28 Ideas for Digital Fundraising Success, Part 2 (11-20)

[Editor's note: This is part 2 of a three-part series on the session "Rapid Fire: Tips and Trends on Web, Tech and Social Media" at Fund Raising Day in New York. Click here for part 1.]

Here are ideas 11-20 that Liz Murphy, president of RedEngine Digital; Lane Brooks, COO of Food and Water Watch; Ann Crowley, membership and online strategy at Human Rights Campaign; and Harry Lynch, CEO of SankyNet, shared in their session at Fund Raising Day in New York last month.

11. A picture is worth $$
A picture on the donate button itself can increase contributions. It makes the call to action even more prominent.

12. Don't accept the status quo
Test, retest, track and analyze everything. A theory is just a theory until you test it. You should continually re-evaluate long-standing programs and track your metrics. Optimization is the key, and the only true way to stay optimized is to test constantly. Even testing things as small as the color of the "Donate Now" button or all caps vs. no caps can impact response.

13. Use Facebook to thank donors and supporters
Post a public thank-you online to promote donor recognition and encourage other giving at the same time. A public Facebook thank-you message saw 40 percent more "shares" for one organization than its average Facebook post, and overall page engagement increased 34 percent after the post.

14. Make your campaign relevant
Create campaign hooks that help donors relate the campaign to their lives. One way to do that is to relate your campaign to current events or news. Leveraging current news as much as possible can keep your organization top of mind.

15. Juggling takes two hands (that work together)
Close coordination between online and direct mail pays off. Keep in mind timing, theme and copy to make sure the message remains consistent.