We’re also going to show you some great examples from our friends at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota. The day before their “Evening for Kids’ Sake” event, the team pivoted from an in-person event to a virtual event in 24 hours! So far, they’ve raised ~$43,000 to support their programs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Event-Page-1024x573.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #1: Communicate, communicate, communicate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThe key to making this successful is to communicate to your\ndonors why you\u2019re moving your event into the virtual world and how it\u2019s going\nto be fun for them. Keep your communications positive! Your donors are being\ninundated with worrisome news reports and are probably worried and nervous.\nStand out by presenting your backup plan in a positive light. When you\u2019re\nwriting your donor communications, think less \u201csomber announcement in response\nto fears\u201d and more \u201cinvitation to a fun event your donors can enjoy without\nworrying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on how far along in the planning process you are,\nyou\u2019re probably going to want to communicate with your donors more than once,\nand you\u2019ll want to do so on more than one communication channel. Build a plan\nfor your outreach efforts that includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Multiple email announcements to people who have\nnot yet registered<\/li>
- Multiple email updates to people who have\nalready registered to attend<\/li>
- Social media posts sharing how your virtual\nevent will be fun for donors<\/li>
- Posts sharing fun details about your virtual\nevent (more on that later!)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The main points to communicate to your donors are simple:\nthe coronavirus may prevent you from hosting a large, in-person event, but there\nare plenty of ways to virtually come together to support your community!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Announcement.jpg\")
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota made this announcement the day before the event<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #2: Streaming video is your best friend<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nHave you ever tuned into a Twitch channel or watched someone\non Facebook Live or IGTV? If you have, you know how engaging live video can be!\nYour auction attendees might not be able to go to your venue, but live video\ncan offer tons of engagement opportunities. Consider using live video to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Share stories about what your donors\u2019 gifts and bids will fund.
<\/strong>We know that donors want to make an impact with their gift; giving virtually doesn\u2019t change that! Streaming can actually be a powerful tool here: even without being in the same room, it can feel very personal. You won\u2019t be on a stage reading a script in front of a PowerPoint; you\u2019ll be sharing real life stories very close to your camera.
<\/li>- Live stream speakers and entertainment.
<\/strong>One of the auction events I attend every year includes a brief musical performance from one or two high schoolers who have benefitted from the nonprofit\u2019s programs. It\u2019s a huge hit every year! If you have something similar set up for your auction, see if your performers or other speakers would be willing to livestream their speech, story, or performance so others can tune in. Ask people in your community to share their talents, too, if appropriate, and make sure everyone knows when they should start streaming. You could also use something like Google Hangouts to let multiple people stream at the same time, which could make transitioning less awkward!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Stream-Speakers.jpg\")
This year, the BBBS Southern Minnesota “Big Couple of the Year” streamed their thank-you message and story instead of sharing it in person.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Invite donors and attendees to interact with you.
<\/strong>Ask people to share their own stories about how why they support your organization and what their involvement means to them. Having someone present to read these on a live stream is really useful! This is something I see work exceptionally well on Facebook Live, but this can work on lots of different streaming services.
<\/li>- Keep people excited by streaming reactions as people donate or engage with you.
