Connected Giving I NAU G U R AL I S S U E
Campus Outreach Transforms Their Ministry To Digital First SEPTEMBER 2021
+ Raise Money While You Sleep
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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LET TER FROM THE CEO
Let’s Get Connected C A M P U S O U T R E AC H S P O T L I G H T
Transforming to Digital First S T R AT E GY
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Imagine What You Could Do If Your Fundraising Was Always On 5 Tips To Simplify Online Giving CONNECTED GIVING
6 Connected Giving Principles One-Time Donations Are Costing You
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L E T T E R FR O M T H E C E O
W
LE T ’ S G E T C O N N EC TE D
elcome to the first issue
but unfortunately never returning for ongoing support. iDonate’s DNA is to equip organizations for long-term donor relationships, not short-term transactions. We believe the key to this is creating great giving experiences that are donor-centric, personal, relevant, and consistent with your brand at every touchpoint. We’ll discuss the CRM and other nonprofit technology, how your donor relationships
of our magazine, Connected Giving. We’re thrilled
are won or lost at the point of giving, and how you
to bring Connected Giving to you each month,
nurture that relationship moving forward. Applying
highlighting some of our great customers, innovative
these principles into a holistic donor strategy is what
ideas, fundraising techniques, and new things from
we call Connected Giving.
iDonate. Our customers are doing some amazing work and we felt this would be a great way to highlight them and the change they’re making in our world.
We’ve dedicated this magazine to discussing these principles and how iDonate helps nonprofits become Connected Giving Organizations. We’ll
You may wonder where the name Connected
showcase how our customers apply Connected
Giving comes from…‘Connected Giving’ is a
Giving, analyze their techniques, and encourage
term we use around iDonate to discuss how we
you with their incredible results.
help nonprofits build donors for life. It’s an allencompassing solution for the continual problem of donors giving once, or maybe even a few times,
Thank you for taking the time to read this issue of Connected Giving. Reach out and let us know how we can make the magazine even more valuable for you. Let’s get connected.
iDonate’s DNA is to equip organizations for long-term donor relationships, not short-term
Ray Gary CEO, iDonate
transactions.
idonate.com • 1
CA M P U S O U T R E AC H S P OT L I G H T
Digital First Transforming to
As nonprofits and ministries enter the COVID era of
fundraising, where digital has moved from the “we’ll get to it at some point” pile right to the top, some organizations have a clear advantage. In 2017, Campus Outreach surveyed its fundraising landscape and made an early commitment to move to a donor-first, digital-first mindset. At the time, more than 83 percent of their missions’ funds were raised through traditional techniques; only 17 percent came digitally. They also recognized that their audience was young, mobile, and more digitally inclined. That’s when Campus Outreach prioritized implementation of an easy, seamless giving experience that offered more opportunities for a variety of giving preferences. The results have been impressive. Today, the funding percentages have flipped entirely.
2 • Connected Giving • September 2021
In 2017, 83% of total giving was done offline through traditional channels like checks and cash, with only 17% of donations coming through digital channels. That statistic is now the exact opposite, with 83% of all giving received digitally.
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CA M P U S O U T R E AC H S P OT L I G H T
About
Campus Outreach College campuses have changed in many ways over the past several decades, and increasingly so over the past year. But one thing that hasn’t changed for students is the desire to find purpose, discover who they really are, and develop the passions that will help determine their life path. For many students, this process of self-discovery can present a challenge when it comes to growing their faith.
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This is exactly where those who serve with Campus Outreach are positioned to flourish. Campus Outreach, founded in 1978 by Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama,
“The influence of Campus Outreach does not end at graduation. The success of our vision is measured best by the students who carry the vision of reaching the lost world with them after college. Our prayer is that alumni will continue to grow in their relationship with God, share their faith with the lost, and continue the process of discipling others.” F R O M C A M P U S O U T R E AC H .O R G
is a ministry built on relationships. They believe
Many of the recipients of the organization’s
in meeting students where they are and building
outreach go on to serve within Campus Outreach,
meaningful one-on-one relationships that equip
right back into the college experience. Their unique
students in their community and Christian faith.
perspective on balancing individual faith with the
Campus Outreach missionaries don’t preach from
social, cultural, and educational pressures of college
the pulpit, but rather work, live, and play alongside
helps them reach students in meaningful ways.
students in their daily lives, helping them to discover
And of course many others, now equipped with
what it looks like for them to be people of character,
confidence in their faith and strong desire to serve,
and leaders in the world.
display their faith in the world, reaching countless
Phil Sineath, Director of Advancement for Campus Outreach SERVE, states “The ministry of Campus
lives through their careers, communities, and spheres of influence in every aspect of their lives.
