5 Significant Online Fundraising Digital Connection Tips

How to grow your friendships and donors through online fundraisers.

Though still in the pandemic, many of us are eager to return to face-to-face fundraising events. Many people, including school groups, have grown tired of the virtual world for meetings and checking in with colleagues.

However, the pandemic showed us that the virtual environment can be a great tool for fundraising and that organizations can experience online fundraising success well into the future. These five tips will help your fundraisers feel more personable and encourage better friendships with your donors.

1. Be authentic online.

When you are online, it’s easy to hide who you are. During the pandemic, it has become widespread for people to see us from the shoulders up while secretly wearing boxer shorts for online meetings! Many of us carefully craft our image online on social media. It doesn’t help if you’re considering online school fundraisers.

If you use social media for fundraising, you must be more real. Be honest about the fundraiser’s cause. How does it affect you? Social media expert Lauren Hug advises that to be truly successful online; it is best to be authentic – even vulnerable at times. She saw great success with businesses that expressed vulnerability on social media during the pandemic if they were authentic about what was happening and told the story of their experience.

This leads us to tip number two.

2. Use a lot of storytelling.

Storytelling is the best way to have your audience think like you. With a well-crafted story, you control the entire environment for anyone listening. Here are some tips to help you connect with your audience by crafting a compelling fundraising story for your school or group.

3. Expand your idea of tangibility.

Tangibility is a thing that any of our senses can experience. Being online may limit the range of senses, but a clever fundraiser can find ways to “touch” people with great visuals, a powerful story, and something audiences can use later. Consider providing a great quote that people can use in their social media endeavors!

Effective online fundraisers are always trying to create a “tangible” experience.

4. Take advantage of the perks.

If you are dreading the idea of another online fundraising event, stop! Get out a sheet of paper and start listing all the wonderful things that online fundraising offers: no start-up costs, no need to have space for inventory, no paperwork, and quick updates.

5. Mix it up.

Use all the online fundraising across numerous platforms – social media, website, regular emails and newsletters, and text-to-give platforms! Almost everyone has a favorite way to relate online. Brainstorm all possible online options for your organization so everyone sees your fundraising campaign. Here are five proven online fundraising platforms used by many schools.

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Unique ideas for online fundraisers are plentiful and are a fantastic way to grow your friendships. Rather than be a salesperson online, be a friend to others. Show real concern, help donors meet their needs, and ask them to meet yours. We’re all in this together!

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.