In a rapidly evolving digital landscape where data breaches and privacy compliance concerns frequently make headlines, earning your audience’s trust isn’t just a good idea—it’s crucial for success.

These profound changes demand the sector to innovate, as proactive operational and strategic preparation will be key to successfully adapting. To retain and recruit donors effectively, nonprofit teams should understand what these changes mean for their acquisition strategies and proactively leverage integrated tech tools to build a privacy-complaint donor pipeline.

The Evolution of Data Collection

At the core of charitable giving lies the establishment of trust through organizational and financial accountability. Trust is the nonnegotiable backbone of any nonprofit organization.

Cybersecurity and data privacy for nonprofits in fostering this trust is paramount—it’s a cornerstone of the principles of nonprofit transparency and the key to building a sustainable and loyal donor base.

Nonprofits must be accountable for allocating donations and safeguarding donors’ sensitive personal data, like payment and contact information. Ensuring the robust protection of this data is central to establishing and retaining supporters’ trust in an organization. Without stringent cybersecurity measures, nonprofits risk undermining this trust, potentially damaging credibility and donor relationships irreparably and threatening long-term retention.

Seismic shifts in the digital landscape, including the impending “cookie-pocalypse” of Google’s discontinuation of third-party cookies in Chrome by 2024, highlight the urgency of rethinking data privacy strategies. The disappearance of third-party cookies will force for-profit and nonprofit marketers to rely more heavily on zero, first-party data and engagement-based metrics.

Diversifying Acquisition Strategies for Long-term Success

Amid fluctuations in data privacy, search engine optimization (SEO) remains a resilient and compliant acquisition strategy. Organizations can deliver personalized content without encroaching on user privacy by zeroing in on keyword-driven intent, especially in a chat-first search environment.

Compelling content with intentional SEO strategies can boost a website’s visibility, ensure newcomers find their way to key resources, enhance user engagement, and bolster lead acquisition.

SEO’s magic lies in its user intent-centric model: audiences explicitly communicate their needs and interests through search queries. Tools like Google Search Console offer insights into audience queries without associating data with specific individuals. This gold mine of information facilitates content creation that aligns with the searcher’s intent—search data can help your organization better understand who you reach, how to engage with them most effectively, and the most probable actions they might take.

Some SEO strategies will adapt better than others in the emerging chat-first search environment. For example, informational searches may be at a higher risk of losing the ability to drive on-site traffic. To counteract this, diversifying site content through mediums like video and interactive storytelling can enhance engagement and preserve your web content’s search value in a privacy-centric digital age.

By incorporating these adaptable SEO strategies and leveraging integrated tech tools, nonprofits can thrive in the privacy-centric digital landscape, expanding audiences and driving acquisition without relying on third-party data.

AI Tools

Leveraging AI-powered tools, like ChatGPT and Cause Writer AI, can revolutionize nonprofit acquisition strategies through personalized engagement, data-driven insights, and predictive analytics.

Cause Writer AI excels at crafting tailored donor personas while streamlining content creation, all without sacrificing organizational authenticity. This and technologies like it enable nonprofits to automate processes and adapt swiftly to emerging trends, fostering cost-effectiveness and agility in a modern, fast-paced digital environment.

The Importance of Seamless Tech Integration in Acquisition

Zero-party data refers to information individuals willingly and proactively provide. Gained through direct interactions, this data can include preferences, intentions, and personalized insights the users share.

Organizations collect first-party data, which includes user behavior, engagement metrics, and demographic details, directly from audiences. This information typically derives through interactions with your nonprofit website, apps, or other platforms, like social media.

Fundraising Tools

Integrated tech tools and systems are paramount for collecting and utilizing clean zero and first-party data. Your organization’s tool suite should streamline gathering, analyzing, and deploying data from multiple sources. This ensures consistency, accuracy, and a unified understanding of user behavior while complying with modern required security measures and data privacy laws.

Connected fundraising technologies are at the forefront of efficient and privacy-compliant donor outreach, with CRM integrations serving as the vital connection for unified fundraising and donor insights. CRM systems, like Salesforce and HubSpot, serve as central repositories for unified donor insights and engagement, integrating with data points from platforms like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Meta. Effective marketing and donor stewardship are heavily contingent upon this accurate data, further underscoring the need for comprehensive tech solutions.

Classy’s fundraising platform offers various integrations and tools to provide a comprehensive view of donor insights while preserving the privacy of sensitive data. ​​The Classy for Salesforce and HubSpot + Classy integrations ensure a fluid and uninterrupted flow of donor data.

Analytics

Free analytic tracking tools GA4 and Google Tag Manager offer in-depth views into user behavior, becoming vital aids for more informed and targeted outreach.

For those looking to maximize these powerful tools, our GA4 Reports for Nonprofits: Unlocking Insights With Classy Data and Big Guide to GA4 resources provide deeper insights into leveraging them successfully. Unlike its predecessor, GA4 is event-based and focuses on user engagement and behavior, providing a richer, more granular view of user interactions.

In the context of data privacy, GA4 hinges on adaptability, using data modeling to make it more resilient to changes in third-party cookie policies. This allows organizations to gain insights without compromising user privacy protection.

Social Ads

To optimize advertising strategies while respecting privacy concerns, utilize advertising tracking tools like Meta Pixel. Platforms like Meta, Google Ads, X, and LinkedIn, among others, offer versions of advertising pixels, each designed to integrate seamlessly with its respective advertising ecosystems.

The way pixels operate and the type of data collected continue to evolve, with a stronger emphasis on data anonymization and user consent via opt-in to collect personally identifiable information. In response to recent consumer data privacy changes, many pixels have changed to prioritize aggregated and anonymized data over individual tracking. This ensures personal data privacy remains uncompromised and performance metrics are accessible.

The Future of Fundraising with Heightened Data Security Practices

As we look toward the future of fundraising, it becomes abundantly clear that adaptability is not just a virtue but a necessity—especially in the face of evolving data privacy regulations.

Amid the ever-changing digital landscape, diverse tools exist to empower nonprofits and service providers to adapt and thrive in this environment. By judiciously leveraging these tools, organizations can create a synergy that enables them to gather actionable insights, optimize acquisition strategies, and remain compliant with shifting privacy legislation.

The combined power of adaptability, focus on aggregated data, and seamless data management capabilities of an integrated CRM system facilitate future-proofing your nonprofit for success. This integrated approach allows nonprofits to make informed decisions, cultivate deeper relationships with donors, and execute effective, data-driven campaigns—all while safeguarding the privacy and trust of their audiences.

The future of fundraising isn’t just about accumulating data. It’s about intelligently harnessing it responsibly for the greater good.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

A well-told story lights up the same parts of the brain as if we experienced it directly.

The good news is that everyone has a story. Unfortunately, we often forget writing is technical, and to communicate to inspire action, we need to learn and implement those technicalities.

Below, we dive into foundational storytelling techniques and the associated effective psychological principles. We explore the emotional and psychological reasons why people give to charity and how nonprofits can leverage those insights in charitable gift appeals. Plus, learn what tool our team at DonorVoice created to help organizations elevate their fundraising messages.

Let’s get started.

Psychology of Storytelling 101

There’s a niche academic field called narrative psychology. These academics confirmed that our memories aren’t chronological encyclopedias but rather stories. They found that sharing and distilling stories with personal narrative arcs, where a challenge gives way to triumph, is common in highly generative adults who desire to provide for future generations and make a positive impact on the world.

These same people who tell redemption stories also tend to be happier.

This is what charitable causes want to achieve with fundraising appeals. The goal is to share a redemption story that compels people to want to make the world a better place while simultaneously making themselves happier.

Here are the key elements of a redemptive arc story:

• A challenge: The specific, timely obstacle a character faces.
• An intervention: The ways the nonprofit and individual donors offer support.
• A positive, agentive change: The ways in which the character’s life or situation improved as a result.

Applying These Psychological Storytelling Principles to Increase Impact

Our team at DonorVoice recognized the urgent need for nonprofits to elevate their stories to givers in ways that inspire them to get involved, and we wanted to help people and organizations do that at scale.

We built a linguistic science application, Copy Optimizer, to objectively score hundreds of fundraising copy samples based on alignment with behavioral science principles. The results and research show a need for learning, with the average Story Score netting 50 out of 100 points. We see optimizing these stories as a simple and impactful way to leverage the psychology of giving to effectively combat downward donor trends.

In one of the copy snippets we evaluated for a local food bank, the control letter had none of the elements listed above, resulting in a Story Score of zero. It was all need-and-ask statements with a few supporting sentences about a family member’s experience post-war in Korea.

After optimizing this story to account for the technical elements of an effective appeal, the snippet became:

“He fought in Korea for you and me and our way of life. He suffered a lot and worked odd jobs after the war but never really got his life back. He never complained.

He’s 80 now, living in the same house he grew up in with his sister, Julia. She looks after him nowadays as best she can. She has been so grateful for those senior boxes they offer at her senior center. She gets him one box a month; it’s enough for 25 meals.”

It’s only seven brief sentences and took about 20 minutes to rework. The Story Score for this snippet is now 100 out of 100.

4 Attributes of Storytelling Success

The redemptive arc discussed above is the 30,000-foot view of a story. The details of how we zoom in from that point to ensure it resonates with readers are critical to storytelling effectiveness.

Here are the four key attributes of a smooth, meaningful reading experience to keep in mind:

1. Speed

Addressing how quickly or slowly your story takes readers from one emotion to the next is critical. How much distance is there between your story’s plot points that stimulate opposing reactions?

If you introduce a beneficiary’s challenge in the first paragraph but hold off until the last sentence to celebrate resolving those challenges, your speed is too slow. On the other hand, if you solve the problem before the end of the first paragraph, the reader doesn’t have enough time to settle into the initial emotion. Balance is key.

2. Volatility

Volatility means your story includes swings in emotion and sentiment. It’s a crucial element of impactful nonprofit appeals and is often a case of “more is more.”

Consider the two video types in the illustration below: high volatility, represented by the solid line, and low volatility, represented by the dotted line. The average sentiment is the same for both videos. Both also have the same peak beginning and end. The only difference is the emotional peaks and valleys.

The video with high volatility had higher engagement and a longer watch time. Plus, readers view these types of stories more favorably when evaluated qualitatively. A larger number of people admit to liking and sharing them more.

3. Volume

It’s best practice for a story to take readers from point A to point B, but some get lost along the way. While certain additions help provide context and benefit the reading experience, several deter donors from the story’s intent, resulting in a disjointed connection to the characters and plot. These unrelated stops increase the volume of your story. And unless it’s a two-hour movie, high volume can hinder your ability to effectively get your message across.

4. Circuitousness

Similarly, two stories may have the same semantic and emotional starting and end point. While one goes through several psychological (and fewer interrelated) states to get there, the other takes a psychologically easy glide path. The latter has traveled less mental distance, making it less circuitous. This is the most effective format to inspire action in nearly all charitable giving cases.

Putting the Plot Points Together to Establish an Emotional Connection

At the start of your narrative, you have a blank canvas. The reader hasn’t met any of your characters or the setting. This is your opportunity to vividly describe the people, places, and things involved in your story to help paint the picture.

When that’s complete, it’s critical to progress at a pace that allows readers to develop relationships with the characters, establish a connection to the plot, and become emotionally invested in the resolution. Here, you should demonstrate a material change in circumstance—in most cases, from bad to good. Show the main character gaining greater autonomy and, as a result, enjoying improvements in their overall well-being.

Once readers have become familiar with your evolving plot points, you’re ready to accelerate. A slow start followed by a fast story build accomplishes several key psychological elements. Without it, most stories remain unmotivating.

Here’s the evidence:

This chart analyzes a story divided into five equal-length parts. Parts one and two received low scores, representing readers’ unfavorable opinions of how quickly the plot moved before they could establish an understanding of the story. Parts three, four, and five show positive scores as readers prefer a quicker pace. They’re eager to see a resolution of the conflict now that they’ve established a connection to the cause.

Adopt Technical Writing to Inspire People to Give

Storytelling is standard practice for nonprofit organizations, but technical storytelling is where many still fall short when conducting outreach for an upcoming fundraising event, Giving Tuesday campaign, or general appeal for charitable donations. By understanding the principles summarized below, emerging, growing, and booming nonprofits can raise more and do more for their missions and communities:

• Use the redemptive arc in stories, starting with context, characters, and the primary struggle. Move to an intervention next and, most importantly, agentic, positive change with the beneficiary serving as an active participant.
• Lead with a story before closing with an ask. This presents the best chance of getting and holding the reader’s attention, especially on social media.
• Use volatility and pacing to establish and maintain donors’ emotional investment in a story.
• Add detail where necessary for context and understanding, but avoid taking readers on a roundabout ride to the resolution. More twists and turns add volume to the story and risk tiring readers out before they reach the end.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Staying on top of the latest fundraising trends is essential in today’s ever-changing nonprofit landscape. In particular, one area that continues to grow in prominence and popularity year over year is corporate giving.

When charitable organizations partner with socially minded corporations, there’s potential to establish a symbiotic relationship that leverages their strengths, opportunities, and resources to drive positive change. These partnerships may involve project or event sponsorships, community grants, workplace giving programs, cause marketing campaigns, and more. In other words, corporate partnerships come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s much to gain, regardless of the partnership form.

As a result, nonprofits must closely monitor current and projected corporate giving trends to set their fundraising and partnerships teams up for success. By aligning your nonprofit’s strategies with the findings in this guide, you can position yourself for greater collaboration, funding, and community engagement to increase total giving levels. And you can do it all while fostering long-lasting, sustainable partnerships to maximize the impact of your mission.

Key Takeaway: Corporate Partnerships Must Come Before Corporate Giving.

The most effective donation appeals take a personalized engagement approach, with the fundraiser investing time and energy into building a relationship with the prospective donor. When individual contributors lack knowledge of your organization and a connection to your cause, they’re not likely to write you a check.

Similarly, corporate partnerships require solid connections and understanding before pitching a sponsorship. Like individual donors, companies tend to invest resources and rally their employees around causes they genuinely care about.

Take time to engage with a company and learn about its values, business objectives, employee base, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. This paves the way for a more meaningful and fruitful conversation. Building rapport with potential partners helps them understand your nonprofit organization’s mission and demonstrates your commitment to a mutually beneficial, long-lasting relationship.

Remember, relationships are at the core of successful fundraising efforts, whether with individual donors or corporate stakeholders. With robust fundraising software like Classy, you can uncover partnership opportunities, streamline engagement efforts, and simplify corporate fundraising. This enables you to provide an optimal experience for your corporate partners, fostering strong and lasting relationships to support your cause in the coming year and beyond.

Relevant Corporate Giving Trends for Nonprofits to Track

Corporate giving is a prevalent strategy⁠—and it only continues to grow. Data discussed in Classy’s recent webinar, Six Ways to Strengthen Your Corporate Partnerships, indicates that 2021 saw over $21 billion in donations from companies to nonprofits, a 24% increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, surveys indicate that 94% of major U.S. corporations plan to heighten or maintain charitable giving in the next few years.

The ways in which these opportunities manifest can differ greatly, yet it’s essential to watch these specific and impactful trends in corporate philanthropy and CSR. Doing so will better position your team to uncover and pursue partnerships effectively.

1. Philanthropy Aligned More Closely With Crisis Response, Current Events

Year-long giving initiatives remain a crucial tenet of corporate philanthropy, but there’s also been a notable shift toward aligning efforts with more timely campaigns. In particular, many companies have rallied their employees to support crisis response and current events⁠—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, refugee crisis support efforts, natural disaster relief, and other urgent affairs⁠—through corporate and workplace giving.

Such efforts have unearthed that crowdfunding websites are an excellent tool to raise funds quickly and effectively. By mobilizing employees⁠—and sometimes the general public⁠—to contribute directly to relief efforts, they can use their influence to make a significant impact with their charitable contributions.

2. Reinstated Employee Giving Programs

While most companies’ employee giving programs get sustained from year to year, in some instances, companies pause the initiatives. According to Double the Donation’s matching gift trend analysis, several companies, including Kimray Inc., IBM, and UPS, had temporarily suspended their employee matching gift programs. However, all three companies reinstated these initiatives as of 2023, demonstrating a renewed commitment to CSR and employee engagement.

The reinstatement affirms the value of these programs, and many staff are eager to be re-engaged in corporate giving alongside their employers. Check out this list of companies that match donations for future corporate giving initiatives.

3. Increased Match Ratios and Donation Maximums

The more funding companies contribute to nonprofits, the greater the partnership benefits received. Today, companies continuously expand matching gift programs to bring their corporate giving potential to new heights. These include American Eagle Outfitters (which has upped its maximum match amount), The Hartford (which has doubled its existing match ratio), Chicago Community Trust (which has increased its donation limit and its match rate), and more.

In addition to maximums and ratios, many companies actively incentivize employees to participate in monthly giving programs (and match those donations) rather than only contributing one-time gifts. These program enhancements encourage employees to engage in sustained giving, motivating individuals to contribute regularly and increasing their impact on the nonprofit sector over time.

4. Increased CSR and Philanthropy Participation

Companies continue to roll out new corporate giving initiatives daily. Not to mention, corporate philanthropy and CSR are no longer exclusive to the largest corporations. Now, smaller and mid-sized businesses have shown elevated participation in social good initiatives⁠—particularly those that leverage team member involvement.

In recent years, there’s been a growing market for CSR platforms targeting small and mid-sized companies, enabling corporate giving as an increasingly accessible business strategy. This allows companies of all shapes and sizes to drive positive change through the philanthropic sector. It also provides employees with new and exciting opportunities to give back and support the nonprofit missions of importance to them.

5. Tighter Relationships Between Nonprofits and Companies

The nature of corporate-nonprofit relationships also continues to evolve. Often, companies that give are no longer content with partnerships going only as far as transactional payments. Instead, there’s a need for deeper engagement and alignment with the nonprofit missions they support through volunteer programs, event participation, and more.

Here’s how Mary Elise O’Brien, Manager of Corporate and Community Relations at the Gary Sinise Foundation, described it in a recent Classy webinar:

Though it may require a more targeted approach to secure these types of partner relationships, the result tends to be more profound, impactful, and long-lasting collaborations that benefit both parties.

6. Rise in Virtual Employee Engagement

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits and companies have each seen significant shifts from primarily in-person to virtual and hybrid engagement. There are more remote workers than ever, and fundraisers have expanded their efforts beyond geographic boundaries. This has increased reliance on virtual events (like webinars, auctions, fundraising galas, online challenges, remote run/walk/rides, interactive campaigns, and more) and the platforms that power them. 

From the company’s perspective, virtual solutions enable business leaders to engage team members from afar, building employee loyalty and retention and fostering a positive workplace culture. Such virtual engagement is also an excellent avenue for nonprofits, whose teams can establish connections with corporate partners and their employees while retaining their cause at the top of supporters’ minds from anywhere in the world.

What These CSR Trends Mean for Your Organization

Corporate giving increasingly comprises purpose-driven partnerships and collaborations between nonprofits and for-profit businesses. As nonprofits strive to make a tangible difference in the world, maximizing the available support of committed funders is crucial.

Keeping up with corporate giving patterns⁠—including shifting focus areas, preferred engagement models, and employee involvement levels⁠—enables your team to tailor their partnership approach accordingly.

How to Take Advantage of These Top Trends

With a strategic approach to engagement, corporate partnerships can go a long way. Implementing these expert tips and insights can help your team build lasting relationships with companies and employees.

Ensuring Flexibility in Giving Options

Modern corporate giving prioritizes flexibility. Companies and employees are more likely to support causes when it’s easy and convenient. That’s why offering diverse giving options—one-time donations, embedded donation forms, recurring contributions, and time-based campaigns—is essential.

Emphasizing Win-Win Partnerships

Positioning partnerships as mutually beneficial is vital. Don’t go into any relationship talking solely about “me, me, me.” Instead, highlight how your mission and proposed collaboration align with the company’s goals, whether diving into CSR, increasing awareness, improving brand reputation, driving sales, or deepening employee engagement.

By showing the prospective partner that your relationship will solve a problem they face in tangible ways, you make it a no-brainer for the company to get on board.

Employing Customized Sponsorship Packages

Your partners (or prospects) have a unique place in your nonprofit’s engagements by offering tailored sponsorship opportunities. This is often the most tangible value-add a nonprofit can offer a corporate partner, and it serves as a testament to your organization’s collaboration.

Ensure you cater each package to appeal to a partner, including tailored branding on event print and digital promotional materials, virtual platforms, in-person event spaces, swag, auction items, merchandise, and more.

Utilizing Advanced Technology

Like all fundraising engagements, equipping your team with a comprehensive fundraising platform is crucial for streamlining partnership efforts and maximizing their impact. 

Features such as in-house donation processing, donor management, campaign tracking, and matching gift automation maximize the impact of corporate giving. Not to mention, recurring giving continues to gain momentum in corporate partnerships, so ensure your fundraising solution offers a complete recurring donation platform to enable corporate employees to contribute regularly.

Empowering Employee Advocates

Companies know to engage their employees in corporate giving now more than ever. Stay ahead by harnessing existing donors’ influence to advocate for your cause within their workplaces and across professional social media channels like LinkedIn.

Your donor database⁠—paired with an employee giving tool like Double the Donation⁠—can also help uncover the best partnership opportunities. If you see that a sizable supporter segment works for manufacturing company A, it’s worth reaching out to initiate a relationship. You already have a lot in common, which might be what you need to get your foot in the door.

Elevating Engagement With Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Once you have a corporate partner on board, peer-to-peer fundraising can be an excellent way to deepen engagement with the company’s employees and fuel greater levels of philanthropic giving. Equipped with impactful peer-to-peer fundraising tools, this approach fosters healthy competition between teams and departments. Virtual engagement also pairs well with gamification tactics like online leaderboards, fundraising thermometers, goal setting, incentives, and prizes.

When you challenge corporate groups or segments to see who can raise the most for your cause through social fundraising, you build positive experiences with your organization, enhance corporate giving impact, and attract new supporters through employees’ networks.

Next Steps: Getting Started With Powerful Corporate Partnerships

By monitoring and adapting to relevant trends in the corporate philanthropy space, your nonprofit team can best identify, pitch, secure, and maintain high-impact partnerships. And when you consider that the emphasis on corporate giving will only grow, you understand the increasing need for a well-thought-out strategy.

The time to launch such a strategy is now.

Gen Z and millennials continue to demand CSR as employees and consumers, applying pressure on the companies they may work for and shop from to give back and invest in social good. Such participation in corporate philanthropy allows companies to benefit greatly. Meanwhile, your organization gains additional revenue streams, new audiences, and more.

That’s not something you want to miss out on. If you’re ready to begin exploring the largely untapped potential of corporate partnerships, Classy and Double the Donation⁠—experts in corporate philanthropy⁠—can help.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

There are certain evergreen fundamentals every nonprofit fundraising team should know to effectively engage and retain major donations, regardless of your mission or fundraising strategy. Below, we address some of the most critical tried-and-true tactics for major gift fundraising to help amplify your impact.

1. Leverage Peer-to-Peer Fundraising to Get Major Donors in Your Orbit

People are more likely to take action if asked to do so by people they know. That means neighbors talking to neighbors and family talking over dinner can greatly influence donor cultivation. It also means human connection and strong relationships are far more powerful than any brand marketing available to consumers.

Your fundraising platform plays a powerful role in establishing and nurturing meaningful donor relationships online. Without the right tech stack, your team’s efforts to craft and share a story that resonates with major gift prospects will likely fall flat.

Peer-to-peer fundraising allows you to pull many of these elements together by sharing your stories at scale, deepening and investing in trusted relationships using technology. Knowing that people are more likely to support an organization if invited by a trusted person, peer-to-peer fundraising can be a great way to get major gift donors into your ecosystem.

In fact, Classy’s Why America Gives report found that 67% of donors are most likely to find new causes through word of mouth from friends and family. And since personal relationships are at the root of major gift fundraising, organic appeals from those closest to them are more likely to be well received by givers.

This becomes easier to track and scale with a reliable peer-to-peer fundraising platform. For example, some donors may first enter your organization’s sphere as small donors during a campaign, but if you continue to learn about and integrate these donors into your stewardship plan, they may become invested enough in your cause to upgrade to major donors.

2. Make the Giving Experience Personal

Keeping notes and records in your donor database about returning supporters’ areas of interest is crucial for major donor prospect research. This lets you connect with loyal donors personally, opening the door for authentic relationship-building and a potential on-ramp to becoming a major donor.

You can learn more about a donor’s interests by assessing their giving history, identifying their event attendance history, pinpointing their program designation selections, and more. You can also explore which social media channels they prefer.

Once you understand who your donors are, target your phone calls and emails to speak to them in a way tailored to their experiences. For example, send them content and updates on the initiatives you know they care about or may become interested in to prepare for future appeals. You can also use personalization in email openings and email subject lines to get their attention from the start.

3. Offer Regular Donor Touchpoints to Nurture Your Relationships and Gain Insights

A preexisting rapport is critical before going into an appeal for a major contribution, so engage your donor with a handful of quality conversations before any ask is made. Listen to their thoughts and opinions and ask follow-up questions. This demonstrates your interest in them and can help inform your organization’s decision-making.

In addition, ongoing conversations supported by regular touchpoints are critical to donor stewardship, so stay in touch with loyal donors virtually and in person throughout the year to remind them of their value in your organization. Establishing that unique connection is one of the most effective ways to inspire donors to increase their giving levels.

Equally important, most nonprofit organizations need to communicate more. In fact, Classy’s Recurring Donor SentimentReport found that 38% of donors would love to hear from the organizations they support more often.

Set a frequency of at least one email every other week and one social media post per week if possible. In addition to hitting the right amount of communication, you must be thoughtful, strategic, and creative to get noticed in peoples’ cluttered inboxes. This means segmenting particular messages to smaller audiences based on interest and using data to learn who engages with your communications.

Then, to deepen your archive of individual donor insights, consider sending surveys or asking questions in your communications. Each time someone opens, clicks, or replies, take note of it to better understand who engages with you most regularly. They can be cultivated to monthly or even larger donors if nurtured effectively.

4. Be Aspirational in Your Ask

It can confuse or even insult donors if you ask for a donation amount too far above or below their budget. It proves you don’t know much about them and risks steering them away. Finding that sweet spot is part art, part science, and always backed up with historical donation data points.

When asking for money, regardless of the amount, remind each donor that their gift is part of a larger goal. Explain how each donation fuels your annual fund or maybe helps you achieve your fundraising goal for a targeted capital campaign. People like to feel part of something bigger. It offers a sense of community and that collective action has an impact.

I’m a huge fan of asking donors for a stretch gift, which, as it implies, goes beyond their typical gift size. This is a great strategy for larger donors who may have the means to increase their giving levels but haven’t upgraded yet. When done effectively, you may even be able to get a supporter over the threshold to become a loyal contributor to your major giving program, or at least consider a larger gift than last time.

Consider these two approaches:

• “We’re looking for $25K by the end of July. Steven, if you can help close that gap with a gift of $15K, [XYZ will happen], and we’ll honor you at our annual event and within our annual report. However, if that amount feels out of reach, whatever you can donate will significantly impact our mission. With your help, we can achieve our goal and distill donations to our beneficiaries quicker.”

• “Steven, we can remodel the community center if we can find ten more donors to contribute $15K. Understanding that this is an extremely generous gift, we’d love to help make it more manageable by spreading your donation over two years through a quarterly recurring gift.”

Additionally, create multiple donation forms per campaign and push them out to different donor segments. Then, challenge them to consider a bigger gift by offering amounts you know are a stretch but are still within each donor’s financial capacity. This way, you can be sure you seize every opportunity to increase donations and raise more money for your mission.

