So you have a great cause that you really believe in? It may be saving the rainforest, promoting zero waste, funding education for underprivileged children… It could be anything.
It’s great that you want to gather the money for that cause but unfortunately, you may quickly find out that others don’t believe in saving the planet as much as you do.
It’s difficult to get people to dig deep into their pockets, and donate money for charitable goals. That’s why you have to make some extra effort to get people to put money where their mouth is and keep the donations flowing in.
You’ll be glad to know that you don’t have to flip your donors upside down to get some money out of their pockets. There are other, more traditional methods that will ensure you get the funds you need. Let’s see what you can do to get people to donate.
Create a Buzz Around the Event
There’s nothing more engaging than a good storyline. People just love a good story. That’s why you should make sure to create relatable content that will get people to donate for your cause.
Then you can promote it via YouTube, email and social media. One of the great campaigns about saving the rainforests, for example, motivates people to donate by showing a regular person with an ordinary life we can all relate to, and elaborating on how and how not to help the rain forests.
With a great sense of humour, that’s a necessary part of every successful commercial.
Text-to-Donate
How many times have you checked your phone today? 20, 30, 100 times. In fact, you are probably looking at your phone right now and reading this post. An average person looks at their phone 80 times a day.
We stare at our phones while we eat, drink coffee, when we wake up in the morning and before we go to sleep at night. But what if I tell you that there’s a way to turn this smartphone obsession into your benefit?
It’s simple, really. All you have to do is to set up a text-to-donate campaign. Just use one of the mobile chatbots to send a bunch of text messages to numerous numbers and tell people about your charity.
Then ask them to send a message to a certain number to donate. When they do, the chatbot will automatically send them a thank you note confirming that their donation is received.
Hosting a Themed Event
Forget about a boring suit-and-tie galas, why not host a themed event and get your guests to show up dressed as Tarzan and Jane? Ok, that might be a little bit far-fetched, but a 60s-themed party might be just the thing to get more people interested in the goal you support.
Nothing like a hippie commune party to get people to give away their possessions for the greater good.
You can also choose to get them involved in a different way. Host a Strictly themed event and your guests will be more than just entertained. Seeing how much effort you have put in to putting the show together will make them want to be a part of it, and get them to reach for their pockets.
Direct Mail
You may think that snail mail is an ancient technique that should be left behind alongside pigeon mail and fax machines, but nothing can be further from the truth. Well, as the popular meme says, brace yourself, ’cause according to the Blackbaud Institute, the number of donations that comes through the direct mail is almost 90%.
This means that direct mail is not only alive and well, but also that the vast majority of donations come through direct mail. The easiest way to get donations via direct mail is to send a letter explaining your campaign alongside a payment slip that people can easily use to make a payment to your account.
And then sit back, relax and wait for all those donations to come in.
Don’t Forget to Say Thank You
If you want your donors to keep coming back and donating money to your organisation, you have to show your appreciation again and again. Why not send them a personalised thank you note, or give them a shout-out on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
By remembering to thank your donors, you will ensure for recurrent donations and build a loyal community of your supporters.
Getting people to dig into their pocket and contribute to a good cause might be tougher today than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean that it’s mission impossible.
With these few tips you will undoubtedly get people to care about your goal as passionately as you do, and they will gladly give away a part of their earnings to support it.