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!

Nonprofits raise funds by receiving donations from individuals and corporate donors. If a donor is considering a contribution to a charity, he would like to ascertain that the nonprofit is authentic, and donations are being used as intended. Therefore, the nonprofit needs to evoke that trust among the donors.

Donors usually trust nonprofits that follow all the legalities and adhere to the rules set by the state and federal governments. Besides, if donating to nonprofits also offers tax benefits to donors, they are more inclined to contribute to the nonprofit.

Nonprofits that are legal and adhere to all the rules are considered 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Nonprofits can accept donations according to the rules set forth by the IRS(Internal Revenue System) and the state where the nonprofit is established. Nonprofits can adhere to these rules and provide a system where donors get tax benefits while the nonprofits get the funds. It is recommended that nonprofits comply with all the laws that govern them to accept donations.

Donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofits are exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the US tax code. To qualify as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the source for the major chunk of the revenue must be public donations.

What are the Rules for Nonprofits to Accept Donations?

• Gifts Must be for Nonprofit Purposes

A gift is something given without any compensation in return. However, if a donation is to a legitimate charity, the donor can get a tax rebate.

• Gift Must be for a Valid Charitable Purpose

The IRS defines charities for religious, scientific, or community benefit as legitimate charities. A nonprofit can qualify to accept 501(c)(3) donations only if the contributions it receives are for religious, scientific, literary, or community benefits. Nonprofits that work towards the prevention of cruelty to women, children, or animals also qualify as 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

• Gifts are Different from Unrelated Business Income

Unrelated business income is considered a business income rather than a gift or donation.

According to the tax code, an Unrelated Business Income is defined by the following rules:

• If the transaction is a trade or business.
• The income is ongoing and regular.
• If the income generated is not aligned with the charitable purpose of the nonprofit.

The intent of your business and the methods used for generating revenue for the charity are key factors that determine whether it is an unrelated business income or not.

• Nonprofits Must Provide Written Acknowledgement for the Donations

All donations of $250 and above must be given a written acknowledgment to qualify as a gift and be deductible under the Internal Revenue Code.

The written acknowledgment must include:

• Name of the nonprofit.
• Amount donated/worth of goods donated.
• A statement of goods/services received in return for the donation.

Providing an acknowledgment for the donations received helps build trust among the donors. Besides it also helps donors claim tax benefits for their contribution to the charity.

All these rules are applicable for a nonprofit to qualify as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. One may wonder if 501(c)(3) is a must or can a nonprofit accept donations without 501(c)(3)?

A nonprofit need not adhere to the 501(c)(3) rules for establishing itself. However, 501(c)(3) is important for donors. This is because when donors contribute to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, they get a tax deduction for the donation. Besides, donors trust nonprofits with 501(c)(3) and deem them to be legitimate. Therefore, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit attracts more donors and retains donors as well.

There are several ways in which nonprofits receive donations. In recent years, online donations have become a preferred mode of donation for nonprofits.

Online Donations-An Overview

Online donations are when a non-profit raises funds through the internet. This is usually done through an online donation page of the nonprofit. Online giving has become a preferred mode of donations among donors because it offers convenience, speed, and a secure mode of payment. Besides, it facilitates fundraising through any location across the globe. Data reveals that online revenue increased by 23% in the last year. (Source: https://doublethedonation.com/tips/matching-grant-resources/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/).

Recurring donations or online monthly giving is also easier with online methods. Online donations also support different fundraising options like mobile giving, peer-to-peer fundraising, etc.

Benefits of Online Donations to Nonprofits:

• Nonprofits can Reach Donors across the Globe

With online donation options, a nonprofit can reach donors at different locations across the globe. As long the donors have internet access and a link to the website of the nonprofit, they can donate at a time of their convenience from anywhere.

• Online Giving Offers Access to Donor Information

Online giving helps nonprofits get details like donor email addresses, billing addresses, and more.

• Less Expensive than Other Methods

The cost of setting up the payment page and associated costs of maintaining it is minimal compared to all other types of donations.

• Increases Visibility of the Website

Online donations increase the exposure of your website on the internet and drive more traffic to your website.

How Online Donations are Beneficial for Donors?

• Convenient

The internet is easily available to nearly everyone. As long as the donors can access the internet, all they need is a link to your website to make donations. They can make donations at any time convenient to them.

• Secure Method of Donation

While contributing to a nonprofit, donors need to provide details about their identity and credit card details, etc. It can prove to be quite risky if this information falls into the wrong hands and is misused. However, online methods use security measures like PCI compliance, encryption, and more to ensure that the data is safe and secure.

• Recurring Donations are Easy

Before the online donations, recurring donations were made through physical cheques sent monthly to nonprofits. However, online donations can be automated and monthly payments scheduled. Due to this reason, recurring online giving has become extremely popular, and online revenue has increased by 40% in the past year. (Source: https://doublethedonation.com/tips/matching-grant-resources/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/)

The growing popularity of online giving has made online giving a must for 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Online donations are technology-driven and require a suitable platform to facilitate them.

There are several online tools available to set up a donation page online. Each tool has its specific set of features. A nonprofit organization needs to use the right technology to get more donations. The choice of technology will depend on the purpose of the nonprofit and the fundraising methods it uses.