5. Be Direct and Specific

When we want someone to change their behavior or take action, it’s typically more effective to be specific with your directions or requests. Yet, often in fundraising, people avoid directness because they think it’s rude.

We need to be respectful of different approaches and preferences, but I believe we can raise more if people approach certain fundraising campaigns with a direct message. One approach could be something like, “We want to raise $10K this month and know this campaign can get us there. If everyone who visits this page gives $25, we will reach our goal by next week.”

Rather than appealing with a general donation ask, consider challenging donors to support your fundraising efforts with a specific gift amount. You’re more likely to get the gift you want if you tell your donors what you need and what the impact of their gifts will be. Impact blocks are a great way to put this gift strategy into practice.

Acquire and Nurture Major Gifts With Comprehensive Technology

Acquiring and retaining major donors is a result of offering the right experience to the right donor at the right time. This is only possible with the right technology from a comprehensive product suite that engages, nurtures, and grows your donor base.

Classy’s fundraising platform offers five campaign types, each providing a unique way to attract supporters through your story. This variety gives donors the freedom to choose how they want to engage, like a crowdfunding campaign or peer-to-peer fundraising. With Classy, you also have access to clean data and seamless integrations to inform your outreach strategies, aid in building relationships that last, and scale with you.

For more on how Classy compares to other fundraising platforms, check out our blog Classy vs. Classy Alternatives: Which Fundraising Platform Best Suits You?

Bonus Tip:

In addition to peer-to-peer fundraising, Facebook fundraisers can play an impactful role in your organization’s donor acquisition and major gifts program strategy. That’s why Classy’s integration with Facebook gives fundraisers the ability to expand their reach and multiply their impact by seamlessly integrating their Classy fundraising pages with Facebook.

While most of these gifts will be small or midsize donations, it’s an effective tactic to bring potential major donors into your atmosphere and fuel your fundraising goals. For tips on how to make the most of your Facebook fundraisers, explore my free Facebook fundraising guide.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

In today’s fast-paced social media world, video marketing for nonprofits is an essential tool for connecting with audiences. However, creating impactful videos can be time-consuming.

To make the most of your video marketing plan, it’s crucial to understand the types of videos that can make an impact: viral videos, engagement videos, and conversion videos. In this blog, we’ll explore these categories and how your nonprofit can use them to engage, mobilize, and inspire action.

Viral Videos: Captivating the Masses

Viral videos have the ability to capture attention and resonate with a wide audience, extending far beyond your existing supporters. These videos often use compelling storytelling, humor, or heartwarming content to establish an emotional connection. While the reach of viral videos may be substantial, note that the engagement from your core audience might vary.

Here are some examples of viral videos for nonprofits that can captivate the masses:

Inspirational Stories

Share uplifting stories of individuals or communities whose lives your organization has positively impacted. These stories should evoke strong emotions and highlight the transformative power of your work. By showcasing real-life examples of how your nonprofit has made a difference, you can inspire viewers and encourage them to support your cause.

For instance, you could feature a heartwarming video of someone receiving the medical supplies they need thanks to your organization’s efforts. Such stories of resilience and hope have the potential to touch the hearts of viewers and generate widespread sharing.

Unique Challenges

Create videos that highlight unique challenges or events related to your cause. These videos can leverage viral trends or challenges to increase the likelihood of sharing and engagement. By tapping into popular trends or utilizing creative concepts, you can make your message more relatable and shareable.

For instance, if your nonprofit focuses on environmental conservation, you could create a video that showcases a creative and fun “trash cleanup challenge” where participants compete to collect the most litter in their communities. This video can raise awareness about the issue of pollution and encourage viewers to get involved and take action.

Humorous Content

Use humor to convey your message by creating funny marketing videos that cleverly align with your nonprofit’s mission or initiatives. Humor has a way of capturing attention and engaging viewers, making your content more shareable and memorable.

Consider creating a lighthearted video that incorporates comedy sketches or witty storytelling while conveying a vital message related to your cause. For instance, a nonprofit focused on animal welfare could create an amusing video featuring talking animals discussing the importance of responsible pet ownership. By infusing humor into your content, you can entertain and educate viewers while increasing the likelihood of your video going viral.

Why haven’t I gone viral yet?

Viral videos have the potential to generate widespread attention and reach a large audience, but it’s critical to note that going viral doesn’t always translate into converting viewers into followers or supporters. While these videos can create a buzz and generate awareness, there may be a limit to the level of engagement and conversion from the broader audience.

The reason behind this lies in the nature of viral content. Viral videos often appeal to a wide audience, including those who may not necessarily be interested or aligned with your nonprofit’s mission or cause. So while they may enjoy and share the video, their engagement might not extend beyond that initial interaction.

To make the most impact, complement viral videos with other types of content that engage and connect with your core audience. This leads us to the next category of nonprofit videos: engagement videos.

Engagement Videos: Strengthening Bonds With Your Existing Audience

Engagement videos resonate with your core audience, fostering deeper connections and encouraging active participation. These videos may not reach the same wide audience as viral videos but tend to generate higher levels of interaction and involvement from those already invested in your organization. Here are some examples of engagement videos that can strengthen the bonds with your existing audience:

Behind-the-Scenes Updates

Provide exclusive glimpses into your nonprofit’s daily operations, events, or projects. This behind-the-scenes content lets your audience feel connected and involved in your organization’s activities. By sharing the inner workings of your nonprofit, you create a sense of nonprofit transparency and build trust with your supporters.

For instance, you can create a video showcasing your volunteers or staff’s behind-the-scenes experience, preparations for an upcoming fundraising event, or a day in the life of a nonprofit employee. This type of video engages your existing audience and allows them to feel like they are a part of the journey.

Volunteer and Supporter Spotlights

Recognize and showcase the efforts of your dedicated volunteers and supporters. Conduct interviews or capture testimonials that highlight their contributions and express gratitude for their dedication. These videos acknowledge the invaluable role played by your supporters while inspiring others to get involved and make a difference.

For instance, you could create a video series featuring individual volunteers sharing their personal stories, motivations, and experiences with your nonprofit. By highlighting the impact of their work and expressing appreciation, you strengthen the sense of community and encourage others to join.

Educational Content

Share informative videos that educate your audience on topics related to your cause. By providing valuable insights, tips, or tutorials, you address their interests or concerns. Educational videos position your nonprofit as a trusted source of information and expertise, enhancing your credibility and deepening the engagement of your audience.

For instance, if your nonprofit focuses on environmental conservation, you can create educational videos that offer practical tips on sustainable living, recycling, or eco-friendly practices. By empowering your audience with knowledge, you inspire them to take action and make positive changes in their lives.

Why isn’t my audience engaging with our videos?

To enhance audience engagement with your nonprofit’s videos, address these potential obstacles:

1. Overcome lack of relevance by understanding your audience’s interests and tailoring your content to align with their needs.
2. Replace lengthy or complex videos with concise, focused content that’s easily digestible.
3. Include clear calls to action and maintain a consistent posting schedule to help guide viewers toward engagement.

By actively addressing these considerations, nonprofits can boost audience engagement and build stronger connections through video content.

Conversion Videos: Driving Advocacy and Fundraising Efforts

Conversion videos inspire specific actions from your audience, mobilizing them to support your nonprofit’s advocacy or fundraising initiatives. These videos may not have the same reach and engagement as viral or engagement videos but are essential for generating tangible support. Here are a few types of conversion videos that can drive action:

Calls to Action

Create videos that clearly communicate the specific actions you want your audience to take. Whether signing a petition, making a donation, attending an event, or volunteering, these videos should emphasize the urgency and importance of their participation by clearly explaining the impact of their action and the benefits of getting involved. Use compelling visuals, storytelling, and persuasive language to inspire immediate action.

For instance, you can create a video that highlights a pressing issue and presents a call to action for viewers to sign a petition urging policymakers to take action. By clearly outlining the steps and emphasizing the impact of their signatures, you can motivate viewers to actively participate in advocating for change.

Testimonials

Share powerful testimonials from beneficiaries, volunteers, or donors to establish credibility and encourage others to join your cause. These testimonials provide social proof, demonstrating the positive impact your nonprofit has had on individuals or communities. Through heartfelt stories and firsthand accounts, these videos also build trust, showcase the importance of your work, and inspire others to support your mission.

For instance, consider creating a video featuring a beneficiary who shares their journey and how your organization has made a difference for them. By capturing their gratitude, transformation, or improved circumstances, you can create an emotional connection with viewers and compel them to contribute to your cause.

Impact Reports

Showcase the outcomes and impact of your nonprofit’s work through data, infographics, and success stories. Use visuals, statistics, and testimonials to present measurable results and illustrate the positive change your nonprofit brings to the community. These videos demonstrate your organization’s effectiveness, transparency, and the value of supporting your mission.

For instance, you can create a video that highlights the number of lives impacted, the total funds raised, or a success story from alumni. By presenting the concrete results of your efforts, you can instill confidence in potential supporters and inspire them to contribute to your fundraising efforts or engage in your advocacy campaigns.

Why aren’t these videos performing well?

The videos probably are. However, it’s crucial to note that when embarking on a conversion campaign with specific calls to action, it’s normal for reach and engagement to be lower compared to more broadly appealing or entertaining videos.

Conversion videos often target a specific and committed audience, which may result in a smaller reach. Additionally, the call to action may require a higher level of commitment, leading to lower engagement rates.

So don’t be discouraged if you see a dip in metrics during a conversion campaign. Instead, focus on the quality of engagement and the potential for meaningful action from those who do engage. Remember, the goal of conversion videos is to mobilize dedicated supporters and advocates willing to take steps to support your cause.

Reach the Right Audiences With These Video Marketing Tips

By categorizing your nonprofit videos based on the potential for virality, engagement, and conversion, your organization can strategically create and share content to maximize impact.

Viral videos have the potential to reach a wide audience, while engagement videos foster deeper connections with your existing supporters. Yet, conversion videos, although having a narrower reach, are crucial for driving advocacy and fundraising efforts.

By understanding the purpose and characteristics of each category, your nonprofit can develop a well-rounded video marketing strategy that effectively engages, mobilizes, and inspires action.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Companies of all sizes often participate in matching gift programs and initiatives to give charitably, fuel their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, and support the causes their employees care about. After eligible employees donate to a nonprofit, they can request a match from their employer⁠—doubling the initial employee donation.

Employee giving programs and subsequent matching gifts offer a powerful opportunity for nonprofit organizations to amplify their giving campaigns with little added effort. By tapping into the generosity of individual donors and their employers, nonprofits like yours can double⁠—or even triple⁠—the impact of incoming gifts.

In this article, we’ll review four practical ways nonprofits can maximize funding from employee giving campaigns and matching gifts. These include the following tried-and-true practices:

1. Incorporate matching gifts in the donation process.
2. Spread the word about matching gifts.
3. Make timely matching gift appeals.
4. Make the most of matching gift software.

Matching gifts can and should be used to amplify all types of fundraising⁠—from peer-to-peer campaigns to special events and more⁠—to make the most of tax-deductible donations coming your way. 

The results are significant, with organizations seeing substantial growth in their individual and corporate philanthropy revenue.

1. Incorporate Matching Gifts in the Donation Process

Integrating employee giving directly within the donation process is an excellent way to uplevel year-round employee engagement and enhance your organization’s fundraising. Donors are typically at their highest engagement level at this time, increasing the likelihood that they’ll get involved when presented with the opportunity to participate in matching gift programs.

There are a few key ways to accomplish this. First, consider adding a quick blurb about matching gifts on your online donation site alongside seamless payment methods, like credit card, Venmo, PayPal, and other preferred options. This blurb can be as simple as “See if your employer will match your gift!” above an optional employment data field. Additionally, a matching gift search tool, such as Double the Donation’s, can be easily embedded in Classy donation forms.

Then, you’ll also want to promote matching gifts on the confirmation page after a donation has been submitted. A brief explanation of matching gifts and an encouraging call to action for donors to check their match eligibility can go a long way toward boosting employee giving revenue and retention.

Ensure that the matching gift information on this page is detailed, digestible, and actionable. You don’t want your donors to have to click link after link to find the matching gift guidelines that apply to them. Present them with the applicable minimum and maximum donation amounts, the match ratio, and a link to the form they’ll use to submit their matching gift request.

Here’s a look at Double the Donation’s matching gift search tool, embedded into an organization’s online donation form:

After the individual completes their donation, details regarding the company’s matching gift program automatically populate on the gift confirmation page:

This resource allows donors to receive detailed information and be prompted to take the suggested next steps immediately after giving.

2. Spread the Word About Matching Gifts

Since donors may be unfamiliar with employee-giving programs and sometimes have limited knowledge of their match eligibility, spreading the word about the opportunity is crucial. After working with nonprofits for years, Double the Donation found that lack of donor awareness is one of the most prominent hurdles organizations must overcome to maximize matching gift revenue.

In that light, you must bridge the knowledge gap for your supporters.

Luckily, there are a lot of benefits to informing donors about matching gifts. For example, research indicates that just mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals can result in a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount.¹

Other ways to increase matching gift awareness include creating a dedicated matching gifts page on your website to highlight matching gifts front and center for your audience. You can use this page to house all the information a donor might need about matching gifts, including:

• A definition of matching gifts and an overview of how these employee-giving programs support your organization’s social impact
• Breakdowns of the elements commonly found in matching gift guidelines (minimums and maximums, match ratios, qualifying employees and causes, submission deadlines, and more)
• Lists of companies offering matching gift programs (or an embedded matching gift database search tool)
• Information about how a donor can locate matching gift information in an efficient way if they don’t find their company
• How to advocate for a matching gifts program to a non-participating employer
• The basic steps for submitting an online (most common) or paper matching gift request

The above information can help familiarize your donors with employee-matching gifts, encouraging them to request matches from their employers. In fact, 84% of donors are more likely to move from your dedicated matching gift page to your donation form if they know that their gift qualifies for a match.

In addition to a dedicated matching gifts page, social media is another great way to share information about matching gifts. This allows you to leverage the widespread reach of social networking sites, like LinkedIn, driving awareness of the charitable giving opportunity and empowering donors to get involved.

Below is an example of an attention-grabbing social post. Be sure to incorporate existing social media best practices, tailor your content to each platform, and communicate the value of the opportunity.

You can even link to your dedicated matching gifts page in these posts to ensure that it leads your donors to reliable information about the opportunity and how they can get involved. A social media post might pique your followers’ interest, but there’s only so much you can include. Linking to additional resources on the topic⁠—like your dedicated matching gifts page with detailed incentives⁠—is a must.

3. Make Timely Matching Gift Appeals

One of the most critical aspects of successful matching gift solicitation is timing. At the very least, your organization should consider sending individual email follow-ups directly after donors give.

We recommend sending your matching gift appeals between two and twenty-four hours after the donation. This message can explain the matching gift opportunity and reiterate how they impact your organization and its mission. If you have access to donor employment information (such as the data previously collected during the giving process), you can tailor your messaging to reflect an individual’s employee giving specifics.

Here’s an example:

These emails can convey how much your organization appreciates the donors’ support, make them feel like crucial team members, and demonstrate the amplified impact of their initial gifts.

From there, consider incorporating matching gifts in your seasonal or time-sensitive campaigns, like disaster relief or cause awareness day campaigns. For example, one of the most opportune times to mention matching gifts is during the year-end fundraising season.

Doing so can appeal to new and existing donors, emphasizing the opportunity to double the impact of just one donation. Previously on-the-fence donors are more likely to contribute when they know a match is available. Meanwhile, existing donors have the opportunity to amplify their gifts made in the year without reaching back into their own wallets.

Check out this sample matching gift email sent in the last few weeks of the year:

Remember that many companies close their employee-giving request windows at the end of the calendar year. Thus, it can be an excellent chance to drive unclaimed matches to completion using year-end urgency.

Giving Tuesday is another example of a campaign where your organization can include information about matching gifts. Not only does mentioning matching gifts spur higher donation amounts, but including this information will also ensure that your donors know the steps they can take after their donations are submitted to double their impact.

Matching gifts allow you to talk to your donor base without sending another donation appeal. They have already supported your cause, so you’re now reaching out and showing that those donations can go twice as far with a match from their employer at no extra cost to them.

But timing is critical. You’ll want to catch supporters at high levels of engagement⁠—such as immediately following their initial donation or in the year-end giving season⁠—to maximize matching gift conversion rates.

4. Make the Most of Matching Gift Software

Leveraging the right software can reduce some of the effort required to encourage matching gift requests from your donors.

Luckily, you can integrate Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro with your Classy fundraising tools. Thanks to the innovative partnership, donation records automatically flow into 360MatchPro and are filtered into an appropriate email stream based on match eligibility.

From there, donations are tracked in 360MatchPro, providing updates through the matching gift lifecycle and producing actionable insights in an easy-to-understand way. Metrics include the number of match-eligible donations, submitted match requests, and total revenue collected in matching gifts.

Take a look at a sample dashboard below:

The software also offers automated and personalizable email streams that make optimizing the timing of your matching gift appeals a breeze. We recommend triggering an email two hours after the initial donation is submitted⁠—and one or two weeks later if the match remains unclaimed.

Automatically engaging with donors about matching gifts increases awareness among your donor base and provides the opportunity to help your team do more with employee giving and fuel the sustainability of your program. The revenue is out there; you must work with your donors to claim it.

By leveraging the right software, adopting seamless integrations, and implementing the best practices outlined above, your organization can kick back and watch as the matching gifts roll in.

Article Source

1. “Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2023],” Double the Donation, last accessed July, 13, 2023, https://doublethedonation.com/matching-gift-statistics/.

Whether they’ve started organizations or partnered with existing ones, here are 12 celebrity activists using their platforms to fight for causes close to their hearts.

1. Glenn Close

CAUSE: Mental Health

ORGANIZATION: BRING CHANGE 2 MIND

Glenn Close has been acting in television and film for over 40 years, appearing in movies such as “The Big Chill,” “Fatal Attraction,” “101 Dalmatians,” “The Stepford Wives,” and many more. She has six Oscar nominations, the most recent being for best actress in the 2011 film “Albert Nobbs.” But off camera, Close co-founded Bring Change 2 Mind, a nonprofit organization working to end the stigma attached to mental illness.

The Close family knows firsthand the challenges people living with mental illness face. Close’s sister has bipolar disorder, and her nephew has schizoaffective disorder.

Bring Change 2 Mind produces public service announcements and organizes social media campaigns to get people talking about their experiences with mental illness to end the stigma and discrimination.

2. Stephen and Ayesha Curry

CAUSE: Childhood Hunger Relief

ORGANIZATION: EAT. LEARN. PLAY. FOUNDATION

Stephen Curry is one of the brightest stars of the NBA. Just when you thought he couldn’t top himself after winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2015, he won again in 2016 by an unprecedented unanimous vote.

But between practices, travel, games, and Nike commercials, Stephen and his wife, Ayesha, fight to end childhood hunger through the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation, which they founded in 2019 with a focus on improving the lives of kids and families in Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area, and across the country.

The organization is committed to unlocking the unique potential of every child by ensuring students have access to quality education, food, and safe places to play and be active.

Anchored around the message that children are our future, the organization strives to develop partnerships and initiatives that make a positive impact for generations to come.

3. Michael J. Fox

CAUSE: Parkinson’s Disease

ORGANIZATION: THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON’S RESEARCH

Michael J. Fox is perhaps best known for starring as Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” trilogy, but his foundation is shaping the future of research on Parkinson’s disease. This degenerative neurological disorder can affect motor function, memory, and mood and manifest in other symptoms.

Fox found fame acting in the 1980s’ TV series “Family Ties” and went on to star in TV shows, like “Spin City” and “The Good Wife,” and films, such as “Teen Wolf” and “Stuart Little.” After a young-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1991, he shared his condition publicly in 1998. In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to find a cure and improve therapies with aggressive, risk-taking research.

Since its inception, the foundation has funded more than $450 million in research on Parkinson’s disease. Its work focuses on a wide range of things, including treatments focused on enzyme activity, a vaccine to slow the disease, and a single scale for measuring dyskinesia, the involuntary movements characterizing Parkinson’s most visible symptom.

4. Angelina Jolie

CAUSE: Refugee Welfare

ORGANIZATION: UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY

Angelina Jolie has acted in many Hollywood blockbusters, including “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “A Mighty Heart,” and “Maleficent.” But after filming the movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” in war-torn Cambodia, the actress began a life of humanitarian work.

The experience made her contact the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to get involved. In her first year with the organization, Jolie visited refugee camps in Sierra Leone and Tanzania, donated $1 million to aid Afghan refugees, and became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Jolie has been working with the agency for years and has traveled on dozens of field missions. She serves as Special Envoy for refugee issues and continues promoting awareness and aid for displaced people worldwide.

5. Willie Nelson

CAUSE: Family Farms

ORGANIZATION: FARM AID

Willie Nelson has been a country music fixture since the 1960s, having released 68 studio albums. Fans love him for songs like “Always on My Mind” and “On the Road Again” and continue to see the 83-year-old as he tours across the country. Nelson’s influence, though, extends beyond the airwaves and country music charts.

In 1985, Nelson organized the first Farm Aid concert with Neil Young and John Mellencamp. More than 30 years later, the event continues bringing thousands together to celebrate family farmers, raise money, and inspire people to choose family farm food. Every year, Nelson and Farm Aid bring together some of the world’s greatest artists to promote their cause. Past performers include Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, B.B. King, The Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Jewel, Tegan and Sara, and Matisyahu.

Since its beginning, Farm Aid has raised more than $50 million to support family farmers, with no signs of slowing down.

6. Tim Tebow

CAUSE: Human Trafficking

ORGANIZATION: TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION

Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines to missionary parents and is best known as an American professional baseball player and former professional football player. His athletic accolades coincide with his passion for giving back and getting involved on even deeper levels as a three-time New York Times bestselling author, international speaker, and ESPN sports broadcaster.

Tebow started the Tim Tebow Foundation to bring faith, hope, and love to people who needed brightness during their darkest moments. He’s spent time encouraging children with life-threatening conditions, supporting adoptions of international children with special needs, crowning prom kings and queens, and showing love through outreach in many other creative ways.

7. Lauren Miller and Seth Rogen

CAUSE: Alzheimer’s Disease

ORGANIZATION: HILARITY FOR CHARITY (HFC)

Seth Rogan’s hilarious participation in shows and movies like “Neighbors,” “Superbad,” “Pineapple Express,” “The Interview,” and more has nearly made him a household name. This Canadian actor, comedian, and writer started with stand-up comedy as a teen, and today, he and his wife, Lauren Miller Rogan, are touching lives in entirely new ways.

Lauren is a screenwriter, director, producer, and philanthropist with a personal tie to Alzheimer’s disease. Her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at just 55 years old in 2012. That’s when she co-founded HFC with Seth Rogen to activate the next generation of advocates.

HFC is a national nonprofit on a mission to care for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, activate the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates, and be a leader in brain health research and education.

8. Gary Sinise

CAUSE: Supporting Military Veterans

ORGANIZATION: GARY SINESE FOUNDATION

Gary Sinise is best known from his four-decade stage, film, and television career. Does Lieutenant Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” ring a bell? That’s just one of the many roles that led Sinise to nominations for everything from Golden Globes to Academy Awards.

After the tragic events on September 11, 2001, Sinise focused on supporting those deploying in response. Because he felt the deep tie to veterans in his family and had supported military members for years, he took his activism to a new level and founded the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Recently, Amazon announced a multiyear commitment to supporting the Gary Sinise Foundation through employee volunteer hours at events throughout the country, donations of Amazon Alexa devices, and Amazon fresh groceries to new smart homes built for our nation’s wounded heroes.

9. America Ferrera

CAUSE: Racial Justice, Social Justice

ORGANIZATION: HARNESS

America Ferrera took her passion for activism to become a co-founder of Harness, alongside Wilmer Valderrama and Ryan Piers Williams, after the 2016 presidential election. Ferrera is best known for her role as Betty Suarez in “Ugly Betty” and made her directorial debut with the Netflix adaptation of “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.”

Harness sets out to advance racial justice, gender justice, and civic justice. The organization focuses on culture change, community building, artist engagement, and industry impact by sharing the stories of the underrepresented and misrepresented communities in popular culture.

Ferrera has been known to participate in women’s marches and speak to civil rights in her ongoing work. She also works alongside Eva Longoria Baston and other Latina leaders through a digital lifestyle community and nonprofit called Poderistas, which aims to transform lives, families, and communities through inspiration, information, and affirmation.

10. George and Amal Clooney

CAUSE: Human Rights Abuse

ORGANIZATION: CLOONEY FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE

George Clooney is a name many of us know well. Countless accolades include a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards in his long career as an actor and filmmaker. His career started with a small part in a feature film after college and grew quickly.

One thing about George is that as his presence and influence grew, so did his charitable behavior. He considers himself a strong First Amendment advocate and spends his time committed to humanitarian causes, even presenting himself to the United Nations Security Council in response to international crises.

George and his wife, Amal, created the Clooney Foundation for Justice to combat the growing number of journalists and defenders of democracy being detained, prosecuted, and jailed. Their work supports women and girls, LGBTQ+ people, and individuals subject to unfair laws and targeted for abuse.

11. Emma Watson

CAUSE: Women’s Rights and Advocacy

ORGANIZATION: UN WOMEN

Emma Watson has had a long and successful career as a British actor, from Hermione in the “Harry Potter” film series to Sam in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” In 2023, she received the Calvin Klein Emerging Star Award at the ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards and the Trailblazer Award at the MTV Movie Awards one year later.

By her mid-20s, Watson was already seeking a greater purpose in activism with involvement in promoting girls’ education and humanitarian efforts throughout Zambia and Bangladesh. In July 2014, Watson became the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador to continue her passion for empowering young women and gender equality.

12. Leonardo DiCaprio

CAUSE: Environment, Climate Change, Animal Rights

ORGANIZATION: LEONARDO DICAPRIO FOUNDATION

Leonardo DiCaprio won our hearts over in “Titanic” and hasn’t stopped. His versatile acting skills earned him a huge stage for his activism as a prominent environmentalist in Los Angeles and around the world.

Today, DiCaprio is outspoken as an advocate for organizations from the World Wildlife Foundation to the Natural Resources Defense Council to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

He founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to continue as an environmental activist to support the causes that plague our world by restoring ecosystems and protecting endangered species. In 2007, DiCaprio co-wrote and produced a documentary about global warming titled “The 11th Hour.” Since then, he has continued to work on new and creative ways to bring important environmental causes to the forefront.

Building Pathways to Raise More WIth Celebrity Activism

Actors, musicians, athletes, and other celebrities are uniquely positioned to affect social change because fame amplifies their voice. While none of this work is possible without the tireless commitment of nonprofit professionals and volunteers, many causes have benefitted from a celebrity ambassador or supporter.

At Classy, we will continue to support more organizations, promoting them and building relationships with strong figures who can increase their awareness and drive further impact for good. With GoFundMe and Classy’s combined giving community, we are the largest giving platform in the world. We use this to help you create giving experiences that center around your powerful story and make it simpler for anyone anywhere to get involved in dynamic campaigns.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Article Sources

1. “Stephen and Ayesha Curry Tackle Literacy Across Oakland,” Eat. Learn. Play., accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.eatlearnplay.org/news-features/stephen-and-ayesha-curry-tackle-literacy-with-libraries-across-oakland.

2. “To Bring Faith, Hope and Love to Those Needing a Brighter Day in Their Darkest Hour of Need,” Tim Tebow Foundation, accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/about.

3. “Hilarity For Charity: Lauren Miller Rogen’s Big Idea That Might Change the World,” Medium, last modified April 21, 2023, https://medium.com/authority-magazine/hilarity-for-charity-lauren-miller-rogens-big-idea-that-might-change-the-world-172b1588a3fd.

