44 Ways to Turn You Participants into Fundraisers

Turning your everyday supporters into fundraising superstars isn’t easy. It requires the right combination of fundraising expertise, engaged staff members, and savvy technology.

When done well, the results are impressive. Supporters raise significant amounts of money and bring new donors to your organization. For example, The Ride For Roswell event has seen an increase from $330,000 to $2.8 million raised annually since 2004 by helping participants become fundraisers.

As Blackbaud's Steve MacLaughlin recently mentioned, health organizations that turn supporters into fundraisers continue to be leaders in online fundraising, and this growth is now an important contributor to their overall revenue.

So, how can you help supporters become fundraising superstars? Below are 44 tips I’ve learned, organized by topic and ordered from easiest to hardest to implement. 

Teach Them to Fundraise and Provide Samples

1. Encourage them to use their social network. As Anthony Sicola’s recently mentioned, fundraisers who use who use social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube increase fundraising results by up to 40%.
2. Offer rewards for fundraising levels achieved. At this year’s SXSW conference, keynote speaker Seth Priebatsch predicted a shift from the “social layer” to the “game layer” over the next decade. Make fundraising a game by offering rewards for levels achieved (E.g. $50 gift card for $5,000 raised).
3. Encourage them to start a team of fundraisers. Not only do teams raise more money for your organization, they add camaraderie and competition to fundraising.
4. Hold contests. After the initial excitement wears off, your fundraisers may need motivation. Create contests that reward fundraising activity. (E.g. Highest fundraiser in June receives 4 movie passes).
5. Provide samples of everything. Don’t let your fundraisers get stuck on something you could have easily provided. Supply sample fundraising emails, Facebook posts, tweets, phone scripts, thank you notes, approved logos, etc.
6. Provide fundraising success stories. Tell them how to raise money, challenges they’ll likely face and the impact their donations will have on your mission.
7. Provide fundraising tips so they know how to get started. Not every method of fundraising will be for everyone. Provide numerous ideas, but do emphasize the most efficient methods such as sending email through a tool like Friend Asking Friends.
8. Tell them how to approach their business contacts. Contacting a vendor or customer is different from asking their neighbor for support. Provide tips on fundraising with the corporate world.
9. But…let them know your key corporate relationships. You probably already receive support from many local companies. Avoid embarrassment and disappointment for everyone involved by disclosing who already generously supports your cause.
10. Offer tips for approaching the media. Your fundraisers may be fearless in promoting your cause. This is good. When approaching the media, though, they may need help. Offer tips and advice to receive coverage of their efforts.
11. Explain which types of fundraising events are most efficient. Recommend focusing on events that raise the most money for the least amount of work. For example, happy hours generally outperform bake sales.
12. Hold fundraising lunches/seminars/receptions to teach them how to fundraise. While success stories may have provided ideas, these sessions will let fundraisers “ask the experts” and get their questions answered.
13. Create an online community for your fundraisers to interact and share their ideas. Other fundraisers may have great tips or advice. Provide a way to collaborate and share.

Connect Them to Your Cause

1. Allow your fundraisers to raise restricted money. They may have been moved by one aspect of your cause and will want to fundraise for it.
2. Invite your top fundraisers to join your volunteer committee. This will make fundraisers feel closer to your organization and responsible for its success. Doing this will also inject some new enthusiasm and ideas into your committees.
3. Offer a tour of your hospital/school/office to further connect them to your cause. Meeting the people who will be helped and seeing the places that will be impacted by their efforts will give your fundraisers extra motivation.
4. Keep them updated on how donations will be used. Let them know the outcome of their hard work. If it’s an annual event or program, you want these fundraisers back each year.
5. Celebrate their accomplishments annually with a thank you party/dinner/reception/etc. It’s an extra opportunity to say thanks, connect them to your mission and encourage future participation.

