Are you trying to raise money for a nonprofit with crowdfunding?
You’re in the right place!
I was literally just on a webinar talking about nonprofit crowdfunding. We had a turn out of about 900 people.
Along with talking about the various crowdfunding websites out there, I also discussed my recent Audible book, Nonprofit Crowdfunding Explained. You can also grab a physical copy of the book.
Today, I want to share with you some tips for raising money on Indiegogo. These tips are going to be especially helpful if you’re trying to raise money for an entirely new program.
I’ve put together a new GUIDE that’s packed with science-backed nonprofit fundraising methods, resources, strategies, and killer marketing methods.
You should check it out if you want to get more donations and you want to fast-track the entire process.
1. Your Story is King!
People give money for one reason: empathy!
But how do you actually go about creating empathy? How do you get strangers to care as much as you do about your cause?
The answer is simple. You need to create a compelling story.
Our brains are wired to empathize with characters and stories. We’ll feel exactly what a main character is feeling when they’re going up against a monstrous enemy.
You can use stories to magically transmit emotions from one person to another. When you tell a story, someone feels the same way that you did in a given situation.
In ancient times, stories were simply told with words and gestures. Now, with the power of the internet and high tech smartphones, we can use assets like images and video to enhance our storytelling power.
2. Identify and Cultivate Super Donors
It’s really hard to go it alone when you’re trying to raise money on Indiegogo for your nonprofit. One of the reasons that peer to peer fundraising has been so effective is that it mobilizes a team behind a fundraising initiative.
Rather than treating your entire list of donors the same, I’d recommend segmenting this list into super ardent supporters and passive supporters.
You can then begin to treat these segments differently. By having more direct contact with the ardent supporters, you’ll eventually be able to call on them to help spread the campaign amongst their own network. Think of them as your crowdfunding street team.
3. Email Marketing Will Get You Donations
It’s important to use tried and true methods of getting donations, like direct outreach through the phone, FB messages, and in-person conversations.
If you’re looking to engage an entire list of donors at the same time, I recommend email as the primary communication channel. You can use a simple service like MailChimp to manage this email list.
Many nonprofits have approached me asking how they can actually begin to get email subscribers. The #1 thing I’d say about this is to sign up for a service like LeadPages. This software makes it super simple to set up lead magnets and opt-ins, which Ill be discussing next.
4. Content Marketing Will Build Your Email List
Since you probably can’t afford to run advertisements, content marketing is your friend. This simply refers to putting out videos, blog posts, images, and messages on websites like Facebook and Instagram to develop a relationship with your audience.
As you begin to put out content that resonates with your audience, they’ll begin to follow you on these various channels.
You can also direct them to a “lead magnet” or “opt-in page” which prompts them to enter their email address. You can them communicate with them further.
You can use a tool like one of these to grow your email list.
Content marketing is a great way to organically build up your list of donors. The name of the game is to turn people from passive followers into hardcore donors.
5. Make it a Party (wait… what?)
You must emotionally engage your followers. Aside from the techniques we’ve discussed, one of the easy ways to do that is to host an event!
This way, you get a chance to interact with them in person. Make sure that it’s something fun that people would want to attend after a long work day.
Not only is a live event a great way to enhance your relationship with donors and get more pledges, but it’s also great social proof! You can take videos and images of the event, and then share them online.
When everyone sees that other people are giving money to this campaign and having fun at the event, it will make them more likely to give money themselves.
6. Get Your Board Involved
If you have a board of directors or advisors, this is a perfect time to tap into their network and credibility.
Even if you reach an entirely new audience, it’s hard to quickly develop trust with them! Therefore, a great way to get your foot in the door is to have someone else announce your campaign.
Whether it’s matching donations or simply sharing materials that you put together, your board is a key tool that you can use to blow past your fundraising goal on Indiegogo.
7. Making Giving and Sharing as Easy As Possible
Human beings are lazy. I’m lazy. The minute that something seems like it’s going to “take a lot of work” we tend to shy away from it.
That’s why we’re more likely to stay on the couch and watch Netflix rather than go out to a party, make new friends, and socialize. It takes work.
The same principle applies to online giving. The minute that something is perceived as difficult or another potential “problem” the more likely it is that a donor will push it to the side and do something else.
They’ll rationalize that they’ll come back to that task, but they rarely do.
It’s important to make giving and sharing as easy as possible. Don’t leave anything up to chance.
Explain exactly how to give money (screenshots or vide0), where the funds are going, how long they have to give, and why they should give now.
I’d begin to also get together a list of frequently asked questions so that there is a bit of a support resource for your donors.
If you’re running a peer to peer fundraising campaign, then put together all of the educational materials and social media messages that your core donors will need to get the word out to their network.
8. Live Content and Over Sharing
At the time I’m writing this article, Facebook’s live streaming platform is taking off. You can also go live on Instagram!
This is a great way to reach donors on these two social media networks, address concerns, show a bit of your personality, and improve that relationship that you have with your donors.
Your job is to keep your campaign #1 in the minds of your donors. This means that any excuse that you can find to talk about your campaign will help you stay relevant in their mind.
You can celebrate a milestone, answer questions, share a story, or even discuss how the campaign is going and why you’re so excited.
Don’t come off from a promotional angle, but rather a sharing angle.
You’re sharing this journey with the world. It’s an excuse to stay relevant.
My Proven Fundraising Plan
If you want to check out my proven fundraising plan for crushing your nonprofit crowdfunding campaign, then say no more!
I’ve put together a lot of resources on this subject, both on this blog, my podcast, and my YouTube channel.
It’s a lot to take in, and the information is scattered across the interwebs.
If you want EVERYTHING in one place – a complete plan to follow – then I invite you to check out my book, Nonprofit Crowdfunding Explained.
Grab a copy of Nonprofit Crowdfunding Explained and smash your fundraising goal.
This book is now also available on Audible, so you can listen on the go!
I’ve put together a new GUIDE that’s packed with science-backed nonprofit fundraising methods, resources, strategies, and killer marketing methods.
You should check it out if you want to get more donations and you want to fast-track the entire process.
I hope that you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below. Happy fundraising!
