September 08, 2023
Multi-Channel Fundraising For Nonprofits: Know What Channels To Include
For nonprofits that are always on the lookout to grow their supporter base and increase donations, a multi-channel approach may work wonders. It helps them reach a wider audience, raise awareness, and engage with supporters for the long term.
Embracing multi-channel fundraising is critical because it helps nonprofits deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
In this blog, let’s explore various channels that nonprofits can include in their multichannel strategy and finally demonstrate its impact with an example. But first, let’s understand what multichannel fundraising is and its importance for nonprofits.
What is multichannel fundraising for nonprofits?
Multichannel fundraising is a modern approach that nonprofit organizations use to connect with their supporters and raise money through various communication methods - emails, social media channels, websites, advertisements, text messages, and even one-on-one interactions like phone calls or personal visits. The goal is to effectively use the best possible combination of these channels, making it easier for more people to get involved and support the cause.
Why is multi-channel fundraising important?
Multi-channel fundraising is all about using different ways to talk to people and ask for their support to make a positive impact on the world.
Diverse audience reach
Different people prefer different communication methods. By using multiple channels, nonprofit groups can reach a larger and more diverse audience. Some folks like to get emails; others spend a lot of time on social media; and some might prefer getting a text message for quick donations.
Multichannel fundraising helps your organization reach all these different preferences. Using the right channel at the right time makes your fundraising efforts more successful and effective.
Increased donor engagement
Engagement is key to building lasting donor relationships. In multichannel fundraising, you have the opportunity to interact with your supporters in different ways. You can send them emails with updates on your work, share inspiring stories on social media, or even have personal conversations through phone calls or visits.
These interactions keep donors informed and involved, making them feel like active members of your nonprofit family.
Enhanced fundraising success
Enhanced fundraising success is a direct result of this increased engagement. Combining channels can boost fundraising effectiveness. Donors who have multiple touchpoints with your organization are more likely to donate, and they might even give larger amounts.
For example, someone, who follows your nonprofit on social media, receives your email newsletters, and visits your website to learn more about your work is more likely to feel a strong connection to your cause. This connection can translate into more significant and frequent contributions.
So, by using various channels effectively, you not only engage donors but also boost the overall success of your fundraising efforts, helping your nonprofit make a greater impact on the world.
Multi-channels to consider for your nonprofit fundraising
When planning a multichannel fundraising campaign for your nonprofit organization, it's essential to consider a diverse range of communication channels to connect with your audience effectively. While there is no dearth of channels, it’s always about how you use them to maximize the impact of your fundraising strategy.
Let’s have a look at some of the key channels to incorporate into your multichannel fundraising.
1. Email marketing
Email is a versatile and cost-effective channel for nonprofit fundraising campaigns. It has seen a resurgence in recent times, as it is a great way to communicate and engage with supporters. Dive deep into the donor database of your nonprofit CRM. Use this data to segment your audience and craft personalized messages based on your goals.
It allows you to:
- Send regular newsletters to update your supporters on your organization's activities and impact.
- Craft personalized donation appeals tailored to specific donor segments.
- Share success stories, testimonials, and compelling visuals to inspire action.
- Provide easy-to-use donation buttons and links within emails for quick contributions.
- Automate email sequences for nurturing and cultivating donor relationships.
An effective email strategy will get you good leads and increased opportunities for your charity’s fundraiser.
2. Social Media
Social media is a must-have strategy for your nonprofit’s outreach. Leveraging social media platforms such as Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook is essential for reaching a broad and diverse audience. Here's how you can utilize each platform:
Share visually appealing content, including photos and videos of your nonprofit's work, success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Use Instagram Stories for real-time updates and fundraising campaigns.
X (formerly Twitter)
Engage with your supporters in real time by tweeting updates, news, and donation appeals. Use relevant hashtags to increase your reach and visibility.
YouTube
Create and share compelling videos that showcase your nonprofit's mission, impact, and the stories of those you serve. Live streaming can also be used for fundraising events.
Establish a strong presence on this platform, where you can share longer-form content, host fundraisers, and build a community of supporters. Utilize features such as the Donate button to get direct donations and Facebook Groups to foster engagement and discussion.
Remember, each platform requires different engagement strategies. But the plus point is that the platform itself offers features that you can leverage to the maximum to raise awareness and widen your customer base.
3. Website
Even though you utilize emails or social media, a website is where your supporters gather for donations or registrations. Your organization's website serves as the digital hub for your fundraising efforts. Here are a few points to consider when you plan to develop your nonprofit’s website:
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Implement peer-to-peer fundraising features that empower supporters to create their fundraising pages and solicit donations on your behalf. Provide tools for sharing these pages on social media.
Landing page
Create dedicated landing pages for specific fundraising campaigns. These pages should have a clear call to action, compelling visuals, and a seamless donation process. You can use GivingX’s custom fundraising software to create an impactful landing page or form. It is easy to build and requires no coding skills. You can use this platform’s features, such as custom themes, CTAs, progress trackers, and much more, to customize the page and encourage supporters to complete your desired actions.
