7 Ways Software Will Improve Fundraising Efforts
Advances in technology have revolutionized practices in just about every industry, and the nonprofit sector is no different. According to DonorSearch, 72% of charitable giving comes from individual donors. That’s hundreds of people with unique characteristics and preferences that your organization needs to keep track of. Manually managing it all is nearly impossible, so fundraising software is now essential.
For this reason, organizations are opting for a more streamlined, automated approach that puts the power in their hands (and takes the workload out of their hands). The right software offers multifaceted tools that aid in these 7 key areas.
1. Diversify Funding Avenues
It sounds all too easy, but sometimes the only reason potential donors haven’t given is that you haven’t given them the opportunity! The hard truth is that many organizations are still relying on outdated methods like physical mail to reach people. In reality, the old school ways of giving are now a barrier for some donors – especially younger people that want to a quick, automated way to give digitally. Consider ways to diversify funding avenues by generation.
Software can help you discover when and through what avenues your donors are giving, and why specific causes matter to them. Equipped with this nuanced information, you can diversity funding avenues in a way that makes sense for your audience.
2. Data for Strategic Decision-Making
Data provides both a broad and detailed overview of whats happening in your organization. With this information, patterns emerge and accurate decisions are easier to make. Software does the heavy lifting of collecting and organizing data, along with generating charts and visuals that help your team understand it faster.
Many organizations are still on a learning curve when it comes to data. According to a Nonprofit Hub study, 90% of nonprofits said they were collecting data, but a whopping 49% expressed uncertainty about how the data was being gathered. This is an issue that will continue to receive more attention in the nonprofit world, as becoming a data-driven organization requires a culture of collaboration and data transparency. As your team learns the real-time story behind your data, you can translate it more clearly to your audience and keep them in the loop.
3. More Creative Campaigns
Creativity is often left to the individual or team running a nonprofit’s marketing campaigns. But the weight of the burden doesn’t have to fall entirely on them. Nonprofit software provides ready-made, customizable templates so you can update your audience without spending precious hours on design. With a more polished, professional, and branded look, your audience will recognize and appreciate your consistency and commitment to your cause. From there, you can begin to experiment with small changes and test the effectiveness of creative campaign ideas.
4. Enhanced Donor Communication
With software that gives a 360-degree view of the people involved in your nonprofit, communication between parties is seamless and easy to track. It can be quite difficult to recall when you last contacted a particular group. You might also lose track of when you sent out your last marketing campaign. Or to whom! Communication can quickly turn into a muddled mess of uncertainty without a contact management system. This is another area where software facilitates in organization. You can ensure all communication are professional, timely, and in sync with any deadlines.
5. More Effective Event Management
Especially for smaller organizations, it’s tempting to assume that running in-person events doesn’t need to involve technology. Organizations can use software to track attendance and participation, organize any payments and budgets associated with events, sell tickets, and more.
Video analytics is another fascinating up-and-coming tool allowing event-holders to generate data insights from videos of their worship services, fundraisers, or meetups. Tracking events digitally also provides an added layer of security to help identify unfamiliar visitors or activities faster.
6. Customized Solutions & Tailoring
Are many of your donors in special circumstances? For example, one of your audience segments may be mothers of children with autism. Or you may have a significant following of retirees who show interest in volunteering opportunities. Tailoring your giving avenues to the unique needs of your audience increases their likelihood to give. Additionally, it shows you appreciate them and understand their circumstances. Software allows for customized relationship-building and fosters a mutually beneficial bond between you and your donors.
7. Leveraged Online Communities
Online communities have obviously taken off on platforms like Facebook. In today’s world, in-person meetups often experience postponements or end up lost in the shuffle of a busy week. For this reason, online connections often serve as the main pillar that sustains a community. Software helps connect your donors digitally to the cause they care about. It can even facilitate in-person projects as groups get comfortable interacting online.
With all the digital platforms and resources that exist, things can become complicated fast. Having your whole team learn various different platforms for different functions can be tedious and time-consuming. For this reason, a comprehensive, all-in-one tool simplifies day-to-day operations, provides much-needed data insights, and permanently streamlines fundraising.
Go Beyond Fundraising Software!
Fundraising software can do great things for churches and nonprofits. Unfortunately, no platform provides everything you need to excel. Schedule a Discovery Call with the experts at DonorWerx today, and we’ll help you understand the bigger picture.
