Guest blog by Adam Weinger
Corporate philanthropy has been a hot button topic recently. If your nonprofit is smart (and I know it is), you want to make the most of the generosity of companies as it relates to your digital fundraising efforts.
Corporate giving to charities has increased by almost 14% in previous years, and nonprofits received over $17 billion from companies last year. Your nonprofit can’t afford to miss out on the benefits that come with corporate philanthropy.
If you’re wondering how to combine the generosity of businesses and your nonprofit’s online fundraising strategy, you’ve come to the right place!
Here are the top four ways to use corporate philanthropy to boost your online fundraiser.
As long as we’re on the subject, you should also take a look at the four questions that your nonprofit needs to answer when raising money online.
1. Promote corporate giving programs online
One of the easiest ways to take advantage of the generosity of companies is to promote corporate giving programs online.
Businesses offer a wide array of giving programs that encourage their employees to donate their time and money to worthy causes that are championed by nonprofit organizations.
Some of these programs include:
*Matching gift programs
*Volunteer grant programs
*Dollars for Doers
*Team volunteer grants
How can your nonprofit promote these programs in your digital fundraising efforts?
It’s simple! Make sure you’re keeping donors in the loop about the types of programs that their employers may offer.
You can market matching gifts and other corporate giving programs in the following ways:
*On social media. Keep the message short and sweet and provide followers with links to more information.
*In your email newsletters. You should already be sending newsletters to your donors via email. Incorporate information about corporate giving programs to increase the number of donations that you receive.
*On your online donation forms. Donors who are in the middle of the donation process already care enough about your organization to give in the first place. When you promote matching gifts and other corporate giving programs to these donors, you benefit from the generosity of your donors’ employers. And with online donations becoming more and more popular, your nonprofit will be set for success.
Take a look at these other great ways to get the word out about your online fundraising campaigns.
2. Ask for corporate sponsorships for events
Companies will often sponsor a nonprofit’s fundraising event. If your nonprofit is unable to raise enough money for an event through individual donations alone, you should look to corporate sponsorships to give your fundraising efforts a boost.
While corporate sponsorships are often physical and take the form of signs, banners, and other promotional items at fundraising events, your nonprofit can benefit by pursuing corporate sponsorships for your online fundraisers.
Whether an online sponsorship takes the form of a dedicated page on your website or an informative blurb about the company on your online donation form, your nonprofit can make the most of corporate sponsorships and raise more money for your cause and mission.
3. Encourage companies to set up crowdfunding pages for fundraising events
If your nonprofit hosts a walkathon or other fundraising event to raise money, you can enlist the help of your corporate partners to raise more money and encourage donors to work together.
Your organization can ask companies to make use of crowdfunding platforms to help their employees raise more individual or team donations for a walkathon or other event.
While this method takes a little bit more coordination between nonprofits, businesses, and donors, everyone can still benefit by using crowdfunding pages to raise more money for fundraising events.
4. Say thank you!
After your fundraiser has ended, make sure that you’re thanking the businesses and companies that helped you reach (or hopefully surpass!) your goals.
Acknowledgements to corporations can take many different forms, but you can use your existing online platforms to give shout outs to the companies that assisted your organization.
You can dedicate a page on your website to the corporations that made your fundraiser possible and categorize them according to their level of support.
Your nonprofit can also utilize your social media presence to give shout outs to corporate sponsors and partners.
Whichever method you choose to thank companies, keep the acknowledgement genuine and sincere. Corporations will appreciate the recognition and it will encourage them to continue to support your nonprofit through corporate giving programs and sponsorships.
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There are many other ways for your nonprofit to give your online fundraising efforts a boost. However, your organization can benefit in more ways than one when you incorporate the philanthropic arm of corporations.
About the author: Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of employee matching gift tools and services to nonprofits. Have questions about matching gifts or Double the Donation’s service? You can connect with Adam on LinkedIn, Twitter, or via email.