There are many ways to fundraise on your own website including, auctions, raffles, online store and live streaming. Also it is a one stop show to direct people to when you launch any fundraising event.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the best features of fundraising websites that can help you maximize your fundraising potential.
An online page could be just one feature of a purpose built Fundraising website which carries different ways to make passive income. See more examples on the link at the bottom of this article for more ideas.
The Importance of a Donation Page
We are living in the digital age and when it comes to donations if you are not taking online donations from your website, you are ignoring that fact to your considerable loss. People like ex pats from your area see social media and a lot of them would like to support events back home. During covid, a lot of people invested money in beer gardens and have got used to not going to events so taking regular payments online is just essential.
Creating a Donation Page
Give a clear and compelling message that explains why someone should support your cause or organization. This message should be concise and engaging while also easy to understand. It should also be accompanied by images or videos that help to illustrate the impact of your work.
There are so many different ways to create a Donation page on your website but your choice can be determined by whatever website platform you are on.
- If you have a HTML website you can get great donation widgets from codecanyon for around $50/€55
- If you have a WordPress website you can get great donation plugins from codecanyon for around $25-$50/€25-€55
- If you have a Wix website then you can follow their tutorial but you need a premium plan
(see the links in the Topic Resources at the bottom of this post)
Provide Donation Options
Offer different donation options, such as one-time donations, monthly donations, or custom amounts.
This is a huge mistake that most seem to make regarding their donation form. You have a unique chance to upsell another donation product.
A club payments form for instance can feature donations, memberships, 50-50 draw, raffles, tickets, products, general payments
Promotion
Highlight the benefits of donating, such as supporting a good cause or receiving a tax deduction.
Share your donation page on the usual social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram
Run paid ads on social media platforms or Google to reach a wider audience. This is a good strategy for starting off with a donation page.
By creating a well-designed and optimized donation page, you can increase the chances of conversion and generate at least €1k per month. Follow the tips discussed in this article to create an effective donation page and promote it to reach a wider audience.
My personal choice
I use WordPress with the Elementor as my website builder of choice on all of my websites. I also use a separate WordPress dedicated payments plugin to create Donation forms.
This allows me to all of the donation features listed above for clients websites.
Increase Effectiveness
As well as these key elements, there are several best ways that you can help to increase the effectiveness of your online donation page.
These include:
- Providing social proof, such as testimonials or donor stories, that illustrate the impact of your work and the effectiveness of your organization.
- Creating a sense of urgency by setting a fundraising goal or highlighting a specific need that requires immediate attention.
- Offering donation matching or challenges that encourage donors to give more by matching or exceeding their contributions.
- Providing regular updates on progress of your campaign..
- Optimizing your donation page for search engines and social media to increase visibility and attract new supporters.
Additional Features
There are also some additional ways to get the most of your donations page. These are additions you can include.
- Tickets: Include ways to pay for tickets to your events
- Raffles: Take payments for your raffles
- Products: Sell products to your supporters
It is really important that you use social media in the right way to direct traffic to your donation page. A good tactic would be to decide a role for each of your social media platforms. Use facebook for a long text post which is continues the story on your website. Use twitter for short posts with a video also directing to your donation page while you can use instagram for your photos of an event. Try to use an original post for each platform so that people will follow you on all.
Keep a document on your computer, tablet and phone with the title of every social media platform. Write a list underneath each headning of hashtags for each of those platforms so every time you post, you can easily use those hashtags. This will make it faster and you will be encouraged to post more frequently.
Incorporate Social Proof: Share testimonials from past donors, athletes, or community members who have benefited from your sports club. Positive feedback builds credibility and encourages others to contribute.
Email Marketing Campaigns: Utilize email marketing to keep donors informed about upcoming events, campaigns, and achievements. Regular communication helps maintain donor engagement.
Stay Transparent: Be transparent about how the raised funds will be used. Provide regular updates on your website about the progress of the fundraising campaign and where the money is being invested.
Overall, an online donations page can be a powerful tool for fundraising and can help to engage your supporters and expand your reach. By including clear messaging, user-friendly donation forms and effective follow-up communications, you can create a compelling online fundraising website that inspires donors to give generously and keep coming back to.
