Online Fundraising

Is Your Website Up to Par?
August 25, 2016 at 10:07 am

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of August, and year-end fundraising is just around the corner. One thing you need to do before you switch from going to the beach to picking apples is to make sure your website is up to par. This means it’s up-to-date, easy to read and navigate, welcoming,…

Charity: Water Is Now Taking Donations Via Facebook Messenger
August 18, 2016 at 8:58 am

With its new bot, Charity: Water is now the first nonprofit to accept donations through Facebook Messenger. Founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison—one of Fast Company's Most Creative People—Charity: Water has worked to increase access to safe drinking water in developing countries, with an emphasis on being transparent about how the company accepts and uses donations.…

The Netflix Effect: 4 Key Takeaways for Online Fundraising
August 17, 2016 at 11:14 am

Netflix released its quarterly report in April, and its stock plummeted 10 percent. That’s what happens when stocks fly so high: Even 
the slightest hint of bad news triggers a sell-off. Bear in mind that most of the quarterly report was positive. Netflix added 6.74 million new subscribers to bring it’s total to 81.5 million global customers. That’s 31 percent more than a year ago. And now, 42 percent of Netflix customers reside outside of the U.S...

Should You Resend an Email to Non-Openers?
August 12, 2016 at 10:14 am

Technically speaking, a resend is sending the exact same message to the non-openers of the original email. Don't do this. Your deliverability can suffer. When should you resend? If the email tanked, ask yourself why. Timing, content, subject line? Will tweaking any of those elements and resending yield better results, or be more of the…

It's Not Too Soon to Plan Year-End Fundraising
August 11, 2016 at 8:33 am

There are 142 days left in 2016. That sounds like a lot, and it is if you start thinking about year-end direct response fundraising now. But if you wait, there’s a good chance you will leave money on the table because of missed opportunities and no time to give it your best effort. For those of you who want to enjoy the holidays knowing that you’ve done all you can to maximize the income your nonprofit will receive, here are some things to work into your planning...

Neglected Open-Rate Booster That Can Improve Your Email Fundraising
August 10, 2016 at 1:18 pm

When the topic is email fundraising, testing subject lines inevitably comes up. Of course, subject lines are critical. Think of the famous one from Barack Obama's organization: "Hey." It was a big winner. But the "from" line can also make a big difference in open rates. After all, one of the reasons "Hey" worked was…

What Have We Learned Beyond the Dollars of Giving Days?
August 10, 2016 at 1:13 pm

For the past three years,  I have had the honor of serving as the facilitator for the Knight Foundation Peer Learning Exchange for the Giving Day Initiative. Today, the foundation has released a new report: “Beyond the Dollars: The Long-Term Value of Giving Days for Community Foundations,” written by Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies. The…

The Big List of National, Local and Collegiate Online Giving Days
August 8, 2016 at 10:56 am

Are you thinking about participating in a giving day? Good news! There are so many organizations that have given it a try, and you can learn from them (the good and the bad). Look at their websites, donation landing pages, countdown clocks, emails, social media accounts, images and hashtags. Do a Google News search to…

Facebook Changed Its Clickbait Policy and You'll Never Guess What Happened Next
August 5, 2016 at 11:40 am

Yesterday, Facebook announced a major overhaul of its News Feed, updating the algorithm to reduce the ranking and reach of articles with so-called "clickbait" headlines. The social media behemoth attempted this before, in 2014, but those measures apparently weren't strong enough. Its users, the site said, want even fewer clickbait posts in their News Feeds. Here's what it means for nonprofits...

5 Online Strategies to Grow Your Nonprofit's Annual Fund
August 5, 2016 at 9:45 am

The annual fund campaign is a cornerstone of most nonprofit fundraising strategies. Annual fund campaigns refer to a set of strategies that nonprofits implement to raise the funds needed to cover their operational expenses. Generally, they’re made up of three main components: outreach, fundraising events and direct asks. The unifying thread of these components is…