How to Track Volunteer Grants Tools, Metrics & More

How to Track Volunteer Grants: Tools, Metrics & More

Volunteer grants, also known as “dollars for doers” programs, are a form of corporate giving that rewards employees’ volunteerism by providing monetary donations to the organizations they support.

These programs supply an invaluable source of funding for nonprofits and schools⁠—however, identifying, pursuing, and managing funding through the programs can be challenging without the right tools and strategies in place. So, if you’re looking for new insights to help track volunteer grants effectively for your team, you’ve come to the right place.

Tracking volunteer grants through the process

In this guide, we’ll explore the essential tools and metrics needed to track and report on volunteer grant opportunities⁠—from identification through completion. Empowering your organization with the following information will ensure your team maximizes its potential from the programs with ease:

Ready to get tracking? Let’s dive in.

Why Should Organizations Track Volunteer Grants?

Corporate volunteer grants offer immense potential for nonprofits, but few organizations are making the most of the opportunities before them. Why? A lack of an established volunteer grant tracking process can certainly play a role. Meanwhile, tracking volunteer grants effectively allows fundraisers to supercharge their corporate giving and volunteer engagement efforts alike.

If you’re wondering why your team should invest in revamping its volunteer grant tracking system, our leading reasons include:

Benefits of tracking volunteer grants

  1. Increasing Financial Support: Volunteer grants provide additional funding, which can be significant for nonprofits relying on external support. Tracking volunteer grants through completion allows organizations to increase revenue ultimately collected through the programs. More money = more beneficiaries receiving value from your services!
  2. Enhancing Volunteer Engagement: Encouraging volunteers to apply for grants increases their commitment and engagement with your organization. By tracking volunteer grants⁠—and your volunteers’ involvement in the programs⁠—you can grow stronger relationships with supporters who participate.
  3. Building Corporate Relationships: Strengthening ties with corporations that offer dollars for doers programs can lead to further partnership opportunities as well. Source tailored insights from tracking volunteer grants to demonstrate employees’ devotion to their causes. For example, you can let a company that has already contributed volunteer grant funding to your organization know that you appreciate their existing support⁠—and that of their staff⁠—and recommend additional ways they can get involved.
  4. Powering Tangible Impact Measurement: Tracking volunteer grants helps measure the financial impact of volunteer efforts, ultimately showcasing the value of each contribution. When volunteers see that their efforts are being appreciated and converted into nonprofit funding, they’ll be more likely to remain dedicated to the cause.

Explore and track volunteer grants better with this guide.

Key Volunteer Grant Metrics & KPIs to Monitor

The best way to determine the success of your organization’s volunteer grant marketing efforts is to track select KPIs (or key performance indicators). The metrics you choose to measure can help your team assess its overall impact, improve outreach efforts, demonstrate value to stakeholders, and more.

Here are a few metrics we recommend tracking within your volunteer grant strategy.

Recommended KPI: Volunteer Grant Eligibility Rate

Why it Matters: This metric represents the portion of your volunteer network identified as eligible for a volunteer grant program through their employers. The figure allows your team to better understand and pursue the volunteer grant opportunity.

How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Use a volunteer grant database tool to triage volunteers based on whether their employers offer volunteer grant programs. Then, divide the number of volunteers who work for participating companies by the total number of volunteers in your community.

Recommended KPI: Volunteer Grant Completion Rate

Why it Matters: This metric represents the portion of your volunteer-eligible supporter base that ultimately submit in a volunteer grant. Understanding this figure allows you to measure the efficiency of the full volunteer grant process and identifies areas for improvement in your strategy.

How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Divide the number of volunteer-grant eligible individuals who ultimately produce a volunteer grant for your organization by the total number of volunteer-grant eligible individuals.

Recommended KPI: Total Volunteer Grant Funding Received

Why it Matters: This metric represents the direct financial benefit from companies through volunteer grant programs, indicating the overall level of support.

How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Add the sum of each volunteer grant you receive in a given time period.

Recommended KPI: Grant Amount per Volunteer

Why it Matters: This metric represents the average value a volunteer grant brings. It also allows you to more accurately forecast incoming grant revenue and aids in tailoring realistic targets and expectations for the results of your implemented strategies.

How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Add the sum of each volunteer grant you receive in a given time period, then divide the total amount of funds by the number of volunteer grants received.

Recommended KPI: Number of Companies Providing Volunteer Grants

Why it Matters: This metric represents the extent of your organization’s current corporate volunteer grant contributor network, and demonstrates your potential for future growth.

How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Count each company that contributes one or more volunteer grants to your organization in a given time period. See if these top volunteer grant companies are supporting your efforts!

Volunteer grant tracking dashboard

Top Tools to Track Volunteer Grants Accurately & Efficiently

Equipping your team with the right tools to track volunteer grants is an essential component of the process. After all, doing so allows for increasingly accurate and efficient management of volunteer data. Plus, innovative technology allows you to enhance reporting capabilities and strengthen relationships with individual volunteers and corporate partners alike.

Effective tracking tools will help your organization streamline volunteer grant identification and promotional efforts, too, ultimately leading to increased funding, improved engagement, and better, more-informed decision-making.

Here’s what we suggest:

A specialized volunteer grant database

For example, Double the Donation can provide exclusive access to forms and guidelines for thousands of companies that provide volunteer grants (and matching gifts, VTO, etc.). This ultimately simplifies the process of securing volunteer grants, making it easier for volunteers to do their part in the request and driving more volunteer grants to completion.

Tracking volunteer grants with a volunteer grant database

Comprehensive volunteer time-tracking tools

For volunteers to submit grant requests to their employers, they’ll generally need to supply some sort of record of their activities.

For that purpose, you’ll want to ensure you’re making it easy for volunteers by equipping them with tools to track and verify the hours they spend with your organization.

Time-tracking tools are a key addition to any volunteer grant database

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) portals

Many companies facilitate volunteer grants through their CSR platforms. In that case, your team will need to log in to the portals to verify volunteer hours. (Don’t worry⁠—we have a handy guide here on navigating those platforms.)

These portals will also allow you to see how many volunteer grants have made it to this step!

Supplement your volunteer grant database with CSR platforms

Remember: the right tools can go a long way. Effective tracking tools will help streamline your identification and promotional efforts, too. In the end, it ultimately leads to increased funding, improved engagement, and better, more-informed decision-making.


Next Steps for Tracking More Volunteer Grants

Tracking and reporting on volunteer grant opportunities is a vital component of a successful corporate engagement strategy. With the right tools and key metrics, your team can track volunteer grants more seamlessly than ever before.

As a result, your organization can boost its financial resources, strengthen relationships with corporate partners, and encourage greater volunteer involvement.

Interested in learning more about how you can track volunteer grants and other forms of corporate giving? Check out these recommended resources:

Tracking volunteer grants is an excellent way to leverage corporate philanthropy.


The Volunteer Grant Research Guide Finding More Funding

The Volunteer Grant Research Guide | Finding More Funding

Volunteer grants (also known as dollars for doers programs) present a lucrative opportunity for nonprofits to maximize their available resources and bolster their impact. However, navigating the complex world of research, engagement, eligibility guidelines, and submissions can be daunting. Lucky for you, that’s where our complete guide to volunteer grant research comes into play.

Designed to demystify volunteer grant research and more, this resource equips nonprofits with the knowledge and tools they need to identify, pursue, and secure more dollars for doers revenue than ever before.

In order to build much-needed familiarity with the programs, we’ll walk you through each step of the volunteer grant research process here. These phases include:

Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer manager or new to the corporate volunteerism sector, our guide will help you uncover more funding opportunities, allowing your organization to thrive.

Let’s begin!

Understanding the Volunteer Grant Opportunity 🧠

Volunteer grants are financial contributions provided by corporations to nonprofits where their employees volunteer. These programs are offered by thousands of businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors⁠—including IBM, Google, Home Depot, Starbucks, Microsoft, Disney, and 40% of the Fortune 500.

However, a lack of volunteer grant awareness among teams and supporters alike has resulted in a significant gap in the programs being utilized and funding being secured. Therefore, for the best results, it’s crucial that a nonprofit’s team has a solid understanding of the volunteer grant opportunity before it can maximize its funding potential. After all, a well-informed team can more effectively communicate the benefits to volunteers, encouraging greater participation and maximizing the organization’s grant earnings.

Familiarity with companies offering these programs⁠—and the specific eligibility criteria for each⁠—is also essential for effectively targeting the right opportunities. Since each volunteer grant program is unique, having extensive knowledge of the programs allows nonprofits to tailor their outreach and engagement strategies according to each supporter’s eligibility. Learn how solutions like Double the Donation Volunteering can help you access the information you need to secure more volunteer grants:

Recommended resource to take your corporate volunteer knowledge to the next level: Double the Donation’s free downloadable Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants

Identifying Your Organization’s Needs & Goals 🎯

For a nonprofit to effectively pursue volunteer grants, it should first identify the unique needs and goals related to these grants. What, specifically, is holding your organization back from reaching its volunteer grant potential?

Perhaps you need better data on where your supporters work.

Or, if you do have accurate and up-to-date employment information for your volunteers, perhaps the roadblock is determining which individuals qualify for volunteer grant programs.

Or maybe you experience drop-off getting supporters to complete the request process on your behalf.

Regardless of the reason, once you’ve determined what’s stopping you from fully leveraging the opportunity, make a plan for overcoming the challenge. Clearly defined goals provide a roadmap for targeting volunteer grants in a way that will have the most significant impact on your cause. We recommend establishing goals that are SMART⁠—or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example: “To secure $1,000 in volunteer grant funding by the end of the fiscal year.”

A detailed understanding of your objectives allows your team to craft compelling narratives for volunteer grant-related content. As a result, you can better demonstrate how a volunteer’s participation enables your organization to achieve tangible outcomes, thus making a stronger case for engagement.

It also ensures that everyone⁠—staff, volunteers, and beyond⁠—is working toward a common objective: maximizing the potential for volunteer grant success.

Collecting Employment Information from Supporters 💼

Collecting employment information from supporters is a strategic approach for nonprofits to identify and leverage volunteer grant opportunities to their greatest potential. By understanding which companies their supporters work for, organizations can pinpoint potential sources of volunteer grants.

Fortunately, there are a few ways for fundraisers to source this information. For the best results, we recommend implementing a combination of the following methods:

Once you have this employment information on hand, you can use it to tailor your outreach and engagement efforts. For instance, knowing that a significant number of volunteers are employed by a company with a grant program might lead you to focus on building relationships with the business.

Uncovering Eligible Volunteers in Your Network 🔎

Volunteer grants are a specific type of grant generally tied to an employee engagement program offered by the company. As a result, an employer donates money to the nonprofit based on the number of volunteer hours contributed by their employees.

Recognizing which volunteers work for participating companies allows nonprofits to strategically identify and pursue the opportunities available to them.

 

Identifying eligible supporters within the volunteer grant research process

Ultimately, this targeted strategy leverages existing volunteer efforts to generate more substantial funding, enabling the nonprofit to further its mission and enhance its programs and services.

You might want to scan your entire database for opportunities, too⁠—including existing volunteers, donors, and prospects. From there, you can alert current volunteers of their eligibility while informing donors and other non-volunteers about how they can provide more comprehensive support for your cause, empowering them to get involved in a new way.

Top tip: Jump to the section on volunteer grant databases below to learn the best way to identify volunteer grant-eligible supporters in your network!

Encouraging Volunteers to Pursue Corporate Grants ✍️

Once you know who qualifies for volunteer grants from your network, it’s important to take time to encourage them to actually participate. By motivating eligible supporters to apply for said grant opportunities, nonprofits can unlock significant funding and supercharge their volunteer engagement.

Many volunteers are unaware that their employers offer such programs, so simply providing information on eligibility and involvement can inspire volunteers to take action. Help supporters navigate the submission process and remind them to take advantage of their eligibility before it expires. By encouraging volunteers to pursue corporate grants, your organization can significantly increase its funding, thereby enhancing its ability to fulfill its mission and expand its reach in the community.

Encouraging volunteers to log their hours and apply for grants can lead to substantial financial contributions from their employers. This approach not only boosts the organization’s funding but also strengthens volunteer engagement, as volunteers see a direct impact of their work being amplified through additional resources.

Bonus: Enlisting a Volunteer Grant Database Tool 🦾

Our final recommendation is one that is powered by innovative technology: a corporate giving or volunteer grant database.

Enlisting a volunteer grant solution like Double the Donation in your nonprofit’s engagement strategy is an excellent way to efficiently manage and maximize volunteer grants. A database tool can centralize information, provide direct links to online submission forms and eligibility criteria, and streamline the grant application process for volunteers.

Top Volunteer Grant Databases to Grow Your Tech Stack

By aggregating all the information you need in one place, the tool saves time and effort for both the nonprofit team and its supporters. Volunteers can easily access up-to-date information about available grants, application deadlines, and eligibility requirements, and being equipped with the right information makes them more inclined to complete the process.


Next Steps & More Volunteer Grant Resources

Securing funding through volunteer grants can be transformative for mission-focused organizations. Not only do the programs provide access to new streams of corporate philanthropy revenue, but they also incentivize greater levels of engagement among volunteers in the first place.

By leveraging this guide, nonprofits like yours can systematically approach the grant research and application process with greater confidence and efficiency. Remember, the key to success lies in thorough preparation, a clear understanding of the opportunity before you, and a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.

Let this guide be your roadmap to making a greater difference in the communities you serve. Good luck!

Interested in learning more about volunteer grant research and other workplace giving programs? Check out these recommended resources:

Promote volunteer incentives with our corporate volunteer software.

How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization

How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization

Employee matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of corporate philanthropy. Still, the source is widely untapped, largely due to a lack of knowledge surrounding the programs. If you’re looking to drive participation at your organization (in order to maximize funding and elevate donor engagement), it’s time to get matching gifts trending among supporters.

But how can you go about doing so? Start a buzz around matching gifts at your nonprofit with these helpful tips:

  1. Share a blog post.
  2. Use hashtags on social media.
  3. Prioritize video content.
  4. Explore artificial intelligence and tech for content creation.
  5. Host a real-time Q&A online.
  6. Consider influencers and peer advocates.
  7. Make the most of free advertising with Google Grants.
  8. Keep up with shifting trends.

Our hope is that, by incorporating our recommended practices, matching gifts will become a well-known and fully utilized source of support among you and your supporters.

Let’s jump in with our first trick.

1. Share a blog post.

Blog articles are an effective medium for marketing matching gifts and other employee giving forms to your
supporters. A well-written post provides an opportunity to share an in-depth explanation of the philanthropy programs, along with showing donors that your organization is focused on maximizing fundraising from every source.

Not sure where to get started? We’ve written the following article that your team can use to kick off your matching gift blogging strategy. From there, you can send a link to the newly published resource in your newsletters and other communications to ensure donors know about this opportunity to increase their impact.

Corporate Employee Matching Gift Programs: The Secret to Boosting Revenue

For nonprofit organizations, every dollar counts. Corporate employee matching gifts offer the opportunity to turn one dollar donated by a match-eligible employee into two, three, or even four dollars!

Did you know that more than 26 million employees work for companies with matching gift programs? You might be one of them!

In this article, we’re going to explore exactly what to expect when working with matching gifts and how to make the most of this incredible fundraising opportunity.

What are corporate matching gift programs?

Employee matching gift programs are a type of corporate philanthropy set up to encourage employees to give back to their communities. These companies encourage community outreach by making donations to the same nonprofits that their employees have donated to.

These programs have become quite widespread, but many donors have not heard of them or aren’t aware of their own match-eligibility. $4-7 billion in matching gift revenue is left on the table each year, and we want to work with our donors to claim as much of it as possible.

While the specifics of these programs vary from company to company, the elements that shape these guidelines are generally the same:

  • Match ratio: This defines what kind of donation the company will make in relation to the employee’s initial contribution. A 1:1 ratio indicates that the company will donate the exact same amount, doubling the contribution to the employee’s chosen nonprofit.
  • Minimum and maximum: The minimum refers to the amount an employee must donate to qualify for a matching gift. The maximum is the total amount that a company will donate in matching contributions per employee annually.
  • Employee status: Sometimes, the employee’s role at the company can affect the match that they qualify for. For example, Gap Inc. offers a $1,000 maximum to part-time employees and a $10,000 maximum to Senior VP’s.
  • Nonprofit eligibility: Some programs offer different matches based on the mission of the organization being donated to. However, most companies offer “unrestricted” programs where any registered nonprofit can receive funds.
  • Submission deadline: Every program identifies a deadline when the matching gift request must be submitted by the employee. This deadline can be either a firm date (December 31st is common) or a threshold based on the date of the initial donation (90 days after donation is made).

Here are a few examples:

  • Johnson & Johnson — Triples donations with a 2:1 match up to $20,000 for current employees, while also doubling donations (1:1 match) for retirees
  • Bank of America — Matches donations 1:1 between $24 and $5,000 annually per employee
  • Home Depot — Matches donations 1:1 up to $3,000 annually per employee

The impact of these programs can be substantial! In fact, Microsoft has been known to match over $48 million worth of employee donations to schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in a single year.

Want to help [your organization’s name]?

Increasing revenue with matching gifts isn’t too tricky, but we need our donors’ help. Last year we received [insert number] matching gifts, which helped us raise [insert dollar amount]. We’ve set a goal of raising [insert dollar amount] from these programs.

If we meet our goal, we’ll be able to better [insert organization’s mission and how the organization would use the additional funding].

You can help us reach these goals by searching for your own match-eligibility. Immediately assess your eligibility and gain access to detailed information about your employer’s corporate giving program by searching our database of companies with matching gift programs [link to your dedicated matching gifts page or Double the Donation hosted URL].

We’ll provide you with as much of the following as possible:

  • Up-to-date, company-specific program guidelines for your employer
  • Links to the correct online matching gift request forms or downloadable PDFs
  • Our contact information (Tax ID, address, fundraising contact), which you may need for your matching gift request

If your company isn’t listed, make sure to check with your company’s HR department. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to double the impact of your donation!

Meanwhile, if you choose to write a blog post from scratch, we recommend:

  • Providing an overview of employee matching gift and/or volunteer grant programs
  • Sharing examples of companies that offer employee giving programs
  • Explaining the positive impact these additional funds will have on your organization’s work
  • Requesting that donors and volunteers search for their employer’s matching gift information using your matching gift search tool from Double the Donationa

2. Use hashtags on social media.

Your organization likely relies on social media as a core tenet of your digital marketing strategy. But do you have a plan in place to maximize your reach and engagement on key networking platforms?

Research indicates that incorporating hashtags in your posts goes a long way in terms of visibility, audience engagement, and more. A hashtag, which is essentially an octothorpe symbol followed by a key word or phrase, is a social media tool used to organize posts based on content topic. And including one or more in your postings can drive engagement by up to 100% compared to posts without hashtags.

In your next social media post about matching gifts for your organization, consider utilizing a few related hashtags and see how your audience responds. Here are a few examples you can use:

  • #match
  • #matchinggifts
  • #doubleyourdonation
  • #donationmatch
  • #amplifyingimpact
  • #[nonprofit name]matchinggifts
  • #getyourgiftmatched
  • #nonprofitmatching
  • #matchingdonations
  • #corporatematching
  • #doyoumatch
  • #doublethelove
  • #corporatephilanthropy
  • #employeegiving
  • #makeyourmatch

It’s also important to note that the way you use hashtags can and should vary depending on the social platforms you use. For example, studies show that Tweets with 1-2 hashtags see more than twice as much engagement as those without hashtags. But Tweets with more than two hashtags actually see a drop in engagement.

