Beginner’sGuide toDigital
Welcomenote
FromDenisMoriaty, FounderofGiveNow
Fundraisinghaschangeddramaticallyinthepastdecade. Wheregivingoncereliedheavilyontinrattles,chequesand fundraisingevents,nowmanyAustraliansprefertogive online.Peoplewanttogivequickly,securely,andinthe moment–oftenfromtheirphone,oftenafterafriend sharesastory,andoftenwithjustafewtaps.
Forcommunityorganisations,thatshiftbringsboth opportunityandchallenge.Theopportunityisthatyoucan nowreachsupportersfarbeyondyourlocal neighbourhood.Thechallengeisthatmanysmall, volunteer-rungroupssimplydon’thavethemarketing budgets,specialiststaff,ortimethatlargercharitiescan drawon. Whenyou’rejugglinggovernance,volunteers,compliance andcommunityexpectationswithyourmainactivities, learning“digitalfundraising”canfeellikeonemore mountaintoclimb.
Welcomenote(cont’d)
That’soneofthereasonswecreatedGiveNow. GiveNowisanOurCommunitysocialenterprise,builtto helpdemocratisegiving–tomakeonlinefundraising accessiblefortheorganisationsthatneeditmost.
Wecreatedthisguide,too,foraverypracticalreason. Muchofthefundraisingtrainingavailabletodayiswritten forlargecharitieswithdedicatedmarketingand fundraisingteams,sophisticateddatabasesand significantbudgets.
Forsmallandmediumcommunityorganisations,copying thoseformulasisn’trealistic.Youdon’tneeda40-page strategydocumentorapolishedbrandcampaignto succeed.Whatyouneedisaclearplan,acompellingstory, asmoothdonationexperience,andconsistentfollowthrough.
Thisguideisdesignedtogiveyouexactlythat.Itdrawson 25yearsofoperationalexperiencesupportingAustralian not-for-profits,andit’swrittenwithreal-worldconstraints inmind:limitedtime,limitedpeopleandlimiteddollars.
Welcomenote(cont’d)
Ihopeyoufindituseful–andIhopeitgivesyouthe confidencetotakethenextstep,whetheryou’restarting yourdigitalfundraisingjourneyorstrengtheningwhatyou alreadydo.
Andifyouarelookingforanonlinefundraisingplatform,I encourageyoutotryGiveNowforfree.Therearenosignuporset-upfees,andourteamisheretosupportyouif youhavequestionsalongtheway.
Thankyouforeverythingyoudoforyourcommunity–and forthedifferenceyoumake,everyday.
KindRegards,
Beforewestart: Defineyour‘why’
Beforelaunchinganyfundraisingcampaign,youneeda crystal-clearanswertoonequestion:Whyarewedoing this?
Your“why”,orinotherwords,yourmission,istheheartof yourfundraising.It'sthecompellingreasondonorsshould supportyou,anditneedstobespecific,authenticand emotionallyresonant.
Astrongmissionstatementforagrassrootscommunity organisationshouldclearlyarticulatethreecoreelements: thespecificproblemorneedbeingaddressed,the communityorpopulationbeingserved,andthe fundamentalapproachorvaluesguidingthework.
Thebestmissionstatementsavoidjargonandspeakin concrete,accessiblelanguagethatresonatesemotionally whileremaininggroundedinreality.
Theyarebriefenoughtorememberandrepeateasily,yet specificenoughtoguidedecision-makingandhelp potentialsupportersunderstandexactlywhatmakesthis organisationdistinct.
Beforewestart: Defineyour‘why’(cont’d)
Crucially,aneffective"why"connectstheimmediatework toadeeperpurposeorvisionforchange,helping volunteers,donorsandbeneficiariesalikeunderstandnot justwhatthecharitydoes,butwhyitmattersandwhat worldit'sworkingtocreate.
Themissionshouldfeelauthentictothefounders'values andlivedexperience,ratherthanborrowedfromcorporate templates,asthisauthenticityoftenbecomesagrassroots organisation'sgreateststrengthinbuildingtrustand communityconnection.
�� GiveNowcustomerexamples
AngelFlightAustralia
"AngelFlightAustraliaisacharitableorganisationcoordinating free,non-emergencyflightsandgroundtransportationso peoplewholiveinruralandregionalAustraliacanaccessthe specialistmedicaltreatmentstheyneed."
