YOUR GUIDE TO CROWDFUNDING SUCCESSFULLY
Tips, tools, examples, timelines, checklists, and everything else you need to know to run a successful crowdfunding campaign
LoveAnimals.org – the only free nonprofit fundraising website for animal causes. It’s our mission to drastically increase giving to the animal sector using crowdfunding technology
Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Section One: Getting the Basics Nailed Down............................................................................ 5 Timing and dates ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Decide what you are raising money for ......................................................................................................................6 Decide how much money you want to raise .......................................................................................................... 7
Section Two: Building the Campaign Page .................................................................................. 9 Write the narrative ......................................................................................................................................................................9 Photos ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Video ...................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Donation Tiers and/or Gifts ...............................................................................................................................................14
Section Three: Building Campaign Collateral............................................................................18 Email campaign ..........................................................................................................................................................................18 Segment your list ............................................................................................................................................................18 Plan a send schedule ..................................................................................................................................................19 Email content ....................................................................................................................................................................20 Social media campaign ........................................................................................................................................................21 Accounts to use ...............................................................................................................................................................21 Planning ahead .................................................................................................................................................................21 Facebook events ............................................................................................................................................................ 24 Press outreach ...........................................................................................................................................................................26 Other avenues ............................................................................................................................................................................28
Section Four: Launching the Campaign........................................................................................ 30 Soft launch ....................................................................................................................................................................................30 Hard launch .................................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Keeping momentum .............................................................................................................................................................. 32 Closing the campaign ........................................................................................................................................................... 34
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I want to run a crowdfunding campaign on LoveAnimals.org… What next? The next step might seem overwhelming. Where do you begin, how long will it take, what do you have to do, and when do you have to do it? Don’t worry! Anyone can crowdfund, and once you’ve done it once, you and your donors will be hooked.
As you work through this guide, think of your fundraising campaign like a new restaurant opening. If you wanted to open a successful new restaurant, you would not simply put some tables in a room, hire some staff, and the next day open your doors and hope for the best. At best, a few random people might stumble upon your new restaurant. If they did they’d see it was empty and assume it was no good. Imagine when you’re on vacation and you look into an empty restaurant – do you go in or move to the one next door which is packed full of people?
Now imagine opening night where the owners have: prepared a great menu, planned an opening party, which they’ve promoted, are running a special offer to get people to attend, have reached out to press, and even recruited a local celebrity to appear. They’ve also planned out the menu and promotions for the first month to ensure the restaurant looks professional and polished. Opening night comes and all the pre-planning pays off; lots of people show up! And people walking by on the street see all the activity and come inside to see what’s going on. Everyone has a great time so they tell their friends about the cool new restaurant. Those friends in turn visit the restaurant. They receive a similar great experience because the management planned for the first month. Word spreads and the restaurant gains momentum. Very quickly it becomes a huge hit – you can no longer get a reservation. Before they know it people are willing to wait an hour for a table!
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This analogy applies to your campaign. If you throw something up and launch it right away, few will visit your page. Those that do visit will see no activity or momentum and will assume it’s no good. But plan well and you can be sure people will bring their friends to your campaign page!
RESTAURANT
RESTAURANT
OPENING NIGHT
OPENING NIGHT
PEOPLE WALKING BY ON THE STREET Share experience with their friends
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Section One Getting The Basics Nailed Down
STEP ONE: TIMING AND DATES
The first thing to decide is when you want to make your fundraising campaign “live.” In other words, when will it start and when will it end.
Once you’ve picked that date, you can plan accordingly. It takes 2-4 weeks to plan a campaign and get it ready for launch, depending on how much you’re trying to raise and whether this is your first campaign or not. If you don’t pick a deadline, then the launch of your campaign is likely to be significantly delayed. This means it will be longer before you start to see the all-important money roll in.
TOP TIP:
PICK IT AND STICK WITH IT!
