Multi-Channel Fundraising: How to Make Your Cause Visible

Multi-channel fundraising is a communication strategy that empowers modern fundraisers to make their voices heard. With each additional channel you use to share your messages, you expose more people to your mission and its compelling involvement opportunities like matching gifts.

To elevate your campaigns, we’ll explore everything your nonprofit needs to know about multi-channel fundraising, including key channels you won’t want to overlook and strategies that will enhance your outreach:

• What Is Multi-Channel Fundraising?
• The Importance of Multi-Channel Donor Outreach
• Different Channels to Include in Your Strategy
• How to Launch a Foolproof Multi-Channel Fundraiser

Getting your message in front of donors is essential for securing funds and ensuring your work gains the traction it needs. Now, let’s dive into the basics of multi-channel fundraising.

What Is Multi-Channel Fundraising?

Multi-channel fundraising is a strategic approach to marketing where nonprofits engage donors through diverse platforms to boost visibility and support. This method blends online and offline tactics, such as email, social media, direct mail, and corporate partnerships.

By leveraging a mix of communication methods, nonprofits can meet donors on their preferred platforms, reach new audiences, and maximize fundraising potential.

What’s the Difference Between Omni-Channel and Multi-Channel Fundraising?

Multi-channel fundraising involves using multiple independent platforms to reach donors. Each channel operates separately, often delivering similar messages without full integration or cohesion. In contrast, omni-channel fundraising creates a seamless donor experience where messages on each channel complement and reinforce one another.

For example, let’s say a nonprofit launches a new fundraiser. A multi-channel campaign might involve an email announcement, social media posts, and direct mail, each sharing the same message announcing the fundraiser. An omni-channel campaign would integrate these efforts, so each subsequent message builds off the prior one. An email links to a landing page, social media ads encourage visitors who clicked off the page to return, and direct mail references the online materials for a unified experience.

The Importance of Multi-Channel Donor Outreach

With so many platforms available, multi-channel fundraising has become both an essential and practical strategy for nonprofits. This method not only caters to donors’ diverse communication preferences but also significantly broadens fundraising efforts’ reach.

Here’s a rundown of some key benefits of multi-channel donor outreach:

• Broader Audience Reach: Connecting with donors across several channels allows organizations to inspire different demographics, including various age groups, interests, and behaviors. By using a mix of digital and traditional platforms, your nonprofit can reach potential donors beyond your usual network.
• Increased Engagement Opportunities: Multi-channel fundraising creates numerous touchpoints for engaging donors, from social media interactions to email campaigns. Each channel provides unique opportunities for cultivating deeper relationships.
• Enhanced Donor Retention: When your nonprofit is present across multiple channels, you’ll stay top-of-mind with donors. Regular, varied communication through these channels helps build lasting donor relationships, leading to increased loyalty.
• Amplification of Important Initiatives: Multi-channel fundraising is particularly effective in promoting big initiatives like matching gifts. If your nonprofit promotes matching gifts across various platforms, you can educate and encourage more donors to participate, increasing fundraising revenue.
• Diversification of Revenue Streams: Using multiple channels for fundraising opens up various avenues for revenue, ensuring a more stable funding base.
• More Conversions: Using several fundraising channels naturally increases the number of people who see your messages and donate. In fact, leveraging multiple channels for a campaign can lead to a 204% conversion increase. Researchers predict this is because certain campaign elements are better suited for specific mediums. For example, you might use email to provide detailed campaign updates, social media to share impact stories, and direct mail for personalized appeals.

From amplifying key initiatives to expanding to new demographics, multi-channel fundraising is helpful for any nonprofit seeking to maximize its impact.

Different Channels to Include in Your Strategy

With each additional channel, you increase the number of individuals who will see your message. However, don’t spread yourself too thin by using every channel possible. Instead, choose platforms with the highest viewership potential to maximize your fundraisers’ visibility.

That way, even if your latest fundraising email is delivered to a donor’s spam folder, they’ll have another chance to view it elsewhere, like social media! Let’s explore some of the most common channels nonprofits leverage to promote fundraisers.

Email Fundraising

According to our nonprofit fundraising research, 48% of donors say regular email communications are the channel that’s most likely to inspire repeat donations. What’s more, email marketing campaigns generate approximately 28% of all online nonprofit revenue. That makes it a fundamental component of your multi-channel fundraising strategy.