Factors to Consider while Selecting a Tool for Online Donations:

• Price of the Tool: The cost of each tool varies. It is recommended that you stick to your budget, as far as possible, while selecting an online tool. However, make sure that the tool meets all the needs of the nonprofit.
• Ask your Donors: It is a good idea to take your donors into confidence and ask them which online tool they prefer. You can shortlist different online tools and survey to find out the preference of your donors and use this input to narrow down your search.
• Existing Technologies of the Nonprofit: In the tech age, your nonprofit must be using some technologies to support certain functions. It is recommended that you select an online donation tool that is aligned with the technologies currently in use. This will facilitate seamless integration of the tool.
• What do your Leaders say? In most cases, the leaders of the nonprofit are the final decision-makers. Hence, it is relevant that you consider the thoughts of your leaders regarding the selection of the tool before concluding.
• Setting up and Maintenance: An online tool may have all the features but may be difficult to set up or expensive/complicated to maintain. It is recommended that you select a tool that you can set up and maintain easily.
• Support: Check with the company providing the tool, whether they offer any kind of support for setting up and maintaining it. Some providers even train the internal teams of the nonprofit regarding the setup, running, and maintenance of the tool. Make sure that the online tool provider offers the kind of support you require for your nonprofit.

One of the best tools for online donations is iConnectx. This platform is customized for nonprofits and offers a host of features to support different fundraising methods. This software is reliable and easy to use. It offers all the features for end-to-end management for online donations.

If you are looking for the best online tool for your nonprofit, connect with the team at iConnectx!

It’s no wonder that fundraisers are looking for methods to make their labor more efficient. Every day, as a fundraiser, you wake up and strive to enlist more people to your cause. With just so many hours in the day and a seemingly endless need for funding for your cause, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of the world’s most pressing social issues.

Donor management software allows companies to centralize and manage all of their donor information. It’s geared at nonprofits, but it can be used for any type of fundraising, including schools, churches, and political groups.

What is a Donor Management Software?

Donor management software is a form of nonprofit software that facilitates understanding the donors which in turn maximizes donor relationships. The program organizes donor data, recognizes donor patterns, and provides recommendations to enhance the chance of obtaining future gifts as a tool for donor relationship management.

Donor management software, as the name implies, helps you to keep track of your contributors and their contributions. Not only can you trace your donations, but you can also discover more about the people who make them. You can save all of this important information in one place using donation software.

Benefits of a Donation Management

Donor Management Software is a single source of information that can be accessed by all members of your organization to gain valuable insights about your donors. It essentially replaces spreadsheets, which may quickly get cluttered and lead to inaccurate or missing data.

Most of your nonprofit’s admin activities can be done through the DMS or connected applications. A good DMS eliminates a lot of the manual data entry that is necessary with spreadsheets. Donor management software may also facilitate wealth screening to anticipate which contributors are most likely to contribute larger quantities of money. To also see how contributors are related to one another and to highlight giving behaviors. Donor management software, for example, may track when and how frequently contributors contribute, as well as an estimate when and how much they are likely to give in the future.

Donor management software enhances productivity by categorizing donations by giving levels and handling all donations in one place. All donations coming from different sources such as social media platforms, email campaigns, and charity events are available in DMS.

A donor management system can also assist you in analyzing data about your contributors and developing educated strategies for increasing donor satisfaction and retention. It may be used to build highly personalized communications, allowing you to convey the appropriate message to the appropriate individuals at the appropriate time.

The more information you have on potential, existing, and lapsed donors, the better your DMS will be able to assist your organization. Whether you aim to get new supporters, keep existing ones, or reactivate lapsed contributors, a DMS can help you better understand and interact with each of these groups, thereby increasing the amount of funds raised.

Must-have features of Donation Management Software

It’s important to remember that donation management software and customer relationship management (CRM) software are the same things. There are various donation software and CRM choices to select from, and at first look, they may appear to be quite similar. Small changes and missing features, on the other hand, might have a significant influence on the value you derive from your platform.

Here are 5 Features for Managing Donors that your Platform should Provide:

1. Donor Tracking

All of the vital information about your contributors, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and other supporters will be stored in donor profiles. Because donor data is the bedrock of the platform, it should be simple to access, add, and edit. The following is an example of a typical donor profile:

Name, age, address, phone number, and email address are all examples of contact information.

Donations, volunteer hours, email opens and clicks, and customer service interactions, for example, are all part of the engagement timeline.

Giving history: the date of your first donation, the date of your most recent donation, the average period between gifts, and so on.

Units of a family: Relationships with current, former, and potential donors

Donor segments: Use groups, lists, or tags to categorize contacts.

2. Donor Management

It’s not simple to raise money. It necessitates an awareness of your donors as well as maintaining track of the relevant data that provides you with useful insights. A donor management system may help you keep track of everything from donor giving histories and trends to mailing lists and fundraising campaign statistics by simplifying data management.

Donor management solutions, on the other hand, allow your team to import, edit, and communicate important information with appropriate employees in one central spot! Many solutions enable tracking and updating fundraising schedules, documenting and tracking donor interactions, and even assigning duties to particular team members simple for your fundraising team!

3. Setting Communication Pathways

Most donor management systems enable you to segment your contributors based on a variety of criteria, including interests, demographics, and giving history. You may tailor your messages and make particular fundraising appeals that are more appealing to each donor if you do this.

Donor management software may also help you enhance your overall donor care by being more consistent with your communication, being more precise with your thank-yous. Personalized correspondence demonstrates to your contributors that you care about them, which can only help you raise more money!

4. Online Giving

Fundraising features are included in the finest donation management software. We’re not talking about the types of forms you’d expect to see, such as contribution forms or fundraiser pages. We’re talking about things like “giving potential” scores, gift forecasts, and wealth intelligence, which are all quite important.

They should be able to assist you in determining who is most likely to donate and when. From people who are most likely to become big donors to the projected dollar amount of each donor’s next donation, you may obtain a full picture of your prospective giving and volunteer community.

This aids in the development of your entire fundraising plan, and it’s a game-changer for charities that rely on individual donations rather than sponsors, grants, and government funds.