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STEP TWO: DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE RAISING MONEY FOR. Chances are that your organization has multiple funding needs, so which one works the best for crowdfunding? Here are some tips:
A. Be specific: Rather than general overhead, focus on a specific project and even a specific animal, if possible. B. Be tangible: the completed project will have easy-to-report results. C. Be emotional: tug those heartstrings. D. Be urgent: a project that must be completed quickly and will pay off within a few months after the end of the campaign is always a good choice. E. Do research: View the past and live campaigns on LoveAnimals.org. What tone do they use? What kinds of campaigns are most frequently funded? Which campaigns frequently fail?
TOP TIP:
TODAY’S DONORS WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR MONEY IS BEING USED FOR – SO TELL THEM. The more general the campaign (e.g. “we are raising money for general support of our horses”), the less interesting it is to the public and the more likely that it won’t meet the goal. Never be ashamed to tell people what it costs to do your life-saving work. You might run a campaign to buy 60 $6 bales of hay to feed Jimmie for the winter. Of course, you’d want to tell Jimmie’s story and include lots of photos of him.
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STEP THREE: DECIDE HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WANT TO RAISE.
1. If it is your first crowdfunding campaign, start smaller. 2. Use previous fundraisers that you've done as a guideline (include all fundraisers, not just online fundraisers). If you have never raised over $2,000, don’t expect to raise more than that with your first crowdfunding campaign. 3. How much you can raise is dependent on the size and engagement of your network, and to a lesser extent how contagious your campaign is. It’s also dependent on how much work and planning you put into your campaign. 4. There is a strategy to it. Some groups run several small campaigns, e.g. $1,000, in quick succession since they require less effort and the goal is easily met and usually exceeded. A good example would be raising money for veterinary care for specific animals with a campaign posted every month (or even running different campaigns at the same time). Some groups, on the other hand, choose to run much larger campaigns ($10,000+) just once or twice a year. You know your donor base; decide which will get them mobilized the fastest. 5. Remember that nonprofit crowdfunding campaigns (regardless of sector or fundraising platform used) raise on average $4,000-$7,000 per campaign.
TOP TIP:
ASK FOR A LOWER AMOUNT AND BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! Smaller fundraisers often exceed their goals, which tends to build momentum and result in more raised overall.
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TOOL BOX
HOW DOES YOUR TEAM STAY ON TOP OF TASKS? CONSIDER A PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LIKE TRELLO OR ASANA TO STAY ORGANIZED
SECTION CHECK LIST Set your start and end dates
Choose what you’re raising money for
Set your fundraising goal
READY FOR THE NEXT STEP? Once you’ve checked the boxes above you should proceed to 8 | Your Guide to Crowdfunding Successfully Section Two!
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Section Two In Section One, you nailed down the basics. Now you can build the campaign page. LOG IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT HERE TO GET STARTED.
STEP ONE: WRITE THE NARRATIVE A.K.A. TELL YOUR STORY!
Log in to your account and click “Start a campaign”. You’ll then begin building the page that will be seen by the public. Clean Sheets for Cats!
by Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue
Location: Colorado | Campaign Contact
Amount Raised: $6,285
Of $5,000 Goal | 99 Donations Received!
COMPLETELY FUNDED! This project was funded on March 3rd, 2015. Your help may be needed elsewhere. Please check out our featured projects! 126% Raised Raised
We need to upgrade our shelter washer and dryer to keep our bedding clean!
1. The narrative should not be lengthy – 3 to 5 paragraphs is plenty. Let it be the length it needs to be to tell your story, but remember, people do not read much copy (text) online. Use photos and videos to tell the story (see below). All but the most committed supporters will likely skim what you write, so don’t get caught up in making your narrative a Pulitzer Prize winner. 2. Don’t copy and paste content from elsewhere (unless that content is tailor-made for your campaign). It’s rarely engaging and rarely mobilizes crowdfunders.
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Fence For Rescue Calves
by Wildwood Farm Sanctuary
Location: International | Campaign Contact
Amount Raised: $4,125
Of $3,500 Goal | 46 Donations Received!