<\/strong>A few years ago, I got hopelessly sucked into a live stream of nonprofit staff in their office during Giving Tuesday. They goofed off, sang, shared stories from their clients, and engaged in various shenanigans when they reached important fundraising milestones. If you and your staff can\u2019t all be in one room, there are plenty of ways to invite multiple people to stream simultaneously!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Commentary-on-Live-Auction.jpg\")
BBBS reviewed their auction items, answered questions in real time, and generally made the viewing and bidding experience exciting and interactive.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBONUS TIP: Mitigate Trolls<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt takes a special kind of person to stir up trouble at a\ncharity event, but it\u2019s always prudent to have a troll-prevention plan in\nplace. Take steps to mitigate that kind of disruption by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Considering making your virtual event\ninvite-only or running your event through a private Facebook group. Give people\naccess information or add them to your group when they complete registration.<\/li>
- If you\u2019re having problems with trolls, don\u2019t do\na live feed of messages. Have someone handy to moderate interaction or\nfeedback.<\/li>
- Think through some incentives you might offer.\nTrolls have a notorious tendency to take advantage of some things. See: \u201cBoaty\nMcBoat Face<\/a>\u201d or the Mountain Dew\nnaming debacle<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tip #3: Let your \u201cattendees\u201d bid remotely<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nIf you were already using a digital silent auction platform, you probably already have your items built on your platform so people could use their phones or computers to bid at your auction. They can still bid that way! When donors are bidding on items or making donations on your event page, give them a shout out or interact with them somehow. Once you get started, there are tons of opportunities to engage people as they interact with your event. Some fun ideas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Drawing attention to bids on particularly\npopular items<\/li>
- (Nicely) encouraging competition between\nbidders\u2014we have an auctioneer in my hometown who is exceptionally good at this,\nand everyone loves him!<\/li>
- Giving shoutouts to people who donate or make\nfund-a-need purchases<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Digital silent auctions are already becoming increasingly\npopular, and part of that is because they allow people to participate even if\nthey have to miss the event itself. The tools exist\u2014now it\u2019s time to get\ncreative with how to use them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Auction-Items.jpg\")
The day before the event, BBBS shared a PowerPoint that highlighted the items people could bid on the next day. This was a great way to get people excited!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #4: Get creative<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nA few years ago, I had a rotten cold on the night of a dear\nfriend\u2019s birthday party. I was crushed I couldn\u2019t attend, so my friends left a\nbottle of champagne on my porch and gave me a way to participate virtually.\nThey sent me the Spotify playlist that was going to play at the party, we all\nshared selfies using a hashtag for the party, and I toasted the birthday boy\nwith champagne at midnight, just like my friends did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try turning your virtual silent auction into a whole\nexperience for your supporters! You could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Send a link to an event playlist so supporters\ncan groove along at home<\/li>
- Choose an event hashtag and encourage people to\nshare selfies as they enjoy the evening<\/li>
- If your budget (and timeline) allows, send\nauction attendees small swag bags ahead of the event that include props,\nnonprofit merchandise, or other fun items and a note encouraging them to get\ninvolved<\/li>
- Create a private Facebook group for attendees so\nthey can hang out, share photos, and connect with each other and your staff<\/li>
- Schedule periodic outbound text messages that\nencourage participation, then send them during the event itself to make things\nfeel more personal<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There are tons of ways to get creative and make this virtual\nevent a real party for your supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Streaming-party.png\")
Some BBBS supporters gathered to stream the event together. This was a fun way for them to enjoy the party while staying away from large groups of people. Encourage your guests to have fun with how they interact with you and each other!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFun ideas from the Qgiv team<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nLooking for more ideas? Here are some ideas shared by the\nQgiv team\u2014what would you add?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo a group countdown toast!\u201d \u2013 Melaina, Social Media\n& PR Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nUse your livestream to count down to a community toast. Your\nsupporters may not actually clink glasses but knowing they\u2019re all toasting\ntogether still feels warm and fuzzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Facebook-Live-Stream.jpg\")
The team did a great job getting people engaged. They even toasted their viewers!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cRead out donations and messages and interact with the\nchat\/audience.\u201d \u2013 Nick, VP of Infrastructure and DevOps<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve ever watched a Twitch stream, you\u2019ve probably\nnoticed that streamers give personal shout-outs to anyone who donates or\nsubscribes to their channel. They do that for a reason\u2014people love hearing\ntheir names! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMake it so donating during the event enters you into a\nraffle.\u201d \u2013 Dominic, DevOps and Security Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nTrying to encourage donations in addition to bids? Offer\nincentives! They don\u2019t have to be over the top. Maybe everyone who donates over\na certain amount gets a raffle ticket for a special item. Maybe you do\nsomething goofy if someone donates at a certain level or you reach a milestone.\nAnything you can do to encourage participation is a plus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Wall-of-Wine-Raffle-1.jpg\")
Digital raffles are fun! Every year, BBBS includes a “Wall of Wine” raffle. People could buy a bottle of wine on their app. Staff pulled a cork from their bucket and the buyer got the bottle of wine that corresponded to the number on the cork. This was streamed on Facebook live, too!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cSome video streamers have escalating shenanigans based\non the total amount they raise, like whenever they hit a tier, they do karaoke\nor shave their head or something ridiculous. First thing is kind of meh, then\nit gets more entertaining the more they raise.\u201d \u2013 Trevor, Software Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIncentives don\u2019t have to be physical! These \u201ccontent\u201d\nrewards can be very motivating. When I was a kid, my elementary school had a\nfundraiser and, if we hit our goal, our principal had to do a lap around the\nschool track on a kid\u2019s tricycle. I have never seen people so excited about\nraising money! And donors don\u2019t outgrow that childlike delight; I\u2019ve seen grown\nmen donate hundreds of dollars to see someone get a pie in the face or raise\nmoney to see a friend shave their head. Get creative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLive goal thermometers are cool. Everyone watching the\nstream can see a real-time representation of getting closer and closer to a\ngoal as donations come in.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey, Office Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nDonors love a good campaign thermometer<\/a>. If you\u2019re trying to reach a specific fundraising goal, help your donors visualize momentum by tracking your progress on a campaign thermometer. Watching your thermometer creep closer and closer to a goal is exciting!<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s a tough time for nonprofits, but we\u2019ve got your back<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nWe talk to nonprofit fundraisers every day, and we know that many of you are scrambling to adjust your events and fundraising campaigns as the coronavirus pandemic develops. That\u2019s stressful, and we know it. If we can help you tweak an event, set up campaigns, or support you any other way, we\u2019re here to help. You make a huge difference in the world. Your work is important. And you\u2019re not in this alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your fundraising needs are changing, and we’re here to support you during this difficult time. Many organizations are shifting their in-person events to virtual formats<\/a> and utilizing mobile giving and text messaging<\/a> to engage their donors. If you’d like to learn more about how Qgiv’s tools can help you continue to raise vital funds while keeping you and your donors safe,\u00a0please contact us\u2014we’re here to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main points to communicate to your donors are simple:\nthe coronavirus may prevent you from hosting a large, in-person event, but there\nare plenty of ways to virtually come together to support your community!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #2: Streaming video is your best friend<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nHave you ever tuned into a Twitch channel or watched someone\non Facebook Live or IGTV? If you have, you know how engaging live video can be!\nYour auction attendees might not be able to go to your venue, but live video\ncan offer tons of engagement opportunities. Consider using live video to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Share stories about what your donors\u2019 gifts and bids will fund.
<\/strong>We know that donors want to make an impact with their gift; giving virtually doesn\u2019t change that! Streaming can actually be a powerful tool here: even without being in the same room, it can feel very personal. You won\u2019t be on a stage reading a script in front of a PowerPoint; you\u2019ll be sharing real life stories very close to your camera.
<\/li>- Live stream speakers and entertainment.
<\/strong>One of the auction events I attend every year includes a brief musical performance from one or two high schoolers who have benefitted from the nonprofit\u2019s programs. It\u2019s a huge hit every year! If you have something similar set up for your auction, see if your performers or other speakers would be willing to livestream their speech, story, or performance so others can tune in. Ask people in your community to share their talents, too, if appropriate, and make sure everyone knows when they should start streaming. You could also use something like Google Hangouts to let multiple people stream at the same time, which could make transitioning less awkward!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nThis year, the BBBS Southern Minnesota “Big Couple of the Year” streamed their thank-you message and story instead of sharing it in person.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Invite donors and attendees to interact with you.
<\/strong>Ask people to share their own stories about how why they support your organization and what their involvement means to them. Having someone present to read these on a live stream is really useful! This is something I see work exceptionally well on Facebook Live, but this can work on lots of different streaming services.
<\/li>- Keep people excited by streaming reactions as people donate or engage with you.
<\/strong>A few years ago, I got hopelessly sucked into a live stream of nonprofit staff in their office during Giving Tuesday. They goofed off, sang, shared stories from their clients, and engaged in various shenanigans when they reached important fundraising milestones. If you and your staff can\u2019t all be in one room, there are plenty of ways to invite multiple people to stream simultaneously!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nBBBS reviewed their auction items, answered questions in real time, and generally made the viewing and bidding experience exciting and interactive.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBONUS TIP: Mitigate Trolls<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt takes a special kind of person to stir up trouble at a\ncharity event, but it\u2019s always prudent to have a troll-prevention plan in\nplace. Take steps to mitigate that kind of disruption by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Considering making your virtual event\ninvite-only or running your event through a private Facebook group. Give people\naccess information or add them to your group when they complete registration.<\/li>
- If you\u2019re having problems with trolls, don\u2019t do\na live feed of messages. Have someone handy to moderate interaction or\nfeedback.<\/li>
- Think through some incentives you might offer.\nTrolls have a notorious tendency to take advantage of some things. See: \u201cBoaty\nMcBoat Face<\/a>\u201d or the Mountain Dew\nnaming debacle<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tip #3: Let your \u201cattendees\u201d bid remotely<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nIf you were already using a digital silent auction platform, you probably already have your items built on your platform so people could use their phones or computers to bid at your auction. They can still bid that way! When donors are bidding on items or making donations on your event page, give them a shout out or interact with them somehow. Once you get started, there are tons of opportunities to engage people as they interact with your event. Some fun ideas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Drawing attention to bids on particularly\npopular items<\/li>
- (Nicely) encouraging competition between\nbidders\u2014we have an auctioneer in my hometown who is exceptionally good at this,\nand everyone loves him!<\/li>
- Giving shoutouts to people who donate or make\nfund-a-need purchases<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Digital silent auctions are already becoming increasingly\npopular, and part of that is because they allow people to participate even if\nthey have to miss the event itself. The tools exist\u2014now it\u2019s time to get\ncreative with how to use them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day before the event, BBBS shared a PowerPoint that highlighted the items people could bid on the next day. This was a great way to get people excited!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTip #4: Get creative<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nA few years ago, I had a rotten cold on the night of a dear\nfriend\u2019s birthday party. I was crushed I couldn\u2019t attend, so my friends left a\nbottle of champagne on my porch and gave me a way to participate virtually.\nThey sent me the Spotify playlist that was going to play at the party, we all\nshared selfies using a hashtag for the party, and I toasted the birthday boy\nwith champagne at midnight, just like my friends did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try turning your virtual silent auction into a whole\nexperience for your supporters! You could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Send a link to an event playlist so supporters\ncan groove along at home<\/li>
- Choose an event hashtag and encourage people to\nshare selfies as they enjoy the evening<\/li>
- If your budget (and timeline) allows, send\nauction attendees small swag bags ahead of the event that include props,\nnonprofit merchandise, or other fun items and a note encouraging them to get\ninvolved<\/li>
- Create a private Facebook group for attendees so\nthey can hang out, share photos, and connect with each other and your staff<\/li>
- Schedule periodic outbound text messages that\nencourage participation, then send them during the event itself to make things\nfeel more personal<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There are tons of ways to get creative and make this virtual\nevent a real party for your supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some BBBS supporters gathered to stream the event together. This was a fun way for them to enjoy the party while staying away from large groups of people. Encourage your guests to have fun with how they interact with you and each other!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFun ideas from the Qgiv team<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nLooking for more ideas? Here are some ideas shared by the\nQgiv team\u2014what would you add?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo a group countdown toast!\u201d \u2013 Melaina, Social Media\n& PR Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nUse your livestream to count down to a community toast. Your\nsupporters may not actually clink glasses but knowing they\u2019re all toasting\ntogether still feels warm and fuzzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team did a great job getting people engaged. They even toasted their viewers!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cRead out donations and messages and interact with the\nchat\/audience.\u201d \u2013 Nick, VP of Infrastructure and DevOps<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve ever watched a Twitch stream, you\u2019ve probably\nnoticed that streamers give personal shout-outs to anyone who donates or\nsubscribes to their channel. They do that for a reason\u2014people love hearing\ntheir names! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMake it so donating during the event enters you into a\nraffle.\u201d \u2013 Dominic, DevOps and Security Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nTrying to encourage donations in addition to bids? Offer\nincentives! They don\u2019t have to be over the top. Maybe everyone who donates over\na certain amount gets a raffle ticket for a special item. Maybe you do\nsomething goofy if someone donates at a certain level or you reach a milestone.\nAnything you can do to encourage participation is a plus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital raffles are fun! Every year, BBBS includes a “Wall of Wine” raffle. People could buy a bottle of wine on their app. Staff pulled a cork from their bucket and the buyer got the bottle of wine that corresponded to the number on the cork. This was streamed on Facebook live, too!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cSome video streamers have escalating shenanigans based\non the total amount they raise, like whenever they hit a tier, they do karaoke\nor shave their head or something ridiculous. First thing is kind of meh, then\nit gets more entertaining the more they raise.\u201d \u2013 Trevor, Software Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIncentives don\u2019t have to be physical! These \u201ccontent\u201d\nrewards can be very motivating. When I was a kid, my elementary school had a\nfundraiser and, if we hit our goal, our principal had to do a lap around the\nschool track on a kid\u2019s tricycle. I have never seen people so excited about\nraising money! And donors don\u2019t outgrow that childlike delight; I\u2019ve seen grown\nmen donate hundreds of dollars to see someone get a pie in the face or raise\nmoney to see a friend shave their head. Get creative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLive goal thermometers are cool. Everyone watching the\nstream can see a real-time representation of getting closer and closer to a\ngoal as donations come in.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey, Office Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nDonors love a good campaign thermometer<\/a>. If you\u2019re trying to reach a specific fundraising goal, help your donors visualize momentum by tracking your progress on a campaign thermometer. Watching your thermometer creep closer and closer to a goal is exciting!<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s a tough time for nonprofits, but we\u2019ve got your back<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nWe talk to nonprofit fundraisers every day, and we know that many of you are scrambling to adjust your events and fundraising campaigns as the coronavirus pandemic develops. That\u2019s stressful, and we know it. If we can help you tweak an event, set up campaigns, or support you any other way, we\u2019re here to help. You make a huge difference in the world. Your work is important. And you\u2019re not in this alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your fundraising needs are changing, and we’re here to support you during this difficult time. Many organizations are shifting their in-person events to virtual formats<\/a> and utilizing mobile giving and text messaging<\/a> to engage their donors. If you’d like to learn more about how Qgiv’s tools can help you continue to raise vital funds while keeping you and your donors safe,\u00a0please contact us\u2014we’re here to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>We know that donors want to make an impact with their gift; giving virtually doesn\u2019t change that! Streaming can actually be a powerful tool here: even without being in the same room, it can feel very personal. You won\u2019t be on a stage reading a script in front of a PowerPoint; you\u2019ll be sharing real life stories very close to your camera.