4. “Letter From Gary,” Gary Sinise Foundation, accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/founder/letter.

5. “America Ferrera is All of Us as She Continues to Slam Trump,” Entity Magazine, September 8, 2017, https://www.entitymag.com/america-ferrera-quote/.

6. “UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson,” UN Women, accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.unwomen.org/en/partnerships/goodwill-ambassadors/emma-watson.

7. “10 Quotes From Leonardo DiCaprio, Environmental Champion,” Global Citizen, accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.globalcitizen.org/es/content/leonardo-dicaprio-quotes-on-climate-change-environ.

Clear, robust, and actionable data is the lifeblood of any nonprofit. If your organization can analyze how people interact with your website and fundraising efforts, when they take the actions you want them to take, and where they come from in the first place, you have the metrics you need to guide your work and grow your impact.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google’s next-generation website analytics tool, is focused on tracking events and offering more advanced ways to analyze your website visitors’ user behavior and the actions each individual does or doesn’t take. Classy offers a native GA4 integration that is simple to set up and an advanced integration using Google Tag Manager that is infinitely customizable.

In this post, we’ll walk you through five custom reports to set up once you have GA4 running across your organization’s main website and Classy campaign pages.

GA4 Report #1: Donation Funnel Report

A donation funnel report is one of the most essential reports your organization can build. Simply put, it helps you understand how many visitors considered making a donation and how many of them followed through with it. Bookmark this report and check it often to understand the health of your Classy campaigns’ conversion and user acquisition rates.

Steps

1. In your Google Analytics 4 account, click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Select Funnel exploration from the list of templates at the top of the page.
3. Under Steps, remove each default step and click the edit button to create a new step for each stage of your donation funnel.
4. Name Step 1 Donation Page View and select Page title as the event.
5. Select + Add filter and set it to contains > “Donate to” for all Classy donation form pages or “Donate to [Campaign Name]” to measure a specific Classy campaign’s donation form.
   • Note: Ensure there aren’t pages on your main website containing this same page title. If there are, you must rename them or use the Page path + query string event instead.
6. Name Step 2 Completed Donation and set the event to purchase.
   • Note: Ensure that you aren’t using the Monetization feature of GA4 to track other purchases besides Classy (such as for an online store). If you are, you will need to add a parameter based on item_name
7. Select APPLY to view your finished Donation Funnel report. Adjust the timeframe as needed, and customize the table below the chart using the Breakdown section for a more detailed view of completions and abandonments.

Pro Tip: Switch the Visualization type to a Trended funnel to see how effectively your Classy campaigns have driven donations over time. Click on each tab above the graph to better understand each funnel stage.

GA4 Report #2: Donor Explorer Report

The Donor Explorer report is a modified version of the User Explorer report that allows you to dig into individual, anonymized active users who have given to you using Classy. By sorting the information by the Transactions or Purchase revenue columns, you can view individual donors who have given multiple times or a considerable total amount and see each conversion event on their path to checkout.

Steps

1. In your Google Analytics 4 account, click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Select Template gallery and choose User explorer from the list.
3. Rename the main tab of your report as you wish by clicking on the default text user explorer 1.

That’s it! Start by sorting your data collection based on what sort of donor you are looking for. Clicking on an individual App-instance ID will pull up a full-page overview report of the user and a chronological timeline of their events.

Pro Tip: Click the Purchase revenue and Transactions columns to sort the users (“App-instance IDs”) based on total lifetime value (LTV) and number of donations, respectively. This helps isolate high-value users and understand their path to giving.

 GA4 Report #3: Donor Cohort Report

That’s where Google Analytics 4’s Cohort Exploration report comes in. It’s a template that organizes donors into daily, weekly, or monthly cohorts and analyzes how many go on to make additional donations. This functionality allows you to quickly understand how strong your program’s retention rate is and if your donor lifecycle strategy is effective.

Steps:

1. In your Google Analytics 4 account, click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Select Template gallery and choose Cohort exploration from the list.
3. Rename the main tab of your report as you wish by clicking Cohort exploration 1.

Pro Tip: Use the Breakdown option to get more granular with the results. Try First user source to see how effectively various sources generate donors that give multiple times.

GA4 Report #4: Donor Lifetime Value Report

Google Analytics 4 can calculate the average lifetime value of a site visitor and break that down by how they first arrived at your site. This dovetails nicely with how nonprofits analyze donors and can play a valuable role in quantifying the value of each visitor to your site and, by extension, the value of your site (and Classy campaigns) overall.

Steps:

1. In your Google Analytics 4 account, click Explore in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Select Template gallery and choose User lifetime from the list.
3. Rename the main tab of your report as you wish by clicking on the default text User lifetime 1.

Pro Tip: Click on the box below ROWS to filter the data by First user medium, source, and campaign, as well as Last audience name and First visit date. Use these breakdowns to understand the difference in lifetime value for each donor entry point and invest more in the sources that drive the best long-term outcomes for your program.

Remember that the data presented is bound by the date range you select. We suggest using the longest timeframe possible, which will come down to how long your organization has been using GA4. That way, the greatest amount of data goes into the values shown. You could also view the data year-to-date based on your fiscal year. It’s not going to be as comprehensive as a LTV analysis of your first-party data, but it will offer a sense of how well your site is driving LTV relative to total visitors.

GA4 Report #5: First-Party Data Report

Ok, we tricked you. Our final recommended report is a reminder that the best reporting is based on the data dashboards only you have access to. In other words, the data in your Classy account.

Your subscription to Classy comes with reporting for transactions, recurring giving plans, fundraising pages, and more. While Google Analytics 4’s reporting templates are powerful, they should be viewed as directional and not 100% accurate since privacy features can block the GA4 script. Because of that, it will never be “apples to apples” with the data in your Classy account, which should be viewed as the ultimate source of truth when reporting your results.

The ideal scenario is to use both third-party analytics tools such as Google Analytics 4 and your Classy account’s reporting features to tell a macro and micro-level story about the health and success of your fundraising efforts. To do so, you should apply both UTM Codes and Classy Source Codes to URLs pointing to Classy campaign pages.

Pro Tip: When building a Transaction report in Classy, make sure to use the Columns section to add Source Code 1, Source Code 2, and Referrer to your report. You can find them under the Marketing section. Just keep in mind that these fields are not available on other reporting types, such as Recurring Giving Plans.

Additionally, if you manage multiple Classy accounts (such as a chapter-based organization), you can use the Accounts dropdown to produce “rollup” reporting on your results.Use the “Add to my reports” feature at the top-right of Classy reports to add a shortcut in the My Reports section of the General Reports tab.

The Value of Connected Technology In Nonprofit Fundraising

Connected fundraising requires your organization’s front-end and back-end experiences to work together to facilitate unified donor journeys. A truly connected experience is streamlined from end to end, and reflects the personal needs and interests of each individual.

With access to clean, comprehensive data, you’re able to achieve a fundamental understanding of how new users and existing donors engage with your organization, opening the door for your team to turn that moment of generosity into a lifelong relationship.

Understanding who those highly-engaged supporters are, which channels they prefer, and how to reach them is only possible with connected technology. A set of comprehensive fundraising tools paired with best-of-breed integrations makes it possible to facilitate, organize, and oversee all donor interactions without losing anything in the shuffle.

Hear directly from Jarrett OBrien, Classy’s VP of Product Marketing, how Classy is applying the concept of connected fundraising to its technology and what our rate of innovation means for nonprofits worldwide.

In today’s noisy online space, maintaining a consistent digital experience for donors is paramount in fostering trust and loyalty. It is vital for organizations to ensure their brand and story remain at the forefront of every supporter touchpoint.

By upholding a cohesive narrative across all channels, donors can easily familiarize themselves with your organization’s mission, values, and impact, ultimately encouraging continued engagement and strengthening their personal connection to your cause.

A well-structured digital experience begins with a user-friendly and visually appealing website that elevates your unique story and goals. The same visual and textual elements should then be carried through to your donation page and donation form to mirror your established brand identity.

Below, we cover how to achieve this cohesiveness, with a fundraising event campaign serving as our example. It’s crucial to apply this strategy across all campaign types, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, choose one to start with and allow this article to be your guide.

4 Benefits of Creating a Cohesive Digital Giving Experience

A cohesive digital experience allows your organization’s vision, mission, and values to carry through every touchpoint, facilitating supporter engagement and enhancing visibility of your impact. The following are some compelling benefits of investing in a cohesive digital destination for your nonprofit.

1. Strengthened Brand Authority

A cohesive and polished digital destination can bolster your organization’s brand authority by conveying professionalism and credibility.  Consistently showcasing your mission, vision, and values across all digital touchpoints helps create a strong brand identity that resonates with supporters, differentiates your organization from others, and ultimately enhances donor retention and loyalty.

2. Engaged and Committed Supporters

When your nonprofit’s digital destinations all clearly ladder back up to one central narrative, it invites deeper levels of interest.

Mobilize donors to learn more about your powerful story through interactive and immersive experiences to increase the likelihood they grow closer to your cause over time. This sense of community can facilitate active engagement among supporters, encouraging them to become long-term advocates for your organization.

3. Enhanced Transparency and Trust

A well-structured digital platform can showcase your organization’s work, accomplishments, and impact in real time, fostering trust and accountability among supporters. By providing updates on ongoing projects and initiatives, donors can see the direct results of their contributions, which inspires further support and increases overall visibility.

4. Aggregated Data for Improved Decision-Making

A cohesive digital destination not only captivates and retains more supporters, but also serves as a data goldmine. By offering a seamless and unified digital experience, you can increase the number of supporters who interact with your organization, thus generating more data regarding their behavior and preferences.

This rich pool of aggregated data empowers your organization to refine fundraising strategies, tailor outreach efforts, and optimize campaigns effectively. Consequently, this leads to more insightful decision-making and more efficient resource allocation, all underpinned by the cohesive nature of your digital presence.

3-Phase Approach to Optimizing Your Digital Destination

Successful fundraising hinges on an immersive experience that seamlessly integrates data, storytelling, and technology. Our comprehensive three-phase strategy is crafted to enhance the engagement and efficacy of your digital fundraising initiatives before, during, and after your event.

1. Before the Event: Build Anticipation With Cohesive Storytelling

To lay the foundation for a successful event, or any campaign, it’s essential to define your campaign story. This narrative will flow between your website, social media posts, email appeals, and donation website.

Data: Starting on the Right Foot

Analyze past data to identify which aspects of previous event campaigns have historically generated the most engagement with your digital channels. Use this information to guide your storytelling and design choices.

Don’t forget to also establish clear metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for this current campaign to ensure you’re collecting the insights you need to inform future improvements. In addition to your platform data, lean on industry insights to help shape your strategy.

For example, Classy’s Fundraising Event Experience Report offers a comprehensive overview of the current event landscape, providing insights into best practices, emerging technologies, and innovative strategies that can inform and enhance your own event approach.

This analysis, combined with your in-house data, enables you to make well-informed decisions and tailor your campaign story to better resonate with your target audience, drive engagement, and increase the overall effectiveness of your fundraising efforts.

Storytelling: Crafting the Magic

Begin by developing a compelling narrative around your event, incorporating its goals, mission, impact, and activities into your cross-channel messaging. Focus on creating an emotional connection with your audience by highlighting personal stories, testimonials, or case studies that showcase the transformative power of your cause and how this event will further support those efforts.

Technology: Engaging Audiences Before the Big Day

Utilize various digital tools and features across your website and donation page to build excitement, such as countdown timers, videos, and interactive maps. Showcase event highlights, behind-the-scenes content, or teasers that pique curiosity and encourage sharing on social media.

Make essential information, like registration and fundraising preparation, easily accessible through intuitive navigation and clear calls to action.

With Classy’s innovative technology, nonprofits can effortlessly customize their campaigns, donation forms, and receipting to maintain brand consistency without sacrificing conversion rates. It’s a perfect blend of personalization and performance, enabling organizations to mirror their unique identity across all fundraising touchpoints.

By fostering familiarity and trust, Classy’s user-friendly interface helps nonprofits exceed their fundraising goals, ensuring your brand remains front and center throughout the donor journey.

2. During the Event: Maximize Excitement and Establish Deeper Donor Connections

Focus on providing a conversion-optimized online experience during your event that maintains brand consistency.

Data: Tailor Your Site to Mobilize Conversions

Use the data you’ve gathered from previous campaigns to optimize your day-of digital destination. Which digital elements do donors typically interact with on event day? This could be anything from live-streamed videos to a silent auction or a carousel of user-generated photos posted by event attendees.

Continuously collect information on engagement, user behavior, and overall performance to identify challenges, successes, and areas for improvement. Implement real-time adjustments and enhancements based on this data to ensure the event experience remains engaging and effective.

Storytelling: Manufacture Excitement and Provide Encouragement

Share real-time content from the event on your website and social channels, highlighting the impact supporters are making. Showcase participants’ achievements, the progress being made, and the positive change their contributions are driving.

Update the copy on your donation page to motivate and inspire immediate action while emphasizing the broader context of each contribution and the significance of the event’s goals.

Technology: Provide Ways to Engage and Personalize

During the event, it’s vital to sustain the momentum built at the beginning of the supporter’s journey. One way to do this is by leveraging engaging, tech-driven features that provide a sense of continuity and personalization for your supporters.

First and foremost, ensure your donation form’s branding and messaging align with the marketing materials your attendees received leading up to your event. Additionally, identify which online donation experience is best to offer your attendees.

At Classy, nonprofits can offer embedded donation forms to reduce friction points. In fact, Classy customers who enable embedded donation forms routinely see 2x industry-average conversion rates and an average 29% increase in revenue per site visitor. 

Facilitate friendly competition during the event by keeping leaderboards and fundraising thermometers visible and updated in real time. This keeps the sense of urgency and camaraderie alive.

In addition to highlighting the competition between others, celebrate individual achievements with digital trophies, badges, and social media recognition.  These not only extend your reach but also generate more buzz, mirroring the excitement of the pre-event stage.

3. After the Event: Maintaining Engagement

The event may have concluded, but the opportunity to build lasting relationships with your supporters through ongoing storytelling continues. Focus on cultivating a sense of community and deepening connections with your audience in order to foster long-term commitment.

Data: Get “Closure” on Your Campaign

While supporters are still engaged, gather feedback through post-event surveys and other data collection methods to inform future campaigns. Analyze the performance of different aspects of the event, like communication channels, activities, and fundraising strategies. Use this data to refine your future storytelling and design decisions and ensure future events are even more successful and engaging.

Storytelling: Cultivate Relationships and Community

Showcase the event’s impact and the tangible changes it has brought to your community. Share stories of how the funds raised have directly benefited your beneficiaries, and highlight any milestones or achievements that were reached. Reinforce the sense of camaraderie and shared accomplishment among participants, emphasizing the power of collective action and the importance of their ongoing support.

Technology: Encourage Their Continued Involvement

Share event statistics and highlights on your website to emphasize supporters’ role in achieving your goals and making a difference in the community.

Create a media hub to archive event content, including photos, videos, and stories, so you can leverage it next year or for future event promotions. Encourage ongoing involvement on your event landing page by suggesting the next steps, such as signing up for your nonprofit newsletter, volunteering, or attending future events.

Technology mobilizes your organization to uphold brand consistency, immerse donors in your experiences, and consistently enhance performance year after year. It is an essential tool that supports your unwavering commitment to your mission.

Beyond the Event: Snowballing Your Success

In the nonprofit sector, the application of technology can be a game-changer, especially when it comes to organizing fundraising events. Utilizing the strategy of “Reuse and Iterate,” you can optimize your digital initiatives without starting from scratch each time.

Build upon the digital framework you’ve established. This includes the structural blueprint aesthetic elements, and technological features that were successful in driving engagement and donations in the past.

The process of reusing isn’t about repetition, but rather about refinement. It encourages you to incorporate enhancements based on valuable feedback and performance metrics. This iterative approach allows you to craft more impactful and engaging experiences for your donors and supporters.

Exceed Donor Expectations With a Unified Giving Experience

By following these steps, you can create a cohesive digital experience for all supporters to ensure your mission, goals, and impact is always immediately clear. This will help support more successful fundraising campaigns, stronger brand authority, and an even greater impact on the community you serve.

Discover how Classy can help your organization customize its campaigns to keep your story front and center—the way it should be. Learn how our comprehensive donation website platform has helped the world’s top nonprofits 2x their revenue and 100x their impact.  Schedule some time to talk today.

In the webinar “Corporate Sponsorships 101: How to Pitch an Investor and Secure Funding,” we discussed basic and advanced strategies with two women experienced in major corporate-nonprofit partnerships.

Amy George, Senior Vice President of Giving, Marketing, and Communications at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, delivered tons of insights and lessons to help you recruit and secure corporate partners as well as foster a lasting fruitful relationship. Here are just a few of their insider tips.

What Is a Corporate Partnership?

A corporate partnership is a mutually-beneficial relationship between a for-profit corporation and a nonprofit organization. Typically, the for-profit business contributes money or in-kind donations in exchange for something they find beneficial. This may come in the form of brand reputation, opportunities to strengthen their corporate social responsibility initiatives or exposure to new audiences.

Nonprofits Partnering With Corporations

1. Think Beyond “Checkbook Philanthropy”

The first way to set your corporate partnership up for success is to understand that corporate social responsibility is no longer as simple as signing a check. 

To maximize the benefits for both your nonprofit and potential partner, identify what a company has to offer other than money. After all, any business can write a check. To make the most of this relationship, you need to identify and ask for other types of support that lead to social impact.

One of MADD’s biggest wins in their multi-year partnership with Uber, explains George, was when the ride-sharing company promoted MADD in an email to their 10 million subscribers. “They sent one email, and we made more in 72 hours than we did in the first six months of the year,” said George. It wasn’t Uber’s money that provided this win, but the reach and new audiences they could give MADD.

2. Compare Audiences

Naturally, since a corporate partner’s audience can be such a big asset, it pays to do some homework to identify your best prospects. You should also think through your nonprofit’s audience to determine what kind of exposure you can offer a company. One reason MADD’s partnership with Uber makes sense is that the average Uber user is 21 to 34 years old, a demographic with higher rates of drunk driving.

When they worked with JCPenney, McPherson Strategies recognized that the department store’s primary audience was mothers who lean toward causes related to children. That was one reason McPherson Strategies paired JCPenney with YMCA to provide afterschool programs for children. For both nonprofits and for-profits, the right partner is often the organization with the right audience.

3. Know Your Points of Contact and Decision-Maker

Nonprofits are often stereotyped as slow to adapt. Meanwhile, large corporations can struggle with bureaucracy. That’s why McPherson and George emphasized nailing down your points of contact and the ultimate decision-maker. It’s much easier to move forward on an initiative if you know who to engage in your outreach.

Within your own team, establish a point person to lead your corporate partnership opportunities. This is who will directly communicate with all potential corporate partners and help nurture each relationship. This is important for the sake of partner retention and also to ensure that each business partner is taken care of throughout the entire process. 

4. Mobilize Employees to Fundraise and Volunteer

When thinking about a corporate partnership, many think only of the financial support a few powerful people in the business can offer. In reality, the entire staff of your partner organization can become allies for your cause with strategic employee engagement tactics.

Nonprofits that rely on volunteers can recruit small and large groups for one-time or recurring shifts to help support specific events and other initiatives. Furthermore, now that online peer-to-peer fundraising is simpler and more popular than ever, employees of your corporate partner can also raise big money. 

For example, buildOn, a longtime Classy partner, asked our employees to fundraise to build a school. Dozens of our employees signed up and created fundraising pages. In a couple of months, they raised more than $122,000 by contacting their networks through social media, email, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations.

In addition to the fundraising support these employees can offer, you also stand to gain tons of new donors and even a few devoted advocates. The relationship may start through an employee-giving campaign, but great donor stewardship can lead to years of loyal support.

Turn Your Corporate Sponsors Into Long-Term Corporate Partners With Classy

The opportunities a strong corporate partnership can offer are worth the effort required to establish those connections. By identifying a business with a common goal and commitment to the sustainability of your work, you’re on the right path to engaging new local communities and elevating your social impact. 

With Classy, nonprofits can unlock co-branded giving pages, events, corporate sponsorships, peer-to-peer fundraising, and employee donation matching all in one place. Consider what you could accomplish with a multi-pronged partnership solution that helps you create a repeatable, mutually-beneficial process for driving direct donations, storytelling, and engaging employees to fundraise on your behalf. 

Typically, matching donation challenges produce the highest-grossing days of a campaign. These inspire donors and fundraisers to act quickly, doubling their donations’ impact on the cause.

If you want to get started with a matching donation challenge in your organization’s upcoming campaign, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll cover everything you need to know about the topic, including the following points:

• What is a matching donation challenge?
• Top benefits of matching donation challenges
• How to locate a matching donor
• Best practices for a successful matching donation challenge
• How one campaign saw standout matching challenge results

Find out how to maximize a matching donation challenge as we walk through our top tips, tricks, and tools. Let’s get started.

What Is a Matching Donation Challenge?

A matching donation challenge is a type of fundraiser (or a specific initiative within a larger campaign) where a donor pledges to match gifts up to a certain amount for a specific organization, typically at a dollar-for-dollar rate.

These commitments are often for a specific time or a predetermined amount, generating a sense of urgency essential for the challenge’s success. For example, a donor may pledge to match every dollar donated up to $10,000 or every dollar contributed in a 24-hour window, doubling the impact of every donation.

Top Benefits of Matching Donation Challenges

The advantages of a matching donation challenge extend far and wide. Considerable benefits of this type of initiative include:

• Incentivizing contributions when each dollar produces a more significant impact
• Establishing urgency of participation if you reach a lull in your campaign
• Inspiring action among on-the-fence supporters
• Providing a last-minute boost to get your fundraiser across the finish line
• Increasing gift conversion rates and average donation sizes
• Offering additional funding for your cause in the form of the provided match

By amplifying the value of donations to your cause, a matching challenge might be exactly what you need to bring your fundraising strategy to the next level. Knowing that their gifts will go even further for a cause they care about can motivate donors to give⁠—and to give more than they might have otherwise⁠—thus, boosting the overall fundraising total.

Research from Double the Donation indicates that 84% of donors are more likely to donate if offered a match, leading to a 71% increase in fundraising appeal response rate when mentioning a match. Meanwhile, the research also states that 1 in 3 donors would give a larger gift if there’s a match applied, resulting in a 51% increase in the average gift amount.

These are certainly advantages that you don’t want your organization to miss out on.

4 Ways to Locate a Matching Donor

A matching donation challenge encourages a donor(s) to pledge a significant amount of money to your fundraising campaign. From there, you use that individual or group’s contribution to match other incoming gifts dollar for dollar. In doing so, the donor doubles the impact of their gift and motivates others to support the cause as well.

Identifying your matching donor is a crucial prerequisite for a successful donation-matching campaign. Here are a few critical practices that your team can consider as you explore the possibilities.

1. Reach Out to a Major Donor

Finding an individual matching donor to fund your match will likely require personalized engagement from your organization’s major gifts team or other development staff. It’s essential to let the potential large-gift donor know how you’ll use the money. They may even be more interested when you let them know you’ll use it to encourage additional donations⁠—and thus, impact⁠—for the cause.

If you don’t have a matching challenge donor, look back at your largest donors from last year’s event or campaign and give them a call. You can even pool several mid-level gifts together to create a substantial matching fund.

2. Crowdfund a Match

Speaking of pooling donations to create your match, nonprofit crowdfunding can come in handy.  Crowdsource a matching donation from a wide range of low and mid-level donors instead of hunting for one major contribution.

One powerful example of this idea is Charity Navigator’s $75,000 match campaign.

The organization told donors the campaign established a matching fund for the organization and ensured that they’d receive ongoing updates concerning how it would use their dollars. And it saw substantial success, providing the organization with the ability to match donations in an upcoming initiative.

3. Get a Corporation or Foundation on Board

Securing donation matches doesn’t just mean individuals. Much like a major donor putting up a matching gift for an organization’s campaign efforts, many companies or foundations will do the same. The key difference here is that instead of a single donor, it’s a group offering the gift.

If you know where your donors work, a company that employs a significant segment of your supporter base can be an excellent place to start. See if they’d be willing to offer up a major gift to match donations made to your organization within a specific period.

For example, if you know that 400 of your donors work for The Walt Disney Company, you may contact the company directly to explore a partnership, saying something like this:

Remember that this type of corporate match would differ from a typical employee match program that you may benefit from already (more on that below). Still, your existing matching gift software can also help you locate this type of corporate sponsorship potential.

4. Explore Individual Corporate Matching

Matching gifts from individuals tend to differ from a major corporate donation match in that employers ultimately match each eligible donor’s contributions—rather than a single company agreeing to match all donations to your cause. Instead of getting your match contributor to agree to a lump-sum donation upfront, supporters request individual corporate matches after they make their donations.

One of the key benefits of individual matching is that you can typically apply it on top of an existing matching challenge grant. This allows you and your supporters to triple (or even quadruple!) the value of an individual’s initial gift.

After each donor gives to your organization, provide company-specific matching gift guidelines with detailed next steps to simplify the process. Even better, leverage a matching gift database tool to identify match-eligible gifts and activate automated and personalized outreach. When you provide direct links to donors’ employers’ match submission forms this way, you make it quick and easy for donors to participate, encouraging more individuals to complete their matches on your behalf.

Best Practices for a Successful Matching Donation Challenge

Running an impactful matching challenge requires careful planning and execution. Here, we’ll provide a few tried-and-true tips that organizations like yours should follow to ensure maximal success.

1. Consider Multiple Types of Donation Matches

We previously mentioned a few key options to explore when seeking a matching challenge grant provider. And there’s (typically) nothing to say that you can’t combine the various methods to further amplify your fundraising results.

One of our favorite recommendations involves reminding donors about employee matching gift opportunities even after applying a challenge grant to their initial contribution.

For example, let’s say one donor works for a company with a matching gift program⁠—such as Coca-Cola⁠—and gives to your campaign during a 24-hour matching challenge. This donor contributes $100, which is then automatically doubled by the matching grant. Plus, Coca-Cola employees qualify for a 2:1 match from their employer.

The result? An initial $100 donation + a $100 challenge match + a $200 employer match = $400 total funding for your organization.

2. Use Fundraising Software to Manage Your Matching Challenge

Once you secure a matching donation, Classy makes it easy to get everything set up within the donation platform. Under the Advanced tab of a Classy campaign, your team can set start and end dates and a matching limit. From there, you have access to a fundraising thermometer that updates in real time as donors contribute.

You can also upload a sponsor or individual’s photo so your match provider receives the recognition they deserve.

Not to mention, Classy integrates with the leading corporate matching gift software provider, Double the Donation. By leveraging this technology, organizations can simplify identifying and following up with corporate match-eligible donors, thereby making it easier to incorporate employee matching gift opportunities into matching challenges.

This automation enables teams to take their matching challenges to the next level while increasing donor engagement.

3. Emphasize Increased Donation Impact

Those giving to charitable causes likely do so because they feel connected to the organization and want to make a difference.

Thus, from a donor’s perspective, one of the most significant benefits of a matching gift opportunity is making their contributions stretch even further. This allows them to produce a more significant impact on a cause they care about without having to reach back into their wallets.

Be sure to communicate this idea throughout your campaign. You can even put it in terms of tangible outcomes. For example, if your team can typically provide one meal for a family of four for every $10 they receive, let your donors know the matching challenge helps them feed two families for that same amount.

4. Promote the Matching Challenge Thoroughly

If your donors are unaware of a matching donation challenge, your team likely won’t benefit from the full extent of the initiative’s benefits. Thus, you must take the time to inform your audience about the generous match opportunity⁠—and how they can get involved.

