the overachiever's guide to online fundraising: 9 steps to kick start 2012
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Think it's too soon to start preparing for 2012 fundraising? Think again! Earn your overachiever’s gold star and get cracking with ten steps you can use now to raise more money throughout the year. You might know that 40 percent of all online donations come in during December. If so you probably also know you have to start early to make sure your year-end efforts pay off. It takes months of list building, inspiring donors, cultivating them, testing, and analyzing metrics to make the absolute most of year-end opportunities. Alia McKee of Sea Change Strategies, Eric Rardin of Care2 and Dionna Humphrey of Greenpeace discuss concrete ways you can maximize your strategy and tactics in the New Year. You'll learn the most successful fundraising strategies including: -How to create compelling fundraising campaigns that motivate web visitors to make a donation on your website. -Which easy fixes you can make to your donation page, so that donors complete the donation process. -How to communicate with donors before, during, and after they donate money online to your nonprofit and build long lasting relationships. You can also view or download the full audio for this presentation at: https://care2.webex.com/care2/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4647147&rKey=02aef36fbf09d35bTRANSCRIPT
The Overachiever’s Guide to Online FundraisingNine Steps to Kick Start 2012
Alia McKee, Principal, Sea Change Strategies
Eric Rardin, Director of Nonprofit Services, Care2
Dionna Humphrey, Senior Email Campaigner, Greenpeace
1. Do what your mother taught you
Always say your hello’s
& thank you’s!
Always say your hello’s
& thank you’s!
Get your thank on
1. Give new donors a special welcome
2. Add four additional thank you messages
3. Don’t just thank your donors – thank your super activists and other prospects too
4. Bust out your pen or telephone
5. Be your donor for the day
2. Make your website an email and donation
magnet
11
3. Test your donate forms
Main Donation FormAdding a trust seal resulted in a5.11%+ in conversions
CONTROLCREATIVE 1 CREATIVE 2
WINNER! +5.11%
Testing issues- what resonates with your list?
Is this your form?
Scary and long?
Unnecessary fields?
Multiple non-giving options?
Global navigation?
Error messages when people submit?
No security or privacy policy links?
No address and phone number?
CHANGE IT!
See our overachiever’s best practice check list.
4. Take your site for a test drive
Recruit unsuspecting subjects to help you avoid usability pitfalls
5. Review your traffic
Optimize your traffic
1. Set up analytics to measure current traffic – and review the metrics
2. Optimize organic search results
3. Experiment with paid search and Google grants
4. Focus on where your traffic is
5. Leverage new and old media
25
Google Ads, other site referral
6. Get to know your supporters
Show them you know them
1. Listen through your metrics
2. Survey
3. Online focus groups
4. Personalize
7. Grow your list and welcome them warmly
Grow your list
1. Maximize organic traffic
2. Set goals
3. Understand the options
4. Do the math
5. Track and measure
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Organic growth, onboarding strategies
8. Find your stories
Tell your stories more effectively
1. Be an emotional story detective
2. Provide crystal clear direction
3. Think multi-channel
9. Outline a plan
Your plan - simplified
1. Strategic objectives
2. Goals
3. Tactics
4. Narrative arc
5. Messaging calendar across channels
Fundraiser of Fundraiser of the Yearthe Year