COMPLETELY FUNDED! This project was funded on January 24th, 2015. Your help may be needed elsewhere. Please check out our featured projects! 118% Raised Raised
Building a Fence for Rescued Dairy Calves Ferd & Friends
3. Keep it simple; describe the problem and how your project will fix that problem. 4. If your project is wide-ranging, take a moment to focus on an individual animal - it will help. If you are raising money for something “non-sexy” like a trailer to transport animals, remember you can still tell the story of an animal that needed to be transported, or an issue that arose for a particular animal because your current transport is not fit for the purpose.
Save Bunnie's Leg
by Cape Ann Animal Aid
Location: Massachusetts | Campaign Contact
Amount Raised: $5,540
Of $5,250 Goal | 58 Donations Received!
COMPLETELY FUNDED! This project was funded on March 14th, 2015. Your help may be needed elsewhere. Please check out our featured projects! 106% Raised Raised
Bunnie suffered a leg injury before being rescued. Now she needs your help to stand tall and strong once again!
5. Remember to include a call to action. Such as “Help us raise $xxxx to find a loving home for Martha” or “Save a life. Donate today!” This is where you offer visitors to your page the opportunity to bring your project to life with their donations.
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STEP TWO: SELECT THE PHOTOS (OR TAKE THE PHOTOS) AND WRITE THE ACCOMPANYING CAPTIONS
1. Visitors like visuals – try to select 10 photos if possible. 2. Visitors love to go behind the scenes of your organization. Think about how often you’ve given a major donor a behind-the-scenes tour. Do the same for your smaller donors with photographs. Take a snap shot of the veterinarian performing the surgery, staff patching your old trailer, or volunteers caring for cats and dogs. People want to see real people. 3. Choose photos that communicate the story behind your project. 4. Select a high quality main photo to represent your campaign. Never use stock photos - they are impersonal and donors want to see the real story. 5. Add captions to the photos to help the donor understand what they are looking at. 6. Add new photos throughout the campaign (or switch photos out) to keep things interesting for visitors and donors. 7. Should you use “graphic” or "disturbing" photos? This depends. Think about your audience – are you targeting parents and kids? Do you generally use graphic photos? If you don’t, then don’t start now. While graphic photos can drive donations, they can also drive people away. We like to raise money through stories of hope and achievement! 8. Photos on LoveAnimals.org are cropped to squares. Make sure that the photos you choose look correct in that format.
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TOP TIP:
GRAB YOUR SMART PHONE AND SNAP!!!
Don’t worry if you don’t have a professional photographer on staff. Think of all those funny photos and videos you’ve liked on Facebook – were they all professional grade photos? No!
STEP THREE: SELECT THE VIDEO (OR FILM ONE)
1. Campaigns with videos are more likely to be successful. 2. Grab your phone and film what you’re raising money for - show people behind the scenes - they’ll love it. Upload it to YouTube then embed the YouTube video on your campaign page. It’s a good idea to keep the video short, under four minutes. 3. Zero in on your audience – Get very specific and talk directly to each person. Don’t use words like “Everyone, People, Everybody, Anybody.” Use personal words like Mike, Sally, You, Me, Us – everything is personal. 4. Lead with the problem – This is the reason for your project. Focus on the problem your project will solve. 5. Sell the solution – transition from problem to hope. 6. Call to Action – Be personal and ASK for the funds! Don't beg, remember you are giving donors the opportunity to help with something they care about.
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TOP TIP:
DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE VIDEO!!! Most nonprofits don’t have the resources to pay for someone to film a special video. If you plan to run a major fundraiser, then budget some funding to produce a video (remember: it takes money to make money). However, if you are going for a smaller goal, you don’t need to be Stephen Spielberg to appeal to animal lovers. Check out the campaign video LoveAnimals.org staff built for free IN JUST ONE HOUR using free software that records video conferences called Zoom!
