Since the introduction of Facebook Fundraising, nonprofits worldwide have embraced this new way of engaging their audience in fundraising efforts. However, as more nonprofits get involved and the rising cost of living affects people's ability to donate, some charities are beginning to see a dip in their organic fundraising. This leads to a common question among fundraising teams: “How do I improve my organic fundraising on Facebook and Instagram?” The answer might be simpler than you think.
We teamed up with Cameron Cortazzo, Director of Future Fundraising in Australia, to dive into the current state of birthday fundraising in Australia, what nonprofits are doing to improve it, and how to get involved in an upcoming research project!
2022-2023 Birthday Benchmarking Report
In 2023, GivePanel compiled a birthday benchmarking report for the 2022-2023 financial year, featuring data from 13 participating charities in Australia. These charities varied in size, cause, and geographical location, providing a robust indication of averages based on segmentation.
The results from last year's report offered intriguing insights into charity performance:
- Large vs. Small Charities: As expected, large charities typically raise more than smaller ones. However, the difference in average donation amounts is minimal, hovering around AU$40. The primary difference in total amounts raised stems from the number of fundraisers large charities attract compared to smaller ones.
- Median Fundraiser Numbers: Using the median rather than the average gives a more realistic view, especially when outliers significantly skew the average.
What can influence my organic fundraising results?
We know that organic Facebook fundraising isn't passive income; certain activities can actively enhance your results and boost the funds raised through this channel. In Future Fundraising’s research, they’ve considered two key areas that could significantly improve your organic fundraising results: the impact of thanking your fundraisers and the influence of Facebook Challenges.
Thanking your fundraisers
At GivePanel, we’ve been advising our customers of the importance of thanking your fundraisers for a long time. By doing so, your supporter not only feels more connected to your organization and improves their supporter experience, but is likely to go on to raise more through their fundraiser.
As you can see below from the results, the data shows that simply engaging with your fundraisers can have a significant impact on how much money they raise:
From the above table, we can see that:
- Those who weren’t sent a message had an average of AU$100 raised with 2.5 donors per fundraiser.
- Those who were messaged but didn’t complete GivePanel’s data capture form raised around AU$170 with 4 donors per fundraiser.
- Those who were messaged and did complete a data capture form raised between AU$200-$300 with 5-7 donors per fundraiser.
The interesting part of this data breakdown is that of the fundraisers that were messaged and data form filled out, small to medium-sized charities outperformed larger charities. This underscores the importance of building connections with fundraisers to improve their experience and results.
Facebook Challenges
It’s no surprise that Facebook Challenges are a core part of social-first fundraising, and have proved incredibly successful for many charities worldwide. With the right tools and resources, they can form part of your core strategy and provide a reliable income stream for your nonprofit.
But there is another added benefit you may not be aware of and that’s the organic impact of fundraising while a Challenge is being run. When Future Fundraising compared averages for Challenge months versus non-Challenge months, they revealed an increase in the number of fundraisers and the total amount raised.
Why is this? We think it’s largely due to Facebook’s automatic sharing features which means your nonprofit becomes more visible as more supporters take part in your Challenge. Social ads will also increase your reach and visibility, meaning donors have you top of mind when it comes to choosing what nonprofit to fundraise for.
Future Fundraising also notes that as more people fundraise and donate to your nonprofit, Facebook will increasingly recommend your organization as a fundraising option. So while some charities evaluate Challenges purely in terms of money spent versus money raised to determine ROI, data suggests that running Challenges also positively impacts your organic fundraisers, offering a greater ROI and ROAS.
Explore the full range of insights from GivePanel’s 2022-2023 Birthday Benchmarking report and delve into the outcomes of organic fundraising (excluding paid and challenge fundraising), key stats, and strategies to enhance your organic fundraising efforts.
What else can I do to improve my organic fundraising on Facebook?
If you’re already thanking your fundraisers and running social fundraising Challenges, you’re off to a great start! However, there are a few more recommendations that the team at Future Fundraising suggests:
Get your Message across
Implementing a two-message strategy through GivePanel has shown significant increases in both the average amount raised and the number of donors per fundraiser. When your fundraisers understand your cause deeply and feel noticed and acknowledged, their engagement and contributions rise.
There are endless possibilities for messaging your fundraisers. Typically, charities start by commenting on the fundraising page when it is created, followed by a second message of encouragement about a week later.
Additionally, capturing fundraiser data globally shows a lifetime value of $100 per fundraiser. Once data is collected, it becomes easier to re-engage them, leading to more donations for your nonprofit.
Call to Action!
This suggestion is a simple one, but can get easily overlooked. As mentioned, the more people fundraising and donating to your nonprofit, the more likely it is that Facebook will recommend your organization as a top suggestion when it comes to birthday fundraising.
One method to improve your fundraiser numbers outside of paid acquisition is by asking your existing database to start Facebook fundraising for your nonprofit. If you have birthday records in your CRM databases, set up an automated mailing journey to prompt people to fundraise 2-4 weeks prior to their birthday. It’s no cost to your organization and could encourage some supporters to set up a fundraiser on your behalf!
Share your supporter’s story
When you host fundraisers with a strong cause connection or who raise significant amounts, sharing their stories can bring more attention to your nonprofit and highlight how your organization makes a difference. Additionally, Future Fundraising states that this increases the Facebook Fundraising algorithm, leading to more fundraisers (so it’s a win-win situation).
Share your supporter’s stories on social media or through an email newsletter, with a call to action to start fundraising. Just make sure to seek permission first!
Paid Ads?
Future Fundraising comments that they get asked a lot about paid ads for Birthday Fundraisers. They state that while paid ads seem to not have a worthwhile ROI and they have avoided recommending them without this expectation, there are some charities that still engage in this.
If you would like to learn more about using paid ads for acquisition of birthday fundraisers contact the Future Fundraising team who will be happy to help.
Future Fundraising Pty Ltd
Future Fundraising is dedicated to transforming the way charities raise funds in the digital age. Their innovative solutions and expertise help charities connect more effectively with donors, fundraisers, and volunteers, enabling them to diversify their donation streams and achieve greater impact.
They help charities improve their social fundraising efforts as well as help introduce charities into the streaming, gaming and esports world along with other new and exciting fundraising opportunities that other charities aren’t doing. If you’d like to learn more about Future Fundraising and what they do, you can check out their website and book a time with their team.
Want your free personalised benchmarking report for 23-24?
If you’re interested in participating in this year’s report, handled by Future Fundraising, you can do so by filling out this form to register your interest. Your data will be kept secure and anonymous in the report.
Future Fundraising is offering free access to the report (valued at AU$299) for GivePanel customers who complete the form. Please note, that this is only applicable to charities in Australia due to the nature of data gathered.
Co-authored by:
Cameron Cortazzo - Director
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