5. Application Integration

Every donor management platform should allow you to link your existing software tools and optimize your entire operation. These connections allow you to seamlessly integrate all of your favorite platforms and websites, such as accounting software or email marketing software, with your donor software.

6. Identify Trends Amongst Donors

It’s simpler to recognize and follow donation patterns if you have a good understanding of all your donor data. Donor management software might also alert you to fresh giving possibilities that you would not have been aware of otherwise.

Most donation management software includes monitoring and reporting features to make it easier to keep track of everything year after year. The more information you collect, the more powerful the tool becomes for your team!

Choosing the Right Software for Your Nonprofit

Apart from the above essential features, when it comes to choosing software for your nonprofit, you need to consider a few things before finalizing.

• Capacity: Consider the size of your donor list as a starting point for your search. Some are designed to work with multinational corporations. When you’re beginning from scratch, it’s tempting to go for the biggest and finest option. Those added features and complex capabilities, on the other hand, might be intimidating rather than helpful.
• Free Trials: If your present system is very simple, or if segmenting and tagging are completely new to you, a demonstration is especially beneficial. Demonstrations of donor management software are typically the easiest method to see how a product may help your business.
• Cost: If your company can’t afford it, even the best software in the world won’t help. However, remember, that it is an investment for long-term benefits. A good donor management software will save you time, make your communications more efficient and successful, and help you connect with your donors better.

iConnectx is a powerful donation software, that gives you smart insights and can be customized for your nonprofit needs.

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!

A successful fundraiser for a non-profit means increases in overall revenue. This is only possible when donors have a good experience, and you can communicate your organization’s goals.

A successful marketing campaign lures your donors to register for the fundraising event. If your event ticketing process is simple and positive, it will leave a good impression on the donor. Event ticketing software provides a smooth experience when registering for the non-profit fundraiser.

Whether the event is online or offline, event ticket management software is a must for your organization. Here we will look into what event ticketing is and the best event ticketing software for non-profit.

What is event ticketing software?

The sale and purchase of event tickets online using desktop and mobile event ticketing systems are known as event ticketing. Digital event ticket sales should be approached with forethought, regardless of whether your fundraising event is personal, online, or hybrid.

Your online event website represents the true difference between tickets and box office sales. The online event page will probably be your company’s first and only impression when someone decides if they want to attend or not.

Event organizers provide the groundwork for donors to say YES to attend your fundraising event with ease and enthusiasm.

5 Crucial Features in Event Ticketing Platform

1] Multiple Ticket Choices

You will sell more when you provide various ticket categories for your nonprofit events. This is because individuals desire something different from your event and actively search for tickets to suit their demands. It is necessary to be able to provide “tables” tickets for various prices and advantages. Your ticket software should also make it easy to provide group tickets with special add-ons such as a free drink voucher, a free T-shirt, backstage access, etc.

2] Safe and Easy Payment Process

A secure payment gateway is the golden rule of online payment for any web service. At the same time, it should be as simple and feasible.

To do it, make sure that various payment alternatives are included for the participants. You may add, for example, VISA, Amex, Bank Transfer, PayPal, etc. to allow purchasers to choose from. This can assist you to improve conversion rates and provide you advantages such as decreased withdrawal from your check-out.

As a client, you should also keep in mind the terms & conditions of having these payment gateways on the portal. Before you start utilizing a ticketing platform, always reading the fine print to make sure you are happy with the fees and payout schedules affecting your cost and income. Ideally, you want to collaborate with a ticketing company that charges a flat fee without hidden expenses per ticket.

Determine how often your money is transferred to you on the ticketing site. You must get as soon as possible the money you make from ticket sales, but many platforms have high payment limits and time limits.

 3] Integrated Marketing Tools

To increase the response rate, ticketing platforms should interact with other advertising and marketing apps. For example, your ticketing software should link with Facebook and Google AdWords so that you can track visitor behavior on your ticket sales page and retarget them with Facebook and Google advertisements. You can also automatically generate custom audiences and lookalike audiences from those who visit your sales tickets page by using the data from Facebook integration.

The ticket administration and promotional tools that can enable the platform to work with automated tools are of significant advantage for you.

4] Compatible with all Devices

The necessity of the hour is a mobile site. Whether it’s purchasing tickets via social media or planning the event jointly – today’s digital customers rely on their smartphones more. Therefore, the event booking site must be equipment-agnostic compatible with cross-browser. Meaning the participants should be able to book their tickets with a laptop, desktop, or portable device. Your event booking software should thus make sure it is compatible with all devices.

5] Quick Support System

When people buy tickets, what if individuals have issues or problems? What about your account configuration, ticket sales page design and integration, and event promotion? What if you have questions regarding your account? Does the ticketing software provide the assistance you need for your event? Make sure it does.

Importantly, ensure that the ticketing software provides help when and how you need it. Choose a platform that provides email and phone assistance seven days a week since you never know when you or your ticket purchasers may run into an issue or have a query.

Best Event Ticketing Software

1] iConnectx

iConnectX is a good alternative for people who desire not too expensive event software, however, it has all the capabilities needed to best advertise events and sell tickets. The platform is nicely built and is excellent for companies that desire considerable expansion and scalability. From online auction to seamless ticket administration, the firm can offer solutions. You may utilize the tools on their website to include your event list, encourage your events with links to your Facebook page, and sell tickets.

iConnectX is inexpensive to all nonprofits enterprises and is suitable for all sorts, sizes, and complexities of events.

2] Eventbrite

The purpose of Eventbrite is clear: connect live experiences with the world. They have the means to sell more tickets and know what is happening in the event business.