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STEP FOUR: SELECT THE DONATION TIERS AND / OR GIFTS. The purpose of donation tiers is threefold. First, they are used to further break down the fundraising goal so that small donors can better see how their donation can help animals. Second, they increase the campaign's transparency, increasing donor confidence. Third, they can be used to encourage a donor to increase the size of their donation. If they were going to give $25, they might give $50 once they see the good that $50 can do. 1. Select between 3-9 tiers. 2. Include a tier for the lowest donation amount - $2. to make it clear that you welcome participation at any level. 3. Include a tier near the average donation amount, which for crowdfunding is $55 4. Pepper a few other tiers in between. When deciding what these tier amounts should be, consider the purpose of the tiers as discussed above.
Support Pets in Crisis by Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals Location: New York | Campaign Contact
Amount Raised: $3,874
Of $3,000 Goal | 73 Donations Received!
COMPLETELY FUNDED! This project was funded on October 23rd, 2014. Your help may be needed elsewhere. Please check out our featured projects! 129% Raised Raised
An anonymous donor will match every dollar raised to support victims of domestic violence and their beloved pets.
Food and Treats
Cat Supply Kit
Dog Supply Kit
$25.00
$50.00
$100.00
You’ve bought food and treats for cats and dogs at a
Provide for one cat’s stay with a litter box, bedding,
Provide for one dog’s stay with a leash and collar, bedding,
family co-sheltering unit!
scratchpost, and food and water dishes.
baggies, towels and food and water dishes.
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GIFTS – TO GIFT OR NOT TO GIFT.
A gift differs from a donation tier in that you must offer some tangible "reward” in return for the donation. This practice is used predominantly with for-profit crowdfunding but has spilled over to nonprofit crowdfunding. Gifts may be offered to donors at various giving levels, and you can certainly get creative. 1. If you use gifts, only offer gifts that increase feelings of altruism and/or that are meaningfully related to the project. Example of a gift that increases feelings of altruism: Stickers with your educational message on them, so that the recipient donor can involve themselves personally in your awareness campaign. An example of a gift that is meaningfully related to your project: Artistic desktop wallpaper with an image of the animal they helped save. 2. Never gift yourself into a hole. Have a plan that includes what to offer at what level, how, and when you will deliver on donor gifts. Remember, when the campaign is over, you are responsible for fulfilling the gifts – that means ordering the right number and sending to all the campaign donors. 3. Try to offer rewards where you do not have to provide something that costs you anything. Be creative with your gifts; a membership to an exclusive “virtual” club, an exclusive meet and greet with the Executive Director, the opportunity for the donor’s beloved pet to be the face of the campaign page for one day, etc. The Gift of Life by The Simon Foundation Incorporated - Center for Canine Behavior Studies Location: Connecticut, International, National | Campaign Contact
Amount Raised: $7,543
Of $30,000 Goal | 25 Donations So Far!
$Your Donation
25%
Donate Now!
Raised Raised
Project Followed
32
75% To To Go Go
Days Left Help fund and participate in a Canine Study with Drs. Dodman (Tufts) and Serpell (UPenn) to help give all dogs a better chance for a home for life.
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Why to skip gifts: Offering gifts can potentially harm your fundraising efforts by diminishing donors’ feelings of altruism. For more details: Forbes summary of Yale study
Puppy Love
Make It Official
Let’s Get Cooking!
$10.00
$25.00
$60.00
We will think the words “THANK YOU” in your general
A Certificate of Appreciation from Dr. Nick Dodman.
Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio (electronic
direction, into the ether.
version so you, too, can pass on the love!)
The Good Human
Dr. NICK UNLEASHED
Book Hound
$100.00
$250.00
$500.00
A Certificate of Appreciation from Dr. Nick Dodman AND
Join an exclusive (20 person limit) webinar by Dr. Dodman:
Receive a copy of Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for
Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio (e-version so that
a full 60 minutes of Q&A! You will be emailed an invitation
Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable
with instructions on the time, date and how to join the
autographed by Dr. Dodman AND and invitation to join Dr.
webinar AND Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio.
Dodman’s webinar AND An Appreciation Certificate AND
you, too, cans share the love!)
Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio.
Super Supporter
Vets Who Fax
Spot’s Savior
$1,000.00
$2,500.00
$5,000.00
A 30 min. personal phone call with Dr. NIck Dodman (Note:
Receive a VETFAX: a veterinarian-to-Dr. Dodman
Receive an In-Person Clinic Appointment At Tufts Animal
he cannot prescribe or treat over the phone) AND an
consultation service for any one animal’s behavior
Behavior Clinic Including: 90 consultation with Dr.
autographed book AND A spot at the webinar AND
problem. We will contact you with details! ~ AND an
Nicholas Dodman; diagnosis, behavioral explanation,
Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio.
autographed book AND A spot at the webinar AND
prognosis, and treatment plan for your pet’s behavior
Aeowyn’s Canine Treats Recipe Portfolio
problem; A 6 month follow-up period to help you implement the treatments. AND an autographed book AND A spot at the webinar AND Aeowyn’s Treats Recipes.
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SECTION CHECK LIST Write the narrative Take and upload photos Make a short video Choose donation tiers or gifts
Your Campaign page is ready to launch when you are - well done! 17 | Your Guide to Crowdfunding Successfully Proceed
to the next step
loveanimals.org
Section Three: Build campaign collateral: Email, Social Media, Press and More
In Section Two, you built your campaign page. Now you can promote your campaign! Read on for tips on email promotion, social media campaigns, outreach to the media, and more.
BUILDING AN EMAIL CAMPAIGN STEP ONE: SEGMENT YOUR EMAIL LIST Imagine approaching individual supporters to tell them about your campaign. You would pitch the project differently depending on who you are talking to. Follow that logic to greater success with email promotions. Segment your list and use different content for different audiences. We suggest you segment into three groups based on past involvement:
Major donors You will call upon these donors for important soft launch help (see Section Four).
Small donors.
Anyone else, including volunteers or others who are unlikely to give money but can help in other ways. The “anyone else� segment should receive a special appeal. Engage these people in the campaign by asking them to share the campaign on social media. Ask them not only to post a link to their own social networks but also to include in their post a comment about why the campaign is important.
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STEP TWO: PLAN A SEND SCHEDULE Emails can be broken down into 4 phases: 1. Those that go out before the campaign has launched i.e. during “soft launch” – see Section 4. 2. Those that go out on the official “hard” launch date. 3. Those that go out throughout the campaign. 4. Those that bring the campaign to a close.
As an example, if you were planning a campaign launch date of February 1st with a campaign end date of February 28th, your email calendar might look like this:
Send a pre-launch email tailored to each of your segments
Send a launch email where you make your first ask, also tailored to each of your segments
Send an update email (no need to segment)
January 28th
February 1st
February 7th
February 14th Send an update email (no need to segment)
Post Campaign
24 hours remaining
3 days remaining
February 21st
Thank you email (no need to segment – but large donors should receive a call)
Rallying the final donations (no need to segment)
Preparing to close the campaign (no need to segment)
Send an update email (no need to segment)
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STEP THREE: WRITE EMAIL CONTENT
TOP TIPS:
1. Don’t bury your ask in a newsletter - keep your audience’s focus with a dedicated email message. And keep it brief. Most people only skim a paragraph or two at most. A paragraph of text, some photos, and a link to the campaign page are all you need for each email! 2. Come up with a fun subject line to get people to open your email. 3. Make the donor the hero of your story - let them know how they will change the lives of animals in need. 4. Remember to ask for donations! If you don’t ask, they won’t do. Include a big button in your email with the words ”Donate $25 now.” Change the amount depending on the segment.
TOOL BOX
ADD SPECIAL FEATURES TO YOUR EMAILS AND MANAGE EMAIL LISTS MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH A LOW-COST OR FREE EMAIL MARKETING SERVICE. Check out MailChimp, Constant Contact, or Vertical Response.
