Online Fundraising: Strategies,
Best Practices & Case Studies
James Appleyard
CEO + Chairman
When did the Internet begin for you?
The Internet Resulted from Search for a Solution to a Cold War Problem
๐ Risk that Soviets would launch nuclear weapons & knock out the US phone network – needed to create redundant military communications system
The Web: “Bottom of the Food Chain” for Gossip… & Worse?
How can this place be good?
How can good people spend time in this place?
This is NOT about
TECHNOLOGY.
This is aboutTECHNOLOGY helping
charities’ supporters tell
THE STORIES THAT MATTER
The faster things change...
...the more people are the same
๐ People are BUSY
๐ People give to people they know
๐ Great stories cause people to take action
Without fundraising there are no programs. The less we spend on it the less money there is for programs… we need to "de-criminalize fundraising.”
Dan Pallotta www.danpallotta.com
Fundraisers’ Challenge #1
Traditional Fundraising Channels:Expensive, Invasive, Declining
Fundraisers’ Challenge #2
Greater-than-Ever Competition for DonorsIn a Weak Economy
“How Much Are Canadians Giving, How Are They Giving and How Has This Changed in the Digital World?”
Q12. Over the last year, have you donated to a charity you had never given money to before?Q13. What was the main reason why you donated to this charity?
Main Reasons for Donating to New Charity
Main Reasons for Donating to New Charity
24%24%24%24%Friend/acquaintance/Friend/acquaintance/family member asked me family member asked me to donateto donate
Friend/acquaintance/Friend/acquaintance/family member asked me family member asked me to donateto donate
16%16%16%16%Particular charity does good Particular charity does good workwork
Particular charity does good Particular charity does good workwork
16%16%16%16%Charity asked me to Charity asked me to donatedonate
Charity asked me to Charity asked me to donatedonate
12%12%12%12%Affected by the work they Affected by the work they dodo
Affected by the work they Affected by the work they dodo
10%10%10%10%Memoriam GiftMemoriam GiftMemoriam GiftMemoriam Gift
Interest in Donating Online
Interested
Neutral
Not Interested
Q8. To what extent, if at all, are you interested in having the ability to make a financial donation online to a charity or non-for-profit of your choice? Please use the following 7-point scale
41% of donors who are interested in donating online have not done so before…
41% of donors who are interested in donating online have not done so before…
Who undertakes an important fundraising event(s)… such as a run, walk, climb, shave, gala, or telethon?
Who has a website that supports online participant registration for those events, AND “peer-to-peer” fundraising in support of these events?
Who undertakes fundraising WITHOUT an event?
How much of your fundraising income comes via the web today; who has an organizational target for it?
e-25e-25
Thought:
If you have a
successful
fundraising event –
build on its strengths
“Every donation made online saves The Terry Fox Foundation 80 cents in administrative costs – helping to keep 87 cents of every dollar raised going
to cancer research.”
“Please use this pledge sheet to complement your online efforts.”
Online Donations Rose 50%+ y-o-y in a “mature” event
Terry Fox Run - Lessons Learned
• You really CAN move donors from offline to online. (72% of Canadian & 63% of U.S. donors have now made a donation online)
• Pledge sheets & cheques will ‘never’ go away
• Use existing points of contact to inspire new behaviour
Thought:
Identify your
“Contagious”
Supporters…
๐ The study of Epidemics shows that disease spread unevenly…
๐ Some individuals are particularly contagious…
๐ What if instead of a cough or a sneeze the contagion spreads through requests for support?
David Walliams
- 10h 34m -- 35km -
£ 1 million
Not all digital fundraisers are created equal…
Actual Artez Client Event 2008 2009 % Change
# Fundraisers Registered 381 606 +50%
# Teams 28 42 +50%
$ e-Gifts (Average) $507,365 ($152)
$1,221,750 ($152)
+63%
# e-Gifts 3,961 9,676 +64%
# Participants with 1+ online sponsors
263 457 +74%
Average # of e-Gifts / Fundraiser
14.8 20.9 +41%
Ave $ e-Gifts / Fundraiser $1,942 $3,668 +89%
Top 10 Fundraisers $278,082 $452,112 +63%
“Contagion” Metrics
Thought:
Events raise lots of $$
online… but the
possibilities don’t end
there…
How to (pretty much) climb Everest without leaving town and raise a mountain of cash for sick kids
๐ Launched in 2007 as corporate team event, online
๐ 2007 – 2009: custom-built online interface for registration & entering steps – but no peer-to-peer fundraising pages๐ Key issues – ongoing website glitches &
problems impacting on retention and participant & donor satisfaction; weak fundraising outcomes
Financial Results
2007 2008 2009
Fundraising income*
$39,215 $53,532 $65,578
*excludes registration fees + sponsorships
2010 Goals were: Improve user experience
Add person to person fundraisingRaise >$70,000
2010 Goals were: Improve user experience
Add person to person fundraisingRaise >$70,000
2010 Solution
๐ ‘Everest’ microsite built in new Joomla CMS
๐ Artez for peer-to-peer fundraising… with custom elements designed by Homemade Digital in the UK to build ‘Stepping’ into existing personal pages๐ add social media ‘sparkle’
Actual Results• Total fundraising $130,000 (goal was
$70,000)
• 216 Facebook app users; 198 iPhone users – more choices for supporters than ever
• 1,100 unique visitors to brisbanetimes scoreboard – great exposure for their key sponsor
Lessons…
o Test, test, test… be flexible & quick on your feet
o Will supporters acquired from the web eventually be contacted through ‘snail’ mail? – If so, consider Address Verification (AVS)
o Rewards motivate online participants
o Don’t forget the potential of the ‘long tail’
Thought:
Even if you don’t have a
fundraising event or
campaign… Set-up a
‘Fundraise Now’ Button…
Empower supporters through Community Fundraising
It’s Your Fundraisers’ Choice…
Board Member Fundraising
What is Alternative Giving?
