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I'm looking for best practices and/or case studies/examples of fundraising campaigns for nonprofits that include mass media, direct mail, online and a donation-optimized landing page.
Hello there! Thank you for asking Wonder to research best practices, case studies, and examples nonprofit fundraising campaigns including mass media, direct mail, online, and donation-optimized landing page.
For the most recent results, we searched through the last two years and found results from a variety of publications. I include the results below, in no particular order and separated by the publication in which they appeared.
In a June 2016 report, CauseVox listed online fundraising ideas for charities and nonprofits. Among these are:
PERSONAL FUNDRAISING WEBSITE
According to the article, "[p]eer-to-peer fundraising accounts for ⅓ of all online donations." When donors do the fundraising rather than the nonprofits themselves, they add credibility to the effort. In another statistic, CauseVox states that "1 in 4 solicitation emails from peer-to-peer fundraisers result in donations, compared with 1 in 1,250 emails from a nonprofit."
ONE-DAY EMAIL FLASH FUNDRAISER
The article mentions that another ⅓ of online donations come from email fundraising. A flash fundraiser means choosing one day, perhaps a day with some symbolic or other importance to the organization "(ex. Valentine’s Day for victims of domestic abuse)," according to the article. On that day, the organization sends out a series of fundraising emails including an emotional story, moving imagery, and an urgent call to action. Bernie Sanders used this approach successfully, the report states, when he emailed requests for donations the day of the FEC deadline. His call to action included the following: "If every supporter who has signed up to join our campaign made one $2.70 contribution before tonight's midnight deadline, it would ensure we have the resources we need..."
PINTEREST BOARDS
Since 64 percent of charitable donations are made by women, according to the report, and women love Pinterest, it's a great place to create a board to raise money: "Upload infographics, quotes, and emotion-inducing images that are shareable and don’t forget to include a button that links directly to your website’s donation page." An example is The Nature Conservancy's board and its message: "Help Protect Habitats with an Earth Friendly Donation."
FACEBOOK
Similarly, most prospective donors probably already use Facebook, so the platform is a great place for fundraising. Nonprofits can use their Facebook pages to tell people about their causes, and a "donate call to action button" can be added to link to the nonprofit's website, according to the article.
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In September 2016, CauseVox gave examples of organizations who used video storytelling for online fundraising. Ideas from this feature include:
This video helped the nonprofit create context for their fundraising campaign and helped viewers identify with the goal.
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**mobile-optimized web design for donor convenience
**a prominent "Donate" button on the website linking to a form listing a variety of ways to give
**capitalize on year-end efforts - many online donations are made in December, with 10 percent of all annual giving happening in the last three days of the year, according to the article
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Network for Good has a helpful, thorough tutorial for creating effective website landing pages. Among the steps are choosing an appropriate color scheme and effective photos or other imagery, choosing a clear layout, writing concise copy, and testing.
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In November 2016, Salsa Labs listed a number of strategies for nonprofits to improve their fundraising efforts. These include:
**DONOR RECOGNITION PROGRAMS
Ideas here include names on plaques, bricks, or other notable areas; mentioning donors in newsletters; featuring donors on an electronic billboard publicly or at headquarters.
**INCENTIVIZE TOP FUNDRAISERS
Reward successful fundraisers in the organization with bonuses or other types of compensation. Happy fundraisers are likely to stick around when they are recognized for their accomplishments.
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**WATERisLIFE - using the popular hashtag #firstworldproblems, the organization released a video titled First World Problems Anthem to address people with serious needs like drinkable water. The video went viral, expanding its reach and impact.
**ANIMAL FOUNDATION - this organization made donations convenient by using Charitweet, a tool for giving to a cause directly through Twitter.
**MAKE-A-WISH - as mentioned above, Facebook is a powerful tool. This organization has three buttons on its cover photo: "Donate Now," "Like," and "Message." "The prominence of the "Donate Now" button makes it easy for users to give," according to the article.
**HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN - in another example, millions of Facebook users used the overlay of a French flag on their profile pictures after recent tragedies in Paris. Similarly, the Human Rights Campaign used its logo - a red equals sign - as an option Facebook users could use in place of their profile photos. Use of the symbol spread exponentially, especially once celebrities like Beyonce, Martha Stewart, and Russell Simmons were on board, according to the article. This kind of grassroots engagement increased awareness and, in turn, donations.
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Thank you for the opportunity to research this interesting topic. I hope the examples, summaries, and links I have provided will prove useful to you in your endeavor. We appreciate you entrusting Wonder with your research needs!