Donation Management SoftwareDonationsDonor ManagementFundraisingNonprofit Donor Software

A Strong Bond: Building Donor Engagement in Your Ministry

Let’s talk about donor engagement. These are the words we often hear in nonprofit ministry.

When your donors give you money, that’s a connection. It shows that they have a basic appreciation of your mission and its purpose. But are they truly engaged?

Are they invested in your work? Committed to seeing it continue? Do they know the day-to-day impact of what you do? Are they thrilled when your mission succeeds?

That’s a lot of questions, obviously. It all boils down to this: Getting donations is wonderful. But engaging donors is crucial to moving your ministry forward.

So, here’s another question: How do you truly engage your donors?

DonorDirect’s StudioOnline software sets the standard for donor engagement. There are four ways that we work to empower donors to be part of ministries. Let’s go through them one by one. And in each section, think about whether your donors are being truly empowered to be part of your ministry. Or can you be doing more to give your donors a strong connection?

1. Account Setup and Management

Donations are appreciated. Participation is valued. But don’t let that be the end of your relationship. Giving your donors an individual account lets them be more engaged with how they’re giving and participating.

With the StudioOnline platform, donors can easily manage their own accounts and update contact info. They can download their donation history and make additional gifts. They can see which events they’ve signed up for, and register for new ones. It’s a way for donors to be more present. More involved. They will see your ministry as something they are truly part of. And they’ll want to get more involved.

2. Ministry-Driven Products and Sales

Books, educational materials, even t-shirts or other branded items … these are ways that your donors can literally “buy into” your ministries and become more connected to the work you’re doing. StudioOnline’s e-commerce functionality allows you to present and sell your products online.

On your website, donors can view products. Read descriptions. Add items to their cart. And of course, make purchases. And purchase will be automatically recorded to the donor’s account.

3. Dedicated Landing Pages

What happens when you target donors with a specific fundraising message – and then direct them to a generic landing page? That’s the opposite of engagement. It creates a disconnect between what donors are responding to and what your ministries are all about.

StudioOnline allows you to create tailored landing pages for specific nonprofit marketing campaigns. You can choose from a range of landing page layout templates. Or you can customize your own. You can link to a landing page from your email marketing, social media, or paid advertising campaigns. This lets you create consistent messaging from your first contact with a donor, to their generous gift. It lets you create better engagement!

4. Child Sponsorships

Is there a more powerful example of engagement than letting donors sponsor a child who is benefiting from your ministries? This helps donors build a strong, lasting relationship with your work. And StudioOnline helps you make it happen.

Through this platform, your donors can read your compelling stories about the children your ministries are helping. They can make the powerful commitment of sponsoring an individual child. And there’s even an option for donors to send and receive messages from the children they sponsor. This will give your donors a real stake in your ministries and your impact.

That’s four ways DonorDirect’s StudioOnline system can help your ministry build donor engagement. Now we’d like to engage with you. Let us show you how our platform works. How it can strengthen your mission.

Click here to schedule your free StudioOnline demo. Let’s get started!

Broadcast MinistryWorld Relief

Calm in a Crisis: How a Donor Management Solution Helps Ministries in Times of Turmoil

It happens so often—a crisis strikes. Natural disasters. Civil unrest. Global conflicts. In an instant the world can be turned upside down. Your missions will instantly face new needs and new challenges. And your missionaries are away from home, doing everything they can to help those in need, while also thinking of their own safety.

Your donors are a lifeline for your organization and your missionaries in times of crisis, and the right donor management system will anchor your organization when chaos strikes. If you are reviewing your current platform to see if it’s up to the challenge—or if you’re looking to start from scratch and implement a new program—here are four ways that the best donor management solutions can sustain your missions in a crisis:

1. A great system lets you receive gifts immediately, when the need is greatest.

Times of crisis are when donors want to help the most. As COVID-19 shut down our world, people responded generously to help those affected. Giving has erupted as suffering was unleashed on the people of Ukraine. Generosity never seems to fail, and a strong donor management system will quickly connect your organization with those who want to give.

The best systems allow quick and easy support for missionaries, including online contributions and recurring gifts. People want to give, but they’ll give up on your ministries and move on to the next opportunity if making a simple contribution is needlessly complex. Especially when disaster strikes and urgent help is needed, givers appreciate simple giving.

At DonorDirect, we’ve also streamlined operations for hard-working finance teams and simplified the reconciliation process with integrated donation processing and robust payment security. Gone are the days of managing multiple systems. There’s just no time, especially when ministries need undivided attention.