StreetPeace
“StreetPeacerelentlesslypursuesvolatileat-riskyouth, disruptingtheirmindsetsandbehavioursbybuildingtrusting relationshipsthataddresstrauma,encouragehope,drive change,restorelivesandbringpeacebacktothestreets.”
Step1:Establishingyour overallfundraisingstrategy
Whilewecouldwriteanentirebookonthistopicalone,we knowthatmostgrassrootsorganisationsdon’thaveweeks ormonthstosparetodecideonafundraisingstrategy,so herearethreekeyaspectswesuggestyouconsider.
Setaspecificandachievablegoal
Yourgoalsshouldberealisticyetambitiousenoughto driveyourorganisationforward.
Doyourresearch:Gathersomeideasandexamplesof what'sworkedinsimilarorganisations.Ifyouhavea fundraisinghistory,lookintothedataandidentifywhat workedwell,whatdidn’t,andwhy.
DefinewhatyouhopetoachievewithaSMARTgoal: Specific,Measurable,Achievable,Relevant,andTimeBound.
Itmightlooklikethis:Ourfundraisinggoalistoraise[$ amount]by[timeframeordeadline].[Keyteams]will accomplishthisgoalby[whatstepsyou’lltaketoachieve thegoal].Accomplishingthisgoalwill[resultorbenefit].
Considerdifferentfundingsources
Anorganisationthatreliesonjustoneortwofunding sourcesputsitsveryexistenceatriskifoneofthose sourcesdriesup.Diversifyingyourincomestreams strengthensyourfinancialsustainability.
Consideramixofdifferentsourcesfromamongtheseven pillarsoffundraisingwhensettingyourstrategy,including grants,sponsorships,membership,bequests,in-kind support,donationsandevents.
Choosefocusandpriorities
Noteveryfundraisingmethodwillsuityourorganisation. Assesswhichavenuesarefeasible,achievableand profitablegivenyourteam'scapabilities–ifyourteam excelsateventmanagement,prioritisespecialevents;if youhavestrongwriters,focusongrantapplications;if you 'rewell-connectedinthebusinesscommunity,pursue sponsorships.
Createarealistictimelinewithayearplannernoting optimalfundraisingperiodsandgrantdeadlines,spacing activitiestoavoidvolunteerburnout.
Assignafundraisingcoordinatortooverseeallactivities andtrackprogressregularlysoyoucanidentifyproblems earlyandchangedirectionifneeded.
Stayflexibleandbepreparedtowalkawayfrominitiatives thataren'tworkingbeforeyoulosesignificantmoney.Your strategyshouldadapttonewopportunitiesandcurtail activitiesthatproveimpracticalorunprofitable.
Reviewyourperformancethroughouttheyear,stayalertto newideas,andacknowledgeeveryonewhohelps–volunteers,donorsandsponsorsalldeserverecognition.
Withcleargoals,diversefundingsources,andactivities alignedtoyourteam'sstrengths,yourfundraisingstrategy canensureyourorganisationthrivesandcontinues makingadifference.
�� Quicktip:GettingyourDGRstatus
Deductivegiftrecipient(DGR)statusallowsdonorstoclaimtax deductions,whichsignificantlyincreasesdonationamounts. TheAustralianCharitiesandNot-for-profitsCommission (ACNC)offersguidanceonhowtocheckyourorganisation’s DGRstatusandapplyforDGRstatus.
GiveNowautomaticallychecksyourorganisation’sDGRstatus andincludesDGRinformationonyourdonationpages,making iteasyfordonorstounderstandthetaxbenefitsofsupporting you.DonorswillalsoreceiveanautomatedreceiptandEOFY taxsummaryfortheirdonations.
Step2:Settingyourdigital fundraisinggoals
Nowthatyouhaveyouroverallstrategy,it'stimetoget specificaboutdigitalfundraising.Whatpercentageofyour totalfundraisingshouldcomefromdigitalchannels?The rightsplitdependsonyourorganisation'sstrengths, capacityandcurrentsituation.
