With the right planning, mobile and social platforms can be utilize to make your fundraiser a success.
It seems like you can’t turn around these days without hearing something about social media and mobile devices. In just the last decade, the ways that Americans communicate with one another and find information have greatly changed. Even many of our hobbies and favorite forms of entertainment are now easier to access on the go. This is why you should incorporate mobile devices and social media when planning a fundraiser.
For your next fundraiser meeting, use this convenient checklist to help your organization raise money using social media and mobile devices:
Preparation
Before you even begin, you will need to get a few of your electronic “ducks” in a row:
- Get the full backing of your board and leadership.
- Write a strategic plan for mobile and social fundraising, including a budget.
- Decide if you will need to bring in outside help, like a web developer or graphic designer.
- Create a system to track and report your success.
Your Website
If you don’t have a website, you’ll need one. If your current website doesn’t support mobile devices, then you’ll need to either optimize the site for mobile or create a parallel website for mobile viewing.
A few other items you should consider adding to your website include a:
- Blog
- DONATE button
- Icons to connect to your social media sites
- Opt-in form for your e-newsletter
- Sharing buttons for social media
Email Communication
Even though social media and texting are popular, email is still a very important method of communication for sending e-newsletters and providing documents to donors, volunteers and supporters. To support your email communications, you should:
- Choose a software that is specifically designed for mass email communication (including proper opt-out procedures).
- Create an email “signature” complete with a DONATE button and links to your social media sites.
- Include links for social sharing.
- Create a landing page on the website specific to email (for this fundraising campaign).
Online Giving
It’s easy to say that an organization should accept donations via the internet, but the reality is considerably more difficult. If you already have access to an online giving system, it needs to be mobile compatible as well. If you don’t have online fundraising software, then you’ll need to set that up. After all of that is handled, complete the following tasks:
- Create a link between the DONATE button and donation form on your website.
- Provide an option for Tribute Gifts (memorials, honorariums).
- Include text about the gift’s impact on the organization.
- Trigger an auto-email for the donation that will act as a gift receipt.
To get the best results possible from your fundraising campaign, it’s important to use every fundraising tool available to you. Besides producing high quality engraved bricks here at Bricks R Us, we also provide our clients with an online giving page and free apps for mobile ordering. If you would like to know more about engraved bricks, tiles, or fundraiser ideas in general, contact us today!
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