So if you\u2019re looking for virtual fundraising ideas for schools, you\u2019re in the right place! Here are ten tips to help you succeed with virtual fundraising for education: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Use Data From Past Events to Set New Fundraising Goals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One of the most important steps you can take when planning your next fundraising event is to look at your past fundraisers to see what went right \u2026 and what could be better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you had to switch to a virtual silent auction<\/a> at the last minute in 2020, review your results to see which elements worked and which didn\u2019t. If only half of your items had bidding competition last year, maybe you\u2019ll want to try adding push notifications<\/a> this year so that bidders know when someone has outbid them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, you can also use this information to make sure you have to right items for your audience. If a vacation package did really well, you\u2019ll want to try and secure another package for your next event. But if gift baskets consistently received no bids, then you may want to find different items to replace those. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are certainly some best practices in fundraisers, looking at your <\/em>data can help you see what\u2019s working best for your <\/em>nonprofit, because every nonprofit is unique. Knowing how your fundraising campaigns have performed in the past is the first step to pushing yourself and seeing where your nonprofit has the potential to grow. Use that data to set (and achieve) SMART goals<\/a> for your nonprofit fundraising efforts! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping track of your data can free you up to be more creative with your fundraisers! After all, if you have a starting point, it\u2019s much easier to track your metrics and see if new elements are working, making it easier to tailor your fundraiser directly to your community\u2019s needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One great example of this is the Free Teacher Market<\/a> from the Polk Education Foundation. The Polk Education Foundation created this fundraising campaign to meet the unique needs of their students and teachers in Polk County, FL, which already offers free breakfast and lunch to every student in the county. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To make sure school supplies aren\u2019t out of reach for any student, they created the Free Teacher Market to help \u201cErase the Need\u201d for local students. They also made sure donating was accessible by accepting both monetary and in-kind donations, ensuring that businesses and other groups have more ways to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Family fun days are another creative fundraising that we see. Crossroads School had so much success with taking their 5K and Family Fun Day<\/a> virtual event that they\u2019re doing it again this year \u2026 and they\u2019ve increased their fundraising goal by $20,000 because it went so well last time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n City Year Baton Rouge<\/a>\u00a0also went all out with a virtual fundraising\u00a0week<\/em>.\u00a0They planned a variety of events ranging from Twisted Trivia to an On\u00a0The\u00a0Geaux\u00a0Scavenger Hunt to a full-on concert! There was something to interest any\u00a0supporter, and this attention to detail led to them raise over 60% of their fundraising goal \u2026 before their event even happened.\u00a0Their final tally came in at 115% of goal due to their engaging event (and amazing supporters)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are three of the creative ideas we\u2019ve seen come out of education nonprofits in the past year \u2026 the possibilities really are endless! We\u2019ve seen everything from completely fresh \u201cChoose Your Own Adventure\u201d type fundraisers to new takes on classic school events that combine typical school events like spelling bees, show and tell, brain bowls, and talent shows with fundraising. Your nonprofit could even create new twists on these classic ideas, like turning show and tell into a virtual pet pageant for the ages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve brainstormed your best event ever, check out the virtual event planner<\/a> to help you pull it off without a hitch! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming up with an amazingly creative fundraiser won\u2019t help you reach your goals if your technology crashes and burns \u2026 or is too complex for your participants to enjoy using. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your first step is to choose a fundraising platform<\/a> that is both easy-to-use, and let\u2019s your donors participate in the way they choose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you\u2019re running a peer-to-peer campaign, make sure your platform allows fundraisers to customize their individual pages so they can explain why they aren\u2019t participating. If you\u2019re running an auction, make sure your participants are able to bid from a mobile app \u2026 or their computer, if they choose. Even if you\u2019re choosing a simple event registration form, you\u2019ll want to make sure your form is mobile-friendly and allows you to send an automatic follow up email that not only thanks the registrant, but also confirms event details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also need a livestream for a virtual event, and you want to go with something that\u2019s simple to set up and very reliable. Facebook Live and YouTube Live are free options that your participants will be used to. If your event targets gamers or a younger audience, Twitch might be the perfect option. Finally, OBS<\/a> is a more robust option that\u2019s sponsored by all three of the platforms listed above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you want to make