Benchmarkyourdigitalgoalsbasedonwhereyouare:
Ifyouarejuststartingout,aimfor10–20%oftotal fundraisingfromdigitalchannels.Thisallowsyoutotest andlearnwithoutovercommittingresources.
Ifyouhaveastrongvolunteerbaseoronlinepresence,set atargetof30–50%tomaximisethepotentialofyour supporternetwork.
Ifyoualreadyhavesolidexperienceindigitalfundraising, orifyouhavelimitedaccesstograntsandotherfunding sourcessuchaseventsandbequests,considerover60% asyourgoal,asdigitalchannelsarelikelytobeyourmain sourceoffunding.
Step3:Knowyour community&supporters
Thisstepisaboutunderstandingthepeoplewhocare aboutyourcause–whatmotivatesthem,whatbarriers theyface,andhowtheymakegivingdecisions.
Oneexercisewehighlyrecommendforthisstepiscreating personasforyourdonors.Donorpersonasaresemifictionalrepresentationsofyouridealsupportersbasedon realdataandresearch.Theyhelpyourorganisationmove beyondmakinggenericappealstoengaginginatargeted, meaningfulway.
Considerthefollowingcharacteristicsofyourpotential donors:
Demographicsandbackground
Whatistheirgenderidentity?
Whatistheiragerange?
Wheredotheylive(metropolitan,regional,rural)?
Whatistheirhouseholdincomelevel?
Whatistheireducationlevel?
Whatistheiremploymentstatusandoccupation?
Whatistheirfamilysituation(single,partnered,children, caringresponsibilities)?
Givinghistoryandcapacity
Havetheydonatedtousbefore?Ifso,howoftenand howmuch?
Whatothercausesorcharitiesdotheysupport?
Whatistheirpreferreddonationamount(micro-donor, mid-level,majordonor)?
Dotheygiveone-offgifts,regulargiftsorboth?
Valuesandmotivations
Whydotheycareaboutourcausespecifically?
Whatemotionsandvaluesdrivethemtogive (compassion,justice,communityconnection)?
Whatbarriersorconcernsmightpreventthemfrom giving?
Whatimpactdotheyhopetoseefromtheir contribution?
Whoinfluencestheirgivingdecisions(family,friends, celebrities,experts)?
Digitalbehaviourandpreferences
Whichsocialmediaplatformsdotheyusemost actively?
Howdotheyprefertotakeininformationonline(video, articles,infographics,podcasts)?
Whenaretheymostlikelytobeonlineandengaged?
Dotheypreferemail,SMS,socialmedia,orother communicationchannels?
Howoftendotheywanttohearfromorganisationsthey support?
Informationneeds
Howmuchdetaildotheywantaboutprogramsand impact?
Whattoneresonateswiththem(formal,casual,urgent, hopeful)?
Dotheypreferstoriesaboutindividualsordataabout outcomes?
Whatquestionsmustbeansweredbeforethey'll donate?
Whatleveloffinancialtransparencydotheyexpect?
Onceyou'vegatheredthisinformationthroughsurveys, interviews,dataanalysisandsociallistening,createthree tofivedistinctpersonas.Giveeachaname,photo,and narrativethatyourteamcanreference.
Forexample,"SustainableSarah"mightbea35-year-old
Melbourneprofessionalwhodonatesmonthlyviadirect debit,prefersInstagramforupdates,andwantsdetailed impactreports.
“Giving-BackMichael"mightbea58-year-oldBrisbane retireewhomakeslargerone-offgiftsattaxtime,reads emailnewslettersthoroughly,andvaluestraditional communication.
Thesepersonasshouldguideeverythingfromyouremail subjectlinestoyoursocialmediacontentcalendar,from yourdonationpagedesigntoyourthank-youprocess. Theytransformabstractfundraisingstrategiesinto concrete,human-centredapproachesthatgenuinely connectwiththepeoplewhomakeyourworkpossible.
Step4:Donorjourney mapping
Onceyouhaveasolidgrasponyoursupporterprofiles, donorjourneymappingallowsyoutounderstandand optimiseeveryinteractionasupporterhaswithyour organisation.
Byvisualisingthecompleteexperience–frominitial awareness,toconsideration,todonation/purchase,to retention,toadvocacy–youcanidentifygapsin communicationandremovefrictionpoints.