๐ Fund a…๐Sponsor a…๐Give a…๐Adopt a…
…Tangible Impacts
It’s about hope, and showing people how their actions can have a direct & tangible impact
It’s about hope, and showing people how their actions can have a direct & tangible impact
Tribute Donations… Online
CDN$124,270 raised
online from this one
tribute page
Thought:
Be Where Your
Supporters Are Heading
Now…
Once again…the “phone” is the NEXT BIG thing!
2 BILLION people will use the INTERNET this month…
…BUT 5 BILLION will have a
MOBILE PHONE in 2011.
“3 Legs” of Mobile Donations
1. “Text to Give”
2. Secure Mobile Browser
3. Applications (‘Apps’)
Mobile Web Donations
PayPal Express Checkout allows donors to quickly log into their PayPal accounts & transfer funds… without entering credit card information
Event Listing on iTunes.com App Store
The Artez App for iPhone
The Artez App for iPhone
Get Sponsors
Event participants can access iPhone address books to quickly email friends & family
Sharing On Social Networks
A fully-integrated way to share fundraising goals & messages on Twitter & Facebook
Donate Now
Users can pass their iPhone to a friend & ask them to make a secure donation… on the spot
Add mobile donations to existing campaigns
Direct your mobile web donors straight to your secure mobile donation form through strategies such as: QR code, SMS messages (with consent!), or email http://bit.ly/artezmobile
Over $85,000 raised in 3 weeks
>1,700 donors
>700 blogs linked to Pim's fundraising page
Funds Raised By Year
$-
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Every year, Food Bloggers from all over the world join together for a fundraising campaign. We call it 'Menu for Hope'. Last year, we raised $60,925.12 for the UN World Food Program.
This year Menu for Hope 4 again raises funds to support the WFP. Specifically, the amount we raise will go to support the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa….
New Types of Social Media Campaigns: “Blog-Based” Fundraiser
Thought:
Test, Measure,
Adjust. Repeat.
Thought:
“PCI”: Security & privacy
for charitable supporters
isn’t just ‘best practice’
anymore… now it’s a
must
Top 6 Barriers to Donating Online
Security
Security
Security
Security
Barriers To Online - For Those Not Interested
Q9. Why is the idea of making a financial donation online less appealing to you?
“The PCI DSS is a multifaceted security standard that includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures. This comprehensive standard is intended to help organizations proactively protect customer account data.”
Thought:
Focus on your
mission… & outsource
what you can
A ‘Bit’ More About Artez๐ Toronto-based, 45 employees; We’re in Australia,
UK & EU, US & Canada
๐ Most affordable among top-tier, global solutions
๐ “SaaS” (Software-as-a-Service) Model
๐ High Security – PCI level 1 compliant
๐ Client success – 90%+ annual client retention
Online Donation Toolkit
• One time• Monthly/ Recurring• Tribute
Mobile Fundraising
• PayPal App for Android • Artez App for iPhone• Mobile Optimized Pages• Mobile Communicator
Social Network Fundraising
• Register• Fundraise• Donate• Extend Brand Awareness
Partner Programs
• Memorial Donations Handler • QAS Address Verification• Preferred Payment Gateways• Cornerstone (Canada)• Rapidata (UK)• ASI (Global)
Artez SecureCloud Platform
Artez Consulting
• Customization• Web design & development• Project management
Artez Extensions
• Raiser’s Edge Data
Connector• Salesforce Connector
Shop for a Cause
• Merchandise• Alternative Gifts• Event tickets
We’re proud of our
clients...big & small
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