Online Payment Forms to Increase Fundraising

Transcription

1 BEST PRACTICE GUIDE 7 Online Payment Forms to Increase Fundraising A Publication of Diamond Mind Inc. 1

2 This guide is designed to provide online fundraising best practices while presenting how your peer schools are using online payment forms. Learn what to look for in an online fundraising solution. Discover how online fundraising streamlines payment acceptance and increases school revenue. ONLINE FUNDRAISING So how do you go about it? It s easier than you might think. All you need to start is your school s existing website. Why Is It So Important? Fundraising has always been an important part of an independent school s operating budget. Fees and tuition never cover the entire cost of a student s education, so independent schools increasingly need additional sources of supplemental funding. Non-tuition revenue is standard to every school s bottom line, and a key part of this initiative is fundraising. But how can your school simplify and streamline the fundraising process? The answer is easier than you think and simple to accomplish. Take your fundraising efforts online! By raising money online, your school will immediately expand its fundraising reach, increase fundraising dollars, and save time in the process. With online fundraising you can track payment information in real time and collect data that can be used for years to come as you expand your school s fundraising efforts. This e-guide will spark creative ideas for raising non-tuition revenue while showing you how easy, efficient, and fun it can be to move the fundraising process online. After learning more about what your peer schools are doing to raise funds, you ll discover your own ways to incorporate online fundraising into your revenue plan. Every dollar will help increase your school s bottom line while making reconciliation easy for the business or development office. If you don t have one already, add a visible Donate Now link on your school website s home page. A website brings your school inside the homes of family, alumni, and community near and far to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends of the school. Use this platform to communicate your school s values while raising money. Your mission and outreach will expand, and a greater number of people will have exposure to your school and therefore contribute financially. To better illustrate how this can be accomplished, we ve assembled some actual online fundraising initiatives created by schools like yours. We hope you enjoy the variety and that you ll use these ideas to create events of your own. 2

3 ONLINE GIVING Here s an example of a basic online donation page. Every independent school should offer a fast and easy way to donate online. Be sure to have this option available at the end of the calendar year when donors make their tax deductible contributions. With this easyto-create page, electronic payments are secure and donors receive an receipt automatically. DONATE 3

4 RECURRING DONATIONS This annual fund page is customized with more detail and offers a recurring donation option. Donors can choose between a one-time gift or a recurring option. If recurring, the donor can choose the amount, frequency, and number of payments made. This feature earns more dollars for your school with no extra effort! Further details include whether employers offer matching gifts and whether the gift is given in memory or honor of a loved one. Donors are 31% more likely to initiate a recurring gift on a branded giving page versus a generic giving page. SUBMIT 4

5 FUNDRAISING EVENT SPONSORSHIP School sponsorship is a great way to enable a community s local businesses and community members to support a school and its fundraising events. Here is an example of a school sponsorship opportunity page. The page provides customized descriptions of benefits associated with each level of sponsorship, and sponsors can immediately register for their sponsorship category of choice while providing contact information to the school. It s a win-win situation! Schools receive financial support and sponsors are recognized and appreciated within the school community. NEXT 5

6 FUNDRAISING EVENT BUY A BRICK Share a piece of the school and its history. This school offers a buy a brick program to offset building costs while affirming donors sense of community. All necessary information is collected through this customized online page: donor name and address, quantity of bricks, text fields for multiple brick engraving, electronic payment method of choice, etc. Certain fields were made mandatory thereby reducing the need to track down missing information. Multiple purchases are added automatically providing the correct price total when the online payment is made. SUBMIT 6

7 FUNDRAISING EVENT GALA There s no substitute for including a school s brand on an online fundraising event page. This page is a great example of sharing an event s mood and theme with the greater school community, a feature particularly important for annual auctions and galas! This page also conveniently requires ticket purchasers to choose a dinner menu at the time of event registration. HINT: This is also a great opportunity to suggest a donation. Add an additional field asking if they would like to add a donation to their purchase. This is an easy way to increase donations. SUBMIT 7

8 FUNDRAISING EVENT HOLIDAY WREATH SALE With online order forms, gone is the paper backpack black hole. How many times have you heard a parent say, I didn t know about the [sale/event/ fundraiser.] I would have participated had I known! This same parent might find a form days later, crumpled in the bottom of a child s backpack. Online order forms are a great way to reach people in a timely manner. This wreath sale page creator used the option to publish the page on a predetermined date and then take it offline automatically on the date of the deadline. The form can be found quickly and easily on the school website, and the software will save the form to be published again the following year for annual events such as a holiday wreath sale. SUBMIT ORDER 8

9 FUNDRAISING EVENT POKER NIGHT Keep the fun in fundraising with imaginative events. In this example, a school hosted an inaugural Dad s Poker Night. The event was so successful it became an annual tradition. This page allowed the organizer to pre-set a limit of 60 tickets sold. Those that tried to register after the limit was reached were unable to do so, but a donation option for the event remained available. Ideas for creative fundraising events include game nights, wine tastings, spaghetti dinners, an annual Sunday brunch... these are just a few ideas, and with the enthusiasm and support of your parent volunteers, similar fundraising events can occur throughout the year while reinforcing bonds within the school community. DONATE 9

10 FUNDRAISING EVENT LECTURE SERIES This school hosts a lecture series. Customizable features include a private dinner reception and additional donation options. Events like this support schools while providing value and strengthening social bonds. DONATE 10

11 MUTICHANNEL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN Some fundraising campaigns use a multi-faceted communication approach that also includes direct mail, , newsletters, and posters in the community. Custom graphics tie a large campaign like this together, so include them in your online pages as well. Specify what you re raising funds for (in this example, an expanded campus). Customize your form by requesting matching gift information, plaque inscription detail, and a checkbox clarifying whether any donor information is new. This will keep your donor records up to date. SUBMIT 11

12 CONCLUSION We hope this e-guide has provided inspiration for your school s year round fundraising events. To ensure you have the basic tools to get your first event page up, running, and depositing efficiently into your school s bank account, speak with a Diamond Mind independent school expert. Diamond Mind has been working with independent schools for over 12 years. We ll help find the solution right for your school. Whether you re starting from scratch or changing existing methods, our school experts will take time to listen to your needs and advise a solution that s right for you. There s no obligation. We look forward to hearing from you! 100% Dedicated to Private Schools 1,000+ Happy Clients 99% Customer Retention 500,000+ Students Supported $1.8+ billion Funds Processed Each Year 12

13 It s Easier Than You Think. With a bit of research and a plan in place, online fundraising can increase efficiency and raise more money for your school. Diamond Mind is the expert in electronic payments for independent schools, and we welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have about fundraising online or any other topic regarding electronic payment processing. Sign up for a free, 15-minute assessment call with one of our school payment experts: Get answers to your payment-related questions acceptance process Identify current gaps in your payment acceptance process Find out how to take parents payments for tuition, donations or summer programs online GET YOUR FREE CONSULTATION 13