data centralized but also ensures that your fundraising system can grow as your organization does.
Here are some of the best Salesforce apps for nonprofits, ranging from an online payment tool to membership management and email marketing:
- Brickwork - Top Salesforce App for Nonprofits
- CauseView - Donor Management
- FormAssembly - Form Building
- Rapidata Services - Data Management
- DonorSearch 360io - Prospect Research
- 360MatchPro - Matching Gift Automation
- ResourceHero - Project Management
- DocuSign - Document Signing
- Fonteva - Membership management
- Congregation Connect - Churches
- Breadwinner - Accounting
- Mailchimp - Email
- HootSuite - Marketing
- GetFeedback - Donor Surveys
Learn about these great apps in more detail here.
Can my nonprofit accept donations with CiviCRM?
CiviCRM is a unique and popular CRM solution that focuses on the needs of nonprofits, equipped with tools for donor engagement, outreach, and more.
How do you know if you’re taking full advantage of CiviCRM’s unique features and customizability?
As an open-source system, CiviCRM is free for anyone to download, making it a great choice for those who don’t want to break their budget. It also means that anyone on the internet can view, modify, and share the source code with others, often coming up with improved features and additional tools called components and extensions.
Components and extensions are what make CiviCRM a modular system. With just its basic code, you can collect donor data, send emails, and keep track of all supporter engagements. However, you can also expand your core system with:
- Components are CiviCRM tools that you can turn on (or off!) to engage with your supporters. This way, you can hide the features you don’t need, keeping your CRM straight forward and streamlined! And, turning on a component can be easily done. Some popular components include CiviMail, CiviEvent, and CiviReport.
- Extensions provide an opportunity to increase the functionality of your CiviCRM system. Any CiviCRM user can access a wide variety of features and unique tools created by others in the CiviCRM community. It’s free to use, and the recommended optimization strategy for your CRM. You, too, can create an extension to share with others!
Customize your CiviCRM solution to your organization’s exact needs and you’ll soon increase fundraising like never before.
This way, your nonprofit’s website can truly be the hub and central port for all donor and supporter engagement on the internet.
Learn more about fundraising for your nonprofit with CiviCRM.
How can I raise funds virtually for my church?
As a church leader, you’ve been challenged with providing a safe and engaging virtual environment for your congregation. Part of that responsibility also includes developing online channels of giving that enable all members to support the church and donate safely.
Thanks to technological advances, you can raise funds online while keeping your congregants engaged and making them feel like part of a community.
Here are some easy ways your church can collect online donations:
- Online donation forms
They are a useful tool that can be set up within minutes without any programming knowledge. They can be embedded on your church’s website or can function as standalone pages and offer conveniences such as pre-populated fields (so that recurring donors don’t have to fill in their information every time they donate), and allow your donors to cover the processing fee for their donation (so that the entire intended amount of their donation goes to their church).
You can customize the forms to ensure consistent branding for your church. This is important because donors are much less likely to donate if redirected to third-party websites.
- Text Giving
Text giving is one of the easiest and most convenient ways of giving. As the name implies, your members can donate by simply sending a text message from anywhere and at any time. Text giving allows anyone to give to your church by sending a text message with a dollar amount. The amount is then charged to their card on file with your church.
This is particularly useful for elderly members of your congregation, who may not be very tech-savvy or who may not have a smartphone.
- Livestreaming
As stated earlier, platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Zoom, let you broadcast directly to your congregation’s homes. Your congregants can enjoy the service and donate virtually, just as they would in person.
Viewers can donate directly on YouTube via a ‘donate’ button or via a ‘Super chat’, that allows them to donate while commenting in the live chat. You can also use Facebook’s ‘Donate’ functionality on your Church’s Facebook page header, in advertisements, in posts, and in Facebook live sessions.
- Virtual Events
You can organize virtual community events such as walkathons, 50/50 raffles or auctions. Virtual events give your congregants the opportunity to interact with each other and help foster a spirit of community. Virtual fundraising events also facilitate visual storytelling, which is more effective at soliciting donations than appeals based solely on statistics.
Events like walkathons and raffles are family-friendly activities that are easy to set up and participate in and can also be held safely online. To raise funds during these events, you can employ methods like peer-to-peer fundraising, which ensures both increased participation and donations.
Learn more about raising funds virtually for your church in our guide to virtual fundraising for churches.
Build on a solid foundation
While software is important, your fundraising should always be built on strong fundamentals. The first step to establishing trust with your supporters is to make sure you comply with all safety and security regulations. Donors must feel secure on your website.
Strong relationships with donors will have a bigger impact on your fundraising success than any software. Build a comprehensive donor stewardship program to give yourself the best chance of converting one-time donors into recurring ones, and give recurring donors the confidence to give your nonprofit a major gift.
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