Depending on your current nonprofit marketing mix, this might include the following:

• Leveraging social media to introduce and share updates regarding your matching donation challenge
• Sending dedicated email or SMS blasts to existing and prospective donors, highlighting the opportunity for donation matching
• Mentioning your donation match availability in all fundraising appeals going out within the challenge time frame
• Encouraging fundraisers to promote your match challenge within a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

In addition to promotions highlighting your primary donation match challenge, integrate employee matching gifts into the giving process. This should include a request for employment data within the donation page, personalized follow-ups with company-specific program details, and more.

After all, millions of donors work for companies with matching gift programs, but most remain unaware of the opportunities. Incorporating matching gift information throughout the donor experience works to increase awareness and involvement with the initiatives.

5. Know That Proper Timing Is Key

The other trick to executing successful matching challenges has to do with timing. Launching your match in the final push of a campaign ensures that your communications with fundraisers are frequent but purposeful.

For example, you might begin in the last week, several days, or even the final 24 hours of the campaign. A limited window to take advantage of the dollar-for-dollar match will inspire urgency and encourage supporters to act quickly, driving momentum through the end of your campaign.

Another opportune time to initiate a matching challenge might be if you start to see a lull in giving during your campaign.

6. Share Updates Throughout the Challenge

Like any time-based fundraising campaign, you must keep donors informed and engaged throughout your matching donation challenge. Providing regular updates is crucial. After all, this allows you to keep your donors in the loop, building excitement, anticipation, and urgency.

When possible, provide specific details, such as the number of donors participating in the matching challenge, how many dollars you’ve matched thus far, and the remaining balance available from the matching grant.

With your matching challenge fulfilled, congratulate donors and encourage them to finish the campaign strongly. Or if you have another major donor willing to put up a second matching gift before the campaign ends, consider extending the matching challenge.

And remember to thank your donors for their involvement. This should include those who funded the match and those who got their gifts doubled.

How One Campaign Saw Standout Matching Challenge Results

Want to see all of the above tips and tricks in action? Here’s an excellent example from the Selamta Family Project.

This fundraising organization aims to create stable, long-term families for Ethiopian orphaned children and women impacted by child marriage, abuse, and poverty-related diseases. To elevate its annual Lead the Way 5K fundraising event, the Selamta Family Project team leveraged a matching challenge to inspire donor giving.

How It Worked

The Selamta Family Project partnered with the Argyros Family Foundation, which provided a $5,000 donation match to bring the campaign to its finish line.

Three days before the Lead the Way 5K, the Selamta Family Project shared the following graphic with fundraisers and posted on the nonprofit’s social media pages. The organization encouraged peer-to-peer fundraisers to share it on their social channels as well.

Then, with just two days left in the matching challenge, the organization followed up with another graphic to update supporters on the progress of the matching challenge.

And with just 24 hours to go, the Selamta Family Project emailed and posted one final update for fundraisers, donors, and participants.

All in all, this matching challenge helped Selamta raise nearly $15,000 in three days. This increased the total funds raised at the Lead the Way 5K by 61.3% year over year.

Next Steps to Double Success

Make the most of your fundraising with matching opportunities⁠. Whether offering a match through a major donor, a crowdsourced match fund, or a corporate matching gifts drive, the possibilities are endless. Regardless of which approach(es) you take, offering matching gifts to donors can prove invaluable to your efforts⁠.

Explore the following key takeaways to get started:

• Use a matching challenge to propel you to the highest donation days of your campaign.
• Reach out to corporate sponsors or large-dollar donors to solicit a matching challenge donation.
• Consider pooling the donations of several donors if you don’t have one major donation to fund the matching challenge.
• Don’t overlook individual corporate matching gift programs to supplement your matching donation challenge.
• Limit the matching challenge to a select number of days and time it toward the end of your campaign to finish strong.
• Keep your supporters updated throughout the progress of the matching challenge.

The right software solutions will simplify the process of hosting a matching donation challenge⁠—making it easy for your team to maximize their fundraising potential.

Double the Donation’s robust solution 360MatchPro provides nonprofits with automated tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. With Classy’s integration to 360MatchPro, you can capture employment information from your donors directly through the checkout process, allowing you to follow up with donors about matching gift opportunities.

Your brand is what people think about when they think of your organization. This impacts your public image, your engagement, and your fundraising efforts. Brand management is the work you do to influence and shape the way your organization is perceived.

Nonprofits have a different purpose than for-profits, but there are many brand strategies that apply to both sides. The following brand strategies can help you forge new relationships and strengthen the ones you already have. You may even be employing one or more already.

1. Differentiate Yourself

Why should someone give to your organization instead of another?

That’s the question that drives differentiation.

Creating a strong brand strategy is essential to any successful nonprofit organization. It’s an effective way to stand out in the crowd and set your organization apart from others that share similar missions. 

A great brand strategy tells a story that resonates with your audience, helping to generate recurring donations, engage more volunteers, and strengthen relationships with current supporters. Differentiating your nonprofit brand means creating a clear, authentic voice and conveying it across all aspects of the organization, including how your employees represent themselves and how the organization appears to its stakeholders. 

With a strong, differentiated brand, you’ll have the opportunity to bring people together, have an impact, and really make a difference in the community.

Consider the following steps to discover what differentiates your nonprofit from the competition:

1. Conduct extensive research to gain a deep understanding of your organization’s values, mission, and core activities
2. Develop a unique brand identity for your nonprofit by creating a distinctive visual language and establishing a consistent voice across all media outlets
3. Engage potential supporters by producing captivating, memorable content and stories that resonate with your audience
4. Connect with your target audience through different social media channels, and focus on developing relationships across platforms 
5. Focus on creating long-term relationships with supporters and emphasize transparency, communication, and accountability among other core values to increase brand recognition
6. Broadcast volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, and other ways for people to get involved with your organization
7. Regularly review your marketing initiatives, fine-tune your fundraising approach, and embrace iteration to optimize your social impact

Additional areas of opportunity to assess when determining how exactly to set your nonprofit apart include:

• Where you work: Are you the only nonprofit working in a particular region?
• Your method: Is your approach to problem-solving different from other organizations?
• Your goal: Do you have a specific goal for your work that others are not pursuing?

For example, Bright Pink, a breast and ovarian health awareness organization, uniquely offers an assessment quiz to help individuals understand their personal cancer risk. 

In this space, they are one of the only organizations specifically focused on early detection, and the ability to quickly assess risk online through a quiz helps visitors remember them as a helpful resource.

2. Personalize Your Organization

Personalization has become a central brand strategy for many businesses and organizations. In fact, creating a personalized branding strategy for your nonprofit organization gives you the opportunity to highlight your values. 

Once you have determined what makes your nonprofit brand unique among others, the next step is to solidify who your target audience is and what their core interests are. Think about the message you want to share with new and existing supporters. Moreover, how can you leverage your current donor base to help spread brand awareness and elevate your fundraising initiatives?

Peer-to-peer fundraising is perhaps the clearest example of the rise of personalization. Supporters can create their own donation page, add their own picture, tell their own story, and appeal to their own friends and family. 

While personalization through peer-to-peer fundraising is an excellent way for your current donor base to spread brand awareness, make sure that you as a nonprofit have designed visuals that reflect your mission and brand—whether it’s a unique logo, illustrations, or slogans—and help to distinguish your nonprofit’s visual identity from others.

 Finally, ensure that your branding efforts reach the right audiences, either through digital marketing or through offline strategies such as direct mail or printed marketing materials. 

If you’re looking to add more personal touchpoints for supporters, you might also consider your communications strategy. Do you design content tracks for specific groups of supporters? Create donor personas and build custom communications to help each individual feel like the information you provide is tailored to their interests and previous behavior.

3. Be Relatable

Being able to relate to another person is essential to forming a connection and it’s just as important that your supporters can relate to each other and the people you help.

By creating a relatable nonprofit brand, you are more equipped to create genuine connections with people who share interest in your cause. When people can relate to your brand, they are more likely to want to support it, which means that you have to do the work of making sure your brand leaves a lasting first impression and resonates with your audience following the first point of interaction. 

Invest time and resources in getting to know your target audience, crafting messages that show why your cause matters, and finding creative ways to make your nonprofit mission and fundraising initiatives resonate. 

Once you’ve built a strong brand that has stickiness, you’ll be rewarded with more volunteers, more donations, and a larger community that is engaged in what you’re doing for the greater good.

Leverage your website, nonprofit blog, and social media as a way to highlight individuals supporting your cause. Feature donors, volunteers, and fundraisers to demonstrate that anyone can advance your mission. It is definitely advisable to recognize big donors, but it’s also important to show how anyone else can make an impact on your cause. 

If someone takes interest in your cause, they might go to your website’s “how you can help” page. If they only see pictures and details of major donors and celebrities, they might (consciously or subconsciously) think, “Oh. They don’t need help from me. I don’t have a ton of money or clout.”

Relatability also comes into play when you talk about the people your programs help. A potential donor might not think they have much in common with a man staying in your homeless shelter until you explain that he is a father who lost his job during the recession. Details like these help people relate to your constituents.

4. Appeal to the Emotional

Tapping into the emotions that drive your supporters can go a long way toward breaking through stagnation and apathy. 

As a nonprofit, it’s important to recognize that many people are motivated to take action when an emotional appeal is involved. Make a meaningful emotional connection with your audience by speaking to people’s hearts as much as you do their minds. 

This may include sharing stories or testimonials that showcase the lives your organization is transforming, making people laugh through entertaining videos, or finding unique ways to celebrate the individuals and communities who have helped support your cause along the way. 

Ultimately, when your organization speaks to people’s emotions, you will make a greater impact and truly show the power of your work.

5. Be a Thought Leader

Finally, positioning your organization as a forward-thinking and innovative nonprofit can be an effective brand strategy. While there are people who prefer to stick with historic or more traditional charities, adopting new technologies and strategies can attract people who may not have been interested in the cause before. This can be done without sacrificing brand consistency.

All it takes is the willingness to get involved, to make an impact, and to put your voice and ideas out there. If thought leadership is a key component of your nonprofit branding strategy, consider what steps you might take to elevate your voice and ensure your audience views you as a leader in your space. 

To help get you on your way to becoming a leader in the nonprofit sector, explore opportunities to:

• Get connected with people and organizations in the nonprofit sector to develop your understanding and learn more 
• Reach out to fellow thought leaders, find nonprofit conferences and webinars to attend, and explore blogs and articles 
• Engage with the conversations, offer insights, and be sure to follow up with those that could be a helpful source of information in an effort to further evolve your brand identity and positioning 
• Challenge traditional thought processes, start initiatives that make a difference, and always aim to collaborate

Empower Your Nonprofit Brand With Classy

Whether you’ve been consciously cultivating it or not, your organization has a brand. The associations and ideas people have about your nonprofit can impact your fundraising, engagement, and credibility. Consider how you can adopt some of these brand strategies for nonprofits to influence the way your organization is perceived by the public.

By using a comprehensive fundraising platform like Classy, nonprofits can take their brand to the next level. Through an efficient donation processing system, engaging live-event capabilities, and a diverse portfolio of easy-to-use fundraising tools, nonprofits have access to the latest technologies that enable them to effectively tell their story and inspire more support from their audience. 

Get started today and learn how Classy can help you meet and exceed your fundraising goals more quickly and efficiently.

This article was written by marketing specialist Maria Sadusky of Community Boost. Maria has broad experience running social media and email marketing campaigns.

TikTok is one of the most used social media platforms among nonprofits, for-profits, and individuals seeking ways to stay connected. The platform allows users to generate up to 10-minute videos and host live streams, just like Meta and LinkedIn.

After launching in the United States in 2016, the number of active TikTok users climbed to more than 1.4 billion worldwide.¹ At first, the social media platform centered around teen influencers creating and sharing short videos in an attempt to “go viral.” Companies quickly recognized the platform’s prominence and wanted in on the action.

Now, nonprofits utilize TikTok regularly to connect with younger audiences in a more personal and immediate way. If you’re considering introducing TikTok into your nonprofit’s social media strategy—which we highly suggest—it’s crucial to understand the unique ways the app functions and the best way to leverage it for your mission.

Below, we’ll give you a look at what this platform is and how it can be beneficial to your nonprofit marketing strategy.

How Do I Create a TikTok Account?

All right, let’s get started on TikTok!

The first thing you have to do is create an account.

Step 1: Download the TikTok App for Free

You might not need explaining on this part, but if you do, we have you covered.

Download TikTok for free from the Apple Store (for iOS users) and Google Play Store (for Android users). All you have to do is search for TikTok, then select the Download or Install button to begin downloading.

Step 2: Sign Up for an Account

To move to this step, you need your email, phone number, or log-in information for your social media accounts. If you use your email, make sure it’s the one linked to your nonprofit’s account.

Step 3: Set Up Your Profile

Once you create an account, you can set up your profile. Here’s where you add a profile picture and a brief description of your nonprofit organization.

If you already have an account with 1,000 followers, you can add your donation site hyperlink to your bio. Also, be sure to link your Instagram and YouTube accounts to TikTok.

How Can Nonprofits Use TikTok?

It’s vital to keep up with the latest trends and create TikTok content that connects with your audience. Here are a few ways to use TikTok for good to promote your nonprofit:

Stay Up to Date With the TikTok Trends for Nonprofits

Authenticity Is Valuable

Creating authentic TikTok content is a key factor in building a strong online presence and standing out in a crowded digital space. It makes your nonprofit brand more relatable to viewers and helps establish trust with your audience who will be more likely to support your brand over time.

By opting for organic content over edited and produced content, you can show your audience that you value nonprofit transparency. This, in turn, can lead to better results and a more committed following.

For example, here are two performance analytics reports from posts on Community Boost’s TikTok. The first was a produced and edited video created by a videographer, and the second was a 15-minute, in-app creation on the TikTok platform.

As you can see, the more organic content featured in the second video received longer total play times—and average watch time per user. It had a higher retention rate and gained eight new followers.

Educational Content Is Key

Another popular way to use TikTok is to post educational content and informational videos. The Sacramento Museum TikTok account, for example, talks about particular moments in history and uses trending sounds to bring in tourism.

Nonprofits can create educational video content on TikTok by sharing interesting, mission-related facts, statistics, or insights. You can also create how-to tutorial videos demonstrating your work, such as how to plant a tree or care for animals.

Sharing behind-the-scenes footage of your nonprofit’s operations is another strategic way to attract Generation Z donors and other new audiences, giving viewers a glimpse into your daily activities and their impact.

Get in on Campaigns or Launch One

TikTok campaigns provide a chance for nonprofits to build brand awareness and raise funds for a good cause. The “#PetBFF” campaign, for instance, encourages users to post videos with their pets and donate to a nonprofit organization that works with animals.

Individuals can participate in these campaigns by posting a photo and adding the appropriate hashtag associated with the hashtag challenge or launching a campaign by creating a hashtag and encouraging users to participate.

Create Content That Corresponds With the Algorithm

There are certain things you can do when creating content to cater to the TikTok algorithm. Our top tips are:

Find Trending Sounds to Implement Into Your TikTok Content Strategy

You can do this by going to the search bar in the top right of your screen and typing in “viral sounds.” Then, head to the sounds tab and look for sounds used over 10,000 times.

Post at Least Every Weekday

This might sound excessive, but considering your content should only be about 11 seconds, it’s possible to produce daily videos if you have the right strategy. This could be repurposed content you already used on Instagram or Facebook or quick clips of daily life at your nonprofit.

Use Trending Hashtags in Your Captions

It’s critical to use trending hashtags that correspond with the content you post and are specific to your niche. For example, say your nonprofit creates a caption for a post about rescuing dogs. The hashtags #animalrescue, #dogmemes, and #cutedogs are trending with millions to billions of views, so these would be great to use.

When you type the “#” symbol into the caption, trending TikTok hashtags will show. You can use the provided suggestions to inspire your hashtag choices, like #viraltiktok, #viralvideo, or others specific to your video and niche.

How Do Nonprofits Raise Money on TikTok?

Nonprofits can raise money on TikTok by using donation stickers, which allow users to donate directly from the app. Verified nonprofit accounts can add these stickers to videos to encourage donations.

Additionally, TikTok has added a feature that allows users to display a nonprofit on their profile, making it easier for viewers to support that organization. Nonprofits can also participate in existing campaigns or launch new ones to spread awareness and raise funds. And don’t forget to experiment with TikTok ads to target the right users at the right time.

Display a Fundraiser on Your Profile

The newest feature TikTok has added to encourage donations on the platform is the ability for users to display a nonprofit on their profile.

Underneath the follow button and bio on the profile page, users can add a link to an organization they’d like to support. This feature is available to every user on the platform, including official nonprofit brand accounts.

Examples of Nonprofits Using TikTok For Good

1. Aquarium of the Pacific (2.8M followers)

This Long Beach, California-based nonprofit uses the cuteness of its animals to the full effect in its TikTok videos. The nonprofit implements a good mixture of trending hashtags and niche hashtags, which has helped elevate its video content to larger audiences. Today, most of its hashtags have over 1 million views.

The social team does a great job of posting various content. On its profile, you’ll find content such as fun facts about aquatic animals, a day in the life of the staff members, and tours of different aquarium exhibits.

KeyTakeaway: Show the true nature behind the work that you do. Also, use trending hashtags.

2. V Foundation: (49 followers)

Although the V Foundation doesn’t have as many followers as some larger accounts, it shows that even as a nonprofit with a smaller audience, you can still deliver great content.

The nonprofit recently joined TikTok and has utilized it to inform and educate its supporter base. It appears the V Foundation has a small social team yet continues to post by repurposing content from events and using trending sounds and voice-overs.

KeyTakeaway: It’s never too late to join Tiktok. Stay consistent and you’ll see the rewards.

3. St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (633.2K followers)

With seemingly endless content on St. Jude’s TikTok, the nonprofit leverages its channel for mostly storytelling.

The social team brings in childhood cancer survivors, showcases the daily behind-the-scenes of what happens at St. Jude, and offers comedic TikTok videos purely for entertainment.

The videos are in the right format, offer strong hooks to pull the audience in, and have relatable content. The social team often uses captions as well for accessibility.

KeyTakeaway: Mix up your content and make it relatable. It doesn’t all have to be educational. Find a common point to connect with your audience and help them connect to your cause with storytelling. For example, there are many people with children in the world. Finding the most relatable aspect of your mission and putting that on TikTok will help gain traction and support.

How Does TikTok Support Donor Communication?

There are two primary groups of donors: traditional donors, which include Gen X and Baby Boomers, and next-gen donors, which include Gen Z and Millennials.

Traditional donors, being more established in their careers, tend to give more significant amounts to nonprofits. However, their giving is less frequent and is overall starting to plateau.

On the other hand, next-gen donors give less per gift but tend to give much more frequently. They are also 2.7X as likely to host an individual fundraising page on behalf of an organization they support, according to Classy’s report Why America Gives.

In 2022 alone, next-gen donors gave $27 billion on TikTok.² These giving behaviors make them an increasingly important group for nonprofits.

Relationship Building and Donor Stewardship

The first step in building lasting donor connections is establishing strong communication with your donors and showing them how their donations make an impact. This is key to demonstrating effective donor management for your organization.

You can share impact videos, personally thank donors through hand-written thank you letters, provide updates in your nonprofit annual report, or even invite them to a VIP event experience. These are all key parts of donor stewardship that help build trusting, authentic relationships.

How Will Your Nonprofit Use TikTok?

Hopefully, by now, you’re convinced TikTok can complement your digital marketing strategy in new, exciting ways. With next-gen donors quickly becoming a primary target audience, it couldn’t be a better time to experiment with this fast-growing platform. Are you prepared to meet them at every touchpoint?

Article Sources:

1. “TikTok Statistics to Know in 2023,” Influencity, last accessed August 2, 2023, https://influencity.com/resources/studies/tiktok-influencer-marketing-study-statistics/.
2. “TikTok Statistics – Updated Mar 2023,” Wallaroo, last modified March 21, 2023,https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/.

Fortunately, nonprofits have an advantage. Emails from charitable organizations receive open rates four times higher than typical marketing emails.¹ However, it’s what happens after the open that determines whether your organization can secure a donation.

Email marketing for nonprofits isn’t too different from traditional email marketing. The key to improving your nonprofit email marketing campaigns’ metrics is to send the right messages to the right donors at the right time. 

Need some ideas on how to craft the right email? Below, we break down nine nonprofit email marketing examples that your organization can use as inspiration for its next campaign.

9 Nonprofit Email Marketing Examples

1. Welcome Emails

It’s crucial to provide new email subscribers with a warm welcome. Welcome emails help strengthen connections with your supporters and increase your chances of getting donations. 

In short, these messages often define your brand’s first impression. And this impression determines if someone makes a follow-up donation or unsubscribes from your email list.

Around 74% of new subscribers expect a welcome email after joining a newsletter, and these messages have an average open rate of 202% higher than traditional email campaigns.² That means your welcome email series is crucial in securing donations.

Take a look at this welcome email example from Save the Children. It accomplishes three things necessary for an effective welcome series:

• Sets a positive tone with the supporters on their email list
• Provides an example of what subscribers can expect
• Highlights the value of the organization

2. Storytelling Emails

No matter what your cause might be, stories should play a central part in your nonprofit email marketing strategy. Strong storytelling draws readers in emotionally and makes them more likely to give.

However, try not to box yourself into thinking of a story only in terms of text. You can also use images to get your message across.

This effective email from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a shining example of mixing imagery with compelling copy.

The first thing you see is a large, striking photo of a snow leopard looking straight at you. This image helps readers connect instantly with the story WWF is about to tell, especially since some of us care as much about animals as people.³ 

Plus, addressing the reader by name and asking a question directly (“Will you help stop threats …”) starts and ends on an emotional note. Not to mention supporting that emotion with statistics on the mistreatment of snow leopards strengthens the impact of the message.

Whether it’s a personal anecdote from your founder or a captivating story from the field, get creative with your email content. Storytelling emails can be an excellent way to build awareness for your blog as well. Use these well-crafted emails to encourage readers to explore your new posts and stay up to date on your latest program advancements. Hopefully, these topics nudge them to donate. 

Check out how the St. Baldrick’s Foundation does it.

3. Thank You and Update Emails

Thanking donors with a simple note and sharing program updates is a great email tactic to improve donor retention.

Subscribers signal that they want to be kept in the loop when they opt-in to your emails. Providing regular updates keeps your supporters engaged and returning to donate again.

Some ideas you can use in your update emails include:

• Major milestones for your nonprofit, like raising a specific amount of money or helping a specific number of people
• Your organization’s anniversary celebrations
• New programs, upcoming events, fundraising campaigns, or initiatives your nonprofit plans to roll out

The following progress update message from charity: water is a great example. It highlights specifics such as where the donation will go, how many projects funded so far, and how close the project is to its goal.

Highlighting the specific outcome of donations creates a feel-good moment for your subscribers. Small touches, such as the “You are here” marker in the timeline below, make donation goals seem more tangible. Framing these updates as thank-you messages can help increase opens, click-through rates, and your overall deliverability.

4. Holiday Emails

Most charitable giving happens during the year-end season, and email can be a powerful tool to capitalize on that giving spirit. For example, the boom of charitable donations on Facebook in place of holiday gifts shows that people feel inclined to support nonprofits during the holidays. Use your email to suggest that subscribers make donations in honor of others rather than gifting material objects.

This holiday message from Deki is a straightforward example of how nonprofits can solicit donations during the holidays, framing donations as gifts.

In short, don’t be afraid to push for donations during the holidays. People expect it, and they’re ready to answer the call. Sometimes, they just need a gentle nudge.

5. Number and Statistic-Based Emails

Numbers and statistics in your fundraising mail subject lines are a proven way to immediately grab someone’s attention and stand out in your subscribers’ inboxes. Here are a couple of examples:

• There are 844 million people without access to clean water worldwide
• One in five children lacks proper access to food annually in the United States

Build these statistics into the body of your email and your preview text. To see it in action, check out how the example below uses statistics to grab attention and demonstrate the urgency of a situation.

Another way to educate your audience and grab your readers’ attention is by including a donation infographic within your email. This one from Habitat for Humanity of Florida demonstrates how organizations can integrate figures into nonprofit email marketing campaigns.

6. Matching Donation Emails

Double the Donation found that 84% of donors are more likely to donate if their corporation offers a match, and one in three donors would give larger gifts if matching applied to their donation.⁴ 

Reserved for special promotions and used sparingly, messages like this one from WE Charity tend to resonate with readers. The notion of doubling your impact combined with the hopeful copy (“It’s never too late to change the world”) makes it a winner.

While you can run a donation matching campaign anytime, it’s especially impactful during the holidays.

The bold “2” and “Double Your Pledge” call to action (CTA) immediately makes donors feel like they’re getting the maximum value out of their pledge to Sevenly. And we need more of that since an estimated $4 to $7 billion in matching funds goes unclaimed yearly.⁵

7. Question and Survey Emails

When competing with social media and chatbots, anything you can do to open up the lines of communication and make your emails interactive is a major plus.

That’s why surveys and question-based messages like this one from the WWF are smart moves.

Leading to a detailed questionnaire, these emails help you learn more about your subscribers and improve your email list segmentation.

Plus, letting your readers know you’re listening can help distinguish you from competitors in their inboxes. According to Fast Company’s 1,000-cold-email experiment, question-based emails that challenge readers’ brains improved response rates.⁶

Also, surveys help nonprofits achieve personalized emails to provide the right messaging. By surveying your subscribers directly, you can identify relevant forms of A/B testing to conduct and fine-tune your emails accordingly for better engagement. Here are a few A/B testing ideas to consider. 

8. The Minimalist Email

A “less is more” mentality with your nonprofit marketing strategy not only requires reduced legwork but is easier on your readers. After all, your subscribers’ time is valuable, and keep in mind that the average attention span for adults is nine seconds.

With fewer points to drop off or lose your readers’ attention, short emails with simple copy tend to convert better than lengthier ones.⁷ This approach makes it harder for readers to miss your CTA.

Brief messages like this one from UNICEF pack a punch with impactful email design and a clear CTA.

Likewise, this “Learn more” copy and positive imagery from charity: water is a great example of a minimalist email that encourages action.

Getting donors’ attention typically starts with an email, but your long-form landing page with a donation or sign-up form is the critical next piece of the puzzle. Optimize this page to inspire donors to continue moving through the donation funnel.

9. Success Story Emails

Don’t forget to provide your donors with stories of your nonprofit organization’s success and how they’ve contributed to your accomplishments. Highlighting specific success stories or instances of someone benefiting from your work delivers concrete proof of your organization’s impact.

These success stories prove that your organization is honest, good, and reliable. 

This email from charity: water highlights an instance of donations in action by telling the story of Srey and her family in Cambodia. Showing Srey and her new water filter proves that donations do impactful work.

Sticking to the principle of “show, don’t tell,” social proof is proven to increase email engagement. Whether it’s testimonials, smiling faces, or statistics from a fundraising goal, showcase the broader community’s contribution to your cause and make your reader proud to be a part of it.

How Diverse Is Your Nonprofit Email Strategy?

The long-term health of any nonprofit relies on potential supporters converting into loyal donors. And diversifying your nonprofit email marketing strategy with these nine types of messages can help you accomplish that goal. 

However, don’t make email marketing harder than it needs to be. Rather than scramble for fresh ideas, think about simple ways you can start incorporating high-converting elements into your emails. Then, examine your analytics to see which social media posts perform the best or which case studies have the highest views—this content will likely perform well in your email campaigns, too.

Need help bumping up your conversion rates? Trust Classy to help you get the job done. Our fundraising platform can help you build donation sites, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, recurring giving, and more. We provide you with the basic email marketing tools, integrations, and automation functionality you need to scale your digital donations.

