10 Steps to Online Fundraising Success and 4 Mistakes to Avoid

This afternoon, I’m presenting on this topic at CADCA’s National Leadership Forum, the nation’s largest training conference for community substance abuse professionals. You can check out the entire presentation HERE. (While you’re at fundraising123.org, also check out John Kenyon’s More Than a Donate Button: Composing Your Online Fundraising Plan in ‘09 presentation.) My top ten are:

1. Get the tools (decent website, DonateNow button, email signup, email campaign tool)
2. Put your DonateNow button and website address everywhere
3. Create and fuel your email engine.
4. Now make sure people give: Focus on the AUDIENCE.
5. Answer for prospective donors: why me?
6. Answer: what for?
7. Answer: why now?
8. Answer: who says?
9. Thank early and often.
10. Do the advanced stuff (like social media)

What to avoid?

1. Thinking a DonateNow button alone is an online fundraising program
2. Putting yourself at the center of every message—that’s where your audience belongs
3. Having a lame, confusing or ill-considered call to action.
4. Being ungrateful—thank your supporters lavishly, over and over

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/12 at 10:52 AM

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Comments

That’s a very useful and succinct list. Well done.

I gave a presentation on getting the basics right in online fundraising (ie. avoiding mention of social media, which was difficult) at yesterday’s Institute of Fundraising North conference in York, England.

I’d have happily directed the audience to your slide as you’ve summed up my hour’s talk in one blog post. Great stuff.

Will bookmark your post on delicious.com so that it feeds onto the front page of UK Fundraising (http://www.fundraising.co.uk).

Posted by Howard Lake on 02/13 at 07:36 AM

Katya:

Excellent list. I’d also recommend to your readers an interview I recently did with Allison Van Diest of Blackbaud about online fundraising and the crucial role that little “donate now” button plays. It’s a great podcast filled with some excellent stats. You can listen to it on my site at http://www.wsradio.com/internet-talk-radio.cfm/shows/Marketing-News-Radio/archives/date/selected/02-04-2009.html.

I also have another podcast interview on my site (http://www.davidkinard.com/media.htm) with the president of Nonprofit Times.

- David Kinard

Posted by David Kinard on 02/14 at 12:54 AM

also use spell check! this morning alone i received two emails with very apparent misspellings, all before 10am!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/17 at 11:53 AM

I found your blog on Google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future. Thanks for the informatics post. You can find some more here: http://www.submit20.com

Posted by Social Bookmarking on 05/31 at 05:12 AM