Thisoftenleadstoimproveddonorretentionrates, increasedlifetimevalueofsupporters,andmoreefficient useofyourlimitedresources.
Youcanbeginyourmappingprocesswithpenandpaper ratherthanexpensivesoftware.Awhiteboardsessionwith yourstaffandvolunteers,usingstickynotestoplotdifferent pointsinthedonor’sexperience,canyieldvaluable insights.Freeorlow-costdigitaltoolssuchasMiro,Canva orevenGoogleSheetscanhelpyoudocumentandshare yourteam’sinsights.
Mostdonorjourneysbeginwithawareness:potentialdonors mustfirstdiscoveryourcausebeforethey’reinapositionto donatetoyou.Raisingawarenesstypicallyhappensthrough communityevents,socialmedia,word-of-mouthorlocal partnerships.
Forsmallerorganisationswithlimitedmarketingbudgets, authenticityandpersonalstorytellingoftenresonatemore powerfullythanpolishedprofessionalcampaigns.Yourinitial contactshouldclearlycommunicateyourmissionandthe tangibleimpactdonationscanachieveinlocalcommunities.
Onceengaged,donorsneedaseamlessgivingexperience thatmatchestheirpreferences.Thismightincludemultiple paymentoptions,clearcommunicationabouthowfundswill beused,andimmediateacknowledgementoftheir contribution.
Herearesomequestionstoconsiderandcommonfriction pointswehaveseen:
IsyourDonatebuttonoroptioneasytofindonyour websiteorsocialmedia,ordoesittakeafewclicksfor peopletogetthrough?
Doesyourdonationformincludequestionsthatmight disruptthedonationprocess(e.g.membershipnumber)?
Ifdonorsareaskedtocoverplatformortransactionfees, whatpercentageisthat,andwhatdoesthatamountto fora$10,$50,$100or$1000donation?
Theretentionphaseiswheremanysmallorganisations struggle,yetit'sfarmorecost-effectivetokeepexisting donorsthantoacquirenewones.Developacommunications planthatincludesperiodicimpactreports,invitationsto eventsorvolunteeropportunities,andpersonalised communicationthatrecogniseseachdonor'shistorywith yourorganisation.
Rememberthatthedonorjourneyiscircular:satisfied supportersbecomeambassadorswhobringawarenessto newpotentialdonors,completingthecycleand strengtheningyourcommunitybase.
Step5:Annualcampaign planning
Holdingrandomfundraisingappealswheneveryou're desperateformoneydoesn’twork.Strategic,planned campaignsdo.Thisstepisaboutmappingoutyour fundraisingyearsoyou'realwaysworkingtowards something,notscramblingincrisismode.
Thekeytosustainablecampaignplanningisbalance. Matchthefocusofyourcampaignswiththestagesofthe donorjourneyandmakesurethatyouhaveallstages covered.
Spaceyourmajorcampaignsatleastfourtosixweeks aparttogiveyourteambreathingroomandprevent appealfatigue.Varyyourapproachsoyou'renotsending thesame"urgentappeal"emaileverytime–donorswill quicklytuneoutifeverymessagesoundslikeacrisis.
Considerthebusyandquiettimesoftheyear.Juneand Decemberaregenerallythebusiesttimesoftheyearwith EOFYandChristmasappeals.Youusuallyneedatleastone monthofpreparationtimebeforeacampaigngoeslive.
Theremightalsobeculturaldaysorholidaysthatmightbe importantorrelevantforyourorganisation,e.g.Easter,Rosh Hashanah,Mother’sDay,Father’sDay.Usethequiet seasonsoftheyear(e.g.January,July,andwintermonths) forlearningandevaluations,orforplanningsmallerand moretargetedcampaigns.
Betweencampaigns,focusonsharingimpactstoriesand updatesthatdemonstratehowyourdonors’support makesadifference.This"givebeforeyouask"approach buildsgoodwillandkeepssupportersengaged.
Thegolden4:1ruleisthatforeveryfundraisingask,you shouldsendfournon-urgentmessages(impactstories, volunteerspotlights,programupdates,thankyous).
Step6:Findtherightfitwith afundraisingplatform
Withalltheresearchandplanningdone,it’salmosttimeto starttheoperationalphase.Findingafundraisingplatform isoftenthefirsttaskthatcomesup,asthisplatformisthe enginethatpowersyourdigitalfundraising.