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BUILDING A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN STEP ONE: GET YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS READY Does your organization have an account on all primary social media sites? If not, this is the time to open them! Currently Facebook and Twitter are essential for any organization, but you should also consider accounts on:
Instagram (photos) Pinterest (photos and lifestyle tips) LinkedIn (professional networking) YouTube (your campaign video has to be uploaded there, anyway!)
It’s easy to sign up. And don’t forget to share your new networks on your website, in email, and on Facebook!
STEP TWO: PLAN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN Don’t just post links to your campaign page asking people to donate. Try to come up with a fun social media campaign that takes your followers on a journey. The goal is to get them more engaged than simply posting a link and asking for donations. 1. Plan your posts. 2. Prepare your photos. Using photos or video can help demonstrate your story and potential impact. You can use the ones from your campaign page. 3. Research and reach out to 10-20 “influencers,” partners, and supporters that can help spread the word. For example, a local blog related to animals, or the Facebook business page of an important donor. Use text from your email campaign to ask them to share your link. Provide them with the link and sample content to share.
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a. Come up with 5-10 phrases, stories, examples, etc. that you can share with your followers as part of the crowdfunding campaign. b. Variety! Include both success stories (so your followers can see the good work you have done in the past) and examples of why your project is needed. This way followers stay engaged throughout the campaign. c. Consider sharing the following story angles: personal story of the leadership, testimonials, impact that their donation will have, emotional stories, and why the funding is important. d. If your organization has a blog post, share it. e. Include urgency in your content, such as “XX days left” or “$XX to go!” 4. Plan your hashtags. If you are going to promote your campaign on Twitter and/or Instagram, hashtags are essential. Example: #Boston #animals #rescue. The more hashtags you include, the better.
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EXAMPLE OF A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
PRE-LAUNCH
MESSAGE
#1
Have you seen the latest episode of Shelter Me this weekend? You can watch it <<HERE>>. Stay tuned and we’ll show you how YOU can get involved and make a difference!
#2
We have a surprise for you! For first time ever you can make an impact and be rewarded! Stay tuned and keep checking our posts! We will announce soon!
#3
A new way to contribute! In just a few days we will show you how you can be a part of a great cause, and be rewarded. It’s a win-win! Don’t miss!
#1
SM General: KICK-OFF Fly Us Home #1mileatatime It costs $11,000 to fly XXXX dogs to their new home in [insert state]. Together we can do it #1mileatatime! Let's get this plane up in the air today!
#2
Thanks to you the plane is fueled up and up in the air! Ready? Off we go! Help us get these pups to their final destination [insert shelter name]. Each mile is worth $7.00. Together we can do it! Buckle up 'coz here we come!
#3
We have raised $xxxx , $xxxx more to go to get this plane full of pups home! $7.00 flies a mile! Help us go one mile further!
#4 POST-LAUNCH
CONTENT
(pic of Lucy) It costs $7.00 to fly a mile. Lucy and her friends are xxx miles closer to their new home! Will you help us raise enough money to cover their trip home?
#5
As they say "If you want to go far, go together." We are ready! 1 mile = $7.00 Fly Us Home!
#6
We are getting home #1mileatatime, thanks to YOU! We have xxxx miles to go! Help us raise enough money to get home before the Holidays!
#7
Each $7 you donate brings us 1 mile closer to our new home! We have xxxx more miles to go! Please, Fly Us Home!
#8
At $7 per mile, we only need to raise $xxxx more to get these pups home! With 6 days left, we need YOUR help to make it happen! Donate today!
#9
With 2 days left to go and xxxx miles to fly, we need your support! Please, Fly Us Home! Donate just $7.00 #9 today and help us fly the last xxxx miles home!
#10
General and Sweepstakes - thank you to everyone who participated and made this campaign a success! Now our pups can find a good home!