Treat Fundraisers Like VIPs

1. When someone creates a fundraising page, call to say thanks and answer questions. Let them know you’re there to help. Not sure you have time to offer this type of assistance? What if you knew they’d raise $20,000?
2. Check-in occasionally. At some point, most fundraisers will feel discouraged, intimidated or confused about fundraising. Offer your expertise (and encouragement).
3. Ask them what you can do better. Your fundraisers likely could have used additional support or resources at some point. Learn what else would’ve helped, and provide this for future fundraisers.
4. Implement their good ideas. It will help them take ownership of the program and feel responsible for its success.  If you don’t implement an idea, tell them why not.
5. Find out what motivates your fundraiser. They are likely fundraising because of your cause, to be part of a team or receive an incentive (it’s true). Find out what motivates them and tailor communications accordingly.
6. Celebrate their milestones. Your fundraisers will likely be really excited when they reach their goal. Capitalize on this opportunity to thank them. Tools like Friends Asking Friends will even send automated messages when 50% or 100% of the goal is reached.
7. Respond quickly to fundraiser questions and complaints. Problems + slow response times = frustrated fundraisers. They may stop fundraising altogether until they hear back from you. The longer that takes, the less fundraising momentum they’ll have.
8. Offer your fundraisers any “extras” you have. Have extra tickets to the game? An extra seat at your gala? Call your top fundraisers first. Treat them like VIPs.
9. Arrange meet-and-greets with celebrities at events. Regardless of whether it’s meeting a professional athlete or a radio station DJ, give your fundraiser the VIP treatment whenever possible. It may keep them motivated.

Highlight Fundraisers Online and Create User-Friendly Forms

1. Make it easy to find a fundraiser’s page on your website. The more website visitors have to search for pages, the less likely they’ll donate. The Ride For Roswell does a nice job placing “Donate to a Rider” above the fold on their home page.
2. Make donation forms concise and compelling. Help your fundraisers by creating donation forms that are concise, compelling, and easy to complete. Family Legacy has one of the simplest forms I’ve seen.
3. Spotlight a new fundraiser on your website each month. It provides recognition and encourages others to start fundraising.
4. Ensure the registration form is concise and easy to complete. This makes it simple for anyone to get started and prevents frustration during the initial steps.
5. List top fundraisers on your website. Recognition and competition are two powerful motivators that may inspire some fundraisers to send out another batch of emails. Check out how YWCA Calgary does it in their Walk A Mile event.

Help Them Follow Personal Fundraising Page Best Practices

1. Allow supporters to create a fundraising page whenever they want to.
2. Give supporters the ability to set up a fundraising page for any occasion. Maybe they want people to donate on their behalf instead of having them buy presents for their birthday. Or maybe they’d like to help you get that new facility quicker. Whatever the cause, make it simple for them to get started and flexible enough to support their efforts. Here’s a cool example by Lustgarten.
3. Add a great default photo to fundraising pages. According to the Blackbaud and the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Consumer Survey, only 45% of fundraisers personalize their fundraising page. Your photo may inspire others to donate.
4. Make your default “My Story” compelling on fundraising pages. Not all fundraisers will change the “My Story” area. Your default story may inspire others to donate.
5. Add page sharing tools to the fundraising page. Free tools like Add This allow the page to easily be shared via email and social media.
6. Let them create a Friendly URL for their page. It’s much easier for fundraisers to tell potential supporters to visit a specific page, instead of your home page.
7. List the names and amounts of each donor on fundraising pages. Peer pressure has a funny way of inspiring larger gifts. Show gift names and amounts on a donor wall, like North Shore Medical Center’s Cancer Walk/Run.
8. Allow them to change their goal at any time. Once they reach their goal, it’s less compelling for friends to support them. Let them up their goal at any time, with tools like Friends Asking Friends.
9. Allow them to import email contacts into their fundraising dashboard. Once imported, fundraisers can keep track of which contacts who have donated, not opened the email , forwarded the email, etc.
10. Allow fundraising pages to be shared on Facebook and Twitter from their fundraising dashboard. Every extra click you eliminate saves your fundraisers time. Remember, social media can have an incredible impact on peer-to-peer fundraising effectiveness.
11. Allow fundraisers to upload either photos or videos to their page. A video can tell a more powerful story than a photo. Give fundraisers the option to upload a video, like Diabetes Research Institute does.
12. Create short education videos for every step of the way. Show them how to register, setup a page, import contacts, email family and friends, and other important fundraising activities.

