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Going Beyond the Donate Button

September 2007 By M. Sue Woodward

Your online strategy needs to fit your organization’s goals, target audience and budget. But every nonprofit organization, no matter how large or small, should incorporate online fundraising into its overall fundraising strategy. You can always do something (other than that “Donate” button), even if it’s a simple e-mail strategy.

E-mail is the heart and soul of a solid online fundraising strategy. Survey after survey has shown that e-mailing is the one thing that almost every person who uses the Internet (90 percent and higher) can do … and does with the greatest frequency, topping Web surfing, participation in social networks, games and other forms of online entertainment.

E-mail allows you to reach out to current and potential supporters in a personal way. But don’t stop there … a recent survey of 2,379 nonprofit supporters conducted by Harris Interactive in collaboration with Mindshare found that 14 percent of those polled prefer to receive information from friends, 12 percent prefer to receive information from family, (people giving to people), with only 10 percent preferring e-mails from the organization. So maybe it isn’t the most important online fundraising method — but it is certainly the most widely used.

These findings are a big heads-up to organizations that rely solely on e-appeals and e-newsletters to reach their online fundraising goals. They need to begin thinking of how they can engage donors through more interactive strategies rather than just push marketing.

Your Web site has essentially three goals: To inform, recruit and raise funds. So give your online fundraising about one-third of the space. Make your “Donate” button easy to find, but don’t stop there. Tell personal stories about your organization’s needs, its progress and its successes — and then incorporate a pitch for a donation. Back to the Harris/Mindshare survey: 18 percent of nonprofit supporters prefer searching an organization’s Web site themselves before taking an action. Another reason to get your Web site storefront in order!

Integrate online with offline — sounds like common sense, but many nonprofits still work in silos with a division of labor for online, other direct-response vehicles, communications and IT. Find a common ground and make the most of your internal resources by incorporating brand, themes and messaging of your offline fundraising and communication materials in all of your fundraising programs.

Finally, make everything easy. People have so many options today, online and offline, and so many tasks to juggle. Invariably, they choose the path of least resistance. Don’t defeat your purpose by putting obstacles between you and your supporters and potential contributors.

When you send an e-mail asking for a donation, include a link that will take them directly to the donation form or micro landing page. Do not go to your homepage. Do not take them to a program page.

If they want to give you money, let them do it with ease and efficiency!

If you ask them to donate online on your Web site homepage, link that page directly to a form that allows them to make the donation. And, be sure to keep the donation page simple and easy to navigate!

Even though more and more people are becoming comfortable with making online donations, their fear of someone undesirable getting their personal information is very real. Be sure to include the options for a downloadable donation form and, if your budget allows, give a phone number where folks can call to contribute.

Make it easy for your supporters to recruit others. Use new technologies that build communities in support of your organization. In your e-mails, encourage your recipients to forward it to their family, friends and co-workers. Remember the survey? Incorporate search engine optimization and, if you have the resources, search engine marketing into your ongoing acquisition plans. Also, participate in existing social networks and blogs — go to where your potential donors are rather than trying to get them to always come to you.

So, go ahead with that “Donate” button. But make it just one part of a larger, more successful online fundraising strategy.

M. Sue Woodward is director of fundraising services at Mindshare Interactive Campaigns. www.mindshare.net
 

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