Nonprofits are seeing record increases in online donations. As of 2024, online contributions increased by 2%, making up 13.4% of small nonprofits’ revenue. 

That’s great news, but those percentages can be improved with the right strategies. Online donors act differently from traditional direct mail donors, and as we move toward an increasingly digital world, it’s essential to have a solid digital fundraising program in place. 

This guide explores a digital fundraising program, the essential strategies every program must have, and the most effective tactics to grow your fundraising efforts. 

What is a Digital Fundraising Program?

A digital fundraising program leverages online marketing channels and various strategies for successful fundraising. 

For instance, you may include social media, email marketing, mobile campaigns, and targeted website copy to engage with potential donors and secure recurring gifts. Nonprofits often rely on digital fundraising programs to employ innovative strategies to expand the reach of their fundraising efforts, build loyalty, and optimize donor engagement.

Here are the components of a typical digital fundraising program:

• Donor Management Software: Platforms like NextGen automate and simplify digital fundraising strategies, making it easier for you to stay ahead of your program and focus on your goals. 
• Email Marketing: Email marketing is critical to achieving your desired fundraising outcomes. It optimizes donor engagement and keeps members and supporters interested in your cause. 
• Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram help nonprofits reach a wider audience and share content related to their progress. 
• Website Copy: Every successful digital fundraising program requires targeted website copy to convey your mission, convince prospective donors to contribute, encourage donors and members to join your email list, and more. 
• Mobile Campaigns: Many nonprofits include mobile campaigns in their digital fundraising program because these strategies are easy to implement. These campaigns are also straightforward for donors to participate in—supporters can make a contribution by texting a keyword to the organization’s dedicated short code. 

14 Strategies to Maximize Online Fundraising

Here are the top strategies to grow your digital fundraising program and maximize your contributions.  

1. Optimize Your Donation Form

Your donation form is a critical touchpoint in your digital fundraising strategy, and should be designed and managed accordingly.

A well-designed and optimized donation form ensures a seamless user experience, which can significantly increase donations and encourage repeat giving. You’ll likely see higher engagement and conversions by making it easy and intuitive for people to donate. 

Here are essential strategies to optimize your donation form for better performance:

• Keep It Simple: Your donation form should only have necessary fields, such as name, email, and payment information. The fewer fields, the easier it is for donors to contribute.
• Multiple Payment Options: Offer a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and other popular digital wallets. This flexibility makes donating more convenient for your audience.
• Clear Call to Action (CTA): Use action-oriented language in your donation buttons like “Donate Now” or “Make a Difference.” Ensure these buttons are easy to find and stand out. Your CTA buttons should direct supporters to donate to your cause. 
• Pre-fill Options: For returning donors, consider pre-filling some of their information to make the donation process faster and more efficient.
• Security and Trust: Display trust signals, such as SSL encryption or a trusted payment processor, to reassure donors that their data is secure.

2. Make Your Program Mobile Friendly

An M+R Benchmark report shows that mobile users represented 53% of all visits, with 47% of traffic from users on desktop devices.

Nonprofits must have mobile-friendly donation pages to boost engagement among users who access your website via email. Beyond your donation pages, your entire donation process should be mobile friendly, including your fundraising platform and any elements that supporters interact with.  

These are tips to ensure your program is mobile responsive:

• Responsive Design: Ensure your donation form and entire fundraising website adjust to different screen sizes, providing an optimal viewing experience across all devices.
• Streamlined Navigation: A clean, easy-to-navigate interface on mobile will help donors quickly find and complete their donations.
• Fast Load Times: Optimize images, minimize excessive scripts, and use caching to ensure your form loads quickly, even on mobile networks.
• Mobile Payment Integration: Include mobile-friendly payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, which are optimized for mobile users and provide a smoother payment process.
  

3. Prioritize Monthly Giving

Consistency is key to maximizing your fundraising efforts. Secure monthly donors for a reliable and ongoing revenue stream that can make your nonprofit’s finances predictable and easier to manage. 

