What are some of the best practices for online fundraising for advocacy and policy campaigns?

1 Know your audience

Before you launch any online fundraising campaign, you need to know who your target audience is and what motivates them to support your cause. You can use surveys, interviews, social media analytics, and donor data to segment your audience by demographics, interests, values, and behavior. This will help you tailor your messaging, design, and channels to appeal to different segments and increase your conversion rates.

2 Set clear and realistic goals

Online fundraising campaigns should have clear and realistic goals that align with your overall advocacy and policy objectives. You should also have a way to measure and track your progress and impact. For example, you can use SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) to define how much money you want to raise, how many donors you want to recruit, how many actions you want to inspire, and how these will advance your cause.

3 Choose the right platforms and tools

Online fundraising campaigns can use a variety of platforms and tools to reach and engage your supporters. You should choose the ones that suit your audience, budget, and goals. For example, you can use email, social media, webinars, podcasts, blogs, videos, and online petitions to communicate your story, educate your supporters, and ask for donations. You should also use a reliable and user-friendly online donation platform that can process payments securely, collect donor information, and send receipts and thank-you messages.

4 Craft compelling and consistent messages

Online fundraising campaigns should have compelling and consistent messages that resonate with your supporters and persuade them to donate. You should use storytelling techniques to showcase the problem, the solution, and the impact of your advocacy and policy work. You should also use emotional appeals, urgency, and social proof to motivate your supporters to act. You should also make sure that your messages are consistent across all your online channels and platforms, and that they match your brand identity and voice.

5 Optimize your online donation process

Online fundraising campaigns should have an optimized online donation process that makes it easy and convenient for your supporters to donate. You should minimize the number of steps, clicks, and fields required to complete a donation, and avoid any distractions or errors that might cause donors to abandon the process. You should also offer multiple payment options, suggest donation amounts, and enable recurring donations. You should also test and improve your online donation page regularly to ensure that it works well on different devices and browsers.

6 Follow up and steward your donors

Online fundraising campaigns should not end after receiving a donation. You should follow up and steward your donors to build long-term relationships and loyalty. You should thank your donors promptly and personally, and show them how their donations are making a difference. You should also update them on your advocacy and policy progress and achievements, and invite them to join other activities or events. You should also segment your donors by giving level, frequency, and preferences, and customize your communication and appreciation accordingly.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?