How to nail nonprofit website design
Tips for creating content that inspires donor support and amplifies your reach online
Event season is approaching and you may be eager to celebrate the achievements of your organization with your most loyal supporters. Most likely, COVID-19 forced you to reimagine your traditional, in-person fundraising events — so, are you prepared to host your events online? Here are some tips for converting any event into a virtual, money-making machine:
⏰ Plan ahead
The key to your event’s success is organizing the efforts of your team and departments in advance. Start by developing a road map for your event’s design, messaging, communications, and launch.
🎉 Promote till the cows come home
Use your network: Partner with local businesses, send email announcements to your donor lists, and tap into the personal networks of your board members and volunteers to ensure maximum attendance of your online event.
Be social: Use social media to share impact stories, memes, inspiring videos, giveaways and fun behind-the-scenes content. Social media posts, polls and stories will encourage engagement from your followers, and help get the word out to individuals beyond your local community.
Leverage the power of influence: Contact local government officials, like your Mayor or Governor, news anchors, authors or professional athletes to help spread the word about your event. Is there a celebrity that has a history of championing a cause like yours? Invite them to be a special guest or virtual speaker. Their involvement is sure to draw extra attention and boost attendance.
Create a buzz: Online and physical newspapers articles should be a fundamental part of your advertising and marketing strategies. Reach out to local newspapers, reporters, journalists or bloggers and gauge their interest in writing a story about your nonprofit’s mission, work, and upcoming event. A published article in a popular or community publication will give your event the recognition it deserves and increase the exposure of your event.
🌟 Execute!
Sell tickets: Our events feature makes it easy to create and sell multiple ticket types and sponsorship packages for your event. You can even add custom field to your form to gather information like attendees’ preferred t-shirt size. Remember to customize the look of our automatic receipt so that it matches your event’s unique design.
Make it special: If your fundraising event involves speakers or keynote addresses, record each speech as a podcast so your guests can listen and engage with the content on their own time. Curate a music playlist and encourage attendees to turn on background tunes at the start of the event. You can replicate a gala experience by sending guests an Uber Eats or Postmates voucher to cover the cost of a meal.
Stream live: Create a real-time, virtual experience for attendees by broadcasting your event live via Facebook, Instagram or a webcast. Acknowledge supporters with unique recognition during the event to cultivate personal connections with members of your community.
Auction online: Lucky for you, your fundraising opportunities are not limited to just ticket and sponsorship sales. A silent, online auction is an exciting way for attendees to participant in your event from home. Fill your auction with donated items from sponsors and businesses who are eager to support you, but may not be in the position to make a major gift. Build anticipation by providing a sneak peek of big-ticket items in advance.
Let them text: Announce a text-to-give ask during your livestream, a recorded speech or through an Instagram story. Our text engagement feature is a frictionless way for donors to provide additional support and help you reach your fundraising goal. Attendees can opt in by texting a keyword to your shortcode like, Text Together to 77948. They’ll receive an automatic reply with a message and link to make a donation.
