Three ways to improve your fundraising 

Building deeper connections with your supporters is an important part of fundraising. By creating a loyal bank of donors, charities can rely on a regular income stream, grow their legacy income, and focus on getting their funds to where it really matters: helping their beneficiaries.  

 

With lots of competition out there, however, it can be hard for charities to make themselves known to potential supporters, let alone bring them along as lifelong donors. It takes a lot of trust, transparency, and communication along the way.  

 

Indeed, what really makes the difference is the ability to show them where their money is going. According to a report from Microsoft Tech for Social Impact, nearly 60% of donors say they would give as much as 10% more if fundraisers would be transparent regarding the use of the donations 

 

In this article, we outline three ways that charities can deepen those connections to elevate and make the most of their fundraising.

 

 

Build trust 

 

Transparency is the best, and most efficient way, of generating trust between your charity and its donors. Charities should be ready to communicate their progress and disclose how donations make a difference. In short, it’s all about being aware of your impact and communicating it, preferably in real-time.  

 

It’s okay if you’ve not reached your goals yet, as long as you are showing how you get there. Some charities do this effectively on the website, showing how many services they’ve delivered, how many people they’ve helped, and in how many locations.  

 

Humanitarian organisation charity:water, for example, has a running total of the number of clean water projects it has funded and how many people they’ve helped on its home page, complete with explanations on how these numbers are reported.  

 

Other charities, such as the NSPCC, Oxfam, and Mind, have pages on your site dedicated to breaking down where each donation goes and how it makes a difference.  

 

There are also sites that rate charities like Charity Navigator, Charity Clarity, and Giving What We Can. These tell donors the most salient information that will help them understand how their chosen charity works. Having a good rating on these sites will only deepen trust with the most savvy of donors.

 

 

Make donations convenient 

 

The fewer steps involved in making a donation, the more likely a supporter will complete it. With user experience being more scrutinised than ever – thanks to the likes of commercial giants – donors expect convenience and would like the donation process to be smooth and, ideally, personalised.  

 

Online giving has grown rapidly since 2020. One survey showed that income from digital donations are currently two-thirds higher than they were in 2017. So getting the formula right is vital to ensure that the people who want to donate to you can – generating plenty of good will in the process. 

 

Microsoft TSI outlines three key tips when it comes to meeting donors where they want to be met. 

 

1. Include a donate button on your webpages and in all your communications and marketing. Directing donors quickly to where they want to go is part of reducing the steps it takes for them to donate.  
   
   
2. Diversify payments methods. In addition to inviting payments with direct account withdrawals, credit cards, and debit cards, use services and payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle, as well as other payment apps in your country. This means that everyone should be able to pay in the way that they want to. Also consider setting convenient, recurring payment options so donors can donate every month or quarter without stress – though make sure they also know they can cancel at any time.
   
   
3. Use your tech. The donation management capabilities of your CRM system – for example, the Fundraising and Engagement section in Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit – can help charities process recurring gifts, pledges, one-time donations, and split donations, while Microsoft Azure integrates with leading banks and widely-used credit card gateways including IATS, Moneris, and Stripe. This means donors can trust the platforms they are donating through, while charities can tailor the donor journey to them, using the data they’ve collected in their CRM. 

 

 

Collect better data 

 

Using their data has become a big priority for charities, with 47% of organisations citing it as key in the Charity Digital Skills report last year. In fact, using data more effectively was the second most important priority for charities overall for the coming year. 

 

The way charities use data is instrumental in driving lasting connections with supporters and donors. Firstly, they can use it with their CRM system to shape and tailor their communications, so that donors are engaged with on their preferred channel and at the right time. For example, a supporter who has just donated would be grateful for a thank you message, but unlikely to respond to a request to donate again so soon. 

 

Secondly, donors want to know that you will act responsibly with their data. This means being cyber secure and, once again, being transparent about how you’ll use it. Charities have been fined thousands of pounds in the past for improper data use and it often makes the headlines.  

 

Charities should record all the information that matters—like donation amounts, sources, times, and dates—while assigning unique donor identifications so you can observe their histories with your organisation. This is part of GDPR good practice and can prevent cyber criminals from accessing any sensitive data.  

 

Protecting data is a key part of building trust with your donors, and trust is the bread and butter of fundraising in 2022.  Without it, donors can’t be sure that their investment in your charity will make the returns they hope for – namely, help for the communities their charity supports.