Ifyouareagrassrootscommunityorganisation,easeof useshouldbeyourtoppriority,especiallyifyourteam doesn’thavein-housetechnicalexpertise.Theplatform shouldhaveanintuitiveinterfacethatdoesn'trequire extensivetraining,withclearsetupprocessesand straightforwardcampaigncreation.
Youdon’tneedanexpensiveplatformwith100different featuresyoumightneveruse.Youwantsomethingthatis simple,straightforward,andeasytoadjustwhenneeded.
Coststructureisacriticalconsideration.Platformfees, paymentprocessingchargesandsubscriptionfeescan eatintodonations.Someplatformsallowdonorstocover fees,afeaturethatcanhelpmaximisethefundsyour organisationreceives.
Whenitcomestoplatformfees,bemindfulofthe%the platformisaskingdonorstocoverhasanimpactonyour donorsexperience.Youmightnotseethecost,butdonors mightchurniftheyconsidertheplatformfeetoohigh(e.g. 5%andabove).
Datasecurityandprivacymustbecarefullyevaluated, particularlyforplatformshandlingsensitivedonor informationandbankingdetails.Lookforplatformsthat storedatawithinAustraliaandarecompliantwith Australianprivacylaws.Theplatformshouldclearlyexplain itssecuritymeasures,includingencryptionstandardsand howdonordataisprotectedandused.
Accesstoresponsivehumansupportcanmakean enormousdifferencewhenproblemsariseorquestions emerge.FororganisationswithoutdedicatedITstaff,being abletospeakwitharealpersonviaphoneorlivechat–ratherthanrelyingsolelyonhelparticles,email,or automatedAIresponses–canpreventsmallissuesfrom derailingfundraisingefforts.
Ifyouareconsideringanewdigitalfundraisingplatform, hereare10reasonswhyGiveNowwillmakeadifference foryourorganisation:
✅ Mostexperienced:Foundedin2001,weareAustralia’s firstdigitalfundraisingplatform,andwehavesupported over6000organisationsinraisingover$230million.
✅ All-in-oneplatform:Donations,events,memberships, crowdfundingandgrantssearchinoneplace.
✅ 100%Australian:Ourteamanddatastorageare entirelybasedinAustralia.
✅ 100%secure:Allbankingdetailsareencrypted,andno personalinformationissharedwithanythirdparties.
✅ Simpleandeasytouse:Theplatformrequiresno technicalexpertisetosetup.Someofourusersareover80 yearsold!
✅ Communityatheart:AsapartoftheOurCommunity group,wehavebeenservingAustralia’snot-for-profit sectorforover25years.
✅ Lowestfees:Ourplatformfeesare1.5%–3.5%depending onyourplan,and90%ofdonorschoosetocoverthefee. Ourtransactionfeesarealotlowerthanthoseof mainstreamproviderslikeStripe,Square,andPayPal.Learn moreaboutourfeeshere.
✅ Grantsdatabase:ProPlanuserscanaccessthegrant finderfeature,whichallowsthemtosearchoneof Australia’slargestgrantdatabasesforfunding opportunities.
✅ Comprehensivesupport:Phone,email,andgroupand 1:1onlinesessionsareavailabletosupportyour organisation’sonlinefundraising,andsoarefree fundraisingresources.
✅ FREEsignup:YoucantrytheplatformforFREE.Thereare nosignup,onboarding,orsubscriptioncosts,andnolockincontracts.
Step7:Craftyourstoryand yourask
Onceyouhavechosenafundraisingplatform,itistimeto createyourfirstcampaign.Thisstepisaboutcreating fundraisingmessagesthatconnectemotionallyand inspireaction.Therearesomanytipswecouldsharefor thisstep,butwehavepickedthetopfivethatarelikelyto makethebiggestimpactonyourdonors’experience.
Useasimplestructureforyourstorytelling
Whenitcomestowritingyourfundraisingcopy,thereare fourkeyelementstogreatstorytelling:theproblemyou're addressing,yourproposedsolution,theimpactyou're making,andaclearask.Thishelpsdonorsquickly understandwhytheirsupportmattersandwhattheycan dotohelp.