Meanwhile, the most-interacted-with Instagram posts typically include 11+ hashtags!

3. Prioritize video content.

According to content marketing research for nonprofits, video content is one of the most essential components of an optimized engagement plan. In fact, 66% of individuals find short-form videos to be the most engaging type of material published on social media.

Not to mention, of an organization’s audience…

  • Over 75% find videos useful when determining whether to give;
  • 57% then go on to donate;
  • 39% purposefully research the nonprofit within 24 hours of watching a video.

In the age of YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Snapchat, and more, video-sharing is becoming an increasingly integral part of nonprofit marketing. And when it comes to matching gifts, producing video content can play a critical role in informing and inspiring action among donors.

For example, check out this exemplary matching gift video that demonstrates the ease with which a donor can complete the process to amplify their impact on behalf of a cause they care about:

Once they had the video created, the organization opted to share the content on both its website and social media channels to further its reach.

Take a look at the Facebook post here:

Get matching gifts trending by sharing video content on social media

Want to make your own video? Here’s a sample script you can use to get started:

“Increasing revenue with matching gifts isn’t too tricky, but we need our donors’ help. Last year we collected $[total revenue] worth of matching gifts. This year, we’d like to receive even more. We’ve set a goal to raise over $[revenue goal] from these programs by the end of the year. If we meet our goal, we’ll be able to [summary of your nonprofit mission and/or specific project or programming].

You can help us reach these goals by searching for your own match eligibility. Immediately assess your eligibility and gain access to detailed information about your employer’s corporate giving program. All you have to do is search our database of companies with matching gift programs. Click the link in the caption [to your organization’s dedicated matching gift page] to learn more.”

4. Explore artificial intelligence and technology for content creation.

A significant roadblock facing all sorts of nonprofits is a lack of time and effort dedicated to their marketing strategies⁠—especially when it comes to matching gifts. In fact, Nonprofits Source finds that over 80% of nonprofits report difficulty building strong workplace giving strategies due to limited staff and resources.

One unique and innovative solution? Artificial intelligence and smart technology.

AI-powered tools are currently sweeping the nation, particularly in regard to brands streamlining content creation while putting more time back into the hands of staff members. To provide some examples of how this can impact matching gifts, we tested a few artificial intelligence tools to see what they could come up with.

Here’s a sample social media caption written by one AI chatbot tool, ChatGPT (from the emojis to the hashtags and everything in between):

“Did you know that matching gifts can double or even triple your impact as a donor? 💰💸 Not only does this benefit your favorite nonprofit, but it also shows your employer’s commitment to supporting causes that matter to their employees. 🤝 Learn more about the power of matching gifts and how you can get involved to make a difference today!

#MatchingGifts #DoubleYourImpact #NonprofitImpact”

Not to mention, our very own matching gift solution can help streamline donor communications while maintaining targeted and personalized efforts. With this tool, you can easily collect and track donor employment data, identify match-eligible donations, and trigger automated email follow-ups that drive more matching gifts to completion. And it can all take place without your fundraising team having to lift a finger!

5. Host a real-time Q&A online.

From the perspective of a donor who has never requested a matching gift, the entire process can seem a bit overwhelming. What your team can do, as the nonprofit they’re supporting, is make an effort to answer any questions your supporters may have.

And what better way to do so than with a real-time Q&A session? According to recent live-streaming research, real-time content generates 27% more watch time per viewer than on-demand video. Users like interacting with their favorite organizations, and doing so as a nonprofit can help facilitate deeper relationships with donors. In fact, 79% of marketers indicate that a more authentic interaction with their audience is a top benefit of live-streamed video.

While you’ll likely aim to answer a number of questions in any pre-recorded content you share, it can be hard to predict what exactly your donors will want to know. So let them tell you in real time. We recommend:

  • Sharing the date and time beforehand so supporters can plan accordingly;
  • Accepting matching gift Q&A submissions ahead of time through email or an online form on your site;
  • Encouraging live viewers to ask questions in real-time using the streaming site’s chat or comment functions;
  • Preparing your team with a number of in-depth resources on corporate matching gift programs (hint: check out our webinars, blog posts, and free eBooks in our resources hub here);
  • Posting your live-stream recording to your website and/or social media pages, so those who missed the real-time engagement can still savor the insights shared.

Today, most social media platforms offer some sort of live-streaming option⁠—including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even Twitter. So pick your favorite platform (ideally one that already sees a lot of user engagement with your nonprofit) and go live!

6. Consider influencers and peer advocates.

Influencer marketing and peer-to-peer fundraising are based on a shared principle: social proof. Social proof revolves around the psychological finding that people are more likely to assume the actions of others when making their decisions.

Luckily, you can use this idea in your next matching gifts campaign!

The first step in leveraging social proof for matching gifts involves locating a number of individuals who you’d like to promote matching gifts to your audience. When donors see other supporters participating in matching gift initiatives, it can be the inspiration they need to get involved themselves.

These so-called “influencers” might be someone closely associated with your nonprofit cause, such as:

  • Major donors to your organization
  • Well-known board members
  • Dedicated volunteers
  • Well-connected P2P fundraisers
  • Your nonprofit’s executive director, president, or CEO

Or, you might even be able to get a popular influencer (or micro-influencer) on board! For the best results, look for individuals who share a similar target audience to your nonprofit. Plus, existing connections to your organization or its mission can go a long way toward making that connection.

Regardless of who you choose to get involved, encourage these individuals to share information about gift-matching opportunities⁠—such as your new matching gift videos⁠—on their personal social media pages. Provide them with pre-made images, suggested captions, video scripts or outlines, and more, empowering champions to advocate for matching gifts and encourage others to get involved.

From there, your nonprofit can typically re-post the content to your own pages (depending on the platform or platforms used), furthering the reach of the posts.

7. Make the most of free advertising with Google Grants.

Another marketing strategy that you won’t want to overlook is paid search engine advertising. And don’t be alarmed by the word “paid,” either. Google offers nonprofits access to a generous in-kind grant in the form of free ad space (the equivalent of up to $10,000 per month), known as the Google Ad Grant.

Now, why should you promote matching gifts to your audience with the Google Grant? First of all, it’s a free marketing opportunity. Of course you want to make the most of it! Not to mention, research indicates that search advertisements (such as Google Ads) have the highest ROI for nonprofit paid advertising⁠—with an average value of $4.78 for every dollar.

When you participate in the Google Ad Grant, you essentially choose a page (or pages) and the keywords you’d like to advertise for. Then, when a donor or prospect searches the phrase (e.g., matching gifts for Cat Rescue Club), they’ll be met with your relevant sponsored content (i.e., your donation form, dedicated match page, ways to give page, blog article) at the top of the results page.

Get matching gifts trending by leveraging Google Grants

The Google Grant is a great way to increase visibility and expand the reach of your organization’s fundraising efforts. And when done well, it can drive more match-eligible donors through the giving⁠—and matching⁠—processes.

Ready to apply for the Google Grant? Check out this step-by-step guide from the experts at Getting Attention.

8. Keep up with shifting trends.

When it comes to getting donation-matching (or just about anything else) “trending” at your organization, it’s important that you have a solid understanding of current trends. After all, trends can change fairly quickly, along with the introduction and development of new technology, changing consumer⁠—and supporter⁠—preferences, and more.

And in order to get matching gifts trending effectively, there are a few key types of trends to consider as you craft your strategy. These include…

  • Marketing and engagement trends ⁠— Things like new social media platforms emerging, communications best practices (e.g., optimal number of hashtags per post), etc.
  • Workplace giving trends ⁠— Things like which companies offer matching gift programs (so far, it keeps trending upward!), new technology enabling innovative matching processes (i.e., auto-submission), and more

It ultimately boils down to this: just because something is a key trend today doesn’t mean it will necessarily be the same five years from now. So keep an eye out, make a note of any significant shifts you see, and reconvene with your marketing team on a regular basis.

And if you’re a Double the Donation user, we’ll always keep you up to date with the latest trends that our team is seeing! Check back with our blog, attend upcoming webinars, or explore our online Matching Gift Academy to stay at the forefront of matching gift innovation.


Next Steps

You’ve heard the tips⁠. Now, get started by implementing these tried-and-true practices in your own organization’s strategy.

Just remember: the more familiar your audience is with the idea of matching gifts, the more likely they are to partake in their employers’ programming. And the more funding you’ll ultimately receive from corporate philanthropy opportunities available to your cause.

Want to learn more? Explore additional resources and discover how you can double your organization’s fundraising impact with matching gifts:

Get matching gifts trending at your nonprofit with the help of Double the Donation.

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Volunteer Grants [For Nonprofits]

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Volunteer Grants [For Nonprofits]

In the dynamic landscape of nonprofit operations, organizations constantly face the challenges of recruiting and retaining dedicated volunteers, sourcing sufficient funds, and maintaining high levels of engagement. Various strategies have been devised to overcome these challenges, but one opportunity stands out as a potent yet often underutilized resource: corporate volunteer grants.

What are Volunteer Grants?

Volunteer grants, which are also known as “Dollars for Doers” or employer-sponsored volunteer programs, are corporate giving initiatives in which companies provide monetary donations to nonprofits where their employees volunteer. These grants can significantly enhance a nonprofit’s funding while also fostering a culture of collaboration between corporations, nonprofits, and their shared teams.

As a result, the approach you take to marketing volunteer grants to supporters is crucial. In order to drive the best results, the marketing process generally includes the following steps:

In this guide, we’ll walk you through each item so you can ensure your team is marketing volunteer grants effectively, helping create the greatest positive impact for your cause.

Let’s begin!

Segmenting your volunteer grant marketing approach

In the realm of nonprofit fundraising, a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing rarely yields optimal results. Marketing volunteer grants is no different.

Therefore, understanding your nonprofit’s audience is crucial for effectively promoting the opportunities to your supporter base. By tailoring your communications with a data-driven strategy, you can increase engagement, awareness, and participation in the revenue-generating programs.

For example, existing volunteers could receive one piece of content asking them to see if their employer will match their time. Meanwhile, volunteer prospects might receive another message informing them about the opportunity and encouraging them to sign up for a volunteer shift to get started.

If you know the supporter’s company, you can also segment your marketing based on a recipient’s likely eligibility for a grant. And, if there’s a history of eligibility for⁠—or participation in⁠—other forms of workplace giving programs (such as matching gifts or volunteer time off), this can also be helpful information to note.

Marketing volunteer grants using segmentation

Creating and sharing useful volunteer grant marketing content

Creating and sharing volunteer grant-related content through your marketing efforts is pivotal for nonprofits aiming to promote the opportunity to their supporters. By providing clear, informative, and engaging materials, you can educate volunteers about the programs, demystify the process, and invite supporters to get involved.

When done well, your content should strengthen the connection with volunteers by highlighting the dual value of their time alongside financial support from their employers. This targeted approach not only raises awareness but also empowers volunteers to take action, leading to increased participation in the programs.

Check out the following content topics and ideas for marketing volunteer grants to your audience:

  • Highlight examples of top companies with volunteer grant programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Allstate, Dell, Aetna, and more. Then, encourage supporters to look into their employers’ participation.
  • Offer an interactive volunteer grant database like Double the Donation’s on your nonprofit website, and direct your audience to engage with the tool to locate their volunteer grant eligibility. This allows supporters to access company-specific program criteria to get started!
  • Share testimonials that demonstrate the positive impact volunteer grants have had on your cause in the past. Invite real volunteers to share their experiences with the programs, too!
  • Supplement text with multimedia ⁠content such as photos, videos, infographics, and more to attract and retain your audience’s attention.

💡 Top tip: Looking to up your workplace giving marketing? Double the Donation supplies its users with pre-made, customizable graphic templates within their system.

Just log into the platform → navigate to the Resources tab → select Marketing Assets → browse our library of free materials for clients to utilize → personalize your selected template to match your organization’s unique branding style, objectives, and more.

Here’s an example of an email header graphic we edited to promote volunteer grants:

Sample material for marketing volunteer grants

Not yet a Double the Donation client? Get started with a demo of our complete volunteer grant and matching gift automation tool.

Marketing volunteer grants with multi-channel promotions

There’s no one perfect platform through which your organization can market volunteer grants to reach 100% of your audience. That’s why we recommend taking a multichannel approach, ensuring your message has a broader reach, and you expose a greater percentage of your audience to the opportunity.

While the specific means you use will vary according to your existing promotional plans and resources, we recommend marketing volunteer grants across the following channels:

Marketing volunteer grants - multichannel

1) Your website

Your website can serve as a central hub for providing detailed information about volunteer grants to your supporters. We recommend establishing a dedicated page to explain what these are, how supporters can apply for them, and the impact they have on your mission⁠. You’ll also want to embed a volunteer grant database in the page to ensure users have easy access to program guidelines and next steps.

Plus, add a section about the opportunity on your website’s Ways to Give hub. However, you may decide to combine your Match Page and Volunteer Grants Page, creating a complete workplace giving resource instead.

2) Social media

Social media platforms are excellent for raising awareness and driving traffic to your website. Regular posts, stories, and updates about grant opportunities, testimonials, and submission tips can reach a wide audience and encourage eligible volunteers to get involved. Meanwhile, interactive content like polls and Q&A sessions can also boost engagement and get supporters excited about the opportunity. Then, link back to your dedicated volunteer grants page so you can supply hyper-personalized information even from your broader marketing efforts.

3) Email

Email campaigns can deliver personalized and targeted information directly to your supporters’ inboxes. Digital newsletters can feature detailed step-by-step walkthroughs, reminders about submission deadlines, and success stories to encourage participation.

At the same time, more segmented emails can ensure each volunteer receives targeted content relevant to them, their engagement history, and their employing company.

4) Text messages

Text marketing offers a powerful opportunity for sharing short, sweet, and to-the-point messages with your audience. When it comes to marketing volunteer grants, it’s a direct, quick, and easy way to remind supporters about volunteer grant opportunities.

For the best results, we recommend prioritizing brief, concise messages linking out to additional information to prompt quick and tangible next steps from supporters.

5) Volunteer sign-up forms

Integrating information about volunteer grants into your organization’s volunteer sign-up forms ensures that new and existing volunteers are exposed to the programs.

Even better, volunteers expect to share a good amount of information about themselves when they sign up to donate their time to your cause. As each volunteer completes an online sign-up form, your team has a unique opportunity to promote volunteer grant opportunities and source employment data that can help uncover funding in your network.

💡 Top tip: Embed a company database tool in your sign-up forms by integrating your volunteer registration platform with Double the Donation! Make it easy for supporters to learn about the opportunity and provide invaluable employment insights.

6) Paid advertising

Our final recommendation is what is often referred to as paid advertising. However, don’t let the “paid” part hold you back. Sites like Google and Microsoft each offer registered nonprofits free access to their platforms, meaning you’ll benefit from sponsored search listings at no cost.

In doing so, you can effectively target specific demographics likely to be interested in volunteer grants. Plus, drive new qualified traffic to your website, raise awareness among a broader audience, and attract new supporters to your cause.

💡 Top tip: Request a free consultation with our recommended paid advertising consultant, Getting Attention, to initiate the Google Grant application process today.

Marketing volunteer grants with one-off corporate partnerships

More than likely, a lot of your supporters already work for companies with volunteer grant programs. For those who don’t, however, custom or “one-off” partnerships can offer an excellent way to begin facilitating relationships with employers in your network.

This targeted approach allows nonprofits to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with a specific company, fostering a sense of exclusivity and dedicated support. It can even lead to increased volunteer engagement from the company’s employees, who may feel more connected and committed to the cause due to their employer’s direct involvement.

Check out this example of marketing a custom volunteer grant partnership in action:

The Central Texas Food Bank is the Largest hunger relief agency in the region, serving nearly 46,000 individuals across 21 counties each week. In order to meet the immense needs of its communities, tech giant Oracle has supported the organization for nearly three decades, encouraging its employees to support the cause since 2007.

Recently, the company awarded the Food Bank a $35,000 grant in response to nearly 3,000 volunteer hours its employees contributed toward the inspection, packing, and distribution of food items. An article regarding the partnership even describes the company’s team as a common and welcome sight at the organization, further demonstrating the deep and ongoing impact it has on the cause.

Example of marketing volunteer grants for one-off partnerships

The Central Texas Food Bank is also known for its matching gift success, using Double the Donation to power its standout efforts. Check out the full case study here to learn more!

💡 Top tip: Reach out to existing supporters’ employers to pitch a volunteer grant partnership. You may even be able to source a warm introduction from a donor or volunteer to help break the ice!

Sourcing inspiration from real-world examples of marketing volunteer grants

Sourcing inspiration from real-world examples of volunteer grant marketing efforts can help nonprofits promote the opportunities to their own audiences more effectively than ever before. Examining case studies, testimonials, and best practices in action from fundraising peers allows nonprofits to identify innovative approaches and avoid common pitfalls.

By adapting and implementing these tested methods, nonprofits can enhance their outreach efforts, increase awareness of volunteer grant programs, and ultimately boost their results.

Check out the following examples of nonprofits marketing volunteer grants well:

Organization A 🐶

In our first example of standout volunteer grant marketing, one animal welfare nonprofit has effectively harnessed the potential of volunteer grants through a multi-faceted and user-friendly online approach. Specifically, this team created a dedicated employee giving page and embedded Double the Donation’s database tool. This way, they can provide real-time information on thousands of companies’ volunteer grant programs with just a few clicks.

But the nonprofit didn’t stop there, either! Instead, this team also integrated employment-related questions directly within their volunteer application forms. As an individual completes the sign-up process, they are prompted to supply details such as their company name, role, and knowledge of workplace giving (matching gift) program availability. Thus, by gathering this information upfront, the organization can identify potential grant opportunities and proactively assist volunteers in applying for them.

Organization B 🩺

Our next example is an organization that focuses on health and medical support. This nonprofit’s strategy for marketing volunteer grants is built around detailed guidance and robust information. The organization has built out a dedicated volunteer grants page with an embedded company search tool, making it easy for volunteers to find out if their employers offer grant programs.

The online resource also features a step-by-step walkthrough of the process for requesting a volunteer grant, ensuring that volunteers understand each stage and what is required. Plus, to further underscore the value of volunteer grants, this team highlights statistics that showcase the prevalence of these programs with concrete data.

Organization C 🩺

Another health and medical nonprofit has also developed a multi-channel approach to promoting volunteer grants. This organization’s dedicated employee giving page includes everything an individual would need to know to get involved⁠—from an embedded company search tool with a detailed FAQ section to information about the nonprofit and more.

Additionally, the organization prominently mentions volunteer grants on its “Ways to Give” page, ensuring potential donors and volunteers are aware of this opportunity and encouraged to participate.

Organization D 🥫

For this food bank, promoting volunteer grants begins with visibility on crucial web pages⁠—including a prominent mention on the organization’s “Ways to Give” page. This ensures visitors are made aware of this opportunity and encouraged to get involved. They’ve even embedded Double the Donation’s search tool right within the page, providing information on thousands of companies’ programs and making it easy for volunteers to see if their employers participate.

Organization E 🧪

This research foundation leverages a combined approach to marketing volunteer grants with informational content, practical tools, and more. In a detailed blog post, the team illustrates the power of volunteer grants and matching gifts, explaining the process and encouraging supporters to get involved.

From there, the blog links to the organization’s workplace giving page, which provides extensive information on various companies’ volunteer grant programs and is complete with a company search widget.

Organization F 🌳

Organization F, an environmental nonprofit, has used a digital newsletter to educate and motivate its supporters about volunteer grant opportunities amongst other content. This sample newsletter included a section dedicated to the impact of workplace giving and other unique fundraising opportunities and encouraged readers to look into their volunteer grant eligibility to strengthen their impact even further.

Organization G 🧒

This organization, which is focused on youth mentorship opportunities, ensures that information about volunteer grants and other workplace giving opportunities is easily accessible by mentioning them directly on its donation page. This strategic placement means that anyone considering a financial contribution is also made aware of the potential for additional support through volunteer grants.

By integrating this information into a key page, the nonprofit increases the likelihood that visitors will explore and take advantage of volunteer grant opportunities, enhancing their overall fundraising efforts.

Organization H 🐶

Another animal welfare nonprofit designed a “pawsitively” adorable employee giving page that overviews the top types of workplace philanthropy. Of course, this includes volunteer grants!

By offering a comprehensive overview complete with eye-catching facts and figures, the team is able to educate its supporters about various ways to contribute through their workplace. This increases participation in volunteer grant programs and maximizes funding potential overall.

Organization I 🧒

This youth-focused organization’s workplace giving page prominently highlights Dollars for Doers as a key opportunity for corporate involvement. In order to foster a complete understanding of the programs, the nonprofit’s online resource includes alternative names for these programs and details how participation can benefit both the organization and its supporters on a personal level.

Organization J 🧒

Social media can also be a great tool for marketing volunteer grants, as demonstrated by this youth and community organization. To increase awareness of the opportunity and inspire participation through social proof, the nonprofit took to Facebook to celebrate a successful volunteer grant received. The post thanks the grant-giving institution, thus fostering greater engagement, and outlines the intended use for the funding. It’s a great way to inspire others to seek volunteer grant funds on your behalf, too!

Organization K 🧒

Another Facebook post, this youth and community organization utilizes social media to raise awareness and share informational content regarding volunteer grants. Specifically, the post highlights the growing trend of such grants, details how supporters can get involved, and provides specific next steps to encourage participation.

By using social media to educate and motivate their audience, the fundraiser increases volunteer grant visibility and drives more supporters to take the intended action.


Wrapping up & additional volunteer grant marketing resources

Volunteer grants represent a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits to enhance their funding and engagement simultaneously. By educating supporters, partnering with companies in your network, and powering your promotional efforts with the right tools, your organization can optimize its volunteer grant marketing efforts with ease.

Now, it’s time to embrace the potential of volunteer grants for your cause. Incorporate the above tips and tricks in your strategy, then sit back and watch it thrive as you harness the power of corporate partnerships for your nonprofit’s mission.

Interested in learning more about leading employee philanthropy opportunities? We recommend the following resources:

Double the Donation is the key to unlocking more support through volunteer grants, VTO, and beyond.


Top Volunteer Grant Databases to Grow Your Tech Stack

Volunteer grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, enabling them to maximize their impact and encourage their supporters to do the same. However, navigating the various programs available to your organization can be challenging. That’s where volunteer grant databases come in!

If you’re looking to expand your organization’s fundraising toolkit with a volunteer grant database, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about top volunteer grant databases and how they can benefit your mission.

This includes:

By incorporating a database tool into your tech stack, your nonprofit can streamline its fundraising, better engage its volunteer base, and support its mission more effectively than ever before.

In a hurry? Skip ahead to learn about our top recommendation, Double the Donation—or request a demo of the volunteer grant and matching gift database.

Otherwise, let’s begin with the basics!

What Is a Volunteer Grant Database?

A volunteer grant database is a specialized tool designed to help nonprofits identify and manage volunteer grant opportunities. These grants, which are also known as “dollars for doers,” are offered by businesses as a way to provide monetary donations to nonprofits based on the volunteer hours their employees contribute.

Tons of companies offer the programs, but keeping track of each one’s criteria and submissions can quickly become an overwhelming task for nonprofit teams. Supporters often lack knowledge of their companies’ programs, too, so it often falls on the organization to uncover qualifying opportunities.

Fortunately, volunteer grant databases do it for you!

Top Volunteer Grant Databases to Grow Your Tech Stack

 

How? A volunteer grant database tool compiles comprehensive information on thousands of corporate giving programs (including volunteer grants, matching gifts, and volunteer time off). Each listing supplies company-specific eligibility criteria (e.g., qualifying employees, minimum number of hours, grant thresholds, etc.), links to online submission forms, and more.

How Does a Volunteer Grant Database Impact Fundraising?

Incorporating a volunteer grant database into your fundraising strategy can significantly enhance your supporter engagement, financial health, and more.

Here’s how it can do so.

Benefits of volunteer grant databases

 

More Identified Dollars for Doers Opportunities 🔍

By providing access to a centralized repository of grant opportunities, a volunteer grant database can help your team quickly screen for eligible volunteers. Even if supporters are unaware of their grant potential, your team can flag eligible individuals to pursue a more personalized approach and encourage their submissions.

Simplified Request Process for Volunteers ✍️

Speaking of submissions, each volunteer is generally required to complete a request form for their employer in order to secure grant funding on your organization’s behalf. Providing access to a volunteer grant database is one of the best ways to streamline submissions and reduce unnecessary friction in the process. All an individual has to do is enter their employer’s name and navigate to the provided request form.

Enhanced Operational Efficiency ⚡

Manually identifying and researching volunteer grant opportunities requires a lot of organizational bandwidth. By automating the process with a volunteer grant database tool, you can free up your team’s time for other high-value activities.

Improved Grant Tracking 📌

Volunteer grants follow a multi-step process from identification to submission and through the disbursement of funds. A volunteer grant tool like Double the Donation offers tracking functionality that helps monitor the status of available grants and address any issues that may arise.

Increased Funding through Corporate Giving Opportunities 🏢

The easier it is for volunteers to request funding from their employers, the more likely they are to do so. That means more corporate giving revenue making its way to your organization.

But it’s not just volunteer grants, either. A volunteer grant database will often supply resources on matching gifts and other corporate giving programs, too!

Our Volunteer Grant Database Recommendation: Double the Donation

When selecting a volunteer grant database for your nonprofit, it’s important to consider several key factors. After all, you want to ensure the tool effectively supports your fundraising efforts and organizational needs⁠—both now and in the time to come.

Lucky for you, we’ve explored potential database options and would like to supply you with our top recommendation: Double the Donation.

Now, let’s see why this tool stands apart as the leading solution:

  • Comprehensive Database: Double the Donation maintains the industry’s most extensive collection of corporate volunteer grant programs, making it easy to locate accurate and up-to-date information about your supporters’ companies.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed with ease of use in mind, allowing users to quickly search for and access the right information. For this reason, the tool includes auto-completing search functionality and automatically accounts for subsidiaries and spelling variations, too!
  • Integration Capabilities: Double the Donation integrates seamlessly with a wide array of CRM systems, fundraising tools, and volunteer management platforms. When you add the tool to your website, donation forms, and more, you can also determine an individual’s eligibility for a match as they give!
  • Support and Resources: The platform provides a wealth of resources and support to get your nonprofit up and running. This includes personalized onboarding experiences, educational webinars, and more to help your team maximize its use of the database.Double the Donation's volunteer grant database

Other Top Tools & Resources For Growing Volunteer Grants

In addition to volunteer grant databases, there are a number of other handy tools and resources that can help supercharge your organization’s volunteer grant strategy.

These include:

Volunteer grant compilations

If your team has yet to make the leap to a volunteer grant database⁠—which we highly recommend doing⁠—free online resources (such as those offered by Double the Donation) can help identify select opportunities in your database.

For example, this compilation of top volunteer grant programs highlights several generous companies’ initiatives. It provides an excellent chance to cross-reference your supporter data and see if any existing or prospective volunteers work for these well-known examples.

Supplement your volunteer grant database with top company compilations

Volunteer time-trackers

Time-tracking tools are generally software applications that help nonprofits record and manage the hours contributed by their team members. When volunteers are encouraged (or required) to track the time they spend with your cause, you’ll find it’s easier than ever to streamline volunteer grant requests.

Keep in mind that these tools can also vary greatly in their level of sophistication. Some organizations manage hour-tracking efforts with paper forms, others employ spreadsheets, and others still invest in dedicated solutions.

Time-tracking tools are a key addition to any volunteer grant database

Volunteer management tools

You may already have a Volunteer Management System, or VMS, in your nonprofit toolkit. This type of tool is designed to help nonprofits organize, recruit, and manage their volunteer workforce, typically offering features for scheduling, communication, task assignments, and more. When it’s easy for supporters to sign up and partake in volunteer activities, you’ll have more eligible individuals to pursue volunteer grants in the first place!

Not to mention, a well-managed volunteer program can typically provide the necessary documentation and proof of volunteer hours needed for grant applications.

Supplement your volunteer grant database with volunteer management systems

CSR platforms

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platforms are comprehensive solutions that assist companies in managing their employee giving and volunteer programs. These platforms also facilitate collaboration between companies and nonprofits, making it easier to coordinate philanthropic efforts for both teams.

As a result, most CSR platforms incorporate a nonprofit-facing portal that organizations can access for free. From there, they can manage their side of the programs (i.e., reviewing and verifying volunteer requests).

Supplement your volunteer grant database with CSR platforms


Final Thoughts on Volunteer Grant Databases & More

Investing in a volunteer grant database can significantly boost your nonprofit’s fundraising capabilities. By streamlining the volunteer grant discovery and submission processes, dedicated tools like Double the Donation can help maximize the value of volunteer grants for your cause.
Integrating these tools into your tech stack allows you to ensure your nonprofit is well-equipped to leverage the full potential of volunteer grants, ultimately powering organizational growth.

Continue growing your corporate giving knowledge. Read up on these recommended resources to learn more:

Double the Donation is the key to unlocking more support through volunteer grants, VTO, and beyond.

The title of the article: A Complete Guide to Creating A Donation Page (with Examples).

A Complete Guide to Creating a Donation Page (with Examples)

Picture this: You’ve just led a successful marketing campaign that earned high engagement rates on social media and through email. You see traffic coming to your website, but for some reason, supporters seem to stop at the final hurdle: your donation page.

With all the work that goes into fundraising, ensure your donation page makes the giving experience better rather than being one more obstacle to get past. To help your nonprofit design a better donation page, this guide will explore:

If you’re ready to elevate your giving process with a new and improved donation page, let’s get started.

Double your donors' giving at no extra cost with matching gifts! Download our free matching gifts guide.

How to Set Up Your Donation Page

Donation pages consist of two parts: the donation page and the donation form. The donation page hosts your donation form, and the donation form is the part of the page where donors input their payment information and other relevant details.

To start setting up this page, follow these steps:

  1. Choose a donation platform. There are hundreds of fundraising and donation management tools available to nonprofits. Choose a donation platform that is secure, compatible with the rest of your technology, and has the donation acceptance capabilities you need. For example, while most nonprofits just need donation processors that can accept recurring donations or let supporters make donations in someone’s name, others may look into platforms that can accept cryptocurrency and stock donations.
  2. Design your donation page. Customize your donation page to align with your nonprofit’s brand, such as by uploading your logo and adjusting the colors. Doing so will create a consistent experience for supporters and reassure them that they’re giving to your nonprofit when they click on your donation page.
  3. Set up payment processing. Most donation platforms will come with a payment processor, but you may be able to choose your own processor and potentially go through several steps to set up your payment system. For example, you will likely need to create or link your nonprofit’s merchant account to receive payments.
  4. Launch your page. Once your donation page is configured correctly, it’s time to launch it. Consider testing your donation form a few times or even on a recurring basis. You can do this by making small gifts to ensure donations are being processed correctly.

How much you can customize your donation page depends on your software and technical expertise. For small organizations, there are many out-of-the-box donation forms you can embed into your website with only minimal customization necessary. In contrast, larger nonprofits may choose fully customizable solutions and work with developers to fine-tune every aspect of their donation process.

Donation Page Best Practices

The purpose of the page that hosts your donation form is to make the giving process as easy as possible. Essentially, when designing your donation page, consider how each element can help supporters get past this final hurdle to complete their donation journeys.

With that in mind, a few best practices include:

  • Clear structure and calls to action. There should be no question about how to use your donation page. Include clear donate buttons, and potentially divide your donation page into giving levels. These levels explain to donors how their gifts will make a difference.

Examples of donation levels.

  • Consistent branding. When navigating to your donation page, supporters should feel confident that they’re still on your website and giving to your nonprofit, which consistent branding can do. Plus, if your donation page gets shared around separately, such as through a social media campaign, it can still build brand awareness for your nonprofit.
  • Social sharing options. Giving donors the ability to share that they’ve given to your cause on social media accomplishes several things at once. Donors are able to earn public recognition for their good deeds and promote your nonprofit to potential donors. 32% of donors are most inspired to give via social media, and giving your supporters easy ways to tap into social media sharing is always in your best interest.
  • Mission summary. Providing a quick summary of your mission and how donors impact your cause can help reinforce their decision to give. This summary should be just one or two sentences that focus on the impact and urgency of giving.

After submitting a donation form, supporters should be greeted with a confirmation page that thanks them for their gift. You can get creative with your confirmation page by adding photographs and illustrations or playing with your typography. However, the financial information should be clear, so there is no confusion over whether a donor’s gift went through.

An example donor confirmation page.

Additionally, follow up with supporters with a donation receipt. The IRS requires all gifts of $250 to receive written confirmation, but it’s good practice to create receipts for all gifts.

Donation Form Best Practices

Your donation form is an essential part of your nonprofit’s donation page and can play a pivotal role in a supporter’s decision to donate.

This includes collecting:

  • Donor details. Basic information such as a donor’s name, contact information, and payment details are expected parts of the donation process. Avoid the temptation to gather more information as 65% of website visitors refuse to fill out a form if it asks for too much personal information.
  • Use a PCI-compliant payment processor. The Payment Card Industry set standards for payment processors to prevent breaches, protect consumers’ financial data, and fight fraud. When researching donation processors, check their security measures to ensure they are PCI-compliant.
  • Add suggested giving amounts. Also called donation levels, suggested giving amounts are pre-selected donation amounts supporters can choose from. Adding these to your donation page makes the donation process easier and can encourage supporters to give in higher amounts.
  • Make recurring giving easy. Recurring donations provide consistent support, and opting into them should be as easy as possible. Add a checkbox or button to make recurring giving possible in just a few clicks.
  • Encourage matching gifts. Many companies offer employees matching gift programs. Through these corporate giving initiatives, the company will match donations eligible employees make to nonprofits. Use matching gift software to add a matching gift search tool to your donation page. That way, donors become aware of matching gifts and can jump-start the matching gift request process right when they’re contributing.

Additionally, your entire website should follow website accessibility guidelines, but there are a few additional elements to consider when it comes to forms. For example, for each entry field, add a text indicator, such as an asterisk, for required fields rather than relying on color alone. Try navigating your donation form entirely by keyboard, running your page through colorblind filters, and making sure all text can be read by screen readers.

Now that you know what a donation form and page should look like, let’s explore a few examples of these best practices in action.

10 Donation Page Examples

1. Humane Society of Forsyth County

Limit distractions on your donation page. The Humane Society of Forsyth County shows you how to create a page that does just that.

A screenshot of the Humane Society of Forsyth County's donation page.

This minimalist design uses limited graphical elements and conditional logic to move donors smoothly through the giving process. If donors check a box that needs extra information, one clearly appears and disappears if the check is removed. This avoids clutter and ensures donors only engage with the elements they need to make their gift.

Plus, this donation page is also a showcase for creating suggested giving amounts. The boldest and most colorful part of the page in this stripped-down design is the donation levels. This prompts supporters to engage with them and the recurring giving options below. Plus, supporters also have the option to adjust their total gift amount even after selecting a suggested giving amount, reassuring supporters that how much they give is ultimately up to them.

2. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provides maximum flexibility to donors in terms of how they give.

A screenshot of St. Jude's donation page.

When choosing a payment method, supporters can click several large buttons (which are easily accessible for mobile users) to give via credit card, PayPal, or even check. Pressing each option alters the rest of the donation form to reflect only that payment method, so supporters don’t have to scroll past entry fields for payment types they’re not using.

When it comes to payment methods your nonprofit will accept, consider at least offering a third-party processor like PayPal in addition to credit and debit cards. These processors provide donors more control over their gifts, helping them feel rest assured that their financial information and donations are protected.

3. World Wildlife Fund

One-time gifts are helpful, but recurring donations are reliable and allow your nonprofit to connect with donors long-term. To drive as many recurring gifts as possible, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has a donation page that defaults to monthly giving.

A screenshot of the WWF's donation page.

The entire donation page is set up to encourage supporters to upgrade their one-time gifts to recurring ones. Clicking on the option to “Give Once” causes a message box with an arrow pointing to the monthly giving option to appear, emphasizing how much more of a difference recurring gifts make by calling these donors “heroes for nature 365 days a year.”

Additionally, the suggested giving amounts for one-time and monthly giving options also persuade supporters to become recurring donors. Toggling back and forth between the two options only requires a button click, and supporters can compare the relatively low monthly donation costs to the equivalent one-time options.

The value of monthly gifts for both the WWF and donors is only further emphasized in the brief donation page description. This section shares how donors can become Partners in Conservation with a gift of $84+/month or $1,000+. While monthly donors will give a little more than $1,000 a year at $84 per month, many supporters will see the stark contrast between these numbers and feel the monthly option is the better deal.

4. Feeding America

Feeding America has a strong donation page, but where it really shines is in its search engine marketing.

A screenshot of Feeding America's Google Ad.

Anyone searching for “Feeding America” will be shown a Google Ad for Feeding America. This ad strategically takes up the entire above-the-fold section of the search results page with sitelinks, which extend the Google Ad with additional landing pages. These links let nonprofits list important pages (like your donation page) and allow users to jump straight to them.

Plus, with Feeding America’s strong search engine optimization strategy (SEO), you can find high-ranking Google search results for their site for nearly all terms related to U.S.-based food banks and feeding children in America.

To achieve similar results for your nonprofit, consider working with an SEO marketing agency or investing in the Google Ad Grant. For reference, the Google Ad Grant provides $10,000 in free ad credits nonprofits can use to create Google Ads.

Our recommended Google Partner can create persuasive Google Ads for your mission. Discuss your advertising plan with Getting Attention.

5. American Heart Association

84% of donors state they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered. The American Heart Association leverages this giving behavior by prominently emphasizing matching opportunities right on its homepage

A screenshot of the American Heart Association's homeapge.

On the donation form itself, a brief description explains the importance of the American Heart Association’s target issue. After this call to action, there is another brief reminder about an ongoing matching campaign. This helps instill urgency as it explains that donors need to give “now” and that this match applies to “gifts today,” indicating supporters may not get this opportunity if they put off donating.

Additionally, the American Heart Association’s donation page is designed to prevent cart abandonment, which occurs when an individual begins a checkout process but stops before finalizing their payment. When a donor exits the donation form, a pop-up appears prompting them to share their email address to be reminded to give later.

And taking it even further, American Heart Association highlights company matching in its peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, Raise Your Way. Imagine getting your family, friends, and extended network to support American Heart Association—and then getting all of their donations doubled!

6. United Way

Public recognition applauds the donor who just gave and encourages fellow supporters to follow suit. United Way adds public recognition to its donation page with a donor leaderboard.

A screenshot of United Way's donation page.

Recent donations are listed on the donation page, reflecting gifts as they’re processed in real time. This means donors can give and check back in on the donation page to see their own gifts reflected.

Plus, a donor leaderboard that constantly updates in real-time shows that United Way is a healthy nonprofit with a lively supporter base. This reassures potential donors that their gifts will be put to good use by a reputable nonprofit.

7. International Rescue Committee

While donation page designs should be free of clutter, adding your mission statement or an example of impact can go a long way toward getting donations across the finish line. The International Rescue Committee’s donation page shows a strong example of how to demonstrate urgency and impact.

A screenshot of International Rescue's donation page.

The photograph on this page shows potential beneficiaries, helping donors picture just who their gifts will help. The text over the picture, “DOUBLE your impact for refugees,” provides additional context in case a visitor needs clarification about the photograph.

The mission statement below the photo states the International Rescue Committee’s belief that everyone deserves safety and provides a few examples of locations where they are focusing their efforts.

8. University of Georgia

Nonprofits should keep their donation pages short and to the point. However, as the University of Georgia (UGA) shows, you can add a few extra entry fields that provide extensive value.

A screenshot of UGA's donation page.

Near the end of this donation page, supporters are prompted to add their employers’ information to discover if they are eligible for matching gifts. This user-friendly search tool auto-completes as supporters type, letting them find their employers in seconds.

UGA also uses its donation page as an opportunity to gather information for its appreciation and donor retention strategy. Supporters have the option to add their social media handles for Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) in an entry field that explains how UGA’s social media accounts regularly post about donors.

Both this and the matching gift entry field are not required, letting interested supporters opt in, while those who just want to make a donation can be on their way.

9. Humane Society of Broward County

Giving in honor or memory of someone else is a powerful way for donors to give their support to others and remember loved ones impacted by your cause. The Humane Society of Broward County demonstrates how nonprofits can make memorial donations an effective part of your donation form.

A screenshot of the Humane Society of Broward's donation page.

As a humane society, this nonprofit recognizes that many of its supporters are likely animal lovers and have pets in their lives currently or who have passed that they may want to recognize. Supporters can easily choose to make their donation in memory or honor of a pet or a person.

While pets may not be able to read the personal messages supporters write, the donation page description explains that gifts of $25+ made in honor or memoriam of an animal will be printed in the Humane Society of Broward County’s newsletter. This provides public recognition, creates a keepsake for the donors, builds donor relationships, and prompts supporters to give a bit more.

10. Canadian Radiological Foundation

Let’s take a step back from donation pages and take a look at another page you can create to accompany your donation page: a donor recognition page. The Canadian Radiological Foundation encourages support from new and existing donors by creating a virtual donor wall of their names.

A screenshot of the Canadian Radiological Foundation's donor appreciation page.

Of the names listed, several are highlighted in blue to signal that they are part of an exclusive donor group known as the 500 Club. The 500 Club is a fundraising initiative launched by the Candian Radiological Foundation that donors can join by giving $500. This strategy encourages donors to upgrade their giving level to become part of an exclusive club and earn a limited edition pin and recognition in external communication, such as the donor acknowledgment page.

If your nonprofit wants to do something similar, you can create a virtual donor wall. List the names of donors who gave above a certain amount, gave to a specific campaign, or fulfilled any other requirement you feel deserves extra recognition.

More Donation Resources

Donors are the lifeblood of your nonprofit, and your donation page is the key tool your organization has for collecting support online. When maintaining your website, planning a new marketing strategy, or launching a rebrand, your donation page should always be at the top of your priority list.

To improve your donation earning potential, explore these additional resources on how to earn and make the most of each donor relationship:

$4-$7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed each year. Matching gift software ensures you don't lose out on extra revenue. Explore our solution.

This ultimate guide walks through everything you need to know about nonprofit advertising.

Nonprofit Advertising: The Best Advice & Persuasive Examples

The online space grows more competitive each day. Nonprofits are up against big-name companies, vying for consumers’ attention. If you’re grasping at straws and still aren’t capturing prospects’ attention, it might be time to try nonprofit advertising.

Advertising is often perceived as a misuse of donations, but it’s surprisingly effective. There’s a reason companies invest in paid advertising – it works! Where traditional marketing approaches fall short, paid advertising can elevate your cause and extend your reach to new audiences.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your existing efforts, this guide will provide everything you need to create a high-ROI nonprofit advertising strategy, including everything from common types of ads to real-world examples you can emulate. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Whether you’re investing in digital nonprofit advertising or creating newspaper ads, get ready to brainstorm how ads can support your cause and get your services in front of new audiences.

Explore this guide to learn about one of the most powerful nonprofit advertising platforms: Google Ad Grants.

Understanding Nonprofit Advertising

The world of nonprofit advertising is expansive, so let’s start with the fundamentals, kicking off with a basic definition.

What Are Nonprofit Ads?

Also referred to as charity advertising, nonprofit ads are paid ads that nonprofits use to promote their services and fundraisers. Advertising includes digital platforms such as paid search ads and social media ads, as well as traditional advertising methods such as community radio and print ads.

While paid ads can make a notable difference in your outreach, know they’re just one part of your marketing strategy. “Nonprofit marketing” refers to all the activities your nonprofit leverages to promote its brand and mission, while advertising is a specific subset of nonprofit marketing that refers strictly to paid channels.

In the for-profit world, companies create billboards, promotional materials for TV, and digital ads to promote goods and services. Advertising looks a little different for nonprofits, though. Instead of promoting a tangible product, nonprofit advertising is used to “sell” a cause. When done effectively, charity ads educate target audiences about the mission, goals, and services of the organization, as well as solicit donations or other forms of support.

What’s The Difference Between Inbound and Outbound Marketing?

Inbound and outbound marketing are two distinct marketing approaches, each with unique strategies and benefits. For a balanced marketing plan, use both paid and free channels to reach your audience without blowing your budget out of the water. Let’s compare these two strategies:

This table compares the inbound marketing (i.e., organic content) and outbound marketing (i.e., nonprofit advertising).

  • Inbound marketing, often referred to as “pull marketing,” is designed to attract prospects by pulling them in with content related to their interests. Common inbound channels include search engine optimization (SEO), blogs, videos, podcasts, and organic social media content. Inbound marketing requires time to develop and share quality content. SEO, in particular, is a crucial form of inbound marketing. By targeting relevant keywords, creating valuable content, and improving the overall user experience of your site, you can attract more organic traffic. While it takes time to see results from SEO, the long-term benefits include a steady stream of engaged visitors and reduced reliance on paid advertising.
  • Outbound marketing is commonly called “push marketing” since it involves pushing messages out to a wide audience, regardless of whether the audience has expressed interest in your mission. Typically associated with paid strategies, commonly used outbound channels include TV commercials, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, direct mail campaigns, newspaper ads, and social media ads. Outbound marketing can deliver quick results and is especially useful for time-sensitive campaigns and events.

Both inbound and outbound marketing have their place in a comprehensive marketing strategy. To strike a balance, we suggest using inbound tactics like optimizing your nonprofit’s website for search engines. This strategy helps build a strong online presence and attract supporters organically. Once you create valuable content, amplify its reach using paid ads.

This approach allows you to leverage the strengths of both strategies: the long-term sustainability of inbound marketing and the immediate impact of outbound marketing.

Why Should Nonprofits Use Advertising?

Nonprofit advertising is undoubtedly worth the investment. From securing new donors to connecting with beneficiaries, you can achieve a lot with persuasive ads.

If you’re not convinced you should spend your hard-earned donations on promoting your work, here are a few common reasons why you should:

Use nonprofit advertising to build brand awareness and experience a high ROI.

  • Drive high-quality conversions. Getting Attention’s nonprofit advertising guide explains that with powerful ads, “you can convert an ordinary viewer into a valuable supporter. You might shoot for conversions like donations, volunteer sign-ups, contact form completions, event registrations, or shares to social media sites.” Plus, many platforms have audience targeting capabilities, allowing you to narrow your audience and deliver valuable content to likely supporters.
  • Build a stronger, more recognizable brand. Nonprofit advertising puts your digital content in front of more prospects than word-of-mouth alone. Existing supporters will also be met with your charitable ads, keeping your cause front of mind even when they haven’t interacted with you for a while.
  • See major returns on low-cost efforts. In some cases, you only pay when a user clicks your ad. Many platforms, like Google Ads, offer discounts and free platform use to verified nonprofits. Even when you pay out of pocket for ads, you don’t have to pay to generate revenue from nonprofit ads. This Google Ad Grant Impact Report explains that view-through revenue—revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad—accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads.

For positive results, put in time and effort into creating authentic ads. Otherwise, you’ll waste your budget that could be better used supporting other areas of your mission.

Choosing Between Inbound vs. Outbound Strategies

When choosing between inbound and outbound strategies, nonprofits should consider their goals. Whether the aim is immediate visibility, sustainable growth, or building credibility, both outbound advertising and inbound SEO offer unique advantages.

Let’s take a look at the specific benefits of advertising vs. SEO.

Why Use Advertising:

  • Immediate Visibility: Advertising provides quick exposure and immediate results, ideal for time-sensitive campaigns or events.
  • Targeted Reach: Paid ads can be highly targeted, ensuring your message reaches the right audience.
  • High-Quality Conversions: With compelling ads, you can drive valuable actions like donations, volunteer sign-ups, and event registrations.

Why Use SEO:

  • Sustainable Growth: SEO helps organizations build a long-term online presence, attracting organic traffic consistently.
  • Cost-Effective: Once established, SEO can provide ongoing benefits without additional costs.
  • Credibility and Trust: Content that ranks well on Google also tends to be original, valuable, and reliable. Therefore, high-quality, optimized content enhances your nonprofit’s credibility, fostering long-term supporter relationships.

SEO is ideal for promoting your nonprofit’s services, products, and annual events that attract wide audiences. Meanwhile, you might reserve ads for direct fundraising campaigns, other ways to give, localized offerings, and one-time events.

By understanding the strengths of both approaches, your nonprofit can strategically decide whether to prioritize immediate impact with advertising, sustainable growth with SEO, or ideally both for your marketing plan.

What Are the Challenges of Charity Advertising?

When used efficiently, nonprofit ads can help you make incredible strides for your mission. However, you’ll need to overcome some hurdles.

Here are some challenges you’ll want to get in front of when planning your promotional strategies:

  • Donors want their funds to go directly toward your mission. They might resist the idea of their contributions being spent on paid ads. That’s why some nonprofits are hesitant to pay for advertising — they’re worried about what existing prospective donors will think of them.
  • You’ll need to dedicate time to managing your ads. Some organizations don’t have the staff or time to create their ads. That goes for monitoring your campaigns and making adjustments to maximize results, too. You shouldn’t use a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Not to mention, some advertising platforms have a considerable learning curve. We recommend working with a nonprofit advertising expert to mitigate these challenges.
  • Conveying your message can be challenging. Ads are notorious for seeming inauthentic. When possible, use storytelling components like original images to make your ads appear genuine.

To preemptively overcome these challenges, choose affordable advertising channels and be authentic in your promotion. We also recommend working with a nonprofit advertising agency. These professionals devote their time to managing campaigns backed by their technical expertise, so you can focus on other activities.

How Can I Work Nonprofit Ads Into My Budget?

Considering that nonprofit advertising is a paid form of marketing, you’ll need to allocate sufficient funds toward it.

A common misconception is that paid advertising is unattainable for nonprofits with limited budgets. In reality, many paid advertising platforms offer free or discounted access to verified organizations. Here are some ways your nonprofit can tap into advertising for free, minimizing the negative reactions donors might have:

  • Through the Google Ad Grants program, you can receive $10,000 in free ad credits every month. You’ll spend your credits on promoting your website’s most important content, like your donation form or volunteer registration page.
  • A rule by the Federal Communications Commission can help you leverage free radio ads if you format them as public service announcements.
  • Through business sponsorships, companies may promote your nonprofit to customers free of charge as part of their corporate philanthropy practices.

Beyond these free opportunities, let’s look at how organizations break down their nonprofit advertising budgets across different platforms. According to M+R Benchmarks’ annual study, organizations allocate their advertising budgets in the following percentages:

  • 22%  on display ads
  • 35% on search ads
  • 36% on social media
  • 8% on video ads and other forms of advertising

This chart shows how organizations divide their nonprofit advertising budgets between channels.

Use these percentages to guide you when allocating money toward advertising in your annual budget. Considering that search ads yield the highest return on ad spend, we recommend investing most of your budget in that area. According to that same M+R Benchmarks Study, it generates an incredible $2.75 return for every dollar spent, while display ads generate $0.33.

7 Types of Nonprofit Ads

Promote your cause using these charity advertising channels.

 

Considering that paid advertising incurs costs, be strategic about which platforms you use. Decide which ones will align with your goals and will help you reach your target audience. To help you grasp your options, let’s walk through seven of the most common nonprofit advertising platforms, starting with our favorite.

Type 1: Google Search Ads and SEO

Create nonprofit ads for Google to connect with users searching for your cause.

Paid search ads are online advertisements that promote an organization’s web content. These ads are displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) and are triggered by keywords related to the advertiser’s organization. Advertisers pay each time someone clicks their ad, so they’re not overpaying for advertising space. This makes it cost-effective for reaching and driving qualified leads.

Meanwhile, you can also use SEO to take up even more real estate on SERPs. By optimizing your website’s content for relevant keywords, you can improve your organic search rankings, making it easier for potential supporters to find your organization and purchase your products. SEO involves tactics like keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, and link building. While it requires an investment of time and effort, the long-term benefits of SEO can turn organic search into a reliable lead source channel for your nonprofit’s purchasable products, services, and programs.

Google Ad Grants

When eligible for Google Ad Grants, nonprofits can tap into this nonprofit advertising channel for free. So long as they comply with the program’s rules, they’ll receive $10,000 each month to spend on amplifying their web content on Google Search. If you’re a visual learner, watch this video from the Google Ad experts at Getting Attention:

If this sounds like an irresistible offer, here’s how to get started with this nonprofit advertising platform:

  1. Check your nonprofit’s eligibility. Google limits participation to those with valid charity status. Governmental, healthcare, and educational organizations are ineligible. You’ll also need a website that meets the program’s requirements. Explore our Google Grants eligibility guide to determine your eligibility status.
  2. Create a Google for Nonprofits account. Through Google for Nonprofits, you can access the Google Ad Grant application and a range of helpful tools like Google WorkSpace and the YouTube Nonprofit Program. You’ll provide information like your tax identification number and contact information.
  3. Wait for Verification. Percent works with Google to verify organizations’ legitimacy and help maintain the integrity of Google’s program. They may reach out for additional documentation, so keep an eye on your email.
  4. Apply for the Google Grant. Once approved, you’ll gain access to the Google Ad Grant application. Fill out the eligibility form and wait for approval. In no time, you’ll receive $10,000 to spend on Google Ads every month.

We recommend working with a Google Grants agency like Getting Attention to maximize this charity advertising opportunity. They’ll work to understand your mission, choose the right keywords, and craft compelling nonprofit ads that drive results.

Improve your charity advertising on Google with our recommended agency.

How to Integrate Your Google Ads and SEO Strategies

Integrating Google Ads with your SEO strategy can enhance your nonprofit’s visibility within search results, drive traffic to your website, and maximize your impact.

Following SEO best practices means creating a website that ranks organically to reach a broad audience and can be promoted with Google Ads to connect with localized, targeted audiences.

Here’s how you can combine these two approaches:

  • Use Google Ads to supplement SEO. SEO is a long-term strategy that takes several months to yield results. During this period, Google Ads can provide immediate visibility. By bidding on the keywords your SEO efforts target, you can ensure that your nonprofit appears at the top of search results pages even before your organic rankings improve.
  • Pay attention to keyword performance. Google Ads provides detailed reports on which keywords drive the most traffic and conversions. Use these insights from your paid campaigns to refine your organic SEO keyword strategy.
  • Improve your landing pages. High-quality landing pages not only improve your ad performance but also boost organic search rankings. Ensure your landing pages are optimized for SEO by including relevant keywords, providing valuable content, and enhancing the user experience.
  • Analyze your Google Ad performance to understand what content resonates with supporters. Use this information to optimize your website content, blog posts, and other SEO materials. For example, if a certain style of ad copy has a high click-through rate, consider incorporating similar language and themes into your website content.

When it comes to search engine advertising strategy, we recommend working with an SEO agency, especially if you’re new to SEO.

An SEO agency brings expert knowledge, tools, and a holistic approach to maximize the effectiveness of both efforts. We recommend Nexus Marketing as the best choice for nonprofits that sell products and services. With its team’s deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, proven track record in driving results, and extensive network within the mission-driven space, Nexus Marketing will deliver customized, results-driven strategies that align with your organization’s unique mission and goals.

Our recommended agency can help you create a strong SEO strategy that works well with your nonprofits’ ads.

Type 2: Social Media Ads

Create charity ads for social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Did you know that 59% of Gen Zers are inspired to donate by a message they saw on social media? You’re missing out if you’re not promoting your cause through this channel!

Most nonprofits recognize this digital marketing channel is effective for leveraging social proof to build trust. Unless you have a large following consistently sharing your content, it can be challenging to gain traction, though. That’s why we recommend allocating money toward social media ads.

Social Media Advertising Platforms

To avoid stretching your nonprofit advertising budget too thin, consider the platforms from which you’ll purchase ad space. As you get started, keep these charity advertising platforms in mind:

  • Instagram ads appear throughout the app in users’ feeds, between Stories, and on their explore pages. While designed similarly to normal posts, each ad contains a “sponsored label.” Use this method to tap into additional features unavailable for traditional posts. Include links, CTA buttons, and product catalogs. Then, track ad performance with the insights Instagram provides.
  • Facebook ads allow you to tap into the world’s most popular social network. With the ability to target people based on their interests, demographics, and location, nonprofits can create highly targeted campaigns that will likely reach their desired audience. Use Facebook ads to boost engagement, build brand awareness, and even solicit donations with integrated fundraising features.
  • X (formerly Twitter) ads allow you to connect with younger audiences. Nonprofits can create targeted campaigns based on user interests and location. Use these to tailor messaging to different audiences, drive website traffic, increase brand visibility, and engage with followers.
  • TikTok ads, available through TikTok for Good, offer a dynamic way to reach a younger, highly engaged audience through video ads. Your nonprofit can tell its story, raise awareness, and drive action in a creative, visually engaging format.

These nonprofit advertising channels allow you to leverage user-friendly features and reach supporters where they already are: scrolling through social media. Plus, social media has an incredible reach. Sources estimate there will be 5.8 billion social media users worldwide by 2027.

When creating messages, remember social media tends to be trend-based, so monitor what’s trending to create timely ads for your cause.

Type 3: Sponsored Retargeting

Sponsored retargeting is a type of nonprofit advertising that requires companies to purchase ads from an organization.

Sponsored retargeting is a collaborative advertising approach where a business or organization sponsors your nonprofit by purchasing ads from you. These ads typically feature co-branded elements. The reasons a company might engage in sponsored retargeting include:

  • Improved Reputation: Companies can bolster their reputation by aligning their image with your nonprofit, positioning them as a socially responsible company.
  • Audience Overlap: The overlap in audience demographics between the company and your nonprofit makes this an attractive opportunity to promote the company’s services to relevant individuals.

Both your nonprofit and the sponsor can share these advertisements on your respective platforms, increasing visibility and audience engagement for both parties. Overall, this mutually beneficial arrangement not only serves immediate advertising goals but also strengthens the long-term relationship between your nonprofit and its corporate sponsors.

Type 4: Community Radio

Create radio ads for your nonprofit.

Community radio can be ideal for advertising your mission to a local audience. Radio ads can be tailored to specific demographics and areas. Plus, you can physically speak to your audience, showing passion for your cause.

Some nonprofits qualify for free public service announcements on community radio stations. Thanks to the Federal Communications Commission, radio stations must allot some radio time to charitable organizations.

If you’re filling free nonprofit advertising space, there’s one caveat: you’ll need to format your messages as announcements rather than ads.

In other words, you can’t explicitly request donations. However, you can use radio ads to drive website traffic and generate buzz. Then, if your social media posts or website are optimized, visitors may wind up clicking the ‘Donate’ or ‘Volunteer’ button.

Type 5: Print Advertising for Nonprofits

Post nonprofit ads in newspapers and other publications.

If you want to go a more traditional route with your nonprofit ads, try print advertising. Print ads, such as newspaper and magazine placements, target specific geographic areas, allowing nonprofits to reach their desired audience effectively.

Relatively inexpensive and adaptable, print ads can be placed in various publications, from local newspapers to national magazines. You can even create banners and flyers to promote your cause at local events.

This method works for a few reasons. For instance, print ads tend to be:

  • Memorable. You can provide readers with a tangible message to reference later, making it easy to save and circle back.
  • Tailored to the cause. Print ads can be designed to match a specific aesthetic. By incorporating your organization’s branding, these types of nonprofit ads can convey your message in a visually appealing, unique way.
  • Great for establishing credibility. Print ads can be placed in specific publications or at events your target audience will likely attend. By appearing in a respected publication or at a reputable event, your nonprofit can establish its legitimacy.

In your nonprofit advertising strategy, consider the role of print ads for reaching specific audiences. For example, nature organizations might use publications like National Geographic to connect their cause with respected, influential scientific content.

Type 6: Influencer Advertising

Strengthen your charity's advertising with help from influencers.

Influencers have an established web presence, usually due to social media or a blog. They’ve created a trustworthy brand and amassed a highly engaged audience.

Companies work with social media influencers to promote their products every day. Have you thought about how working with an influencer can amplify your nonprofit’s brand?

Influencers have a large, engaged audience that trusts their opinion and is likelier to engage with their content. Like you do when choosing corporate partners, choose someone who aligns with your brand.

For example, let’s say you work for a food security organization. You might partner with a food blogger or an influencer who publishes recipes. This will help:

  • Convert and activate new supporters. By asking their followers to donate, follow, or show support in some other way, influencers can drive like-minded people to support your cause.
  • Draw attention to your work. Influencers can promote engaging content that can spark conversations and encourage people to look into your work.

When leveraging these ads, develop materials for influencers to work with. Then, they can make it their own to give it a more authentic feel that aligns with their brand.

Type 7: Retargeted Advertising

Retargeted nonprofit ads are great for driving users to revisit your website.

We’ve all experienced this at some point. While online shopping, we add something to our cart like a comfy new shirt. We get distracted and leave the site, only to be met with ads on other websites for that same exact shirt. This is what we refer to as a “retargeted ad.”

While primarily used to promote products, retargeted ads allow nonprofits to engage people who have already shown interest in the mission.

Retargeted advertising places a cookie on a user’s device and then displays relevant ads based on their prior online activity. These ads can effectively reach people who have already visited your nonprofit’s website or interacted with you on social media. They’re tailored to the individual user, making them an effective way to drive conversions.

How to Use Retargeted Ads

If you’re unsure how retargeting ads fit into your nonprofit advertising strategy, let’s review a few examples.

Retargeted ads can remind people of a nonprofit’s mission, encourage donations, and promote events or services. Here are a few use cases for this strategy:

  • Abandoned donations: Retarget someone who left your donation page before submitting their donation. They were already considering donating, and it’s up to you to determine why they didn’t follow through. Think through common reasons why someone might abandon a gift. For example, maybe they wanted to research your services more before submitting a donation. If that seems like a viable reason someone would’ve walked away, create retargeted ads that explain your work.
  • Event reminders: Create a retargeting ad campaign to re-engage anyone who didn’t complete their event registration. Let’s say someone left to check their calendar but then forgot to return and finish registering. This type of ad can be a great reminder to revisit your event registration page!

This type of nonprofit ad is a fantastic way to engage users, even if they’ve never actually donated or taken any other action. At some point, users who receive these ads showed interest in your cause online, and a little reminder might be just what they need.

Steps to Creating Your Nonprofit Advertising Strategy

Steps to Creating Your Nonprofit Advertising Strategy
So you’ve decided nonprofit advertising is a smart move. Great! Now, let’s walk through easy steps to create an effective nonprofit advertising plan:

1. Define your campaign objectives.

What are you hoping to achieve by purchasing ad space? Do you want to boost volunteer numbers, secure more volunteer grants, sell your product offerings, increase digital donations, or educate the public about your cause? Having a goal will help you pick which content to promote.

For example, if your nonprofit offers paid training programs, you might launch an SEO strategy focused on increasing enrollment and generating revenue for these services. Adding an SEO component to your advertising strategy can help you identify the most relevant keywords and topics to focus on in your ad campaigns.

2. Set a budget.

If you’re not careful, nonprofit advertising costs can quickly add up. When dividing your budget across different advertising platforms, think back to the industry-standard distributions we discussed earlier.

Suppose your nonprofit sells branded merchandise; allocating part of your budget to promote these revenue-generating activities can help sustain your organization’s financial health. Additionally, consider investing in SEO to complement your advertising efforts and add a cost-effective marketing channel to your strategy.

3. Identify your target audience.

Who are you trying to reach with your charity’s ads? Are you attempting to re-engage lapsed donors, connect with first-time volunteers, or find customers for your services? Get specific here, and consider the demographics of who you’re attempting to reach.

For instance, if your nonprofit provides educational workshops to small businesses, targeting entrepreneurs and small business owners in your area would be key. Use SEO data to gain insights into your audience’s online behavior and preferences, helping you refine your ad placements.

4. Choose platforms for ad distribution.

What platforms will put your nonprofit’s ads in front of the appropriate audiences? For example, maybe you’ll use social media ads to connect with Millennial or Gen Z donors across the country while using radio and print ads to reach a local audience.

For instance, if your nonprofit offers consulting services to other organizations, LinkedIn ads could be an effective way to reach professionals and decision-makers.

5. Create ad content.

Now comes the fun part! Create ads that persuade people to take action. For example, if your nonprofit sells online courses, your ads should highlight the unique value and benefits of the courses to attract new learners.

When possible, add compelling images and videos to spark an emotional response. Advertising platforms often limit the length of ads, so make the most of the characters you’re allotted and point to your content that’s optimized for search engines. We’ll explore nonprofit advertising examples in the next section to spark inspiration.

Following these steps will help generate influential ads for your cause. The work’s not over yet, though!

6. Assess your nonprofit advertising strategy.

For effective nonprofit advertising, actively monitor your campaigns using tracking systems, rather than just setting them and forgetting them.

To gauge ad performance, focus on metrics like clicks and reach. Most advertising platforms, including Google Ads, have built-in tools for tracking these key performance indicators (KPIs):

Use these key performance indicators to monitor your nonprofit ads' performance.

  • Impressions refer to how many times your ad was shown to users. It can help you gauge how large your reach is.
  • Click-through-rate (CTR) measures how many clicks your charity’s ad received divided by how many impressions it received. This metric indicates how relevant your ad is to users. For reference, if your Google Ad had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, your CTR would be 5%.
  • Conversion rate refers to the number of visitors who complete a desired goal, like registering for an event or donating. The higher your conversion rate, the better. Just ensure the action is meaningful to your work.
  • Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who click through to your site and leave before viewing any other pages. This can indicate page quality. A low bounce rate is always best!

Using these KPIs, you can proactively gauge your nonprofit ad performance at any point. Throughout your campaign, make adjustments based on results.

3 Nonprofit Advertising Examples

You can research charity ad ideas all you want, but nothing measures up to seeing examples from real organizations. Let’s walk through some nonprofit ad examples to see paid marketing in action.

American Heart Association

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad

This nonprofit advertising examples shows how the American Heart Association uses Google Ads.

Google Ad Grants have the power to transform any nonprofit’s marketing. Available to verified 501(c)(3) organizations, it can help amplify the most important pages on your website on Google Search.

For this nonprofit advertising example, the American Heart Association targeted terms like “donate to fight heart disease.” Their ad works for a few reasons:

  • Users searching donation-related terms are likely to convert.
  • The pages the American Heart Association featured correlate with this search intent.

Notice how they offered a few ways for users to engage. Since they’re clearly prospective donors at this stage, users can visit different giving-focused pages, such as the organization’s “ways to give” page, a page showcasing donations in action, or pages about monthly giving. If you’re feeling creative, take a similar approach and promote matching gifts by featuring your ‘ways to give’ page or including matching gifts on your donation form.

To take this ad one step further, the American Heart Association could use extensions to append their phone number, giving users another way to engage. This strategy is more technical, and working with a Google Grants agency can help you take full advantage of this nonprofit advertising opportunity.

Read this guide to working with a Google Grants agency to learn how an expert can help your nonprofit advertising.

Doctors Without Borders

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Facebook Ad

This nonprofit advertising example shows how Doctors Without Borders used Facebook Ads.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization delivering emergency aid and healthcare to in-need populations. Seeking the most effective way to amplify their Giving Tuesday efforts, they turned to Facebook Ads and created a Facebook Fundraiser. The combination yielded twice as much revenue as its Giving Tuesday campaign the previous year.

The organization ran its ads for less than 2 weeks and generated impressive metrics:

  • Ad spend for Giving Tuesday ads: $26,000
  • Donation value from ads: $72,000
  • Return on ad spend: 2.8x
  • Donors: 60% new, 40% recurring

This campaign exemplifies the power of social sharing and timely nonprofit ads. It also boosted our all-time favorite fundraising strategy: matching gifts.

While this is a great example of nonprofit advertising for a large organization, smaller nonprofits can also tap into this strategy at lower rates. Even when spending a lot less, you can achieve impressive results. You just have to leverage targeting features and create persuasive messages.

Girls Inc.

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Influencer Ad

For this nonprofit advertising example, Girls Inc. partnered with Saks OFF 5th and an influencer.

For this nonprofit advertising example, Girls Inc. partnered with popular lifestyle blogger Vanessa Scott and Saks OFF 5th to create and market an exclusive t-shirt.

Capitalizing on National Women’s Day, the charity created a shirt with its brand colors. Reading “Every Day is Women’s Day,” the shirt’s core message aligns with its mission to empower girls to overcome environmental challenges.

To support the campaign, Vanessa shared an Instagram post sporting the t-shirt. She explained what the awareness day meant to her, why Girls Inc. is important, and how 100% of the shirt’s proceeds would support the cause.

Not only does this example show the power of influencer ads, but it also demonstrates how nonprofits can partner with socially responsible corporations to amplify their causes.

Wrapping Up

When you create genuine ads, you can inspire more people than ever to support your cause.

There are a lot of nonprofit advertising platforms out there, though. Carefully think through which platforms will connect you with the right audiences before purchasing ad space. Whether you leverage Google Ads or partner with influencers, you’ll surely gain traction for your cause.

As you get started, stay updated with marketing trends and best practices to craft the best ads possible. Here are some helpful resources to get started:

Work with our recommended Google Ads agency to improve your charity advertising.

Check out these 40+ marketing ideas for nonprofits to help spread your mission.

40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission

Strapped for resources but still want to make a big impact? Effective nonprofit marketing doesn’t have to break the bank. There are so many exciting marketing ideas for nonprofits that can attract supporters, raise awareness, sell your offerings, and grow your impact.

In this article, we’ll share over 40 budget-friendly nonprofit marketing ideas to help you maximize your existing resources and discover new, affordable tools. Get ready to elevate your marketing game with these creative and cost-effective strategies. Here’s a sneak peek at the categories we’ll cover:

At Double the Donation, we connect nonprofits with matching gift opportunities. Since we work with organizations looking to maximize their fundraising potential, we know just how important every last penny in your budget is. That’s why we’ve created this guide of marketing ideas for nonprofits that will help you promote your organization at little to no cost.

Now, let’s jump right into these proven marketing ideas for nonprofits!Read about one of the best free marketing ideas for nonprofits: Google Ad Grants.


Nonprofit Marketing Basics

What Is Nonprofit Marketing?

The term “nonprofit marketing” refers to the marketing strategies you use to amplify your organization’s mission, attract donations, promote your products and services, and recruit volunteers.

To achieve your organization’s mission, you need help. It takes donors, volunteers, board members, event attendees, sponsors, and other constituents to ensure that your nonprofit can serve its community and beneficiaries.

Letting others know about the great work you’re doing requires a combination of proven nonprofit marketing ideas. From emails to search ads, choosing the right marketing strategies, tools, and channels will empower you to promote your cause to your target audiences.

The Benefits of Effective Nonprofit Marketing

It’s easier said than done to pull off a nonprofit marketing campaign. As part of your marketing plan, you’ll need to consider your organization’s unique needs, goals, and available resources to ensure the most effective outreach possible.

Despite the challenges that come with nonprofit marketing, the resulting benefits will help your organization soar. Effective nonprofit marketing can empower your organization to: The benefits of choosing the right nonprofit marketing ideas

  • Rally support for your cause. Educating people about your mission is a crucial part of nonprofit marketing. It allows people to understand not only the work your organization does but also why you do it and how they can help.
  • Fundraise. Perhaps the most concrete way to measure your organization’s success is by the amount of money raised for your cause. Raising awareness for your nonprofit will help your fundraising efforts immensely.
  • Foster donor relationships. One-time donations are not a sustainable fundraising source for your organization. Resources indicate that recurring donations are better for maximizing your fundraising potential since they have a compounding effect. The best way to ensure regular donations is to curate good relationships with donors through consistent marketing.
  • Recruit other supporters. While donors are great assets to your organization, they’re not the only people who can help. Volunteers, board members, and event attendees all serve important roles in your organization. Marketing your nonprofit effectively will allow you to gather all the support you need.
  • Promote your products and services. Effective nonprofit marketing can help you promote your organization’s products and services, drawing more attention and boosting sales.

It’s clear that nonprofit marketing offers many advantages. However, you might be wondering where to start in the marketing process. To help you out, we’ll go over the best marketing ideas for nonprofits.


Top Nonprofit Marketing Idea 1) The Google Ad Grant

When looking for more information about a nonprofit, a cause, or truly anything, most people turn to Google first. That’s what makes the Google Ad Grant program so powerful. If you’re a qualifying nonprofit, Google will give your organization $10,000 per month in ad credits for free. With these funds, you can create Google Ads promoting any of your website’s content, including:

The Google Ad Grant empowers nonprofits to market these types of resources, written below.

  • Educational content
  • Upcoming events
  • Volunteer registration forms
  • Advocacy activities
  • Donation and sponsorship opportunities
  • Nonprofit products and services

Your educational content and involvement opportunities are likely to see the best results, because these types of content attract individuals interested in information about and getting involved with your cause. Promoting informative content and available opportunities will position your nonprofit as a trusted resource and encourage deeper engagement.

Making The Most of The Google Ad Grant

Of course, you can promote more than just that content, and most nonprofits using the Google Ad Grant do! Google Ad Grant campaigns allow nonprofits to create ads targeting multiple goals at once. Here’s a breakdown of the Google Ad structure:

An illustration of the standard Google Ads account structure

As the image depicts, each Google Ad Grant account can run multiple campaigns. Each of these campaigns has an overarching goal, like educating supporters, attracting volunteers, or raising funds. In each of these campaigns are ad groups. Each ad group focuses on a specific keyword, like “volunteer opportunities,” “pet adoptions,” “Chicago homelessness,” and so on depending on the ad campaign’s goal.

Finally, each ad group contains multiple ads which are different messages targeting the ad group’s keyword. Individual ads use different language and strategies to appeal to different audiences, helping you attract a variety of supporters searching your target keyword

To get started with Google Ads, all you have to do is apply and follow the program requirements.

If you need help wielding this amazing resource, reach out to a Google Grants agency. We recommend Getting Attention! They’ll assist you with every step of the process, including applying for the program, choosing keywords to target, and making sure your account complies with all requirements.

Contact our recommended Google Ad Grants agency to get started with one of the best nonprofit marketing ideas.


Top Nonprofit Marketing Idea 2) SEO

If you’re looking for an organic way to reach supporters and beneficiaries, experiment with search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. This nonprofit marketing idea involves optimizing your website’s content to rank higher in search engine results, allowing you to connect with people searching for keywords related to your nonprofit. This approach involves:

  • Creating high-quality, informative, and multimedia-rich content related to your cause and services
  • Researching and using relevant keywords
  • Ensuring your website is user-friendly and mobile-responsive
  • Building links back to your SEO content from relevant, trustworthy sites

A depiction of how SEO works, explained above

When done effectively, SEO drives organic traffic to your website without the need for significant advertising spend. This increased visibility will boost cause awareness, sales for revenue-generating programs and services, registrations for annual events, and overall support for your work. Plus, SEO will help build credibility with both search engines and users, as higher-ranking websites are often perceived as more authoritative and reliable.

The ROI for this channel is exceptionally high, because it allows you to target highly qualified audiences. Let’s say someone searches for a niche service or program you sell. If your content related to that offering is optimized for search engines and has built backlinks from external sources, your nonprofit will ideally appear toward the top of search results. Then, potential customers can click through to learn more.

Making The Most of SEO

While it’s possible to make big SEO gains for free, many organizations partner with SEO agencies to reduce their workload and skip the learning curve. We recommend the nonprofit SEO experts at Nexus Marketing!

Unlike generic marketing agencies, Nexus Marketing specializes in the unique challenges and opportunities nonprofits face and has marketing strategies tailored to meet these specific needs. Their team of experts is skilled in optimizing content to resonate with nonprofit audiences and leveraging industry knowledge.

To improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic, they use proven best practices, such as:

Use these strategies to reach your nonprofit's audience through organic search marketing.

  • High-quality content creation: The Nexus content team crafts SEO content that delivers results based on extensive keyword research. Between years of experience in writing for the mission-driven sector and a deep understanding of your brand, their content captures attention and converts visitors into supporters.
  • Connections in the mission-driven space: Nexus has a proprietary network of 500+ partners in the nonprofit, association, faith-based, education, and healthcare sectors. By tapping into this existing network, you can say goodbye to cold emailing authoritative websites and instead scale your organization’s authority-building strategy.
  • Focus on ROI: Their client engagements are designed for immediate results and long-term success by growing revenue through search engines, industry promotion, and near-term demand generation opportunities. With Nexus, most organizations see qualified leads within 3 to 6 months and achieve a 2x – 5x ROI within 12 to 18 months.

Why You Can Trust This Agency: Nexus Marketing has a proven track record of success. For example, one of their nonprofit clients ranked for only 5 tracked keywords before the partnership began. Today, they rank for 185+ of their most important tracked keywords. As a result, they’ve experienced steep growth in organic search traffic and have sold more of their online curriculum. You can read the complete case study to learn more.

Note that they specifically help nonprofits looking to raise money via revenue-generating programs, services, products, revenue streams that pay royalties, and annual events that attract broad audiences.

By continuously staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices, Nexus Marketing ensures that nonprofits not only increase their online visibility but also effectively boost product and service sales. If you’re ready to harness the power of SEO, reach out to our friends at Nexus Marketing.

Tap into one of the best marketing ideas for nonprofits by partnering with Nexus Marketing to enhance your SEO approach.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Building Their Missions

As we’ve mentioned before, your nonprofit’s mission is central to its goals and aspirations. It should also be one of the main focuses of your marketing efforts. Since it lays the groundwork for your organization’s values, your mission should inform your branding, outreach tactics, and promotional content.

If you don’t have a well-developed mission or want to give yours a refresh, try some of these nonprofit marketing ideas for building your organization’s mission:To build your organization's mission, you'll want to leverage some of these marketing ideas for nonprofits.

  • Write a powerful tagline. When it comes to marketing, people absorb more information when it’s concise. Your mission is one of the most important aspects of your organization, so you’ll want prospective supporters to understand it right away. Take the time to condense your mission into a short tagline that you can use in your marketing materials.
  • Establish standards for design, personality, and attitude. Make a good first impression with cohesive branding. From the way your website looks to the way your employees act, every aspect of your organization should work together to form a perfect picture of your nonprofit.
  • Rework your nonprofit’s appearance. Speaking of branding, changing yours up can bring new life to your organization. A funky new logo or elevated graphics can entice potential supporters and demonstrate your willingness to improve your nonprofit. You can even reach out to a graphic design company for help with your organization’s new look.
  • Be upfront about your organization’s goals and results. People interested in your organization want to know what you’re trying to accomplish and what you’ve been able to achieve so far. Being open about your nonprofit’s operations lays a solid foundation for great supporter relationships.
  • Share what you do well. Don’t be afraid to brag a little! Your organization is doing amazing work, and people should see that. If you show confidence in your nonprofit and highlight its strengths, people will be more eager to get involved.
  • Use storytelling. Giving people specific examples of individuals you’ve helped fosters deeper connections between your supporters and your organization. Stories make your marketing more personal and digestible for prospective supporters.
  • Create a marketing plan. To stay focused and organized, you’ll need a comprehensive marketing plan. That way, you’ll have all of your goals and intentions in one place for you to easily go back and reference.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Bonus Tip: Include your nonprofit’s values in all your marketing efforts, including ads, to ensure your messaging reflects your mission and resonates with potential supporters.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Advertising Their Services

Letting others know what your organization does is essential to earning their support. Your nonprofit does great work, so why not show it off? Advertise your services with the following online and offline marketing ideas for nonprofits.

There are so many nonprofit marketing ideas for advertising your organization’s services.

Online Advertising Ideas

The internet allows you to share your services with the click of a button. Whether you want to invest in paid advertising or create eye-catching merchandise, there are endless ways to stand out in the digital space. In addition to the Google Ad Grant, try these online marketing ideas for nonprofits:

  • Optimize your website content for search engines. Your search engine advertising and SEO campaigns can support one another. By incorporating SEO best practices into your content, you can increase your nonprofit’s visibility and attract organic traffic before you even start advertising. That means you’ll build a sustainable, cost-effective foundation for long-term audience engagement. Use relevant keywords, create high-quality content, and ensure your website is user-friendly to rank highly on search engine results pages. Plus, following SEO practices gives you high-quality content you can use as landing pages for your ads.
  • Track your analytics. Data is the key to figuring out which of your marketing efforts are effective. Use Google Analytics or another similar tool to track and review website traffic and the actions people take on your site. That way, you can see if there are any patterns or areas where you can improve. For example, if a certain landing page on your site has a high bounce rate, it might be time to refresh it to make it more worthwhile for your supporters.
  • Sell branded merchandise. Turn your supporters into walking advertisements with branded merchandise! It’s a win-win situation where you raise more for your cause and receive free advertising, while your supporters get to show the world what they believe in. Branded t-shirts are always a great idea, but you could also go with hats, tote bags, or mugs depending on your audience’s preferences. Once you work with a graphic design company to bring your merchandise to life, you can set up an online store and let your supporters know all about it!
  • Advertise your products and services. If your nonprofit sells products or services, leverage digital advertising to promote these offerings. Showcase them prominently on your website. Then, also turn search engine traffic into a revenue-generating channel with high-value content targeting the keywords your customers are searching for, driving additional revenue and expanding your reach.

Online advertising is a proven way to connect with larger audiences than ever before. Break down geographical barriers by leveraging these marketing strategies.

Offline Advertising Ideas

Digital marketing is all the rage these days, and for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean that more traditional offline marketing efforts should go extinct. While online marketing can expand your reach, offline marketing can help create a personal experience for your supporters. Use these offline marketing ideas for nonprofits in conjunction with your online ones:

  • Create flyers. A good old-fashioned flyer is a great way to grab potential supporters’ attention. It allows you to fit an abundance of information about your organization into a small, foldable, and engaging handout. You can send fundraising flyers in your direct mail campaigns, hand them out at events, or keep them in your organization’s office for walk-ins. People will love the opportunity to learn about your organization’s services in an easily digestible format.
  • Recruit brand ambassadors. Influencer marketing is a fairly new yet powerful way to promote your organization. Finding people with an online presence who truly care about your nonprofit’s mission and are willing to spread the word can help you reach new audiences quickly. These brand ambassadors can also help you host in-person events or sell your branded merchandise to get people excited about your organization.
  • Research larger organizations. If you want to be the best, you’ll have to learn from the best. Look into what larger, more experienced nonprofits are doing and attempt to replicate it. You can even reach out to a team member at an organization you admire and ask if they’d be willing to give your nonprofit some advice.
  • Personalize your outreach. Reaching out to people using offline methods allows you to establish more personal connections with them. For example, you could go up to a volunteer at an event to learn more about them or promote matching gifts to your donors in a customized postcard. People will appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into these outreach methods and associate that quality with your organization.

For the best results, use a combination of online and offline marketing ideas. That way, you’ll reach different audiences and see which methods work best for which supporter segments.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Bonus Tip: Use your Google Ads to support other marketing efforts! Direct traffic to your peer-to-peer ambassador page and merchandise store, increasing visibility and engagement for these initiatives.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Leveraging Technology

These days, there’s so much technology to help us improve and innovate our everyday lives. For nonprofits, leveraging technology appropriately can expand impact and help reach new audiences through different channels.

To make sure your nonprofit knows how to use each type of technology effectively, we’ve split our technology nonprofit marketing ideas into three separate categories.

Website

Like all organizations, nonprofits use their websites to teach others about what they do, what they stand for, and how visitors can get involved. Ensure your organization’s website is the best it can be with these website nonprofit marketing ideas:

This image lists website marketing ideas for nonprofits.

  • Update your nonprofit’s website. From Squarespace to Wix to WordPress, there are so many website building platforms that make updating and maintaining your site easy. Include information about current events and initiatives and provide the latest updates on your service offerings to entice potential supporters to get involved with your organization.
  • Make SEO a habit. For nonprofit websites, SEO is crucial for increasing visibility and attracting supporters. Even if you’re leveraging the Google Ad Grant, optimizing your website is essential for a strong ad strategy, helping searchers find your content and inspiring them to convert (AKA donate, register for an event, buy your products, and so on). Regularly research and create content targeting relevant keywords to stay current with trends. Additionally, ensure your website is mobile-friendly to improve rankings in mobile search results, making it easier for users to access your information on any device.
  • Start a blog. Keeping an up-to-date blog allows you to display news about your organization and industry with long-form, informative content. Writing blog content about nonprofit-related topics also establishes your organization as a reputable source of information in the field.

As you create informational pages and blog articles for your nonprofit’s website, focus on quality content creation. Make sure your copy is clear and concise, and break text up with graphics wherever possible to create a user-friendly experience.

If you have the resources, hiring a qualified copywriting team will help make sure the copy across your site is strong and cohesive. For instance, working with a nonprofit marketing agency that fully understands your brand and is knowledgeable about the nonprofit sector can ensure your messaging is both impactful and focused on generating high-quality sales leads.

Event Landing Pages

Your nonprofit may already use event management software to plan and execute its fundraisers. Depending on the type of fundraiser and the software you use, you’ll be able to use different features to promote your fundraising initiatives.

Oftentimes, these platforms can help you build customized event landing pages to spread the word about your upcoming events. These pages can include:

  • Information about the event: This can include anything from the fundraiser’s date and time to event-specific details. For example, where will your annual walk-a-thon be held this year? Will your charity auction involve mobile bidding or physical bid sheets?
  • Forms to take action: Registration and donation forms can easily be embedded into your event landing page. This way, supporters can immediately commit to a donation or participation in your event.
  • Information about your nonprofit: Include your mission or vision statement, a synopsis of your work, and other information about your nonprofit on your landing page. This draws visitors in and urges them to continue exploring your nonprofit’s website to learn more about the cause they’ll support by participating in your event.

Plus, the customizable nature of these landing pages allows you to incorporate your nonprofit’s branding, reinforcing supporters’ trust in your organization. By associating your brand with your fundraising events, you’ll attract attention to the heart of your fundraising and outreach efforts: your mission.

Social Media

Social media is not only how people stay connected to their family and friends, but also to the companies and organizations they care about. With nearly every organization maintaining a social media presence, it’s important to understand how you can make yours stand out. Here’s what we suggest:

  • Use different platforms. To connect with as many people as you can, your organization should create social media accounts on several different platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are great places to start. X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Snapchat also offer unique ways to engage with your younger supporters.
  • Participate in trends. Perhaps the most important part of your social media presence is playing into current trends like using humor and short videos over images. That way, your content stays fresh and engaging for your supporters.
  • Create marketing videos. While images can be very informative, videos are better for eliciting emotion. Creating and sharing videos about your mission on social media will allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
  • Take advantage of social media advertising. If you don’t feel that you’re reaching the correct audience organically, you can create ads on the social media platforms you’re using. For example, Facebook’s advertising platform allows you to set up campaigns that target people based on a variety of factors such as age, gender, location, and interests. This approach can help you segment your supporters into different groups and communicate with them accordingly.
  • Connect your online assets. To promote your online presence, make it easy for people to jump from platform to platform. For example, you can create a social media post about a new blog article and add a link to the article in your social media account’s bio. That way, you’ll drive traffic from your social media page to your website’s blog. Doing so can allow people to interact with your organization in a different way and perhaps learn more about what your nonprofit does.

Your nonprofit’s website and social media accounts are your biggest online assets. Now that we’ve covered them, it’s time to learn some general online marketing ideas for nonprofits.

General Online Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits

To get the most out of your online presence, it’s important to follow general digital marketing best practices. Check out these marketing ideas for nonprofits looking to rule the marketing game online:

  • Leverage multi-channel marketing. To increase your online visibility, tap into digital marketing channels like search ads, social media, and texting. Use these channels alongside traditional marketing methods such as emails, phone calls, and direct mail. This will increase your chances of reaching supporters on their preferred communication method.
  • Encourage your supporters to take action. Informing your supporters about your organization is great, but what exactly do you want them to do to help you out? Use calls to action across your marketing materials to work towards your goals. For example, include the link to your donation page in your Instagram bio and create a post encouraging people to contribute. To help promote your events, add your event registration link to your regular email newsletter. Note that the most effective calls-to-action start with determining what actions you want your supporters to take and making it easy for them to do so.
  • Host virtual events. Hosting events online, such as webinars and panels, allows more people to participate than ever before. Since no physical space is required, guests can easily participate in virtual events from wherever they are, presenting a unique opportunity to engage with all different types of supporters at once.
  • Learn more about supporters with data appends. Data enhancement services add information to your existing database, such as employer data. This enriched data helps improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your marketing campaigns by allowing you to better segment your audience. With detailed insights about your supporters, you can personalize your outreach, enhance engagement, and ultimately drive higher conversion rates.

Check out these general marketing ideas for nonprofits leveraging technology.

Leveraging technology effectively allows you to reach your intended audience and rally support for your cause. We know that your nonprofit is likely working with a tight marketing budget, though. To make sure your organization has the resources it needs to create the best online content possible, we’ll teach you how to save money in other marketing areas.

Bonus Tip: Leverage content marketing to enhance your nonprofit’s online presence. Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses your audience’s interests. By consistently publishing valuable, keyword-optimized content, you can boost your organic search rankings, attract more visitors, boost sales, and increase support for your cause.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits On a Budget

Marketing can get expensive. However, there are ways that nonprofits can promote their organizations while still keeping costs low. Maximize your marketing potential while minimizing your spending with these marketing ideas for nonprofits on a budget:Try these marketing ideas for nonprofits on a budget.

  • Determine your marketing budget. It’s easiest to keep costs down when you have a clear budget in mind. That way, you’ll know exactly how much you can spend on your nonprofit’s marketing and allocate your resources accordingly. Include costs such as those for physical marketing collateral, marketing software, and staff time.
  • Plan your printing. Printing can get expensive very quickly. Besides, there are so many digital marketing methods your organization can leverage. Only print what needs to be printed, and try to print double-sided and in batches.
  • Use unbranded envelopes for direct mail. If you do need to print materials for a direct mail campaign, there are ways to keep your costs down. Sending unbranded envelopes will help you save money. Just remember to indicate that the mail is from your organization in a different way so recipients don’t mistake it for junk mail.
  • Add a “Donate Now” button to your Facebook page. As we mentioned before, calls to action are key to motivating your supporters to contribute to your cause. Adding a “Donate Now” button to your nonprofit’s Facebook page is an easy way to encourage donations. The best part is that it’s free as long as your nonprofit qualifies for Facebook’s fundraising tools.
  • Work with a local business. Many companies are happy to pair up with a nonprofit, helping you out financially. While you get extra funding or resources for your marketing efforts, they get to give back to their community and improve their reputations. Before you look for a local business willing to work with you, determine what you want to get out of the partnership. Examples of corporate philanthropy include companies donating money directly to your organization, keeping a donation bucket in their store, or contributing food or supplies for your event.

It’s important to create a marketing budget and try to conserve resources when possible to save up for more expensive marketing efforts. These budget-friendly marketing ideas for nonprofits are a great place to start to maximize every dollar your organization earns!

Bonus Tip: The Google Ad Grant provides free ad credits, making it a low-cost way to attract attention to your website. All you need to do is put in the initial effort to get your site up to Google’s quality standards and complete the application process. From there, you’ll just need to create and maintain your ads.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Forming Stakeholder Relationships

There are so many different stakeholders involved in your organization. Donors, corporate partners, volunteers, board members, sponsors, and event attendees all play a huge role in your nonprofit’s success. With that, it’s important to form good relationships so you can build a strong support network.

In this section, we’ll go over some marketing ideas for nonprofits starting and stewarding relationships with their stakeholders.

Starting Stakeholder Relationships

Building a good foundation for your relationships with stakeholders is essential to making sure your connections are long-lasting. Here are some marketing ideas for nonprofits beginning new stakeholder relationships:With these marketing ideas for nonprofits, you can start stakeholder relationships off right.

  • Look for opportunities to form new connections. Finding stakeholders to work with can be tough, especially for newer nonprofits. Leverage any connections you may already have and form new ones by reaching out on social media or attending a nonprofit conference in your industry. That way, you can start to meet people who may be potential stakeholders and have their own network of potential stakeholders they’re willing to share with you.
  • Create a welcome package. Once you initiate a relationship with a new stakeholder, it’s time to make them feel welcome in your community. Curate a package of information and branded merchandise to introduce new stakeholders to your nonprofit. You can include items as small as stickers of your logo to yard signs they can display to show their support for your organization. No matter what you send your new stakeholders, you’re showing them that you care.
  • Treat them to a meal. To form a more personal connection with a stakeholder, take them out to lunch or coffee. Teach them more about your organization, answer any questions they have, and gather feedback about their work with you so far. Not to mention, this is a great opportunity to learn more about who they are and what drives them to support your cause.
  • Inform new donors of matching gift opportunities. Some of your new donors may not know what matching gifts are or if they’re eligible to participate. Make it easy for donors to identify matching gift opportunities by providing matching gift software that shows if their employers are willing to match their donations. That way, you can earn more, and your new donors can feel good about making an even bigger impact on your organization.

Now that you know how to start your stakeholder relationships off strong, it’s time to learn how to keep them that way with effective stewardship.

Stewarding Stakeholder Relationships

Maintaining relationships with your stakeholders requires care and commitment. You must communicate with them well and respond to their needs. That way, you can build long-lasting connections that drive your work forward.

Practice good supporter stewardship with these marketing ideas for nonprofits:Use these marketing ideas for nonprofits to steward stakeholder relationships.

  • Communicate regularly and strategically. Like with any relationship, maintaining supporter relationships requires communication. Establish effective communication habits with your stakeholders by reaching out to them individually, sending email newsletters, and reconnecting with them at conferences and other events. You may want to assign different people to manage different stakeholder relationships so you don’t overwhelm any one person on your team. Additionally, you’ll want to choose an opportune time to communicate. Factors that might influence the messages, timing, and platforms you use might include their age, career, lifestyle, or time zone.
  • Reach out to lapsed donors. Sometimes, donors will only contribute to your organization once. If so, you can encourage them to continue their support, or inform them of different ways they can still support your nonprofit without contributing monetarily, such as by volunteering or sharing your social media posts. For recurring donors who haven’t contributed in a while, try sending them a gift or explaining new features of your donor program to spark that relationship once again.
  • Collect feedback. Listen to your stakeholders and any feedback they give you, whether it’s solicited or not. Stay true to your organization’s stakeholder guidelines, but also hear your stakeholders out. You want to provide them with a positive experience with your organization, and they may have some valuable suggestions for how to improve that experience.

If you’ve learned anything from this section, it should be that stakeholder relationships require effective communication. In the next section, we’ll dive into more nonprofit marketing ideas specifically focused on improving your organization’s communication skills.

Bonus Tip: Google Ads are an opportunity to make a first impression on a large number of potential supporters. Start off on the right foot with strong ad copy, high-quality content, and a modern website.


Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Staying in Touch with Their Supporters

It takes a lot of effort to maintain relationships with your supporters. With effective and regular communication, your nonprofit can keep supporters around and continue to grow your network. We’ll give you some marketing ideas for nonprofits working on their communication style and supporter involvement.

Once you develop relationships with partners and donors, communicate effectively to keep them with these marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Communication Style

You already know that the messages you communicate to your supporters are vital, but how you communicate those messages is just as important. Here are a few pointers to make sure you send the right messages to the right people in ways that will resonate with them:

  • Be timely. Simply responding to your supporters’ messages quickly shows that you care. Not only does it communicate that you want to address their concerns, but also that you want to respect their time.
  • Stay positive. Keeping a positive attitude in your communications will help supporters form a positive association with your nonprofit. Besides, it’s always more enjoyable to interact with organizations that have an optimistic outlook and kind employees.
  • Store individuals’ preferences in your supporter database. Organizing your supporters’ information in a database not only helps you learn more about them but also how they like to communicate. If you ask for supporters’ communication preferences and store that information in your database, then you can interact with supporters in the ways they prefer.
  • Create supporter segments. Segmentation is when you divide your supporters into categories based on shared characteristics in order to communicate with each group more effectively. There are various ways to segment your supporters. You may choose to divide them by stakeholder type with categories like donors, partners, clients, and board members. Another way to group supporters is by age, location, or length of involvement with your organization. That way, you can send relevant messages to the right people without flooding their inboxes with unnecessary messages.

Communicating with your supporters effectively will create a better reputation for your organization and lead to stronger stakeholder relationships.

Supporter Involvement

Communication goes both ways. You inform your supporters about what’s going on within your organization, but they report back to you with their thoughts and feelings about your nonprofit. These marketing ideas for nonprofits will help you get supporters more involved in your organization:

  • Survey your supporters. Your staff can brainstorm ways to make your organization better, but you’ll never know what more your supporters need unless you ask them. Sending out a survey will allow you to collect valuable feedback and show that you care about improving your supporters’ experiences with your organization.
  • Engage supporters on social media. Social media is built to help people create connections with each other. Strengthen your bonds with your supporters by making your social media presence interactive. For example, take advantage of polls, live stream capabilities, and Q&A features in the platforms you use.
  • Host events. What better way to get people involved than by gathering together in person? Hosting an event allows you to show off your organization and get your supporters excited about it. Deck out your event in branded materials such as table runners for a cohesive look. You can also plan activities such as raffles and games to make the event fun for everyone involved.
  • Interview supporters. As we discussed before, storytelling is a great way to make your marketing personal. For storytelling to work, you’ll need to collect stories from real people involved in your organization. Interview interested supporters so you can learn more about their experiences with your organization and use their quotes to promote your nonprofit across different channels.
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising. Your supporters can help fundraise, engage supporters, and market your nonprofit in the process. With peer-to-peer fundraising, people raise money by collecting donations from their friends and family. To encourage your supporters to participate, teach them how to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page. An even easier method is to leverage the built-in peer-to-peer fundraising options on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This fundraising option is especially popular around holidays and birthdays, so if you know your supporters’ birthdates, you can proactively reach out and encourage them to create a fundraiser on your nonprofit’s behalf.

Treating your supporters with the utmost care and respect begins with proper communication. You should use a give-and-take approach in which you update supporters about your organization and they give you feedback about your nonprofit in response. That way, you can work together with your supporters to constantly improve your organization.

Bonus Tip: As part of maintaining your website, continue posting high-quality content. Valuable research reports and blog posts are likely to get shared around, improving your nonprofit’s search ranking placements. And be sure to incorporate SEO best practices, to get that content in front of as many people as possible!


Conclusion & Additional Resources

Nonprofit marketing encompasses a range of considerations. In addition to the regular business concerns of how to promote your organization effectively, nonprofits must also worry about how to do so on a budget. With these marketing ideas for nonprofits, we’ve given you a head start on your marketing strategy to save you time and money.

This guide explored a ton of marketing ideas for nonprofits, but there may be some that you want to learn more about. To help you out, we’ve provided some resources that will allow you to dive deeper into some of our favorite ideas, including:

  • Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide. The Google Ad Grant program is a proven way to push your cause forward. Learn more about marketing your cause using paid advertising with this guide from Getting Attention.
  • SEO for Nonprofits: Crash Course & Get-Started Guide. SEO is one of the most effective nonprofit marketing ideas for enhancing your online presence. Discover how to optimize your website’s content and dominate search results pages with this comprehensive guide from Nexus Marketing.
  • 12 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools. A huge element of nonprofit marketing is creating a cohesive experience for your supporters. Using the right graphic design tools will allow you to create images that align with your organization’s branding and design standards.To leverage one of the best nonprofit marketing ideas, work with the Google Ad Grant experts at Getting Attention.

 

2025 Nonprofit Trends: What’s Changing and What’s Staying

The nonprofit sector is highly dynamic, and whether it’s philanthropy or marketing, everyone wants to know what’s the next big thing. While no nonprofit can predict the future, and sudden world events, economic shifts, and technological advancements can suddenly rock the boat, nonprofits that do see what’s coming are better prepared to navigate challenges and act on opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll explore upcoming changes we believe 2025 will bring, evidence for our predictions, and what we believe is here to stay. Let’s get started!

Matching gifts are on the rise in 2024. Learn how to tap into this free revenue source. Download our guide.

Change: AI Technology Takeover

The buzzword of today is AI. In 2023, ChatGPT saw faster growth than TikTok, and this success prompted technological giants like Microsoft, Google, and Apple to invest heavily into their own AI tools, kicking off the AI arms race we see today.

While there have been some hiccups in recent launches of AI tools, there is little question that AI is set to impact nearly every sector, including nonprofits.

Why We Think It’ll Happen

Along with the investments from major players in technology, there is a clear sign that AI has potential staying power in the nonprofit world: convenience. Nonprofits are regularly stuck trying to figure out how to do more with less, and AI may be the speedy, cost-effective solution many organizations have been looking for.

Plus, AI has multiple functions, some of which have been part of popular nonprofit technology solutions, like prospect screening software, for some time now. Specifically, there are two types of AI to be aware of: generative and predictive.

A chart breaking down the differences between generative and predictive AI, written out below.

  • Generative. Tools like ChatGPT that are trained on databases and use that information to generate content are generative AI. These AI write emails, create illustrations, and compose music. Some nonprofit technology vendors have rolled out new generative AI solutions to help with tasks like donor communications.
  • Predictive. AI that analyzes datasets for trends and patterns to predict future outcomes is predictive AI. These have long existed in the nonprofit space and have helped countless nonprofits predict donor behavior, identify major giving prospects, and improve fundraising.

Along with AI, automation in general is on the rise in nonprofit technology. For example, you might assume the matching gift process as it currently stands is already as optimized as possible, but recent advances in matching gift software, such as auto-submission, have streamlined it to the point where all donors need to do to submit a matching gift request is click a button.

To learn more about matching gifts, check out this video from our team at Double the Donation:

Staying the Same: Hybrid Work

AI hasn’t completely replaced humans, and nonprofits still need to retain and invest in their teams to find success. The question of how to create work environments employees want has also already been answered since 2020 with 9 in 10 employees preferring hybrid work.

When implemented well, hybrid work is a win for employees who appreciate the flexibility and a win for employers who can appreciate the cost savings in renting office space. However, it’s also possible for hybrid teams to become disconnected, suffer from delays in communication, and experience work-life balance breakdowns.

A few ways you can continue maintaining a positive hybrid work experience include:

  • Showing appreciation. Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to stick around, whether they’re in the office or at home. Because you can’t see your team’s efforts in person, consider implementing a peer-to-peer recognition strategy. Rather than only managers recognizing their teams, employees can recognize each other in this system. This means more of your team is on the lookout for those going above and beyond, so more team members are recognized for their hard work. For example, you might send out eCards applauding employees who demonstrate your organization’s values.

An employee appreciation eCard recognizing strong teamwork.

  • Hosting cultural events. The hybrid environment can sacrifice a sense of workplace culture and camaraderie. Solve this issue by hosting accessible cultural events, such as virtual events and in-person activities on days when you know several team members are coming into the office. Consider promoting events in advance to encourage team members to work from the office on the same day and connect with one another.
  • Sharing work-life balance tips. For those just entering the workforce or experiencing hybrid work for the first time, it can be easy to feel like you’re at work all the time. Help these team members by creating a cheat sheet for how to work well at home, such as setting up a designated work space, limiting distractions, and establishing clear on-the-clock hours.

When it comes to implementing hybrid work, consider what tasks at your nonprofit can be successfully done remotely, what tasks benefit from an in-office environment, and how you can provide flexibility. For example, you might require all employees to come into the office at least two days a week but let them choose which days.

Change: Increased Focus on Donor Acquisition

The total number of donors is down. In 2000, approximately 66% of U.S. households gave to charity, and in 2024, it has dipped to just below 50%.

This has been linked to several factors, such as decreases in church attendance logically leading to decreases in giving to religious organizations, as well as economic uncertainty causing donors of all economic levels to tighten their belts.

In reaction to this news, nonprofits everywhere are sounding the alarm. The coming years are also expected to mark a changeover in which generations are primary donors—switching from Boomers and Gen X to Millenials and Gen Z—and many nonprofits are scrambling to find ways to engage these donors.

Why We Think It’ll Happen

Ultimately, this development means nonprofits everywhere are brainstorming ways to improve donor acquisition and engagement.

Primarily, these efforts are likely to focus on mid-level donors, who are the main group nonprofits feel this change is impacting. Mid-level donors are the everyday supporters whose donations aren’t breaking records, but together, their contributions add up to make a significant difference for nonprofits, especially those with few major donors.

With the talk around donor acquisition, a few ideas that have emerged include:

  • Local community building. Ultimately, your local community is your biggest fan. Establish a strong base of supporters by building connections with potential donors who see your nonprofit in action. Invite them to office and project tours, host local events, and tailor your marketing strategy to local donors.
  • Highly personalized content. Gen Z grew up with a heavily algorithm-based internet, and many of these new donors feel put off by generic messaging strategies. Pay attention to your donors’ interests to share personalized content these donors are likely to engage with.
  • Low-cost support options. With a decrease in giving due to economic concerns, nonprofits want mid and low-level donors to help out without worrying about their own finances. For example, many matching gift programs will match gifts as low as $25, meaning supporters can double their modest donations at no additional cost.

If your nonprofit is likely to acquire new donors, consider your current audience. What platforms do they use? Do those platforms still exist? Would your donors be willing to network on your behalf? Why or why not? Consider whether you should look for more supporters like the ones you currently have or if you need to pivot your strategy to reach new audiences entirely.

Want to learn more about the latest technology in matching gifts? Download our matching gifts guide.

Staying the Same: Focus on Major Donors

Reports from fundraising initiatives like GivingTuesday indicate that the total number of donors is decreasing but the total amount donated is staying relatively the same. This means that fewer donors are giving overall, but those who donate are doing so in higher amounts.

As such, major donors, who have always been incredibly important to nonprofits, are now even more important than before. If you have yet to start a major donor program, a few steps you can take include:

  • Investing in prospect research tools. Major giving programs need to know which donors have the potential to become major donors and of those prospects, which ones are the most likely to actually do so. Wealth screening and prospect research tools can help you evaluate your donor base and make strategic decisions about how to allocate your resources.
  • Assessing your network. Does your nonprofit already know any prospective major donors? Or do you know someone who may know a potential major donor? One of the first places you should look when searching your network for major donors is your board. Ask them to reach out to friends and family to fundraise on your behalf and facilitate introductions.
  • Training major gift officers. Major gifts are such an essential part of nonprofit funding that many organizations have entire teams dedicated exclusively to stewarding major donors. Talk with your fundraising team to see if any members are interested in training or adapting their skill sets to focus on major donor outreach and cultivation.

Remember that focusing on major donors and acquiring new donors should not be an either/or situation. With limited resources, you may be able to only focus on one of these initiatives at a time. However, think of each as an investment in your nonprofit’s future fundraising capabilities and plan to expand in both directions when time and resources allow.

Change: Politicization of Nonprofits

Part of being a 501(c)(3) organization and soliciting donations requires having a nonpartisan cause. While nonprofits can participate in advocacy campaigns, they are barred from endorsing specific political candidates or parties.

That being said, politicization of nonprofit causes appears to be happening whether nonprofits like it or not. From backlashes to environmental efforts and DEI initiatives, nonprofits now need to walk a careful line of remaining nonpartisan in an increasingly partisan world.

Why We Think It’ll Happen

Like with AI, the writing is on the wall when it comes to increasing political divisions. Some nonprofits, like charity: water, have taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to this phenomenon and attempted to find common ground by insisting that everyone, regardless of political opinions, can agree with their cause of expanding clean water access.

A screenshot of charity: water's "Pick a Side" campaign.

Of course, many nonprofit professionals are nervous about alienating their supporter base, and even charity: water’s poll on hard-hitting questions like whether pineapple belongs on pizza is cited as brave by some philanthropic experts.

However, events are already in motion with a new lawsuit challenging the prohibition on nonprofits endorsing political candidates and a 2017 executive order protecting political speech. While as of today, nonprofits can and should still remain nonpartisan, charitable organizations also need to be realistic that the causes they champion—whether it’s education, artistic liberty, environmental protection, or healthcare—likely aren’t.

Staying the Same: Community-Based Support

As discussed, your local community is your nonprofit’s main base of support, and organic community-driven movements are also where real change starts. If you’re concerned about public support for your cause, shore up donors, volunteers, and partners in your hometown before panicking.

A few ways you can firmly establish your nonprofit in your community and earn local support include:

  • Completing a needs assessments survey. To serve your community, you first should know what your community needs. Conduct a needs assessment survey to understand issues your community faces, why those issues exist, and what solutions are practical given your resources.
  • Working with other local organizations. The more friends your nonprofit has in local businesses and other nonprofits, the more help you’ll have if you ever want to launch a major project, run into trouble, or want to expand. Try hosting corporate volunteer groups, launching join-projects with other nonprofits, and arranging mutually beneficial sponsorship opportunities.
  • Participating in local advocacy. While fears about politicization are valid, your nonprofit can still influence local legislation. For example, you might raise awareness about new bills related to your cause or issues facing your community and ask supporters to call their local representatives.

Ultimately, politicization is an issue of today, but it’s also an issue of the future as nonprofits are still barred from participating in politics. Currently, your main focus should be on tailoring your marketing strategy to appeal to your donors’ values, rather than asking them to take a hard stance on anything other than supporting your cause.

Change: Working With Influencers

With the internet, individuals have diffused into niche communities. This has pros and cons for marketers. While it’s easier than ever to get your message out there, it’s also hard to advertise in spaces that have a large audience.

One solution nonprofits have found is influencer marketing. These micro-celebrities have audiences that revolve around them and their content. Nonprofits that partner with these online influencers can have their cause promoted directly to potential supporters from a source that their audience is highly likely to trust.

Why We Think It’ll Happen

With the explosion of TikTok, nonprofits overwhelmingly turned to influencer marketing in 2023 with approximately half of nonprofits working with influencers. Additionally, only 17% of these were paid partnerships, meaning the majority of this promotion was entirely free.

While the fate of TikTok is currently in question, influencer marketing has exploded on other platforms, particularly Instagram. Additionally, the size of these influencer audiences also varies widely as many nonprofits work with smaller influencers (some even with less than 10,000 followers). However, when it comes to influencer marketing, less is not necessarily worse, as these smaller audiences tend to be more targeted, and thus might have higher quality leads than in an audience twice as big.

Staying the Same: Peer-to-Peer Networking

Maybe your nonprofit lacks influencer connections, but you can still get passionate supporters to fundraise on your behalf with peer-to-peer networking.

While individual supporters may not have audiences as large as popular influencers, the principles behind influencer marketing also apply to peer-to-peer fundraisers. Namely, the majority of people trust word-of-mouth marketing above all other forms of marketing. This means that if someone you know and trust recommends a product or service, you’re far more likely to look into it than you would if only shown ads from that company.

This also applies to nonprofits. Rather than an organization they haven’t heard of before asking for a donation, new supporters are far more likely to respond positively to donation requests that come from friends and family.

A few ways you can launch an effective peer-to-peer campaign include:

  • Investing in peer-to-peer software. Peer-to-peer software gives your peer-to-peer fundraisers the tools they need to collect donations and share their stories with friends and family. While various peer-to-peer software solutions have different tools, in general these platforms provide supporters with the ability to create custom donation pages. Supporters can add their personal stories to these donation pages, so their friends and family know they are donating specifically to them.
  • Hosting a referral program. Create a program that encourages supporters to promote your cause to others. For example, Peace Wind America launched an eCard campaign on Father’s Day that encouraged supporters to send the father figures in their lives fun eCards that celebrate the holiday and draw attention to World Refugee Day.

An eCard celebrating Father's Day and World Refugee Day with an illustration of birds.

  • Recruiting peer-to-peer ambassadors. Many peer-to-peer campaigns allow anyone to sign up in order to get as many people fundraising for your nonprofit as possible. However, to give your campaign its best chance for success, you might also ask a few passionate, influential supporters in your community to consider becoming peer-to-peer ambassadors.

With donor numbers decreasing, influencer and peer-to-peer marketing are key ways to grab new donors’ attention. By leveraging these connections, you can get your foot in the door with their audiences and ramp up donor engagement efforts to retain some of these new supporters.

More Nonprofit Trends

While not every trend will hit your nonprofit, it’s worth taking precautions and making plans to act in the event that change does arrive on your doorstep. Keep an eye on developments in the nonprofit sector by reading nonprofit news sources and staying in touch with other nonprofit professionals.

To continue your research into developments in the nonprofit world, check out these resources:

Have a strong 2024 with diverse revenue sources. Add matching gifts to your fundraising sources with 360MatchPro! Request a demo.

The title of the article: Best Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: How to Pick Yours

Best Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: How to Pick Yours

Last year, America’s 20 largest peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns raised $1.1 billion! The nonprofits and schools that engage in peer-to-peer fundraising owe part of their success to the cutting-edge technology powering their campaigns.

In this guide, we’ll explore the process of locating the perfect peer-to-peer fundraising software, so your organization can grow its network, develop deeper donor relationships, and increase fundraising revenue. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Now, let’s explore how to choose the best peer-to-peer fundraising platform for your nonprofit.

Explore our integrations with the best peer-to-peer fundraising software.


Key Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software Features

When it comes to buying software, it’s essential to enter the process with a solid understanding of your organization’s needs and priorities. Keep these top considerations in mind as you explore various providers and locate the right peer-to-peer fundraising platform for your team.

Consider these key features when choosing peer-to-peer fundraising software.

Integrations

By choosing a peer-to-peer solution that integrates with the rest of your fundraising software, you can keep donor data moving smoothly between your various tools. While you can always hire developers to create middle-ware solutions or manually move data yourself, built-in integrations get your new technology up and running fast.

For example, your organization likely has a donor management or CRM system to track supporter information and engagement history. Opting for peer-to-peer fundraising software that integrates with your donor database can streamline data collection, reduce errors, and simplify your team’s efforts.

Accessibility & Ease of Use

Peer-to-peer fundraising increases your organization’s reach and allows you to connect with new donors. To make the most of this opportunity, your nonprofit needs accessible fundraising tools that all supporters can use.

Not only do accessible platforms increase funding for nonprofits, but they also ensure positive experiences for all donors and supporters.

Here are a few areas to consider in your search:

  • Web accessibility standards. Ensure everyone who lands on your giving pages can use them, including those with disabilities. Seek out peer-to-peer fundraising software that meets accessibility standards, such as sufficient color contrasts and custom image alt text.
  • Mobile optimization. You want the giving process to be quick and easy, regardless of whether donors complete the transaction using a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Be sure to communicate this need to your peer-to-peer fundraising software provider, especially since a quarter of donors give from mobile devices.

Matching Gift Functionality

Multiply peer-to-peer donations with corporate matching gifts. Many peer-to-peer fundraising platforms have built-in solutions to simplify the process and amplify individual and corporate giving. With the right matching gift tools working smoothly alongside your peer-to-peer fundraising software, your organization can tap into the power of corporate gift matching.

For example, Double the Donation’s leading donation-matching platform. Nonprofits and higher education institutions can tap into our database of over 24,000 matching gift companies to raise more money, engage donors, and locate valuable matching opportunities.

Our platform also seamlessly integrates with many of the industry’s top peer-to-peer fundraising tools like Classy and Funraise. That way, you can simplify corporate gift matching with no coding required!

Easily integrate Double the Donation with leading peer-to-peer fundraising providers.

 

When buying peer-to-peer fundraising software, keep matching gift functionality in mind! After all, 84% of donors are more likely to donate if a match is offered.

Explore how our matching gift tools can expand your peer-to-peer fundraising software’s functionality.

Payment Processing Capabilities

Optimizing the peer-to-peer giving experience involves diversifying accepted payment types. This ensures donors have multiple options for giving and increases the likelihood that they’ll complete the transaction.

Make sure your peer-to-peer software can process the following types of payments:

  • Traditional forms of payment like debit cards, credit cards, and ACH bank transfers
  • Innovative payment methods, like digital wallets (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay), financial services like Venmo and PayPal, and even cryptocurrency⁠

Your peer-to-peer fundraising software should offer plenty of payment options, so keep an eye out for these capabilities!

Support Availability

Technology support consists of two categories: initial onboarding and ongoing support. Each can play a significant role in your organization’s success with a platform. After all, there’s no point in purchasing software for your nonprofit if you don’t have the resources to set it up and keep it running.

Each company has its own tech support offerings, so locate a provider with the right assistance levels for your team. For example, if your nonprofit has its own built-out tech department that can set up and maintain software usage on its own, you might choose a provider that offers minimal external support at a lower cost. On the other hand, an organization without dedicated technology experts may opt for additional assistance at a higher price point to ensure they have the necessary support.

And don’t forget to consider the ROI of your support offerings either! Selecting a provider with high levels of support can help your organization maintain high fundraising success. In this case, opting for hands-on tech support can ultimately result in elevated revenue, making the cost well worth the investment.

Popular Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software Platforms

With plenty of great peer-to-peer solutions on the market, we’ll briefly cover a few of our favorites. Each of these solutions integrates with our industry-leading matching gift software, so you can drive higher donations with matching gifts. You can explore our full partner directory to find the solution that’s right for you!

An illustration depicting 360MatchPro's network of integrations with peer-to-peer platforms and other software

Blackbaud

Blackbaud provides cloud software, services, expertise, and data intelligence that empowers nonprofits to drive impact for social good. Among Blackbaud’s offerings include peer-to-peer solutions for individual fundraisers and enterprise-size organizations alike.

Tap into features such as:

  • Peer-to-peer event management for non-registration fee-based events, community projects, and virtual and hybrid events
  • Gamification tools such as virtual fitness tracking and leaderboards
  • Individual fundraising pages enhanced with personal goal-setting, in-memory capabilities, and birthday fundraising functionalities

Classy

Classy offers world-class online fundraising software to create a positive social impact. Peer-to-peer functionality is just one part of this provider’s suite of tools. With Classy, your donor acquisition can soar, as four out of every five peer-to-peer donors who give through Classy are new supporters.

Here’s a rundown of their peer-to-peer fundraising software features:

  • Multiple accepted payment types, including credit cards, digital wallets, Venmo, PayPal, ACH bank transfer, and cryptocurrency
  • Branded fundraising pages and receipts so you can strengthen brand awareness and increase donor trust
  • An enjoyable fundraising experience that enables fundraisers to post photos, videos, and blog-style updates as well as leverage built-in social and text sharing

CrowdChange

Designed for charities, campuses, and Greek life, CrowdChange is a web-based, mobile-friendly fundraising software solution. Their award-winning technology makes it easy to set up events and empower supporters to fundraise on behalf of your organization.

They offer users features like:

  • Peer-to-peer event setup and management, including QR code ticketing
  • A branded mobile app to manage your fundraisers, empower team captains, and enable peer-to-peer health challenges for events like 5Ks via integrations with Apple Health, Fitbit, and more
  • Unlimited technical support at no charge to keep everything running smoothly

DonorDrive

For 25+ years, DonorDrive has helped organizations like Children’s Miracle Network and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention raise more than $2 billion. Their innovative peer-to-peer fundraising software enables nonprofits to hand the megaphone over to their biggest advocates and amplify their personal stories. Here are some of this peer-to-peer fundraising software’s features:

  • Team fundraising to enable supporters to team up and raise money for your cause
  • Activity tracking via Strava, Apple Health, Fitbit, and Google Fit to enable health-related peer-to-peer fundraising challenges
  • Easy sharing via pre-written emails, contact management, and social sharing

Engaging Networks

Trusted by The Humane Society, The Nature Conservancy, and other big-name organizations, Engaging Networks serves more than 400 nonprofits in more than 50 countries. They offer powerful peer-to-peer capabilities alongside marketing, membership management, and eCommerce tools. Elevate your impact with peer-to-peer fundraising features like:

  • Personal and team fundraising pages hosted on a branded campaign website
  • Goal setting and progress thermometers for both campaign and individual pages
  • The ability to collect donations in any currency

Funraise

Funraise strives to make fundraising a piece of cake. Thanks to its comprehensive features, nonprofits using Funraise, on average, grow online giving by 73% annually! Tap into the incredible social power of your most dedicated supporters with these peer-to-peer fundraising software features:

  • Customizable automated emails for hitting campaign milestones
  • A fundraising website with custom colors, images, and content for telling your nonprofit’s story
  • Fundraising commitments that enable you to set non-negotiable fundraising goals for peer-to-peer fundraisers

Givebutter

Established in 2016, Givebutter is a fundraising technology company that powers online donations, campaigns, and ticketed events for more than 15,000 charities around the world. Tap into your supporters’ networks by adding peer-to-peer fundraising to any Givebutter fundraising page or event. Doing so will enable these features:

  • Gamification tools like a goal bar, countdown, leaderboards, and interactive supporter feed to drive urgency
  • Personalized pages where fundraisers can tell their story, upload images, and use Canva graphics to make it their own
  • Marketing tools like built-in social media sharing tools, automated email and text reminders, and trackable links

GiveCampus

Designed for educational institutions, GiveCampus is a popular digital fundraising and volunteer management solution. With the platform, Rhode Island College exceeded its donor goal by 55% and its dollar goal by more than double during its annual giving day. Know that Double the Donation is the only corporate matching gifts tool that integrates with the platform!

Reach, engage, and mobilize your community with these social fundraising features:

  • Pre-filled giving forms that reflect donor interests, giving history, and preferred payment methods
  • Real-time progress reports to inform supporters of campaign totals
  • World-class support with an average response time of 11 minutes or less

GivenGain

Founded in 2001, GivenGain puts fundraising in your supporters’ hands. As a nonprofit itself, GivenGain is driven by purpose rather than profit. Through this peer-to-peer fundraising platform, your passionate fundraisers can champion your cause and drive action.

Use GivenGain’s tools to access:

  • Event-based fundraising so supporters can collect donations linked to their participation in marathons, bike races, and more
  • Recurring gifts to inspire ongoing support
  • Multi-currency support to ensure organizations can receive funds from a global donor base

GiveSignUp

GiveSignUp is free peer-to-peer fundraising software that provides tools for event planning, fundraising, and managing volunteers. The platform only charges processing fees and is well-suited for organizations that host races, walks, and other event-based fundraising activities. Some of GiveSignUp’s primary features include:

  • Team and donor recruitment tools like auto-join fundraising team URLs, social sharing, and a fundraiser email hub
  • An event day app with options to check in by fundraising team and show fundraising totals
  • Free marketing tools like a custom website builder and automated referral rewards to encourage sharing

GiveWP

If your nonprofit uses WordPress, this may be the peer-to-peer fundraising software for you! GiveWP is an open-source WordPress plugin that simplifies fundraising. Trusted by 100,000+ fundraisers worldwide, GiveWP can transform your supporters into enthusiastic advocates. Leverage the peer-to-peer fundraising add-on for GiveWP to involve your community in peer-to-peer and team fundraising. Then, use features such as:

  • A custom donor experience with fund designation options, tribute capabilities, and a marketing newsletter opt-in option on peer-to-peer donation forms
  • Donation forms that can be hosted directly on your own website, no coding knowledge needed
  • The ability to showcase sponsors on your main campaign page or peer-to-peer pages

haku

Create powerful peer-to-peer fundraising events with haku, an all-in-one partnership and technology ecosystem. haku is a comprehensive event management platform that nonprofits can use to organize participatory fundraising events like races and bike rides. In fact, they even helped the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society raise $1 million in just one month with a virtual fitness challenge.

The platform offers a suite of peer-to-peer fundraising tools, such as:

  • One-step registration and fundraising account creation, enabling your supporters to start fundraising immediately
  • Mobile-optimized public fundraising pages that can be personalized with images, videos, and custom messages and then easily shared
  • Integrations with popular platforms like Salesforce and Double the Donation, making it easy to gather and share data in real-time

Neon Fundraise

Neon provides purpose-driven technology to further your mission. As part of Neon’s technology ecosystem, Neon Fundraise is a modern social fundraising platform that is fresh, powerful, and easy to use. Take your fundraising to new heights and drive registrations for your peer-to-peer events with features like:

  • Individual and multiple event registration and management tools, including ticket sales, registration forms, and participant tracking
  • Endurance challenges with activity tracking (like miles run or walked) via manual input or fitness app integration
  • One-click donations to create a frictionless experience for returning donors

OneCause

OneCause delivers nonprofits comprehensive fundraising solutions for auctions, text-to-give, events, and online fundraising. Among its many helpful tools, you can find peer-to-peer fundraising software. Whether you want to host a run/walk/ride event, host a giving day, or enable tribute fundraisers, OneCause has you covered.

Activate supporters with powerful social fundraising features, such as:

  • Motivation and rewards such as leaderboards, milestone badges, and head-to-head competitions
  • Social media integration to help supporters recruit and fundraise via social channels
  • Configurable event registration that enables different registration types, custom discount codes, and custom form questions

Qgiv

Qgiv offers nonprofits a variety of tools to power everything from peer-to-peer fundraising and text fundraising to auctions. Its comprehensive platform enables nonprofits to give donors a modern and personalized giving experience while keeping costs low. Enable your peer-to-peer fundraisers (or P2Peeps, as Qgiv calls them) to participate in 5Ks, bowl-a-thons, cycling events, or any other peer-to-peer fundraiser with these features:

  • Easy event and fundraising page setup with drag-and-drop tools to get supporters fundraising faster
  • Team fundraising where captains can recruit members and people can cheer each other on
  • Gamification like custom fundraising badges, leaderboards, an activity tracker, and a thermometer to create friendly competition

raisin

Make meaningful connections and grow your network with raisin. This peer-to-peer fundraising software is perfect for individual, team, and corporate fundraisers. Whether you’re launching a national walk or DIY fundraising campaign, inspire supporters to join your nonprofit, fundraise, and build awareness for your cause.

Use raisin’s peer-to-peer module to leverage these features:

  • Multi-location events so your campaign can unite multiple events for greater fundraising power
  • Mobile-first fundraising so supporters can fundraise across any device
  • Email, social, and follow-up tools to engage their networks and drive donations


Examples of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software In Action

Each peer-to-peer fundraising platform has a unique donation flow that impacts how donors and fundraisers interact with your organization’s efforts. To make the most of your upcoming initiatives with optimal technology, consider these three sample social fundraising pages.

As we walk through each example, be sure to note what the organization does well and which pieces you can emulate!

The George Washington University

*Uses GiveCampus and Double the Donation

The George Washington University is a private research university located in Washington, D.C. This institution participates in a range of fundraising initiatives to support scholarship opportunities, student life, athletics, and more.

To power its peer-to-peer giving experience, the university uses innovative social fundraising technology from GiveCampus:

1. An individual navigates to a peer-to-peer campaign landing page.

George Washington University's giving page using peer-to-peer fundraising software

The George Washington University hosts a wide range of peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities, and each one is provided with a campaign landing page from which to give, track progress toward objectives and deadlines, share the fundraising site, and more. Also, it features a brief video outlining the campaign efforts and goals.

2. The individual selects a donation amount on the giving form.

George Washington University's donation selection process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Once the donor navigates to the donation form from the campaign landing page, they are encouraged to choose their donation amount, determine recurring gift status, select a designation, and even add an additional gift.

3. The individual provides employment information and submits their gift.

Employer selection using peer-to-peer fundraising software on George Washington University's giving page

On this final page of the GWU peer-to-peer giving process, donors are encouraged to enter their employer name to determine their matching gift eligibility using Double the Donation’s embedded search tool. From there, they are prompted to review their gift selection and finalize their contribution using their preferred payment method.

4. The individual is thanked and provided with matching gift information on the confirmation page.

George Washington University's confirmation page using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Once a donor has submitted their donation via the peer-to-peer giving form, they are automatically redirected to visit a dedicated confirmation page. On this page, GWU thanks its donors for supporting the campaign and provides detailed matching gift information.

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

*Uses Classy ⁠and Double the Donation

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is one of the largest nonprofit organizations dedicated to breast cancer research. It has discovered some of the most innovative advancements toward the prevention and curing of breast cancer.

Since its inception in 1993, BCRF has raised over $500 million for breast cancer research, funding nearly 300 researchers across 15 different countries⁠, much of it through social fundraising efforts.

Here’s a brief overview of this organization’s peer-to-peer giving process using dedicated peer-to-peer fundraising software:

1. An individual chooses their donation amount on the P2P giving form.

BCRF's donation selection process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Once an individual lands on a BCRF peer-to-peer donation form, they are met with a brief description of the organization, its mission⁠, and how individual donors can help. From there, they are encouraged to select their gift amount from a number of suggested donation sizes (or enter a custom amount in the fill-in-the-blank box) and determine whether their contribution will be a one-time or recurring gift.

2. The individual assigns their gift to a particular fundraiser or team.

BCRF's campaign designation process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Next, the individual can credit their donation to a specific person or team participating in the campaign by typing a name in the auto-complete search box. Once they’ve selected a fundraiser, that individual or group’s progress is displayed using a real-time goal thermometer.

3. The individual provides current employment information.

BCRF's employer selection using peer-to-peer fundraising software

At this stage in the giving process, the donor is prompted to “see if [their] employer will match [their] donation.” BCRF has embedded a matching gift search tool within their peer-to-peer giving form, which instructs individuals to enter their employing company in the search box below. The individual is also informed that they may receive follow-up emails from Double the Donation with detailed instructions regarding how to submit their match request.

4. The individual reviews and submits their donation.

BCRF's gift submission process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

From there, each donor is encouraged to review their donation information and select a payment method to complete their gift. BCRF currently accepts donations through PayPal, Venmo, credit card, and bank transfers!

5. The individual receives an email follow-up prompting them to submit their matching gift.

BCRF's matching gift follow-up email using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Mere minutes after clicking submit on their peer-to-peer donation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation donors receive a customized email follow-up providing matching gift information and communicating gratitude to strengthen that donor relationship. Since the donor previously provided employment data within the giving form, the email content is company-specific, providing targeted details on matching gift eligibility and actionable next steps for submission.

Soles4Souls

*Uses Fundraise Up and Double the Donation

Soles4Souls is a Tennessee-based nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting and redistributing shoes, clothing, and other apparel. By partnering with individual supporters, retailers, and community organizations, Soles4Souls gathers new and gently used shoes and provides them to people who need them worldwide.

While Soles4Souls greatly benefits from in-kind product donations, they also participate in additional fundraising activities such as peer-to-peer giving campaigns. Let’s take a look at the basic process using this organization’s peer-to-peer fundraising software:

1. An individual selects a donation amount on the P2P giving form.

Soles4Souls' donation selection process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Soles4Souls’ peer-to-peer giving process begins with selecting a donation amount. The individual donor is prompted to select a recommended gift amount or enter their preferred number. Then they’ll either opt to give once or make it a monthly donation. Donors can also dedicate their donation or provide an additional comment alongside their gift.

Meanwhile, in the left panel, the donor is met with compelling imagery and a brief overview of the organization’s mission.

2. The individual provides current employment information.

Soles4Souls' employer selection using peer-to-peer fundraising software

In the next step of this multi-page peer-to-peer giving experience, Soles4Souls’ donors are encouraged to double their donation’s impact with a matching gift. To drive this process forward, the individual is asked to provide the name of their current employer. From there, the peer-to-peer fundraising software searches Double the Donation’s extensive database of corporate matching gift information to provide eligibility details.

3. The individual reviews and submits their donation.

Soles4Souls' gift submission process using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Finally, donors reach the payment screen, where they can choose from multiple payment options, including credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and bank transfer. Individuals are also given the option to cover their transaction costs, ensuring 100% of the contribution goes to Soles4Souls.

4. The individual receives an email follow-up prompting them to submit their matching gift.

Soles4Souls' matching gift follow-up email using peer-to-peer fundraising software

Once an individual finalizes their Soles4Souls donation using the organization’s peer-to-peer fundraising software, a personalized email is automatically sent to their inbox. These follow-up messages contain additional matching gift resources, including direct links to donors’ matching gift submission portals, as well as an easy way to communicate status updates with Soles4Souls’ team.

Explore all the peer-to-peer fundraising platforms that integrate with our matching gift software.


Smart Tips for Choosing Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software

Here are some final tips to evaluate your top peer-to-peer fundraising software picks and purchase the best technology for your cause:

Consider scalability.

Look to the future in terms of whether the software can grow alongside your organization. If your team is currently on the smaller side, it might be tempting to opt for a free or low-cost solution with limited functionality. However, you don’t want to be back at square one in the buying process a few years from now if the platform stops meeting your needs.

Consider integrations in your overall tech stack.

Before making any software buying decisions, consider your overall technology ecosystem. Ask questions like:

  • Does the peer-to-peer platform offer a built-in payment processor, or does it integrate with one that you’re open to using?
  • Does your fundraising platform have a native integration with your existing CRM, enabling peer-to-peer giving data to flow seamlessly into your donor database?
  • Does the system integrate with your matching gift fundraising tools to identify and follow up with potential matches?

Consider these questions before making your investment. Otherwise, you may end up with limited functionality and have a difficult time expanding your tech system without easy, ready-built integration options.

Rate your highest and lowest priorities.

Unfortunately, you might not find a peer-to-peer fundraising tool that meets all of your organization’s desired criteria. Perhaps you’ll be drawn to Feature A from Provider B, though Provider C offers innovative Feature D⁠. Meanwhile, Provider E has a significantly reduced price point.

Simplify your choice by determining your organization’s highest and lowest priorities. For example, you might prioritize things this way: functionality → accessibility → integrations → cost⁠. Meanwhile, another organization might prioritize it this way: cost → accessibility → functionality → integrations.

Get personalized demos to see the tools in action.

Take the software for a test drive with a demo. A software demo allows your team to see the fundraising tools in action and ask questions before making a buying decision. We recommend narrowing your choices to two or three solutions and getting personalized demos of each one.

Keep your fundraisers and end donors in mind.

In a typical fundraiser, your giving platform tends to be used by your team and donors contributing through the platform. Peer-to-peer technology, however, must account for your organization’s internal team, the end donors contributing, and the new “middle-man” in the situation⁠: your volunteer fundraisers.

As you go through the buying process, keep each of these players in mind. Consider the experience from each possible perspective by asking questions like:

  • Is it easy to set up a fundraising page and share it with family and friends?
  • Can you easily update the online hub with personal stories, images, and progress toward goals?
  • How simple is it to make a donation to a specific campaign page?

Considering these questions beforehand can equip your team to make the best peer-to-peer fundraising software decisions, spot potential roadblocks, and troubleshoot concerns.


Resources to Kickstart Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform Search

Double the Donation works closely with over 100 of the sector’s top fundraising technology providers. When looking for a best-in-class peer-to-peer fundraising software platform, we recommend getting started with our integration partners.

Navigate to our integrations page to explore the solutions we work with, filter by industry and functionality, and determine whether one is right for your needs.

Want to learn more about nonprofit fundraising technology and how you can provide your team with the right tools? Check out these additional Double the Donation resources:

Get a demo to see how Double the Donation can help you get more out of your peer-to-peer fundraising software.