Check out the highlights and expanded answers from last week’s live Q&A.
Q: If an NPO is just starting &
isn’t reputable yet, what are some fundraising tips or ways to gain
trust over social media?
A: Share your story in a way that connects
with people emotionally and allows the passion for the cause to shine.
It’s the human touch and common ground that causes people to relate to
an organization and come along side to partner with them. Parents are
particularly drawn to causes concerning children because of the strong
bond they have with their own. People with a shared passion for the
outdoors have a sense of camaraderie about environmental issues. Who is
your target audience? In answering this question, it is important to
consider the best avenues through which to reach out to that audience.
Sharing your impact is also important if the
organization has been able to show some positive results thus far. Take
pictures of your events and gather quotes from the attendees to post on
your website and social media profiles. Share the progress you’ve made
over the past year concerning people that you’ve aided, acres of
rainforest that you helped to protect, or show pictures of the
progression of a building project. Donors want to be a part of something
life changing and great, don’t be afraid to tell them how great you
are!
Finally, social media is just that… social!
Here are the best ways to earn a great reputation: follow through on
promises and get the backing of someone reputable to endorse you. Share
success stories and use social media to promote the impact of your
organization. Next, rally supporters around your cause. It could be as
big as finding a company or local personality to state their support, or
as simple as encouraging your friends on Facebook to “Like” your page.
The best way to gain someone’s trust is to find someone they trust to
recommend your nonprofit. Your Fundly page provides an avenue for donors
and supporters to share each time someone contributes to a cause,
encouraging others to join them.
Q: We’re in our mid campaign slump. Best way to crawl out?
A: Are you sharing those important
milestones with existing supporters and others using email, Twitter, and
Facebook? With this momentum, now seems like a perfect time to contact
blogs, websites, and local media – ask them to share! Milestones are a
great way to rally supporters to help you reach your goal!
If the tide is low for your organization,
why not create some waves for yourself? Organize a free meet and greet
with donors, potential supporters, city officials, local business
people, or fellow nonprofit leaders – remind them of how great your
organization and its impact are! Arrange a special brainstorming session
with your board or staff to generate new ways to encourage others to
give or reach an untargeted group of supporters. In the meantime, this
is also a great opportunity to “clean house”. Consider renovating your
website, testing what times of day get the best responses for your
Tweets, or taking polls on Facebook to see what interests your donors.
Now is the perfect time to do the things that you’re too busy to do the
rest of the year.
Fear not, you’re not alone! Summertime
tends to be the slow season for many nonprofits as their donors are on
vacation and when kids are not at school so more money is spent on
entertaining them. Hang in there!
Do you have a question about online
fundraising for one of our Fundly professionals? Follow #fundraisingtips
on Twitter every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. We look forward
to helping you create successful online fundraising campaigns to promote
your cause. If you won’t be able to attend the Q&A, leave your
question in the comment section below and look for it in the recap next
week!
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