Outreach is highly relational. We meet students
Campus Outreach has continued to grow and
exactly where they are in their journey, teaching
expand over the last few decades, reaching
them how to be a light to their group of peers.
beyond the 23 locations in the United States to 9
Our leaders are in the fabric of the campus, doing
other countries including Mexico, Brazil, England,
life with college students in small groups, shoulder
Zambia, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines,
to shoulder.” In the same way Campus Outreach
Australia, and New Zealand. And as expansion
missionaries integrate into the college experience,
continues, it is increasingly important to remain
they teach students to integrate faith into their
aligned from one location to the next. As such, in
life experience.
January of 2020, Campus Outreach established a new arm of their organization called Campus
4 • Connected Giving • September 2021
Outreach SERVE, which exists to coordinate and support 700 staff serving across 37 CO locations around the world in their shared mission. Like all nonprofit organizations, it is of great importance that Campus Outreach is properly
process that can take time, be inconsistent, and
funded in order to continue their work. But unlike
become cumbersome. In fact, it took an average
many other organizations, in addition to serving the
of six months to raise 100 percent of a staff
needs of students, each member of the Campus
member’s fundraising goal for the year. But thanks
Outreach staff is entirely responsible for funding
to advancements in technology, the ability for
his or her own position. For many years this was
staff to raise funds in new, more efficient ways has
accomplished through traditional methods that
greatly increased.
included mailing checks and collecting cash, a
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CA M P U S O U T R E AC H S P OT L I G H T
Making
The Digital Shift Over the last decade or so, massive advances in
nonprofits need to adjust accordingly. Campus
consumer technology have influenced the way we
Outreach, in part because of their younger,
all expect to engage with brands, and these shifts
technologically-engaged demographic, was keenly
have drastically impacted expectations for engaging
tuned in to this paradigm shift and eager to support
with nonprofits too. Today’s donors want to interact
it. They wanted to provide their donors with an
with their favorite organizations in the same way
easier, faster way to make an impact – which is just
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they interact with any other online entity – meaning
what emerging nonprofit technology offers.
Interestingly, the overall fundraising strategy of Campus Outreach has not changed much, even with the integration of digital fundraising technology. Campus Outreach started as a grassroots movement of relationship building and has applied that same type of engagement toward their fundraising efforts.
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“When our donors are giving, it’s a very intentional
As staff members cultivate relationships with their
relationship with the person they are supporting,”
supporters throughout the year, this evergreen
says McCauley Adams, Financial Director for Campus Outreach Birmingham. Each staff member has their own dedicated fundraising page to share with supporters, complete with a photo, bio, and an embedded giving form – so the giving experience for the donor is personalized, transparent, and provides context for their gift.
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fundraising page becomes part of the relationship, not just a way to process a transaction.
“Our support-raising model is truly meant to be a meaningful, ongoing partnership with donors,” says Adams.
Connected Giving Checklist Donor Centric CO started with a donor-centric mindset, observing and understanding the expectations of their supporters to create a strategy that served their donors best.
Alignment & Accessibility CO made giving simple by offering easy-to-use digital giving options that can be accessed right from their phones.
Brand Consistency Each staff member of CO has a dedicated fundraising page that includes a unique embedded giving form and other personalized details, accessible right from the main CO website, which helps to maintain brand recognition and trust.
Intentional & Relevant
While their giving philosophy has not shifted, the way in which Campus Outreach enables their supporters to give has. “We gave them a tool to make it really easy for donors to prayerfully support our team, which has allowed us to raise the funds we need in a timely manner,” explains Adams. By providing digital giving options that are easy to use along with consistent, personal donor communication, Campus Outreach staff members have been able to focus more time on the mission, and less on administrative and fundraising-related tasks.
