Atlanta, GA (October 17, 2018) — Double the Donation is proud to announce a new integration with NonProfitEasy’s Fundly CRM. This 360MatchPro integration into Fundly CRM will provide users with industry-leading matching gift functionality. Fundly is used by nonprofits to revolutionize the way they serve their communities.
This integration allows Fundly CRM users to fully automate the matching gift process, exponentially increasing their matching gift revenue while reducing time spent on collecting matching gifts. With this integration, Fundly users can turn on this functionality directly through their Fundly CRM account.
“In deciding which matching gift tools to offer our customers, we found Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro to be the most comprehensive and easy-to-use platform,” said Lomesh Shah, President and Co-Founder of NonProfitEasy. “We are so excited to offer our users the opportunity to double their donations with ease, efficiency, and accuracy.”
360MatchPro allows users to automatically track the match-eligibility of their donors, the status of those potential matches, and the revenue raised in matching gifts. Most importantly, 360MatchPro’s automated and customizable email follow-up vastly increases the amount of matching gift requests successfully driven to completion.
The biggest hindrance to matching gifts is lack of donor awareness. With 360MatchPro, Fundly CRM users are able to automatically identify match-eligible donors through email domain capture as well as self-identification directly on their donation forms.
“We are so excited to see that Fundly has integrated our matching gift tools into their CRM, offering all of their users a chance to enhance their matching gift programs,” said Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation. “There are 15 million people in America who are eligible for matching gifts, and we’re looking forward to seeing how Fundly CRM users connect with those donors.”
Double the Donation has the most extensive database of existing matching gift programs, including more than 20,000 companies, subsidiaries, and spelling variations. Use of this database affords organizations the opportunity to follow through on every possible corporate matching gift donation.
Match-eligible donors are presented with simple, streamlined information about the matching gift program that they qualify for. They are also presented with direct links to the appropriate online forms or downloadable PDFs required to submit their matching gift requests.
As more and more nonprofits are focusing their fundraising efforts towards online campaigns, the versatility and functionality of donation buttons has grown.
The features required of these buttons have shifted as online fundraising has increased in popularity, but how can you know which product is right for your nonprofit’s needs?
We’ve chosen 10 of our favorite online donation buttons and explained the best features, so you can choose which donation button is right for you.
Use the navigation tool below to make finding what you need even easier.
iDonate – best donation button for large nonprofits
If you’re ready to learn more, let’s get started!
Double the Donation – Best Matching Gifts Donation Button Add-On
Donation Button Overview:
Double the Donation offers a powerful corporate philanthropy database for your nonprofit, so that your donors can be made aware of their employer’s matching gifts policy.
Double the Donation offers two options: one is a widget included directly on your website or donation page, and the other is a webpage hosted by Double the Donation, branded to your website, that offers the same information.
Double the Donation’s easily accessible matching gifts database makes every donation button twice as effective.
Standout Features:
Because Double the Donation’s database can be included right where your donation button is, donors are encouraged to follow up with their employer about matching gifts and maximize the impact of their donation for your nonprofit.
The database is frequently and rigorously updated, so you never have to worry about having out-of-date or incorrect information.
Takeaway:
Double the Donation takes your matching gifts strategy to the next level by making the necessary information easily accessible for all.
Fundly – Best Crowdfunding Donation Button for groups
Donation Button Overview:
Fundly’s easy-to-use crowdfunding platform is a great way for both individuals and nonprofits to raise money for a good cause. This donation tool is shareable on many social media platforms, is mobile-optimized, and allows you to keep supporters updated easily.
Standout Features:
We love that with Fundly, you can add personalized messages, photos, and videos to your crowdfunding page. You can even update your friends with a blog-like style of posting, which you can do from anywhere with the free Fundly app!
Fundly’s support system is also stellar: they help you set up your campaign, and are available all the way through till the end.
Takeaway:
If you’re looking for a socially-driven donation button tool to help you reach your goals, Fundly is the platform for you.
DonorBox is an online donation button provider that allows you to embed their donation widget directly onto your page or create a dedicated donation page with your nonprofit’s branding.
With their donation pages, you can pre-fill custom amounts with descriptions so donors know what their donation does, offer multiple language options, and include employer donation matching information.
Standout Features:
With DonorBox, your recurring donors maintain full control over their relationship with your nonprofit. DonorBox also offers donors the option to cover processing fees, and their donation buttons are optimized for all sizes of browsers.
Takeaway:
DonorBox is a great donation button provider for nonprofits who are looking to prioritize their recurring gift donor retention strategy, as well as those who need the option to have their donation buttons in multiple languages.
Snowball offers an innovative two-tap solution to nonprofits so that donors are less likely to abandon the donation process partway through. From their phones, mobile users can select the amount of money that they want to give and then confirm their donation through an email.
Their text-to-give and peer-to-peer solutions are also just as easy to use and secure for donors.
Standout Features:
In addition to their fabulously simple method of completing their donations, the donation buttons that Snowball offers are fully customizable to your nonprofit’s branding.
Snowball also keeps track of all of your donation data, so that you can manage your donor and donation information while assessing your progress towards your fundraising goals.
Takeaway:
Snowball’s inventive and simple donation button is a great feature for anyone who is ready for a more intensive mobile donation campaign.
Bonfire – Best Merchandise Fundraising Donation Button
Donation Button Overview:
Bonfire combines merchandise selling with fundraising through their unique online donation button. With Bonfire, you create your t-shirt design, choose your profit margin and customize your donation page, and then start your campaign!
Because Bonfire puts the donation button on the same page as the purchase button, supporters of your campaign can help your cause both through buying your t-shirt and donating directly to your cause.
Standout Features:
The best part about Bonfire is that there is no inventory necessary. Bonfire prints and ships your shirts after they’ve been ordered, so there’s no chance of your campaign running out of t-shirts.
Bonfire also offers empathetic and helpful support through their “Happiness Team”, who are happy to help make sure your fundraiser is successful.
Takeaway:
Bonfire’s combination of effective donation button and fun merchandise options are a great fundraising option for nonprofits looking to raise funds while rewarding their supporters.
Qgiv provides nonprofits with the software they need to run all kinds of fundraising campaigns, from online donation buttons to peer-to-peer fundraising pages to handheld kiosks for fundraising events.
Their team provides support for your nonprofit as you build your donation forms and start your campaign, and the software easily integrates into your other programs so that you can make sure that you have a 360-degree understanding of your donors.
Standout Features:
Qgiv offers amazing features such as fundraising thermometers and other gamification techniques, as well as options for donation buttons such as GiftAssist.
GiftAssist gives donors the option to cover the processing costs on their donation, so that more money goes straight to their favorite nonprofit.
Takeaway:
Qgiv’s huge suite of features and easy-to-use interface for both nonprofit professionals and donors makes this a powerful donation button provider.
Donately provides beautiful online donation tools that are fully responsive with any mobile device, so that you can reach your followers wherever, whenever.