You should prioritize recurring giving in your online fundraising strategy by making it the default option on your donation forms. You can have one-time donations remain an option, but emphasize recurring contributions and their value to your cause. 

Here are a few ideas on how to make monthly giving a priority:

• Offer Benefits and Incentives: Consider offering special benefits or recognition for monthly donors, such as exclusive updates, thank-you notes, or special events. This can help build a sense of community and increase donor retention.
• Highlight the Impact: Show how monthly donations have a lasting effect. For example, explain that a monthly gift of $20 can fund essential services each month, making the donor’s support feel even more valuable.
• Simplify the Process: Ensure that signing up for monthly giving is easy. Donors should be able to easily choose the amount, payment method, and frequency of their donation with just a few clicks.
• Provide Flexibility: Donors should be able to change or pause their monthly donations at any time. This flexibility can make them feel more comfortable committing to long-term contributions.

4. Offer One-Click Payment Options

One of the most frustrating challenges in digital fundraising is losing a monthly donor due to expired credit cards or a change in payment methods. Seeing monthly donations stop without any clear reason can be incredibly discouraging, especially when you’ve invested time building a relationship with the donor. 

The solution? One-click payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. These services securely store the donor’s most current and updated payment details, making future donations easy and quick. Using these payment methods eliminates the need for donors to enter their credit card information every time they give. 

There are many benefits of offering one-click payment options, including:

• Increased Donor Retention: By making recurring donations more seamless, you enhance donors’ likelihood of supporting your cause. 
• Boost Conversion Rates: One-click payment methods have a proven track record of improving conversion rates, as they simplify the donation process. The easier it is for donors to give, the more likely they are to follow through with their donation.
• Build Trust: Consumers trust well-known payment platforms like PayPal and Apple Pay. When donors see these options, they feel more secure in giving.

5. Customize Your Form Based on the Campaign

When running a fundraising campaign with a specific goal or theme, tailoring your online donation page to align with that theme is essential. Whether you want to raise money for a new program or cause, customizing your form ensures a more cohesive and engaging experience for your donors. Match your donation form’s design and messaging to the campaign’s purpose to strengthen the donor’s emotional connection to the cause. This alignment makes contributing to your nonprofit feel more personal, relevant, and impactful.

Here are some ways to customize your donation form based on the campaign:

• Use Relevant Graphics and Images: Use visuals directly related to your online fundraising campaigns. For example, if you’re fundraising for an animal welfare cause, use images of animals directly affected by the program. This is a storytelling tactic that connects donors to your campaign.
• Create Campaign-Specific Headlines and Messaging: Instead of using generic donation copy, clearly communicate why you need to collect donations, how you plan to use these funds, and what tangible difference they will make.
• Personalize the Donation Amounts: Suggest donation amounts that align with the campaign’s needs. For example, if you are raising funds for animal welfare, you could have options like “$25 to provide food for 10 animals” or “$100 for a month of medical care for a rescued animal.” This approach helps donors visualize the destination of their contribution and its direct impact.

6. Leverage Paid Search Advertising

Google Grant accounts are a valuable resource, but navigating the rules and restrictions can make securing conversions from your ads challenging. 

While the free money is beneficial, it shouldn’t be your only option. Instead, consider paid search advertising to get your organization to the top of search results when users search for your cause. Although this costs money, it does provide a more reliable way to secure traffic and more donations. 

To leverage paid search advertising for your digital fundraising campaign, use these tips:

• Boost Visibility: Ensure your organization ranks at the top of search results, making it easier to drive prospective donors and members to your online fundraiser. 
• Generate Consistent Traffic: Unlike Google Grants, paid ads provide more predictable and reliable results, helping drive traffic to your site consistently.
• Target Specific Keywords: You can target highly relevant keywords with paid search. This step is crucial to ensure your ads reach people actively searching for nonprofits with your organization’s mission. 
• Measure and Optimize: Paid search platforms like Google Ads provide detailed metrics. You can track performance and make data-driven adjustments to improve digital fundraising efforts.