Through consistent, personal communication that often includes a link to their fundraising page, CO staff members cultivate relationships with their supporters and provide a way for donors to engage when it works best for them.
Clear & Proactive Regular communication about the impact of a supporter’s gift, and clear & customizable messaging on the giving form enables CO to not only provide transparency into where the dollars are spent, but also remain compliant with tax deductible donation regulations.
Personalized Individual fundraising pages give the donor peace of mind that their gifts are being properly designated.
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CA M P U S O U T R E AC H S P OT L I G H T
The
iDonate Difference A key strategy for Campus Outreach was enabling a digital giving solution for a variety of giving preferences. Now Campus Outreach donors have
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a choice with how, when, and with what frequency they’d like to engage.
“We can now offer online and recurring giving when donors want it. They can give any day, 31 days a month, with credit/debit or echeck options, and that has opened the opportunity for a wide range of donors being willing and able to give easily, which in turn has greatly increased our online donations.” J O S I E M O S ER, C A M P U S O U T R E AC H B I R M I N G H A M FI N A N C E A N D H R C O O R D I N ATO R
Since 2017, the Campus Outreach team has seen digital giving far surpass traditional giving, with over 83 percent of all income coming from digital channels. And that six-month fundraising timeline? It can now be accomplished in two-to-three months, which means leaders can start serving faster. “We brought on 10 contingent staff members who
is attributed to training and arming motivated
started raising funds on June 1. By July, we added
individuals with a variety of digital giving options for
five of them to payroll (meaning they fully funded
ease of supporter giving. Plus, says Moser, “Real-
their position), and by the end of August we will
time tracking allows us to reach our goals faster
have added three more – that’s 80 percent of
because we can see immediate results; we don’t
our new staff able to start full-time in just three
have to keep following up with people to remind
months,” states Adams. The accelerating timeline
them or ensure their gift is on the way.”
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Since 2017, the Campus Outreach team has seen digital giving far surpass traditional giving, with over 83% of all income coming from digital channels.
L EAN IN G FORWARD As the leaders of Campus Outreach prayerfully consider what the next decade of service looks like, their mission remains clear: build laborers for Christ. And while fundraising, technology, and college campuses will all continue to change, the practice of leaning in to meet people where they are, working shoulder to shoulder, and engaging
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in meaningful relationships – a practice Campus Outreach has refined – will endure.
“iDonate has been a key piece in making what we do possible. You are facilitating the continuation and expansion of our vision and impact.” – Phil Sineath idonate.com • 9
S T R AT E GY
Always On Imagine what you could do if your fundraising machine was
Marketers and development officers, some of the most creative and amazing people in the nonprofit industry, are tasked with increased fundraising objectives year after year. Organizations are expected to serve more, do more, and deliver more good. Awesome in concept, stressful starting at zero every Q1. It’s exhausting!
Written by Lori Finch Senior Vice President, Fundraising Services, iDonate
At iDonate, we think organizations should be raising money while they sleep.
Here’s why it works… Digital media and digital giving systems have made it much
A good digital marketing and fundraising
easier to reach old and new audiences by delivering the right
strategy is the key to making that dream a reality.
message, at the right time, and in the right place. By connecting
Wondering how to do that? We’ve partnered
in meaningful ways to new audiences, we move them from
with a best-of-breed marketing agency to bring
awareness to engagement. By connecting with current donors
you Always On Fundraising Services.
in meaningful ways, we cultivate long-term relationships.
Always On Fundraising couples digital marketing
The best part about Always On Fundraising – we’ve made it easy
strategies and media spend with a giving system
to pilot and launch. Always On Fundraising is proven to work.
that meets donors where they are – online. As our adaptive technologies gain donor intelligence, they inform our digital marketing strategies. This ultimately creates a sophisticated, customized donor engagement that maximizes your return on investment. The benefit of digital marketing programs aligned with your digital fundraising system helps address the biggest challenge in the market – donor retention. 10 • Connected Giving • September 2021
We live in a digital world. Today’s donors are today’s consumers and accustomed to digital engagement. Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of technology and all ages and types of donors are now accustomed to engaging with organizations online. This is good news for you. This means that you have a chance every day to build awareness, cultivate new people, and engage them with your organization.