Lookingforsomeexamples?Checkoutoneofour customers–Dogs’RefugeHome’sdonationpage.
Useauthenticimages
Realphotosofyouractualprograms,clients,and volunteersbuildfarmoretrustthanstockimages. Remembertoobtainwrittenconsentwhenfeaturingpeople inyourfundraisingmaterials,andbetransparentifyou mustusestockimagesforprivacyorsafetyreasons.
Makeyourrequestspecificandsimple
Yourgoalistohelpapotentialdonorunderstandthebest waytohelpintheshortesttimepossible.Stateexactlywhat youneed,howmuchitcosts,andwhatitwillachieve.A clear,concretestatementlike"$50providesabackpackfor onechild"isfarmoreeffectivethanavaguerequestfor "ongoingsupport".
Createasenseofurgency
Givingpeopleacompellingreasontodonatenowisoneof themostpowerfultoolsinfundraising.Highlighttherealworldurgencyoftheissueyou'readdressing,ordrawon externalmotivatorssuchasmatchedgivingcampaigns wheredonationsaredoubled,endoffinancialyear(EOFY) taxincentives,orlimited-timeofferstiedtoaspecific deadline.
Saythankyou,meaningfully
Thankdonorsimmediatelypost-donationwithwarmthand apersonaltouch(youcancustomiseyourthankyou messageonGiveNow).Forlargergifts,makesureyou reachouttothedonordirectlyandsaythankyouinperson oronthephone.Remembertoprovideongoingimpact updatesthroughouttheyearforyourdonors,soyouare notshowinguponlywhenyouareaskingformoney.
�� BONUS:FeelfreetousetheAIpromptbelowtodraft yourcampaigntext.
Adjustthepromptsandthedraftcopytosuityour organisation’sneeds.
Helpmecreatethecausename,summary(200charactersor less),andcausetextforthedonationpageof[your organisation’sname].
Learnabouttheorganisationfromthewebsite[websiteURL] andtheinformationbelow.
[insertadditionalinformationhere]
ConsiderusingtheHEARTformulawhenwritingthecausetext:
Hook:Startwithacompellingstoryorstatistic
Emotion:Connecttofeelingsandvalues
Action:Makeaspecific,clearrequest
Reason:Explaintheurgencyorimportance
Thanks:Acknowledgedonors’consideration
UseAustralianEnglishspelling.Askmequestionsifneeded.
Step8:Planyourpromotions
Beforelaunchingyourcampaign,setacleartimeframe (typically,fourtosixweeksworkswellforasmall organisation)andmapoutaweek-by-weekpromotions plan,soyourteamknowsexactlywhat'shappeningand when,keepingeffortscoordinatedacrossallchannels.
Whenstartingout,sticktolower-riskchannelsthatyou alreadyhave:youremaillist,organicsocialmedia,and yourwebsitedonationspage.Asyourconfidencegrows, youcanaddpeer-to-peerfundraising,thenlaterconsider paidsocialmediaorsearchengineadvertising.
Peer-to-peer(P2P)fundraisingisparticularlypowerfulfor grassrootscharities.Itcanturnyoursupportersinto fundraisersbygivingthemtheirownfundraisingpagesto sharewiththeirnetworks.Thisapproachcouldexpandyour reachexponentially,aspeoplearemorelikelytogivewhen askedbysomeonetheyknowpersonally.
YoucangetcreativewithP2Pideas.Birthdayfundraisers, virtualcook-offs,artauctions,headshavesandmemorial fundraisersareallprovenformats.
YoursupporterscanuseGiveNow’sP2Pfundraisingtool, CrowdRaiser,tomakepersonalisedfundraisingeasy.Learn moreabouttheCrowdRaiserfeatureonGiveNowhere.
�� BONUS:Here’sasamplefour-weekpromotionplan.
Pleaseadjustbasedonyourorganisation'sneeds.
Week Channel Activity
Week1:Launch
Socialmedia
Announcementtoexisting supporters
Launchposts,dailystories andupdates
Week2:Build momentum
Website
Socialmedia
Addcampaignto homepage
Impactstoryfeaturinga beneficiary
Highlightearlydonors, shareprogress
Events
Hostavolunteerinfo session
Week Channel Activity
Week3:Peerto-peerpush
Socialmedia
Encouragesupportersto createP2Ppages
Featuretopfundraisers’ stories/progress
Week4:Final push
Resources
Socialmedia
Provideshareablegraphics andmessagetemplates
Urgencymessage("Only threedaysleft!")
