How to maximise fundraising through your virtual campaign!

Posted by Ben Crook on 3 April 2020

In the age of technology, it’ll take more than a virus to halt the fundraising train! Whilst physical events are off the cards, many charities are finding huge success by combining live streaming services like YouTube Live, with fundraising platforms such as Givergy. Through these, they’re able to beam a full, live run-of-show straight into their donors’ living rooms, creating an interactive, fun and competitive environment ripe for fundraising. These ‘virtual events’ are a perfect and novel way to maintain charitable income whilst respecting social distancing guidelines.

Think About Time Frames

We recommend considering two options here. Firstly, the ‘virtual event’ described above, where the focus of the fundraising is on a live-streamed 1-2hr window, designed to emulate the traditional gala dinner.

The second is a longer campaign, spread over a week or more and with no ‘virtual event’ at the end. The success of these relies on regular and engaging communication with your donor base throughout, ensuring that momentum is maintained from start to end. You could, for example, hold a silent auction across the length of the campaign, punctuated with a ‘pledge push’ on one day and a prize draw on another!

Donor Matching

Having one, particularly generous donor who volunteers to double the amount raised – often up to a given maximum value – is a great way to boost your profits and spur your other supporters on. In the absence of a regular ‘match funder’, perhaps look through the giving history of your regular donors to identify a potential candidate? Even if it’s somebody who gives a consistent amount each year, outside of your physical event, why not see if they’ll link it in with your online campaign and help push others to give at their limit, too!

Adapt Your Auction Item Collection

With most of us confined to our living rooms, the prospect of holidays to far-flung locations likely won’t whet your donors’ appetite in the way it did a month ago. So, if an online auction is part of your ‘virtual event’ or campaign, you might want to think carefully about which items you offer or, more importantly, the key terms and conditions which accompany them. For example, a holiday to the South of France to be taken by September 2020 would likely be deemed a rather risqué bid; whereas the same package with a year’s extension to September 2021 suddenly becomes a different proposition entirely. If your struggling to source what you need from your regular donors, drop Givergy a line and we’ll happily talk you through our extensive collection of auction items.

Create A Buzz

Now, more than ever, charities need their donors to step forward and give generously, but creating buzz and hype in the absence of a live event can be a daunting prospect. Do you have access to celebrity ambassadors or patrons who might be able to join in? Could they record a message which you could send out with the campaign, or could they part of your live-streamed ‘virtual event’? We’d be more than happy to lend our minds to helping you come up with a creative solution, so drop us a line if you’d like to chat.

If you would like to learn more about how we can support your fundraising needs, please get in touch, we’d love to help.

Contact us

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.