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Limited budgets and stretched resources can make it difficult to focus on infrastructure development. But the good news is, automation can be the solution to these obstacles.
We've rounded up 7 practical ways you can automate your donor experience to make fundraising easier and more effective than ever before.
Ask the right questions:
Ensure a smooth donation experience by asking the right questions and providing clear tasks before donors contribute. Customizable fields on donation forms can help gather necessary information to personalize the donor experience.
Example: When setting up a donation form, you can add customizable fields that collect information about the donor's interests or reasons for donating. With this information, you can personalize your communication and keep donors engaged with your cause.
Set visual donation goals:
To encourage donors to contribute towards your fundraising goals, you can use a campaign tool that visually represents your donation targets. (Harness has a great one) This not only motivates your donors to help you reach your targets but also provides transparency and accountability to your fundraising campaign.
Example: Let's say you want to raise $100,000 for a new building project can create a fundraising thermometer on their website that tracks their progress. This not only motivates donors to help reach the target but also provides transparency and accountability to the fundraising campaign.
Customize email templates for every stage:
Creating custom email templates for each stage of your fundraising campaign can enhance your donor experience. Ensure that each email addresses relevant content and reflects your brand's unique voice to make donors feel valued. (coming soon to Harness)
Example: An animal rescue group can send an email update to donors after a successful adoption event, thanking them for their support and including pictures of the animals that found their forever homes.
Create personalized thank-yous:
Creating a personalized thank-you either by email, handwritten note or even by text for supporters after they donate provides an opportunity to personalize their experience and offer them other ways to help your cause by completing action items on that page. Include share buttons and actions such as attending an event.
Example: You can send a handwritten note to a donor who contributed to a specific project and ask them to share their experience on social media. They can also include share buttons and actions such as attending an event to further engage donors.
Make them feel like rockstars:
Regular updates via email or social media that highlight progress made towards goals can help keep donors engaged and feeling valued.
Example: Your organization can send an email update to donors highlighting the impact of their contributions, such as the number of people served or the number of animals rescued. This can also inspire donors to continue their support and share the organization's message with others
Reach out to them after their donation:
Sending timely and relevant messages following donations is an effective way to re-engage potential new donors and thank them for their previous donation. Using an auto-text tool can help you stay in touch with loyal supporters every step of their journey with your organization.
Example: An education nonprofit can send a follow-up text message to a donor who contributed to a scholarship fund, informing them about the student who received the scholarship and how it made a difference in their life.
Taking the time to personalize and automate your nonprofit's donor experience can make a huge impact on your fundraising efforts. By implementing practical strategies such as asking the right questions, setting visual donation goals, and creating personalized thank-yous, you can build stronger relationships with your donors and ultimately make a bigger impact in your community.
And if you're looking for a tool to help you streamline these processes, don't hesitate to book a demo with our team at Harness Giving.
Let us show you how we can help take your fundraising to the next level!