Prep your tech for the year-end ask

There’s been a lot of talk in the last couple of weeks about prepping for the all-important year-end fundraising appeal. An article from The Collins Group Blog offers several helpful considerations to ponder when planning your final fundraising push of 2011. That inspired us to share a few tips to utilize your technology to make the most of that December ask.

Website: Take the time to tighten up your web copy and test your donation portal. Making sure the messaging on your donate page is compelling, timely, and creates a sense of urgency will be just as important as having the technology in place to take online payments. If you haven’t received an online payment in a while, run a test donation of a dollar or two through the system to make sure potential donors won’t hit any roadblocks that could prevent them from following through with their gift.

Social Media: When it comes to communicating your impact, you can’t really over-do it. Donors want to know where their money is going and what difference their contributions are making in the community. Lay the foundation for your end-of-year ask by reporting on the great work your organization is doing in the community via your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter stream.

Database: You’ve got buckets of data available in your database – use it to your advantage! Consider taking the time to segment your donor lists and send targeted appeals to each audience based on giving level, geographic location, or the program they’re most interested in. The more personal the ask, the more likely you are to get a donation.

Have other considerations or suggestions? Add them to the comment section below.

- Mandi Moshay