<\/li>
<\/strong>One of the auction events I attend every year includes a brief musical performance from one or two high schoolers who have benefitted from the nonprofit\u2019s programs. It\u2019s a huge hit every year! If you have something similar set up for your auction, see if your performers or other speakers would be willing to livestream their speech, story, or performance so others can tune in. Ask people in your community to share their talents, too, if appropriate, and make sure everyone knows when they should start streaming. You could also use something like Google Hangouts to let multiple people stream at the same time, which could make transitioning less awkward!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Invite donors and attendees to interact with you.
<\/strong>Ask people to share their own stories about how why they support your organization and what their involvement means to them. Having someone present to read these on a live stream is really useful! This is something I see work exceptionally well on Facebook Live, but this can work on lots of different streaming services.
<\/li>- Keep people excited by streaming reactions as people donate or engage with you.
<\/strong>A few years ago, I got hopelessly sucked into a live stream of nonprofit staff in their office during Giving Tuesday. They goofed off, sang, shared stories from their clients, and engaged in various shenanigans when they reached important fundraising milestones. If you and your staff can\u2019t all be in one room, there are plenty of ways to invite multiple people to stream simultaneously!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nBBBS reviewed their auction items, answered questions in real time, and generally made the viewing and bidding experience exciting and interactive.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n BONUS TIP: Mitigate Trolls<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
It takes a special kind of person to stir up trouble at a\ncharity event, but it\u2019s always prudent to have a troll-prevention plan in\nplace. Take steps to mitigate that kind of disruption by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Considering making your virtual event\ninvite-only or running your event through a private Facebook group. Give people\naccess information or add them to your group when they complete registration.<\/li>
- If you\u2019re having problems with trolls, don\u2019t do\na live feed of messages. Have someone handy to moderate interaction or\nfeedback.<\/li>
- Think through some incentives you might offer.\nTrolls have a notorious tendency to take advantage of some things. See: \u201cBoaty\nMcBoat Face<\/a>\u201d or the Mountain Dew\nnaming debacle<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tip #3: Let your \u201cattendees\u201d bid remotely<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
If you were already using a digital silent auction platform, you probably already have your items built on your platform so people could use their phones or computers to bid at your auction. They can still bid that way! When donors are bidding on items or making donations on your event page, give them a shout out or interact with them somehow. Once you get started, there are tons of opportunities to engage people as they interact with your event. Some fun ideas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Drawing attention to bids on particularly\npopular items<\/li>
- (Nicely) encouraging competition between\nbidders\u2014we have an auctioneer in my hometown who is exceptionally good at this,\nand everyone loves him!<\/li>
- Giving shoutouts to people who donate or make\nfund-a-need purchases<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Digital silent auctions are already becoming increasingly\npopular, and part of that is because they allow people to participate even if\nthey have to miss the event itself. The tools exist\u2014now it\u2019s time to get\ncreative with how to use them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day before the event, BBBS shared a PowerPoint that highlighted the items people could bid on the next day. This was a great way to get people excited!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Tip #4: Get creative<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A few years ago, I had a rotten cold on the night of a dear\nfriend\u2019s birthday party. I was crushed I couldn\u2019t attend, so my friends left a\nbottle of champagne on my porch and gave me a way to participate virtually.\nThey sent me the Spotify playlist that was going to play at the party, we all\nshared selfies using a hashtag for the party, and I toasted the birthday boy\nwith champagne at midnight, just like my friends did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try turning your virtual silent auction into a whole\nexperience for your supporters! You could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Send a link to an event playlist so supporters\ncan groove along at home<\/li>
- Choose an event hashtag and encourage people to\nshare selfies as they enjoy the evening<\/li>
- If your budget (and timeline) allows, send\nauction attendees small swag bags ahead of the event that include props,\nnonprofit merchandise, or other fun items and a note encouraging them to get\ninvolved<\/li>
