How to setup a personal fundraising page

It can sound daunting setting up a personal fundraising page. You may have reservations about asking others for money. You may feel that your computer skills are not capable of making your campaign look the way you want it to. You may even feel that your cause isn’t worthy. Which is why here at GoGetFunding.com […]

Apr 29, 2016 Fundraising Tips

Firstly – and this is so important to remember – almost every person who uses a crowdfunding platform has never created a fundraising campaign before. Most have never even fundraised before! They were crowdfunding novices too – just like you! Makes you feel better already, doesn’t it?

What equipment do you need?

Crowdfunding campaigns can be set up on computers, tablets and smart-phones – basically any device that has access to the internet. If you don’t have your own, internet cafes and libraries are excellent alternatives.

What information do you need to provide to your donors?

It is important to be clear about how much you want to raise and the urgency of your campaign. This can help donors consider how they are able to help you.

All campaigns require an appeal, or story. This is the heart of your campaign and it’s importance should not be underestimated. As you are not speaking face to face with your potential donors, you need to convey everything in around 300 – 600 words.

Campaigns also need at least one photo. This photo is also important. It can often convey far more than any written words and is the first thing your donors will look at when they visit your page. If you can add a video too, make sure it is just a couple of minutes long, and really helps enhance what you are trying to do.

Donations are vital and so you need to ensure this is as effortless as possible for donors. Once you have enabled your donation method and launched your campaign don’t forget to test it! So many campaigns have lost great potential in the early days and weeks as campaign owners try to recover from a faltering start just because they didn’t test-drive their campaign.

What extras can you do to make your campaign really stand out?

This is the fun part! There are a huge number of features and tools at your disposal – all designed and tested to ensure they can maximise your chances of success. You can:

Customise the colours of your campaign

Add as many videos and photos as you want

Make your text any size or colour you want.

What can you do for your donors?

If you thought the features for creating your campaign were great, look at what you can do for your donors:

Create automated thank you letters and personal messages at checkout (if you have a busy schedule, you can relax knowing you won’t forget to thank anyone!)

Offer rewards (these don’t have to cost you a thing – and are a great way to show your thanks)

Provide updates (don’t underestimate how interested your donors are in your campaign. If they have donated, the chances are they want to know if you succeed).

Enable comments (Donors may want to share messages of encouragement. This can be a motivating factor for other potential donors too).

Allow anonymous donations (Donors can be a little shy. Giving them the option to donate anonymously can be the difference between them choosing to donate or not).

Want something more advanced?

If you really want to go the extra mile, and you have social media or a website, what about embedding your campaign into your website or social media pages? We have a heap of great widgets for you to choose from, from basic ‘donate’ buttons through to thumbnail campaign pages. We even have ‘donor appreciation’ widgets you can add that show the names of those who have proudly funded your campaign.

Or, what about our team options? You can organise your campaign in a professional, co-ordinated, organised way by allowing business colleagues, friends or family to join your campaign team.

Do you need records? Your downloadable backers list provides everything you need for any auditing or referencing purpose you may have.

What if I need help?

At GoGetFunding.com you are assigned a fundraising coach when you create your campaign. They will not reach out to you unless you need them (we know you don’t want to be bothered unnecessarily), so if you need a little guidance, or have any technical issues to resolve, just give them a shout. They are truly passionate creatures who love helping you get your campaign where you want it to be.

And that is how simple it is to create a personal fundraising campaign! So, what are you waiting for?