There are many different phases associated with running an NPO.
When you first launch your cause, you do everything you can to get the word out about your mission and gain supporters. This is where you do most of your early marketing, fundraising, and awareness generation.
Once you’ve built some momentum, you want to take your supporters and make them bigger and better than ever before. After all, more donor funds mean you can make a more significant impact and reach more people.
Figuring out how to secure higher donations can be a tricky process, though.
If you’ve been struggling to get donors to give more to your cause, here’s a simple roadmap to help you through:
Why Every NPO Needs Online Donations
If your goal is to secure more substantial donations, you just can’t do it without a streamlined online donation platform.
According to NPEngage.com, online fundraising made up a total of 7% of total fundraising in 2016 and is the vehicle by which NPOs like ACLU have been able to increase donations exponentially and further their causes.
Even if you’ve conducted most of your fundraising through traditional channels until now, online donations have the potential to boost your donation amounts and ensure you’re getting the support you need from your donors.
5 Proven Ways to Secure Higher Donations
While every NPO wants to secure higher donations from supporters, it’s often easier said than done. Luckily, you can use these five tips to maximize contributions and grow your nonprofit, both now and in the future:
1. Go Mobile
Mobile fundraising is more important now than ever before – in fact, a whopping 17% of online transactions are made with mobile devices! With this in mind, you’ve got to provide a mobile platform for your supporters to take advantage of.
If you don’t already have a mobile app or a mobile-enabled donation website, contact an NPO web design company that can help you create one. After all, it’s impossible to inspire higher donations unless you take this step, first.
2. Make it Attention-Grabbing
Use the theories of behavioral economics to make your campaigns more attention-grabbing than ever before.
Identifiable victims and success stories are both great tools. You might also consider making your donation “ask” the most prominent portion of your landing page, like Charity:Water does below:
The more attention-grabbing and compelling your landing and donation pages are, the less likely donors will be to overlook them or to make small donations.
3. Brand it
Increase your professionalism and recognition by branding your campaigns, so they’re immediately recognizable to your supporters.
Use an identifiable color scheme and copywriting style to keep your branding consistent and recognizable across the web. Consider how Ronald McDonald House has done this in their campaign landing pages:
If you have spokespeople or high-profile faces associated with your organizations, it’s also a great idea to bring them into your fundraising efforts, as this increases recognizability immediately.
4. Use Plenty of Images
Did you know that the human brain processes visuals 60,000x faster than text?
With this in mind, images have the potential to make a massive impact and fast. Use this to your advantage on your campaign landing pages and donation platforms.
The Red Cross has always been good at doing this in their marketing.
Personalize this tip by using images of the people, places, or animals your cause benefits, changing them often, and ensuring they’re always high-quality and meaningful.
5. Make it as Easy as Possible
The easier you make it for people to donate, the more likely they are to give. With this in mind, simplify, simplify, simplify. Check out how the ASPCA does this on their primary donation landing page:
In addition to the fact that the donation portals are incredibly apparent on this page (there are three above the fold alone), clicking one is instant and fast, and provides a really streamlined donation experience.
This is the model to follow as you craft your own donation structures. The easier you make it, the more likely customers will be to take advantage.
How to Secure Higher Donations Without Pulling Your Hair Out
If you’ve been wondering how to secure higher donations, you can take a deep breath: it’s not as complex as it has maybe always seemed.
By following the tips laid out in this post and personalizing them for your organization and audience, you can drive real, recognizable results for your cause.