Eventbrite is an excellent choice to explore if you want something straightforward to use. There is, however, little opportunity for templates to be customized. One reviewer says that if you want to have complete control of the design, you cannot “remove” branding from Eventbrite.

3] CVent

Cvent is commonly regarded as one of the finest choices for event planners who want to sell and purchase. Cvent is software for important events and programs throughout the world that has been included. The program is complete, beautifully designed, and unbelievably easy to use. Whatever sort of event you conceive of, Cvent can help you obtain what you need. The program gives anyone who wishes to test it themselves a free demo.

4] Tix.com

Tix.com is a great alternative for anyone who seeks free and easy-to-use software. Software programs often charge you for the privilege that accomplishes the same job. Tix.com is a fantastic alternative for people who don’t want to pay, so you can easily put up your ticket page. The program is recognized for its particular guest commitment function, which makes it possible for event organizers to connect to the participants of the event.

5] Ticketbud

Ticketbud is ideal for people who want software that gives them full control of all aspects in the process of event management and the sale of tickets. It is a wonderful way to aid people holding large events and who have no restrictions on the type of sales they wish to perform. The program also provides daily payments, so event organizers get paid more quickly than most other ticketing sites.

6] Accelevents

Accelevents is a low-cost software package for people who wish to build a ticketing platform. It is renowned to offer a broad variety of features and possibilities.

Regardless of what type of fundraiser you wish to hold, Accelevents offers lots of assistance to event organizers. It is recognized to be equipped with numerous integrated tools that may help event organizers do fund-raising, silent auctions, contributions, and other initiatives.

Conclusion

When it comes to organizing an event, you have to understand that it follows the principle of being judged by the book. Don’t jeopardize it by utilizing a ticket application with no proper functionality. Look instead for a platform that provides several types of tickets, integrated advertising and marketing, built-in advertising tools, payment processing, and support. In this sense, event ticketing serves as your cover since it provides the initial impressions of your event and leverages all subsequent interactions. If the event registration profile you use coincides with the features you require, you do not have to doubt the success of your event.

Charity auctions have been a great way to raise money for schools, campaigns, and nonprofits. After all, who doesn’t like to take home an aesthetic piece while also doing good with that money? Fundraising events focus on auctions because they have been a proven success model to raise the money desired. While previously, fundraising auctions were restricted by location, online fundraising has risen an opportunity for nonprofits to expand their reach.

As the rest of the world moves towards a virtual world, nonprofits need to adapt to this as well. A virtual charity auction may be a fantastic method to raise funds while also cultivating community. Bidding may be extended by adding additional goods or timed bidding to keep people engaged. There’s no need to resort to the trouble and expense of putting up a venue when there are lots of software choices with promotion, administration, and engagement capabilities.

You may have seen online fundraising auctions for other organizations. However, if you’ve never participated in an online fundraising auction before, it might be intimidating.
We have curated a list to help you run a fundraising auction online.

10 Tips to Run a Fundraising Auction Online

1. Decide the Right Type of Virtual Auction

The first step is to decide what type of auction it will be. You must know the different types of auctions so that you pick the right one for your non-profit. The two types of auctions are:

Silent Auction

This type of auction offers longevity to your fundraiser. This is a more hands-off approach, it does allow you to significantly expand your reach and encourage a diverse range of supporters to participate.

Guests will have access to your online inventory of available auction goods for a silent auction. Then they’ll be encouraged to look through the items at their leisure and bid on the ones that pique their interest. Because these virtual auctions are longer, you’ll need the right tools to keep participants engaged when it’s necessary.

Live Auction

One of the most fascinating online fundraising events you can conduct is a virtual live auction. You may have already hosted (or attended) a similar event in person. Bring this idea with live streaming technologies to the virtual world! All participants must connect to your live-streaming platform at a set time if you pick this sort of virtual auction. Then, in real-time, your auctioneer will be aired to the participants’ screens.

2. Decide the Auction Items

Choosing auction goods is difficult because you need to know which things will elicit the most enthusiasm from the contributors. Finding an object that is not materialistic is a wonderful idea. Because experimental products are difficult to find in stores, they are best sold at auction. Donors give because they want to make a difference. They are more interested in the emotional component of a bid item than the physical aspect. This connection can be made using experiential goods. Day tours, vacation trips, and visits to the location where your organization is working are all examples.

3. Promote Your Event

Take to social media if you want your online auction to be a success. Promote it on all platforms where you already have a following. Don’t forget to follow up with emails, newsletters, and maybe even internet advertising. It’s a good idea to use a blend of targeted invites and a broad-based mass marketing approach. This way, your loyal contributors and other supporters will receive a tailored message urging them to come, while others in your support network will learn about your event and decide to attend. It’s a win-win situation.

4. Decide the Rules of Auction

Before you start promoting, you should write down all the rules and regulations regarding pre, during, and post-auction events. You should include rules about auction items, bidding process, deliveries, payment terms, bidding rights, etc. It is also here that you mention the purpose of the auction and the buyer’s rights.

5. Payment Method and When they Can Pay

You are conducting a fundraiser because you want to raise money for a cause, therefore, having a clear document detailing payment instruments and their terms and conditions is a must. This document should also include by when they can transfer the money, any additional charges applied, and other things related to money.

6. Create A-Team

It takes a team to put on a successful fundraising event. A dedicated auction committee for the project may make a big impact and make things easier. Create a single center to simplify communications while arranging an auction because there are so many moving pieces. The committee can then be subdivided into the event, procurement, marketing, and operations subcommittees.

7. Be Creative (Build Suspense)

It’s critical to keep people busy and entertained, whether you’re holding an online or live auction. An uninteresting event might sap the motivation to participate in anything worthwhile, such as fundraising. Looking out methods to make everyone pleased at the end of the event is one approach to achieve this.