OK, there’s my 44. So, what tips do you have for us?

This blog post originally appeared on Blackbaud's NetWitsThinkTank.com.  The author Mike Snusz brings over eight years of nonprofit experience to his role as a Senior Internet Marketing Consultant for Blackbaud, where he develops strategic marketing services to help nonprofits build constituent relationships, deliver compelling messages and maximize giving opportunities. He previously managed the turnaround of the Ride For Roswell, including the event’s growth from $330,000 to $870,000 over a two-year period. With sound online fundraising, email and marketing practices in place, the event now raises over $2 million annually. Mikes holds a B.A. in Marketing and M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Mercyhurst College. He also volunteers for Compass, providing pro bono strategic consulting to strengthen the sustainability of Greater Washington DC nonprofits.

Your Mission is the Gift

By: Katya Andresen

A week ago I posted on the question, should you give your donors gifts?  I got a big response via email.  Many people wrote to say they agreed, and that the advice offered reflected their own experiences as fundraisers.  A few even told me that their most consistent donors typically decline the gifts they offer.  And a bunch wrote me with more questions.  I got the most questions about events.  I was asked, do the rules I offered on donor premiums apply at events?  I decided that I should go to an events expert who was far smarter than me for the answers.  So I contacted Jeff Shuck, CEO of Event 360.  I have enormous respect for Jeff and his thought leadership, and so I asked him to answer that question for me.  Here is his thoughtful response.  Thank you Jefffor weighing in.  This is good advice and recommended reading for all fundraisers!

Jeff writes:

Katya graciously asked me to weigh in on the use (and usefulness) of fundraising incentives after her wonderful blog post from last week raised several comments on the subject. In particular, she received a thoughtful inquiry about whether the findings of neuromarketer Roger Dooley – that fundraising gifts are actually a disincentive to donations – apply in the peer-to-peer space, where our constituents are sometimes not donors directly but the networkers who connect us to those donors. If donor gifts actually depress donations, does that mean that fundraising incentives like t-shirts, tote bags, and custom jerseys are not effective in getting participants to solicit gifts from their friends?

I should be upfront about my areas of expertise, as well as my gaps: I lead the country’s largest event fundraising firm. What I am not is a neuromarketer, psychologist, or behavioral economist. That said, I often feel like I have taken on a minor career in fundraising swag, and so if Katya is offering me a soapbox, I’m standing on it.

Allow me to first say that from what I’ve observed, fundraising incentives in some cases can be useful in driving fundraising behavior. Many large-scale peer-to-peer programs are powered by t-shirts, and there’s no denying that for some constituents the thrill of a new branded windbreaker or golf towel is a powerful call to action.

But – there’s a but. As my clients and team members will attest, I hardly ever recommend incentives, and I think that on the whole they are a real problem in my industry. Here are a few reasons why.

• Confusion between the reward and the ask. A main piece of evidence that incentives appear to work is the fact that in incentive-based programs there are fundraising peaks at incentive levels. In other words, if your event program gives out a shirt at $100 and a jacket at $500, you will probably see fundraising performance peak at those levels. So the incentive must work, right? However, it is not at all clear if the incentives are the cause or the effect. An organization with incentive levels at $100 and $500 will communicate much more actively about why participants should raise $100 and $500, and about the need for fundraising in general. Is it the reward or the increased communication that has inspired the fundraising activity? Our firm has run programs in which we’ve used specific, mission-based asks in place of incentives and have achieved the same results, with lower costs and higher mission awareness. In my experience, you are just as likely to drive action by asking for action (and creating a powerful case to support it) than by giving away toasters and oven mitts.