It’s one of the most cost-effective, direct ways to connect with donors. To drive fundraising revenue through this channel, you should:

• Personalize your outreach. Email enables highly personalized communication. Segment your email list based on donor interests, giving history, demographic information, and engagement levels. Strategic segmentation enables targeted messaging that resonates with different groups, whether you’re promoting an event to a local audience or fundraising for a program that specific donors have previously funded.
• Create compelling content. Create compelling content by weaving emotional stories that highlight the transformative impact of donations, fostering a deep connection with readers. Feature upcoming events and matching gift opportunities to drive engagement, and include clear, user-friendly donation links to make contributing effortless. Then, top it all off with an engaging subject line to encourage clicks.
• Leverage scheduling. Email allows for timely communication in response to current events or urgent funding needs. However, you can also schedule your emails to be sent later for important dates like a cause awareness day or GivingTuesday. This flexibility helps capitalize on moments when donor interest is highest.

You can also create a cohesive multi-channel experience by directing readers to your organization’s social media pages, website, or upcoming events.

One of the best parts of email campaigns is that they’re easily trackable. Pay attention to metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of each email. That way, you can continuously improve fundraising communications. For instance, if your emails have high deliverability but low open rates, experiment with your subject lines and send emails from a specific person at your organization, like the executive director.

Corporate Partnerships

Partnerships between companies and nonprofits are essential to a comprehensive multi-channel fundraising strategy. These partnerships are intended to be mutually beneficial, strengthening companies’ reputations and increasing nonprofits’ support.

These collaborations can take multiple forms, such as:

• Cause Marketing: Through this form of corporate philanthropy, a company will promote your cause, such as by contributing a portion of a product’s proceeds to your organization. This strategy boosts fundraising by leveraging the company’s brand and customer base.
• Corporate Donations: These are direct financial or in-kind contributions from a company to your nonprofit. These donations provide crucial funding for projects and various operational needs. The company may also provide in-kind gifts such as a venue for an upcoming fundraising event.
• Volunteer Grants: Corporate volunteerism involves companies encouraging employees to volunteer time and skills to nonprofits. Often, the company will offer monetary donations based on volunteer hours, providing hands-on assistance and financial support.
• Matching Donation Challenges: Some companies will pledge to match a portion or all of the donations made to your nonprofit during a specific time period. Matching donation challenges are effective for amplifying fundraising impact.
• Matching Gifts: Employee matching gifts are a form of employee giving where companies match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits, doubling charitable impact. Your corporate partner can encourage employees to donate to your organization specifically to show their commitment to your cause. If you’re curious about this donation channel, watch this video to learn more:

 

Associating your cause with a well-known company can open up your cause to new supporters. Plus, putting time into developing strong partnerships can lead to long-term support, rather than one-time corporate donations.

Google Ads

For nonprofits leveraging paid advertising, search ads generate the highest return on ad spend, $2.75 for every dollar spent. That makes Google Ads an incredibly valuable platform for nonprofits. To make this channel even more enticing, eligible nonprofits can leverage this tool for free.

Through the Google Ad Grant program, approved organizations receive up to $10,000 to spend on Google Ads every month. This money can be spent promoting your website’s most important content at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) for mission-related keywords. For example, here’s an example of a SERP for the search term “donate to stop deforestation:”

Here’s how the Google Ad Grant is most helpful in the context of multi-channel fundraising:

• Promote different fundraising initiatives. Your nonprofit can direct potential donors to your online donation form, event registration page, Ways to Give page, or another campaign page. This helps convert interest into action since people who click the ads are often already interested in the cause because they searched for related keywords.
• Target different users. Google Ads allows nonprofits to target ads to specific groups of people based on factors like demographics, interests, search behaviors, and location. This means organizations can tailor their messages to reach individuals most likely to support their cause.
• Increase visibility. With Google Ads, nonprofits can appear at the top of search results when people search for relevant keywords. This can be super helpful since 98% of searchers click a result on page 1 of Google search results. Increasing visibility can raise awareness among various audiences, including those who are unreachable through other channels. That makes it effective for diversifying your fundraising efforts and extending your reach.

Even if people don’t click your Google Ads, you can still generate revenue from this channel. In fact, Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grant Impact Report estimates that 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads comes from view-through revenue, which is revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad.

Social Media Fundraising

Social media is an indispensable channel for multi-channel fundraising, offering multiple platforms to engage donors. Its strength lies in its ability to eliminate geographical barriers, foster community, share compelling narratives, and facilitate instant communication.

Add in fundraising tools like donation buttons, and social media becomes unstoppable. In fact, Nonprofits Source estimates that 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media wind up taking action.

Through these platforms, nonprofits can reach diverse audiences that span age groups, interests, and geographical locations.