Aside from bidding, there are a few more things you may do to enhance the auction event. Remember that not all bidders will be able to purchase the thing they like, so offering them alternative ways to participate can be entertaining.

8. Keep Everyone Motivated

Planning an auction takes time and effort. Your auction team might lose track and get demotivated throughout the process. For it to not happen, make sure that the morale is high throughout the planning process, as well as after the event. Regardless of it was successful or not, remember the effort and appreciate it.

9. Create a Virtual Catalogue

Your online auction catalog is perhaps your most effective marketing instrument. After all, it’s a virtual window into your auction. Your catalog allows event attendees and other potential visitors to browse your products and decide whether or not they want to join. You might make your catalog available to the whole public ahead of time, or you could limit the sneak look to those who have already registered and paid for their tickets. The latter can be a fantastic way to encourage pre-registration by offering a special “early bird” chance.

10. Choose the Right Software

Online charity auction software allows you to organize a fundraiser from the convenience of your own home or workplace. Adopting a suite of specialist auction software is a must when it comes to preparing your forthcoming virtual auctions. With so many alternatives to select from, it’s important to remember to consider the most important aspects. Here are our top 3 recommendations:

• iConnectX is a prominent technology company that helps organizations and companies thrive in their fundraising efforts. iConnectX has robust fundraising solutions ranging from online auctions to event tickets and Text-To-Give and Donations. They also offer Live Software support, CRM input, a live event monitoring page an auto-bid. iConnectX is the perfect choice for your online fundraising auction, with reasonable rates and a team of specialists at your disposal.
• BiddingOwl is an auction management system that manages silent, live, and online auctions from beginning to end. Mobile bidding is also available during your event, as well as specialized fundraising help and fully integrated credit card processing.
• ClickBid was established in 2002. Hybrid events assist schools and organizations in raising cash. You may host silent, live, lottery, and fundraising events from donor mobile devices using their live auction and live video services.

Virtual auctions can take a lot of time and work to arrange, especially if it’s your first one, but the payoff can be huge! With the additional fundraising income and improved interaction with your charity supporters, you may be asking why you didn’t use this technique sooner.

Connect with the IConnectX team to get started with your online fundraising auction.

Fundraising is your organization’s lifeblood. It’s what allows you to achieve your mission, help others and keep bringing in more resources to fund those efforts further.

But coming by those funds? That’s not easy feat.

Nonprofits face many challenges when it comes to fundraising. As fundraising is one of the main sources of revenue for nonprofits, not getting sufficient funds can be a major cause of concern for nonprofits. The challenges of fundraising are many and at times unique to the organizations. But it is equally true that fundraising has increased during the pandemic.

Nonprofits are playing an active role in helping out marginalized communities throughout the world. Whether it is a grassroots organization or an international organization, all the help provided has been extremely overwhelming.

So if things are this good for nonprofits, then why is it hard to fundraise?

Shouldn’t all the good work speak for itself and the willingness of people to give will be more than enough?

It should be easy to motivate them to donate. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Many nonprofits are struggling to stay above the water level as the economy takes a huge hit.

While the challenges of fundraising are complex and intricate, we will discuss multiple factors responsible for it. It is crucial to recognize and acknowledge the problems before we jump to find solutions. Let’s look at some of the more common fundraising challenges charities face nowadays – and how to overcome them and attract those dollars.

Here are some of biggest challenges every nonprofit face while fundraising:

1. Finding the Correct Target Market

The biggest hurdle to cross is finding the right platform to host the fundraiser and the people to target. Just like a business, a nonprofit also has its target market. The target market here means those people who will be moved by your work and motivated to donate to your cause. This only happens when your messaging or cause touches them emotionally.

For example, if your cause is about employing marginalized women in Australia, then it is a waste of resources to ask for fundraising from a USA businessman. He may want to donate to a cause in his country and support a local organization. Instead, if you target a women-led business in Australia, they may be more than willing to donate to your cause. And who knows, maybe offer some jobs to the marginalized women.

2. Telling your Story

Just like correct targeting, giving a clear message is another challenge in fundraising. A nonprofit is focused on many issues at once, but you have to narrow it down in such a way that the audience can comprehend the work being done.

Online fundraising efforts that aren’t based on an engaging narrative aren’t as effective as those that are. The key to a successful campaign is to tell your organization’s narrative in a way that appeals to contributors’ emotions and demonstrates the effect they can have. When people read meaningful tales, they are naturally encouraged to be giving, and stories encourage them to become more involved in your cause over time. Give your supporters exactly what they desire – how their money will be used, visual presentations, and clear organizational goals.

3. Reduced Donor Retention

Someone may give once, but donate twice or more regularly? That may be rather challenging. The value you can give to contributors is the key to maintaining them. What do they get in exchange for their contribution? Donors want to feel like they’re a part of the narrative. They dislike giving since they have no idea where their money goes or how it is used.

The most successful nonprofits include their contributors in the narrative. This may be as easy as sending out regular updates via email or social media on the job they’re doing and the lives they’re touching. Or it might be encouraging volunteers to serve with you, collaborating hand in hand in the job you’re doing.

4. Maintaining Trust in Nonprofits

The public’s trust is one of the most important elements that influence nonprofit donating. Unfortunately, when there are problems in the nonprofit sector, the media is ready to exploit the issue.

They focus on the few failing firms, which usually focus on weak leadership. As a result, individuals are discouraged from donating to charity in general. Many individuals assume that if one institution fails, all organizations are untrustworthy.

Nonprofits are meant to be the good guys. They have a goal, a vision to make the world a better place, rather than just creating money for the sake of making money. However, when it comes to receiving public funding, organizations must stick to the rules.