They provide donation buttons to both individuals and nonprofits, so whatever you need to raise money for, they’ve got you covered. You can easily share your donation page on social media or through email, too.
Standout Features:
In addition to their custom donation buttons, Donately offers beautiful fundraising pages and donor management solutions. By using their forms, you can track the important information from all of your donations, as well as the ability to input cash or offline donations into your data set.
Takeaway:
Donately’s pages are super customizable, so you can easily make your donation button match your individual needs.
iDonate – Best Donation Button for Large Nonprofits
Donation Button Overview:
iDonate makes donating super easy by embedding their online fundraising solution right onto your nonprofit’s website, blog, or Facebook page. Their donation buttons are easily customized to fit your brand, and everything is mobile-responsive.
Their multifaceted online giving platform offers everything from text-to-give to peer-to-peer fundraising, and all of their services can stream donor data into either the iDonate Backoffice CRM or into your nonprofit’s existing CRM.
Standout Features:
Our favorite part of iDonate is how easy it makes online and mobile giving for large nonprofits. They offer chapter management solutions so that each branch of your organization is able to fundraise to the best of their ability.
No matter where it needs to be or what it needs to do, a donation button from iDonate can help your large nonprofit optimize its online donation strategy.
Takeaway:
iDonate’s combination of hyperfunctional online giving tools and supportive staff are a boon to any nonprofit ready to try a new donation button.
Congrats! You’re now prepared to choose the right donation button for your nonprofit. If you’re interested in learning more about some other fundraising best practices, don’t hesitate to check out these additional resources:
10 Best Salesforce Apps for Nonprofits. Step up your tech game with these great apps. Take any strategy, from charity auction management to accounting and beyond, to the next level with these suggestions.
15+ Best Crowdfunding Websites. If you’re looking for more information on Fundly, or on any other crowdfunding websites, check out our list of favorites for more options and information.
Online Petitions Guide. If you’re engaged in any sort of advocacy, you’re going to want to read this guide from Salsa on the 5 best tips to building your electronic petition. Don’t miss out on these smart strategies!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Top-8-Donation-Buttons-to-Raise-More-Funds-Online.jpg6001520Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2018-08-30 15:23:512024-09-20 13:17:31Top 10 Donation Buttons to Raise More Funds Online
Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer. While most of us equate summer with pleasure and relaxation, many others look at summer with a sense of dread. If you are financially strapped, summer means no access to subsidized meals for your children and childcare headaches as they are home from school.
Summer is also a stressful time for nonprofits. Need is high and donations are typically low. The good news is that summer is actually a great time to get involved with your favorite local charity. With businesses in summer mode, kids home from school and retired people itching to get out and enjoy the season, summer offers plenty of opportunities to do fulfilling acts of charity and still have time to laze away in the hammock.
Here are some helpful tips to get you started in what may be your most fulfilling summer ever:
Identify local need. Helping to build up your own local community is extra fulfilling because you can witness the impact of your efforts first hand. Think about what cause moves you most. If reading is your passion, speak to your local Boys and Girls Club to see how you can impact young readers. Perhaps you can hold a book drive or establish a reading competition complete with charts and prizes! Or the charity may tell you the need is actually for school supplies so local kids have the tools to succeed in school. Whatever you choose, when you identify a charity you wish to support, be sure that it’s a worthy and legitimate organization by checking it out on a site like charitynavigator.org.
Get kids, family and friends involved. You’ve made the decision to help, why not increase your impact exponentially by asking friends and family to join your cause. As mentioned above, kids are home and looking for something do and it’s never too early to teach a lesson of compassion and community. And, don’t forget the seniors. They are often overlooked but they can be amazing sources of ideas, enthusiasm and support – consider them your secret weapon!
Bring your skills to the table. You can make an even bigger difference when you capitalize on your unique abilities. If you dabble in photography, why not offer to take photos at the next food pantry event to submit to your local paper, share online or add to their website. If you are great at planning parties, why not use your powers for good and organize a fundraising party for your favorite charity? If you are a runner, plan a neighborhood fun run and collect canned goods as an entry fee. You’ll find the more of yourself you put into your effort the more rewarding it will be.
Virtual volunteering is a thing. When we think of volunteering we often envision lifting boxes, painting a room or building a swing set. But, the reality is that we are all busier than ever and working on-site at a charity event may just not work for us. Remember that virtual volunteering is a wonderful way to lend needed support to charity. From helping with website design, making phone calls or running an online fundraising or shopping event, don’t underestimate the impact you can make in your community right from your couch. You can even tap into your social networks and use social media for good when you run an online charity event made for social sharing with YouGiveGoods.com, an online giving platform that enables you to raise most-needed goods for any charity.
Start small. The issues and problems that cause people (and animals!) distress run deep and won’t be eradicated any time soon. But every effort, no matter how small, makes a difference. Set reasonable goals for yourself, don’t shoot for the stars from the start. Learn and grow from your efforts and plan for each charitable outing to be bigger and better than the last.
Sure, summertime relaxing is good for you but helping others is also proven to be good for the mind, body, and soul. So take the plunge this summer and make it memorable by adding philanthropy into your plan.
Lisa Tomasi is the founder and president of YouGiveGoods, an innovative giving platform founded in 2012. Lisa has been involved in philanthropy ever since she was aided by the American Red Cross following the devastating 1989 San Francisco earthquake. YouGiveGoods giving events enable individuals, companies, schools and groups to make a tangible impact in local communities by getting new, needed goods to charities. When not working with the amazing YouGiveGoods team, Lisa is at her other full-time job – raising four daughters with her husband, Paul.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Feature-Image-22.jpg321845Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2018-06-21 21:50:392023-09-14 19:55:065 Tips to Making a Difference in Your Community This Summer
Did you know that 360MatchPro can be integrated into your Luminate Online pages? Check out our integration guide!
Luminate Online Marketing is a comprehensive online fundraising and marketing solution that can equip your nonprofit with the tools to better understand and engage supporters as well as enhance your online fundraising performance.
But when you know how to maximize your Luminate experience, you’ll be able to get even more out of this expansive platform—and you’ll have the fundraising results to show for it.
In this post, we’ll walk through 5 steps to get the most out of your Luminate Online platform:
With our help, you’ll be a Luminate Online expert in no time!
1. Start with a clear plan for using Luminate Online.
Before you can get started with using Luminate, you need to know exactly what you want this software to do for your nonprofit.
Because Luminate is so multifaceted, your nonprofit must develop a plan for how the platform will support your goals specifically. This plan will not only give you a starting point for using Luminate, but it will also provide a clear direction for any customizations or integrations that you’ll require.
To devise your Luminate Online fundraising strategy, get together with your nonprofit team to answer the following questions:
What are our fundraising goals? In addition to an overarching monetary goal, your organization should also set secondary fundraising goals for each quarter, specific campaigns, or fundraising events.
What online fundraising tools will help us meet our goals? Do you need customizable online donation or event registration forms? What about more specific giving channels, such as eCommerce stores, peer-to-peer fundraising, or mobile giving? (Hint: you may need to integrate solutions to build your ideal platform.
