How to fundraise: 3 things you can do right now to start digital fundraising

June 5, 2023
10 minutes

Whether you're on a quest for a digital fundraising and donor management platform or you've just signed up for Funraise, your next steps will be a breeze. Check it out!

Getting started with Funraise is quick and easy. And if you're already in, read on for the 3 things you can do right now to start fundraising.

  • Click the big blue button in the top righthand corner (it takes you here)
  • Find your nonprofit (You can do this by typing the org name or entering your EIN)
  • Chat with a friendly nonprofit fundraising specialist
  • Create your Funraise account
  • Start fundraising!

In case you have a few questions about these steps; we have helpful answers ready to guide you through the process.

Now for the good stuff—launching successful digital fundraising campaigns. Here’s what to do:

Take the time to set your nonprofit's digital fundraising up for success. It will be worth it.

Just like the rest of your impactful work, fundraising still takes time, energy, and other resources—even with awesome digital tools. To see digital fundraising success, you're gonna need to spend time on setup and maintenance. The good news is that you can automate it, streamline it, and cut the usual costs.

Don't get down! Success is within your reach, and you can start with these three action items.

1. Add a donate button to your site

This one is easy and obvious: get yourself a custom donation button, made just for your nonprofit's website. Using Funraise, you can quickly share your button in emails, social posts, or even link to it in text messages. And to build on that, Funraise makes your donation form easy to customize with all the things you’ve worked hard on: your donation button, social media links, and mission.

2. Ask people to donate

Ugh... The Ask! So many of us try everything we can to avoid asking people for money, but you know what the #1 reason people donate is? They donate because someone they know asked them to. (You knew that!) And now that your giving experience is shiny and easy, your ask can be just as easy.

3. Thank your donors publicly

The easiest, fastest, least-maintenance way to thank your donors in a visible way is to give them a shout-out on social media. Mention them as you announce milestones and fundraising progress, congratulate them when you celebrate achieving goals, and show them what their generosity contributed to in impact stories. Don't just thank your donors, but show the world what giving can do.

Setting Expectations

The first month of your Funraise journey is about perfecting. Make sure your emails contain the correct contact information and run tests before sending out a large email blast. Ask a friend to try out the donate button and make sure it all runs smoothly (donation receipt, payment transfer, etc.)

Think of it like preparing for a marathon: you've gotta practice both sprinting and running, starting and enduring through the tough moments. This is your Funraise prep and test time, so use it well.

When you’re ready, make a plan to share donation forms in email asks and social posts, and revisit your strategic plan to see where you can integrate Funraise options across your fiscal year.

By the end of the first year, you'll see the benefits of integrating Funraise through an increase in online donations—check out these growth stats showing how our nonprofit customers do, on average. A year may sound like a long time, but when you're learning a new skill, you've gotta go step by step. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Ongoing Support

If you have questions or need help with Funraise, our intrepid team has created exhaustive help articles for you on every topic. Problems with social integration or donation pages? We've got your back.

Plus, you can always contact us directly for more complicated questions and stay in the loop on fundraising trends with our newsletter.

We want to support you at every step, so when you have your first successful online fundraising campaign please, tell us all about it! We love sharing success stories and elevating nonprofiteer voices.

Wooo hoo! You're a Funraise nonprofiteer! Pat yourself on the back and get moving!

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