Emil Kristensen is the CMO and co-founder of Sleeknote, a company that helps e-commerce brands engage their site visitors with targeted on-site messages.

Sources

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, last modified April 17, 2017, https://www.google.com/policies/privacy
2. “7 Best Welcome Email Examples to Engage Your Customers,” Email Marketing, Omnisend, last modified May 4, 2022, https://www.omnisend.com/blog/best-welcome-emails/
3. “Why People Sometimes Care More About Dogs Than Humans,” Psychology, Psychology Today, last modified November 9, 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201711/why-people-sometimes-care-more-about-dogs-humans
4. “Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022],” Statistics, Double the Donation, last modified 2022, https://doublethedonation.com/matching-gift-statistics/
5. “Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022],” Statistics, Double the Donation, last modified 2022, https://doublethedonation.com/matching-gift-statistics/
6. “What We Learned From Sending 1,000 Cold Emails,” Email, Fast Company, last modified November 7, 2014, https://www.fastcompany.com/3036672/what-we-learned-from-sending-1000-cold-emails
7. “The Ideal Length of a Sales Email, Based on 40 Million Emails,” Email Marketing, Hubspot, last modified June 10, 2021, https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/ideal-length-sales-email

Since the year-end is the peak of charitable giving, you likely acquired new donors during December. January is your chance to keep these donors engaged with your organization. In fact, Classy’s 2022 State of Modern Philanthropy Report shows that donors are 40% more likely to churn during January—meaning they’ll likely disconnect if you don’t take intentional action.

Remember these donors are likely fatigued from the giving request that came during the end of the year. The new year should be more focused on nurturing these donors over the long term rather than making direct asks immediately.

Email newsletters are a proven method for keeping donors engaged and maintaining brand awareness in their minds during the year. Use these tips to maximize your nonprofit newsletter’s effectiveness all year round.

1. Get the Right Message to the Right Audience

Don’t just send out an email newsletter to every donor on your list. Instead, divide your list into focused segments to send the right content to the right supporters.

Research shows that segmented emails see 14% higher open rates and 100% more clicks compared to generic email campaigns. The unsubscribe rates for these target emails are also 9% lower. That’s because you’re sending the right emails to the right people.

There are a few ways you can segment your list:

• By donation size
• By geographic location
• By how recently the donor gave
• By giving frequency
• By individual donor vs. corporate sponsor type

2. Keep Your List Clean

Effective nonprofit email marketing requires you to go beyond trying to build as big an email list as possible. To keep donors engaged, you’ll need to keep the right people on your list and allow the rest to self-remove.

Sure, you don’t want people to leave your email list, but you also don’t want to send emails to people who don’t want them. Allowing your audience to control their preferences and opt out of certain messages keeps your email list clean and your open rates healthy. You can also create a preference center to give users control over what they receive without losing them from your list altogether.

Make it easy for users to unsubscribe when they want. This is not only a requirement by law but also protects people from unwanted spam. Best practices also dictate that all reputable email service providers include unsubscribe links in the footer of emails and automatically unenroll users when they opt out.

3. Workshop Your Subject Lines

Your subject line determines if someone will open and read the email. With the nonprofit industry benchmark for email open rates approximately 20–25%, that means if you’re below that, you need to focus on improving your subject lines.

Too many nonprofits use default or generic subject lines (e.g., November 2022 Newsletter) that are uninspiring and easily skipped in a crowded inbox. Instead, craft a subject line that captures your donors’ interest and previews what they can expect from opening the email.

Here are a few tips for crafting a better email newsletter subject line:

• Vary the format rather than relying on a template.
• Focus on the one most interesting or valuable thing from the content.
• Pique your reader’s curiosity by asking a question or opening a story loop.
• Write 5–6 subject lines and get feedback to narrow down the best one.
• Use a subject line tester tool to workshop the words to get it just right.
• Try A/B testing your subject lines to see what gets a response from your audience (more about A/B testing later).

4. Provide Valuable Content

Nearly everyone (90% of users) has an email address, which also means nearly every other organization has to fight for space in people’s inboxes. If you want to retain subscribers and get them to read your emails, write valuable content tailored to your donors’ concerns.

Only your audience can tell you what they want, and this will vary depending on your nonprofit and the segment you’re emailing. However, some common charitable email newsletter sections often include:

• Mission or donor stories
• Volunteer opportunities
• Fundraising milestone updates
• Upcoming events
• Community news

Talk to a sample of your donors to learn what they’d like to see in a nonprofit newsletter. Next, test what sections people click on the most. Then, experiment with different content to see what’s effective. Your goal should be to provide them with value and give them a reason to stay involved with your organization.

User engagement is a reliable way to determine what content is meaningful for them. Be sure to include a few strategic calls to action (more on them in a minute) throughout the newsletter. Then, use clicks as a way to see what sections resonate most with your readers.

5. Make the Format Readable

The time people spend reading emails is increasing, though unfortunately, it’s still short—up to 11.1 seconds from 10.4 seconds (as of 2016). That’s barely enough time for donors to skim a medium-length email newsletter—so make the most of that time.

How you format the emails impacts the value donors get from your newsletters. Follow these tips to make each email readable and accessible for every supporter.

• Keep the format simple. Remove as many distractions as possible.
• Stick to one-column emails—especially since those perform best on mobile devices.
• Use visuals to highlight each section, but don’t overly depend on images, which can be slow to load (or not load at all in certain email service providers).
• Keep the text short—short sentences and short paragraphs. Write blurbs in the email that link back to the full content on your website.
• Don’t overdo it on colors and graphics. Consistent branding is crucial, but ensure that all text is easy to read on backgrounds and across devices.

6. Provide Calls to Action

Every nonprofit newsletter should include a few calls to action. These should connect directly to your content and ideally be a button (since those are easier to click than text links).

The fewer calls to action you include, the more likely a donor will click any of them. However, limit yourself to 2–3 in a single newsletter, or you’ll overwhelm the reader. Less is more.

These calls to action could be anything from:

• Donate today
• Sign up for monthly giving
• Attend this event
• Volunteer
• Follow us on social media

The benefit of an email is directly connecting the reader with your website or a digital action like donating or sharing on social media. Strategic calls to action help your organization take advantage of this opportunity.

7. Measure, Test, and Adjust

Sending an email newsletter is meaningless without measuring your success. Establish what data points you want to track and be consistent about evaluating them. Here are a few email newsletter metrics to consider:

• Open rate
• Click rate
• List growth
• Website traffic
• Conversions

Use A/B testing to gradually optimize your email format, timing, and content. This is a proven method for tweaking each element of your nonprofit’s newsletter based on how your donors respond. For each newsletter, you can pick one of the following to test:

• Send time and day
• Subject lines
• From email or name
• Email length
• Calls to action

Evaluate these metrics and test results with your team regularly. Then, use the findings to adjust and improve your email newsletter. This is the most effective way of ensuring what you’re sending is meaningful to donors.

Prepare Your Newsletter Now for the New Year

Just like nonprofits always prepare for year-end giving, you should also be ready for the new year to retain new donors. An intentional retention and engagement strategy is the only way to continue to grow your organization and your mission.

Email newsletters present a unique opportunity to do just that. However, any nonprofit marketing email isn’t effective by accident. These require thought and considering your audience’s expectations.

Article Sources

• 20+ Must-Know Email Marketing Statistics (Use Data to Boost Your Email Campaigns)
• 2022 Email Marketing Statistics & Benchmarks | Mailchimp
• The # 1 Email Subject Line Tester

For nonprofit sustainability, data is power. In fact, 65% of nonprofit content marketers say data capture is incredibly important for decision-making. This number will only grow as the nonprofit sector becomes even more data-driven.

Keep a close eye on the following metrics to grow your donations, conversions, corporate giving, and overall supporter impact. Let’s dive in.

1. Landing Page Conversion Rate

How to calculate: (Number of donors converted from a particular campaign landing page / total amount of landing page traffic) × 100 = landing page conversion rate

Whether you solicit gifts from first-time contributors, repeat donors, dedicated volunteers, or newsletter subscribers, the number of individuals who complete donations should be measured as a percentage of total visitors. In doing so, you can better communicate your overall results in terms of campaign landing page conversions.

For example, imagine you launched an initiative that brought 100 visitors to your campaign landing page. From there, 25 of those people converted on the donation form, becoming donors. Your overall conversion rate would be 25%.

Why it matters: After you have that percentage, you can measure it against different campaigns and forms to compare results. Or, use that number to set future goals—for example, you might seek to improve your campaign conversion next month by 5%. To improve your conversion rate, you might test the language, add compelling quotes, or rework your call-to-action. You can also run split (or A/B) tests, driving half of your traffic to one version of the page and the other half to a slightly tweaked form alternative.

2. Marketing Channel Conversion Rate

How to calculate: (Number of donors converted from a particular marketing channel / total amount of traffic brought in through the channel) × 100 = marketing channel conversion rate

Your organization likely leverages a number of media avenues through which you share your marketing efforts. However, not all channels are created equally, nor will they produce the same results for your team. This is why it’s so important to calculate conversion rates across channels such as social media platforms, organic search, direct and referral traffic, and paid campaigns.

For example, you may discover that 50 of your 500 social media visitors convert into donors or subscribers. Therefore, your social media channel conversion rate would be 10%. At the same time, let’s say you ran an email marketing campaign that brought in 1000 visitors, 200 of which converted to donors⁠—equalling a 20% conversion rate.

Why it matters: Real-time awareness of these conversion rates by channel allows you to make smarter decisions about where to invest marketing dollars. Close observations can guide your strategy moving forward, helping determine which initiatives and channels to focus your efforts on for the greatest return.

If you discover that a particular marketing avenue converts visitors at a greater rate, you may decide to invest additional time and dollars into that channel in particular. On the other hand, if you find an area with lackluster results, you might want to optimize your efforts for that channel before investing further resources.

3. Donor Acquisition Cost

How to calculate: Total marketing campaign spend / number of donors acquired = donor acquisition cost

Do you know how much you spend to acquire a new donor? Understanding this metric helps to measure the profitability of your marketing campaigns and make informed decisions with your budget.

To begin, calculate the sum of total costs associated with a specific fundraising campaign⁠—including fees, marketing spend, and team member time involved. Then, divide that amount by the number of conversions from the campaign, and that’s the average cost to acquire a single donor.

For example, consider a fundraising campaign that brings in 100 new donors and costs your team $500 to plan and launch. When you divide the total marketing campaign spend by the number of donors gained through your efforts, you see that your donor acquisition cost is equal to $5 per person. An optimal donor acquisition cost is lower than the average donation amount, indicating an increase in revenue and a profitable campaign.

Why it matters: Once you’ve calculated donor acquisition costs for a particular campaign, you can replicate campaigns that have a low spend and high return. Alternatively, you might strategize ways to minimize spending on more costly campaigns. Either way, strategic efforts allow you to produce a higher return on investment for your marketing dollars.

4. Donor Reconversion Rate

How to calculate: (Number of reconverted donors / total amount of lapsed donors who received the donation appeal) × 100 = donor reconversion rate

For the health of your organization, it’s imperative to not only acquire new donors but to retain them as well. That’s why many nonprofits are hosting reconversion campaigns in order to reengage with their supporters and steward them into repeat contributors over time. A reconversion campaign essentially targets supporters who had historically been regular or repeat donors but have since lapsed.

Keep in mind the way you define “reconverted” and “lapsed” donors can vary from one organization to the next. For example, you might solely target individuals who had previously signed up for a recurring donation program but have since canceled it. Or you may choose to include repeat supporters who had given a number of times⁠—yet were not recurring givers⁠—and had recently stopped contributing as well.

Regardless, determining your donor reconversion rate allows you to better understand your engagement level with this particular donor segment.

To calculate the marketing metric, first establish the number of existing donors that contributed to your specific reconversion campaign. Then, divide that figure by the total number of donors who were targeted with your efforts.

For example, imagine you’ve sent a fundraising appeal to 100 lapsed donors (they’ve contributed to your cause before but not within a specific timeframe). 15 of these individuals decided to make an additional donation, resulting in a donor reconversion rate of 15%.

Why it matters: The lifetime value of an average recurring donor is much greater than a one-time donor. Not to mention, the cost to reconvert an existing contact is often much lower than the cost to acquire a new donor. And it can be done in multiple ways⁠—including, but not limited to, an email nurture series, updated marketing materials, targeted paid advertisements, and more. Set up a custom landing page for each reconversion campaign with the language targeted to these donors.

5. Estimated Annual Online Revenue

How to calculate: Average online gift frequency × total number of online donors × average donation amount = Estimated annual online revenue

In addition to reviewing your past quarters, you can also use your previously collected marketing data to make a projection for your upcoming year of fundraising.

To do so, you’ll first need to determine your online gift frequency, or the average number of online donations a donor makes in a twelve-month period. Then, multiply this figure by your total number of online donors, as well as the average online donation amount. Your answer is an estimation of your upcoming online revenue for the next year!

For example, let’s say your average donor makes three donations a year with a mean gift amount of $100. You have 1,000 online donors in your network. In the next year, you can estimate that you’ll bring in a total of $300,000 in fundraising revenue.

Why it matters: By looking ahead and estimating online revenue, you can make informed decisions about your organization’s overall budget and strategy. Or, if the expected revenue is lower than you’d like, you can work toward specific goals to increase your gift frequency, number of donors, and/or average donation size.

6. Matching Gift Revenue Received

How to calculate: Sum of all matching gift donations your organization receives

Tons of donors are eligible for corporate matching gift programs through their employers. When your supporters donate to your cause and complete a brief submission process to request the matching gift on your behalf, they can essentially double the impact of their contributions to your cause.

To determine the total amount of revenue collected through these programs, make a note of each donation that comes through as a corporate matching gift. For easier calculations, you can even encourage donors to update your organization on the status of their matches online (e.g., matching gift request submitted, match approved, funding paid out, etc.). At the end of a particular time period (likely a year), find the sum of each matching donation contributed to your cause.

From there, consider looking at matching gift revenue year over year to demonstrate and understand the growing impact matching gifts can have on your organization.

To calculate this figure, determine the amount of matching gift revenue collected in one year and subtract the total amount of match revenue from the previous. Then, divide the result by the total match revenue from the previous year and multiply the figure by 100 for your percentage growth.

Why it matters: Tracking matching gift metrics enables your organization to calculate the amount of funding made available to your cause through corporate donation-matching initiatives. Not to mention, company matches are essentially “buy one, get one free” donations that directly increase the ROI of your team’s fundraising efforts.

Keep in mind that matching gift research reports over $4 to $7 billion in matching gift revenue being left on the table each year. Prioritizing this data point is the key to maximizing your nonprofit’s match potential. For example, if you see that the amount of matching gift revenue your organization receives is lower than the total amount you qualify for through your donors’ employer giving programs, you may decide to expand your matching gift marketing efforts to promote the opportunity to more supporters.

7. Top Matching Gift Companies

How to calculate: Sum of matching gift donations coming from each of your donors’ employers

With strategic matching gift marketing efforts in place, your organization is likely to receive matching donations from a wide range of corporations. Knowing the top companies providing matching gifts can help you target your outreach initiatives.

With a matching gift tool like 360MatchPro (which integrates seamlessly with Classy’s fundraising platform), this metric can be automated and located with ease. 360MatchPro offers a dedicated dashboard to locate this information, providing a real-time updated list of the top 10 companies being looked up in the search tool. Otherwise, you can keep track of matching donations as they flow into your system and calculate the total amount of funding contributed by each company.

Why it matters: Top matching gift companies communicate their desire to be involved with nonprofit causes and make a difference for the organizations and missions their donors care about. That said, they can also make some of the greatest corporate sponsorship opportunities⁠—and knowing which companies to reach out to is often half the battle. Plus, knowledge of top matching gift companies can enable your team to identify match-eligible prospects and pursue them accordingly.

8. Percentage of Total Revenue from Different Donor Segments

How to calculate: (Sum of all donors’ gifts that fall within a particular category / total revenue collected) × 100 = percentage of revenue from donor segments

When you divide your donors into groups by similar characteristics, you can measure the impact each segment has on the organization’s overall sustainability.

To do so, first choose criteria for segmentation, such as first-time, high-level, and recurring donors. (Tip: With automation software, you can create smart logic so your lists will auto-populate!)

Once you have your lists created, compare the impact of various segments. For example, what percentage of your revenue comes from first-time vs. recurring donors? What donation size is most common—or uncommon—for your organization?

Why it matters: By segmenting your donor base and calculating fundraising effectiveness this way, you can make strategic decisions about where to target your resources. While you shouldn’t rely on a single segment’s generosity for your organization’s survival, calculating your revenue breakdown by group allows you to create targeted campaigns and mobilize key segments to maximize impact.

9. Volunteer and Donor Retention Rates

How to calculate: (Number of repeat donors or volunteers this year / total number of donors or volunteers the previous year) × 100 = retention rate

Your organization relies on donors and volunteers to bring your mission to life. But are the same supporters sticking with your team for the long run? Calculating retention rates for donation and volunteerism can help you find out.

By charting the percentage of donors and volunteers who stop engaging with your nonprofit, you can determine whether your audience is comprised of dedicated individuals who engage in your efforts time and time again or whether you see a lot of one-and-done supporters who never truly stay involved.

For example, imagine you have a group of 100 volunteers last year. This year, only 10 return to continue supporting your organization. That would result in a volunteer retention rate of 10%!

Why it matters: This metric empowers your team to set up periodic touchpoints to help keep your organization at the top of your supporters’ minds.

Do volunteers seem to attend a single event and never return? Do donors often make two gifts only to stop engaging with your organization afterward? With this information on hand, you can set up a triggered email cadence, increasing communication touch points and upping reminders to reengage supporters at the most critical times.

Data and Metrics as a Nonprofit Tool

Though it takes time and effort to collect these metrics—and perhaps even an investment in automation and data management tools—the ROI you expect to see is astounding. You’ll ultimately have a better way to make decisions, reduce marketing spend, and reach goals that support your organization.

Not to mention, the right information can power more effective fundraising and workplace giving opportunities that produce maximal revenue for the cause that you and your donors are working toward.

Luckily, workplace giving can play an invaluable role in maintaining supporter momentum well into the new year and beyond.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of beginning-of-year fundraising and the vitality of workplace giving, as well as share top tips and practices for organizations looking to make the most of corporate philanthropy initiatives to elevate their strategy.

Set your donors⁠—and yourself⁠—up for ongoing success this year with these helpful insights. 

The Importance of Effective Start-of-Year Fundraising

The average nonprofit typically sees its highest levels of donor engagement during the year-end giving season. For many, that means new and repeat donors supporting the cause. Going into the new year, it’s important to keep that momentum going and retain new donors by following up with strategic and ongoing fundraising and stewardship efforts.

The transition into the new year also brings with it opportunities to:

• Thank donors for their participation in your recent year-end fundraising push
• Share updates on and celebrate year-end fundraising success
• Follow up with those who may not have given during year-end
• Make your outreach stand out during a slower fundraising season
• Provide an overview of your organization’s upcoming fundraising initiatives
• Offer new ways to get involved, such as with monthly donations
• Inform and remind donors about their employers’ workplace giving programs

It’s also a great time for your internal team to take a look at the data you’ve collected throughout previous engagement efforts and decide to adjust and redirect as necessary.

The Relationship Between Workplace Philanthropy + Start-of-Year Giving

Workplace giving programs can offer some of the most impactful opportunities for elevating donor engagement while simultaneously raising more for nonprofit causes through corporate and individual funding. And there’s no better time to optimize your team’s corporate fundraising strategy than the beginning of a new year.

Perhaps you developed a number of corporate partnerships during your Giving Tuesday and other end-of-year fundraising campaigns. You don’t want those partnerships to slip through the cracks during the transition to the new year. Instead, pursuing workplace giving opportunities is an excellent way to incorporate corporate support year-round while also empowering donors to take a hands-on role in their employers’ philanthropic initiatives.

Workplace giving programs may likely include (but are certainly not limited to) matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more. When captured, these workplace giving programs provide an invaluable fundraising lift. For example, companies with matching gift programs financially match their employees’ charitable contributions.

In other words, your organization receives two gifts for the cost of soliciting one. Similarly, companies who offer volunteer grant programs will provide financial support to organizations where their employees regularly volunteer. That means your volunteers’ time turns into dollars that will also benefit your cause. 

When offered, these types of programs often lead to significantly increased individual engagement as well⁠—in addition to the corporate funds flowing in as a result. In fact, research from Double the Donation on the effects of matching gifts on fundraising appeals indicates that 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, while 1 in 3 donors states they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied. 

Once you incorporate these appeals into your upcoming start-of-year fundraising push, your organization is likely to see huge results in terms of individual and corporate giving success.

Top Tips to Optimize Start-of-Year Fundraising With Workplace Giving

Incorporate these tried-and-true best practices into your organization’s strategy to raise more with workplace giving programs in the new year. Then, aim to keep your fundraising effectiveness high throughout the remainder of the year.

1. Follow up with still-eligible matching gift donors.

Tons of companies offer donation matching, and each one has the ability to set its own submission deadline, where employees must complete the request process prior to the specified date in order to remain eligible for the match. One popular deadline structure is based on the end of the calendar year in which an individual completes their personal donation plus an extension or grace period. Come January of the following year, many donors who work for these types of companies (such as Pfizer, Coca-Cola, MBIA, or Verizon) are likely still eligible to have their previously-made donations matched.

Not to mention, many other companies use a rolling deadline structure where employees are required to submit their match requests within a set time period following the initial gift (often six or twelve months). In this case, individuals who work for companies like IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and more and contributed throughout the year-end giving season would likely remain eligible for match opportunities as well.

We recommend taking the time early into the new year to inform or remind donors about their matching gift eligibility.

Even if you’ve sent an unanswered message regarding workplace giving initiatives, there’s a good chance it got lost in all the commotion of the year’s end⁠—and new year outreach may be just what you and your donors need to cross the finish line. Or perhaps they’ve been aware of the opportunity but keep falling prey to the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mindset. In that case, consider encouraging ⁠donors to make a New Year’s resolution out of crossing their match request off their to-do list—and be sure to remind them that their match eligibility window doesn’t last forever.

2. Communicate that many employers’ program maximums have reset.

Many companies set their workplace giving guidelines so that individual maximums are automatically reset on an annual basis⁠—most often at the start of the new calendar year. This means many donors will have new matching gift and volunteer grant funding made available to them by their employers, even if they had maxed out their limits in the previous year.

Now, those individuals can once again partake in their companies’ workplace giving programs, enabling them to significantly impact the causes they care about⁠—yours!

When donors (particularly those who work for companies that establish lower maximum thresholds for their employee giving programs) give to multiple charitable causes, their funding limits can deplete quickly each year. Again, this makes the start of the new year an excellent opportunity to communicate workplace giving initiatives and drive more donors to action.

3. Thank donors for personal gifts and workplace giving participation.

Our final tip for maximizing start-of-year fundraising and workplace giving is one that can and should be maintained throughout the year⁠: be sure to thank donors for all of their support, whether it’s regarding a personal donation or participation in a corporate giving program.

As you continue to thank your end-of-year donors for their contributions, be sure to highlight that they may still have the opportunity to increase the impact of their gifts. From there, you’ll want to communicate gratitude to those who do so. Though workplace or employer giving funding doesn’t come from an individual donor’s own wallet, it’s important to acknowledge that the gift would not have been possible without their willingness to go above and beyond for the cause.

Fuel Your New Year Fundraising with Workplace Giving

Strategic fundraising should occur year-round, and the beginning of a new calendar year is a fantastic opportunity for a fresh start in your engagements. At the same time, remember that workplace giving programs are typically also offered from January to December, meaning now is the time to adjust and revamp your efforts.

Best of luck, and Happy New Year!

What Are the Benefits of Virtual Fundraising?

Virtual events helps your nonprofit reach entirely new audiences with a next level fundraising strategy. They also allow for on-demand events that open the likelihood of supporters attending and viewing your content than a time-bound event. You can appeal to your donor’s schedules, and reach more potential donors using the recordings of your event. Imagine hosting your event once, and keeping registration to access the content on-demand all year to continue building relationships and support raising funds.

A Modern Take on Virtual Fundraising Software

As you start to think about virtual fundraising efforts, consider the way technology sets you up for success. Engaging event platforms let you bring physical, virtual, and hybrid events to life with tech enhancements that exceed modern donor expectations.

22 Creative Virtual Fundraising Ideas

Across almost all virtual fundraising events, your nonprofit organization will likely want to livestream content to your audience. You can also embed your Zoom recording, YouTube or Twitch livestream directly into your Classy virtual fundraising campaign or Classy Live event.

In-Person Event Pivots to Virtual or Hybrid

1. Online Gala Dinner

Many nonprofits were forced to pivot their in-person galas to virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck during the height of gala season. However, nonprofits have seen great success hosting their galas virtually. There’s no longer a geographic restraint so anyone can attend, you can emulate table fundraising with online peer-to-peer fundraising and team captains, and you may actually net higher fundraising totals with an expanded attendance and less overhead costs.

Upaya Social Ventures successfully pivoted their in-person gala to a virtual gala in a few weeks and ended up raising over $300,000, 50% more than their initial fundraising goal. They used their Classy campaign page as a central hub to post messages from leadership, share engaging videos, and even host an auction.

2. Online Auctions

Similar to galas, an online auction or silent auction can increase your audience of potential donors and bidders. The key to a successful virtual auction is twofold. On one hand, your nonprofit must take stock of your items, clearly define the rules for participants, set competitive bids, and promote the auction items in emails and on social media.

On the other hand, you can also use this as an opportunity to ask for donations throughout the event that are separate from the price of every auction item. This way, you can keep people engaged at times when they might drop off. For example, if someone is outbid on an item, you can suggest they donate the amount they would have paid to your organization directly.

3. Online Telethons

You can also turn an online raffle or auction into a telethon event. A telethon can be an opportunity to livestream with a special host or group of engaging community members. You can use the time to share items for auction or raffle of fun prizes in exchange for donations. Mobile bidding can enhance the experience as you tie your event to an online campaign or donation page.

Get creative about a theme that resonates with the time of year or your current projects. You can translate that theme to your host’s appearance, the set of your telethon, and any supporting marketing materials.

Food and Drink Virtual Fundraising Ideas

4. Cooking or Mixology Virtual Classes

Whether you’re making homemade pasta or mixing up a nice old fashioned, cooking and mixology virtual classes cater perfectly to a virtual audience. Your nonprofit can partner with a local chef or mixologist, or even famous culinary influencers if you have the connections, and stream the virtual cooking class fundraising event live.

You can charge admission with a ticketed event fundraising page, or in the form of a donation. The key is to set tiers of gifts. For example, $100 can guarantee a supporter gets a seat in the class, but $250 or more will allow that supporter to participate in a live virtual happy hour or webinar with the cook or mixologist after the class is concluded. Additionally, you can make calls to donate to your nonprofit throughout the livestream fundraising event.

5. Group Dining Events

It may not be feasible to gather your community of supporters together around a good meal, but there are ways to transition a feeling of togetherness into a virtual fundraising idea. When Miry’s List hosted their 2020 World Refugee Day Awards Campaign, they offered a takeout picnic that supporters could pick up curbside and enjoy at home while they watched the virtual awards ceremony.

6.Virtual Alcohol Tasting

Whiskey, wine, mezcal, or otherwise, alcohol tastings are never dull events. Your nonprofit can create a virtual fundraising event where the price of registration includes the cost of the alcohol and shipping. Your supporters can then receive their drinks in time for the live event, where a professional teaches them about the alcohol.

There are some rules and restrictions by which you must abide in order to ensure the legality of your event, but Hope for Haiti is a great example of a nonprofit who has done this with Haitian crema. You can use their model to get started, like clearly calling out which states are eligible to receive alcohol shipments, but always consult with your legal team to ensure you’re in compliance with state and federal laws.

