The message of a fundraising campaign can now reach anywhere in the world. How do you get to the right people?

Social distancing, teleworking, online schooling. These are just a few of the new terms that we've been used to for more than a year. In the case of civil society, another term has been added: digital fundraising. Digital fundraising is a concept that refers to exploiting the opportunities provided by technology to increase the attraction of funds. And it looks like it's going to make a difference when it comes to surviving civil society in the long run.

According to networkforgood.com, "worldwide, online donations increased by 23% in 2018 (compared to 15% in 2017). And the monthly online revenues of non-profit organizations have increased by 40% as recurring donation options become increasingly popular among online donors." 

51% of young people say they donated through a website, and 37% used their smartphone to donate. And since, globally, 91% of young people under 25 have a mobile phone, it seems that this is the future and we must prepare for it, the same source shows.

Platforms that can facilitate digital fundraising must be aligned with a good communication strategy and a fundraising plan established from the outset. With the help of technology, the message of the fundraising campaign can reach anywhere in the world. It can reach out to very different types of audiences: large donors, national or international, small diaspora donors or friends of theirs, a in any fundraising campaign, you have to identify what connects you to your donors, why they choose your organization, how they prefer to communicate and stay connected to the cause. There are also campaigns that have attracted funds or been promoted for fundraising message, others because they have been cool and trendy.

One campaign you've surely heard of was the famous #icebucketchallenge. The global phenomenon not only attracted $135 million in donations, but also opened up a new perspective on digital fundraising. Those who watched the video of people pouring ice water into their heads were urged to try on their skin what it means to be affected by sclerosis. Whether they donated or not, over 17 million clips were uploaded to facebook in a month. The campaign went viral because it urged people to put themselves in the shoes of those who are affected by multiple sclerosis.

There is no perfect recipe for a viral campaign

If #icebucketchallenge created a fashion, Movember created a tradition. Australians at the Movember Foundation dedicated November to raising awareness of the health problems faced by men. From the 30 people who participated in this movement in the first year, the company grew to over 1 million people in 2010. And now more than 5.5 million people in 20 countries are raising their mustache in November in solidarity. 

There are many international campaigns that we can give as an example of good practice: no make-up selfie, batkid or love has no label, and much more. But there are also fundraisers from Romania who have carried out successful campaigns, putting donors / influencers in the shoes of those affected. An example is the Magic Association and their campaign for #MagicHome which raised 500,000 euros in the first 3 weeks. What was magical about this campaign, as with #icebucketchallenge, is that donors were able to experience what it means to be with your child on your hospital bed for hours on end. We introduced this campaign to the digital fundraising category because media echoes and fundraising messages were predominantly online through those who posted themselves experiencing what they felt in those moments and urged donations.

As with #icebucketchallenge or #magichome, the new trend in marketing is to use influencers to promote your campaign. Along with social influencers, non-profit organizations are increasing their visibility in the market and bringing more supporters along with the cause they represent. 

More and more organizations in Romania are running digital fundraising campaigns together with marketing departments. The Regina Maria Social Innovations Foundation, Autism Voice or the Little People Association are just some of the organizations that use social media and influencers to viralize their fundraising campaigns and seem to be successful.

But do not give importance to those who tell you "leave me, I will make a viral campaign". You will hear from many marketing companies that they will help you have a campaign like never seen before. Before you believe them try to understand the strategy they propose to you and test the product that is offered to you. 

Search for the right niche, the right time and the right audience

I am convinced that you have appeared in your feed articles and clips "suggested" or "sponsored", sometimes uploaded some time ago. The figures you see as the number of reactions or views are given by the sponsoring effect. And someone has invested in promoting it so that it doesn't get lost among the hundreds of posts you read every day. With well-set parameters you can see the promotion of a campaign as a fundraising message or a kind reminder for those who said they would donate when they saw the first message, but forgot. 

Whatever it is, don't try to copy and report your fundraising campaign to #IceBucketChallenge or any other viral campaign. What you can do is look at them as case studies, take the most relevant information and try to integrate it into your campaign. This way, you can be sure that you'll create content that can generate actions, commitments and donations. Use these strategies and variety of messaging across campaigns and it's possible to find the right niche, timing and audience so your campaign stays in history.

The new fundraising is based on reach, constant online presence and permanent connection with the organization's donors.