- Create a private Facebook group for attendees so\nthey can hang out, share photos, and connect with each other and your staff<\/li>
- Schedule periodic outbound text messages that\nencourage participation, then send them during the event itself to make things\nfeel more personal<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There are tons of ways to get creative and make this virtual\nevent a real party for your supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some BBBS supporters gathered to stream the event together. This was a fun way for them to enjoy the party while staying away from large groups of people. Encourage your guests to have fun with how they interact with you and each other!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Fun ideas from the Qgiv team<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Looking for more ideas? Here are some ideas shared by the\nQgiv team\u2014what would you add?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo a group countdown toast!\u201d \u2013 Melaina, Social Media\n& PR Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use your livestream to count down to a community toast. Your\nsupporters may not actually clink glasses but knowing they\u2019re all toasting\ntogether still feels warm and fuzzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team did a great job getting people engaged. They even toasted their viewers!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cRead out donations and messages and interact with the\nchat\/audience.\u201d \u2013 Nick, VP of Infrastructure and DevOps<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve ever watched a Twitch stream, you\u2019ve probably\nnoticed that streamers give personal shout-outs to anyone who donates or\nsubscribes to their channel. They do that for a reason\u2014people love hearing\ntheir names! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMake it so donating during the event enters you into a\nraffle.\u201d \u2013 Dominic, DevOps and Security Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trying to encourage donations in addition to bids? Offer\nincentives! They don\u2019t have to be over the top. Maybe everyone who donates over\na certain amount gets a raffle ticket for a special item. Maybe you do\nsomething goofy if someone donates at a certain level or you reach a milestone.\nAnything you can do to encourage participation is a plus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital raffles are fun! Every year, BBBS includes a “Wall of Wine” raffle. People could buy a bottle of wine on their app. Staff pulled a cork from their bucket and the buyer got the bottle of wine that corresponded to the number on the cork. This was streamed on Facebook live, too!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome video streamers have escalating shenanigans based\non the total amount they raise, like whenever they hit a tier, they do karaoke\nor shave their head or something ridiculous. First thing is kind of meh, then\nit gets more entertaining the more they raise.\u201d \u2013 Trevor, Software Engineer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Incentives don\u2019t have to be physical! These \u201ccontent\u201d\nrewards can be very motivating. When I was a kid, my elementary school had a\nfundraiser and, if we hit our goal, our principal had to do a lap around the\nschool track on a kid\u2019s tricycle. I have never seen people so excited about\nraising money! And donors don\u2019t outgrow that childlike delight; I\u2019ve seen grown\nmen donate hundreds of dollars to see someone get a pie in the face or raise\nmoney to see a friend shave their head. Get creative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLive goal thermometers are cool. Everyone watching the\nstream can see a real-time representation of getting closer and closer to a\ngoal as donations come in.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey, Office Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Donors love a good campaign thermometer<\/a>. If you\u2019re trying to reach a specific fundraising goal, help your donors visualize momentum by tracking your progress on a campaign thermometer. Watching your thermometer creep closer and closer to a goal is exciting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a tough time for nonprofits, but we\u2019ve got your back<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
We talk to nonprofit fundraisers every day, and we know that many of you are scrambling to adjust your events and fundraising campaigns as the coronavirus pandemic develops. That\u2019s stressful, and we know it. If we can help you tweak an event, set up campaigns, or support you any other way, we\u2019re here to help. You make a huge difference in the world. Your work is important. And you\u2019re not in this alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your fundraising needs are changing, and we’re here to support you during this difficult time. Many organizations are shifting their in-person events to virtual formats<\/a> and utilizing mobile giving and text messaging<\/a> to engage their donors. If you’d like to learn more about how Qgiv’s tools can help you continue to raise vital funds while keeping you and your donors safe,\u00a0please contact us\u2014we’re here to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Keep people excited by streaming reactions as people donate or engage with you.