The ABCs of using your website for fundraising and donor

The ABCs of using your website forfundraising and donor participation

Presented byIra Yellen, President/CEO

David Kluskiewicz, Chief Internet Strategist

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Learning Outcomes and Objectives:

• Make the website a tool that supports the organization’s short- andlong-term goals & objectives by using effective fundraising strategyand tactics

• Communicate an organization’s essential information in a way thatreaches the various stakeholders and increases their understanding andinvolvement with the organization

• How to use a website for funding requests especially donor (existingand new) participation

• Understand how blogging, permission e-mail, and e-newsletters can becost-effective tools in developing a sustained fundraising campaign

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Agenda

1. Overview of Presentation2. Review Issues facing your foundation3. Creating a Market Communication Plan for

Fundraisinga. Audience and Situation Analysisb. Planning and Programmingc. Implementing and Taking Actiond. Evaluation and Measuremente. Fundraising Tools and Tacticsf. Examples

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Nonprofit Fundraising Issues & Challenges• Staffing

• Funding

• Market Plan

• Volunteers/Board Lack of Involvement

• Identifying Target Audience(s)

• Reaching New Donor(s)

• Sustaining the Campaign

• Other

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“Everyone is an Marketing Expert”

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Relationship Marketing is Everything andEverything is Marketing Relationships.

Marketing is not a function. It is a way of doing business.Marketing integrates the client/audience into the design ofservice/product and to design a process for interaction thatwill create substance in the relationship. Marketing’s ultimateassignment is to serve the internal and external customers realneeds and to communicate the value of the organization.

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Key Marketing Points

• Promote the benefits and value of yourorganization to your targeted audiences

• Alignment of organizational short- and long-term goals to external messages

• Present the facts and results in a compelling,clear, and concise message

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To have an effective fundraising communicationsstrategy your board of directors should:

• Have effective spokespeople for promoting theOrganization’s value for raising private dollars;• Create a fund-raising marketing sub-committee;• Keep in regular touch with key stakeholders andleadership on a sustained basis; and• Set-up a formal communication structure and protocolfor presenting your organization’s goals and objectivesto your targeted audiences

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Integrated Marketing Communication Process

Clarifying messages into a sustained systemthat serves the your organizational goals for:

• Image• Branding

• Reputation• Differentiation

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1. Situation Analysis"What's happening Now?"

Goal: Defining the problem/challenge from audience totargeted audience(s) and vice-versa

Purpose: Determine Internal and External perspectives, andperceptions

Tools: Primary and secondary research through informal andformal methods i.e., surveys, existing materials, focusgroups, interviews, etc. Survey your targeted audiencesevery 2 years to learn about their perceptions and opinionsabout your organization

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2. Planning and Programming ––"What should we say, do or change?"

Goal: Information gathered and evaluated from situation analysis willdetermine goals, objectives, strategies and tactics

Purpose: Define how to get internal and external audiences/publics to gainacceptance of idea(s), attitudes and beliefs

Tools: Advertising, public relations, promotion via campaigns, & directmarketing• Keep your targeted audiences informed via a proactive basis of yourorganization’s activities and successes• Create a realistic budget for communication tools such as regularlypublished newsletters, fact sheets, annual reports, presentations, web-site,etc.

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3. Taking Action and Communicating"How do we do it?"

Goal: Implement the plan

Purpose: Achieve the specific objectives for each of thepublics/audiences in order to accomplish the goals

Action Plan: Timetable, budget, personnel assignments

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4. Evaluation and Assessment"How are we doing?"

Goal: Assessing the preparation, implementation, andresults of the plan

Purpose: To make adjustments based upon the evaluationfeedback and to determine

Tools: Primary and secondary research through informaland formal methods i.e., surveys, existing materials, focusgroups, interviews, etc. Survey your targeted audiencesevery 2 years to learn about their perceptions and opinionsabout your organization

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Tools

1. Survey your targeted audiences every 3 yearsto learn about their perception and opinionsabout the foundation activities and publiceducation issues.

2. Be your own publisher via e-newsletters,printed newsletters, blogging, and successstory mailer

3. Create and distribute an annual reportorganizaiton activities and outcomes

4. Create a graphic standard for stationery,brochures, events, newsletters, web pages, etc.

5. Create an easy to use website section fordonors to donate on-line

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Positioning

Positioning refers to the target markets perceptions of theplace an organization’s brand value occupies in a marketsegment.

Positioning involves the differentiation of an organization’soffering from the competition by making or implying acomparison in terms of specific emotional attributes.

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Relationship Building

In order to promote an organizational donation needs it mustestablish a relationship with the donor. It must build trust andrapport. It must understand the donor’s needs, and it mustprovide the facts that illustrate benefits. There are threecomponents of positioning:• Benefit/Value— emotional reason to donate to yourorganization• Target — identifying your best potential donor• Competition — identifying the competition that is vying forthe same donor

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Why Fundraising Efforts can Fail

Lack of Commitment. If you are not consistent and regular(sustainable) in the way you market your organization theodds of fundraising success go way down.

