Online Fundraising Basics: How to Get Started

1. Online Fundraising Basics: How to Get Started Presented by: Kathleen A. Sherwin Director, TechFoundation ksherwin@techfoundation.org info@techfoundation.org 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

2. Brief History of Online Fundraising 04 Howard Dean, Tsunami Dean shatters Clinton’s record of raising most money in single quarter, thanks largely to online donations. UNICEF raises $18 million online for Tsunami relief in 1 week 05 Hurricane Katrina 13 million Americans make online donations in response to Hurricane Katrina 07 Obama Barack Obama raises $6.9 million online in the 1st quarter of ‘07 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

3. Let’s Get Started! • Basics: Fundraising with Email • What You Need to Know • Planning Process • Preparing for Success • Numbers • Breakout Session • Online Fundraising: Beyond Email • Breakout Session • Next Steps & Resources • Q&A 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

4. What You Need to Know • If you’re actually serious about online fundraising • Ingredients for an online fundraising program • What makes an online fundraising program successful • How to tell if it worked 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

5. Planning: Ingredients… • + Online Donation Processing Vendor • Website/Email • + Donation Pages • + Supporter List • + Calendar of Appeals... 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

6. Planning: What You’ll Be Doing • Establishing a calendar • Writing good copy • Designing / implementing web pages • Coding HTML • ASP Implementation (message/pages) • Testing and Sending • Reporting/Number Crunching 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

7. Planning: Technology You Need • Website • Website data tracking/reporting • Donation form(s) and processor • Broadcast email tool 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

8. Planning: Donation Pages • Customized for your campaign • Ask for lots of info • Require only what’s necessary • Pre-populate fields, if possible • Keep copy short and sweet 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

9. Planning: Donation Processor • Vendors process donations for you, take cut of amount processed (2%-5%) • Many options: • Paypal • Google Checkout • eTapestry • Entango • Network for Good • Groundspring • Democracy in Action 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

10. Planning: Know Your Supporters • Have an active, engaged list of supporters • Know who they are • Know what they are interested in • Know why they signed up - that issue is what they’ll give $$ to 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

11. Planning: Calendar of Appeals 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

12. Online Fundraising Math • If you want to generate 10 gifts... 1,000 people must receive your email 250 must read it (‘open’) 50 must click donate (‘click-thru’) • Avg response rate to fundraising • messaging [for NPOs] = 0.3% 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

13. Ok, I want to get started. For real. 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

14. Preparing for Success: The Website • Is it up to date? (programs, events, services) • Do you tell people what you want them to DO? Over and over again? • Good, clean writing? • Easy to navigate? (cut the fat; and no silos) • Does everything actually work? • Opportunities for dialogue, engagement? • Quick and easy email signup? • Is it compelling? • Transparency? (how is $ spent? privacy policy?) 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

15. Preparing for Success: The List A good list is key to successful online fundraising. A good list: • is large and responsive • receives steady stream of trusted and relevant communications • has opportunities for meaningful online engagement -- other than giving $$ 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

16. Size Matters: List Building • Bring your offline donors online • Conduct engagement campaigns (issues, advocacy, etc.) • Do fun stuff to show you care (Flash, quizzes, e-cards, contests, etc.) • Buying names (carefully!) • Chaperone another organization’s list and have them do the same for you • Hijack the news cycle (aka have a disaster) 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

17. Preparing for Success: The Copy An email appeal is NOT your latest direct mail piece sent out via email. 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

18. Preparing for Success: The Copy • Keep it short • Make it engaging • Get right to the point • Be specific • Be relevant • Timing (send it after a big disaster) • Topic (target email to portions of your list who you know are interested in saving the banana slug) • Have a good ask (the best writing won’t save a bad idea) 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

19. Madeleine’s Patent-Pending Criteria for Successful fundraising campaigns • It gets opened Think subject lines & timing • It gets noticed Think creative & design • It’s concise Think scan-ability, length, and getting to the point • It converts Think specificity, transparency It minds its manners Think thank you pages and follow-up 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

20. Consider Your Donor’s Inbox 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

21. …and BREAK THROUGH the noise 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

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24. How to Tell if it Worked 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

25. A Language Lesson • Delivery • Open Rate • Clickthrough Rate • Conversion Rate 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

26. 3 Steps for Raising $$ with Email 1 Write good emails, regularly. (Only some can be asks for $$.) 2 Make the website work for THEM (not you). 3 Watch the numbers, experiment, and adjust. 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

27. And a 4th Step Say "Thank You" 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

28. Breakout Exercise - 15 min • Taking Stock • What is your organization doing now? • How is that working for you? • Easy Next Steps? • What have we covered so far that you can implement right away? 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

29. Not-so-basic Email • Many offline tactics work online: • Matching Gifts • End-of-year Giving • Email offers unique opportunities: • Appeals to help reach a goal, showing real-time (or nearly) progress 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

30. Beyond Email • Donations as gifts • Selling stuff • Affiliate programs • Have your supporters do the work for you 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

31. Have Supporters Ask for You • Encourage supporters to invite their friends to donate with e-cards • Create Personal Fundraising Pages • Allow supporters to recruit friends to donate • Create badges for supporters to post on blogs, that link to your donate page • Facebook Causes 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

32. Other Factors for Success • Cohesive narrative arc • Communication with your supporters is consistent, tells a story • Organizational buy-in -- from the top! • Willingness to experiment and test and adjust campaigns accordingly 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

33. Breakout Session - 15 min • Get creative: What do you want to try? • What have you tried? 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

34. Wrapping Up • Plan ahead, get your tools ready • Send the right message, to the right people, at the right time • Test, test, test • Analyze results 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

35. Tools and Approximate Costs • Donation Processing Vendor • Ex: Paypal, transaction fee 2%-4% • Broadcast Email Tool • Ex: Constant Contact, $15-$150/mo • OR All-in-one Tool, combines email broadcasts and donations • Ex: Democracy In Action, starts at $200/mo + setup fee • Also: Facebook Causes (free!) 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

36. Resources • NTEN • TechFoundation • Network for Good • Grassroots.org • TechSoup ASP Vendors Consultants • Vendors that offer training: • Democracy in Action • Convio • Kintera 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference

37. If You Need to Bring in Help Watershed EchoDitto DonorDigital M+R Strategic Services Sea Change Strategies Lots of small consulting firms Lots of big firms who’ve added online ASP Vendors Consultants 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference