National Funding Scheme – 6 mobile fundraising tips

DONATE went into beta trial as the UK’s mobile charity giving platform in 2013 and moved to live in the late summer of 2015. This blog post covers lessons learnt across this period and which are pertinent to those seeking individual donations through mobile giving.

1. Make it personal
Getting a crowd to give is about being direct; be comfortable asking for funds but make the appeal relevant. Use video, personal experience and stories to develop an emotional appeal for support. Be clear how a specific amount of funding will be used and provide both qualitative and quantitative benefits.
Learning: Tell a story, be clear on why you need the funding

2. Asking is the key
Whilst DONATE offers a range of features in a single platform (and is a charity) the key to giving is asking. Time and again we have seen significant increases in immediate donations through DONATE’s mobile platform when individuals make a personal appeal to an audience or gathering.
Learning: Decide how, who and when a personal appeal should be made to your audience

3. Donor data
Donor data is invaluable in building long term relationships and individual donations are a key approach to gaining supporter data. As an example a DONATE fundraise resulted in over 98% of the three thousand plus donors opting-in to the organisation.
Learning: Donor data should be seen as the ongoing and long term goal of all fundraising

4. Age is not a barrier
You might presume that younger people are more comfortable giving through their phone. Perhaps; but our case studies consistently show a wide spread of donor profiles including 48% of those giving to the Richard III Leicester appeal being 55+
Learning: Avoid assumptions and personal beliefs and adopt an ‘all for all’ approach

5. Mobile web giving vs text giving
DONATE is unique in offering both text and web giving within a single platform. This enables fundraisers to have a clear view of their overall digital giving. It also allows us to report on macro trends. Since our launch 62% of donations by number are made by web but by value this grows to 95%. In other words, your donors are more generous if giving by mobile-web.
Learning: Provide multiple routes to giving (digital, cash, PayPal, credit cards, even cheques!)

6. Gift Aid is easier to give by web
Due to HMRC’s requirements, adding Gift Aid to donations by text is cumbersome. It is much easier through a web browser. Our stats bear this out with 25% of all text donations having Gift Aid added but 75% of mobile web donations adding Gift Aid.
Learning: Consider carefully which donation channels to promote