Blog
Maintain an active blog to share in-depth stories, updates, and educational content related to your cause. Use this space to reinforce your mission and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Whether it is through email or social media links, your website is the place where every potential supporter arrives. So, be sure to design an effective website that attracts audiences and turns them into loyal supporters of your mission.
4. Advertisements
While organic growth is great, you can also consider paid ads on multiple platforms to support your fundraising efforts. These ads give your charity instant recognition, and you can follow them up with some good strategies to engage and retain supporters for the long term. To expand your nonprofit's reach, consider various advertising options:
Social media ads
Invest in targeted ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You can define your audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Influencer marketing is also another option to look into, considering it has the power to widen your support base.
Paid online advertising
Use paid advertising on search engines like Google and Bing to ensure your organization appears prominently in search results for relevant keywords.
Google Ad Grants
Apply for and utilize Google Ad Grants, which provide free advertising credits of up to $10,000 a month to eligible nonprofits. You can effectively use them in Google text-based search ads to increase awareness.
Remarketing
Implement remarketing campaigns in addition to Google Ad Grants to reengage website visitors who did not take immediate action. Display ads can remind them of your cause and prompt them to donate.
The benefit of paid ads is that you can use them both on search engines and social media to get your campaign information in front of a larger audience. This supports your multi-channel fundraising efforts.
5. SMS
Text messaging is an immediate and direct way to engage donors. People carry their mobile devices with them all the time, and SMS can be a productive marketing technique.
Text-to-give campaigns
Launch text-to-give campaigns where supporters can simply text a keyword to a shortcode to make a donation. This is particularly effective for urgent appeals and mobile-friendly donors.
Campaign updates
Make it easy for your followers to stay up-to-date with your campaign by signing up for text messages. Send them regular updates on what's going on and how close you are to your goal.
Text messages have an open rate of 98%. You can take advantage of this to ensure you communicate with your supporters using this messaging strategy.
6. One-to-one
Building personal relationships with donors is crucial. While digital marketing methods are easy and necessary, don’t forget the charm of one-to-one marketing.
Phone calls
Reach out to major donors personally through phone calls. Express gratitude, provide updates, and discuss their ongoing support.
Direct mail
Send personalized direct mail pieces, such as handwritten letters or newsletters, to keep donors informed and engaged.
In-person visits
For major donors or corporate partners, consider arranging in-person visits or meetings. These interactions can deepen their commitment to your cause.
Personalized interactions give you the benefit of building and nurturing strong relationships with supporters.
7. Traditional marketing
While digital marketing has gained prominence in recent years, traditional marketing techniques remain valuable for nonprofits in building awareness and connecting with their target audience. Here are some key aspects of traditional marketing for nonprofits:
Print materials
Nonprofits often create and distribute printed materials like brochures, pamphlets, and annual reports to provide detailed information about their mission, programs, and impact.
Print advertising
Nonprofits may place ads in local newspapers and magazines to promote their fundraising campaigns, events, or volunteer opportunities.
While traditional marketing methods continue to play a role in nonprofit outreach, many organizations now integrate these approaches with digital marketing strategies to maximize their impact.
Use case: “Paws Cause” pet rescue shelter charity
How about a good illustration of the power of multichannel fundraising with an example? Imagine a pet rescue shelter charity called “Paws Cause”. It has a goal of raising $50,000 for its year-end campaign to build a new animal shelter. Their multichannel strategy includes-
Website: They create a dedicated “New Shelter Fund” landing page with a progress tracker and peer-to-peer fundraising options.
Advertisements: They run targeted social media ads and utilize Google Ad Grants to maximize visibility. They also plan to run remarketing ads for people who have visited their website but haven’t taken the desired action.
Social media: They post daily updates on Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook showcasing adorable animals in need of homes and encouraging followers to donate.
Email: They send out monthly newsletters with heartwarming rescue stories and donation links.
SMS: This charity launches a text-to-give campaign with a keyword and shortcode for easy mobile donations.
One-to-one: They engage with past major donors through personalized calls. They encourage potential donors to take in-person tours of existing shelters.
By leveraging these channels effectively, “Paws Cause” hopes to raise their year-end campaign target of $50,000 needed to build their new shelter while also building a stronger and more engaged community of supporters.
Wrapping Up
Simply put, multichannel fundraising is a powerful approach that enables your nonprofit to grow both online and offline in every possible way. All you need to do is carefully select and integrate various communication channels and create a cohesive and impactful fundraising strategy that makes a real difference in the world.
At GivingX, we help nonprofits achieve this growth faster and easier. Our custom fundraising software helps nonprofits all over the world create effective donation landing pages and forms, complete with flexible payment options for donors. This software also has advanced features such as donor CRM, access to 5,000+ apps through Zapier, data security, PCI-compliant encrypted data, automatic language translation, and much more.