2. The best donor management solution lets you connect your missions directly to your donors.

Your donors care, and they appreciate when you speak directly to their most pressing concerns. Especially when it feels like the world is in chaos, it can be incredibly comforting to donors to know that they’re being heard, and that your ministries are keeping their promises.

An integrated donor management solution eliminates any guess work about what really matters to your benefactors. DonorDirect is designed around in-depth donor intelligence and trend insights that let ministries stay on the pulse of donors—why they first gave, what inspires them to keep giving, and how they like to engage.

Having this knowledge lets organizations send personalized, automated fundraising letters and emails; track donor activity; and quickly generate reporting data with as much detail as needed. The most effective ministries make donors feel valued through personalized thank-you messages and acknowledgements. There’s nothing like letting donors know that what they give is appreciated and makes a real difference, especially when the stakes are high for those in need.

3. The right platform brings simplicity to seemingly complicated systems.

The last thing you need in a time of crisis is multiple software or online platforms to manage donor information, online giving, or communications. An integrated donor database ties all your important tasks into one system. One real-world impact of this simplicity that our DonorDirect team hears about often is passwords. Our clients love that there are fewer logins to remember with an integrated system. They can quickly access important information with a few keystrokes and immediately focus on the important work of keeping missions running smoothly.

An integrated solution also lets mission staff spend less time on tedious “behind the scenes” processes and get more done in less time because multiple systems work together. No more monster spreadsheets that must be linked to separate database tools. In a crisis, who has time and energy to waste trying to get these systems to “talk,” when what you really want to be talking about is where your missionaries are, what they’re doing, and how donors can help?

4. A great donor management solution empowers your missionaries.

Your missionaries are driven by special callings and personal dedication. They know best what their missions need and when they need it. And an integrated donor management system can work just as hard for your missionaries as your staff and your supporters, especially when conditions are changing constantly and new needs can emerge in an instant.

DonorDirect systems provide real-time, customizable access for missionaries all around the world so they can quickly receive and share information that matters most. So when crisis strikes, missionary teams can create bulk communications for their supporters, letting them know what’s happening and how donors can help. Teams can also designate special funds or projects beyond general ministries or staff support—like a travel fund, a medical fund, an equipment fund—wherever the need is greatest at any given time.

DonorDirect can help your missionaries in a time of crisis.

In times of crisis, the world needs your ministries and the light of Jesus to shine. You can make a lasting Kingdom impact with a donor management solution that accelerates your efforts. That’s what will happen when you partner with DonorDirect—a worldwide leader in nonprofit enterprise CRM software since 1999.

Our team is eager to learn about your work and how we can help your ministry impact the world. Connect with us here to get started!

Donation Management SoftwareFinancial ManagementNonprofit Donor SoftwareVolunteer Management

Year-End Giving and Reporting

How to Make the Most Out of Your Year-End Giving Appeal

The spirit of generosity is usually at its peak during the final months of the year. With giving in the hearts of most people, it’s an opportune time for your nonprofit ministry to jump into your year-end giving appeal.

Nearly 1/3 of annual giving occurs in December, with 13% of giving happening in the last three days of the year. Yes, this is quite last minute, but when you start your campaign early, you’ll give your donors time to think and pray about what they want their year-end donation to be. It also gives them a moment to adjust their budget if needed and plan so they can make that last-minute gift.

What is a Year-End Giving Appeal?

As a ministry leader or finance team member, you probably already understand the importance of giving campaigns and fundraising opportunities and how they can inspire generosity. A nonprofit’s year-end giving appeal is an important effort to raise more funds at the end of the year. Because people are feeling generous and many want to have higher tax deductions, they consider donating at year’s end. A final fundraising campaign can help inspire generosity and increase giving for your nonprofit.

Below are five strategies for a successful year-end giving campaign.

1. Reach Out to Volunteers

Volunteers are some of the top contributors to nonprofits and ministries. That’s probably because they are already passionate about the work that your ministry is doing. In fact, 79% of a nonprofit’s volunteers also donate to that organization. That is more than half of what non-volunteers contribute.

Don’t miss out on the incredible opportunity of involving your volunteers in your year-end giving. Reach out to them personally and let them know how their donations can make an even greater impact. Because they share your nonprofit’s vision, they are also likely to want to donate to your cause.

2. Make an Appeal

The whole point of a year-end giving campaign is to let people know about it! If people aren’t aware of the opportunity, they’ll be less likely to give. So, don’t be afraid to make the ask.