5 tips to simplify online giving for the donor.
In order to simplify online
How do we remove the barriers to giving and make the process simple? Here are five practical things to consider to appeal to today’s donors.
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Keep the giving on your site
Donors that are taken to a third-party site to complete their gift have a higher likelihood of abandoning their donation; the discontinuity in design and navigation can cause confusion
giving, you need to improve
or lack of trust with the organization. Instead, embed a giving
the donor’s user experience.
form on your website to keep the experience cohesive.
If your supporter gets stuck in
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the decision-making process wondering what they should do next or gets sent off to a giving form that is no longer on your website, they can get confused or nervous about security and
Make it easy to give monthly
More than 60% of repeat donors continue to give – so keep donors engaged after their initial gift. Regular communication and simple recurring giving options help keep the excitement alive.
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abandon their donation.
Suggest the most frequently given gift amount
Add the “Most Popular” indicator and highlight that amount on your gift array to reduce donor friction during the decision-making process.
4
Use big, easy-to-touch buttons
Supporters are more likely to tap a button if its big and close to the call-to-action – and doesn’t require them to pinch and zoom.
5
Use a simple giving form design
Simple, single-column giving forms are more likely to be completed than complex, multi-column forms that may confuse or frustrate donors. idonate.com • 11
CONNECTED GIVING
The cost of attracting new donors is expensive. Despite the widespread emphasis on attracting new donors, the most valuable part of an interaction with a donor is the second gift.
Six
Connected Giving Principles The most successful nonprofits see their donors as long-term collaborators. By investing in authentic relationships with those donors over time, organizations experience higher yearly giving, higher retention rates, and low donor churn.
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Donor Centric
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Clear & Proactive
The goal should never begin with chasing the
Anticipate donor needs and proactively offer insights
largest one-time gift. From vision to execution, every
before the donor is asked. This approach engenders
decision is made with the donor benefit in mind.
donor trust, and promotes ongoing engagement.
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5
Alignment & Accessibility
Intentional & Relevant
When a nonprofit organization starts with the
Carefully select touch points already integrated
donor-centric mindset, it influences the
into the donor’s everyday lifestyle. Provide relevant
alignment of the operational teams and the tools
content delivered in a timely and accessible way.
of donor engagement.
3
Brand Consistency
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Personalized Experiences
Focus on personalizing experiences so donors feel
Consistent branding across all in-person and virtual
seen in every interaction. When they know their gift
touchpoints is a top priority. Alignment in brand
has impact, they relate more like lifelong friends and
style, voice, and tone is a powerful differentiator.
less like acquaintances.
12 • Connected Giving • September 2021
One-time
Donations are Costing You For every $1 donated, it likely cost you anywhere from
Visit idonate.com for more information
$0.50 to $1.50 to attract new donors. And there’s
on how your
ZERO guarantee that $1 will be repeated in the form
organization can
of a second gift. In fact, only 23% of first-time donors ever give a second gift.
become a Connected Giving Org.
For every 100 new donors gained, approximately 80% are lost. Donor retention is at its lowest point in 3 years and expected to continue dropping. 63% of donors worldwide prefer to give online with a credit or debit card. (nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/)
Since 2005, for every $100 gained in new revenue, today’s nonprofit churns $96 in lapsed revenue.
The donors who give within the first three months – the ‘golden period’ – are by far the most valuable over the five-year period.
idonate.com • 13
Digital Giving Solutions for Today’s Nonprofits iDonate provides powerful tools to help nonprofits transform their online giving experience so they can reach, convert, and retain more donors. The iDonate platform connects all your digital giving solutions, so you can connect with your donors.
Hear more from Campus Outreach and how digital giving has transformed their fundraising strategy. Hear more from Campus Outreach and how digital giving Join us for a webinar September 30th. has transformed their on fundraising strategy. Learn more at idonate.com/webinarspotlight/.
Join us for a webinar on September 30th. Learn more at idonate.com/webinarspotlight/.
Meet the iDonate team! Visit our booths at CAFO Summit, the Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit, and Innovate 2021 with Missio Nexus. Or, email events@idonate.com to schedule a time to meet.
(877) 410.4431 idonate.com
