The 4 Dos and Don’ts of Modern Mobile Fundraising

John Killoran • Jun 03, 2019
These days, most of us are always on our smartphones and your organizations supporters are no exception! The convenience of mobile giving methods has led many nonprofits to adopt them, and they’re only becoming more popular. When your organization implements a mobile giving platform, you can reach more donors faster.

While implementing mobile giving methods is a great way to attract the wave of millennials acting for change to your cause and your organization, donors in all age groups use this convenient platform.

Today, we’re taking a look at a few crucial dos and don’ts for an effective mobile fundraising strategy. Whether you’re just getting started with mobile giving or are looking to update the methods that you’re currently using, we recommend that you:
  1. Do provide multiple options, including text-to-give.
  2. Don’t make your other online donation tools inaccessible on mobile.
  3. Do reach out to your donors on their preferred platforms.
  4. Don’t neglect the power of social media.
We’ll start by exploring one of the most important reasons to offer mobile fundraising methods: convenience for your donors. You can make it as easy as possible for them to support your organization when you provide them with multiple mobile giving options.

1. DO PROVIDE MULTIPLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING TEXT-TO-GIVE.
Your supporters love mobile giving options because they can give at any time from wherever they are. Because of this, they’re an excellent choice for events and other moments when your donors are especially motivated to contribute to your organization. Ensure that you provide your donors with multiple means of giving via mobile.

An online giving page that’s mobile-responsive—that is, one that you can access and use as easily on a smartphone as on a desktop or laptop computer—is an essential step in providing your donors with mobile giving options. Don’t have an online giving page set up yet, or think yours could use a makeover to modernize it? Check out Snowball Fundraising for a list of free nonprofit software that you can use to revamp your online giving capabilities.

However, making your online giving page mobile-responsive is only the first step in a strong mobile fundraising strategy. Your organization will also want to offer text-to-give service, one of the fastest and easiest donation methods around. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Your organization’s online fundraising software assigns you a designated text-to-give number and shortcode. Supporters text the shortcode to the number to initiate the donation process, so you’ll want to share that information wherever possible. Put the number and shortcode on your website, on social media, and post them on signs at your events.

Step 2: Your supporters text the shortcode to the designated number. In response, they’ll receive a link to an automatically drafted email. They complete their donations by following the link to send the email.

Step 3: Your supporters send the email, completing their donations! If it’s their first time giving to your organization via text-to-give, they’ll have to enter some basic payment and personal information before their donation is complete. However, once they’ve entered this information once and chosen to save it for future giving, they’ll be able to complete all subsequent gifts in just two taps!

Unparalleled when it comes to convenience, text-to-give is a form of mobile fundraising that your organization shouldn’t miss out on. However, you’ll want to make sure that mobile users have access to the full range of your online donation tools so that they can give according to their preferences.

2. DON’T MAKE YOUR OTHER ONLINE DONATION TOOLS INACCESSIBLE ON MOBILE.
Text-to-give is just as convenient for donors giving from home as it is for those giving at special events. However, donors who are used to making their contributions using your online giving page or who want to learn more about your organization before they give should be able to do so using your website. Mobile users should be able to access and use your online giving page quickly and easily.

One effective and efficient way to ensure that your online giving page is mobile-responsive is to choose a set of online donation tools that offers both online and mobile giving options. When you use this software to build or revamp your online giving page, it will be accessible on computers and smartphones.

As you’re modernizing or refreshing your online donation page as part of your mobile fundraising strategy, you have more to consider than simply whether your donors will be able to use the page on their mobile devices. Don’t forget:
  • The necessity of accessibility. Regardless of the device they use to arrive there, visitors to your website and your online giving page shouldn’t be confused as to where they need to go to make their donations. A highly accessible website that’s easy to understand and use will encourage more visitors to complete their donations.
  • The importance of branding. Visitors will find your website and your online giving page more credible and trustworthy when they see familiar elements such as your organization’s name, logo, and color scheme, and fonts. Make sure that at least some of these elements show up on the version of your online giving page that shows up on mobile.
  • The value of convenience. Donors who use your online giving page should be able to complete their gifts quickly. Limit the number of required fields into which they have to enter information, and be sure to provide them with the option to save basic payment and personal information so that they can make future gifts more quickly.
Looking to update the online giving tools you’re currently using? Especially as your organization establishes itself online, it helps to have software that’s more customizable and more tailored to nonprofits than a more general system such as PayPal. If you’re ready to modernize and upgrade this foundational component of your online and mobile giving strategies, explore some effective PayPal alternatives here.

