This is the fourth and final step of creating your online fundraising strategy -- mapping out your numbers. Your goal in this step should be to evaluate the numbers you have now and make plans for the numbers you’re anticipating after all your fundraising efforts.
Budgeting
1. Make certain that in planning your budget you take into account what you will need to spend for donation processing. Services such as Custom DonateNow can be very effective without being too pricey.
2. If you want to “improve” your website, keep in mind that your site is a tool – aim for functionality rather than flashiness. Check out these articles to learn more about smart site budgeting: http://www.fundraising123.org/article/spend-your-website-dollars-wisely and http://www.fundraising123.org/article/our-website-stinks-tips-secrets-successful-redesign.
3. If you want to advertise through banner ads or some other form of paid online marketing, think about the fact that you will need to pay for its design, development, and placement.
4. If you want to use a consultant or copywriter’s services for your website, remember that these people will have a fee. Be creative about how you can save in this area – perhaps a graphic design or communications student would be willing to volunteer their time and talents to you in exchange for a learning experience.
Tracking, Reporting, and Benchmarking
1. If you are a Custom DonateNow user, sign into your account to look at news on your donors. Also, you can follow your campaigns by looking at the tracking codes for the DonateNow buttons both in your emails and on your website.
2. Set up a routine for evaluating your email communications. You can look at the number of donors that receive your emails and measure their donations against the donations of people who are not a part of your email list.
3. In your fundraising strategy, make clear the ways that you will find the sort of content your donors prefer and how you will respond by expanding on that content, all the while providing chances for people to donate. Google Analytics can help you monitor traffic on your site.
4. Experimentation is an important part of bolstering your numbers – if you don’t like the way your fundraising efforts turned out, try new ideas, such as diversifying your email communications methods or slightly modifying your site.
Information taken from www.fundraising123.org
--Kelsey Luffman is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online.