sure you add interactive elements to your livestream, whether that\u2019s by adding chat people can use to ask questions, or y breaking up your livestream with polls, quizzes, raffles, etc. that encourage participation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that donors are more likely to give you more if you\u2019re website is branded, mobile-friendly, and engaging? It\u2019s true! <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, donations made on a branded form average 38% larger than contributions made through a generic page, and 51% of people who visit a nonprofit\u2019s website do so on a mobile device. Those two fundraising statistics<\/a> alone show how important having a great donation website is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that the right fundraising platform should make it easy for you to add your organization\u2019s logo (which is even more important is you\u2019re part of a larger organization like Big Brothers, Big Sisters or Boys & Girls Clubs of America), a great impact statement, and a customized banner for your event. A great fundraising platform should also make it easy for you to add videos, your nonprofit\u2019s branded colors, and social sharing, all of which are important to creating the level of experience that today\u2019s donors have come to expect. If you\u2019re ready to explore your options, sign up for a free one-on-one demo<\/a> to see if Qgiv is the right fit for your organization! <\/p>\n\n\n\n While branding should be easy with whatever fundraising platform you choose, making sure it\u2019s engaging and interactive during a virtual event can be harder. That doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t plenty of nonprofits to pull inspiration from! <\/p>\n\n\n\n St. John Center for Homeless Men recently added some engagement to their Raisin\u2019 the Rent event with virtual house parties<\/a>! To up the ante, recognition was given out to the party with the most guests and the party that raises the most money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This idea is easily transferred to an education fundraiser, with the added benefits of giving your students another way to connect with far-flung family and friends during a pandemic. Bringing people together + raising money for a great cause = a win-win to us! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass\u2019 Scavenger Hunt for Kids\u2019 Sake<\/a> is making their event more interactive by simply by adding a scavenger-hunt specific app called Eventzee<\/a>. Participants use the app to communicate with teammates, so teammates don\u2019t have to be in the same room (or even the same state), making it a great way to get far-flung grandparents and other student champions involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also add engagement by adding raffles and silent auctions, by sending your participants props and goodies to be used in connection with your virtual even, gamification and leaderboards, incorporating an app<\/a> into your event, and by adding sub-events<\/a> to your main event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Venue management is less related to the physical space your event takes place in, and more related to making sure the experience you intend to deliver is the same one your participants receive. With a virtual fundraiser, venue management entails setting up and managing the online experience for your guests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Making sure this experience goes well includes everything from making sure you have clear instructions and expectations laid out for your guests to coming up with a back-up plan for technology glitches. You can learn more about venue management (and how it can help make sure your fundraising is a success) by checking out our venue management guide<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Staff requirements may be different for a virtual event, but there are still plenty of roles to be filled! You\u2019ll want to have someone dedicated to keeping things interesting on social media, a dedicated point person (or persons) for participant questions, and a charismatic MC who can keep people engaged while hosting the event! You can learn more about deciding your staff assignments<\/a> on the blog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, we\u2019re not talking about the tried-and-true \u201cchange\u201d fundraisers that school often do (which still work, btw). We\u2019re talking about meeting your donors where they\u2019re at and letting them donate in the way that\u2019s most convenient for them in our ever-changing world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While we\u2019re still on the fence about accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as donations, there are plenty of ways you can offer new payment options to your guests. For example, Qgiv integrates with Paypal, allowing you to take advantage of Qgiv\u2019s customization options while letting your guests use the Venmo integration that Paypal offers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being able to accept donations via ApplePay is another popular options donors ask about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Promoting a virtual event isn\u2019t really any different than promoting an in-person event. Even print materials can come in handy for promoting virtual events when you\u2019re fundraising for education! Here are our favorite tools to use when promoting virtual events: <\/p>\n\n\n Even better, if you segment your list, you can send one set of emails to <\/span>parents <\/span>\u2026 and <\/span> another email to major donors \u2026 and a <\/span>separate one to your <\/span>monthly <\/span>donors. Tailoring <\/span> your emails to the specific audience you\u2019re <\/span>speaking<\/span> to is <\/span>so simple with the right <\/span> fundraising <\/span>tools, but<\/span> can go a long way <\/span>towards<\/span> making your <\/span>donors feel appreciated.