Did you know you don’t necessarily need to donate grand sums of money to support a cause that’s close to your heart?
You can help those in need and motivate others to do the same simply by utilizing tools you already have. Let’s look at how technology can support community fundraising that makes a difference in your community and for organizations like New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe).
The Promise of Technology
Technology serves as a catalyst, broadening and magnifying the influence and effectiveness of community fundraising. Such efforts can be targeted and personalized in a way that was never possible. The investment of corporate time, effort, and funds is minimized, even as the scope of the effort is widened. Results have proved highly successful.
If you’re not yet familiar with community fundraising, also known as peer-to-peer giving, it’s a highly effective way to reach many people. Similar in some ways to crowdfunding efforts, community fundraising follows few specific rules and relies on an ever-expanding network of contacts. You contact ten friends or associates who each contact ten others, who then contact more individuals — you get the idea. The expanding pool of potential donors is virtually unlimited.
Community fundraising is not limited to requests made through social media. A key supporter may organize a small-scale event and send email invitations, organize a bake sale or a walk-a-thon, or partner with others to solicit donations in other ways.
Many of NYBCe’s supporters, for instance, combine their P2P campaigns with a community blood drive. They may walk around the event, speaking with donors about NYBCe’s mission and discussing the importance of financial contributions. If an attendee can’t give blood for whatever reason or if someone just wants to make a gift in addition to their blood donation, there are multiple opportunities to show their support in one place.
By using social media and the power of the digital universe, individuals are empowered, and solicitation efforts are invariably enhanced. Often, the response is immediate and immediately gratifying.
Benefits of Technology-Based Fundraising
The goal of any fundraising campaign is to reach a large pool of potential financial givers. Keeping costs low in actual dollars, time, and effort while maximizing the return is critical. Online peer-to-peer efforts excel at maximizing the return on individual effort.
Online community fundraising with NYBCe not only simplifies financial collections, but it also does so safely and securely. Virtual platforms don’t eliminate options for selling tickets or merchandise, communicating information, addressing specific needs, compiling volunteer, financial, and blood donor lists, sending thank-you messages, or any other component of traditional fundraising. On the contrary, it makes those duties easier to manage while expanding your organization’s horizons for creative fundraising.
Tech-savvy people can create a giving page with pictures, text, and statistics and install a “donate” button. Those less comfortable with technology can communicate their commitment via text message or email and solicit donations less formally. Social media channels are so diverse that anyone with a cell phone or who sits down at a computer has the essential tools necessary to launch a P2P fundraising campaign supporting a cause near and dear to their hearts.
Mobile giving is another simple way to engage in community fundraising. All supporters need to do is text a code from their cell phones to a specific number. The financial donation will either be subtracted from the donor’s prepaid mobile balance or appear on their subsequent cellular bill.
NYBCe, for example, offers this peer-to-peer giving tool. You can simply text “NYBC” to the number 20222 to quickly yet securely make a $25 donation to NYBCe’s Annual Fund. You’ll then have the opportunity to enroll in monthly recurring gifts once the donation is finalized. Givers don’t receive any further communication or marketing outreach, so you don’t have to worry about spam or unwanted communication.
Text-to-Give options like ours are an excellent complement to your community fundraising or peer-to-peer giving initiatives because it’s so easy to use. Consider including your favorite nonprofit’s Text-to-Give instructions in your social media postings, email signature, or SMS texts to help recruit new givers and maximize your impact.
The Future Direction of Community Fundraising
At NYBCe, we recognize the potential for success by coupling community fundraising and technology.
We are currently exploring additional ways to implement robust and innovative ways to fund our lifesaving blood collections and ongoing blood research as technology has enabled the organization to execute and expand our lifesaving mission. If you’d like to make a financial contribution to NYBCe, consider making an online donation or visiting our Ways to Give page. Contact us to learn more.