Demystifying DIY Fundraising: Top Questions Answered
The fundraising landscape is changing. With shrinking donor pools and stretched resources, charities are increasingly looking toward always-on solutions to engage supporters. Supporter-led, or DIY, fundraising presents a significant opportunity to tap into organic, 365-days-a-year income streams powered by word of mouth.
But to unlock this potential, organisations have to get past the administrative burden that traditionally comes with DIY campaigns. In our recent webinar, the GivePanel team and several charity partners broke down exactly how to address this.
If you missed the live session, you can catch up and access the full on-demand recording here: givepanel.com/diy-fundraising-webinar/
Here are the top questions and takeaways from the live Q&A session.
1. How personalised can we make the supporter journey?
The level of personalisation you can achieve is entirely based on what you ask supporters right at the start on your registration form.
- Merge Tags: If you ask for event dates, event types, or whether someone is fundraising in memory of a loved one, you can automatically inject those specific details into your email journey using merge tags.
- Milestone Triggers: You can also set up scheduled emails that trigger based on specific conditions, such as a supporter hitting 50% of their fundraising target.
Key Takeaway: These milestone emails run automatically in the background, meaning you no longer have to manually check a supporter’s progress to send a timely communication.
2. Can we test the platform with just a small segment of our DIY programme?
Absolutely. Transitioning your entire DIY programme at once can feel daunting, so GivePanel DIY allows you to take a phased approach.
When building your registration form, you can exclude specific event types. For example, you can hide options like running or cycling, and only show “birthday or celebration.” This allows you to trial the automation and stewardship journeys with a single, tightly controlled segment before rolling it out to your wider audience.
3. Does GivePanel provide a recommended email journey?
While GivePanel provides a comprehensive resource guide put together by our team, there is no rigid, one-size-fits-all email template.
Every charity’s email journey will be unique. It ultimately depends on the level and volume of emails your organisation is comfortable sending. The focus is on building a journey that fits your specific brand, with GivePanel there to advise and support you along the way.
4. Can we export data to our own CRM, or do we have to use GivePanel’s email tools?
It is entirely possible to send a data export back into your own internal systems (like Salesforce or Dotdigital) and manage your emails from there.
However, the key advantage of GivePanel’s email stewardship is that the data is live and constantly updated. Relying on an external CRM can sometimes result in data sync delays, which can impact email delivery. By using GivePanel’s built-in email tools, your messages trigger at the exact right time based on real-time supporter behaviour.
While external integration is possible, our strong recommendation is to use the email tools available within GivePanel DIY.
5. What is the main advantage of upgrading our DIY process?
The main advantage is straightforward — removing the manual workflows that bog down fundraising teams.
| Area | Manual DIY Fundraising | Automated with GivePanel DIY |
|---|---|---|
| Data Collection | Chasing registrations and cross-referencing multiple platforms and spreadsheets. | Unified view of registrations and fundraising totals in one single dashboard. |
| Communication | Sending manual batch emails and thanking donors one by one. | Triggered, personalised email journeys that run in the background. |
| Visibility | Missing out on organic JustGiving pages created without your knowledge. | Smart Match automatically identifies and syncs those pages back into your system. |
6. How do we handle pushback from our internal Data Team?
It is entirely normal for data teams to have questions about introducing new platforms or integrations. GivePanel takes a hands-on approach to ensure a smooth transition.
As Emma from Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation shared in the chat:
“GivePanel offered a lot of support to our Data Team and made the time to have 1:1 calls with them to help resolve any challenges in this area.”
The biggest gains often don’t come from reinventing your entire strategy — but from fixing those small, everyday points of friction. To watch the full recording and see GivePanel DIY in action, head to givepanel.com/diy-fundraising-webinar/.