What aspects of our current strategy have worked in the past? Which need to be revisited? Generate reports on your most recent campaigns to analyze where you’ve fallen short and where you’ve exceeded expectations. Then, determine which Luminate Online features you’ll use to enhance (or refocus) your existing fundraising strategy.
A consulting firm with experience helping nonprofits utilize Blackbaud products (particularly Luminate) can provide the insight you need to map out a strategic plan for your new software.
Plus, your nonprofit tech consultant can help bring that plan to fruition by helping you customize, develop, and implement Luminate to meet your unique needs.
2. Clean up and migrate your data effectively.
Data is at the core of nonprofit organizations.
Think about it: without accurate, complete sets of data, it’s almost impossible to understand your supporters and design engagement and fundraising strategies that respond to their lifestyles, preferences, and goals as a part of your organization.
As you transfer constituent information from your existing fundraising software or CRM to Luminate Online, you’ll inevitably run the risk of losing or damaging data. To mitigate that risk, there are a few considerations to keep in mind prior to the data migration process:
Work with a data migration specialist. Especially for larger organizations with massive stores of donor information, the data transfer process can be complex. By working with a nonprofit tech consultant who focuses on data migration, you’ll alleviate some of the stress associated with migrating data.
Clean your database beforehand. Transferring messy data (such as outdated information, duplicate profiles, or lapsed donor data) will only set you up for more work going forward. You should go through your data with a fine-toothed comb before migrating any profiles to your new Luminate system.
Establish data entry best practices. When multiple staff members are responsible for inputting data, there’s always a chance that their practices will differ, leading to a greater chance of inconsistencies and errors. Combat that by creating a well documented data entry standard and training staff on your current best practices.
When your data is neat and well organized, you’ll easily be able to use it to inform your fundraising strategies. And after all, what good is data that you can’t use?
3. Take advantage of Luminate add-ons.
Luminate Online is highly versatile on its own, but you still may find that you need more specialized online fundraising features than what the base product provides.
If that sounds like your nonprofit, you’re in luck! Luminate Online offers helpful add-ons to expand the core product and give organizations like yours exactly the tools they need for fundraising success.
If you’re a veteran Blackbaud user, you may already be familiar with these add-ons, but let’s recap what the tools can do:
Luminate Advocacy was designed for nonprofits with grassroots fundraising initiatives in mind. With this add-on, you’ll have access to tools such as the letter-to-the-editor generator, integrated vote data, and personalized action centers for your supporters.
TeamRaiser is Blackbaud’s powerful peer-to-peer fundraising platform. With tools to help you plan your peer-to-peer event, communicate with supporters, and personalize your fundraising pages, TeamRaiser can connect with Luminate or be used on its own.
Luminate Content Management System offers a fully integrated web design and content manager for nonprofits using Luminate. With Luminate CMS, you’ll be able to holistically manage your web presence alongside your other online fundraising efforts.
Because these add-ons were built to work seamlessly with the Luminate Online system, you won’t have to worry about cumbersome integrations or headache-inducing data migrations. The platforms will naturally sync up to your existing Luminate platform and extend its functionality without any extra work on your end.
Bonus: Like the rest of your Luminate system, you can customize your add-ons to develop a personalized fundraising experience. Learn how to get started with TeamRaiser configurations by reading this resource from DNL OmniMedia!
4. Customize your Luminate Online platform.
Established nonprofits need unique solutions to meet their digital fundraising and marketing needs. Enter Luminate Online!
One of the greatest perks of the Luminate platform is that it can be customized to meet your organization’s needs in a truly unique way. Essentially, there are two paths through which your nonprofit can adjust your software:
Configurations, i.e., developing a custom solution by making adjustments in the backend of Luminate Online.
Integrations, i.e., combining your Luminate Online system with other Blackbaud solutions or third-party platforms.
You’ll likely need to implement both types of customizations to develop the most well-rounded solution.
But before you get started shopping for new software to pair with Luminate or making changes in the software, you should make sure your nonprofit can answer these important questions about how you’ll handle the customization process:
What configurations or integrations will you implement? Common integrations include nonprofit CRMs and dedicated fundraising software, but you’ll need to assess your own organization’s specific needs to determine what customizations are most important to achieving your fundraising goals.
Who will take the lead on customizing Luminate? For both configurations and complex integrations, you’ll need the help of either a robust IT department or an experienced nonprofit tech consultant.
Can your budget accommodate the customizations? Not only will you need to purchase any external software you want to integrate with Luminate, but you’ll need to ensure you can afford a web developer or technology consultant to help manage the process.
Once you’ve adapted your software accordingly, your nonprofit will be left with a totally one-of-a-kind software solution that was built to meet your needs and help you achieve greater success than ever before.
5. Thoroughly train your staff on Luminate Online.
Some lightweight online fundraising solutions are easy to find your way around with little-to-no guidance; generally speaking, Luminate is not that software.
While Luminate Online is certainly user-friendly, your organization will almost definitely need some assistance when you implement the platform and begin to use it for the first time.
Look at it this way—with software that can do so much, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable knowing every member of your staff is well-versed in how to make the most of it?
Luckily, training doesn’t have to be a guessing game. There are a variety of resources at your nonprofit’s disposal to learn everything you need to know about using Luminate:
Blackbaud training. Blackbaud offers specific training courses to help nonprofits of all skill levels understand and implement their products. By subscribing to Blackbaud Learn, your organization can gain access to on-demand training videos and online classes.
Online community and support. For one-off questions or implementation help, you can crowdsource support through the Blackbaud community forums. Or, seek help from Blackbaud’s team of experts via their online support chat.
Nonprofit tech consultants. If you’re in need of comprehensive training to get up and running on Luminate, your nonprofit would likely benefit from working with a nonprofit tech consultant who can train your staff on any and all areas of the Luminate system.
Without some form of training and expert counsel, your nonprofit won’t know the extent to which Luminate can impact your fundraising strategy—and you won’t be able to reap all the benefits!
Luminate Online is a powerful tool for your nonprofit (if you know how to get the most out of it).
With these tips, your team should be well-prepared to implement Luminate and propel your organization to total success. Now it’s time to start fundraising like never before!
Author Bio
Carl co-founded DNL OmniMedia in 2006 and has grown the team to accommodate clients with on-going web development projects. Together, DNL OmniMedia has worked with over 100 organizations to assist them with accomplishing their online goals. As Managing Director of DNL OmniMedia, Carl works with nonprofits and their technology to foster fundraising, create awareness, cure disease, and solve social issues.
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Shoe drive fundraising is quickly becoming one of the most popular fundraising options for schools and clubs of all sizes! As an incredibly simple and effective fundraising method, shoe drives are a fantastic way to engage your community, set a great example, and raise some serious funds.
Check out our quick guide to starting and directing your own shoe drive fundraiser! Use this table of contents to navigate the page and find some quick answers:
Shoe drive fundraising is a great choice for practically any group or organization that heavily interacts with its members, constituents, or other stakeholders at the ground level.
This means that shoe drive fundraisers are especially well-suited for community-based organizations, particularly schools, school-based clubs, and youth organizations.
Schools of all sizes can host extremely successful shoe drive fundraisers!
Kids outgrow shoes so quickly! Families tend to have plenty of gently used pairs of shoes lying around that no longer fit. A shoe drive fundraiser is not only an easy fundraising idea, it also lets parents cut out some clutter while helping support their local school.
Clubs can also hit their fundraising targets with shoe drive fundraisers!
A shoe drive fundraiser will generate interest all around your school, but, depending on your club’s focus, these fundraisers also offer wonderful opportunities to raise awareness about a number of social and environmental issues!
During a time when both public and private schools around the country face budgetary struggles like never before, it’s important that schools remain aware of all their fundraising options. Shoe drive fundraisers are among the easiest fundraisers for schools to conduct, as facilitator services will typically provide schools with the materials they need and then collect the donated shoes.
Plus, this stress-free fundraising model makes shoe drive fundraisers and ideal choice for any small organization:
With the right shoe drive fundraiser facilitator, the entire process is incredibly simple. They’ll help you set some realistic (but ambitious) fundraising plans. You’ll start reaching your shoe collection goals in no time!
1. Recruit some volunteers.
Find the individuals in your school or club willing to help lead your shoe drive fundraiser, and invite them to get involved! They’ll mostly be needed for collecting shoes, identifying partners, and promoting the campaign.
2. Promote your shoe drive fundraiser.
Explain the shoe drive fundraiser to your school or club members, then ask them to bring their spare pairs soon. Share your campaign on your social media page and in your newsletter emails. Shoe drive facilitators like Funds2Orgs will even provide you with free marketing and fundraising tools for the length of your fundraiser.
3. Collect shoes.
Provide your donors with easy opportunities to donate their pairs of shoes. Set up a dedicated donation bin in an open location, or provide each classroom or chapter meeting with its own donation bin. As you collect the shoes, fill the special bags or containers provided by the facilitator.
4. Reach your goal and contact your facilitator.
After you’ve reached your shoe collection goal, contact your shoe drive fundraiser facilitator to arrange a time for them to collect all your shoes. The process is simple and stress-free!
5. Receive your check!
The shoe drive fundraiser facilitator will calculate the value of your collected shoes and issue a check for the funds you raised. Shoe drives can raise some major funds! For example, some schools and organizations have raised thousands of dollars after just six weeks!
What are the benefits of a shoe drive fundraiser?
Shoe drive fundraisers are an ideal fundraising solution for schools, school-based clubs, and community organizations for a number of reasons, mainly these 4 key benefits:
Minimal Costs
It takes very little money to host and promote a shoe drive fundraiser. With Funds2Orgs, there are zero out of pocket costs!
Fast Funds
Receive a check for your raised funds in as little at 2 days after your shoe drive fundraiser facilitator collects them!
Global Philanthropy
Your donated shoes will be provided to entrepreneurs to re-purpose and resell in developing economies, stimulating organic growth.
Environmental Stewardship
Discarded shoes are notoriously hard on the environment. Recycling them in a shoe drive fundraiser is a productive way to be responsible!
Shoe drive fundraisers represent a low-cost, high-impact fundraising option for schools and organizations of all sizes! Plus, the most engaged shoe drive fundraiser facilitator services offer great learning opportunities on the environment and the global economics of philanthropy.
What are some ways to conduct a shoe drive fundraiser?
Shoe drive fundraising is an extremely versatile fundraising method!
They work great as standalone fundraising campaigns. It’s easy to organize a campaign and set some goals with your shoe drive fundraiser facilitator, who will then provide you with some marketing ideas and tools.
Promote your shoe collection drive to your classes, chapters, or anyone else. Then be sure to provide collection bins or bags to your volunteers or classrooms. You might be surprised how quickly you can reach your collection goal!
Shoe drive fundraisers also make an effective additional component to any of your other campaigns or events!
If students or parents will be gathering for an event to benefit your school or club anyway, it’s easy to incorporate shoe drive fundraising into your planning and promotions.
If you host any of the following types of school fundraising events, think about the ways that a shoe drive could be integrated into your fundraising:
Game Nights or Tournaments
Maybe two pairs of donated shoes could replace a registration fee for your casual competition events!
Raffles
Offer free raffle or auction tickets as an incentive to encourage shoe donations!
Online Fundraising Campaigns
Your crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are perfect opportunities to add shoe drive fundraising as additional challenge elements.
Service or Product Sales
Think car washes and bake sales. Why not offer shoe donations as a payment option?
Fairs or Festivals
Larger festival events are perfect for promoting or incorporating your shoe drive fundraiser!
If you’re conducting a shoe drive fundraiser as either a standalone fundraising project or alongside a larger campaign, it’s crucial that you spread the word and encourage your students, members, and community stakeholders to make donations!
As a unique fundraising concept, shoe drive fundraisers are fairly easy to promote.
There are a number of key promotion strategies that work great for shoe drive fundraising:
1. Printed Materials
Creating printed materials to explain and promote your shoe drive fundraiser is essential, especially for schools! Flyers, letters, collection tracking charts, and door hangers are necessary tools for clearly labeling and explaining your fundraiser to students and their parents.
Some shoe drive fundraiser facilitators will even provide you with handy templates to quickly create your own printed promotional materials.
2. Social Media Promotions
Your school or club probably already relies on at least one social media platform to promote events or stay in touch with parents or members.
Be sure to promote your shoe drive fundraiser on your social media pages, especially Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Upload some pictures of your volunteers collecting shoes, or maybe even record a video to explain how the fundraiser works!
3. Promote with Your Other Events
If you choose to incorporate your shoe drive fundraiser into other events that you host, it’s important to clearly communicate this in all your promotions!
Invite attendees at your sporting events, sales, community service projects, and festivals to bring some pairs of shoes to donate. Be sure to offer some creative incentives, too!
4. Promote with Your Partners
Reach out to any community partners who might want to get involved! Local businesses and other community-based organizations make great partners for shoe drive fundraisers.
Similarly, if you’re a school considering a shoe drive fundraiser, be sure to get your PTA involved (and vice versa)! The more volunteers and donors, the easier it’ll be to promote your fundraiser and reach your goals.
Additional Fundraising Resources
When beginning a new fundraising project or setting new goals for your school or club, it’s important to do your research! Start with these resources to find the best options and strategies to help you succeed.
15+ Best Crowdfunding Websites
Crowdfunding has quickly become one of the best ways to raise funds online.
Be sure to find the platform best suited to your needs by using this handy guide from Double the Donation!
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An association management software purchase isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. Your nonprofit, organization, or association needs to find a solution that can provide smooth operations and a positive member experience.
One of the first ways to ensure that you’re getting the best software is to look for solutions that other associations like yours have found success with. In your search, chances are you’ve come across Aptify.
As a firmly established solution on the market, Aptify is a popular choice for association management! But before you make your decision, make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed choice.
Our top pick for associations looking for an alternative.
Ready to get your facts straight? Let’s jump into it!
Aptify Review
Founded in 1993, Aptify is one of the more established legacy AMS options on the market.
The solution’s main selling point is its flexibility. The way the software works is pretty simple, in theory: the entire system is built upon the Aptify Rad platform, which never changes. This platform allows your association to store and search member data, create reports, and sell merchandise online.
From there, associations can add on a total of 21 applications, including:
Another key feature of the Aptify AMS is its permissions. Data housed in the system is available to all administrative users, for them to create reports and use to make informed decisions from as they wish.
As you can see, Aptify provides an immensely powerful software solution! But it’s a double-edged sword.
As is often the case with such wide-ranging legacy programs, Aptify’s extensive library of complex features can lead to some significant drawbacks for users. Keep reading to see if your organization or association would run into common problems that Aptify users face!
Shortcomings of Aptify Reviewed
Overwhelmingly, Aptify users discover that while they want to take advantage of the software’s flexibility, they aren’t able to. That’s because it’s difficult to navigate the software platform without extensive IT knowledge, which many nonprofit and association administrative teams don’t have.
This difficulty extends beyond the modules that come with the Aptify AMS platform. If you encounter a need that these pre-built modules can’t meet, you’ll need to consider third-party applications.
Aptify has launched a beta version of the Aptify Marketplace, where the team has put some of their point solutions up for download. Since it’s a beta platform, not all the kinks have been worked out, including kinks in the installation process. As such, your team will still need extensive technical expertise with SQL to install these extensions on your own.
Not sure you have the capabilities to customize the Aptify platform yourself in-house or the resources to outsource this complex process? Why not consider a solution that promises no coding necessary for out-of-the-box features or third-party extensions?
Top Aptify Alternative: Fonteva
For ease of use and ease of customization, the top association management software solution on the market is Fonteva.
Fonteva is true-cloud association management software built entirely native in Salesforce, the word’s most popular, innovative, and secure cloud CRM. That means you can reach your member data anywhere, any time.
The software is highly user-friendly, with drag-and-drop reporting and configurations making it easy to customize the platform to your association’s needs through simple configuration — no knowledge of coding needed!
Even if you discover that you need to meet a specific need with a third-party application, you don’t have to worry about messy coding and troubleshooting just to make the integration happen. Fonteva is built native in Salesforce, so any of the thousands of apps on the Salesforce AppExchange will integrate as easily as any other.
Still worried you might not be able to customize the platform exactly to your needs? Don’t worry! When you implement Fonteva, you can rest assured you have world-class support in your corner, including:
Online documentation, including free online training videos.
Onsite training and classroom training to fit your schedule.
Fonteva’s full in-house, on-call customer support team.
The online Fonteva Users Network success community (see screenshot below!).
Salesforce documentation, user support forums, and customer support.
Every association’s needs will be different, so it’s worth taking the time to find the perfect solution for your association, organization, or nonprofit. The most popular solution isn’t always the best for everyone!
Thinking about other association management software vendors before making a purchasing decision? Check out these additional resources before going too much further:
Your nonprofit’s fundraising plan is the backbone of your success as an organization.
Without a solid fundraising plan in place, there would be nothing to guide your fundraising efforts and no way to tell if your nonprofit is on track to meet your goals.
Before implementing any change in fundraising strategy, you need to have an official fundraising plan in place. To get you started, here are 6 simple tips to consider:
Ready to get started on your fundraising plan? Let us break these tips down into a bit more detail.
1. Gain fundraising plan input from key stakeholders.
Stakeholders are an important part of your nonprofit’s team. Not only do they help fund your organization’s philanthropy, but they typically have final say over big-picture fundraising decisions.
Since a fundraising plan outlines a nonprofit’s key activities, it is important to get support from these board members and other key stakeholders.
There are a couple of ways you can gain input from your stakeholders:
Experiential input. You can ask stakeholders directly about what fundraising strategies have worked well for your nonprofit in the past. Inquire about past fundraising activities, strengths and weaknesses. Take their feedback into consideration and be sure to demonstrate to them how you address their input.
Consultant interviews. You might find it helpful to bring in a fundraising consultant. They can conduct stakeholder interviews to determine what is most important to your board and how to get everyone on the same page when designing your fundraising plan.
Remember: Your nonprofit’s board members are just as passionate about your organization’s mission as you are. Do not think of their approval as a bureaucratic hurdle to overcome, but rather an important step towards improving your fundraising plan.
2. Develop goals (and challenges)!
When designing your fundraising plan, your final product should reflect your nonprofit’s primary goals above all else.
It is easy to fall into the trap of vaguely fundraising without an endpoint in sight, but to stay on track your nonprofit needs to actively work toward a defined set of central goals.
Before designing your fundraising plan, your nonprofit needs to sit down and agree upon what goals to prioritize across all levels of your organization. Your goals should be:
Specific, actionable, and measurable. Do not just decide to increase fundraising revenue, or plan to retain more donors. Set numeric benchmarks and timelines, and decide how you will tackle these goals.
Evaluated against metrics. You cannot accurately assess your progress towards achieving a goal without having metrics in place to track your success. Diligently monitor consistent metrics so you can see how well you are improving and when you need to make changes to your fundraising plan.
(Bonus tip! Be sure to collect valuable data when carrying out your fundraising plan to help evaluate these metrics and shape your future fundraising plans. Check out Fundly’s guide to nonprofit CRMs for an idea of how your nonprofit can maximize the power of your donor database to improve your fundraising strategy.)
Additionally, one way to help your nonprofit stay on track is to identify upfront what potential challenges or obstacles you will face in the process of achieving your goals.
Some obstacles you might encounter could be:
Seasonal fundraising dry spells
Low donor retention
Failure to obtain major gifts
Poor fundraising event attendance
Inadequate online engagement
For example, an animal shelter that wants to increase donor retention by X% over the summer months might identify the challenge of supporters being less engaged during this season since they may be traveling or caring for children on summer vacation. To reach their goal, they’ll need to recognize this challenge and develop strategies to overcome it.
Remember: Use your nonprofit’s history to guide you in identifying roadblocks and deciding on goals. Every nonprofit has its unique strengths and weaknesses and when designing a fundraising plan, it is important to know going in what is reasonable to expect from your organization.
3. Set a fundraising plan timeline.
Staying on top of your goals also means staying on top of your fundraising plan’s timeline.
Fundraising plans typically plot out a 3-5 year timeline for your nonprofit, with the first year being very detailed and the following years becoming less defined.
Your fundraising plan’s timeline should be developed into an annual fundraising calendar that details the year’s worth of activities for your organization.
When developing your timeline, keep a few things in mind:
Milestones. Structure your timeline around a set of core milestones. These will both guide your progress and help you regularly assess your fundraising strategy.
Accountability. Your timeline (and subsequently, your fundraising calendar) should clearly identify what departments are responsible for individual fundraising activities. This will help keep the different arms of your nonprofit on track and help your departments prioritize tasks throughout the year.
Accessibility. Your timeline and calendar should be easily accessible to all members of your team, regardless of their department or role. Every team member should be aware of what other departments are up to; this way, they will have a better sense of the big picture of your organization and how your core fundraising goals are being achieved.
Remember: During the design process, your fundraising timeline should be as specific as possible and you should hold yourself to the timeline as much as you can. However, if you find you are not progressing as quickly as you had planned, identify the roadblock and always give yourself room to edit the timeline if necessary.
4. Determine your fundraising methods.
A common thread among these tips has been specificity and when plotting out your fundraising plan, it is doubly important to specifically determine your fundraising methods.
It is not sufficient to simply say you will raise $XXX by such-and-such date. You need to plan out how you will raise that money and from whom you will solicit donations.
Fundraising is not a one size fits all process, and you should curate your fundraising methods with your prospects in mind. For example, consider these fundraising methods and how they serve prospects:
Online donation pages. If your donors cannot all come to you, meet them where they are. Online donation is simply convenient; for nonprofits interested in prospects in varying geographical locations, utilizing optimized online donation tools is a must.
P2P fundraising. For nonprofits seeking to grow their network of donors, P2P fundraising is a great way to engage constituents online and leverage the power of their social network to help your organization reach a broader audience.
Text-to-give. Mobile giving is a fundraising style that has been growing in popularity over the last several years. Like online donation pages, text-to-give fundraising makes it convenient for donors to give. Additionally, because donors are not tied to a desktop, they may consider donating more frequently.
Fundraising events. A strategic fundraising event help you engage donors and bring in major donations, too! Just make sure you plan out your fundraiser well in advance so you have plenty of time to consider important elements, such as the type of event, when and where to host it, and what technology you’ll need to pull it off.
Remember: You should consult your nonprofit’s existing data when determining which prospects to pursue and which fundraising methods best serve your prospect pool. Consider past data and metrics when determining fundraising methods, as well as what has worked for other nonprofits of a similar donor makeup and mission as yours.
5. Build corporate partnerships into your fundraising plan.
Corporate partnerships can be important sources of revenue and support for nonprofits.
When designing your fundraising plan, develop a strategy that will help you achieve corporate partnership so that you do not bypass such a valuable asset.
If you already are partnered with a corporation, consider these ways to leverage that relationship during the fundraising plan design process:
Event sponsorship. Your corporate partner could agree to sponsor a fundraising event for your nonprofit. With their name and notoriety attached, prospects may be more inclined to participate in your fundraiser.
Challenge grants. Your corporate partner might be amenable to offering your nonprofit a challenge grant. With a challenge grant, your organization and your partner agree upon a specific fundraising goal. If the goal is met, they might match the amount of funding raised or commit to donating an agreed-upon sum.
Matching gifts. One of the simplest ways to incorporate corporate philanthropy into your fundraising strategy is to seek out a matching gift tool. In a matching gifts program, a corporation agrees to match the donations of their employees either to a certain percentage of the donation or to a consistent maximum value. With a tool like this one offered by Double the Donation, donors can quickly determine whether their donation might be matched by their employer.
Take a look at DTD’s matching gift tool in action! The donor simply types the name of their company into the tool, and then DTD searches their database to see if they are matching gift-eligible.
Remember: Every nonprofit has unique needs and that extends to any relationship you have with corporate sponsors. You do not have to go after a partnership with a multi-million dollar company if that does not suit the scope of your organization. Partnering with small local businesses can get the job done, especially for regionally-focused nonprofits.
6. Tailor your case for support.
Your case for support underpins the success of your nonprofit, but it is often taken for granted when designing fundraising strategy.
Organizations and hospitals often create cases for support when they launch a capital campaign. These documents outline every detail of the campaign from how the funds will be used to the ways supporters can contribute.
Moreover, the case for support acts as an effective promotional tool to help educate potential donors on the importance of your cause. The content in your case for support can easily be posted on your website or published in a brochure.
While they’re common practice for capital campaigns, organizations should create a case for support as a part of any fundraising strategy.
Donors will not give to your organization unless you have a compelling case for support, so you need to take the time to thoughtfully develop your case.
Your case for support should answer these important questions:
What is our mission?
Why should donors give to this cause?
Why should they give to our organization in particular?
How much should donors give?
What specifically will our nonprofit do to achieve our mission?
At all levels of engagement, your nonprofit should actively communicate with donors the ways that your fundraising strategy addresses your case for support. The more compelling your case, the more likely it is that donors will give to your organization.
Remember: Your case for support should govern your fundraising strategy. Just as you should choose fundraising methods that target your prospects, you should similarly design your fundraising plan with your case for support as a foundation.
Your fundraising plan is the single most important tool in your arsenal when enacting a new fundraising strategy. Get closer to achieving your nonprofit’s fundraising goals by designing a detailed fundraising plan today!
Additional Resources
Conduct a Fundraising Feasibility Study: 6 Steps to Success. Capital campaigns can help your nonprofit reach larger goals as part of an effective fundraising plan. But first, you need to conduct a capital campaign feasibility study before your campaign can begin. With our step-by-step guide, your feasibility study is sure to give you the information you need to succeed!
Top 5 GoFundMe Alternatives. After developing a fundraising plan, your nonprofit may decide to pursue crowdfunding as a way to meet your fundraising goals. You might initially consider GoFundMe as a crowdfunding host, but don’t make your choice so quickly. There are many other crowdfunding sites just like GoFundMe (but better)! Check out our guide for some awesome alternatives.
14 Charity Auction Tools. Similarly, your nonprofit might choose to hold a charity auction as a fundraising event. Not only are auctions great ways to raise funding, but they’re also useful events to strengthen your donor relations. Be sure to consult our guide to the 14 best charity auction tools that are perfect for nonprofits of any size!
The search for the perfect association management software solution is a major undertaking for your association. You want to ensure your team has plenty of features at your disposal, but you also need a sleek solution that won’t bog you down or blow your budget.
When reading MemberClicks reviews, you might think you’ve found your solution and stop looking. As one of the major players in the association management space, MemberClicks offers many associations the database, communications, and events features they need.
But did you know that there are plenty of incredible association management solutions out there that might serve your association better?
Before you make an important software purchase, make sure you actually understand what your options are. In this post, we’ll review the following association management software solutions to help you decide which providers you should reach out to in your search:
It might seem overwhelming right now, but choosing association management software becomes so much easier once you have a shortlist of vendors to consider. With these top providers, you can’t go wrong!
Let’s get into the reviews to guide you to the best fit for your association.
1. MemberClicks Review
MemberClicks was founded in 1998, making it one of the most established legacy AMS products still on the market. In its lifespan, the software has expanded, bringing on a diversity of features that serve as the software’s main selling point.