Dailycountdown,goal progressupdates
Allchannels
Multipletouchpointsinfinal 24hours
Step9:Launchandengage
Launchdayhasarrived!Thisiswhereyourplanningpays off–buttheworkisn'tover.Activemonitoringand engagementduringyourcampaignarekeytoachieving campaignresults.
Chooseyourlaunchdaycarefully.Ifyouhaveprevious statsonemailopenrates,makesureyousendemailsat timeswhenpeoplearemostlikelytoopenthem.Otherwise, thinkaboutwhichdaysandatwhattimesyoursupporters aremostlikelytocheckpersonalemailsanddonate.
Alwaysdoublecheckforconflicts–majorsportingevents, publicholidaysandschoolholidayscouldreduce engagement.
Thefirst48hoursarecritical.Keepacloseeyeonyour emailopenrates(25%+isstrong,under15%suggestsyour subjectlineneedswork),yourclick-throughrates(aimfor 2–5%orabove),andyourdonationpageconversionrate (5–10%isaverage,10%+isexcellent).Lowsocialmedia engagementmaysignalyourcontentisn'tresonating.
Ifearlyresultsaredisappointing,don'tpanic.Testa differentsubjectlineorstoryangle,checkthatyour donationpageisloadingproperlyonmobiledevices,and reachouttotrustedsupportersforhonestfeedback.If emailisn'tworking,doubledownonsocialmedia–and viceversa.Adaptratherthanabandon.
Acknowledgedonationspubliclyonsocialmediawhere possible,respondpromptlytocommentsandmessages, andsharedonortestimonialstobuildsocialproof(inother words,peoplearemorelikelytodonateiftheyseeothers doingthesamething).ConsidercreatingacampaignspecificFacebookgrouporhostingamid-campaignlive Q&Atofosterasenseofcommunityamongyour supporters.
Lastbutnotleast,buildatest-and-learnapproachinto everycampaign.A/Btestyouremailsbysendingtwo versionstotwosmallsegmentstoseewhichperforms better.Ifyouarerunningads,tryoutafewdifferent combinationsofwordsandimagesbeforeyoupicka winnerandpouryourentirebudgetintoit.
Step10:Post-campaign actions
Thecampaignmaybeover,buttheworkisn’tdoneyet! Thegoodnewsisthatyouareveryclosetothefinishline. Remembertothankyourdonors,andsetasidesometime forinternalreview.
Showgratitudeandshareimpact
Sendawarm,personalthank-youemailwithin24hoursof theendofthecampaign,ontopoftheautomatedreceipt andthanksyou’vealreadysent.
Tailoryourlevelofgratitudetothesizeofthegift.Smaller donorsmightreceiveapersonalemailandasocialmedia shout-out,whilemid-rangeandmajordonorsshould receiveaphonecallorahandwrittennote,plusa dedicatedsocialmediapost,andaninvitationtospecial eventsifapplicable.
Evenifyoumissedyourfundraisinggoal,makeyour communicationspositiveandbespecificaboutwhatthe fundsraisedwillactuallyachieve.Breakitdowninto concrete,tangibleoutcomes–mealsprovided,trees planted,youngpeoplementored–ratherthanoffering vaguestatementsabouthelpingyourcommunity.
Whatevertheoutcome,yourcommunicationsshould alwaysbegrateful,positiveandimpact-focused.Donors havegiventheirhard-earnedmoneytoyourcause–honourthatgenerositywithclear,heartfeltmessagesthat makethemproudtohavesupportedyou.
About30,60and90daysafterclosingyourcampaign, sendsupportersdetailedimpactupdates.Includea breakdownofhowthefundshavebeenused,photosor videosfromyourprograms,andamentionofwhat's comingnext.Thisclosestheloopfordonorsandreinforces theirtrustinyourorganisation.
�� BONUS:FeelfreetousetheAIprompttemplateonthe nextpagetodraftacustomisedthank-youmessage.
