As a 25-year-old who still lives with her parents, I know a thing or two about convincing people to donate money to your cause. The key to being persuasive is to pull on your donor’s heartstrings and demonstrate how their money will be used to uplift another human. It’s about being visible and accessible, so donors see the direct results of their support. For me, that means walking around the house sleepy and disgruntled until my mom offers to buy me an iced latte. 

For nonprofits, using social media effectively is far nobler, but not totally dissimilar. 

Know Your Audience

Before you start asking for their money, get to know your followers first. Where do they live? How old are they? Effective fundraising requires understanding your audience and their interests, and what content they engage with the most. 

Identifying your audience’s demographics will also help you decide whose voice is best suited to make the request. 

Choose Your Voice

The person who delivers your message is almost as important as the message itself. Choose someone who is part of your audience’s demographic, since they will come across as relatable. For example, if your followers are mostly young women in their 20s, choose a messenger of the same age and gender who could be your donors’ peer.

Whether it’s a staff member, beneficiary or an influencer, the most effective spokesperson is one who has a personal story tied to your organization’s mission. 

Tell the Human Story

Your nonprofit’s social media shouldn’t wait until Giving Season to tell these personal stories. If I walked around my house every morning chipper and motivated without caffeine, then my request for lattes would seem unnecessary and abrupt. The need should be demonstrated long before the ask is made.

If your organization posts year-round about the people and communities it supports, then your brand is well-established and your audience already understands your mission. For example, the content that Momentum creates for our client the Lymphoma Research Foundation is always centered around patients, caregivers and researchers. When a user views their Instagram page, they immediately see the human faces and stories that the Foundation supports. Invitations to donate or attend an event are always directly tied to a survivor’s story. 

 

Don’t Forget the Facts

Besides sharing a human story, relaying the facts also effectively demonstrates a donor’s direct influence on your organization’s work. Tell your audience that $50 can buy classroom supplies for a teacher, or that the millions spent in grants for researchers means thousands of hours of research that result in innovative treatments and remission for patients. Inspire donors to act by showing a direct correlation between dollars and results.

 

Other Social Media Fundraising Tips

  • Don’t post about fundraising every day. Not only will the algorithm suppress your posts, but your audience will become annoyed with an inundation of begging.
  • Do tie your request to a specific goal. Give a target amount, or emphasize that donations are being matched. It helps donors feel their money is going further. 
  • Do provide a unique landing page for fundraising posts, so tracking analytics is easier for you.
  • Don’t expect thousands of dollars to come in from a single campaign. Social media’s main purpose is still awareness and community building. Sometimes there isn’t a direct return on investment, and that’s OK.

 

The most effective fundraising campaigns for nonprofits are straightforward about their request and transparent about where donors’ money goes. They understand what resonates with their audience: real, personal stories about fellow humans and concrete facts about their work. They’re active and visible online all year long, demonstrating both their organization’s needs and the incredible things they can achieve with a little support from donors. And, unlike me, they don’t mope around the house waiting for someone to notice their lethargy. They get to work.