Athletic Virtual Fundraising Ideas

7. Yoga Class

Reach out to your local yoga studio and invite them to lead a class, or series of classes, in partnership with your nonprofit over zoom. You can also ask your supporters if any of them are yoga teachers, or know someone, who would want to guide the classes. Either way, you can sell tickets to your community, as well as the community that regularly supports the yoga studio. The best part of this virtual fundraiser is that there’s no limit to the number of people who can join.

8. Bootcamp

For your supporters who want more of a hardcore workout over a relaxing yoga class, bootcamp is the perfect option. Collaborate with a local trainer to develop a regimen and have them lead the virtual workout. You can also design it so no extra equipment is required, supporters can do it on their own time, and they can share results on social media after.

Consider pre-recording the initial workout with the trainer so you can keep the virtual bootcamp up in a more evergreen capacity. Each time someone pays the registration fee, you can email them the video.

9. Virtual Walks and Runs

Many nonprofits who host regular endurance events—like the Cleveland Clinic VeloSano event, a walk-a-thon, a stair climb, or a 5K—often incorporate a virtual fundraising component into their event even when they’re hosting it in-person. The formula is simple: you charge registration through an online donation form and then the athlete completes the distance on their own.

If you’re going fully virtual, it’s crucial that you create engagement opportunities throughout the campaign. Have riders or racers start peer-to-peer fundraising pages to solicit their networks for support, ask them to share photos on social media with a hashtag, and send them branded gear that promotes your nonprofit while they race.

Community Engagement Virtual Fundraising Ideas

10. Virtual Crowdfunding Pet Events

This virtual fundraising idea capitalizes on people’s love of showing off their furry friends. An event like this can be a great way to get people involved with your organization, especially in a virtual environment. Often, all that’s needed is for them to snap a picture of their pet and post it to social media with a specific event hashtag. You could run a crowdfunding campaign that coincides with the awareness to give people a place to take action.

For example, if you’re hosting a virtual pet parade, they can dress their animals up in costumes and post photos. The virtual component also expands the potential audience since people with birds, turtles, rabbits, and lizards might not normally be able to attend an in-person event with their pets—pets they might not be comfortable taking outdoors. Everyone can participate.

The Boulder Humane Society pivoted their annual Doggie Dash event into a fully virtual fundraising event. They drove engagement across their social media channels powered by user-generated content, and raised 101% of their fundraising goal.

11. Community Talks

Virtual community talks offer an opportunity for your nonprofit to offer supporters something of value, as well as solicit donations for your mission at the same time. Tap your board members, executive leadership, or prominent members of your community and have them speak about topics related to your mission. You can also bring in outside speakers to discuss relevant or timely topics.

For example, if your nonprofit is involved in the fight for social justice, you can have a respected diversity coach lead an open discussion for your supporters. Whatever topic you choose, you can engage your audience with Q&A sessions, educational hand-outs, and interactive conversations throughout.

12. Book Clubs

Virtual book clubs are a great way to get your supporters to donate. Charge a small fee for supporter to get admitted. You can make this a club that recurringly meets and give the attendees an opportunity to donate each time. Book clubs allow for discussion and adds a personal touch to getting connected with supporters.

13. Behind-the-Scenes Tours

What goes on at your organization that the average, everyday supporter never gets to witness? Host a virtual fundraising event that takes your supporters on a behind-the-scenes virtual tour of your operations. There are countless options for what you can show your supporters, regardless of your cause category. The key is to provide them with a value equal to the amount they donate to participate.

This tactic worked well for the Joffrey Ballet in their campaign, “Pulling Back the Curtain: The Nutcracker.” They invited people to get a first glimpse of the play with footage, interviews with artists, the art team, and secret delights along the tour. What’s more, they created their page so that people were sponsoring the virtual event versus just making a donation. This language makes it feel tangible for supporters and gives them a sense of ownership over the actual event when it takes place.

14. Virtual Tailgate

Tailgating for a major sports event is one of the most fun parts of watching the game. You can make your tailgate avirtual celebration. Have your supporters purchase a tailgate package, which can be picked up and taken back home before the big game.

The Palmer Home for Children decided to host a virtual tailgate like this for the Mississippi State football team, and supporters a cooler filled with tailgate foods and treats. They creatively sold sponsorship packages as well, and anyone who purchased a sponsorship had their organization included inside the tailgate cooler on special promotions. Anyone who was unable to grab a tailgate cooler could make a one-time donation and celebrate with a virtual cocktail.

Arts and Entertainment Virtual Fundraising Ideas

15. Game/ Trivia Night

Nothing beats an engaging game night to spark donations to your fundraiser. There are endless virtual game night opportunities with trivia being a stand-out when it comes to captivating the attention of the attendees. You can even tailor the trivia questions to your company or charity to get attendees to learn more about the cause.

16. Virtual Movie Night

Movie nights are an easy way to solicit donations. Simply charge a fee to enter the virtual screening of a popular movie. At the end or beginning of the movie, you can further explain your cause and communicate your mission to your supporters.

17. Script Readings

Hosting a virtual movie night is a good idea, but it can be difficult to convince someone to donate and watch a movie at their house when they could simply watch it on their own. One way to level up this virtual fundraising idea is to invite actors to join your organization on a livestream and read the script to a famous movie together.

To be clear, you don’t need to be an arts organization to do this, any nonprofit can. The key is to get the right people to participate in the script reading. If you don’t have connections to influential actors, you can tap into the local businesses, performance arts centers, schools, or even your direct audience of supporters to participate.

18. Tour an Art Gallery

In the world of virtual fundraising ideas and events, no geographic territory is off-limits. Your organization might be located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your supporters a tour of MOMA in New York City. It boils down to securing partnerships with the right people and orchestrating a virtual fundraising event.

You might not be able to secure access to major venues, but there are thousands of smaller artists around the United States who would likely be willing to showcase their galleries to your supporters. You can build this as a ticketed event and maybe even throw in an online fundraising auction for the artist’s various creations.

19. Virtual Concerts

You might not be able to go to an in-person venue to watch your favorite band play, but that doesn’t mean concerts are off the table. Reach out to bands and invite them to perform for your audience in a closed venue. Sell tickets for the virtual fundraising event idea, solicit donations during the virtual concert, and livestream all the excitement to everyone who bought a ticket.

20. Virtual Pageant

Similar to a concert, you can host a pageant and livestream it for your attendees who bought tickets. Unlike a concert, you can use this opportunity to shine a light on your beneficiaries.

Arc Broward hosted the Virtual Miss Arc Broward Pageant, which empowers their beneficiaries who actually participate in the pageant. They sold tickets to save a virtual seat for the livestreamed event and added upgrade options to enhance the viewing experience with a hot chocolate bomb, a make-your-own pizza experience, or charcuterie board for two. Each enhancement was designed to be a curbside pickup that you take home and enjoy while watching.

21. Comedy Events

Comedians can find opportunities to perform for wider audiences online. Your nonprofit can secure comedy talent from local improv venues all the way up to nationally recognized names, and everything in between. This virtual talent show fundraising event can be more than just a ticket purchase. It can be part of a larger giving day.

The Scleroderma Research Foundation hosts an annual comedy event called Cool Comedy, Hot Cuisine. When they pivoted to a fully virtual event, they moved all of their performers into the virtual space to deliver their performances as well. However, they enhanced the experience by folding in an online auction and gourmet food and wine boxes for purchase.

22. Virtual Fashion Show

A fashion show can be a great virtual fundraising idea for schools, clubs, or communities looking to raise money. You can get creative and partner with local boutiques or stores that would love to have their clothing promoted for a good cause. You could livestream the event or pre-record the fashion show and sell tickets to view it when it’s finalized. You could even lean into a peer-to-peer fundraising model by having each participant or model raise money from their friends, families, and social networks.

African Community Education (ACE) transformed their annual gala into a flexible hybrid event that welcomed virtual guests. During the 2021 giving season, ACE has students walk in a fashion show that was streamed to a virtual audience to immerse them in the experience. The result was a 3X increase in revenue from their 2019 in-person gala.

Which Creative Virtual Fundraising Idea Will You Use?

One benefit to hosting virtual fundraising events is that you can get wildly creative with the ideas and concepts. You don’t only have to stick to ideas that seem to fit exactly in your cause category either; almost any event can be adapted to fit your mission, work, and impact.

Use this list of virtual fundraising ideas to inspire your next great virtual fundraising event, and feel free to tweak them to fit your specific goals. Don’t forget to download our virtual fundraising events toolkit to ensure you nail your next event.

As you build out your nonprofit’s annual strategy, use these virtual fundraising ideas to create engaging experiences for your donors, grow your audience of supporters, and raise more money. Don’t forget to download our Virtual Events Toolkit to help.

If you’re looking to run an exceptionally successful year-end fundraising campaign, email marketing is a wonderful tool to engage new and existing audiences. We’re here to help you ensure your communications stand out to your audience to produce results with free, customizable email templates that you can use as a starting point. 

1. Giving Tuesday Fundraising Appeal

Giving Tuesday, or the Tuesday immediately following Thanksgiving each year, is widely considered the start of end-of-the-year giving for nonprofits. Sending a Giving Tuesday email is a great opportunity to jump into the year-end season with a splash.

2. Giving Tuesday Thank You Message

Giving Tuesday is a short-term fundraising campaign⁠. What happens after the day is over also matters. It’s always important to follow up with thank-you messages to donors who support your cause. After Giving Tuesday, you can use the opportunity to leverage existing giving momentum and begin the transition to your different end-of-year fundraising efforts.

3. Beginning of December Fundraising Appeal

For nonprofit fundraisers, the month of December is essential. Fundraising studies show that more than 30% of total annual giving happens in the final month of the calendar year. As December rolls around, it’s time to increase your fundraising efforts and adjust your strategy. Don’t forget to ingrain a sense of urgency to drive giving!

4. Year-End Giving (and Matching Gifts) Fundraising Emails

This general year-end email template can be used at any time in the final weeks and months of the year. Use it to communicate your organization’s mission, why it matters, and what your supporters can do to play a role. You’ll want to highlight matching gift opportunities, too. 

Research shows that 84% of donors are more likely to donate if a match is offered, and one in three donors indicated they’d give a larger gift if a match is applied. This results in a 51% increase in average gift size and a 71% increase in response rate⁠—great for standing out in the year-end giving season.

5. (It’s Not Too Late) Last Few Days of the Year Fundraising Appeal

You already know that December is a critical time for nonprofit fundraising. However, as the month (and year) wraps up donors tend to get increasingly generous with 30% of annual donation volume on Classy taking place between Giving Tuesday and December 31. Nearly one-third of all donations occur in the last month, and 10% of all annual donations come in the last three days of the year. Thus, it’s time to ramp up your fundraising efforts once again.

6. Previous Donation Matching Gift Appeal

It’s always great to receive new donations in the year-end giving season, especially while generosity is high. What you don’t want to overlook, however, is the potential for existing donations to be matched, allowing the initial contribution to take on new life and do more for your cause. Tons of companies align their matching gift deadlines with the end of the calendar year, which means donations made as early as January can still qualify for corporate matching. Your donors might just need a little end-of-year reminder!

For this, you’ll want to get familiar with top matching gift companies and their match request deadlines. In doing so, you’ll be able to provide donors with guidelines specific to their employers’ programming and drive those still eligible to participate.

Build Off of the Momentum From Year-End Email Campaigns

Take these email fundraising templates, customize the content to make them your own (personalize using donor data), and watch the giving success ensue for your organization. Then, leverage your year-end fundraising momentum straight into the new year.

As you build supporter relationships during the giving season, make sure that your communications don’t fade out once the ball drops.

You can continue to leverage donor messaging strategies to ensure your supporters still feel connected and committed to your organization after the holiday season passes. Use the leading communication tips to engage donors after the giving season and ensure you have their support year-round. With these top strategies, you’ll foster an engaged donor base no matter the season. 

We’ll dive into several ways that a digital platform, like Classy Live, can power your in-person fall event, so you can provide a remarkable attendee experience that keeps donors excited throughout the holiday season.

How Classy Live Brings Fundraising Events to Life

Classy Live enables you to host a virtual, live, or hybrid fundraising event that stands out from the crowd, no matter where your donors are. With a slew of dynamic features that encourage fundraising activity, this robust virtual event venue empowers you to drive meaningful attendee engagement and more revenue for your mission.

While Classy Live has all the thoughtful features to host an exceptional virtual or hybrid event, it can really transform your in-person event into a phenomenal attendee experience. By streamlining your event registration, management, and day-of logistics, your staff and attendees can zero in on event festivities while raising money for your cause.

Take advantage of the following features to make your fall fundraising event one to remember.

8 Tips to Upgrade Your In-Person Fall Fundraising Event

Tip #1: Simplify Your Check-In Process

The simpler your check-in process, the better impression you make on supporters attending your fall event. With Classy Live, you can quickly check attendees in at the door (or outside for those turkey trots) via their name, email, or QR code you send them ahead of time. Our check-in modal also allows you to quickly see the attendee’s table number, check if they have a payment method on file, and text them a link to your auction page.

Tip #2: Streamline Table and Seating Management

As the weather gets colder, indoor events like galas or dinners can be a great way to pull supporters out for a night of dining and fundraising. Your thoughtful table and seating arrangement then become an important part of their event experience.

Classy Live enables you to easily create table and seating assignments ahead of your fall fundraising event. Using a visual display, you can quickly:

• Drag and drop attendees to tables
• Assign or reorder table numbers
• Highlight sponsors or table captains
• Export your final attendee list before the event
• Use automated seating to fill the floor plan
• Shift guests around as needed

Tip #3: Showcase a Digital Display of Fundraising Progress

A display of your fundraising progress at your fall event is a great touch that can motivate your attendees to give, especially during moments you speak about your work, express gratitude, and share what you want to achieve. If you’re hosting a Giving Tuesday or holiday fundraising event, throw this up on a screen behind you as you talk about how the proceeds will impact the people you serve now and into the new year.

Then, you can highlight your overall progress to your goal as a thermometer view or a total fundraising view. You could also hone in on specific fundraising drivers, like text-to-donate, or a specific auction item. In doing so, you show your attendees how much they’ve helped you raise before and throughout the event, coupled with compelling storytelling around the impact of these funds, and encourage more giving throughout the event.

Tip #4: Promote Your Auction Ahead of the Event

Create a beautifully branded, mobile-responsive auction page that empowers your attendees to:

• Bid on silent auction items through their mobile device
• Participate in a digital paddle raise
• Buy fixed-priced items
• See what you plan to auction off live

By sending this page out ahead of the event, you can get your attendees excited to attend.

It’s also a good idea to open your auction a week or two ahead of your event day and encourage attendees to start bidding or watching items. This is a great way to get them to add their credit cards on file ahead of the event, creating a smoother checkout experience.

Tip #5: Manage a Paddle Raise or Direct Appeal With Ease

If you’re directing donations to a fund-a-need initiative at your fall gala or hosting an on-site paddle raise at your harvest house party, don’t break a sweat. Admins can use the “quick add mode” to rapidly record paddle numbers tied to specific commitment amounts. This adds that commitment amount into the respective attendee’s cart, so they can easily pay for that item. Your digital fundraising display will also capture the commitment if you use one to display your progress at your in-person event.

There’s also the option to leave it open-ended, especially if you’re promoting a specific initiative. So instead of asking, “Who can bid $100?” you can ask, “How much would you want to give?” Once an attendee names an amount, you can punch in that custom number, find the bidder, and assign that total to them.

While the in-person paddle raises are very popular to drive direct donations, you can also have a digital paddle-raise item on your auction page where your virtual attendees can add their commitments. Equally great, a hybrid approach can capture commitments from your in-person and digital attendees, maximizing your fundraising opportunity.

Tip #6: Use Text-to-Donate Throughout the Event

No matter the nature of your fall fundraising event, choose several moments throughout your event agenda to call for donations and give attendees the opportunity to text-to-donate. Through Classy Live, you can create a keyword specific to your event and promote it through event materials. Then, while at the event, attendees can text your keyword to the phone number provided and receive a URL to your donation form to quickly make a gift.

Tip #7: Incorporate More Fundraising Opportunities

Raise more for your mission when you make your fall event a Registration with Fundraising campaign. In fact, The State of Modern Philanthropy 2022 report found that events with peer-to-peer fundraising converted* at 47 percent, the highest rate of all campaign types.

*Conversion refers to registrations and donations. 

Consider how you can leverage an event with peer-to-peer fundraising to engage attendees and sponsors. African Community Education (ACE), a Classy customer, did it by partnering with corporations and schools to raise money for its cause and using registration with fundraising to have the schools fundraise on its behalf leading up to the event. Think about how you can engage corporate partners or sponsors to raise money for your organization ahead of your fall event.

Tip #8: Consider Going Hybrid

As nonprofits go back to in-person events, it’s important not to forget about your virtual audiences and extend your geographical reach. With Classy Live, you can always make your fall fundraising event a hybrid one.

Check out some of the ways that you can engage virtual audiences with your in-person event:

• Livestream parts of your in-person event, such as the opening message at your fall gala or final leg of your Thanksgiving 5K, so virtual attendees can share the experience and celebrate alongside you.
• Promote chat and networking functionalities that enable in-person attendees to communicate with virtual attendees. Think virtual friends and family cheering on others during your fall race, participating alongside in-person attendees in your pumpkin carving contest, or teaming up with in-person attendees at your fall trivia night.
• Host virtual breakout rooms during your harvest dinner to encourage more intimate conversations. You can even structure these as virtual tables for your virtual attendees while allowing them to engage with in-person attendees.

Encourage virtual attendees to bid on silent auction items, purchase fixed-price items, and participate in virtual fund-a-need initiatives.

Elevate Your Live Fall Fundraising Event With Classy Live

Kick off the holiday season on the right foot when you make your fall fundraising event one to remember. With these Classy Live features, you can streamline your event logistics, manage your event with ease, and delight your attendees with a memorable experience—all while driving more fundraising revenue for your mission.

To learn more about how Classy Live can enhance your fundraising events, chat with an expert today.

While many nonprofits see Giving Tuesday as a significant donor engagement opportunity, the power of corporate sponsorships is often overlooked. Research shows that corporate philanthropy programs leave significant amounts of money on the table, with $4-7 billion going unclaimed every year from matching gift programs alone.

In this post, we’ll share some essential tips and tricks to incorporate as the global giving day approaches.

1. Focus on the right corporate partners for your organization
2. Build a solid case for sponsorship with impactful value-adds
3. Communicate your nonprofit’s plan for Giving Tuesday
4. Develop strategic co-marketing efforts with corporate partners

On Giving Tuesday⁠—and any day⁠—planning your fundraising strategy is not a matter of individual versus corporate support. When done right, corporate partnerships can increase individual contributions. At the same time, leveraging individual support can pave the way for new and improved corporate partnerships. Read on to learn exactly how.

1. Focus on the Right Corporate Partners for Your Organization

When you establish corporate partnerships for Giving Tuesday (that last year-round), it’s essential to get started with the right partners. Any company might provide a donation to your organization. Optimal corporate partners will align with your existing campaign efforts to maximize the positive impact on your mission. As you explore potential corporate relationships, take a look at these best practices.

Best Practices to Find a Corporate Partner

• Prioritize local businesses: If your organization receives a lot of support from local donors, partnering with local businesses in the area is a great choice. These companies will be increasingly invested in giving back to the community where you both work, and you might see significant overlap between your two audiences.
• Reach out to companies known for being philanthropic: Many companies deeply engrain charity into their business plans. To locate examples, browse already-curated lists of companies that donate to nonprofits. Consider businesses that have previously supported charitable causes—especially if the causes are similar to yours. These lists can be fantastic to begin your outreach efforts.
• Look for companies with similar values and missions to your own: Like nonprofits, businesses have particular values that their efforts support. As you seek corporate partners, look for corporations whose values match your nonprofit and its work. For example, if you run an animal rescue, consider businesses that also prioritize animal welfare⁠, such as pet supply retailers, veterinarians, doggy daycares, and more.
• Identify businesses with which you have existing connections: If you don’t have to start from scratch with your potential business relationships, don’t. First, look at companies with which you may already have a connection. For example, consider your donors’ employers! Perhaps these companies already contributed to your organization through matching gift programs. Even if they haven’t contributed, it’s still a great place to begin. You already have a lot in common; see where you can go from there.

You’re likely to see more significant results from your efforts when you target specific types of businesses in your corporate partner outreach. Not only that, but the better your corporate partners fit into your overall strategy, the more likely they are to continue supporting your organization down the road.

2. Build a Solid Case for Sponsorship With Impactful Value-adds

A corporate partner will want to get the biggest bang for their buck while working with your nonprofit. Supporting nonprofit causes as a corporate partner is typically associated with many built-in benefits⁠, ranging from employee engagement and retention to improved reputation and sales. However, you’ll also want to make a case for the tangible business value that a partnership with your organization through this campaign can bring the company.

This case will likely incorporate multiple promotional efforts to drive value for both your organization and your sponsor. This could include:

• Online and in-person promotional space, including all flyers, posters, social media posts, website content, and more
• Access to your organization’s audience (consider offering audience demographic data to best appeal to the potential sponsor)
• Opportunities to supply branded swag, freebies, and other hand-outs, providing recipients with functional take-home promotional materials

Attract corporate sponsors to your organization and its upcoming fundraising campaign by focusing on what you can offer the business rather than the other way around. When the expected return on investment is high, a company will be happy to participate by growing its corporate relationship on Giving Tuesday and beyond.

3. Communicate Your Nonprofit’s Plan for Giving Tuesday

Many nonprofits a business could choose to support, and many of them are probably planning a Giving Tuesday campaign. Why should a prospective partner opt to sponsor your organization over another?

Start with having a well-thought-out fundraising plan, then communicate your plan to the company with which you’d like to work. When a company agrees to sponsor your campaign efforts, they become invested in your success, so it helps to woo them with a carefully crafted strategy that will stand out from the rest.

Perhaps you’ll share specific beneficiaries’ stories to highlight your organization’s past successes. Or you might leverage peer-to-peer giving to increase your campaign reach exponentially. Maybe you’ll even incorporate a virtual event. Regardless of your specific game plan, it’s important to share the highlights with your corporate partners.

4. Develop Strategic Co-marketing Efforts With Corporate Partners

Finally, effective marketing is one of the most significant advantages of corporate partnerships for both the nonprofit and the company. By marketing a co-sponsored fundraising campaign, each party can be introduced to the other’s audience. When all goes well, they can each make the most of opportunities to interact with potential new donors and consumers.

Consider these best practices as you establish a co-marketing strategy:

• Work together to set goals: Any effective marketing plan requires specific objectives to be set beforehand. Otherwise, you won’t know if your efforts were ultimately successful. It’s vital that the companies you partner with are aware of your goals and that you are aware of theirs to ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Begin promoting your Giving Tuesday campaign early: You’ll want enough time to reach your audience, preferably with multiple touch points prior to the giving day. Consider online newsletters, direct mailings, blog posts, and more.
• Make the most of social media: Ensure campaign content is posted to your organization’s social media profiles as well as your sponsors’ channels. Use hashtags to spread the word. Encourage your audience to interact with and share your postings.
• Create a co-branded campaign landing page: This will be the hub of information where users will go to learn more about your Giving Tuesday fundraising. In an effective co-marketing fashion, you’ll want the page to incorporate elements of both your branding and that of your corporate partners.

When nonprofit and corporate entities work together to promote your sponsored campaign, you’ll each end up with powerful results. The more the initiative is promoted to the respective audiences, the better the fundraising outcome. At the same time, more individuals will be exposed to your corporate partners’ messaging, allowing their team to reap the benefits as well.

Find Your Giving Tuesday Corporate Partner

If corporate partnerships are not already a key component of your organization’s strategy, this Giving Tuesday can be a great time to start.

Businesses participating can increase their reach, improve brand imaging, and even better engage with employees who want to be proud of their companies’ societal contributions. Meanwhile, nonprofits receive additional streams of funding and unique opportunities to connect with new supporters.

And with any luck and a solid sponsorship plan, the corporate relationship doesn’t have to end when the clock strikes midnight on Wednesday, either!

Ready to learn more about launching a Giving Tuesday campaign? Check out this blog post.

Giving Tuesday 2022 was the single biggest day for donor acquisition of the year across all cause areas. Further, Classy processed $44,168,979 in donations on Giving Tuesday last year, setting an all-time record. 

These statistics are especially relevant given the recent economic uncertainty and the impact many thought it would have on donors’ willingness to give. As we look toward Giving Tuesday, many are filled with excitement for yet another impactful day of giving. 

The Cause & Purpose podcast hosted an exclusive interview with Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday, who showed us that we do, in fact, have a lot to be excited about. What’s more, he shared some deep insights, data points, tips, tactics, and strategies to help your nonprofit organization. 

Below, we dissect some of his key learnings. While they’re all immediately relevant for Giving Tuesday, they’re also applicable for any other day of the year. 

1. Let Supporters Be Part of the Solution     

When Giving Tuesday was created, it wasn’t branded with the originating organization. This was highly unusual, but it allowed anyone to make Giving Tuesday their own. That, in turn, led to an environment built on co-creation, peer learning, and community from day one. 

This stands true for GivingTuesday the organization, but equally so for your nonprofit. Look no further than the creative branding organizations have put on the standard Giving Tuesday logo or the inspiring fundraising campaigns they’ve created.

Now, you may not be able to let your nonprofit logo go free to the public. (And that’s not the real learning here.) The lesson is that we do better work when we work together and when we give supporters an opportunity to be part of the solution. 

For example, you can compile key learnings from your successful Giving Tuesday communications plans and distribute them to other grassroots organizations that need help with emails, social media, or direct mail. Those organizations can, in turn, share information back to you about driving grassroots participation. 

Cultivate a mindset of co-creation, peer learning, and collaboration instead of competition. The intersection of those concepts is where you’ll be able to make the biggest impact possible. 

 2. Build a Holistic View of Your Supporters

One of the most valuable things your nonprofit organization can do is work to build a holistic profile of your supporters. And the way you do that is by asking the right questions. 

Woodrow spent the beginning of his career in commercial marketing and shares an anecdote about a major diaper brand that underscores how important this is. The diaper brand asked their customers what the most important factor in choosing a diaper was.

Across the board, consumers said that absorbency was the most important factor. However, when the brand messaged that they had the most absorbent diaper, they lost market share. What they were missing here was that by and large, people already trusted the top diaper brands to be absorbent. 

The brand wasn’t messaging its audience on a factor that differentiated them from the market in any capacity. Further, they received no new information in this process about their customers, aside from what they likely already knew. 

Take, for example, the question of trust. Organizations often ask supporters, “How important is it to trust the nonprofit you give to?” People almost always say it’s 100 percent important, but we already know that. That doesn’t drive their donation intent. 

If you want to inspire someone to take action, you have to discover what compels your followers. You have to assemble a holistic view of who they are as individuals in order to connect with them in an emotionally impactful way. That’s what drives intent.

Consider sending surveys where you ask questions that can help you personalize future outreach, provide frictionless opportunities to take action, and align with a supporter’s values. Use every touch point to learn something new about your followers that helps you better connect with them. 

3. Capitalize on the Energy Behind Giving Tuesday     

How would you feel if you received an email that said: “Give to our organization because it’s Giving Tuesday.”? You wouldn’t feel very excited because this isn’t a compelling ask. Yet, Woodrow still sees organizations use this approach for Giving Tuesday.

The issue here is twofold. First, this approach is better than doing nothing, and some people may respond to this message by giving a gift. But “better than nothing” isn’t the bar we should strive for. Second, Giving Tuesday, by itself, isn’t a reason to give. 

