Part 2: How To Be Confident In Your Digital Strategy

Posted by Jordan Morris on 15 June 2021

We kicked off a recent blog series exploring the skills gap within the charity sector and digital world in our May blog – The Digital Gap – What You Need to Know. This month, we’re taking a closer look at how to be confident in your digital strategy.

The Importance of a Digital Strategy

An effective digital strategy helps non-profits expand their reach, develop a captivating story, and achieve their fundraising goals. Emphasizing a digital presence will enhance your fundraising potential and improve your supporter experience Despite the evident benefits of a comprehensive digital strategy, over 51% of UK charities confess they don’t have any kind of digital strategy in place. 

I’ve recently been tasked with developing our case studies portfolio and one example springs to mind. Little Kids Rock proves the importance of a digital strategy by exceeding its initial target of $25,000, raising over $100,000 using digital fundraising technology. You can read more about it here.

Take The Leap

Creating an effective digital strategy begins by having the confidence to try something new. In this report, 66% of UK charities rate their digital skills as low. When you consider non-profits’ tight budgets and resources, you understand why so many do not feel confident taking a risk and investing in new digital technologies.

However, we’ve seen time and time again if your organization is willing to take that initial jump, tremendous results will follow. For example, Georgia’s Lanier Forsyth Rotary Club recently adopted online ticketing for the first time during their annual event, Down and Derby. Their audience was accustomed to receiving traditional paper tickets as a souvenir from the event. With this in mind, there was some reluctance to embrace a digital alternative.

However, the Rotary Club combated the possible issue by providing their supporters with a glossy postcard that included event details and a QR code linking to Givergy’s online ticketing platform on one side, and photos of past events on the other. In order to access the event, supporters still had to buy an online ticket but those who attended could keep the postcard as a token of the night. Additionally, because the postcard was not the actual ticket, the organization was able to mass-distribute them, further spreading the word of the event. The event ended with 450 guests attending compared to the 300 expected.

The Proof Is In The Results

Just this one example proves how overcoming the fear of trying something new can lead to a better experience and greater results. Your newfound success, in turn, breeds confidence in your ability to adapt to digital. It’s time to stop questioning the benefit of a digital strategy and begin building one – which, by the way, is much more enjoyable!

Next Up

As part of our Digital Gap series, our next instalment will take a closer look at the best ways to utilise your online network to increase interest in your events. Make sure to stay tuned and check out our previous blogs and recorded webinars for additional resources. 

Jordan Morris

Givergy

Jordan joined Givergy after studying Politics with International Relations at the University of York. He has over two years experience within the charity sector working as a face-to-face fundraiser and as a constituency campaigner. After experiencing the sector from within and knowing first-hand the impact digital solutions can make to fundraising strategies, Jordan is now dedicated to innovating the way charities fundraise to ensure they maximise returns from every fundraising campaign.