This document provides tips for launching a successful social fundraising campaign. It recommends beginning with existing supporters and not being shy about directly asking for donations. Specific tips include setting meaningful donation levels tied to outcomes, uploading campaign content to social media and fundraising platforms, sending regular email updates, recruiting supporters to promote the campaign on their own networks, and celebrating milestones to encourage ongoing donations. The goal is to align messaging across email, websites, social media and more to effectively engage supporters and achieve fundraising targets through a social multiplier effect.

1. Social Fundraising 101:
!
How to Jumpstart!
Your Social Fundraising Campaigns!

2. Today
1. Why Social Fundraising?!
2. How to Launch a Campaign!
3. Top 5 tips!

3. $300 Billion!
donated by individuals each year in the US!
Source: 2008 Chronicle of Philanthropy

4. Online Giving is on the Rise
13%online giving
35-55%
2010 growth rate
2010 giving
Source: 2010 Blackbaud, 2010 Giving USA
n.b.: “large” non-profits growing online giving at 55%

5. People !
ask People !
to give. !

6. Social!
changes everything…!

7. Psychology of
Engagement
Happy Giving
people makes
give people
more. happier.
Oppenheimer & Olivola (2010), Isen & Levin (1972), Aderman (1972), Harris & Huang (1973), Kazdin &
Bryan (1971), Isen, Horn & Rosenhan (1973), Konow & Earley (2008), Wang & Graddy (2008), Williams
& Shiaw (1999), Batson (1987, 1991), Cialdini (1987), Plato, Aristotle, Bible, Torah, Koran, etc. etc….

8. How it Works

9. The most important thing:
Launch
- Don’t aim for perfection… You have to launch
a campaign and learn from it!
- You get a 2nd, 3rd, and even 30th chance to
make a 1st impression

10. Case Study
Annual Campaign:
Target: $125,000
Japan Campaign:
$18,045
Test Campaign:
$3,995
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr

11. Social Donation
Every supporter was asked to
recruit her neighbor, boss,
co-worker, friend…

12. Results
136!
Gifts
"
=! 17,053
Impressions

13. Results
52% increase in donation yield…
$12,300 + Social-Multiplier Cycle =! $18,695

18. Your Launch Plan

19. The Basics
Step 1: Pick an objective!
People “give through,” not “to”!
example…!
“We are raising $22,500 by October 15 for a
new classroom at our Buwaidhaa school in
Sudan… This means educating 30 more
students!”!

20. The Basics
Step 2: Sanity-check your target!
– Is your date less than 3 months out?!
– Is your $ target achievable?!
formula… example…
# of supporters ! 10,000 supporters
X!2% response rate (historical actuals)!
X!$75 average donation!
X!1.5 social multiplier! $22,500

21. The Basics
Step 3: Set giving levels!
– Make them meaningful!
• $50 buys 10 used textbooks!
• $500 sponsors one child through graduation!
• $5,000 sponsors a classroom of 30 students!
Remember… !
People give “through,” not “to”!

22. The Basics
Step 4: Upload content on Fundly!
Pick a
short video
Use
pictures Keep text to a
with human minimum
faces

23. Launch!
Step 5: Send out an email!
– Use your existing list!
– Use the strategy you already built!
• Target: “We are raising $22,500 by October 15…”!
• Objective: “This will allow us to open one new classroom…”!
– Make the email personal—address it from you!
– Send personal update emails once per week!

24. Launch!
Step 6: Facebook!
– Share with your personal network once per week!
• Make it personal!
– “Join me in building a school! We are 50% of the way to
adding a classroom for 30 kids in Sudan”!
– Post to your Facebook Fan page daily!
• Ask questions!
• Provide updates !!

25. Launch!
Step 7: Twitter!
– Tweet 2x per day - Lunchtime and quitting time!
– Use hashtags!
– Retweet!

27. Launch!
Step 8: Recruit help!
– Get your top supporters to set up their own pages!
• Think: board members, volunteers, celebrity endorsers,
partners, etc.!
– Rinse and repeat: the bigger the team, the better the
results!

28. Launch!
Step 9: Embed on your site!
– Get your webmaster to embed the donation form on
your own website!
• As easy as embedding a YouTube video!
– Make sure all channels of communication are aligned for
the duration of your campaign!
• Email!
• Direct mail!
• Website!
• Social networking!

29. Victory
Step 10: Celebrate!!
– Announce your milestones!
– Post updates to Facebook and Twitter, encouraging
continued donations!
– When your goal is reached, shout it from the rooftops!!
• People like to be part of a winning team!
• Thank them for their support and they will support you again!
• Where possible, provide evidence of the difference the money is
making (on-the-ground photos and video)!

30. Top 5 Tips
1. Start with your current supporters!
2. Do not be shy!
3. Make a direct ask!
4. Tell donors what their money will do!
5. Align all channels!