7. Harness the Power of Social Media Marketing

Another top online fundraising idea is social media, with 25% of online donations coming from users on social platforms. These platforms are powerful tools for expanding your reach and raising awareness about your organization. 

It is essential to understand your target audience, their preferred social media platforms, and how to create content to encourage supporters to join or donate. 

If you want to use social media for fundraising success, these are tips to get started: 

• Promote Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Encourage your social media followers to create their fundraising pages and share them with their networks.
• Leverage Social Media Challenges: Create a fun and interactive challenge that excites users to participate and donate to your cause.
• Share Impact Stories: Post stories about the direct impact of donations, showing potential donors how their contributions will make a difference.
• Create High-Quality Content: Content that aligns with your organization’s branding and mission makes it easier to engage supporters. Donors and members are more likely to trust nonprofits with high-quality content that appeals to them. 
• Stay ahead of Analytics: Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok deliver analytics for business and creator accounts. Use this data to inform your social media strategy.

8. Implement Text-to-Give Campaigns

Text-to-give campaigns are an excellent way to make donating as easy as sending a text message. You can allow donors and members to effortlessly contribute by texting a keyword to your dedicated shortcode. 

The donor will either land on a donation page to contribute or have their contribution automatically processed through their phone bill. This is one of the best digital fundraising campaign ideas for events or time-sensitive strategies, as it is easy to implement. 

Here are a few tips for text-to-give campaigns for nonprofits: 

• Promote Your Keyword: Ensure that the text-to-give keyword is easy to remember and is prominently displayed across all your marketing materials.
• Make It Easy for Supporters: Provide clear instructions on text donating, ensuring the process is quick and straightforward.
• Offer Immediate Gratitude: To build trust and appreciation with donors, send an automatic thank-you message once a donation is received.
• Target Younger Audiences: Younger supporters may be more comfortable with text-to-give campaigns, so ensure you focus on marketing this strategy to them.
  

9. Create a Donor Loyalty Program

A donor loyalty program is imperative to growing your digital fundraising program. These programs are designed to turn donors and members into brand advocates. Even a one percent increase in donor loyalty can significantly improve retention. 

Focusing on donor relationships, incentivizing your supporters to contribute to your organization, and sharing your cause will help you keep them engaged in your cause for longer. 

If you want to create a donor loyalty program, these are the key elements of every successful program:

• Exclusive Rewards: Offer special perks, including early access to events, exclusive merchandise, and personalized thank-you notes. Rewards will encourage your donors and members to join your loyalty program. 
• Recognition: Acknowledge your loyal donors through public recognition on your website, social media, or newsletters. This tactic shows appreciation and increases the chances of these donors making another contribution. 
• Regular Updates: Keep donors informed about the impact of their contributions, showing them how their support is making a difference over time.
  

10. Create Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing is a must-have for your digital fundraising program, especially if you have an existing donor base. You can share your progress with donors and members through targeted email marketing campaigns, keep them engaged in your cause, share success stories, and remind them to contribute. 

To maximize the results from email marketing campaigns, segment your email list so you can tailor messages to different groups, such as previous donors, first-time supporters, or those who have shown interest in similar causes. 

Here are a few tips on how to use email marketing campaigns for your fundraising program:

• Craft Compelling Subject Lines: Your subject lines determine whether recipients open your email, so ensure they are personalized and action oriented.
• Use Engaging Visuals: Include impactful images and videos that tell the story of your cause.
• Include Clear Calls to Action: Make it easy for recipients to donate with clear, clickable donation buttons.
• Personalize Your Messages: To increase engagement, address recipients by name and highlight their past involvement.
• Send Regular Updates: Inform supporters of campaign progress and thank them for their contributions.

11. Implement Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

If you have an extensive network of supporters, peer-to-peer fundraising is an effective way to tap into their networks to direct more prospective donors to your organization. This strategy is simple; you allow your organization’s supporters to create personalized fundraising pages and share them with friends, family, and social media followers. It works because donors and members who engage with your nonprofit will likely know other supporters who will be passionate about your cause. 