1. Facebook: Community-Centric Fundraising

Facebook is a versatile platform for building a community around your cause. Create dedicated fundraising pages to share compelling beneficiary stories, post regular updates, and collect donations directly through the integrated donation button. Use Facebook Events to plan fundraising activities and engage your audience. Also, empower supporters to amplify your reach with peer-to-peer campaigns where they fundraise on your behalf.

2. Instagram: Visual Storytelling

With its emphasis on visual content, Instagram excels at connecting supporters to your mission through captivating images and videos. Maximize engagement by using features like donation stickers and “Swipe Up” links in Stories to direct users to your donation page. Instagram Live can further elevate your efforts and inspire action by hosting interactive Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes looks, or real-time fundraising events.

3. X (Formerly Twitter): Real-Time Engagement

Best for real-time communication, X enables you to share quick messages about your cause, fundraising events, and success stories. Participate in trending conversations relevant to your cause to boost visibility and position your organization as active and trustworthy.

Allegiance Group + Pursuant highlights Truth Initiative’s multi-step campaign called “Not Happy or Healthy,” which incorporated SMS, email, and social media like X. Truth Initiative is a tobacco-prevention campaign aimed at young adults, making these channels the perfect way to reach their target audience.

The campaign engaged more than 67,000 young activists and secured more than 5,300 petition signatures by posting messages like the one below:

4. TikTok: Engagement With Younger Generations

TikTok’s short-form video format offers a unique opportunity to captivate young audiences and drive donations. With 57% of viewers donating after watching nonprofit videos, this platform is a powerful tool for sharing impactful stories and connecting emotionally with supporters. Use TikTok’s trending challenges, music, and filters to craft engaging content that resonates.

Also, leverage the TikTok for Good program to add donation stickers to your videos, making it easy for viewers to contribute to your cause.

Charity eCards

Nonprofit eCards are digital greeting cards that offer a unique take on fundraising. This channel blends the appeal of personalized greetings with the chance to support your cause. Supporters can send these greeting cards to friends and family for special occasions like birthdays. Here’s an example from the nonprofit One Tail At A Time:

As part of the animal rescue organization’s fundraiser, donors could purchase these cute Valentine’s Day eCards featuring some of the organization’s beloved rescues. To add this channel to your fundraising strategy, follow these steps:

1. Using an eCard site, create eCards branded to your cause that supporters can choose from.
2. Donors select their favorite eCard, personalize it with a message, add their loved one’s contact information, and then choose a donation amount.
3. The eCard is sent to the recipient, and your nonprofit receives the donation.

This approach not only provides a meaningful way to celebrate special occasions, but it also drives fundraising by linking the act of giving to the act of sending well wishes. As an innovative platform for your nonprofit’s multi-channel fundraising strategy, eCards serve the dual purpose of fostering personal connections and financially supporting philanthropic causes.

Direct Mail Fundraising

In a world driven by technology, direct mail is a key element in your multi-channel fundraising strategy. Compared to digital communication, direct mail provides personal and tangible connections with donors. Up to 90% of direct mail is opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails. It’s particularly effective with older demographics and includes content types like personalized solicitation letters and postcards, blending personalized messages with calls to action.

For inspiration, here’s an example of a direct mail fundraising postcard from the Georgia Mountain Food Bank:

To integrate your fundraising channels, link your direct mail outreach to digital channels via QR codes or URLs that lead to your donation form or a campaign page. This channel’s ability to maintain donor relationships justifies higher printing and postage costs, making it crucial for diverse fundraising efforts.

Website Fundraising

Think of your nonprofit’s website as the central hub of your multi-channel fundraising strategy. It serves as both an information resource and a platform for accepting donations. Specifically, your website does the following:

• Provides a comprehensive overview of your organization’s mission, projects, and impact, helping donors understand and connect with your purpose.
• Showcases key fundraising initiatives, such as workplace giving programs, with features like a searchable database on your donation form or a dedicated matching gifts page.
• Facilitates secure donations through a user-friendly, mobile-responsive donation page.
• Highlights beneficiary stories and detailed reports on how funds are utilized, building trust and transparency.

You can also integrate your website into other channels like social media and email, driving traffic to your donation form, events pages, or other pages where visitors can learn about your cause and potentially donate.

Your website’s role in consolidating information, providing donation opportunities, and linking fundraising efforts makes it a cornerstone in your multi-channel fundraising approach.

Traditional Media Campaigns

Traditional media channels, such as newspapers and press releases, are essential to a multi-channel fundraising strategy. They provide credibility and facilitate targeted local engagement, reaching demographics that may not be as active online.

