Online Fundraising: Harnessing technology to build and maintain relationships London Fundraising Summit 24 September, 2008

Agenda: Presentation: Conversations = Conversions Management = Messages Case studies, reports, resources... Networking break Small group work session Small group reports and closing Question & Answer

Presentation:

Conversations = Conversions

Management = Messages

Case studies, reports, resources...

Networking break

Small group work session

Small group reports and closing

Question & Answer

Conversations = Conversions Good tools are those that most easily, efficiently and effectively enable conversations between you and your constituents. Why is the conversation so important?

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Conversations = Conversions We have conversations all day long, right? Over coffee, on the phone, etc. Why use social media instead of only face to face?

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Chart from OneNW

Management = Messages We have everything stored and sorted already, in our heads. Why use online tools to manage your constituents?

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Software The Raiser's Edge Sage Software – Sage Fundraising 50 Version 7.0 DonorPerfect Visual Edition 8.0 (installed) DonorPerfect Online (ASP) Mission Research GiftWorks eBase Version 2.12 eTapestry Salesforce.com Telosa Exceed! Basic Telosa Exceed! Premier TowerCare Technologies DonorPro http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5961.cfm

The Raiser's Edge

Sage Software – Sage Fundraising 50 Version 7.0

DonorPerfect Visual Edition 8.0 (installed)

DonorPerfect Online (ASP)

Mission Research GiftWorks

eBase Version 2.12

eTapestry

Salesforce.com

Telosa Exceed! Basic

Telosa Exceed! Premier

TowerCare Technologies DonorPro

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page5961.cfm

Management = Messages We've made lists and categories and ladders and more; can we be finished? Why not take a little time to test what you are doing for success?

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Testing Optimost http://www.optimost.com/ Google Website Optimizer http://www.google.com/websiteoptimizer Offermatica http://www.omniture.com/en/

Case Studies Using the ladder of engagement with constituents. Amnesty Canada

Case Studies Testing your website and email messages. 2008 e-Nonprofit Benchmarks Study http://www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/ Next 11 slides from Benchmarks Study presentation, NTEN

Year-end Homepage Test Results Donation form won - brought in 8% more gifts (number of gifts) Raised 8% more dollars in donations $1,000 and under Raised 10% more dollars in donations $500 and under Did not hinder homepage interaction – bounce rate for the homepage stayed relatively unchanged

Donation form won - brought in 8% more gifts (number of gifts)

Raised 8% more dollars in donations $1,000 and under

Raised 10% more dollars in donations $500 and under

Did not hinder homepage interaction – bounce rate for the homepage stayed relatively unchanged

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

We Publish Our Stats We send meaningful stats to all staff and provide analysis to encourage them to focus on: List growth: requires extraordinary efforts (paid marketing, SEO) Current events and personal stories: actions perform better w/ either element Syndication: web traffic and RSS feeds are email alternatives Search rankings: dependent on good writing Fundraising: everyone contributes to our fundraising success By publishing comprehensive meaningful stats for the entire organization, we spark curiosity and competition among staff.

We send meaningful stats to all staff and provide analysis to encourage them to focus on:

List growth: requires extraordinary efforts (paid marketing, SEO)

Current events and personal stories: actions perform better w/ either element

Syndication: web traffic and RSS feeds are email alternatives

Search rankings: dependent on good writing

Fundraising: everyone contributes to our fundraising success

By publishing comprehensive meaningful stats for the entire organization, we spark curiosity and competition among staff.

Action Web Confirmation By comparing ourselves to other NGOs, we get good ideas to test. Changing the web confirmation to donation form raised $46,000+ since December and tells us which issue inspires donors. Top issues: torture, Tibet, Darfur. Our Tibet action went to 450K+ and raised $15K+ via the web confirmation donation page. Loser issue: death penalty Best performing action in Feb., raised $0.

By comparing ourselves to other NGOs, we get good ideas to test.

Changing the web confirmation to donation form raised $46,000+ since December and tells us which issue inspires donors.

Top issues: torture, Tibet, Darfur.

Our Tibet action went to 450K+ and raised $15K+ via the web confirmation donation page.

Loser issue: death penalty

Best performing action in Feb., raised $0.

EXAMPLE ANALYSIS SENT TO STAFF: Fundraising: - We continue to monitor actions that inspire our activists to donate. Darfur consistently tops the list of actions garnering the most donations. This month, the Shi Tao action and war on terror related actions also performed well. The death penalty, although it brought in the most actions, did not prompt people to give. We’ve seen similar results in direct mail.

Multivariate testing Make the most of your web traffic by testing variations of your design. Tiny changes can have profound affects. Doesn’t require you to use precious email capital and improves overall usability of your website Improved usability leads to greater confidence in your organization and less frustrated supporters

Make the most of your web traffic by testing variations of your design.

Tiny changes can have profound affects.

Doesn’t require you to use precious email capital and improves overall usability of your website

Improved usability leads to greater confidence in your organization and less frustrated supporters

Big red button By changing the standard grey “submit” on our donation form to a large red “submit”, we got a 29% lift in our conversion rate .

By changing the standard grey “submit” on our donation form to a large red “submit”, we got a 29% lift in our conversion rate .

Utility nav tweak changing the order of the utility nav items and changing “donate” to a bold, green “donate now” provided a: 70% lift in overall traffic to the donation form 83% lift in total $ raised

changing the order of the utility nav items and changing “donate” to a bold, green “donate now” provided a:

70% lift in overall traffic to the donation form

83% lift in total $ raised

Right pointing arrows Adding some right pointing arrows to the word “Donate” on our homepage donate button provided a: 5% lift in overall traffic to the donation form 55% lift in total $ raised

Adding some right pointing arrows to the word “Donate” on our homepage donate button provided a:

5% lift in overall traffic to the donation form

55% lift in total $ raised

Case Studies Having conversations online. Organizations using Twitter, Blogs, Social Networking sites, and more!

Strategy Building I have heard about lots of cool tools and I'm sold on using social media - let's go! Using the POST method will help you keep your goals in front of cool tools.

POST Method from Forrester

Resources CommonCraft.org - Videos explaining social media tools in plain English TechSoup.org - Reviews, forums, research and more Idealware.org - Reviews and comparisons of tools/software NTEN.org - Community network, reports, research and more

CommonCraft.org - Videos explaining social media tools in plain English

TechSoup.org - Reviews, forums, research and more

Idealware.org - Reviews and comparisons of tools/software

NTEN.org - Community network, reports, research and more

Us Jonathan Waddingham Justgiving.com [email_address] Twitter: jon_bedford http://justgiving.wordpress.com Amy Sample Ward NetSquared.org [email_address] Twitter: amyrsward http://amysampleward.org