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n You can send out everything from save the dates to a post<\/span>–<\/span>event re-cap that thanks your donors and <\/span>let\u2019s<\/span> them know how much they helped you raise (and what y<\/span>our organization is going to be able to accomplish with that money). The key is just to keep it short and sweet<\/span>, and make sure that any pages linked to from the text are mobile-friendly!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Check out <\/span>our<\/span> <\/span>latest press release<\/span><\/a> to get an idea of the format to use when <\/span> crafting your <\/span> first press release.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n From there, you can use social media to tease auction items or guest <\/span>entertainers for your <\/span> event, or you can post fundraising leaders if you\u2019re <\/span> running a peer-to-peer event<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n One of the best things you can do is allow your supporters do the talking for <\/span>you through <\/span> user-generated content. This might mean reaching out to a <\/span>former participant that\u2019s now a <\/span> business leader in the community and asking <\/span>them to record a video talking about how <\/span> their participation in your program <\/span>helped the<\/span>m <\/span>succeed. Junior Achievement does a <\/span> great job of highlighting their <\/span>past par<\/span>t<\/span>icipants who have gone on to do big things (Mark <\/span> Cuban is one <\/span>prominent example).<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n You can also create user-generated content with your current students. How <\/span>t<\/span>ickled <\/span> would a major donor be to <\/span>see<\/span> a video from students thanking them by <\/span>name?! <\/span>Put on <\/span> your creative fundraising cap, and think of all the funny, silly, <\/span>and downright <\/span> adorable ways you could have your students participate.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Just remember<\/span> to <\/span>produce different types of content to keep your audience <\/span> engaged, and <\/span> don\u2019t over-post (<\/span>everyone gets bored seeing the same thing <\/span> over and over again<\/span>).<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n And finally, one of the most important ways you can use social media to <\/span> promote your event is also the simplest. Just make sure social sharing is set up <\/span>on your <\/span> event page, and let your supporters get to work promoting your event <\/span>for you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Before your event even starts, you want to make sure you have your post-event communication strategy<\/a> in place. This means you\u2019ll want to have a plan for thanking your donors (again, since they should have gotten a thank-you email shortly after they donated), and for letting them know how much they helped your nonprofit raise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One creative method of doing this comes from Catholic Inner-city Schools Education Fund (CISE), who recently updated their event page with a post-event message that explained how much the event raise, and how the funds would make a difference in the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also want to send out a post-event survey. This is how you\u2019ll know what went well at your event, and what parts your participants weren\u2019t that fond of. And if you leave a blank field for comments, you may just get some ideas for fun activities to incorporate into next year\u2019s event! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even as people start going out to more and more in-person events, we think virtual (or hybrid) events are here to stay. After all, so many nonprofits have found that they can get the best of both worlds by offering at least some virtual components to their guests, and that\u2019s just as true when fundraising for education as it is with any other cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need some more items for knocking your next event out of the part, we hope these additional resources will help you plan your most successful fundraising event to date: <\/p>\n\n\n\n While virtual fundraising was already gaining traction pre-pandemic, it certainly became a dominating force during the pandemic. Many nonprofits were compelled to become experts on virtual events and online fundraising overnight, and many found themselves pleasantly surprised when their virtual fundraisers helped them raise more than in-person events. Virtual options can be particularly helpful when fundraising for education, as they allow you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[205,271,273],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Example](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-7.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Don\u2019t Be Afraid to Get Creative <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Banner](\"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-8.png\")
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Set Your Nonprofit Up for Success with the Right Fundraising Tech <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Make Sure Your Website is Branded <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Keep Up Engagement <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. Venue Management for a Virtual Event? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Have the Right Staff in the Right Place at the Right Time <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Allow Alternative Payment Methods <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Promote Your Virtual Fundraising for Education Event <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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10. Know Your Post-Event Communication Strategy Before <\/em>Your Event Starts <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts <\/h2>\n\n\n\n