A major factor that compels someone to give is urgency. Giving Tuesday provides that urgency since people who want to be in on the action have to give on that day.  

To capitalize on this energy, enthusiasm, and urgency, your organization has to tell a compelling and emotionally driven story of impact that taps into the heightened environment for giving. For example, show supporters specifically what impact their donation has, how a monthly giving program helps with your future plans, or what volunteers can do to advance your mission. 

This crucial sense of urgency is always going to be inherent in Giving Tuesday. But even when it’s not Giving Tuesday, you can find ways to create moments of amplified giving throughout the year by tying engagement touch points to an annual fundraiser gala, timed campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, or creative virtual fundraising events.

4. Break the Scarcity Mindset     

In its early days, there was an assumption that Giving Tuesday couldn’t possibly be additive. The skeptics felt that giving was flat, you couldn’t increase it, and all you could do was move the existing pool of money around. This scarcity mindset may no longer be associated with Giving Tuesday, but it’s still alive within the social sector. 

Any commercial marketer would recognize this notion as patently false as well. They would never say, “I don’t want customers to buy today because then they won’t buy tomorrow.”

In Classy’s State of Modern Philanthropy report, we found that supporters who engage with different campaign types, but also those who give to various nonprofits and donate to each other’s fundraising initiatives, ultimately give more over their lifetime than those who engage with just one cause.

Their support may even generate excitement among their peers—individuals who may have never known about your organization to begin with. When you realize this and break the scarcity mindset, you can eliminate fear around being active and trying new things that could ultimately inspire a new level of generosity. 

For example, some organizations will exclude donors from their email lists because they don’t want to pester them with asks. In this example, you’re leaving out your best customers. Instead of exclusion, focus on segmentation and what matters to your different segments.

Communicate with your segments in a relevant, inspiring way at the cadence your donors request. The key to improving your donor management initiatives is in how you engage with supporters and the quality of the Giving Tuesday messaging you send. 

5. Test Something New     

One of the best things your organization can do to collaborate, build a holistic view of your supporters, perfect engagement touch points, or maximize your donors’ giving potential is to simply try something new.

The digital landscape has never been more accessible than it is right now, and it provides a gateway for you to learn a lot very quickly. Plus, you won’t have to invest much capital, relatively speaking, when deploying a variety of new Giving Tuesday campaign ideas.

For example, if you’re a fundraiser, look back at the donors you acquired last year and how you acquired them. What channel did they come through, what message did they respond to, and what did they care about? 

Take those insights from your fundraising campaign and pair them with your goals for this year. Maybe you want to talk with them about the effect they had and the specific impact they made on your mission. 

Instead of rolling out a massive direct mail campaign on a message you think will work, start with a Facebook ad that costs $1,000. You’ll be able to “test” your Giving Tuesday messaging in a variety of ways so you know for certain what copy resonates and converts. 

It’s a small price to pay for the massive amount of data you’ll get. Once you’ve collected those insights, you can apply them to the more permanent and expensive campaigns, like direct mail. And you’ll be confident they work. 

Giving Tuesday Is a Golden Opportunity

Giving Tuesday presents a golden opportunity for your organization. If it feels overwhelming, stick to these quick-fire tips from Woodrow that will help you get in on the action and claim your piece of the pie:

• Don’t miss it
• Do what’s in your capacity
• Celebrate and have fun
• Engage your supporters because they’re going to be primed to give
• Don’t be afraid of creativity
• Try something new
• Collaborate with supporters
• Be active
• No campaign is too small

As deep as this blog goes, it’s only a small portion of Cause & Purpose’s interview with Woodrow Rosenbaum. Make sure you listen to the full episode for more on:

• Important changes in donor retention
• Giving Tuesday statistics and insights
• COVID and the opportunity it presents
• Donor mobility and recapture strategies
• What the future of fundraising could look like

And, for everything else, be sure to access Classy’s free Giving Tuesday Resource Center for all the tools you need to crush your goals this year. 

Studies show that $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funding goes unclaimed each year. This significant gap can largely be attributed to a lack of awareness of employer match opportunities among donors and donors’ eligibility status among nonprofits.

Having the right donor data can help nonprofits avoid this collective lack of awareness by identifying and pursuing eligible matches. Here are eight examples of data points you can collect from donors to get you started:

1. Contact information
2. Engagement history
3. Employing company
4. Type of employment
5. Job title
6. Matching gift eligibility
7. Wealth level
8. Hobbies and interests

You likely won’t have the time or resources to collect all of this information for every donor, but it should be a goal to gather as much data as possible for optimal fundraising practices.

Not only will the right donor insights enable you to maximize matching gift strategies, but it will also position your nonprofit to engage with your supporters in the right ways at the right times.

Contact Information

Needless to say, you need donors’ contact information to get in touch with them and to thank them for their support. Not to mention, you’d be unable to inform them about matching gift opportunities or follow up with future appeals.

For this reason, organizations typically require donors to complete particular contact fields during the online giving process. These fields often include their names and email addresses. Many request telephone numbers as well, along with mailing addresses.

It’s important to note that requiring too much information can slow the donor down and lead to donation form abandonment⁠. Avoid this by identifying which pieces of donor information are most valuable to your outreach strategy.

Engagement History

Sending tailored communications to your donors based on their involvement with your cause helps build a deeper sense of trust and connection.

When you have a record of an individual’s engagement history with your organization, you can strategically target your messaging to produce highly specific and personalized content. Here are a few prompts to consider when conducting donor outreach:

• Are they first-time or returning donors?
• Have they attended a recent fundraising event?
• Have they donated time as a volunteer with your cause?
• Have they submitted a match request on behalf of your cause?

Knowing who has given to your organization in the past and how much each individual donated can play a significant role in determining if those gifts are eligible for corporate matches.It’s also important to keep tabs on donors who have provided corporate matches in the past to re-engage for future campaigns.

Luckily, this piece of donor data should be fairly easy to locate within your organization’s constituent relationship management system (CRM). As supporters travel through the various phases of their donor journeys, this technology enables you to maintain clean, accurate donor records to draw data from in the future.

Employing Company

Do you know which companies your donors work for? What industries they’re involved with? Are they employed by small local businesses or enterprise-level corporations?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help your team identify potential corporate sponsorships, matching gift opportunities, and cause marketing partnerships.

If you don’t have your donors’ employer information on record, there are several avenues you can take to locate the data. For example, employer-appending services utilize the information you do have about your donors (like name and contact information) to help fill in the gaps. Additionally, processes such as automated or manual prospect research, email domain screening, and matching gift search widgets can provide valuable insights as well.

Type of Employment

Let’s say you determined through data collection that a major donor is employed part-time by Company A. You know from past experience that Company A has a particularly generous employee matching gift program. After digging, you discover that they’ll only match donations made by current full-time employees (rather than part-time team members, retirees, or spouses). Since this individual is not a full-time worker, their donation won’t be eligible for a corporate match.

That example shows why employment type is an essential piece of donor data to collect, rather than settling for just the name of their employer.

In terms of workplace giving, there are four categories of individuals who may be eligible to request a match from a company. These include:

• Current full-time employees
• Current part-time employees
• Retired full-time employees
• Employees’ spouses

Current full-time team members are typically match-eligible by any company with a matching gift program. The eligibility of part-time staff, retirees, and spouses, on the other hand, depends on the specific company running the giving program.

Job Title

Once you’ve narrowed your donor’s employment down to the company they work for and their type of employment, collecting their job title is another piece of information that can help inform your outreach.

While a donor’s job title won’t typically impact their eligibility status for a workplace giving program, it can provide insights into their role and level of seniority and help establish potential wealth markers.

For example, the CEO of Company A will typically have more connection opportunities and a greater capacity to give than an entry-level junior marketing assistant. Still, both individuals might have the potential to be excellent donors⁠. It’s just another piece of information that can help guide your team as you develop communication and engagement strategies.

Matching Gift Eligibility

Once you know the companies your donors work for, it’s significantly easier to determine which supporters (and their gifts) might be eligible for a corporate match.

Do your donors work for any of these top matching gift companies?

• General Electric (1:1 match between $25 and $5,000)
• Disney (1:1 match between $25 and $5,000)
• Coca-Cola (2:1 match between $25 and $20,000)
• Soros Fund Management (Up to 2:1 match between $25 and $100,000)
• Johnson & Johnson  (Up to 2:1 match between $25 and $20,000)

In addition to this list, there are a ton of other businesses, small and large, that offer generous and impactful employee matching programs.

To identify these additional companies, we suggest using a matching gift database. This comprehensive database tool equips donors and fundraisers alike with insights on thousands of companies’ matching gift programs.

Beyond the individual’s type of employment⁠—which is likely a key factor in their eligibility⁠—a robust database can also provide details on qualifying nonprofit causes and minimum and maximum donation amounts to further vet whether a specific gift is going to be matchable.

Income Level

Picture this: Donor A visits your campaign page with the intent to make a $50 donation. When they arrive, they see suggested gift amounts of $250, $500, and $1,000. Donor A immediately decides that their initial $50 gift is inconsequential compared to the recommended amounts and opts to forego giving altogether.

On the other hand, imagine that Donor B has the potential to contribute $25,000 to your cause. When they see $1,000 as the highest suggested donation amount, they reconsider their major gift and simply check the pre-filled box for $1,000 instead, though their capacity to give was so much greater.

This demonstrates the importance of understanding your donors’ wealth levels as you begin crafting your donation appeals. If you run into a situation where a donor wants to contribute more but doesn’t have the financial means, take advantage of the opportunity to explain matching gifts and work together to identify if their company offers a matching gift program. Suddenly, the donor can make an even bigger contribution to your cause.

Hobbies and Interests

Your donors’ hobbies and interests are additional pieces of data that can help you build a more well-rounded understanding of each individual. It can also help you connect them to certain opportunities within your organization that they’d enjoy.

If you run a local animal shelter and know that a particular donor is a cat-lover, you can include photos of your shelter’s cutest cats in all email appeals, postcards, and thank-you notes. You could specifically target that donor with any donation requests that directly support the cats at your shelter, or even invite them to spend an afternoon playing with the cats. When they get more involved behind the scenes, you can establish a deeper sense of connection.

While knowing seemingly trivial details about your donors can seem insignificant, it can make a big difference when looking to establish personal and long-term relationships with supporters. Plus, you can ensure your fundraising communications stand out from the crowd.

Next Steps: Applying Donor Data for Nonprofits

When it comes to driving workplace giving and other fundraising revenue, having ample and accurate employment data is key. And, in order to keep track of all the information you collect, you’ll need a robust CRM and donation management solution.

Make sure to equip your nonprofit team with the right tools so that you can collect the right donor data and better engage with your audience. In the end, you’ll see deeper donor relationships beyond the surface level, and have additional opportunities for corporate matching gifts.

Collaborative, hosted by Classy, is a live conference designed exclusively for the nonprofit sector. This annual event encourages collaboration among the brightest thinkers and doers across the industry as a space for meaningful connections. 

We’d love to have you join us in our first year back in person. From June 15 to 16, 2022, Collaborative is taking on Philadelphia for two days of learning, relationship-building, and inspiration to grow your organization’s impact.

We’re Going to Philly!

This year, those who want to be fully immersed in Collaborative will have access to dozens of live sessions, hands-on workshops, and the unique experience of developing extensive partnerships with the sector’s top experts and practitioners. 

Whether you’re a fundraising and marketing professional, an executive, or a social entrepreneur, you’ll walk away with tangible tips to grow your organization and generate meaningful impact in an ever-evolving social space.

We know it takes time to decide on attending an in-person event, so we’ve elevated our top 10 reasons to attend Collaborative 2022 here for you.

10 Reasons to Attend the Collaborative

1. We’re Bringing You the Full Philadelphia Experience

After two years of an entirely virtual Collaborative experience, we couldn’t be more excited to safely come together in Philadelphia. Philly brings together the creativity and inspiration upon which we build Collaborative every year. We are ready to step out of the day-to-day, build meaningful connections, and gain a renewed sense of inspiration.

Here’s a taste of what Philly and Collaborative have to offer:

Hospitality: Book a room at the Element Philadelphia, located in Center City, within walking distance of the city’s best sightseeing spots, restaurants, and bars from the hotel. You’ll also receive our exclusive discount if you book through this link!

Welcome Party: Join us for cocktails, networking, and one of Philly’s most unique nightlife experiences at Rec & Royal where you can embrace the Cadillac DJ booth, private karaoke rooms, a seltzer vending machine, throwback arcade games, and a dedicated 90’s room.

History: Spend your free time exploring historic sights like the Liberty Bell or Philadelphia Museum of Art and soaking in the inspiration that generations before us left among the streets of Philadelphia.

Dining: Try new food experiences from one of many amazing merchants at Reading Terminal Market among many other niche restaurants in the city. Don’t forget to pick up a Philadelphia classic, the cheesesteak.

Send Off in Style: Wrap up the event at our closing party performance of Philly’s favorite brass band, Snacktime. Check out the energy they bring to any room with this sampling:

2. You’ll Get Face Time With the Social Sector’s Top Leaders

Classy is dedicated to providing the content you want to learn about. We listen to our attendees’ wants and concerns and present thoughtful commentary on the nonprofit industry’s most pressing topics. 

This knowledge and feedback help us curate a program full of industry experts who are eager to share their insights and ideas on the current and future landscape of the sector. The best part about joining us in person is that you can connect with these leaders between sessions in a more intimate and meaningful way.

Check out some of our in-person speakers:

Deesha Dyer,

Award-Winning Strategist & Community Organizer; Former White House Social Secretary

Woodrow Rosenbaum

Chief Data Officer at Giving Tuesday

Trovon C. Williams

Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications at NAACP

Dana Snyder

CEO & Founder of Positive Equation

3. You’ll Get Double the Content

When you join us live, you’ll not only be fully present to learn directly from esteemed presenters, but you’ll also gain so much more from the natural commentary that takes place throughout the venue.

Our goal is to ensure you leave sessions feeling empowered and equipped with strategies to tackle the complex landscape we’ve come to experience today. Plus, as an in-person attendee, you receive double the content with post-event access to exclusive, online-only content from the Collaborative: Virtual Sessions to continue your learning journey. 

Check out some of the sessions we’re offering in-person:

• Merging with the Metaverse
• Forget What You Knew About Bringing Major Gifts Online
• Go Viral: Seize Your Moment to Shine
• Unlocking Your Full Potential Through Unrestricted Fundraising

4. You Can Attend Hands-On Workshops to Boost Your Professional Development

You will have the opportunity to take part in workshops, brainstorm with like-minded peers, and participate in post-panel working sessions with speakers. Collaboration is in our name and we are thrilled to bring the industry experts to you. You’ll take part in interactive and hands-on sessions that equip you with tools you can implement immediately.

Here are just a few of the workshops you can take part in:

• Social Media Ad Strategies for Your Nonprofit
• Create a Standout Visual Campaign That Tells Your Story
• Collaborative In-Practice

5. Classy Customers Will  Experience the First Classy Academy User Conference

If you’re currently using the Classy giving platform, you’re invited to take part in a bonus day on Tuesday, June 14, for our first-ever Classy Academy User Conference.

Customers will take a deep dive into the Classy product with Classy Academy coaches, gain insights on fundraising best practices, and learn how to take advantage of all of Classy’s product features to exceed online fundraising goals.

Come with your top questions and goals, and you’ll walk away with an actionable plan to implement right away.

6. Build Meaningful Connections

The Collaborative was built on the belief that growth happens when we connect, support, and inspire each other. 

When you attend in person, you’ll be face-to-face with hundreds of nonprofit professionals, experts in the sector, and the Classy community once again. Plus, you’ll be invited to connect with fellow attendees and have a little fun at our Wednesday night Welcome Party and Closing Celebration on Thursday.

We’ve set the stage for idea exchanges and free-flowing conversations that will leave anyone feeling more inspired as they return home.

7. There’s a Discount for Bringing Your Team

In-person conferences are important settings for learning and professional development, so we want to make it possible for your whole team to attend. Teams of three or more will automatically receive $50 off tickets at checkout. 

All in-person ticket-holders will also have access to the virtual content following the event to share with team members who can’t travel to Philadelphia.

8. You Can Earn Continuing Education Points

The Collaborative is an approved Continuing Education Provider for the Certified Fund Raising Executive program. 

By participating in our in-person event, you’ll be eligible to earn points towards initial certification and/or recertification that shows your accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good.

9. You’ll Learn About Leading Services and Resources to Advance Your Mission

The Collaborative connects professionals to each other and to services that will benefit and increase their impact. You’ll learn more about resources you can leverage to help advance your mission and gain access to key partners who can help you troubleshoot your organization’s specific challenges. 

You will have the opportunity to ask questions in person about what resources may benefit your organization and what’s working well for others.

10. We Want to Meet (or Reunite!) With You

Our team at Classy is growing and there’s nothing like meeting face-to-face with you, the people who make an impact day in and out across the sector. 

We want to hear what you’re up to, the challenges you’re facing, and bond over personal connections we’re sure to make. We’ll be on the ground excited to chat over coffee, meals, and in the hallways between sessions.

So, Will You Be a Part of Collaborative 2022?

The future of the social sector is evolving quicker than ever. At the Collaborative, we come together to learn how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the sector and have timely conversations that empower us to accelerate our impact.

While joining the event in person is the full experience, we also offer those who choose to attend from home the option to access content and valuable online sessions as part of our virtual attendance option. 

However you join, Collaborative 2022 will be one you won’t want to miss. See you there!

Join the conversation leading up to the event by following #wearecollaborative on Instagram and Twitter.

When you think about fundraising events like the ice bucket challenge, 100-mile runs, or your CEO taking pies to the face at your office holiday party, do you wonder what motivates these individuals to go to such extreme lengths to show their support?

The Martyrdom Effect suggests that the prospect of pain and effort increases charitable giving. In today’s virtual and hybrid fundraising landscape, there are countless opportunities to apply and reinvent this concept in a way that excites both new and existing donors to strengthen their connection to your cause.

Tap into gamified fundraising technology to create more fun, inclusive experiences that bring out the competitive nature in your supporters. Below we’ll explore the concepts of activity tracking and fundraising gamification as they relate to your organization, and discover how Classy’s new integration with Kilter, the most inclusive activity-based engagement platform for good, can help reach wider audiences, boost engagement, and increase fundraising potential.

Re-Energize Your Community With Fundraising Diversification

Kilter platform data shows that campaigns with gamified fundraising opportunities raise 3X more than traditional online fundraising campaigns.

There are plenty of ways to gamify the online fundraising experience. Live stream fundraising on platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Live is a great way to connect with a younger audience. Classy Live is another option for intimate virtual or hybrid events. The platform’s robust venue simplifies the attendee and admin experience with activity tracking, virtual breakout rooms, mobile bidding, merchandise sales, and more. 

Fundraising diversification is critical to sustaining long-term relationships with new and existing supporters and retaining the support of committed sponsors. Gamification offers a simple way for organizations to refresh their campaigns and re-energize their nonprofit communities. 

4 Ways to Leverage Activity Tracking at Your Nonprofit

When you think of activity tracking, your mind likely goes straight to running, walking, or biking. That’s definitely part of the equation, but it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are four simple thought starters surrounding activity tracking to get your creative juices flowing. Determine which events make the most sense for your audience, and learn how to capitalize on each opportunity to fuel your mission. For more specific ideas, read 22 ideas for activity-based fundraising in 2022.

1. Marathon & Endurance Teams, Walk/Runs/Rides – This is really a no-brainer. If you have teams in marathons or triathlons, host your own walks/runs/rides, or have supporters doing their own races, you should always provide a way for this community to track their activity. Doing so will create the element of competition and give people a way to include their friends and family in their efforts. In addition, you will open up doors for more revenue through corporate sponsorships, gain the ability to send information directly to your supporters through push notifications, and ultimately acquire more donor data. 

Pro Tip

Consider participating in Kilter’s trademarked series of events called Miles For Meaning to access more opportunities to keep your endurance community engaged throughout the year.

2. All-Inclusive Activity-Tracking Events – Offering events where everyone can participate no matter their age, location, or how they like to “donate their hustle” is one of the best ways to engage and grow your community. Expand your view of activity tracking to include meditation, healthy meal prep, volunteering, reading, gardening, and so much more. Turn your supporters’ everyday health, wellness, or lifestyle activities into meaningful moments that drive impact.

3. Activity-Specific Events – Consider building an event with a community goal based on a particular activity your audience enjoys, like reading, playing pickleball, or packaging meals for your local food bank. Encourage your supporters to come together to collaborate, compete, and take fundraising potential to new heights. One example of this could be setting a community goal to log 250,000 reading minutes from June to August. As participants track their progress, the total reading minutes will display on an interactive leaderboard. For every 10 minutes logged, event sponsors are pledging $1 up to $100,000.

4. Corporate & Employee Engagement Events – You might be hearing from your corporate partners that they want more opportunities to engage their employees in their efforts to support you. This partnership is not only good for their bottom line, but also gives you the chance to collect more donor data and offer additional opportunities for people to give. Give them what they want by providing gamified online experiences that are inclusive for all employees and increase corporate giving potential. For example, one partner set up a one-week “Miles For Meals” challenge and donated $20 per mile their employees logged up to $10,000. They also incorporated company swag and merchandise to give away based on the miles logged by employees.

5 Must-Haves for Your Activity-Tracking Event

Now that you have some ideas, making it a truly gamified experience is the fun part. Here are five components to include in your next event to cultivate, engage, educate, and drive higher fundraising potential.

Leaderboards: Fundraiser leaderboards are the centerpiece of engagement that continually drive people back to the event page throughout the course of your campaign. Utilize leaderboards in your next competition for people to keep track of their own score or fundraising progress in comparison to others in your community. If you have team-based events, participants can easily keep tabs on their team score and fundraising totals versus all other groups pursuing that top spot. 

Real-Time Matching Donations: Your corporate sponsors and individual donors want to maximize the impact of their contributions. Allow your supporters to unlock real-time donation matching when they hit certain fundraising milestones or achieve particular activity goals. 

Incentives and Prizes: No matter which event type you choose, your supporters will always be motivated by cool stuff they can win. In addition to traditional fundraising incentives, bake in more ways for people to earn swag and win prizes based on their activities and where they stand on the leaderboard.

Push Notifications & In-App Content: Take advantage of customizable push notifications to send messages directly to your community. Share impact statements, educate your community on your mission, promote sponsor messages, and recognize all of the people putting in work.

Mobile Fundraising Experience: Simplify your gamified fundraising event with an activity-tracking experience that integrates with your current fundraising solution. The Kilter + Classy integration allows nonprofits to keep their fundraising experience on Classy while using Kilter to offer activity tracking events that engage larger audiences. Kilter’s mobile app makes it easier for fundraisers to share their Classy fundraising pages with their extended networks and keep tabs on their progress with the in-app leaderboards.

A current Classy customer shares why integrated activity-tracking experiences are critical to their goals:

Nonprofits using Kilter to incorporate activity-tracking events into their annual strategies have seen an 11X return on investment, 10-20% new supporters, and 3X higher fundraising per engaged participant using both the fundraising and activity-tracking tools.

Bring Your Integrated Activity-Tracking Event to Life on Classy

Take advantage of today’s turn-key tools and technology to create a simpler gamified fundraising experience. Leveraging these tools, like Classy’s integration with Kilter, will help you reach more people, bolster engagement, and diversify your revenue streams while simultaneously avoiding the headaches associated with costly and time-consuming event planning. 

To provide your team with this information, we’ve partnered with the matching gift fundraising experts at Double the Donation to learn more.

Meet Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation

Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs.

Double the Donation assists nonprofits with identifying match-eligible donors and driving more matches to completion. Not to mention, the software integrates directly into other nonprofit technology solutions (such as Classy!) to provide a seamless matching gift fundraising experience.

Classy reached out to the team at Double the Donation, experts in the matching gift fundraising space, to answer some critical questions for our nonprofit audience.

Classy: What are corporate matching gift programs?

Double the Donation: Corporate matching gift programs are a popular form of corporate philanthropy offered by many charitable-minded businesses and companies. These programs typically encourage employees to donate to registered nonprofits that they care about, then submit a matching gift request to their employer. The employer reviews the request, verifies the initial donation that was made with the nonprofit, and sends their matching gift to the organization in addition.

Classy: Why are matching gift programs so important for nonprofits?

Double the Donation: A matching gift fundraising strategy is particularly beneficial because it allows organizations to make the most of corporate and workplace giving programs, collecting what are essentially bonus donations for their causes and doubling or even tripling fundraising revenue. As a result, matching gifts can significantly increase fundraising efficiency and overall ROI.

Company matches also allow donors to get further involved in a nonprofit cause that they care about. When supporters can secure an additional donation for their favorite charity, they know their own gift can go twice as far even without having to make more of a financial sacrifice on their end. In fact, we’ve found that many donors are more likely to give in the first place if they know their employer offers a corporate match.

Classy: Do most nonprofits utilize matching gifts?

Double the Donation: Unfortunately, corporate matching gift programs are continuously underused. That’s clear when you look at the multiple millions of employees who are eligible to participate, compared to the small percentage of those who are even aware that the programs exist.

Many companies fail to promote these opportunities to their staff, leaving the responsibility on nonprofit organizations to pick up the slack. So while many donors are likely eligible for these programs, there’s a severe knowledge gap that continues to get in the way of organizations maximizing their corporate revenue.

Classy: It sounds like nonprofits should do a lot more to market matching gifts. Do you have any suggestions on strategy?

Double the Donation: Through our experience working with thousands of nonprofit causes, we’ve seen a few marketing tactics that tend to produce particularly fruitful results.

For example, many organizations looking to integrate their matching gift and overall fundraising strategies aim to include matching gift information directly within the online donation process.

This typically includes:

• An embedded search widget on the donation form
• Company-specific program guidelines and eligibility criteria on the confirmation page
• Personalized donation follow-ups and next steps through email

Beyond the giving experience itself, other top suggestions include:

• Sharing matching gift information on social media
• Highlighting opportunities through mass email marketing efforts
• Providing additional educational resources on your nonprofit’s website on your “ways to give” page, site navigation, dedicated matching gift page, and more.

There are a lot of ways to get the word out about matching gifts, and we strongly encourage organizations to incorporate two or more of these promotional strategies into their efforts.

Classy: What are matching gift program guidelines, and what criteria is typically included?

Double the Donation: Matching gift guidelines are set by each company that offers this type of program. The guidelines essentially communicate to the staff whether a particular donation is eligible for a corporate match.

These guidelines typically include a few main types of information, such as:

•  Eligible employees (full-time, part-time, retired, and even spouses)
• Qualifying nonprofits (certain mission categories or exclusions, any registered 501(c)(3) organization)
• Donation sizes (usually has to fall between a specified minimum and maximum amount)

Then, the business determines how long after their employee makes a donation that the gift is eligible for a match. And finally, the company chooses a particular match ratio, which is most often dollar-for-dollar.

Classy: How can a nonprofit get donors interested in matching gifts?

Double the Donation: One of the most effective ways to increase donor interest in matching gift strategies is to focus on the doubled (or even tripled) mission impact that donation matches provide. If a donor’s $500 donation went to feed five families for a week, make sure to highlight that. Should a donor secure a company match, their gift can feed ten families instead.

Another popular strategy that can help boost interest⁠—and action⁠—is to emphasize the urgency of submitting company matching gift requests. Many companies set matching gift deadlines that align with the end of the calendar year in which the initial gift was made. That’s why many organizations choose to increase their matching gift marketing efforts during the year-end giving season. Similarly, if you know that a donor works for a company that has a 30-day matching gift request period following the initial donation, it’s a good idea to follow up with them as that deadline grows near.

Classy: What is the easiest way for nonprofits to increase their matching gift revenue?