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STEP THREE: CREATE AND PROMOTE A FACEBOOK EVENT You can set up the event during your soft launch and then promote it after the launch date. 1. Under Events, create an Event. Enter some details and a link to your campaign. a. Date: Launch date b. Location: Virtual Event (see the link in the event description!) c. Public Event d. Add a photo 2. Invite people to the event! Since Facebook doesn’t let Pages send invitations, you can: a. Share on your Facebook page, then “Boost” (promote) the event in the week before Hard Launch. Even $1-2 for advertising can make a big difference. b. Ask your team and friends invite people to the event.
TOP TIP:
BE ATTENTIVE! Social media is about conversations. Make sure that you are responding to your followers. 1. Check Notifications on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and respond. 2. Thank people who: share, retweet, comment, and of course, donate! 3. Update your followers. Get mentioned in a blog or news article? Share it! The same goes for hitting big milestones like reaching a weekly goal or unlocking a matching grant.
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TOOL BOX
MAKE INVITING FACEBOOK CONTACTS TO YOUR EVENT
LESS OF A CHORE WITH THE INVITE ALL PLUG IN FOR FACEBOOK For Google Chrome | For Firefox
CONSIDER USING A TOOL LIKE GREENINBOX.COM TO DIRECT MESSAGE ALL YOUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOLLOWERS. Warning: Only use this once per campaign.
POST REGULARLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. It’s essential that your organization post regularly during the campaign, not just at the beginning and the end. But you don’t need to be chained to your computer! •
Did you know that you can schedule posts in advance in Facebook? You can also do so on Twitter by using a tool such as Hootsuite (free to use).
•
Connect Facebook and Twitter. This way, your Facebook posts will be published on Twitter. How to: Go to www.facebook.com/twitter, add the application, click Link a Page to Twitter, choose the Page, and click Link to Twitter.
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BUILD A PRESS OUTREACH PLAN Never done a media campaign before? It’s not as scary as it sounds! Here’s what you need: 1. List of media contacts (traditional and online) a. Include all media you have worked with before. b. Local newspapers (find yours here). c. Bloggers: local blogs and related animal blogs. Search here 2. Press release a. Use examples, such as the one LoveAnimals.org provides. b. Prepare photos; upload them to a shareable link, if possible. c. Prepare a pitch email (1-2 paragraphs) that introduces your press release 3. Plan for press outreach a. Who: Designate one person to be in charge of outreach and follow-up with reporters. Include their name, phone number, and email address on the release. Prepare photos; upload them to a shareable link, if possible. b. When: Don’t begin contacting the press yet. Wait until the soft launch of your campaign. (See Section Four) c. Plan time for follow-up – reporters are unlikely to respond unless you call. 4. Optional: Press Page [Click here to see an example]. a. A press page gives reporters more information making it easier for them to cover your story, and therefore they are more likely to do so. Include the following elements: Press Release, brief text, hi-res photos, a video (use campaign video), some quotes, some stats relating to your campaign, your nonprofit, and the animal
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species your campaign is helping, some Tweets and Facebook posts and, of course, a link to the campaign page. b. Consider building press page capability into your nonprofit's website, or using an online page building service.
TOOL BOX
ASSEMBLE PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING PRESS PAGES USING ONLINE TOOLS. Look for nonprofit and free trial offers with UnBounce or Instapage.
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Other Avenues
DIRECT MAIL If you’re running a big campaign, it’s worth sending a snail mail alert to people you only have snail mail information for. Try to drive them to your campaign page so you can collect their email addresses. They’ll then become an email donor and going forward it will be much cheaper to send them information about appeals. Don’t underestimate the number of people who previously sent checks but would be happy to give online.
Direct mail donors can also send checks to you directly to support the campaign. Remember to enter them as an “offline donation” via your account page in order to show visitors to your campaign the progress you are making.
WEBSITE Put a link to your campaign front and center on your website! Remember that the goal is to get your donors to support your campaign and then go and spread the word using social media among their network. Your donors can’t do that if they simply make a regular gift using the donate button on your own website. Your donors can “Share the Love” directly from your campaign page on LoveAnimals.org. Before you know it they’ll have secured you donations from brand new donors, FOR FREE!!!
