Your Online Fundraising Page:

10 Steps to a Successful
Online Donations Fundraiser

An Online Fundraising page, also known as Crowdfunding, is the perfect fundraiser for individuals, small nonprofits, and specific projects!

Crowdfunding is also being used successfully by many large charities and it really holds some massive potential.

Below is the step-by-step process of setting up your page and fundraising from it successfully!

A Simple Step-by-Step Guide...

This page is the easy to follow and simple step-by-step guide.

You can download it as a PDF (and print it out) for quick reference and guidance as well, if you wish! Something I would highly recommend you do!!!

For deeper understanding of why you should follow the following steps, please read the links provided in each step, or read all 3 of the Online Donation Success articles.

Please remember that ALL steps are important! Especially the second half of them.

Let's start...

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Successful Online Fundraising:

Step 1 - Ask Yourself?

The first step is to truly ask yourself if your fundraising cause is good enough to receive donations.

The simple test question: Will my friends and family donate to me, us, or this cause?

Because if they won't, then nobody is going to! (And remember that for individual causes, most of your donations will come from people you know.)

If that answer is yes, then you're ready to take the next step and get started...

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Step 2 - Signup:

This is the easy step.

Head over here to signup and get started.

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Step 3 - Post Title, Fundraising Goal & Pick a Category:

Use a catchy title that will stand out and connect with people.

For example: Be a Hero in Sam's Fight Against Cancer

You should already have an online fundraising goal, but if not, you'll need to put some careful thought into what it should be.

Also remember to incorporate the Crowdfunding platform's service fee when setting your goal.

You’ll also need to select a category for your page to be listed on.

Once you've done those steps, then...

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Step 4 - Create & Post a Photo or Video:

People are image oriented, so this online fundraising step is important.

It's also well known that campaigns with videos raise far more than those with only a photo.

So creating a video that tells your cause's story, connects emotionally with those that watch it, and has a clear call to action is HIGHLY recommended!

If you don't have a video, then start with a great photo that "speaks the cause", and then create a video when you can, to replace it.

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Step 5 - Write Your Fundraising Message (Elevator Pitch):

This is the message of the fundraiser.

Write a pitch that:

• Starts with short, single sentence paragraphs that begin the explanation of why you are fundraising and why you need the readers help.

• Is generally written with short paragraphs. People scan when reading on the net and they won't read long paragraphs. So no more than 3 lines a paragraph.
• Tells your causes story in an emotionally connecting way, and makes your donor feel like a hero. You need to relate and connect on an emotional level to get your potential donor to take the action of donating!

• Explains why they should donate (invest) in you or your cause. Why is your cause so special or important!
• Has a CLEAR call to action! You must ask and prompt people to donate. Also give them other specific ways that they can support you, like sharing your page on Facebook, etc.

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Step 6 - Create Rewards (Optional):

This is optional but can be great motivation for people to take that step to donate.

If it fits with your campaign and you're able to set some rewards, then I'd recommend you do it.

Have a few reward options and definitely have one for $25... Stats say that this reward amount is the most frequently donated to!

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Step 7 - Plan your Promotions:

Doing the first 6 steps will mean absolutely nothing if you don't do these next few, the promotion of your online fundraising page, effectively!

If no one sees your page, no one will donate to you. The same principle applies with - the more people that see your page, the more people who will donate to you!

And the more people that see your page, the more people who will share it, and therefore promote it further. Your intention MUST be to have a campaign that goes viral!

You MUST share and promote your fundraising page...

• With everyone you know.
• With every method possible. Sharing on Social Media, phoning, speaking face to face, and asking friends to speak to friends!
• As many times as reasonably possible - without being too pushy.

So write down a strategy and checklist for promoting your Crowdfunder over the period of time you intend to fundraise for. With "starting", general, weekly, and daily actions.

And make sure you follow that strategy thoroughly!!!

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Step 8 - Seed your Campaign:

People do what they see other people do. It's a basic law of humanity.

When someone sees that another person has donated to or shared an online fundraising campaign, then they are more inclined to do the same.

It makes the cause seem more worthy as it has someone's stamp of approval.

The bottom line is no one wants to donate to a cause that no one else is donating to. The same goes with sharing it!

So, do both of the following...

Step 8.1 - Seed Donations:

Get your 5 closest friends or family (or more), contact them directly (like via a phone call or speak to them in person) and get them to donate to your cause the day/hour you launch it.

You'll also get them to take part in the next seeding step...

Step 8.2 - Start Sharing:

You must start off the sharing of your page. If you don't, no one else will!

Share it on every Social Media site that you're connected on (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Linked In, etc.).

And don't just say, "Please support my cause!" Write up a great post (that's not too long), that really encourages people to go to your fundraising page and donate!

And then, as with the step above, get your 5 or more, closest friends and family to do the same!

For deeper info on seeding, read here.

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Step 9 - Continue Sharing & Update:

As your online fundraising campaign progresses, you must continue to share it and update your supporters with its progress.

Not to mention, publicly thanking donors as they donate, or once a day in a list of all donors for the day (see the final step).

Be sure to post this on Facebook and tag all their names so that your post goes on their walls. This will mean it will also show up on some of their friends' news feeds!

You can also set your settings to automatically make a daily Facebook post. You may not want to do this though, as you might want your daily post to be a bit more personalized. It's up to you.

Posters:

Some platforms also provides a printable version of your fundraising page.

This poster displays your Title, campaign image, and page link (url), plus a QR Code for smart phone users to easily open your fundraising page.

Post these posters up wherever you can, on local bulletin boards, at your school, at your church, and at your local sports clubs, etc.

Fundraising Widget:

If you have a website or blog, or know someone who does, then you should definitely make use of the fundraising widget/badge that is provided.

It's essentially an interactive button/block that can be placed on a website or blog, and will advertise your campaign, with a direct link to your page.

See the examples below...

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Step 10 - Thank & Communicate with Donors:

Finally, but utterly important, is to thank your donors profusely and continue to communicate to them your fundraiser's progress.

You want them to feel really special for having donated to you! They must be a 'hero' of your cause and they must know that!

Not only is this just a good thing to do, but it will also encourage them to share and talk about your fundraiser to their friends... Widening the reach of your campaign!

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Crowdfunding Summary:

Essentially there are two major parts to creating and running a successful online fundraising campaign:

1. Create an awesome campaign page -> that connects with your potential donors emotionally and makes them feel like a hero if they donate.
2. And Promote that online fundraising page ferociously! -> From beginning to end, continually share and promote your page in a way that makes people click through to it and want to donate to it!

For more elaborate guidelines on running a highly successful online fundraising page, read all three of the Successful Online Donations Fundraiser articles.

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Ready to Start Your Fundraiser?

Then head over and get your Campaign flying!

I wish you all the best of luck!!!

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