Once your online giving page is set up and accessible via desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile, your organization is ready to begin sharing the page and encouraging donors to take advantage of mobile and online giving opportunities. To reach them most effectively, send your communications using their preferred channels.

3. DO REACH OUT TO YOUR DONORS ON THEIR PREFERRED PLATFORMS.
All of your donors share an interest in your organization’s work and a commitment to your cause. However, it’s almost certain that different groups of your donors have different ways of staying up-to-date on your organization’s progress. Share information about mobile fundraising opportunities across the platforms that you use to communicate with your donors.

Whether your donors choose to access your communications and updates on their computers or their smartphones, they should never have difficulty viewing or interacting with your content. Don’t forget to include links to your online giving page that are easy to follow and use on any device. Reach all of your donors with a communication strategy that encompasses:
  • Email. Emails are an efficient and effective means of communicating with your supporters, as you can send out an email communication to a list of donors at the click of a button. Ensure that the link you include to your online giving page works on mobile since many people check their email on their smartphones.
  • Website updates. For many of your supporters, your website is their most trusted source of accurate and updated information on your nonprofit’s work, current and upcoming projects, and donation information. Keep your website up-to-date and ensure that all of it, including your online giving page, is mobile-responsive.
  • Social media platforms. While it’s undoubtedly a great way to connect with millennials, social media isn’t just for young people anymore! Your organization will reach many more current and potential supporters when you interact with them on popular platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
The ubiquity of smartphones has led people to spend a lot more time online, especially on social media. Make sure you aren’t completely ignoring this aspect of your fundraising strategy!

4. DON’T NEGLECT THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
When it comes to your supporters’ behavior and daily lives, smartphones and social media are closely related. Almost everyone has an account or two these days. If your organization doesn’t yet have a presence on the most popular platforms, now is the time to get started.

Whether you’re new to social media or familiar with it, take the time to ensure that mobile users can access your giving tools from your social media accounts quickly and easily.

Wondering how many social media platforms your organization should join? The answer is: as many as you have the time and skills to manage and update effectively. Especially for smaller nonprofits, more social media accounts isn’t always a better choice! The best strategy is often to stick to the most popular platforms. Once you’re there, ensure that you:
  • Make giving easy. Link to your online giving page in your posts as well as in a permanent location somewhere on each of your profiles. The link should be easy to find and follow, whether donors are visiting your page on their computers or their phones.
  • Engage your followers in creative fundraisers. You can offer your social media friends and followers plenty of ways to support your organization, from selling merchandise that spreads the word about your nonprofit to getting your most dedicated supporters involved as volunteer fundraisers in a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
  • Take advantage of each platform’s unique strengths. Want to write longer posts and reach the widest possible audience? Facebook is the way to go. To interact with your supporters in shorter messages, consider Twitter. Instagram is particularly well-suited to sharing text-to-give information, as you can share a video of the text-to-give process in action on a smartphone screen.
When you engage your supporters through your use of social media, they’ll feel more connected to your organization and will be eager to donate. Ensure that your online giving page is easy for them to access and use no matter what type of device they’re coming from.

The secret to attracting donors who care lies in making each one feel personally connected to your cause and your organization. When you communicate the good work your organization does through your social media accounts and other online channels accessible via mobile, your supporters are sure to listen and give.

A strong mobile fundraising strategy is an essential component of your organization’s overall fundraising plan. When you focus on personalizing your approach toward different groups of donors and offering them convenient mobile giving methods, they’ll respond positively and remain lasting supporters of your organization.

About the Author
John Killoran

John Killoran is CEO of Snowball, an exciting new fundraising technology that makes it easy for people to donate in two clicks from text, email, web and social media sites. John pioneered SMTP payments and has been a major innovator in the mobile payments space for the past 5 years. When he is not running a company, he is cooking food for his family and telling his dogs to stop barking.

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