Does your website have a blog? Don’t forget to write a post about the campaign!
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SECTION CHECK LIST Segment your email database Plan email send schedule Write email content Get your social media accounts ready Plan your social media campaign Create and promote Facebook Event Research and collect a media list Write press release / assemble press page Create a press outreach plan Update your website and write a blog post (if applicable)
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to LAUNCH your Campaign!
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Section Four: Your campaign goes live: Soft Launch and Hard Launch
STEP ONE: SOFT LAUNCH Start your soft launch 3-5 days before your hard launch.
1. Contact your most loyal supporters and ask them be the inaugural donors to your special campaign! Make them feel special for jumping on board first and tell them why you need their help. Remember to always focus on them. These important supporters will help you get the ball rolling. The more donations you’ve secured before the hard launch, the better. Think of the restaurant opening analogy – if people show up and there’s no one there, they might be inclined to go elsewhere! You should contact donors you have a strong relationship with (both small or major donors), members of your board and your most loyal volunteers. Family members can also be asked for help. Consider calling donors when appropriate. 2. Contact the media (press and bloggers). Tell them the date of the hard launch – they will likely visit the campaign page and see that people have already started donating. Showing this early success (before you’ve even launched!) will help persuade the media to cover the story. 3. Send your teaser email to everyone not included above – don’t include a campaign link yet. See the next page for an example of a teaser email. You don’t want general traffic going to the campaign page until the loyal supporters have made some donations to get the ball rolling. Use this email to pique people’s interest that something fun is about to happen.
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STEP TWO – HARD LAUNCH - START TELLING THE WHOLE WORLD 1. Launch your Facebook event. 2. Send your first round of emails and post your first wave of social media posts. 3. Follow up with reporters and bloggers who have not responded 4. Change your Facebook banner photo to promote the crowdfunding campaign, 5. Does your organization use an Auto-Reply email? Update it to promote your crowdfunding campaign! 6. Add a link to your campaign page to your email signature. 7. Congratulations – you’ve just launched your very first crowdfunding campaign!
STEP THREE – KEEPING MOMENTUM The bulk of the work goes into the pre-launch phase. But once you launch the campaign, you don’t want to just sit back and wait for the donations to roll in. The more momentum your campaign has, the more people will hear of it and the more likely you are to exceed your fundraising goal and attract lots of new donors.
There are two great ways to keep momentum going. 1. Send updates throughout the campaign
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You can do this directly from your campaign page – they’ll be sent to everyone who donated and every visitor to your campaign will see them.
" I visit LoveAnimals.org to find great campaigns to support. I always give to the campaign that has lots of updates as I love to see what’s going on"
What’s in an Update? Try and post a paragraph of text and a photo (or new video if you have one). A great thing to do is celebrate campaign successes, for example, if you’ve reached a milestone or reached a certain number of donors. 2. Break the campaign down into mini campaigns Celebrate the mini milestones! People are mobilized to act when they think something is successful, particularly when trying to get that early momentum at the start of the campaign. If you break the campaign down it makes messaging easier:
“Our
goal this week is to raise $2500 and we are very
nearly there – will you be the one to push us over the edge?” Versus
We’ve raised 20% of our goal – will you help us by donating?”
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STEP FOUR – BRING THE CAMPAIGN TO A CLOSE
Now is the time to mobilize any supporters who have not yet given! Call upon that list of people who are helping you spread the word and ask them to post on social media that the campaign is coming to a close. This is the time to get a last-minute flood of donations!
Don’t worry if you haven’t met your goal. You can feel like you’ve failed but donors won’t see it that way. They will be happy to have helped and been involved so send those thank yous and be excited for what you did achieve. And shout about it from the rooftops because with the money you have raised, you’ll be able to help animals, and that’s what donors care about.
TOP TIP:
You will have likely snagged yourself some new donors. Remember to reach out to those new donors with a special welcome and thank you email. Those new donors will likely give to your next crowdfunding campaign. So if you run campaign after campaign, you’ll be growing your donor database every time.
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