Fundraising is hard work. Between planning events and organizing information, everything you do should serve to make the donor experience easier. That can be a lot! Luckily for you, there are some high-quality fundraising tools that can streamline the donation process while making your life easier.
To improve the donor experience, first consider the platforms where you interact with donors most likely somewhere in the online sphere. How your nonprofit does this may very well depend on the fundraising technology you are using .
Due to the ongoing global pandemic, nonprofits around the world are adopting virtual fundraising strategies faster than ever before. This also means that the tools in your fundraising technology stack are becoming more important than ever before.
There is nonprofit software designed to track time, manage social media , plan fundraising events , and so much more. All the choices can seem overwhelming! That’s why we put together this quick guide to help you get started.
When exploring new fundraising technology considerations, these are the key factors you should focus on:
- Your Non-Profit Website
- Communication tools
- Donor database
Having the software is not enough. Knowing how to use these different technologies is what will ultimately improve the donor experience and enhance your organization’s fundraising operations. Let’s get started.
1. Your Nonprofit Website
You know that your organization’s website is extremely important. After all, it’s where many new supporters learn about your mission and where veteran supporters discover upcoming engagement opportunities. That’s why you should constantly review and update your website, c level executive list because the Internet is constantly evolving, too.
Keeping up with the latest trends could make or break your website. But what exactly should you be looking to update?
Contents
Many times, potential donors will go to a nonprofit’s website to get general information. They want to know what the organization does and why it is important. For this reason, co-creation and partnerships between giants the content on your website needs to be current and up-to-date. No one wants to read about your nonprofit’s milestone achievement ten years ago!
Your information should also be clear and simple . Don’t drown your content in fancy language that no one will understand. This is a place where everyone will go to get information, so everyone should be able to read it .
Hopefully, having the right content will lead potential donors through the conversion cycle to your donation page! With helpful, relevant information, europe email supporters can make a more confident decision to donate to your cause.
Donation page
Your donation page is where every potential donor will ideally land when they visit your website. If they are already on your donation page, chances are the content they have read so far has resonated with them enough to consider their hard-earned funds. Now, your donation page is used to solidify their decision and ensure a speedy donation process!
That’s why you should make your donor page as simple as possible, with every design and technology choice made for the donor’s benefit. Here are two things to keep in mind:
- Donation Form. Your donation form should be easy to digest and simple to fill out. There should be no reason to turn people away once they reach this form. Consider page elements like which buttons to display and how to group text fields. The faster a donor can complete your donation page, the more likely you are to receive successful donations!
- Payment Options. Once your donor has filled out the form, there should be an easy way for them to pay online. There are several software programs that can make this easy, so look at the different providers and decide which one is best for you. It is a good idea to have a recurring payment option to make it easier for repeat donors to decide to donate more than once.
Now that your website is updated and your donation page is ready, you’re one step closer to mastering your fundraising technology! For more design tips, check out this handy guide from DNL OmniMedia
2. Communication tools
Once your website is up and running with the right technology, you can start exploring other ways to engage with your donors. Consistent communication is important to keep donors up to date with current events and relevant news. Here are three main ways nonprofits typically communicate with donors:
Email is the most widely used communication channel between nonprofits and their supporters. You can set up an email subscription or periodic newsletter to inform your donors about organizational updates, inform them of upcoming events, and thank them for their contributions.
Check out these best practices for effective email communication:
- Include a catchy, short, and informative subject line.
- Personalize your message for each donor.
- Keep your content short and easy to read (even on mobile!).
- Provide simple information about how to donate or contact your nonprofit.
- Analyze your email marketing metrics to make improvements.
Using these tips, you’ll set yourself up for success by creating and distributing optimized email content that your supporters will realize they want to read.