The associations that find the most success with MemberClicks are those with the smallest staff. This AMS provides everything a small association needs in one package, which is much easier to keep track of than a constellation of separate systems that might or might not integrate properly with one another.
The MemberClicks solution is also highly customizable. Associations using the software are able to include their branding on their website, email campaigns, applications, and events pages. Many MemberClicks members feel overwhelmed and confused at the beginning, but with time and support, they are able to adjust to the level of customization available:
Top Software Features
MemberClicks provides small associations with:
A membership database
Renewal and application automation
Organizational memberships
Email marketing
Event registration
Member-facing website
Reporting, accounting and payment processing
Of course, this wealth of options comes with a downside.
A common complaint among MemberClicks customers is slow load time. With this many features packed into one locally hosted solution, it’s no wonder that MemberClicks can be clunky and slow down associations’ operations.
2. MemberClicks Alternative: Fonteva for Associations
In contrast, Fonteva for Associations is a lean, streamlined software solution that offers customization and breadth of features without slowing down essential business operations.
The speed can be attributed to true-cloud hosting. The Fonteva for Associations platform is built completely native in Salesforce, the world’s most popular cloud CRM. That’s why enterprise-level associations with members and chapters all over the world choose Fonteva instead of a locally hosted solution.
With Salesforce, your member data and operations are hosted in the cloud. That means:
There’s no limit on your storage space like there is with legacy AMS, no matter how many profiles or events you host at once.
Updates are pushed through the cloud without having to take your local servers offline and disrupt your operations.
Your information is safe, since Salesforce is the most secure cloud CMS in the world.
Besides, though Fonteva for Associations comes fully equipped with the most common modules needed by large associations, you have access to the Salesforce AppExchange with your Fonteva license. Instead of cluttering your core platform with point solutions, Fonteva gives you the opportunity to browse the AppExchange and Fonteva Marketplace to complete your software package. The Fonteva User’s Network can give you some ideas of what other users have done to customize the software to their needs:
Top Software Features
Fonteva for Associations offers enterprise-level associations access to:
The best part? You don’t need any technical coding knowledge to customize and implement any of these features.
But if you need to reach out for assistance, you can always take advantage of Fonteva’s world-class training and customer support team, as well as all the support materials Salesforce has to offer.
3. MemberClicks Alternative: Salsa
Some specific member-based associations and organizations need specialized solutions that can meet their unique needs.
If you’re a nonprofit that works in the arts and culture space, your members are your donors. You need a solution that understands constituents in both categories at once, like Salsa.
Salsa CRM, a top nonprofit CRM, integrates seamlessly with Salsa Engage, a digital marketing, fundraising, and advocacy platform that brings your association, nonprofit, or organization closer to your members.
The most important advantage Salsa’s suite of products offers to nonprofits and associations is its integrated marketing features. Without close member communication, you can’t push your campaigns forward and build a strong, sustainable member community. Salsa makes it possible to always know where you stand with your campaigns:
Top Software Features
With Salsa, you can take advantage of:
Member profiles
Donation tracking
Donor communications
Performance dashboards
Advocacy campaigns
Whether you’re supporting your members in fundraising, advocacy, or community engagement, Salsa makes it possible to track all your supporters’ activities in one database.
Instead of importing data after an event or major campaign, let the software do the work automatically so your records are ready to inform your next campaign — marketing campaign, fundraising campaign, advocacy campaign, or otherwise!
4. MemberClicks Alternative: Doubleknot
Visitor-serving nonprofits run very different membership programs than trade associations and arts and cultural nonprofits. For museums, science centers, zoos, and aquariums, specific administrative software like Doubleknot can take care of the unique challenges faced.
One main difference between visitor-facing nonprofits like museums is the motivation behind membership. While nonprofit members may join to support a charitable cause and trade association members may join for professional networking and advancement, museum members most often join to take advantage of specific member benefits.
Whether your museum offers discounted admission, invitations to special after-hours events, or gift certificates to the gift shop, your membership management software needs to be able to prioritize the ease of providing those benefits to the proper members at any time, on any device.
Doubleknot makes museum membership programs beneficial for members and profitable for your institution. Plus, through Doubleknot museum management, your programs become even more engaging for the greater member community. Centralize all you need for museum management in member profiles:
Top Software Features
Doubleknot offers museums and science centers:
Automatic membership benefits
Gift memberships
Membership cards
Automated renewals
Arguably the most important feature on this list are automatic membership benefits.
If a museum member buys an admissions ticket, item from the gift shop, or camp registration, the system should automatically apply any appropriate discounts of special permissions. The system should also allow nonmembers to purchase membership and take advantage of their new membership benefits in the same transaction, both online and in the gift shop.
5. MemberClicks Alternative: MIP Fund Accounting
One integral element of the association management process that you absolutely don’t want to overlook is the accounting process. Keeping your membership fees, fundraising opportunities, and expenses organized is key to a successful association.
Associations don’t focus on making a profit, but providing effective services for their members, making their accounting needs very different than your typical for-profit business. That’s why it’s important to invest in accounting software specifically designed for associations.
MIP Fund Accounting offers a fund accounting solution so that associations can provide financial transparency with their members and make smart financial choices.
With a completely configurable ledger, your association will be able to track funds from the time they enter the system until they’re spent on the services you provide. You can track funds based on restrictions and specialized fund groupings, making it easy to determine the next best steps for investments.
One of the most unique features offered by MIP Fund Accounting is the ability to choose between hosting the software on-premises or in the cloud.
You may choose to host the software in the cloud if you prefer a more modern UI, have reliable internet connectivity, have staff in multiple locations, and prefer access from anywhere at any time. Meanwhile, those who choose on-site hosting may have specific IT policies, have a primarily co-located staff, have in-house IT staff, or prefer manual control over updates.
Having this option shows that MIP Fund Accounting understands that different organizations and associations have different needs. And you can make the best decision based on where your association’s priorities lie.
Association management software solutions should make membership management easier, not harder. Choose the solution that simplifies your association’s operations, and you can’t go wrong!
If you need some more information before embarking on the software search, start with these great additional resources:
Association Management Software: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide. Are you at the very beginning of the software purchasing process? Let Fonteva walk you through your software purchase with their ultimate buyer’s guide to association management software.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MemberClicks-Reviews-Rating-and-Alternative-Solutions.jpg280720Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2018-03-01 13:00:262022-06-20 07:54:51MemberClicks Reviews | Our Rating and Alternative Solutions
Political contribution history can be an extremely accurate indicator of giving potential, but the search tools to find them are often underutilized by prospect development professionals!
If it’s been a while since your last major campaign, or if you’re new to the topic, definitely check out our overview on the basics of prospect research.
Even if you’re experienced with donor prospecting, you might be unsure about how political contributions are relevant to your organization’s prospect development goals. Among all the metrics that you might use to guide your prospect development, this data can be the most useful mainly because it indicates demonstrated commitment and an interest in continual engagement with personally meaningful causes.