Lack of Clear Benefit. If you do not sell/promote somethingpeople need or want, then donors will not donate. Too often,an organization will design from the inside out because it iseasier and satisfies internal demands.

Lack of Positioning. Many times, organizations present thethe organization without illustrating the distinguishingcharacteristics (benefits) and unique service the organizationoffers.

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Ten Basic Steps to Fundraising Larger Contributions1. Prepare a will. Without a will you lose control over your property at death.

2. Evaluate your financial situation and decide what your charitable goals are.

3. Consult an attorney, accountant or financial advisor about tax-friendlyoptions for making a financial gift.

4. Chose one or more organizations that have made a difference in your life toleave a gift to in your will.

5. Contact the organization(s) of your choice to learn about opportunities forliving money.

6. Leave a specific dollar amount or a percentage of the assets in your will to acharity of your choice.

7. Name a charity as the beneficiary of your pension or a life insurancepolicy.

8. Consider using non-cash assets for your legacy gift.

9. Encourage family and friends to leave gifts to charities in their wills.

10. Remember that almost everyone has the capacity to make a contribution.

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Key Elements for Successful Fundraising#1 — Appoint Board members who understand it isthere primary role to take the lead in fundraising

#2 — Understand the donation criteria/habits ofindividuals, businesses, and foundations

#3 — Research, research, research your current andpotential donor base

#4 — Tell the compelling story about yourorganization and and why a giving money is the onething a donor can have impact on for current andfuture generations

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Source Informaton: The NonProfit Handbook, James Greenfield, 2002 Supplement, 3rd Edition, (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series),

Prospects

Involved Prospects

Supporters

Attract

Commit

Engage

Retain

DriveTraffic

Interact byweb and email

OnlineDonation

Personalizedweb/email contact

CommittedSupporters

Pyramid for Targeting Fundraising

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2008 study on online engagement*

* Courtesy: NetworkForGood, The Bridgespan Group, Guidestar

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Techniques for Online Fundraising

Integrate online and offline strategy Blend with existing offline strategy What is unique to online medium? Goal is to grow your visibility Collect email addresses = “prospects” Execute online fundraising campaign Make a budget Build your staff/consultant team

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Maintain an effective Web site Useful “brochureware” Regular content updates Explain how donors can help

(give, volunteer, wish list…) Make the ask! Make giving easy on your site

(DonateNow button) Email address collection tool

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• Avoid being labeled a SPAMMER Explicit permission with every email

address Describe what they are going to get when Document opt-ins - offline & online Confirm subscribes Easy unsubscribe in every email Subject Line – be specific Have a clear Privacy Policy

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• Proactive email messaging Stay in regular contact with eNewsletter Collect email addresses everywhere Invite/Entice people to opt-in Keep people informed about news and

events Make the case for financial support Make seasonal asks – not just in December Use HTML-email instead of plain text email

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Online Tools for Fundraising

Contact FormsNo more email addresses.Ask people to opt-in.Respond, and respond quickly.Store every contact centrally.

What you want in Donation Processing

• Complete merchant banking & credit card processing• Ability to customize the donation page with

the look of your web site• Ability to issue on-screen & email receipts• Ability to download your data 24/7• Customer support & ease of setup• Optional: Ability to handle premiums• Optional: Ability to handle recurring donations

Donation Processing Vendors

• Lowest cost: NetworkforGood.org (3%)

• Affordable: CharityWeb.net, Contribute.com,Donate.net, Entango.com, Groundspring.org,etc. ($150 setup + $30-50 monthly)

• More features, more money: Blackbaud,Convio, GetActive Software, Groupstone,Kintera, LocalVoice, etc.($3,000 setup + $300-400 monthly)

What you want in Email Processing

• Easy subscribe, unsubscribe process

• Automatic removal of unsubs, “hard” bounces

• Ability to segment list

• Click-through tracking

• Ability to set “From” and reply addresses

• HTML sniffer

Integrated online systems

• Web site content management• Email messaging• Credit card processing• Donor database, giving history• E-commerce• Events registration & mgmt• Advocacy campaigns


Technology and vendors

ACTION ITEMS: Set up donation processing

Set up email collection (automation)

Improve Web site updating

Improve data management


• Evaluation and metrics Web site traffic Web site referrer data Document downloads eNewsletter subscribes and unsubscribes eNewsletter click-through data Online gifts tracking # of online gifts over time

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Thank you for contacting us.

We will respond to your message within 24hours. If you do not hear from us, please callMary Smith at 860-555-5555.

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Third-party Servicese.g. Convio, Network for Good, Stay Classy

Pros• Easy setup• Feature rich• Integrated withtools that donorsalready use

Cons• Varying levels ofsupport• Fees• Varying control ofyour message

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Custom SolutionsHighly automated.Integrated with all your marketing activity.Designed for your workflow.

Examples:Oak Hill Ambassador ProgramOperation Warmth

Summary: Online Fundraising

Key Points• Keep your website alive with content

• Integrate your strategies (online/offline)

• Keep in touch with your stakeholders(eNewsletters)

• Your data is vital, treat it accordingly!

• Track activity & Learn by trying

The ABCs of using your website for fundraising and donor

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