For example, newspapers can feature stories or events related to your organization, offering valuable exposure to local audiences and reinforcing your community presence. Distributing press releases to local media outlets is an effective way to share information about upcoming events or fundraising campaigns.

Coverage in reputable media outlets enhances your organization’s trustworthiness, boosting donor confidence. By incorporating traditional media into your multi-channel fundraising strategy, you can broaden your reach, strengthen community ties, and maximize the impact of your campaigns.

Phone Campaigns

Mobile users made up 33% of online donations last year, meaning phone calls and texts help connect with modern donors. Here’s a breakdown of these fundraising channels:

• Phone calls provide a unique opportunity for meaningful, one-on-one interactions, enabling nonprofits to build deeper relationships. This personal outreach is especially effective for stewardship, major gift solicitations, and situations that require detailed conversations. Phone communication allows you to discuss your organization’s goals, answer questions, and address donors’ concerns.
• Text messages offer immediacy and convenience, which is particularly appealing to younger demographics. Texts can be used for quick updates, event reminders, and urgent appeals. They also provide a platform for initiating text-to-give campaigns, allowing donors to easily contribute by sending their preferred donation amount to a designated phone number provided by your chosen tool. Take a look at how Alabama Public Television thanked its donors and encouraged engagement with a quick Valentine’s Day text message:

Both phone calls and text messages can support outreach on other channels. For instance, send text reminders for an upcoming event you announced on social media, ensuring a cohesive donor experience across multiple channels. Just make sure you have accurate phone numbers with a phone append first!

How to Launch a Foolproof Multi-Channel Fundraiser section:

With a solid understanding of various channels to engage donors, it’s time to create your multi-channel fundraising strategy.

Since you’ll want to avoid a disorganized approach, create a detailed plan that lays out your goals, prioritizes high-ROI channels, and makes the most of your budget. Put some forethought into each campaign’s strategy by taking the following steps:

1. Set Clear Goals

Define the primary purpose of your fundraising campaign. Are you aiming to raise a specific amount of money, increase donor engagement, or fund a particular project? Knowing what you’re trying to accomplish makes it easier to communicate your value proposition and drive donations. Clear, measurable goals will guide your strategy and help evaluate its success.

To create an effective goal, develop specific, measurable, and quantifiable objectives. For example, if your goal is to raise $25,000 by the end of your campaign, set milestones and timelines for achieving that target.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Understanding who your donors are is crucial to drive donations. Conduct a demographic analysis to identify key characteristics of current and potential donors. To make sure you’re working with accurate and complete information, conduct a demographic append, focusing on characteristics such as:

• Age so you can tailor the messaging and choice of channels to better resonate with different age groups.
• Geographic location to allow for region-specific campaigns and events, ensuring relevance and accessibility for targeted geographic communities.
• Income level to set realistic donation requests and design campaigns that align with the financial capacities of different donor groups.
• Matching gift eligibility so you can maximize fundraising potential by targeting eligible individuals to leverage employer matching programs.
• Giving history to enable personalized engagement strategies that account for past contributions.

Using this information, you can understand who receive your donation appeals. Use your CRM to segment your audience based on different commonalities so you can make each fundraising message more effective.

After all, the effectiveness of any multi-channel fundraising strategy lies in your nonprofit’s efforts to personalize and segment communication across different channels. For instance, our fundraising research indicates that personalized emails see average open rates that are 82% higher than generic emails.

3. Choose the Right Mix of Channels

From here, choose a mix of digital and traditional channels to promote your campaign. Remember not to overdo it by selecting every platform possible.

Instead, think about which channels donors tend to be most responsive on. Assess the suitability of each channel for your audience, too. For instance, younger donors might be more receptive to social media campaigns, while older demographics may prefer direct mail.

4. Create a Unified Message Across Channels

Now, craft your key message for the campaign. While the format of your message will vary by channel, branding should be consistent across all channels with similar language, tone, and visuals. While maintaining a unified message, tailor your content to fit each channel’s unique format and audience preferences.