• Reciprocity is a poor way to change the world. As Dooley details, fundraising gifts work based on a psychological principle of “reciprocity” – the innate human obligation to return a favor bestowed with a favor given. However, Dooley (and Cialdini, and the Heath brothers, and many others) have also emphasized that reciprocity is, in a real sense, a way to take advantage of people’s altruism. They’ll help you, but they’ll resent you for it. While that is an effective way to hit year-end goals, it is a horrible way to create long-term constituents.

• Incentives beget more incentives. An incentive culture creates, in almost every case, an incentive death spiral. Once you start recruiting people with discounts and motivating them with gifts, you will increasingly find that you turn to discounts and gifts to grow your program. And, it will become increasingly hard to hit “reset” and re-focus your program on mission. This is the same reason, incidentally, that while I love Groupon for marketing your nail salon but not for marketing your fundraising program. If I can buy your $100 gala ticket for $50, why would I ever pay $100?

I could go on and on, but at the end of the day Katya was right:  “The greatest gift you can give a donor is to make them feel they made a difference that mattered.”  The number one reason people give to charity is because they are asked; and the most effective asks are rooted in a powerful vision for a better world. Events – and campaigns, and appeals, and donor visits, and mailings, and websites – are supposed to be occasions to ASK. Often we turn them into mechanisms to help us avoid the ask: “We have a budget shortfall – let’s hold a dinner!”

Incentives trick us into missing the real conversation. Should we thank people? Absolutely. And in the right context, colored shirts or jackets or jerseys can be a nice way to recognize people who committed to the world we’re working to create. But every time we talk about t-shirts instead of fundraising, we’re not only missing the chance to talk about our mission – we’re cheapening it, too.

I’ll admit, it is a lot easier to say “raise $100 and get a t-shirt” than it is to ask, “There is too much pain and suffering in the world for either of us, and I think you agree, and so will you raise $100 to help me change it?” But at the end of the day, incentives are transactional; changing the world is relational. A better world, sadly, cannot be bought for a large cotton cloth; nor will someone who participates for the cotton cloth be truly invested in your vision of that world.

You’re worth more than that. Focus on the conversation that matters, and for backing up why it matters with authentic stories of how you’re making a tangible difference. Leave the swag for the sales conference. 

@JeffShuck is co-founder and CEO of Event 360, a Chicago-based company focused on helping organizations use events to create a better world. And what a family, right?

Show Donors Results!

Donors would give more if you showed them…

... Results.

This, according to a study written up in the Chronicle of Philanthropy yesterday.  The Cygnus Donor Survey found in a survey of 15,000 donors that just crying need won’t do it in 2012.  Fundraisers need to “do something wonderful” that will carry a message to donors that the charity is fulfilling its mission, says the study’s author, Penelope Burk.

I always look at surveys of donors with a dose of skepticism.  What people say they feel and do with respect to giving doesn’t necessarily reflect their true actions.  But these results ring true to me.  It’s not enough to say times are tough and you need money:

Middle-age donors are demanding results from nonprofits in exchange for their gifts, the study found. They want to be offered a clear idea of where the money is going, and they want to know that the charity is the best of all organizations working on that mission. Donors under age 35, while also concerned about results, are interested in building a community of like-minded givers: They want to get their friends and family to support a cause they believe in. They are also more apt to give to new causes.

The bottom line: The same thing I always say on this blog.  Saying you need money is not fundraising.  Fundraising recognizes that giving is a person, emotion and social act.  Tell people about the exact change they can effect—and how they can rally support for it.  That’s fundraising.

Among the other findings:

-Donors hate being asked for money over and over.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop asking.  But be sure you’re thanking - and reporting on impact - at least twice as much.

-Young donors say they plan to give more this year. But you need to reach them digitally.  “They often don’t read fundraising mailings—because they’re the least likely of all adults to get mail. They also don’t get many telemarketing calls, because they use their cellphones rather than landline phones.”

