It’s not hard to see how innovative technologies, especially social media and crowdfunding platforms, have revolutionised fundraising efforts. The ability to reach audiences in their millions at the touch of a button; being able to build robust communities centred around philanthropic causes; chatbots that can provide immediate assistance to donors by answering questions and queries without the need for human intervention; and being able to receive funds from benefactors around the world, either through direct transfers or cryptocurrencies, have ushered in a whole new era of fundraising.
Going beyond technologies that facilitate communication, developments such as augmented and virtual reality tech enable charity event organisers to create fully immersive experiences that allow their participants to engage with interactive content remotely. Connected wearables and exercise equipment have created virtual fundraising challenges that leverage the popularity of fitness and health, and data analytics and personalisation allow fundraising efforts to target potential donors with personalised messaging with pinpoint accuracy.
These are exciting times.
In this article, we’ll look at how you can best make use of these technologies for your next fundraising event. We’ll start with tech that has a lower barrier to entry (requiring zero or minimal specialised equipment and technical know-how), progressing to more advanced options. We’ve already covered how to maximise the impact of social media in another article, so be sure to check that out too.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding refers to digital fundraising campaigns hosted on specialised websites. Typically, you’d create a crowdfunding campaign that lays out its fundraising goals, what it intends to achieve, how funds will be spent, and other information that would motivate potential donors to contribute.
There are dozens of crowdfunding sites to choose from, each carving out their niches by aiming at creative professionals, investors, individuals, or nonprofits, respectively. Sites like GoFundMe, MightyCause, and GlobalGiving all include powerful tools such as built-in donor CRM (Customer Relationship Management), data management, and marketing tools to help reach the right audience.
Mobile payment solutions and cryptocurrencies
Both mobile payment solutions and cryptocurrencies make sending and receiving donations significantly easier than going through conventional banks. Bypassing the SWIFT system that banks use to transfer money can cut the delay between donation and receipt down by anywhere from 24 to 48 hours and up to five business days when donations originate halfway around the world. By integrating mobile payment solutions directly into crowdfunding platforms, donors can support your cause without leaving your campaign page, significantly increasing spontaneous giving. Some nonprofits and fundraising platforms also accept donations in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or others, providing another alternative for receiving donations to your cause.
Data analytics and personalisation
Data analytics allow nonprofits to analyse their donors’ behaviour, preferences, and past interactions at the touch of a button. By analysing their donors’ demographic information, such as age, location, and income level; donation history, which includes giving patterns, preferred causes, donation frequency, and amounts; engagement metrics such as click-through rates, website visits, and social media interactions; as well as communication preferences, charities and nonprofits can build automated tools that make the right appeal to the right person at the right time.
This sort of donor segmentation, in addition to improving donation rates and amounts, is also a great way to ensure that you stay connected to your donors in a way that is non-invasive and doesn’t lead to donor fatigue or push them away from your cause with too many appeals for support.
Wearable tech and connected exercise equipment
Now we’re starting to move into a more futuristic realm. In recent years, wearables and connected devices have seen an explosion in use within the context of fundraising, largely making use of them in health and fitness challenges.
Wearables such as fitness trackers and certain smartwatches can be integrated into fundraising campaigns where participants track their progress and either make donations themselves upon reaching certain milestones or have a business pledge and amount per unit of exercise, be it per 10,000 steps walked, number of kilometres cycled, or laps swum.
Connected exercise equipment, such as stationary bikes and treadmills, can be used for fundraising events where participants join online fitness classes or events and complete certain challenges. These events are monetised in the same way as mentioned above.
Check out our article on combining fitness and wellness challenges with fundraising efforts for more information on this fundraising genre.
Augmented and virtual reality
Augmented and virtual reality are emerging technologies that have both found their way into fundraising. Similar in nature, augmented reality overlays virtual elements into the real world that can be interacted with using certain phones, tablets, or headsets, while virtual reality takes this a step further, creating a fully virtual environment by means of specialised headsets such as the Oculus Rift or Apple’s new Vision Pro.
These technologies create a more immersive experience when participating in fundraising events remotely. They allow organisers to host fully virtual auctions, create virtual tours of project sites or the communities they support, and design donation interfaces that show donors the impact of their contributions in real-time. This is a game changer, significantly increasing engagement and emotional connection to the cause when compared to email or social media posts, resulting in a massive uptick in contributions.
As far back as 2015, Amnesty International used cheap and reusable cardboard box VR devices that transported the user into a wartorn Syria, allowing them to experience the horrors of barrel bombs firsthand. Within the first week, they had seen a 16% increase in sign-ups from people approached in the street, quickly establishing VR’s potential for fundraising.
After reading this article, one thing should be clear: as technologies continue to evolve and new technologies emerge, fundraisers can leverage their power to reach and engage with their donors and supporters in increasingly novel and interactive ways. While traditional fundraising efforts still have their place, organisers that are able to incorporate technical breakthroughs will likely see better returns on their efforts through improved communication and engagement.