7 things my grandparents taught me about DIGITAL FUNDRAISING Key messages: We think digital is the ‘new’ way however the fundraising is most effective when based on the trusted ‘old’ way of raising money. Statistics show that online fundraising has not grown as quickly as thought and still most donations are canvassed offline Digital can help us in both awareness and fundraising Janie Alcock

Treat people like family Key messages: Know your donors in order to effectively use digital for fundraising Ways to gather data include - website, online campaign, survey, petition, free content, webinar, games, networking & offline Personalisation expected and necessary to cut through Trust needs to be earnt Nurture the ongoing relationship Facts; Focus on users not competition (c)

Tell a good story Key messages: Consistency of messaging throughout offline and online and email Remove silos across organisation and create cohesive storylines e.g events, comms Make an ask Working well online – videos, strong imagery, good experience Break down goals to bite size achievable amounts Facts; 2 in 5 donors respond to hearing a specific need (e) Dynamic content is more effective

Know your tools Key Messages: Digital tools include; Website Donation platform Email Cloud based database Social Media Peer to peer platform Crowdfunding sites Big data Not all digital tools are appropriate to use for your campaign Need to upskill staff Digital needs wise investment People have no tolerance for online issues Must keep up to date Facts; Dynamic content key for all industries e.g. Netflix thumbnails differ for different users (a) Blockers to donations include – not being aware of need, not seeing impact. Enablers to donations include – communicating impact, mission and vision, positive donor experience, simple giving process (b) Email revenue increased by 24% in 2017 and accounted for 28% of all online giving. Increase to 40% of mobile visitors, 68% donors use a desktop. Retention key – online first time donors had a retention rate of 25% (d) Email has a median ROI (Return On Investment) of 122% – over 4x higher than other marketing formats including social media, direct mail, and paid search. 

The power of involvement Key messages: Provide meaningful engagement A donation is more likely from someone involved in a non-financial way ‘Listen’ to your donors online Facts (d) 79% of donors have volunteered within the last 12 months. (f) People who volunteer donate twice as much money to charity as other donors

News travels fast Key Messages: Promotion essential to cut through online Digital tools help promote your cause as well as your own website and social media – SEO, Google Ad words, Google grants Facts: Advocacy and awareness on the rise online

Taste it Key Messages: Must have a strategic plan Importance of following a plan Carry out data analysis Test and monitor What is working and isn’t working? Make changes constantly Facts; (c) Use data not opinions

Say thank you Key messages: Thanking needs to be timely Thanking needs to be personalised Consider creative ways to thank using digital

Off we go All fundraising needs strategy, expertise and resources. Key Conclusions: Best combination for long-term fundraising for coming year needs combination of offline and online efforts Digital is not a quick, cheap solution At the moment, digital is not a replacement for face-to-face or direct mail fundraising It is needed for engagement, simplifying tasks, supporting other fundraising efforts and generating leads Approaching digital fundraising needs the same strategic planning, innovation and expertise as offline

I would love to answer any questions hellojanie@alineado.com.au RESEARCH used in key messages https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blog/the-not-for-profit-landscape-in-australia/ https://www.mrbenchmarks.com/#!/fundraising https://gsuite.google.co.uk/intl/en_uk/learn-more/creating_a_culture_of_innovation.html https://givingreport.ngo/ https://www.communitybusinesspartnership.gov.au/about/research-projects/giving-australia-2016/ https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/dynamic-content/ https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/fundraising-trends-2019/?utm_source=2018-blog   https://nptechforgood.com/2018/08/16/5-digital-fundraising-trends-to-watch-for-in-2019/ https://paretofundraising.com/2018-pareto-benchmarking-key-findings/ https://institute.blackbaud.com/asset/2017-charitable-giving-report/ FURTHER REFERENCES FIA – www.fia.org.au IoF - www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk McCrindle – www.mccrindle.com.au M+R - www.mrss.com Heartburst Digital – www.heartburst.com.au Ntegrity – www.ntegrity.com.au Moceanic - www.moceanic.com Pareto Fundraising – www.paretofundraising.com FnP - www.fpmagazine.com.au