Double the Donation: The simple answer is matching gift software. More and more nonprofits rely on fundraising software to maximize the amount of money they raise while minimizing the time and effort required at the same time. Matching gift software follows the same basic premises⁠—which is essentially the need our company aims to meet.

At Double the Donation, our product leverages a searchable matching gift database alongside comprehensive automation software that streamlines the matching gift process from beginning to end. This means that nonprofits can use our tools to increase awareness about matching gifts among donors, collect employment data to screen for match-eligible supporters, and trigger automated follow-ups that guarantee no donor falls through the cracks.

We also ensure that our matching gift software integrates seamlessly with top fundraising platforms such as Classy to make the process of getting started with matching gifts as easy as possible for everyone involved. The easier the process is for donors and organizations alike, the more dollars you’ll collect for your mission.

Classy: What else should fundraisers know about matching gifts?

Double the Donation: Two to three billion dollars is donated to nonprofits through matching gift funds annually. When it comes to matching gifts, one of our favorite things to remind nonprofit fundraisers about is that there’s more opportunity to tap into. Our research shows that an additional $4-7 billion in available matching gift dollars is left on the table each year. Just think of what that extra funding could mean for every local animal shelter, university, medical research center, or social service in your community.

By now, we know that matching gift programs are a common occurrence. More than 26 million people work for companies that match gifts, meaning a good portion of any nonprofit’s donor base likely falls into that category.

The good news is that it’s a growing offering as well. As consumers and employees become increasingly passionate about supporting socially responsible companies, more businesses are looking to roll out corporate giving programs and expand their offerings than ever before.

Matching gifts offer a win-win-win situation for each party involved⁠—including the initial donor, the matching company, and the nonprofit receiving both donations. Effective matching gift fundraising increases a nonprofit’s corporate and individual revenue and strengthens supporter relations.

If your organization is looking to establish or grow your matching gift strategies, the partnership between the fundraising experts at Classy and Double the Donation can help!

Nonprofit influencers can help you do this. These individuals help increase awareness of your mission, garner support for new initiatives, and improve your online reach. Their participation can inspire new audiences to engage with your organization, as well as reignite the passion and interest of existing supporters.

Let’s take a look at some key tips that will help you find the right nonprofit influencers for your organization.

But first, what is an influencer?

Simply put, an influencer is someone who has amassed a large following online and uses their voice, personal brand, and values to influence their audience in some way. They can encourage their followers to buy a certain product or service, or they can use their personal brand and trustworthiness to cultivate certain values or rally people around an important cause.

Here are the steps to take to attract the right nonprofit influencers for your organization.

1. Have a clear set of goals in mind

Influencer marketing, much like any other marketing strategy, begins with clear and actionable goal-setting. Define your strategy, set a budget, and identify your key performance indicators (KPIs) to get started.

Clearly defined goals are a critical piece in accurately measuring whether or not your results were worth the investment. Start setting some short, mid, and long-term goals to guide and measure the results of your influencer marketing strategy.

Tailor each goal to the platform you’re using. Ask yourself which networks are the most relevant for your audience since each offers a unique value.

For example, Instagram influencer marketing can help reach younger donors and expose your organization to a potential advertising reach of over 800 million users. On the other hand, LinkedIn might help you engage corporate sponsors to boost your corporate fundraising opportunities.

Assign concrete goals to each relevant network of donors to maximize your engagement potential. Keep in mind that influencer marketing doesn’t just raise awareness; it can strengthen trust with both new and existing supporters.

2. Consider your shared values and causes

People tend to trust the experiences and reviews of others—especially those whom they admire—so invest in word-of-mouth campaigns executed by influencers.

New data from Classy’s Why America Gives report shows that word of mouth is the top way donors identify new causes to give to.

However, for these influencers to tell the story of your brand the way it’s meant to be told, they need to share your values. Shared values are the key to a thriving brand-supporter and brand-influencer relationship. Plus, there’s a high chance that many of these individuals’ followers will align with these same values.

If you partner with an influencer who does not reflect the vision your nonprofit stands for, you risk sending out the wrong message to your online community. This could not only deter new donors but also jeopardize your brand’s reputation.

3. Start with thorough research

Once you’ve set your goals and have defined your key values, it’s time to start researching the trends in your cause sector. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of your target demographic (the kind of supporters you need), as well as the current state of nonprofit influencer marketing.

Start by looking at the relevant hashtags in your industry to find influencers who are already supporting nonprofits. See who is advocating for other organizations within your sector and consider reaching out to them or the organization itself to hear more about their influencer marketing experience. You can also pay for influencer databases and tools to conduct your research, some of which we’ll mention at the end of this post.

Market research will also allow you to uncover the costs associated with influencer marketing in your specific sector, which can help you budget more accurately. You might even discover some timely content trends while you’re at it.

Consider every platform and its best practices. For example, Facebook video ads are a great way to promote a new campaign, especially if they feature a trustworthy influencer. On the other hand, you might want to let Instagram influencers do most of the work and allow them to attract new supporters more organically through regular posting.

4. Search through relevant hashtags on social media

Hashtags are a great tool for raising awareness and improving the visibility of your nonprofit, but they’re also great for identifying influencers who might align with your goals.

People use hashtags to gain exposure, boost discoverability, and increase engagement. Influencers use them regularly to do the same, ensuring that their content is seen by the largest possible audience.

Here are some relevant hashtags being used today:

#nonprofit #charity #donate #community #volunteer #nonprofitorganization #giveback #love #education #support #fundraising #covid #socialgood #dogood #ngo #change #givingback #philanthropy #help #fundraiser #makeadifference #children #instagood #donation #hope #donations #causes #volunteering #mentalhealth #bhfyp

Supplementary hashtags that are closely related to the nonprofit sector are also helpful in boosting discoverability:

#helpingothers #motivation #health #inspiration #youth #art #socialimpact #india #nonprofitlife #family #nonprofitsofinstagram #coronavirus #bethechange #bhfyp #activism #c #life #leadership #africa #awareness #humanrights #womenempowerment #music #repost #giving #volunteers #fitness #adoptdontshop #humanity #empowerment

Influencers use hashtags on every social platform, but there’s no denying that they’re most popular on Instagram. If you’re looking to find the right influencers for your brand, start your search there.

Hashtags will depend on your unique niche and the causes you support, but you should start with some general terms to discover a wider pool of influencers. Once you identify a handful of potential partners, aim to collaborate with at least one influencer on every relevant social platform. Keep in mind that striking a balance between niche and general influencers is key to optimizing your engagement potential.

5. Focus on micro-influencers instead of the big names

Some influencers have millions of followers on Instagram, but it’s important to note that a bigger following is not always better—especially when it comes to marketing a nonprofit. There are many reasons why you should focus on working with nonprofit micro-influencers instead, and one of the top considerations is your budget.

The more followers an influencer has, the more expensive it will be to work with them, and the results can be underwhelming. This is because their large following might not all necessarily align with your brand or your values.

Nonprofit micro-influencers, on the other hand, have a more concentrated audience that might be more likely to engage with your organization. These influencers will have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers on average, which means that more of their followers are likely to actively engage with the content they put out on a daily basis.

These are the same followers who might follow a link to your donation page, or decide to learn more about your organization’s impact.

In return, you can offer these influencers some swag, access to an upcoming event, or a shoutout from your account where more advocates of your cause can connect with them.

Remember, finding the top Instagram influencers in your niche is not just about the follower count, but the values they hold, the trust they garner from their audience, and the balance between follower count and the rate they charge. After all, working with an influencer should be a mutually-beneficial relationship.

6. Conduct email outreach to prominent influencers

Most of the time, you won’t be able to discuss the details of your collaboration in a direct message on social media, nor should you. Influencers on Instagram and other popular platforms will typically leave a business email address in their bio section, which will allow you to reach out through the right channel and open up a direct line of communication.

It’s important that you approach email outreach with a strong strategy. Personalize every email to the influencer’s unique brand. Do your research, find out what they’re passionate about, and start crafting customized emails that will grab their attention and inspire them to agree to an introductory call.

Consider this email example highlighted in our How to Engage Celebrities and Influencers in Fundraising webinar as one approach to take when initiating outreach:

You can propose a short-term collaboration consisting of just a few posts or discuss a long-term agreement. Whichever you choose, ensure that your goals and values are clear and expectations are set from the start. In doing so, you can begin forging a trustworthy relationship that will benefit both parties over the long term.

You might even keep a running list of the influencers you connect with to target for future recurring giving appeals or to reach out to when launching a new campaign.

7. Consider automating your vetting process

Nowadays, there is automation software for nearly every marketing process. You can automate everything from email sends to posting on social media. This not only makes for a more efficient workflow, but also allows your nonprofit to reallocate the time and money spent on those tasks towards your mission-critical work.

What you might not have known is that you can also automate influencer research and use a dedicated tool to find the right influencers in your niche. There are many tools out there that use AI and machine learning to pair you up with the best nonprofit influencers in your industry, but it’s important to find the right fit for your budget.

Here are some tools you can explore:

Upfluence. Upfluence is a dedicated influencer marketing platform built to help you find influencers and manage your entire relationship and strategy. With more than 3 million influencers in its database and a robust search feature, this can be a useful tool to find the right influencers for your nonprofit. Its built-in AI feature constantly adds new influencers to the database as well, so you can continue to surface new partnership opportunities.

Social Blade. Social Blade was one of the first free influencer databases in the world, and still remains as one of the most reliable. Access a database of millions of influencers scattered across Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms, and you can even leverage the tool’s reporting feature to gain valuable industry insights and news.

Awario. Awario is a social listening tool that allows you to monitor the conversations in your field about your own brand or your competition, simplifying the process of finding nonprofit influencers that align with your mission.

Dibz. Dibz is a comprehensive prospecting and search engine optimization (SEO) tool with plenty of useful features, including prospecting and contacting influencers. You can use its powerful search functions to find the right influencers for your needs and within your niche, and then create an outreach campaign to get them on a call or quickly seal the deal via email.

Next Steps

Influencer marketing remains an effective way to organically spread the word about your organization’s impact and build trust with supporters from around the world.

That said, it’s important to work with the right nonprofit influencers in order to maximize your marketing dollars and achieve your long-term goals. Do your research and be intentional with your partnerships. When executed correctly, influencer marketing can take your nonprofit to new heights.

When a typical business looks at their tech stack, they see a slew of data. Contacts, companies, and quotes all translate to MQLs, SQLs, revenue, and growth. 

Yet…what if you’re a nonprofit? What do you see? 

Your converted donations could mean an end to cancer, empty animal shelters, or affordable housing for all. 

You may also see a disconnect between your donors and organizational outcomes. How do you reach the donors who share your vision? How do you unlock the generosity that’s within them? 

The answer lies within a platform built for giving, a system created for personalized interactions— a unification of the two.

How Does Classy Connect to Hubspot?

You may wonder how a Classy and HubSpot integration can connect your vital CRM with your much-needed marketing automation tool to help you leave your imprint on the world. They’re seemingly just systems in a world desperate for change.

The Classy and Hubspot integration allows for a back and forth, seamless transfer of the data that matters. Systems are aligned. Teams are happy. You can dig into the information you need in one place and launch a fundraising effort that resonates.

Benefits of a Classy Hubspot Integration

A Classy HubSpot integration allows you to cut through the overwhelming amount of data generated by your organization, puts a face to the name of each donor, and keep your mission alive. It can empower organizations that seek to create meaningful change.

Not sold quite yet? Allow us to dig in a little more by expanding on a few topics.

A Deeper Look at What a Classy HubSpot Integration Is 

While it’s fun to get starry-eyed and talk romantically, sometimes there’s a need to get more technical. So, here it goes: A Classy HubSpot integration is a bi-directional cloud-based integration solution. An integration like this syncs Classy members, supporters, transactions, and recurring donation plans to related fields in HubSpot. It also syncs recently updated HubSpot contacts to existing Classy donations. 

In simpler terms? 

When someone becomes a donor in Classy, their HubSpot record is created and updated with all the appropriate information to reflect this. When fields change in HubSpot, fields change in Classy. Classy donations and recurring donation plans sync to HubSpot deals and vice versa in real-time. 

Here’s a breakdown of what information our integration can seamlessly transfer:

1. Classy Supporters to HubSpot Contacts 
2. Classy Transactions to HubSpot Deals 
3. Classy Recurring Donation Plans to HubSpot Deals 
4. HubSpot Contacts to Classy Supporters 
5. HubSpot Deals to Classy: Transactions 
6. HubSpot Deals to Classy: Recurring Donation Plans 

Essentially, what happens in one system happens in the other. One may consider this type of alignment a necessity when the world is calling on you to help fund cancer research. 

Why Does This All Matter? 

If you’re asking yourself the above question, you probably hit “skip intro” on our blog.  Luckily, we have a recap feature. 

A Classy HubSpot integration helps you accelerate your status as a changemaker.

No matter your nonprofit’s mission, a Classy HubSpot integration does numerous things to reach these end goals. 

Gain Efficiency and  Organization With Integrated Nonprofit CRM Software 

By combining the vital information in your Classy with the power of HubSpot, you can: 

• Create sales and marketing alignment. Sales teams spend most of their time in nonprofit CRM systems, while HubSpot marketers use the platform daily. When changes are immediately syncing back and forth, both teams will better understand what the other is doing. This increases communication and understanding of what’s happening. 
• Keep your data clean and safe. With every integration project, you’ll need to select a record system or your authoritative data source. Most often, this will be your Classy instance. Doing this ensures none of your future data is duplicated or eroded. 
• Launch fundraising campaigns from HubSpot. Classy only holds information about your donors and their donations. HubSpot gives you the power to reach them at the perfect time. With this integration, you can start and track integral fundraising lead nurtures directly from HubSpot – with all the correct information built in. 
• Personalize your campaigns. Building on the last point, you can send better, more personalized marketing campaigns with a Classy HubSpot integration. For example, with your donor information from Classy and the personalization tokens from HubSpot, you can email well-timed follow-up donation requests that include a person’s first name and other tidbits of data that will resonate with them. 
• Segment your lists. A Classy HubSpot integration provides all the information you need to segment your lists (i.e., first-time donors, repeat donors, donors who haven’t donated yet) so you can better target your contacts. 
• Use closed-loop reporting. Closed-loop reporting allows you to thoroughly analyze all your campaigns from start to finish and make improvements. Likewise, you can mash up the data and analyze it however you like with HubSpot’s data add-on. Your reporting will be fuller and more personalized than ever before.

When you consolidate your nonprofit data into a single location, you can make better-informed decisions in less time. You can gather the insights to predict your organization’s needs and the actions of all your donors. 

Simple Steps to Take on Your Journey to a Classy HubSpot Integration 

How do you get to the land of giddy team members and connected systems, though? There are a few valuable tips to consider if you want to ensure a smooth path to a seamless tech stack: 

1. Find a partner – or go it alone: If you have a development team, they can work on combining systems and syncing your data between them. You can work with a partner like SyncSmart by downloading a packaged integration or brainstorming a more custom project if you don’t have the resources on hand. 

2. Establish your goals: You already know what your nonprofit’s mission is. What are your objectives when it comes to combining your systems? Outlining them can help you on track as you embark on an integration project. Try asking questions like: 

• • Why are we doing this? 
  • What is the timeline? 
  • What is our budget?
  •  How will we measure success? 

3. Clean your data: An integration and dirty data do not mix. Take a look at your database and combine duplicate records, delete unneeded records, remove invalid email addresses, and perform other edits to ensure your records are valid. 

Keep your team in the know: Make sure everyone in your nonprofit, especially those who will use your integration, is up to date with what’s going on. Detail your objectives to them and inform them of anything they need to do for a successful launch. Often, this will involve training, which a partner can undertake on your behalf. 

1. Go live and iterate over time: Launch your integration after rigorously testing and resolving any bugs. Then expand functionality over time and experiment with new pieces, like creating lead nurtures directly in HubSpot, as your team familiarizes themselves with the aligned systems. 

Most importantly: Remember all the people you can help. 

An integration isn’t supposed to be something scary or overly “techy.” It’s intended to unite your Classy and HubSpot solution to change the world. Your tech stack – your Classy HubSpot integration – can centralize all your critical donor and fundraising information. It can securely connect all your nonprofit data with your marketing activity records. 

It can heighten your status as a changemaker.

Questions about data privacy and security continue to spring up in digital marketing discourse. This is for good reason. Customers deserve transparency and input in how (or if) their data is used.

Data privacy changes continue to evolve. Now, Apple is the latest player in the movement by introducing new iOS updates that come with advanced privacy technologies.

These updates are far from routine: iOS 14.5 and iOS 15 create a major, unprecedented paradigm shift in the world of digital advertising. The new data privacy and security features will have a large impact on individuals, advertisers, and nonprofit organizations alike.

Learn how to pivot your advertising and email marketing strategies in the face of these new updates to continue advancing your nonprofit mission.

iOS 14.5 Overview: The Difference It Makes to Advertisers and Nonprofits

Apple released the iOS 14.5 update in spring 2021, which came with significant privacy changes. The biggest feature of note for marketers is called App Tracking Transparency (ATT).

What App Tracking Transparency Does

ATT requires apps to get a user’s permission to be tracked. Essentially, if someone is using an app on their Apple device, they must opt in to allow tracking of their web and app activity.

Access to the Identification for Advertisers (IDFA), a code that advertisers use to identify and retarget consumers, is now limited as a result.

Why the Change? 

Simply put, Apple is making changes to protect its users’ privacy and keep them more informed. It’s an ethical move meant to enhance transparency into how advertisers use a consumer’s information.

How Apple’s Changes Impact Nonprofits

Like traditional advertisers who need to attract customers to fuel their business, nonprofits need to raise awareness and attract donors to support their causes through a strong revenue marketing strategy. One important way to accomplish these goals is through channels like Facebook and Instagram advertisements.

Social media is a critical medium for advertisers to drive conversions through organic presence and paid ads. In fact, 51 percent of campaign traffic on Classy came from social media in 2020.

With the iOS 14.5 privacy updates, the efficacy of tracking and conversion attribution in Facebook advertising becomes more difficult for Apple audiences.

Ad retargeting is no longer available for iOS users who opt-out of tracking, so Facebook’s tracking pixel effectiveness diminishes dramatically. Nonprofit advertisers will be shooting in the dark when it comes to marketing to iOS users.

Due to the lack of tracking capability and eroded data clarity, an entire segment of the ad audience will be hidden. This change will skew ad performance reporting and trigger a decline in ad personalization, making it more difficult for nonprofits to accurately target donors who use Apple devices. Poor targeting also means wasted ad spend.

Apple’s move generated responses from other leaders in tech as well, like Google. The company informed developers and advertisers of its own updated privacy measures and the impact of these advancements, emphasizing the importance of user privacy.

Meanwhile, Facebook brought up the negative impact for businesses that advertise on their platform, saying “As more people opt out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, ad personalization and performance reporting will be limited for both app and web conversion events.”

iOS 15 Overview: How Email Privacy Changes Further Alter the Marketing Landscape for Nonprofits

The new iOS 15 update rolled out in September 2021 and came with additional privacy features that impact email marketers.

What to Know About the iOS 15 Update

Two significant email privacy changes came with the iOS 15 rollout:

• Mail Privacy Protection: This update obscures a recipient’s action upon receiving an email, so the sender will be unable to tell if they opened it. Mail Privacy Protection also hides a user’s IP address so their location cannot be determined.
• Hide My Email: As part of the iCloud+ subscription, Hide My Email lets users share random email addresses that forward to their inbox to keep their personal information private.

How It Impacts Nonprofits 

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on email marketing to share updates with their community, raise awareness, and drive fundraising efforts. The iOS 15 update significantly changes the way email marketers operate, so nonprofits should educate themselves on the changes to stay ahead.

• Inflates Email Open Rates: Apple will load tracking pixels on behalf of their users, which means that it will appear to the sender as if the email has been opened, whether or not the user actually does it themselves. Because of this change, open rates will appear much higher than they really are, making it more difficult to know the true success of your email campaign.
• Skews A/B Testing: Since open rates will be less reliable, it will be tricky to get accurate A/B testing results. Marketers will have a more difficult time determining the most successful email strategy since the data lacks full clarity.
• Hinders Location-Based Email Targeting: Nonprofits will face a greater challenge when trying to personalize emails or connect with a segmented community due to hidden user locations.

The iOS 15 changes rolled out right before year-end, which is the time nonprofits are prepping for their busiest giving season.

Data from Classy’s State of Modern Philanthropy Report tells us that nearly one-third of all giving on the Classy giving platform takes place between Giving Tuesday and December 31.  It’s a tight window to pivot strategy in response to the new privacy hurdles.

How Nonprofits Can Work Around the Changes

The best thing to do in light of these updates is to embrace and adapt to the shift. In all likelihood, privacy changes like this will continue, and it is the ethical position to support user privacy protection. There are a few things nonprofits can do now to adjust their strategy to reach and understand their audiences on a deeper level:

1. Target Android Donors: Remember, Android users are free of new privacy updates, so you can still segment this demographic and achieve more accurate ad reporting.
2. Invest in Organic Social Media and SEO: As privacy changes continue to evolve, attract donors with your messaging and brand personality. Prioritize organic content, particularly on social media. Optimize your website for search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your rank in search results, and attract more visitors without worrying about privacy restrictions.
3. Ditch Open Rates and Look at Other Email Metrics: Since open rates are not as accurate as they were before, focus on other email metrics to understand your campaign success. You can examine unsubscribe rate, click-through rate, and unique clicks to get started.
4. Create Quality Email Content: Reach donors with interesting, impactful content, starting with your subject lines. Because clicks are critical for your reporting, drive conversions with compelling donation buttons, engaging text, and user-friendly email design.
5. Tap Into Paid Search Ads: There are still a few ads that remain unimpacted by the privacy changes. Continue to leverage these marketing opportunities to reach new donors through paid search and pay-per-click advertising.

The Future of Data Privacy and Security

Apple plans to adopt more data privacy features beyond just iOS 15. When the macOS 12 Monterey releases in late 2021, privacy protection will arrive for the macOS Mail app as well.

In addition, Google announced that it will be discontinuing the third-party cookie by late 2023, changing the way digital marketers collect data. To prepare, nonprofits should begin to shift their strategy to focus on first-party data rather than third-party data.

First-party data is the free information you collect from your audience or customers, including things like website activity, social media data, customer survey results, CRM data, and more. Third-party data is purchased from other companies and it can offer a wider perspective on your target market.

Stay Educated to Stay Ahead

Stay up-to-date on the evolving data privacy and security trends to ensure the future success of your nonprofit’s digital advertising and email marketing strategies.

Continue to create quality content, build genuine relationships with donors, and focus on spreading your message through organic avenues.

For more insight on how to navigate these evolving trends, explore this list of additional resources:

• How Apple’s Privacy Update Impacts Mobile App Advertising
• Apple is Rolling Out Big Privacy Changes
• How to Prepare for Apple’s iOS15 Privacy Changes [Checklist Included]
• Google Grants A Third-Party Cookie Reprieve, Delays Deprecation By Two Years
• Charting a Course Towards a More Privacy-First Web

The year-end fundraising season is critical for nonprofits looking to leverage increased levels of generosity and set their teams up for success going into the new year. One of the most powerful, yet often overlooked strategies for doing so involves corporate matching gifts.

Whether you’re looking to get into matching gift fundraising for the first time or are simply aiming to expand your existing efforts this year, it’s important to have a solid understanding of corporate giving and the impact it can have on your organization. That’s why we’ve put together this Q&A guide to help answer some of the most common inquiries you might have before getting started.

Top Year-End Fundraising Matching Gift Q&A

This information can help you prepare for not only a successful year-end fundraising strategy but for effective revenue generation long into the future. Ready to prepare your fundraising team with the right matching gift strategies this winter? Let’s start with the basics.

1. What are corporate matching gifts?

Corporate matching gifts are donations made by companies that agree to financially support the nonprofit causes that their employees are already giving to. These are often made at a dollar-for-dollar rate, although some companies might match at lower (e.g., .5:1) or higher (such as 2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1) ratios.

Essentially, corporate matching gift programs allow companies to increase their corporate philanthropy efforts, boost employee engagement, improve their reputations among consumers, and drive social impact.

2. Why are matching gifts underutilized?

According to research from Double the Donation, an average of four to seven billion dollars in matching gift funding is left on the table each year. But why is this happening?

Although companies with matching gift programs employ more than 18 million individuals, the vast majority are uninformed of their eligibility. This means that the biggest obstacle to maximizing matching gift funding is a gross lack of awareness. As a result, millions of match-eligible donors are not requesting matches from their employers, and nonprofit causes are missing out on billions of dollars in potential corporate revenue.

3. How should I promote matching gifts to my donors?

Because matching gifts are such an underutilized resource, it’s critical that your team takes a strategic approach for marketing these opportunities. To reach supporters effectively, we suggest taking a multi-channel approach through the following outreach avenues:

• Social media
• Email
• Website
• Direct mail

Ultimately, your goal for these promotional efforts is to get more donors to request more corporate matches for your cause. That all starts with informing donors of these opportunities in the first place and making match-eligible supporters (both those who have and have not yet given to your cause) aware of their companies’ offerings.

In fact, studies have shown that 84% of supporters surveyed reported a higher likelihood of giving if there was a match being offered. So not only will effective promotional tactics help you secure matches for gifts you’ve already received, but they can also encourage additional donations that you might not have collected otherwise.

4. How can I incorporate matching gifts in the donation process?

Incorporating matching gifts in the donation process is a great way to leverage high levels of engagement to encourage participation in workplace giving. However, it’s important that you don’t complicate the donation experience in doing so. Here’s what we suggest:

• Embedding a company search widget directly into your online donation form
• Providing donors with company-specific program guidelines on the donation confirmation page
• Encouraging next steps by equipping donors with links to their employers’ online submission forms and downloadable PDFs
• Following up with match-eligible donors after they’ve made a gift to remind them to submit a match request with their employer

Studies show that throughout the donor journey, the majority of supporters find their engagement with an organization to be at its peak while they are actively making their donations. That makes it a fantastic opportunity to promote matching gifts and drive conversions.

5. What are common match request deadlines?

Every company that offers a matching gift program chooses its own program guidelines⁠—including donation minimums and maximums, match ratios, and, of course, the date by which an employee must submit their match request. When it comes to year-end fundraising, one of the most important considerations is the submission deadline.

Here are a few of the most common types of match request deadlines to consider:

• Within a certain number of months after the initial donation was made (often between one and six)
• By the conclusion of the calendar year that the donation was made in
• A few months into the year following the one that the donation was made in (allowing for a grace period)

Since many companies allow donation match requests through the calendar year and afterward, the holiday giving season is a great opportunity to follow up with match-eligible donors who have given previously in the year. This allows you to collect additional revenue as the year draws to a close without asking existing donors to reach back into their own wallets.

6. How can I automate matching gift fundraising?

Automating the matching gift process is one of the best ways to streamline your efforts and boost efficiency across your organization. This allows you to save more of your team’s time and effort that can be reallocated to your highest-value matching gift prospects, which is especially critical considering everything your team will be doing to boost year-end giving.

To do so effectively, you’ll need to invest in a powerful automation tool. This platform should integrate with your online fundraising software, like Classy, and help manage the process from start to finish⁠—including through targeted and segmented donor follow-up depending on the individual’s likely eligibility for a match.

Double Your Year-End Fundraising Impact

Matching gifts are beneficial year-round, but their impact is multiplied during the end-of-year fundraising season when donors are feeling especially generous. By providing your fundraising team with a solid foundation for matching gift basics, you can ensure your efforts are maximized to effectively drive your cause forward.

Remember the potential that lies in corporate giving as you prepare for year-end fundraising. Good luck!