Year-end fundraising is in full swing for most nonprofits. Whether you are wrapping up a year-end marketing push or preparing for 2016, I want to challenge you to check your donation forms to make sure they are updated. Here are 5 tips that will inspire you while also driving donors to your donation forms.
1. Clean them up
Before you direct your supporters to your donation form, make sure it is cleaned up and responsive. Answer the following questions:
Is it branded?
Branded donation pages build trust and increase the likelihood that donors will continue donating in the future. Make sure your donation form matches the theme, design and feel of the rest of your website.
Is it distracting?
The #1 cause of drop-offs (potential donors that don’t complete their donation) is too many links. Sixty-five percent of nonprofits admit to having 3 or more links that visitors need to click through before donating. De-clutter your website and remove unnecessary links that distract from your donation form.
Are you offering amount suggestions?
Research has shown that suggesting giving amounts increases overall donations form performance. Offer buttons with several different suggestion amounts (i.e. $25, $50, $100, $500, Other).
Are you mobile?
Life revolves around the smartphone, with nearly two-thirds of all Americans owning one, and for many, the mobile device has become the primary means of accessing online information. Your website and donation forms must be responsive to all devices.
Do you offer recurring donations?
Ultimately, nonprofits want to turn every one-time donor into a continuous donor. There are different ways you can offer donors the option to become recurring givers, whether that be through follow-up e-mails or a field within your donation form.
2. Utilize Twitter conversations
Twitter is great for building brand awareness and making new connections. There are many ways you can be utilizing Twitter to help market your nonprofit, but you can also use it to drive donors to your donation forms. One creative way to direct them towards donations is by tweeting links to your charity’s donation landing page and letting them know how their donation makes a difference. Every time a donation is made, you can tweet back at the donor and explain to them the difference they have made to your organization and its cause. Encourage supporters who have given to “Tweet about it” and tell how giving support made them feel.
3. Year-in-review e-mail
Regardless of what stage your audience is in, your nonprofit needs to be engaging with them through e-mail communications. Send a year-in-review e-mail that tells your donors all that has happened to your nonprofit the past year, how much you have raised in total, and a few stories of you how you have personally helped individuals or communities. Include links to your donation forms, encouraging them that there is still time to support during the holiday season.
4. Social media call-to-action
Your social media presence should be personal, with pictures, videos and stories sharing what your nonprofit is doing. But you need to be doing more than just telling followers what you’re doing—you need to be telling them how they can help you do it. Include call to action links on your social media pages and appeals to get involved, to visit your webpage, or to make a donation.
5. Make the impact of donations clear
Most donors will want to know how their donation is being used. You should do this both before and after a donor has given their financial contribution. On your donation page and social media, provide a concrete dollar amounts and what each contribution enables your organization to do in the community. After they have made the donation, follow up with a message or e-mail that tells them how you have spent their contribution and let them know the impact they have enabled your organization to make.
4aGoodCause can help your organization create easy and effective online fundraising pages that make donors want to give more. Let us help you drive donors to your donation page and raise more money.