Successful peer-to-peer fundraising requires some effort, and here’s what to consider:

• Provide Easy-to-Use Tools: Ensure participants have access to easy-to-share fundraising pages and social media tools.
• Offer Incentives: Provide rewards for top fundraisers to encourage healthy competition and greater involvement.
• Communicate Regularly: Keep fundraisers engaged with updates, tips, and encouragement throughout the campaign.
• Share Templates and Resources: Provide email templates, social media posts, and other content to help your supporters create and share their pages more easily.

12. Launch a Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding is an excellent way to bring together a large number of small contributions to support your cause. Platforms like GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo allow you to create a central hub for your campaign, where donors can contribute directly and share the campaign with their networks. 

However, you must prioritize promoting your campaign and using high-quality, emotionally driven content to engage supporters.

Tips to launch a crowdfunding campaign:

• Choose the Right Platform: Select a crowdfunding platform that aligns with your cause and offers the tools you need to succeed.
• Craft a Compelling Story: Clearly explain why your cause matters, how your nonprofit will use donations, and the impact supporters will have.
• Set a Realistic Goal: Determine an achievable funding target that justifies your campaign’s scope.
• Leverage Social Media: Use social media to promote your campaign, engage supporters, and keep the momentum going with regular updates.

13. Create a Sense of Urgency with Matching Gifts

Matching gifts are a great way to boost donations by encouraging donors to act quickly. Many employers offer matching gift programs — they match the donations made by their employees to eligible nonprofits. 

You can use this strategy to grow your digital fundraising program and let supporters know you’ll double their contributions. Take this further by creating a sense of urgency through limited-time matches or challenges, such as a “match giving day” where all donations are matched for a specific period.

Here’s how to successfully use matching gifts for your fundraising program:

• Highlight Matching Opportunities: To increase awareness, advertise matching gift programs on your donation pages, emails, and social media.
• Make It Easy to Apply: Offer a streamlined process for donors to submit matching gift requests, complete with links to employer forms or instructions.
• Engage Donors with Updates: Regularly update your supporters on the progress of matching gift matches to keep them engaged and excited.
• Recognize Matching Gift Donors: Acknowledge the original donor and the company that matches their gift, which can incentivize future donations.

14. Build Partnerships with Influencers and Brands

If you want to increase awareness about your digital fundraising program, collaborate with influencers and brands that align with your cause. Influencers and brands who share your values can share your cause with their followers, gaining more traction for your program. 

The key is to find influencers and brands with followers that align with your target audience, ensuring you promote your cause to prospective donors and members who are more likely to join and contribute. 

Building partnerships with influencers and brands can be tricky, so here are a few tips to get started:

• Build Authentic Relationships: Engage with potential partners early by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and showing interest in their work before reaching out to them for a partnership.
• Offer Mutual Benefits: Ensure the partnership benefits both sides. Highlight how the collaboration will help the influencer or brand expand their reach, build credibility, or achieve business goals.
• Create a Clear Proposal: Be specific about what you want from the partnership, whether it’s social media promotion, brand exposure, or event collaboration—present clear expectations and deliverables.
• Show Appreciation: Thank your partners publicly for their collaboration and express your gratitude for their support. Doing this strengthens the relationship for future projects.

Grow Your Digital Fundraising Program with NextGen

Every nonprofit needs a strategic digital fundraising program to optimize donor engagement, secure recurring gifts, build supporter loyalty, and convince more prospective donors to contribute to their cause. There are many innovative strategies to grow your digital fundraising program. 

These strategies employ tactics such as optimizing donor forms, creating partnerships with brands and influencers, leveraging paid search, social media marketing, and text-to-give campaigns, as well as focusing on targeted email marketing campaigns.

Ready to grow your digital fundraising program? Contact NextGen today and let’s maximize your digital fundraising efforts.