donation form best practices<\/a> like keeping your form short and simple, adding your branding to the form, and adding impactful images to your form to make it appealing to those who will see and respond to your emergency fundraising appeals. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf possible, align your donation amounts with actual impact those donations will have on those you serve. What can be accomplished at each donation amount? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also important to express the emergency need on your donation form as well as the urgency of the need you\u2019re facing. Briefly explain why donations are needed and how the donated funds will be used to meet the emergency need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Link text fundraising tools to the emergency donation page <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Text fundraising is a way for your donors to give quickly, which makes it a perfect tool when it comes to emergency fundraisers. 98% of text messages are read within the first fifteen minutes of receipt. That means you can see donations to your emergency fundraiser within an hour of sending a text fundraising appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get started, create a designated keyword for the emergency appeal and share that keyword and short text code in the appeals and social posts you\u2019re sending out to raise funds for the emergency appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your donors text the keyword to the short code assigned to your nonprofit and will be sent a link to your emergency donation form. From there, they complete their donation on their mobile device. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a contact list of cell phone numbers who have opted into communication from you, you can invite them to give to your emergency appeal via outbound texts directly linking to your donation page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Launch the emergency appeal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Once you have your communications plan in place, have created the emergency donation form, and have created a text fundraising keyword, it\u2019s time to put your plan into action and get the word out about your emergency fundraiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just because you\u2019ve sent the emergency appeals doesn\u2019t mean you can rest on your laurels. Instead, you\u2019ve got to monitor your campaign\u2019s progress and report to those who have given about important milestones they\u2019ve reached. It helps to communicate what you\u2019ve accomplished at each of the milestones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Communicate from a point of gratitude. Thank donors for supporting your progress and explain how funds are being used. It helps to ask those who have given to share your appeal with those close to them. Chances are, if your donor tells a friend about your emergency fundraiser, their friend will give to support their friend\u2019s charity of choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monitor your emergency fundraiser until you\u2019ve reached your goal or until time has run out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wrap up the emergency fundraiser<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019ve been able to successfully weather the storm, wrap up your emergency fundraiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like any other appeal, fill supporters in on how much was raised and how those funds were used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re ending the fundraiser without reaching your goal, let supporters know you\u2019re still short when you send that final update. Include a way for them to give for a last-minute push if funds are still needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter what, it\u2019s important to close your emergency fundraiser the same as a standard appeal. Your supporters are going to want to know the total raised and how those donations will help. Be sure to plan for post-event communications when developing your communications plan for the emergency fundraiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We hope that with these tips your nonprofit organization is better prepared for emergency fundraisers. Expecting the unexpected and responding quickly can make a world of difference when it comes to getting your emergency needs funded. By preparing your appeals ahead of time, creating a unique donation form for the fundraiser, and incorporating text fundraising as an easy way for supporters to act quickly on your appeal, you\u2019ll find more success with your emergency fundraisers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Need the ability to make custom donation forms in a flash? Give us a try! <\/p>\n\n\n\n