5 Ways Online Fundraising Will Grow Your Donations

​Traditional fundraising methods still have their place. However, due to COVID-19, the world has shifted toward an increasingly digital landscape, and it may be time to re-evaluate your old techniques. Online fundraising offers a multitude of benefits and can help you surpass your fundraising goals when you use the right platform. Don’t be put off by the fees — here are five reasons why you should fundraise online. 

A bigger payoff 
You might be concerned about the fees associated with online fundraising and whether they will cut into your net goal. It is important to do the research and see how various sites structure their cost.

• For example, some popular crowdfunding sites charge 5% or more for their platform, 2.9% for payment processing and $0.30 per donation, plus a donor tip.
• memberplanet offers significantly lower site fees based on monthly subscription, and 3% plus 30 cents per transaction.  What you pay in fees is easily offset by the increased donations received by offering online payment options. How much of an increase? Some studies say by 30-100% or more (Visa International).

In addition to payment processing, memberplanet provides a robust toolset for communicating (a mobile app, email and tracking, group texts), managing members (option to set member levels, auto membership renewals, recurring donations), and more, all on a single platform. It’s way more bang for your buck. 

​Convenience
​Electronic payment methods make raising money faster and easier than ever, because, let’s face it – not everyone carries lots of cash or a checkbook these days. With memberplanet’s mobile app, users can donate directly from their phone at any time and easily opt in for an automatic, recurring donation. By offering the option to collect all payment types both onsite and online, you can access a larger network of donors. This will allow you to raise more money for your cause.

Security and credibility

​Credit card payments are SSL compliant, ensuring secure online payments and donations. On the flip side, if you’ve tasked someone with collecting solely cash and check payments, your organization is susceptible to accounting errors, bad checks and fraud. By accepting electronic payments through a reputable payment processor, you boost your organization's credibility. The public sees your logo and brand rather than a crowdfunding platform's logo and thinks: I know where my funds are going. You’re a reputable organization, and you’re here to stay.

Go viral
​One of the main benefits of launching an online fundraising campaign is its potential to go viral. This takes you out of the typical sphere of donors and opens you up to supporters you wouldn’t reach with traditional methods. This can help you reach your monetary goals faster and even surpass them. Look for sites that offer a direct link for social sharing from your donation page to maximize exposure.

Note to memberplanet users: Make use of our built-in URL shortener or share on social media directly from our platform to save time and (when you need it) character space. Online campaigns give you the freedom to create a donation page that reflects your cause. Customizable templates and forms let you streamline the look of your fundraising page. You can add photos, videos and other interactive features to increase interest and support, which translates into larger dollar amounts. 

Crowdfunding is mainstream
Crowdfunding has gained momentum over the past decade and is only becoming more popular. It offers easy payment methods for donors, makes tracking donations easier for admins and is easily shareable across social media. It’s an effective and efficient way of framing a fundraising campaign.
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memberplanet users: It’s never been easier to set up a donation page. Customizable templates and forms let you streamline the look of your fundraising page or marketing campaign. You can add a live donor ticker to monitor the campaign’s progress, as well as photos, videos and other interactive features to increase interest and support, which translates into larger dollar amounts. 

​Paying a small fee shouldn’t be a deterrent when weighed against the many benefits of the platform. Streamlined payment methods, global reach, and customizable templates are just some of memberplanet's features that will help you orchestrate a better campaign and grow donations. 

Start a Donation Campaign

Updated since original publication on 5/15/2017.

About Greg Beilstein

As the Director of Onboarding and Engagement, Greg loves helping groups get started on the platform. A memberplanet system pro, he works with admin leaders to better engage their members. In his free time he likes to play video games and brew the perfect cup of coffee. ​