How Facebook Can Be Your Next Great Fundraising Tool
Here at Schoolrunner, we provide you with the comprehensive data to make your case to funders on how increased investment can spark widespread student success. We also recognize the ongoing imperative to reach new funders that can support and scale your organization’s efforts.
What if there was a fundraising platform that you could use to present that data to a far-reaching network of new donors?
In our latest Fundraising Secrets webinar, which you can view here, and in the below three-step approach, national fundraising and digital media expert Kristina Saccone highlights how you can amplify your data-driven story on Facebook and maximize your fundraising this year.
Creating Your Facebook Fundraiser
To date, 20 million people have donated to or started a Facebook fundraiser, raising more than $1 billion. You can leverage the power of this fundraising platform by setting up your nonprofit on Facebook. Even if you are not a 501c3, you can still launch a fundraiser, but Facebook will incur additional fees.
When you start your fundraiser, it’s important to consider how you tell your story, presenting the topic area, developing an exciting title, and connecting donations to real impact.
Telling the Data-Driven Story
Facebook gives you a small space to tell your story, so here are a few ways to make the most of it.
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Share personal anecdotes or testimonials from staff members, parents, teachers, and community leaders on why they support this cause.
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Elevate your most powerful datapoints to make the case for funding your organization. For example, if you’ve seen a growth in literacy in recent months, share that!
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Frame the value of a donation in tangible terms, articulating what a specific dollar amount could translate to in additional students served, program slots, or resources.
A data-driven story will help donors understand why their investment matters, driving them to click the “Donate” button.
Connecting with Current and New Donors
Make sure to enable the “Donate” button on your organization’s Facebook page, so individuals can easily view and support your fundraiser. You also can empower supporters to broadcast the fundraiser to their own networks, tagging them in posts and emphasizing that they can also support the cause by spreading the word. This will help greatly expand the visibility of your fundraiser and reach new donors who may not have known you before seeing the Facebook fundraiser.
Sparking Sustained Engagement
While the fundraiser is live, provide updates once key funding milestones are reached ($100, $250, $500, etc.) to maintain interest among your followers. Use each of these milestones as opportunities to galvanize supporters and spread the word, explicitly asking them to “Share now!” with emphasis on the importance of new contributions. Finally, make sure to solicit testimonials from key supporters and champions that speak to the power of the work.
You now can make the data-driven case for funding to potential donors across the globe and significantly expand the reach of your fundraising efforts.
For more on this topic, and to hear insights from fellow members of the education community, check out the recording from our latest Fundraising Secrets Webinar. Also, check out Facebook’s FAQ page on charitable fundraisers and donations for additional information.
Stay tuned for our next Fundraising Secrets webinar on February 19 and contact us at Schoolrunner to learn how you can leverage our analytics platform to tell a powerful story to current and potential funders alike.