Adjustthepromptsandthedraftcopytosuityour organisation’sneeds.
Helpmecreateacustomisedthank-youmessageand donationreceiptformydonorsusingthedetailsbelow.Use AustralianEnglishspellingandaskmequestionsifneeded.
Charityname:[e.g.WattleCreekFoodBank]
Location:[e.g.Cairns,Queensland]
Cause/focusarea:[e.g.foodrelief,youthsupport, homelessness]
Whoyou'rethanking:[e.g.financialdonor,volunteer,sponsor]
Theircontribution:[e.g.$150donation]
Messageformat:[e.g.email,card,socialmediapost,SMS]
Evaluationandlearningforfuturecampaigns
Tone:[e.g.warmandconversational,briefandsincere, heartfelt]
Impact:[e.g.provide30mealstolocalfamiliesthiswinter]
Additionalinfo:[e.g.upcomingevents]
Everycampaign,successfulornot,canoffervaluable lessons.Ashortpost-donationsurvey,combinedwith socialmediacommentsandemailreplies,canrevealwhat yourdonorsvaluemost,whatdidtheynotlikeinyour campaign,andwhatbarriersarosebetweenthemand makingdonations.
Bringyourwholeteamtogetherforastructuredreview.Go throughthehigh-levelnumbersfirst(e.g.fundsraised versusfundraisinggoal,returnoninvestmentforpaid channels),thenreflectonwhatworkedwellandwhatdidn't worksowell.
Discusswhatyouwoulddodifferentlynexttime,andclose thesessionbyagreeingonyourtopthreethingstorepeat andyourtopthreethingstochange.Writeitalldown.
Createasimplecampaignknowledgebase–afolder containingyouremailcopy,socialposts,performance metrics,feedback,andreviewnotes.Whenyou'replanning yournextcampaign,thisrecordwillsaveyouenormous timeandpreventyoufromrepeatingpastmistakesor reinventingthewheel.
Comparethesamecampaignmetricsacrossyearsto measureyourprogress.Changesindonornumbers, contentengagement,donordemographicsandaverage giftsizeareallimportantintelligenceforyourfundraising strategy.
Digitalfundraisingisnevertrulyfinished.Treateach campaignasonestepinanongoingcycle:plan,execute, measure,learnandrepeat.
Witheachcycle,yourmessagingsharpens,youraudience understandingdeepens,andyourresultscouldimprove. Whatbeginsasasimpleemailappealcangrow,overjust afewyears,intoasophisticatedmulti-channelcampaign raisingmanytimesyouroriginalgoal.
Jointhethousandsof communityorganisations usingGiveNow
Over6,000AustralianorganisationshavetrustedGiveNow topowertheirfundraising,fromtinyvolunteer-rungroups towell-establishedcharities.
Wehavesupportedtheminraisingmorethan$230million forcausesthatmatter,andwearegratefultothemfor theirsupportandkindwordsinturn:
"GiveNowiswellsuitedtosmallAustraliancharities,givesthe bestportionofdonator'smoneytotheorganisationwhenIdid acomparisonstudy,goodUX/UIforwhatweneed,givesall reportingrequirementsandgreatdashboards,simpletouse, anddoesn'trequirePaypal/Stripesetupwhichhasextraadmin andfees.”
–Kristie,BetterStreets
“IregisteredwithGiveNowwhenwecommencedourcharityin 2017.Theteamhasalwaysbeenveryhelpfulandfullofideasto assistwithfundraising.Iwouldcertainlyrecommendthemasa verygoodplatformtoreceivedonations.”
–June,Karuna
“GiveNowisanAustralianplatform,withREALpeoplebehindthe screen,peoplewhocareandsupportyou.ThankyouGiveNow!”
–Jyllie,LightnUp
Ifyou'relookingforanAustralianonlinefundraising platform,we'dloveforyoutotryGiveNowforFREE.There arenosign-up,onboarding,orsubscriptioncosts,andno lock-incontracts.
Weare100%localandsecure,andyouwillbeworkingwith ateamgenuinelycommittedtohelpingyousucceed.
Visitourwebsiteformoreinformation,orreachouttoour teamifyouhaveanyquestions.
Wecan’twaittowelcomeyoutoourcommunityand supportyourdigitalfundraising!