Political contributions search tools make a great addition to your other prospecting techniques, like a prospect generator tool. Having the full picture of your prospect as an individual is the key to an effective solicitation later.
Individuals who make political contributions of any size can become excellent prospects since they’re clearly willing to stand by their beliefs and are motivated by a desire to see their support in action.
As a result, political contribution searches can be an extremely effective development strategy if your organization is deeply cause-based or pursuing major or ambitious campaign goals. If this describes your organization in any way, definitely consider these top 3 political contribution search tools:
Read on to discover how these tools work and why they’ll help your organization to focus its prospect development strategies like never before!
1. DonorSearch
How Does This Political Contribution Search Tool Work?
Let’s say you’re developing a prospect strategy for an organization that works to empower young women who study law and political science. You’ve very generally identified one prospect, a guy named Bill Gates, so you do a quick search on DonorSearch’s political contribution search tool:
Does anything stand out? Gates’s major contribution to support women candidates for Senate is an excellent indicator that he’d also be willing to support your cause.
In this case, Gates would be a prospect with proven potential. Now imagine extending this idea to your entire prospect development strategy. With access to detailed political contribution data, you could more sharply focus your prospect development strategies, saving your organization time and resources in the process.
DonorSearch is a leader in prospect development resources because its databases and search tools are among the most exhaustive and accurate on the market.
By giving you the biggest picture possible of your own data and theirs, including invaluable political contribution information, you can make faster and smarter donor prospecting decisions for your organization.
Why Do We Recommend This Search Tool?
Unlike other prospect screening services that focus solely on wealth markers and statistics, DonorSearch’s suite of prospecting solutions will give you much a more comprehensive of who your prospect is as an individual.
With access to political contribution data, full philanthropic giving information, and professional histories, you’ll be able to fully integrate your existing database with DonorSearch software and augment your existing prospect profiles. It’s easy to generate longer prospect lists and identify potential major donors in your existing database by screening it with DonorSearch.
After all, identifying commonalities and trends between your donors and prospects is the first step to growth, especially when you have access to political contribution data.
Do you have any prospects that you’ve tried to approach unsuccessfully for years? Maybe their political contribution histories or other data will give you the breakthrough insight about how to individualize that strategy!
2. FEC.gov
How Does This Political Contribution Search Tool Work?
The United States Federal Election Commission provides a very handy search tool for its database of political contributions made by individuals:
In this federal database you can filter your searches with a number of fields, allowing your organization to identify individual potential prospects by location, employer, and contribution date and amount.
For instance, if you’re trying to identify potential donors for a hospital capital campaign, filtering the database by state and quickly browsing might yield you these results:
Immediately you find four individuals in your state who have supported a cardiology political action committee, one of whom donated $1,000. The database will provide you with the donor’s name and location, then by cross referencing your other prospect development resources you can find more detailed contact information and begin your appeal.
Why Do We Recommend This Search Tool?
The FEC search tool can be an extremely useful resource for your nonprofit’s prospect development strategies.
Refining your searches lets you easily find individuals with a proven commitment to financially supporting their beliefs and values. For the right organization this information can be invaluable.
Best of all, as a federal database, this tool is completely free to use. It can provide an excellent starting point for your donor prospecting, saving you time and effort in the early stages of identifying prospects.
3. Local Political Contribution Search Resources
How Do These Political Contribution Search Tools Work?
Do a little online research to see which political contribution resources might exist to report specifically on contribution data in your local area.
This Virginia political contributions database is a great example of the general features you’ll find in similar resources. You can search donors by name, city, and zip code.
Let’s say your organization is based in Newport News, Virginia. A quick search reveals the largest donors in the city, both individuals and other organizations, like the local shipbuilding consortium:
This search allows you to easily identify those in your area who regularly donate to political causes and candidates, indicating a proven commitment to financially supporting those whose work they believe in.
Why Do We Recommend These Search Tools?
If you already know that you need to target mainly local prospects, these niche political contribution databases should be your first step in the donor prospecting process since they let you completely focus your efforts.
With the ability to quickly identify and target political donors specific to their local areas, nonprofits stand a better chance of successfully converting prospects into major donors. Maybe you’re unaware of an individual or company a few blocks away that regularly donates to all kinds of causes!
The shared connection of community can be a powerful incentive to support nonprofit work, so understanding your local prospect environment is extremely important before expanding your scope.
Bonus Tip:
Political Contributions and Corporate Philanthropy
Political donations and corporate giving can be excellent links between one another!
Political contributions search tools, and especially exhaustive databases and tools like DonorSearch, will uncover the professional affiliations of prospects for your capital campaign or major fundraising project.
With this information, nonprofits can then reach out to businesses that employ major prospects, and together they can discuss elements of corporate giving, like:
Always remember to apply your strategies for individual prospect development to corporations, since corporations with demonstrated histories of supporting political issues are much more likely to invest in similar nonprofit causes.
If you’re beginning work on prospect development for your organization’s future fundraising projects, make sure political contributions are a core component of your prospect research strategy.
This metric is extremely valuable as an indicator of giving potential, yet it is often underutilized by nonprofits looking to build their prospect lists!
Rely on these political contribution search tools, and your organization will never miss out on strong prospects in your community and around the country.
Check out some additional resources on prospect development and political giving that you might find useful:
Our guide to Prospect Research: the Basics. Use this comprehensive guide to get started identifying new prospects today!
Atlanta, GA (December 5, 2019) — Double the Donation is proud to announce a new integration with DonorDrive, a leading provider of technology and marketing solutions to nonprofit organizations.
Through the new partnership, DonorDrive users can now enable Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro matching gift automation with just a few clicks. 360MatchPro then goes to work automatically identifying matching gift opportunities for every transaction passed through the DonorDrive system. The integration ensures that not a single matching gift opportunity slips through the cracks.
Double the Donation has built the most comprehensive database of companies that match employee donations. 360MatchPro automatically accounts for parent companies, subsidiaries, and spelling variations to make sure that donors are connected with the matching gift programs that they qualify for.
Using this extensive database, 360MatchPro automatically triggers out customized emails to each donor encouraging them to check their match-eligibility and then submit those match requests to their employers.
“We’re excited to begin our work with DonorDrive because they work with real change-makers,” said Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation. “It’s our mission to continue making it easier and easier for these organizations to take advantage of the $4-7 billion in matching gift revenue left on the table each year.”
The biggest hurdle to collecting that unclaimed matching gift revenue is donor awareness. Most donors don’t know that they’re eligible for employee matching gift programs, which is why 360MatchPro’s follow-up communications are so important.
When a donation is made with a corporate email address, the donor is automatically sent their employers’ matching gift guidelines. 360MatchPro offers donors a clear and simple breakdown of their employer’s matching gift program so that they can quickly and easily see what kind of match they are eligible for.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Double-the-Donation-DonorDrive-Announcement.png368879Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2018-01-03 15:30:082024-10-14 19:13:48DonorDrive Integrates with Double the Donation for Matching Gifts
Lisa Tomasi is the founder and president of 
Carl co-founded 
