As the holiday shopping season heats up, so does our desire to give back. In fact, studies have shown that American’s are 40% more giving during the winter holiday’s than any other time! Giving helps bring pleasure when we know we have helped someone or something.
As a non-profit, donations are the heart of our viability. Nearly all rely on the giving spirit to survive. But with all the competition out there from other, bigger non-profits, how can you market yourself and meet your donation goals?
The Basics of Crowdfunding
One of the most effective tools out there is through peer-to-peer crowdfunding. This approach to fundraising appeals to a growing number of donors who want to support a cause that they believe. It allows them to engage on an emotional, and collaborative level and gives them a sense of connectivity to something that they feel a passion for.
While the basic premise of peer-to-peer crowdfunding is simple, effectively launching a campaign can be quite complicated. There are many different components that you must have to successfully reach your campaign goals and having a team that specializes in this will help ensure you are a success.
Here are some considerations if you are looking at launching a crowdfunding campaign:
- Choose the right platform – There are thousands of crowdfunding sites out there, so you need to do your research and find one that meets your needs. Find one that is connected to your specific audience and focuses on the types of causes you are interested in.
- Don’t forget about a soft launch – It is important to build excitement with your audiences before you start your campaign. All too often, people think that they need to have all their campaign collateral ready before they announce it. The key here is to start small. Target your biggest donors and give them a deadline. This will help you build momentum going into your actual launch.
- Skip the generic, uninteresting messaging – Do not just mass blast emails out to your thousands of email contacts. Write content that makes the person receiving feel like it was personally sent just to them and give them a reason to read it. Include key updates and give a shout out to individuals who have either donated or helped share the cause with their network.
These are just some of the things that you need to take into consideration when planning your crowdfunding campaign. If you have a cause and are ready to start yours, contact Create Your Cause and let our team help you reach your fundraising success!
For more information, contact Liz London: liz@afyc.com
