When you think of online donations or fundraising appeals, what comes to mind? You probably think of sitting at a computer, but this is actually only one of the ways that online donations can be made. Here are 3 ways that you can incorporate online donations into your ‘offline’ fundraising.
1. Place links in your printed materials
Using a link to your donation page on your electronic newsletter or email can be very effective, but you can actually do this on paper as well – eg. stationery, posters, or leaflets you hand out. Using a URL shortener is a simple way to make it easy for your donors to enter the web address into their browser.
2. Mobile giving
There are a number of ways to get people to make online donations from their own 3G or 4G device as you talk to them face-to-face. You could use a QR code, or NFC (Near Field Communications) tag to open your donation page up on your donor’s smartphone. Charity Checkout also gives you another way to do this – Smart Text Giving replies to your donor’s message with a link to your donation page.
3. Use tablets at events
When you exhibit, set up tablets with your donation page on. This way, your supporters can make their donation themselves, there and then. Make sure you provide regular Direct Debit.
As you can see, there’s more to online giving than you might have thought, and it can help you with every area of your fundraising.