-The number one source for checking out a charity?  The charity’s website.  This backs up the Money for Good research.  Make sure your website is fantastic.  It’s the single most important thing you do online.

-People plan their giving - but still give impulsively when something moves them.  That could mean you!

-Recurring giving gets dissed in the study, but I disagree.  The study said recurring givers are less likely to become major donors.  But is that because of the nature of recurring giving or because charities don’t do a good job heaping praise and reports on impact to those donors?  I’m a recurring giver to a great charity - but I don’t get thanked every month.

The full study is here.

Blog post by Katya Andresen

Do Incentives Work?

Posted by: Jill Steward, Event360

People love free stuff. In fact, they love free stuff so much they’ll do just about anything to get it. In some cases, it doesn’t even matter what the stuff is — as long as it’s free.

So what does this mean to organizations that rely on people to give their time and effort — even physical endurance in some cases — to raise money and generate awareness for their missions? Can free stuff (based, of course, on attaining certain benchmarks) be the carrot that motivates people to support your cause? It depends.

For the record, we’re not denying that fundraising incentives can work — and work well. We’ve seen this approach benefit a number of our clients who’ve offered fundraisers everything from water bottles to flat-screen TVs to tiny little buttons for accomplishing clearly established goals. (The latter, surprisingly, being among the most successful.) We often find ourselves working with third-party vendors that provide excellent services to those who choose to go this route.

But here’s the rub: Keep in mind that everything you do is a means to end, and sometimes short-term “wins” may not help you down the line. There are a number of issues to consider before taking the fundraising incentive leap.

First, ask yourself if you’re doing everything possible to communicate (and communicate frequently!) the importance of your mission and the importance of the dollars that your event participants will fundraise. Are you arming participants with fundraising tools and case messaging that they need to approach their potential donors? In our experience, we’ve found that most participants fundraise (or fundraise more) not because they were offered a prize, but because 1) they were asked to fundraise, and/or 2) they were given the tools to help them do the asking. Thus, prizes are no substitute for frequent, compelling mission messaging and fundraising tips and tools. If the messaging around your mission doesn’t resonate with your participants and volunteers to begin with, address that first. Adding or leading with “more compelling” messages about prizes will, at best, only return short-term results.  You might see a spike in participation and fundraising from a fundraising incentive program, but will these people stay committed to your cause and continue their efforts long-term? Not likely.

Also, make sure you ask yourself how a fundraising incentive program will promote and support your mission — or, will it distract from and overshadow it? Sometimes, giveaways can develop a life and power of their own, with participants focusing more on the stuff and less on your cause. Think about the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. We all know about the multi-million dollar giveaways — but do you know what Publishers Clearing House does? Me neither. You don’t want people losing sight of your mission.

Finally, don’t forget to take a hard look at your resources and infrastructure to determine whether your staff has the time to plan, execute and fulfill a fundraising incentive initiative. Or, can your budget include outside help if needed? These programs are not cheap, and if you’re like most nonprofits, your finances are always top of mind.

So, before trying a fundraising incentive plan, make sure you’ve done everything you can to use fundraising for mission (and the good that you feel!) as the reward itself. If you are communicating frequently about mission and fundraising and are seeing a plateau in results, then it may be time to consider a prize program. But, make sure it doesn’t overshadow your mission and that you have the resources it takes to get the job done. In considering all of the pieces, you may determine that it’s not the right approach for your organization. Either way, keep communicating passionately about your cause — because increased awareness naturally attracts participants and volunteers who feel that simply helping is its own prize.

A Better Place

Think about the story you’re telling. Are you building an emotional connection? Don’t just ask people to participate in your event, inspire them to help you make the world a better place. — Therese Grohman 

Life Before and After

Another great piece from Operation Smile.  The way this organization uses videos to get their mission across is so crucial in their line of work.  After all, not all of their donors will be able to attend one of their mission trips.  In order for Operation Smile to show their supporters all the great work they do, they have to craft pieces like this one.  I wish more organizations regardless if they are working in the US or abroad would put together little videos/powerpoints to share with their stakeholders.  This organization gets it.