All this involves being as frank and open to your procedures and activities as feasible, avoiding cutting corners, and understanding your donors’ perspectives. If you don’t, you risk losing your supporters’ and audience’s faith and trust, which is the kryptonite of all charities.

5. Reaching a Standstill

Even after you’ve launched your internet fundraising campaign and gathered cash for a set period, there’s always the possibility that it may come to a halt. It can be discouraging to reach a deadlock with your fundraiser, but there are ways to re-engage your donors and keep the momentum going.

People will be more interested if you post updates about your fundraising as frequently as possible. If you convey that you’re getting close to your target, including an impact statement may even motivate further donations. This may be accomplished by segmenting your donor database and tailoring your approach to them depending on their giving history and your connection.

6. Limited Resources

During fundraising, there’s a typical trend: contributors don’t know that running a charity requires money. The majority of your resources are most likely flowing toward your main goal. Although you have enlisted the aid of volunteers, you still have a mountain of expenses to pay. There are operational expenses, administrative charges, development expenditures, and a million other things to consider.
Unfortunately, your donors are unaware of this. Misaligned expectations result from an inaccurate knowledge of the expenses of running a nonprofit. They expect to get more done for less money.

Tackling the root cause of the issue can be of help. It is the unrealistic expectations of donors. While this is a difficult road to cross, being transparent about your costs is certainly of help. Just because you don’t have a lot of money doesn’t mean you can’t get your name out there. Join forces with other local groups to benefit from each other’s skills and resources.

Co-host events and see if you can get any local media attention using free resources like social media. It may need some imagination, but the increased exposure will be well worth the effort in the end.

7. Asking Money Online

One of the most difficult aspects of internet fundraising is explicitly asking for money. Making requests might feel weird or self-promotional, but asking is very necessary if you want to raise the cash you need to work toward your purpose. Your fundraising will suffer if you bury your requests in your content or if you are unclear about what you are asking donors to do.

There are several channels where you may advertise your charity and raise cash in today’s world where everyone is online. Despite this, many organizations are struggling to stay up with technological advancements.

Instant interactions on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram allow you to instantly establish a personal connection with your audience and help disseminate your message in real-time. However, having an amazing Instagram feed isn’t the only benefit of digital fundraising.

It’s all well and good to be on Twitter, but if you’re still collecting cash donations in a contactless-dominated market, you’re missing out on a whole new form of fundraising on the ground. There are several ways for charities and nonprofits to generate donations without relying on loose change, ranging from contactless payment technology to the development of new donation applications.

8. Finding New Donors

People are careful about who they give their money to. They do thorough research, they ask friends and family, and they reach out to others with their same values and ideals. If your name doesn’t come up in that research, they might not know you exist.

Though it can be hard to focus on marketing when you have such world-changing goals in mind, investing just a little time in social media or community events can make a big difference. You want your charity visible when someone’s ready and willing to give!

To overcome this situation and it may be best to use multiple ideas to make your fundraising campaign successful, you should understand what your donors expect from you and where will you find your donors. You can use storytelling to emotionally attract your donor by using email campaigns, community events, video campaigns and to build and retain donor interest.

9. Donor Retention

Someone might donate once, but getting them to donate twice or even more regularly? That can be pretty difficult. The key to retaining donors lies in the value you’re able to provide them. What are they getting in return for their donation?

Make sure you send them a personalized thank you note and keep them apprised of what their dollars are doing. Include them and commend them. Empower them to carry your message and bring in others to donate as well.

10. Lack of Resources

Most of your resources are probably going toward your overarching mission – as they should. But tight cash flow doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get your name out there. Partner up with other organizations in your area and feed off each other’s strengths and resources.

Co-host events utilize free tools like social media and see if you can secure any local media coverage. It might take some creativity, but the added exposure will be well worth it in the end.

Great Storytelling for Fundraising

It’s very difficult to find new donors if you don’t have enough money to spend in marketing activities for your charity programs. Today, donors perform a thorough research before coming to any conclusion. A nonprofit can use 3 tips to improve through great storytelling for fundraising for ideas on their activity. Create a concrete story and be specific, use multiple channels which is suitable to target your donor and create emotional appeal to connect with your programs.

Fundraising is a forever challenge for the nonprofit industry. But it is also the industry that has survived and brought immense change in society. As our world changes, we are now moving towards online fundraising. Online fundraising comes with its challenges and having a team of experts handle it is helpful. iConnectX has a great team to assist with online fundraising and makes the process painless.

Joining a platform like iConnectX can also help put your nonprofit or charity on the map. iConnectX lets you raise funds in an easy, hands-off and, most importantly, freeway. Sign up today and see what we’re all about.

Raising money to support goals is a process that never stops in nonprofits. There is always an ongoing drive to attract new contributors while preserving connections. Both involve considerable work, attention, and a little planning. One of the toughest tasks at hand for non-profit professionals is to discover sources of income and choose the proper fundraising strategy for their organization. It is not simple to decide on the correct approach to nonprofit funding.

In a competitive world, it is necessary to know where your donations come from. Individual donors to major donor corporations, all are donation types that a nonprofit business can receive.

Here we look at types of donations, how nonprofits get donations and what to say when asking for donations.

Types of donations?

Broadly we can categorize donation types based on individual or corporations or foundations.

Individual Donors

Individual donors can be people with a steady income or super-rich people. They donate majorly because they feel for the cause and want to support it. The type of donations they make can be either an online donation, mobile donation, monthly donations, pledges, or goods. Depending upon the donations made, you can categorize your individual donors into:

Major Donors

Sometimes, you have donations that give you a large influx of cash and it gets your project started. These types of donors may not be regular or consistent but provide a great monetary donation to your organization. You should have a plan at hand to attract these types of donors as they are good to have on your donor lists.

