Online Giving Campaigns
Why Having a Strategic Plan for Online Giving Campaigns is Crucial
As the most important online giving event in South Florida, Give Miami Day perfectly illustrates the importance of preparing your non-profit organizations for success in an increasingly digital world.
Give Miami Day has extended the reach of our community’s nonprofits to a global audience and, since its inception, has raised more than $61 million for nonprofits.
Since its infancy, the concept of Give Miami Day looked very promising for nonprofit organizations in Miami. Our city had not come together cohesively for the benefit of the community in such a manner, thus savvy nonprofits began paying closer attention. Born from a need to support local organizations by the Miami Foundation, it quickly gained support. Many nonprofits began adding the campaign date into their social and marketing calendars, while others watched to see if the efforts were worth the results. Eight years after the first #GiveMiamiDay, the campaign has raised more than $61 million for nonprofits of all sizes and missions. Donations came not just from residents in Miami, but people all over the world.
Strategy = Success
When it comes to online giving, the power of these joint community effort to raise awareness and much needed financial support is undeniable, especially for the smaller-sized 501(c)(3) charities who often don’t have budgets for marketing or digital support.
This year’s Give Miami Day campaign is on November 19th, so if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon – you need to, but do it with strategy.
3 Fundamental Tips to Jumpstart Your Online Giving Strategy
It’s easy to just register your nonprofit organization, share their pre-designed social images on your digital platforms, but to get your donors motivated requires a solid plan before, during and after the campaign. Give Miami Day has evolved from an organic fundraising event to a more strategic, targeted proposition; thus, organizations of all sizes would greatly benefit from having support from fundraising experts like LM&A Consulting to help create strategies to maximize donations.
Know your audience
Part of our efforts is helping charities to understand why knowing each of their audiences is key. It is crucial to segment donors into separate funnels and really speak to them in a manner that each would better relate to. Not everyone can give $1,000, but many can give $25, so knowing how to message each audience and how often is important.
Follow-up. Follow-up. Follow-up
When e-mail marketing is paired with digital ads and social media posts, it can lead to great results year-over-year as new supporters are converted into donors. But the follow-up is key. In each of your audience’s fundraising funnel, you will need to have a designated way of tapping their interest in the weeks and months after the campaign, otherwise, those warm leads will go cold.
Match your mission with your donors
The key to many of these global giving efforts is to align your mission with those who truly believe in it. These key supporters of all demographics and economic backgrounds will be loyal donors if they truly value your mission. Today’s donors are savvy and want transparency from their charities, so being clear on your objectives and how their dollars will be put into action is elemental to your success.
What’s great about strategizing for this type of campaign is that it can be utilized to participate in other online giving efforts such as Giving Tuesday, which this year takes place on December 1st. In 2019, LM&A Consulting helped The Foundation for Puerto Rico in their #GivingTuesday efforts by exceeding their fundraising goal by raising more than $71,000 in the 24 hours of the campaign. What was eye-opening for the charity was the support from regions outside of Puerto Rico.
Last year, the Give Miami Day campaign raised $14.4 million, and although it has been a very challenging year for all, we may see another fruitful year in donations for our community. And the best part about this campaign, unlike recent events, the results of the top charities are announced within 24 hours of the #GiveMiamiDay campaign!
We can help!
At LM&A Consulting, we provide strategic consulting for purpose-driven organizations, focusing on addressing challenges with creativity and innovation. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you create a personalized online giving strategy, check out our Nonprofit Consulting Services.
If you would like a personalized assessment of how we can support your fundraising efforts, please email us at lma@lmaconsultants.com or call us at (786) 843-7840.