6 fundraising tips for a successful year

A new year is here, giving nonprofits a chance to fulfil their goals and create a positive impact.

This period marks the start of new fundraising campaigns and all the more opportunities to raise awareness for your cause and amplify your impact.

To help you get off to a flying start in 2024, iRaiser offers 6 essential tips for a successful fundraising year.

1. Review your fundraising strategy

As you know, as a charity it's easy to become overwhelmed by day-to-day activities and lose sight of your long-term vision. That's why it's crucial to set targeted objectives and put in place a strategy to achieve them. What better time to create your annual fundraising plan than at the beginning of the year?

So take this time to evaluate the successes and challenges you've encountered over the past year. By reviewing your previous strategies, you can create a plan to make the most of your fundraising in the coming year.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What fundraising campaigns have worked? 
• What are your main fundraising objectives for the coming year?
• What KPIs do you use to assess your performance?
  
  

You can then draw up your annual fundraising plan, adding to it the campaigns and events you wish to organise, based on a clearly defined budget.

If you need help building your fundraising strategy, download our guide

2. Adopt a multi-channel approach

Today we must engage donors through diverse ways to meet their varied preferences. To achieve this, your organisation needs to diversify its fundraising channels and adopt a multi-channel approach.

So it's time to offer donors a range of ways to support your cause, according to their preferences and interests.

So explore the opportunities offered by charity events, peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives and crowdfunding. By diversifying your fundraising channels, you increase your chances of reaching a wider audience and encouraging potential donors to get involved.

Remember to share your campaigns on social media to spread the word and connect with new and younger audiences. SOS Children's Village does this well, by actively promoting its campaign on platforms like Instagram and TikTok through the use of video content and engaging storytelling.

3. Review your online donation forms

Your donation form is the heart of your digital fundraising. Now that you have a clearer picture of your annual fundraising plan and the various campaigns that will punctuate your year, let's take a closer look at your online donation page.

Make sure you create one donation form per campaign to optimise the donor experience and ensure consistency. Use widgets such as the "last donor banner" or the most popular amount.

Finally, donors appreciate transparency, so highlight equivalents directly on your donation forms, to show the concrete impact of different donation amounts. It's important to illustrate in concrete terms how a donation can have a significant impact on the achievement of your missions.

Would you like to discover 5 simple ways to improve your donation process and optimise your donation form? Read our article!

4. Make technology an integral part of your fundraising campaigns

In 2024, the use and implementation of online platforms for fundraising has become the norm. But are you using other tools or solutions in your fundraising strategies?

Whether it's giving you ideas for fundraising campaigns or creating personalised content for your supporter groups, using technology wisely can free up time and improve the overall effectiveness of your fundraising efforts.

So don't hesitate to explore different AI-based solutions such as ChatGPT or Midjourney. You'll be able to personalise your interactions with donors even more and optimise your fundraising strategies.

Finally, we couldn't mention technology without mentioning the potential of online gaming and streaming, particularly on platforms such as Twitch! On these channels, online fundraising campaigns can benefit from the dynamic engagement of the gaming community. So don't hesitate to team up with influential streamers to boost awareness and prompt real-time generosity.

By harnessing the potential of interactive online media, you not only broaden your reach but also expand the horizons of your fundraising efforts!

5. Make sure you use the right fundraising tools to collect donations and analyse your data

When you start your fundraising year, it's essential to make sure you have the right tools to help you maximise your performance and impact.

Choose an advanced online donation platform

When it comes to your online fundraising platform, choose one that evolves with your organisation's changing needs. It should offer a seamless user experience, with clear donation forms and intuitive navigation. An advanced platform should allow you to create unlimited donation forms, a variety of campaigns and offer advanced features to optimise your fundraising.

Need help assessing whether your fundraising platform really meets your organisation's needs? Read our article: 7 signs it's time to change your online fundraising platform

Choose the right customer relationship management software

Whether it's new supporters or loyal contributors, building and maintaining strong relationships is crucial to your organisation. An effective CRM platform is your ally in building and maintaining these relationships. As well as centralising your customer data, effective CRM tool will provide you with valuable data for in-depth analysis. This will enable you to make informed fundraising decisions.

By choosing your CRM software and online fundraising platform wisely, you'll have a solid foundation on which to launch your fundraising year. The right digital tools will help you create memorable fundraising experiences and save time and up efficiency.

6. Engage your supporters with high-impact charity events

Online and offline events are excellent ways of engaging your supporters. From virtual fundraising events to face-to-face events, you can create memorable experiences that strengthen ties with your cause.

One great example is the Oxfam Trailwalker. During this yearly event, participants walk 25 km in 7 hours to raise funds on behalf of Oxfam. The participants were able to create their own fundraising pages. This type of fundraising event enabled Oxfam to involve hundreds of supporters and raise more than €400,000 during its last edition.

Get your donors actively involved in your events too! By making events part of your fundraising strategy, you can strengthen the emotional connection towards your cause and generate lasting support from your committed community.

You can also use a digital fundraising solution that will allow you to easily manage your fundraising events, like iRaiser's Community Fundraising Platform. If you don't want to plan an entire event, you have the option to participate in a local fundraising event. In this case, you can ask your supporters to  raise money on your behalf.

By following these tips, you can maximise your impact, mobilise your community and successfully advance your cause this year. With the right strategy and the right tools, your non-profit organisation can enter a new fundraising year with confidence. Want to know more about the fundraising trends that can help boost your fundraising in 2024? Read our article!