Regular Donors

As the name suggests, regular donors give frequent donations in small amounts. They are a steady source of income for nonprofits. They also make a large majority of the donor base, therefore having good donor acquisition and retention strategies is a must. Regular donors can be monthly or quarterly or yearly. Regardless, they are necessary for sustaining nonprofits.

Pledges

Pledges are nonprofit contributions, to be made over several months or years by individuals. They are used by individuals who wish to contribute a significant amount of money, but who cannot pay the whole amount in one payment. Rather, over time, these supporters provide an organization the money. Pledges are like monthly or repeated donations, but the distinction lies in the non-profit communication.

Offer services

There are individuals who cannot give monetary donations but like to offer their skills to give something to the organization. They can offer services like website development, marketing, and advertising, graphic designing, teaching, etc. These are also valuable to a nonprofit, especially if it’s a new nonprofit.

Volunteers

Many individuals certainly do not regard volunteer time as a kind of donation. It is difficult to perceive them not as donors of any kind, when you think of the time and effort numerous volunteers are giving to organizations. Volunteers can donate financially too, or they can give their time and efforts. However, if you compute the kind of donations that your organization receives, your organization should not count out volunteers.

Corporate Donors

A corporate endorsement may be an outstanding source of charity financing. In general, companies are willing to partner in programs aimed at improving the charitable image or at becoming a socially responsible business. CSR is more essential than ever because customers are more inclined to buy from socially responsible firms. Different companies will have different schemes for contributing – some of which may work for your company.

Many corporations provide grants to qualifying nonprofits, both locally and internationally. The application procedure frequently takes time, but these company subsidies might be worthwhile. Firms that do not want to provide money to a nonprofit organization might give some type of in-kind gifts. In-kind gifts are time, service, or commodities contributions that a corporation may deliver. Articles for charity auctions are another example of typical in-kind contributions. Local companies or people give goods that are offered by auction participants.

Foundations

Donations given by any foundation will fall under this category. Different foundations offer different types of donations. Largely, they give a mixture of monetary and in-kind donations.

A community foundation gives grants to nonprofits located in their geographic area. The most common causes to give funds to are research, scholarships, buildings and renovations, endowments, and annual funds. These types of foundations pool resources to give the grants. On the other hand, in private foundations, the money comes from one single source. The most famous example is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They either give to one particular nonprofit or distribute their donations to a broad range of nonprofits.

The 7 Types of Donors

So far we have looked at the kind of donations made to nonprofits, here we look into the types of donors. Behind every donation, be it corporate or foundations, there is an individual involved. In 1974, Russ Alan Prince and Karen Maru File wrote a book titled The Seven Faces of Philanthropy. The book is a must-read for nonprofits to understand donor psychology and improve communications strategies. Depending upon the donor type, you can engage with them accordingly and not use one shoe fits all.

1. The Altruist:

They are the type you want to always have as a recurring or major donor. The altruists donate because they genuinely care for your cause and doing good. Recognition or credits are things they do not care about. “Do the Right Thing” is more than just a slogan, they truly believe in it.

2. Dynast:

It’s about legacy for them. Donation is in their blood and is more about carrying out the tradition. It’s a family thing. You should care more about the history than the person donating.

3. Devout:

A devout donor donates because of their strong belief in a group or cause and the desire to fit in with fellow devotees. Acknowledging their devotion and having an engaging communication strategy is a good way to go.

4. Repayer:

It’s about giving back and returning the favor. This type of donor feels a sense of responsibility or obligation towards those who have helped them get where they are. Gratitude is their language, so focus on messaging how you will give the outcomes they desire.

5. Investor:

A donation is a mere number and a business move. What are the tax benefits? Or Will it be good for business? are commonly asked questions. And it’s fine! A direct approach and a list of how a donation will benefit them should be handy.

6. Communitarian:

It is about the community. Whether based on location, race, gender, ethnicity, or culture, it is all about empowering the community. A good approach is to explain how their donation will uplift the community.

7. Socialite:

Lights, camera, and action! They want credit and recognition for the donations they give. They show up to galas and fundraisers to make their presence known. They also bring their friends, which means more donations for the cause. The best way to appreciate them is to be thankful publicly and mention their donations.

As mentioned there is not one single reason why people donate to nonprofits. There are plenty! Regardless, it is important to remember that nonprofits can reach their donor base only when there is a proper communication setup. If there isn’t constant engagement from the organization’s side then donors will deviate their donations to other nonprofits who appreciate their monetary gift. You shouldn’t take your donors for granted. Instead of always wondering what to say when asking for a donation, you should prepare a 2 min elevator pitch. If it interests them they will ask more or even get convinced in those 2 mins.

You should always ensure that you have a strategy when it comes to acquiring funding for your company. Invest in donor contacts, whether they be private people, foundations, businesses, or government funding agencies. It takes time to build and cultivate these relationships. All types of support should be respected.

Nonprofits help the community through charitable activities. Charitable activities require funds that come in the form of donations from philanthropists. Donations are raised through fundraising activities that involve donors. Several fundraising tools help nonprofits generate funds easily.

Let us First Understand how Nonprofit Functions:

A nonprofit associates itself with various charitable ventures. Ideally a nonprofit selects charities that are aligned to its vision and mission.

Need to establish their brand in the market and raise awareness for nonprofits. This is usually done by creating a digital presence in addition to its physical presence with the help of a website. The website is promoted using digital marketing techniques like search engine optimization, social media marketing, etc. These help the nonprofit spread the word about itself and what it stands for. These techniques help attract an audience to the brand.

