Interested in raising money online, but not sure where to get started? Learn the first ten steps from an industry expert who has helped nonprofits and political candidates raise over $225 million through harnessing the power of social media.

1. Social Fundraising 101:
How to Jumpstart
Your Social Fundraising Campaigns

2. Today
1. Why Social Fundraising?
1. How to Launch a
Campaign
2. Top 5 tips

3. $300 Billion
donated by individuals each year in the US
Source: 2008 Chronicle of Philanthropy

4. Online Giving is on the Rise
13%online giving
35-55%
2010 growth rate
2010 giving
Source: 2010 Blackbaud, 2010 Giving USA
n.b.: ―large‖ non-profits growing online giving at 55%

5. People
ask People
to give.

6. Social
changes everything…

7. Psychology of Engagement
Happy Giving
people makes
give people
more. happier.
Oppenheimer & Olivola (2010), Isen & Levin (1972), Aderman (1972), Harris & Huang (1973), Kazdin &
Bryan (1971), Isen, Horn & Rosenhan (1973), Konow & Earley (2008), Wang & Graddy (2008), Williams
& Shiaw (1999), Batson (1987, 1991), Cialdini (1987), Plato, Aristotle, Bible, Torah, Koran, etc. etc….

8. How it Works

9. The most important thing:
Launch
- Don’t aim for perfection… You have to launch
a campaign and learn from it!
- You get a 2nd, 3rd, and even 30th chance to
make a 1st impression

10. Case Study
Annual Campaign:
Target: $125,000
Japan Campaign:
$18,045
Test Campaign:
$3,995
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr

11. Social Donation
Every supporter was asked to
recruit her neighbor, boss,
co-worker, friend…

12. Results
136
= 17,053
Gifts Impressions

13. Results
52% increase in donation yield…
$12,300 + Social-Multiplier Cycle = $18,695

14. Goal: $20,000,000

15. Goal: $20,000,000

16. Goal: $5,000,000

17. Goal: $100,000,000

18. Your Launch Plan

19. The Basics
Step 1: Pick an objective
People “give through,” not “to”
example…
“We are raising $22,500 by October 15 for a
new classroom at our Buwaidhaa school in
Sudan… This means educating 30 more
students!”

20. The Basics
Step 2: Sanity-check your
target
– Is your date less than 3 months out?
– Is your $ target achievable?
formula… example…
10,000 supporters
X of supporters
#
X 2% response rate (historical actuals)
X $75 average donation $22,500
1.5 social multiplier

21. The Basics
Step 3: Set giving levels
– Make them meaningful
• $50 buys 10 used textbooks
• $500 sponsors one child through graduation
• $5,000 sponsors a classroom of 30 students
Remember…
People give “through,” not “to”

22. The Basics
Step 4: Upload content on Fundly
Pick a
short video
Use
pictures Keep text to a
with human minimum
faces

23. Launch!
Step 5: Send out an email
– Use your existing list
– Use the strategy you already built
• Target: ―We are raising $22,500 by October 15…‖
• Objective: ―This will allow us to open one new classroom…‖
– Make the email personal—address it from you
– Send personal update emails once per week

24. Launch!
Step 6: Facebook
– Share with your personal network once per week
• Make it personal
– “Join me in building a school! We are 50% of the way to
adding a classroom for 30 kids in Sudan”
– Post to your Facebook Fan page daily
• Ask questions
• Provide updates

25. Launch!
Step 7: Twitter
– Tweet 2x per day - Lunchtime and quitting time
– Use hashtags
– Retweet

27. Launch!
Step 8: Recruit help
– Get your top supporters to set up their own pages
• Think: board members, volunteers, celebrity endorsers,
partners, etc.
– Rinse and repeat: the bigger the team, the better the
results

28. Launch!
Step 9: Embed on your site
– Get your webmaster to embed the donation form on
your own website
• As easy as embedding a YouTube video
– Make sure all channels of communication are aligned
for the duration of your campaign
• Email
• Direct mail
• Website
• Social networking

29. Victory
Step 10: Celebrate!
– Announce your milestones
– Post updates to Facebook and Twitter, encouraging
continued donations
– When your goal is reached, shout it from the rooftops!
• People like to be part of a winning team
• Thank them for their support and they will support you again
• Where possible, provide evidence of the difference the money
is making (on-the-ground photos and video)

30. Top 5 Tips
1. Start with your current
supporters
2. Do not be shy
3. Make a direct ask
4. Tell donors what their money
will do
5. Align all channels

31. Good Luck!