Truth or Consequences: Online Fundraising
Earlier this month, we traveled to Washington, D.C. to lead the session “Truth or Consequences - What’s New Online that Truly Works,” at the 2017 Bridge Conference. If you missed it, that’s okay! We have a few key highlights from the session we think you should know.
Ready to play? Let’s start with the big truths in online fundraising:
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Last year, online giving grew by 7.9%
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Online giving exceeded $25 billion - about 7.2% of U.S. donations are now coming from online
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Online giving has jumped 30 fold in the last 15 years!
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However, the rate of online growth is slowing sharply.
Can you think of any reasons why? Here’s a few of our thoughts:
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Stabilization after the recession
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More nonprofits are fundraising online
Now, let’s get the game started! All answers will be at the bottom of the post — no cheating!
#1 Truth or Consequences? The lights have gone out for lightboxes (modals) — overuse and competition have slashed their effectiveness.
#2 Truth or Consequences? With the seismic shift to mobile browsing over the past couple of years, if you haven’t already built a separate mobile website, that should definitely be a top priority in 2017.
#3 Truth or Consequences? Remarketing has emerged as one of the most exciting online marketing trends in years and is fast becoming a viable online fundraising tool.
Answer Key
#1 Consequences!
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Even though many feel annoyed by modals, they are still very effective.
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Uses extend beyond a single donation ask — have you tried upgrades or sustainer asks?
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Go beyond your homepage — look at your stats and place on other high-traffic pages!
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Beware — Google has started penalizing organic SEO results for mobile pop-ups effective January 10, 2017.
#2 Consequences!
While there are some rare cases when a separate mobile site will serve you best, building a separate mobile web presence can:
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Dilute your domain.
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Hurt organic search results.
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Require high maintenance expenses.
#3 Truth!
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While expensive, the costs to test this channel have come down in the last year, and remarketing is proving to be a powerful tool in fundraisers’ arsenal.
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New tracking tools are proving that it is an effective way to amplify your fundraising message and drive potential donors to donate.
How’d you do? Want to learn more truths or consequences in online fundraising? You’re just going to have to reach out to us! Let’s continue this conversation on social media, or over a cup of coffee!
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