The nonprofit needs funds to support the charities it is associated with. Hence, it organizes fundraising events to generate money.

Let’s now break down the all-important question, “how fundraising events raise money?”

Traditionally fundraising events were held physically and had donors participate in them and donate directly. For instance, fundraising events like auctions would be organized that would have donors bidding for items on auction. Funds would be generated by giving away the item to the highest bidder and the funds collected through bidding, registration, and ticketing would be utilized for charity. Or it could be fundraising events like marathons, etc. that would have several participants. The purpose for organizing the event would be indicated to the participants so that they could donate. Again, most of such events would require participants to purchase tickets that would contribute to the funds raised. Such events could have sponsors supporting them and donating for the event.

However, the pandemic has completely changed how nonprofit fundraising events are organized. Now, most nonprofit events are held online. And, this is where various fundraising tools have a vital role to play.

Why Fundraising Tools are Required?

Fundraising tools are software and apps that simplify the process of hosting fundraising events and raising funds.

Fundraising tools not only help organize fundraising events seamlessly but also offer multiple benefits.

Benefits of Fundraising Tools:

1. They help Reach New Donors:

Fundraising platforms have social media marketing integrated into them facilitating promotion to reach a wide audience.

They help Nonprofits Retain Old Donors: Nonprofits can retain old donors by engaging with them with the help of techniques like email marketing or adding fresh content to the site.

Nonprofit platforms support different types of marketing techniques.

2. Promote Campaigns:

When you organize a nonprofit fundraising event, you will need to promote your campaigns. Fundraising platforms for nonprofits offer the means to market your campaigns to reach a wide audience.

3. Hosting Fundraising Events:

Fundraising platforms help you host events by providing end-to-end event management tools. Nonprofits can use fundraising platforms for ticketing and registration, organizing events through webinars, zoom meetings, live streaming, and more. These platforms also facilitate collecting feedback from the audience. Fundraising platforms are designed to support specific types of nonprofit fundraising such as peer-to-peer funding or online auctions, etc.

4. Offer Seamless Collaboration:

These platforms offer a single point for connecting various stakeholders. This enables taking quick decisions and better planning.

5. Make Donating Easier:

These platforms make it easier for donors to contribute funds by providing features like text-to-donate, donation buttons on the website, etc.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fundraising tools:

1. Fundraising Platform

A fundraising platform is one of the basic tools that any nonprofit requires for supporting different functions. There are different types of fundraising platforms in the market, each offering different types of features. It is recommended that you compare the features offered by these platforms and choose the one that best meets the needs of your nonprofit.

2. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

A customer relationship management system streamlines all aspects of client management. It facilitates track your donors, identifies donor personas, communicates effectively with them, etc. It helps in tracking relationships over time, integrating various systems, etc. Make sure that you select a CRM that integrates with the fundraising platform you have chosen.

3. Email Marketing Tools

Email marketing is one of the most important marketing strategies used by nonprofits because it helps establish a channel for direct communication with donors. Several email marketing tools are available to organize your email marketing.

4. Social Media Marketing Tools

Social Media Marketing tools help bring all profiles to a single platform from where you can update all of them. Social media marketing tools help in scheduling posts, tracking engagement, click rates, etc.

Besides these several other tools support different types of nonprofit fundraising strategies:

Peer to Peer Fundraising:

These refer to tools that enable support of different aspects of peer-to-peer fundraising. In other words, when peer-to-peer fundraising is done, this tool takes care of spreading the word about your fundraiser to your peers who can work with you in achieving your goals.

Auction Tools:

Online auctions are a popular choice of nonprofits for fundraising. Auction tools help in setting up and hosting online auctions seamlessly. These tools establish a system to help donors participate in the auction by sending their bids online. They facilitate comparison and finding out the winning bid, etc.

Donation Page:

Donation pages are set up by nonprofits on their websites to facilitate easy donations. Nonprofits must ensure that the donation pages are mobile-friendly to make it easy for more donors to contribute. Also, donation pages must be easy to navigate with clear instructions.

Text Giving:

Text to give is one of the easiest ways to donate. The donor sends a text message to a particular number associated with the nonprofit. He is then directed to the payment page where he can donate the amount he wishes to. This method has become extremely popular among donors because of the ease of use and the rising number of mobile users globally. A nonprofit will require a platform to set up a text-to-give system.

As we have seen, fundraising platforms help organize nonprofit events seamlessly. It is recommended that you compare different fundraising platforms before selecting one.

What are the Best Fundraising Platforms?

Different platforms offer varying features that can be used for fundraising by nonprofits.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular fundraising platforms:

1. Qgiv:

This platform offers a host of features that are beneficial for nonprofits such as online giving tools, event registration, peer-to-peer fundraising, tracking tools, auction tools, and more. It includes a myriad of options for small, mid-size, and large nonprofits to support different types of fundraising events.

2. Bloomerang:

This platform focuses on building the loyalty and commitment of donors. It offers features that facilitate building effective fundraising strategies.

3. Match Maker:

The focus of Match Maker is managing donor relationships.

4. Neon CRM:

It is a cloud-based CRM that helps nonprofits generate funds easily. It also enables nonprofits to track donor data easily which helps build effective strategies.

So, we see that the focus area of each platform is different. Hence the features in the platform are built according to its focus area. You can choose a platform that best meets the needs of your nonprofit.

Conclusion

iConnectX is a nonprofit fundraising platform that supports fundraising options such as:

• Online auctions
• Donation pages
• Ticketed events
• Text-to-give fundraising
• Mobile giving

iConnectX is well-suited to the needs of most nonprofits and offers a reliable support system through a team of experts to support fundraising strategies of nonprofits.