Let’s explore an example of a fictional fundraising campaign called “Every Step Counts” for an environmental conservation organization. Here’s what unified messaging through this multi-channel fundraising campaign might look like:

• Social Media: Share visually compelling posts and stories featuring beautiful natural landscapes with brief, impactful messages about preserving the environment. Use the hashtag #EveryStepCounts to create a unified theme and encourage followers to post, too. You can also highlight stories of donors who successfully doubled their donations through matching gifts, using the campaign’s #EveryStepCounts hashtag.
• Email Newsletter: Send out a detailed newsletter to subscribers explaining the campaign, its goals, and how contributions can make a difference. Use similar imagery and language as you did on social media for consistency. Consider adding a section on matching gifts, providing a simple guide on how donors can check if their employer offers this program.
• Website: Create a dedicated campaign page with more in-depth information, donation options, and insight into progress. The page design should mirror the visual theme of the social media posts and newsletter. You can also embed your matching gift search tool to reinforce the idea of doubling donations to strengthen your campaign’s impact.
• Direct Mail: Send out physical postcards and brochures with high-quality photos of nature and a concise message echoing the digital campaign’s sentiments. You can also dedicate a portion to explaining the concept of matching gifts. Then, include a QR code linking to the campaign webpage to combine the digital and offline experiences.

In each channel, the message emphasizes the importance of individual contributions and corporate matching gifts to environmental conservation, maintaining a consistent tone and visual style that reinforces the “Every Step Counts” theme. This unified approach helps build a cohesive campaign, increasing its resonance with donors.

5. Allocate Your Budget Effectively

Finally, allocate your budget for each channel. Consider both the cost and potential return on investment (ROI) of each platform. Beyond physical materials, you’ll want to account for staff time and tools. Fundraising software and automation tools will help streamline processes and reduce manual labor needed for your multi-channel fundraising campaign.

From here, continuously monitor the performance of each channel and adjust your strategy and budget allocation accordingly. This includes scaling up successful channels and reevaluating underperforming ones. Paying attention to what resonates is crucial. After all, 61% of marketers say the most important element for a successful strategy is the accurate measurement of each channel’s performance.

6. Invest in Dedicated Software

To execute a multi-channel fundraising campaign, invest in dedicated fundraising and marketing software. The right tools streamline processes, improve communication, and maximize donor engagement across platforms.

Here are some key types of marketing and fundraising software to consider:

• Email Marketing Software: Create and schedule segmented email campaigns to engage donors, share targeted updates, and encourage contributions.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Track donor information, interactions, and giving history to create personalized solicitations.
• Social Media Management Tools: Plan, schedule, and analyze posts across platforms to maintain a consistent online presence.
• Text-to-Give Platforms: Enable donors to contribute quickly and conveniently via text messages.
• Event Management Software: Organize and promote fundraising events while managing registrations and attendance.

These tools not only enhance each fundraiser’s efficiency but also ensure a cohesive donor experience across channels.

7. Work With A Fundraising Agency

Partner with a fundraising agency to receive expert guidance and resources that can help your campaign succeed. These agencies specialize in crafting strategies, managing outreach, and leveraging industry best practices tailored to your organization’s goals. You might work with a full-service firm to tackle your multi-channel fundraising strategy or choose a specialized agency to focus on a specific platform.

Benefits of working with a fundraising agency include:

• Strategic Planning: Agencies can help design a comprehensive multi-channel strategy that aligns with your mission and target audience.
• Content Creation: From compelling storytelling to professional graphic design, agencies can produce high-quality materials for your campaign.
• Data Analysis: Fundraising experts analyze donor data to identify trends, optimize outreach, and enhance campaign performance.
• Advanced Understanding of Tools:  Whether it’s configuring your CRM for better donor tracking or enhancing your email marketing campaigns, agencies leverage their expertise to ensure you get the most out of your technology.

Whether you’re looking to expand your reach, improve your donor experience, or refine your messaging, a fundraising agency offers valuable support to amplify your impact.

Final Thoughts on Multi-Channel Fundraising

A well-executed multi-channel fundraising strategy can significantly amplify the impact of your fundraising efforts. Remember that the landscape of fundraising is constantly evolving, though. The strategies and insights shared here are just the beginning.

Remain proactive and seek out new trends, technologies, and methods to improve your approach to multi-channel fundraising. By staying open to learning, your organization can exceed its fundraising goals, making a lasting impact on your cause.

To continue learning, check out these educational resources:

• Free Nonprofit Marketing Tools You Need To Amplify Support: Low-cost and free tools can boost your multi-channel fundraising strategy’s ROI. Explore some of the best free resources for marketing your next fundraiser.
• How to Secure Corporate Sponsorships: Find Your Perfect Fit: Corporate support is a key channel for any nonprofit’s multi-channel fundraising strategy. Learn all about this revenue source and discover how to get corporate sponsors for your cause.
• Digital Marketing for Nonprofits Made Easy: A Helpful Guide: Online marketing is an unavoidable part of multi-channel donor outreach. Discover common types and how to create a strong strategy in this guide.