Share your giving link on social media, send an email inviting them to donate, or do it the old-fashioned way and mail them a letter. Tell them what your nonprofit is doing and why you’re doing it. Then, make it even easier for them to give with your online giving options.

3. Cast Vision

Accelerate generosity by sharing the vision. Don’t simply ask people for money. (Nobody likes that). But when you inspire people with the mission of what their financial gifts could do, they’ll be more likely to want to participate.

Consider creating various funds for certain projects your ministry has planned for the coming year. Letting your donors know how their gifts can make a difference will encourage them even more.

4. Reflect on the Good

What did your nonprofit accomplish in the last year that impacted others’ lives? Along with casting vision, look back at all the good that happened through your ministry and volunteers.

Include stories or testimonies from people who were blessed. Do an interview with a volunteer who was excited to serve. Share how somebody who gave last year was inspired by what happened through their donation. Spark generous hearts by reflecting on the good.

5. Send an Annual Report

Use your annual report to highlight the mission and impact of financial contributions in the previous year. Take time to thank your donors and make a case for donating at year’s end. This is a great opportunity to show transparency and build greater trust with your donors.

Make your annual report visually appealing with graphs, charts, and photos. Share the stories we talked about above. Then, send it out to your donors via email or traditional mail. Don’t forget to include information about how to give and that it’s not too late.

How Donor Management Software Can Help Your Giving Campaign

DonorDirect will make your year-end campaign simple and efficient for administrators and easy for donors to give. We’re here to help you reach your goals, further your vision, and expand God’s kingdom. Contact us today for more information!

Nonprofit Donor Software

Nonprofit Organizations – Facebook Tips

Social media has become a huge presence in marketing, and nonprofit organizations are wise to utilize social media to their advantage. Facebook, in particular, is an easy, free, and effective way to generate support for a cause. By following a few simple Facebook tips, nonprofit organizations stand to benefit greatly, and build a solid base of support.

As with any Facebook endeavor, the first step is to create a page. You can create a group, as well, but a page offers a few advantages. Having a Facebook page enables you to publish directly into the news stream allowing you to engage followers with a variety of media, including status updates, polls, videos, and photos. You can also analyze fan interaction with the Insights Dashboard, and buying advertising on your page is a good way to increase your number of fans. Use your nonprofit organization’s logo as your profile picture, and choose a name for your page that matches your organization’s website. It’s also a good practice to have more than one administrator, and to enable settings that maximize participation. Remember, the purpose of Facebook is not to advertise, but to create interaction. Fans should be allowed to:
- Write on the wall
- Post photos
- Post videos
- Post links
Join Causes. In 2007, Causes was launched on Facebook, to help users make a difference in the world. It’s an application that lets Facebook users tell people about worthy causes, ask for donations, and share information. It’s easy to form an advocacy group on causes, and you can post announcements, send emails and Facebook notifications, encourage discussions, share information, create petitions, and fundraise. Nonprofit Organizations with multiple chapters can even use the Nonprofit Partner Center to manage their involvement.
Be active, but make sure your content has value. Keep your status updates to once a day, but post frequently, sharing information about events, news stories, and other interesting items related to your cause. Share information on Facebook that users cannot find on your website, so that there is value in visiting your page.
Create conversation. Pay attention to your wall, and don’t just post and walk away. Look for user comments and feedback, and engage them in conversations that will be interesting to others involved in your cause. Facebook is all about connecting with a community, so make sure to remain engaged.
Utilize apps, to make it fun. Create a quiz or a game to connect with your fans in a unique way. Make it fun for them to post content to their walls, or share it with their friends. One way to do this is to create little virtual gifts, which they can give to their friends through your page.
Use Facebook to garner donations. This can be as easy as creating a donations box, but you can also add a store, to maximize donation opportunities. Be sure to offer fans the option of adding a badge or button to their own Facebook pages; by doing so you’ll not only give them a feeling of ownership, but you’ll draw more attention to your page.
Cross-promote, to maximize your Facebook page’s potential. By putting a “Like” button on your website, or allowing visitors to your site to share content, you’ll be driving traffic to your Facebook page, where they can become further involved.

When nonprofit organizations create Facebook pages, the ultimate goal is to translate online activity to real-life action. By keeping your Facebook page unique and compelling, you’ll create the kind of interest that leads people to get involved in a meaningful way. To learn more about building a base of support be sure to connect with DonorDirect on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Then, find more successful tips for ministries by following our blog and visiting our YouTube Channel.