10 Strategic Must-Dos for Event Fundraisers in 2012

By: Meghan Dankovich
Vice President, Fundraising Strategy
Event360

I know, you've given up on making New Year's resolutions. (You're just going to end up breaking them anyway, right?) Well, I've compiled some New Year's resolutions that you can actually keep. And don't worry — none of them involve dieting.

These are 10 strategic ways to improve your event fundraising in 2012. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

1. Integrate your mission into the participant experience. Events are a prime opportunity to strengthen participants' connection with your mission. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as: Featuring impact statements on route signs and elsewhere Having people whom your organization has helped speak at the event Posting an honor wall where participants can write their thoughts

2. Highlight the mission in post-event communications. The new year is a great time to catch your breath and gauge the impact your organization has had over the past 12 months. How much progress have you made toward achieving your mission? Particularly for nonprofits that focus on research, progress can be difficult to quantify. In these cases, make sure you explain your mission-oriented accomplishments in language that participants and other supporters can understand.

3. Take part in your own events. The best way to inspire passion in yourself and your staff is to take part in or volunteer at your organization's events. Being a bystander isn't enough. By completing the walk or working a water stand, you'll gain a deeper understanding of what your organization is doing right — and where you can improve. So put the date(s) on your calendar now!

4. Extend your thank-yous. So many people are involved in your organization's success. Take a minute to thank them now. And I don't mean sending out another appeal under the guise of a thank-you. Call up that woman who organized a big team for this year's run. Drop a note to that loyal donor (bonus: you'll be in his head as tax season approaches). Explain to that sponsor how their logo was prominently featured and find out how you can make this a mutually beneficial partnership moving forward.

5. Clearly define what constitutes success. Establish quantifiable goals for your events that you can measure against. What are your intentions with the event? Have you made changes to the experience, logistics or income model but haven't also implemented the metrics needed to evaluate the outcomes of those changes? Examples of metrics include dollars raised per individual, number of gifts per participant, number of emails sent by participants and overall costs. Once you have metrics in place, measure them consistently and follow them year over year, it's easier to know when you've succeeded — or where you have more work to do.

6. Nail down and communicate your strategic goals. Be sure to define the organization's strategic goals and how you expect your events to contribute to them. This helps articulate organizational direction and demonstrate how it will be achieved. For instance, "Let's increase overall development revenue by $250,000 — x% from fundraising events, x% from major gifts, x% from the annual direct mail campaign, etc." Then, communicate this goal to your key constituents while tying it in with your mission (i.e. how will the additional funds help your organization further achieve its mission?).

7. Cut costs where you can. Put on your accountant's hat and closely scrutinize your paid services for your events. Can you identify creative ways to reduce vendor costs? Could you offset some expenses with sponsorships?

8. Increase use of personal fundraising pages. Event participants who actively use their personal fundraising page tend to raise more money than those who communicate via offline channels. Offer incentives or challenges to encourage participants to use the email account associated with their personal fundraising page. Send email reminders of the valuable tools available through their personal fundraising page. In short, do whatever you can to get more participants on board.

9. Go to where your audience is. Are you incorporating a broader digital communications strategy to reach out to your participants? Think Twitter, Facebook, other social media and free advertising on websites they might visit. And if you are using those channels, do you have an integrated communications calendar to ensure the messages you send are consistent and timed appropriately?

10. Evaluate how you spend your own time. Your organization's events deserve the best you have to offer. Are you getting distracted by the little details that prevent you from focusing on the big picture? If so, start looking for ways to delegate those countless tasks to others. Calling to recruit past team captains, running training or informational meetings, overseeing grassroots recruiting events — these are all things that staff or even volunteers can probably take off your plate.

What's on your must-do list for the year? Share with us your goals and ideas for a successful 2012.