Using social platforms to fundraise for charities
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Posted: Wed 2nd Feb 2022
Often, resources are tight and teams can be small, so we’ve put together this handy guide to help you inspire your community and drive action.
Using social media tools in the right way can help you raise awareness, attract new supporters for your cause and connect with valuable donors.
According to Facebook for Business, nearly 4 billion has been raised for non-profits and personal causes through fundraisers on Facebook and Instagram over the last five years. Since fundraisers launched in 2016, an incredible 85 million+ organisers and donors have made a real difference to people's lives.
The director of Individual Giving at Cancer Research UK, said: “It’s great to see innovative, new technology like this that make it easier for people to donate, in a way that suits them.” Charity Digital.
The positive effects of donating to charity
When you give to a charity, you create opportunities to meet new people who believe in the same causes that you do. Making a real impact on the causes that inspire you can also help fill your life with more meaning.
Promoting generosity in your children is also another great reason to give to charity. When your kids see you helping others, they’re much more likely to adopt a giving mindset as they grow up. It’s also important to realise that every little bit helps. You don’t need to break the bank to make a difference in someone’s life.
Benefits of social media marketing for non-profit organisations
Potentially increases your reach to millions of people.
It’s free to post.
Opportunity to build valuable relationships and connect to donors.
Attract new supporters.
Keep existing donors engaged with visual/interactive content.
Increase awareness and motivate action.
How do I fundraise on social media to get more donations?
Set up a Facebook page for your non-profit.
Use Facebook’s free tools.
Include hashtags to popularise your content and help you gain more followers.
Utilise live events - they allow supporters to see real-time updates of a fundraising event and inspire them to donate within the moment.
Ask followers to share their connection to your organisation by posting on their status section with a tag to your non-profit.
Use this handy guide if you need help getting started or have a question about receiving donations made on Facebook.
Raise money directly on Instagram through the donation sticker on stories and the donate button on the Instagram Business account. Learn how to set up a donation sticker.
Use stories - they are often viewed more than regular posts. You can also highlight the best stories on your profile to express more of who you are. This can help increase followers.
Use live events to share fundraising events. This will allow followers to participate actively in donating.
Combine Twitter and GoFundMe with your fundraising strategy.
Communicate with related accounts and comment/like their tweets to get yourself noticed. There’s a chance that those accounts will share your Twitter account/tweets and content with their followers, which can lead to even more followers for you.
Post daily if you can.
Write a clear message in your bio that expresses what your organisation cares about.
Additional tips for promoting a fundraising campaign
Birthday giving
Celebrate in a more meaningful way by creating a fundraiser for your birthday on Facebook. Your Facebook friends will receive a notification inviting them to support the cause in honour of your special day. Celebrity fundraisers to use Facebook for birthday donations include TV chef Gordon Ramsey, who raised £26,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital for his birthday. Create your birthday fundraiser.
Create a campaign plan
Decide what your goal is.
Define your audience and craft your messages based on who you’re talking to.
Analyse your campaign - use your chosen platforms analytics tools to measure performance. Pay attention to key performance indicators, such as shares and comments, page views or ticket sales etc.
Ensure you’re using the correct size for your images, depending on what social network you’re posting on. Sprout Social provides this great little guide for always-up-to-date images sizes.
Reach out to influencers
If you’re a small organisation and you’re struggling to get the word out about your fundraising campaign, social influencers can usually help with this. Identify people who have a large following and are active in the community you’re trying to target. Getting in touch with these people and asking them to mention your campaign can be a great way to increase reach and get more people engaged with your cause.
Say thanks and celebrate milestones
Celebrate your successes along the way by posting about them on social media.
Engage with donors on social media and thank them for their donations.
Use storytelling, images and video so your audience can see how their donations are making a difference.
Ready to talk? Connect with Matt today on Enterprise Nation.
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