How to Inspire a Fundraiser

The Potential of Social Networking

When your fundraising team begins to experience the sales that will be generated by the Internet, the excitement will build—it will become contagious!  An excellent place to start would be social sites that virtually everyone is an active part of.  Social networking is personal, and because of this, your volunteers will feel intimately involved which will generate plenty of passion and zeal for their cause.   

Sales can dramatically increase—almost exponentially—when social media such as Facebook and Twitter are utilized.  Think of these facts:  According to Blackbaud research; more than 42% of Americans have Facebook accounts; more than 16 million users share Twitter; and don’t forget YouTube which is becoming much more socially interactive and ranks 2nd as the most-used search engine---in the world!  Blackbaud joined forces with another research team, Charity Dynamics, and provided some impressive data which tells us that since personal web pages and personal email promotions for fundraising began to take hold in 1999, the fundraising arena has grown like a wild fire.  Since that year, online donations have expanded by 50% yearly!  The research teams analyzed more than 1,750 fundraisers; and they state:  “In all cases, our research demonstrated that participants who use social media tools set higher fundraising goals, raise more money and reach more donors….Twitter users increased their personal fundraising goals at least three times more and raised nearly 10 times more online than their peers who did not use Twitter.”  The research indicated that Facebook usage for fundraising campaigns is a very strong communication tool, as well.

According to Blackbaud, Facebook users have an average of 130 friends; and each Twitter account averages 70 followers!  These figures, alone, should serve as motivation for anyone involved in a fundraising campaign!

Combine Social Media with a Search Engine Giant

Using social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, speaks for itself; but, as mentioned, utilizing YouTube in addition to social media will serve to greatly expand a campaign’s audience and sales potential.  By including the impressive coverage of YouTube as part of your campaign toolbox, you will open up a whole new advertising dimension and allow your volunteers to reach out to a much wider donator base.  It is almost guaranteed your volunteers’ enthusiasm will increase as much as sales!  Making a video or slideshow is very easy; and once you accompany that with a downloaded musical score, your team members will be chomping at the bit to get the word out!  A picture truly IS worth a thousand words; and with musically-accompanied videos or slide displays, emotions will be generated; and it is emotion that sells! 

Take, for example, an animal-in-need campaign on YouTube showing sad, furry faces longing for a home--it will stir the souls of many.  Or, how about a school, in an underserved community, that desperately needs some new playground equipment?  Whether it is canine cuties or adorable children making a plea for contributions, one can fully expect increased responses—perhaps more than one would have ever imagined.  YouTube affords a high-quality message with powerful emotional appeal; and with 800 million views a day, it is a virtual gold mine for a campaign crusade!

Getting a fundraising idea off the ground with all the media sites available at one’s fingertips is easy and creates impressive profit potential.  In turn, your team members will be as excited as you are; and chances are good they will want to partner with you to do it all over again!