When you are in charge of raising money, you know there’s a trigger that drives a gift to your organization. Whether it’s an established relationship, someone with a personal connection to your cause, or a passion about the work you do in your community, there’s a moment of impact you make through your marketing, your content, or the personal relationships you build. Something happens that compels that individual to donate.
How many times have you been in front of a crowd at one of your events explaining the impact of your cause? You know people in the audience were moved by what they heard, but they didn’t have time to fill out a pledge card or didn’t take that extra step to give after the event?
The moment of impact has been missed, and there is a better way to connect.
As a fundraiser you need to meet your donors where they, are and research tells us they’re on mobile. McKinsey research shows the majority of US households have smartphones. The amount of time people spend on their mobile phones and tablets has almost doubled since 2008. Think about it – who doesn’t have their mobile phone with them at all times?
Establishing a digital and mobile presence is a key component to engaging today’s nonprofit donor. Capitalizing on that engagement will help you drive that moment of impact and meet your donors where they are. Here are three ways to do it:
- 1. Tap into their Daily Behavior
Whether it’s at an event or during your everyday routine, there’s a moment of impact that drives someone to give. Think about how much you do with your mobile phone every day. You use it for research. You engage with people. You write reviews. You order transportation. You make purchases. It should be just as easy for you to donate to your favorite cause. If you tap into the daily behavior your donors are already doing, it will be easier to turn that moment of impact into needed funds.
- 2. Make giving easy
At a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals event in Chicago Abilia noted that 47 percent of donations were abandoned because the opportunity to give wasn’t intuitive or engaging. When you add steps to the giving process, you miss opportunity. In contrast, when you make giving easy, you garner more funds for your organization. Research shows the altruistic impulse lasts 8 seconds. If you can get the donor to act on that impulse in less time, you’re more likely to drive donations.
However, it shouldn’t mean you need to hire a development team and create your own nonprofit mobile platform. What donor wants to have 30 different apps from various nonprofit organizations? In addition, you shouldn’t have to spend your monthly budget just for the chance to use mobile on behalf of your organization.
Related: Interested in a centralized donation platform for all of your fundraising needs? Mobile giving just got easier. Click here!
- 3. Leverage Social Capital
Today’s donors engage on social networks. Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, the majority of us use social in some capacity to connect. These networks can be powerful tools to connect with your stakeholders in places they’re already engaging. This fact is critical when engaging the millennial/Gen Z population. They’re using social not only as a way to engage with their peers, but also to garner information. You can meet your donors “where they are,” by not only promoting your cause in these networks, but also by enabling supporters to promote your cause with their own networks. The recent ALS challenge is a great example of how building a referral network can drive awareness and activity for your cause. That viral campaign may have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for ALS, but the mechanism that powered it is something that’s just waiting for you to leverage.
Online donation requests just got easier for you, and a lot better for your donors.
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