75% of fundraisers think that future developments in tech will benefit them.1 They’re right to be optimistic, too — there’s plenty of advantages. But are you doing enough with the tech available to you right now?
Charities that are digitally active are far more likely to do better than those that aren’t, so you’ll want to stay in the know.2 And we’re happy to point you in the right direction. Here’s 3 ideas for digital fundraising that your charity should consider this year.
Contactless donations
Fundraising at the street level is faltering. And it’s all down to contactless payment cards.3 ‘Tap to buy’ terminals have sounded the death knell for pocket change across the nation. But this shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad thing for charities.
Some, like Blue Cross, have fought back by installing digital fundraising ‘hotspots’. Their most recent campaign rewarded contactless donations with video footage of pets receiving Christmas dinner. This helped to make donations feel less transactional and more emotionally involved.
Digital ‘hotspots’ like these have made street-level donations easy to do. What’s more, they’re quick. Contactless payment gives people less time to think twice about making a donation.
Online wills partnership
Beyond’s online will-writing service is breathing new life into legacy fundraising: it’s quick, easy to do and affordable for supporters. With us, you can customise legacy campaigns with your own messaging, helping you to reach supporters who are put off at the thought of making a traditional will.
Importantly, our service also gives you access to accurate and measurable data on your legators. This includes the volume and type of gift left in each will (where applicable). Having complete visibility on your charity’s bequests allows you to budget safely for the future. You’ll be able to see GDPR-compliant information on your ‘hidden’ legators too.
New social media
The use of digital tech in everyday life is affecting donor behaviours — 54% of them now prefer to donate online. This means that, without a digital presence, you’re likely missing out on a ton of opportunities to engage your supporters!
New social media platforms are a great place to start raising awareness. Non-profit Youth Music saw enormous success through its collaboration with TikTok, which helped young musicians reach a wider audience through short video content. The use of a simple hashtag, #MusicShapedMe, made it easy for people to like and share.
Twitter and Facebook are great springboards for online engagement. But ask yourself: are they the best platform for your charity? Make sure to stay abreast of new social media that you can use to connect with supporters.
Get in touch
Want to find out how Beyond can help your charity? Send an email to [email protected].
1. Manifesto, The Future Charity, 2019↩
2. Third Force News, ‘Digital is booming and charities are starting to join the revolution’, 2016 [accessed through https://thirdforcenews.org.uk/tfn-news/tech-special-digital-is-booming-and-charities-need-to-take-note] ↩
3. UK Fundraising, 2019 [accessed through https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/10/08/investing-in-contactless-fundraising-can-be-expensive-but-can-you-afford-not-to/#.XaROf0ZKiUk]↩
