What are the Benefits Of Virtual Fundraising?

Going online for virtual fundraising developed as part of COVID-19 contingency plans. Over the last few years, we have seen this with online schooling, when classes have been suspended due to COVID-19 outbreaks or when people have joined a virtual event because in-person events have been canceled. 

However, this is not the case anymore. Gone are the days when switching to a virtual platform was the last resort. Nonprofits now opt for virtual and hybrid fundraising models as the first choice for their fundraisers instead of face-to-face alternatives, as virtual fundraisers offer many benefits. So, let’s look at some of the best reasons to host a charity event virtually.

Flexibility and Inclusivity of Hosting Virtual Fundraisers

Virtual fundraising events allow organizations to engage with anyone from anywhere without geographical restrictions. People who may not be physically able to leave their homes can join in from the comfort of their sofas, gardens, or home offices at a time that is convenient to them. 

Increased Reach, Attendance, and Engagement 

The ultimate fundraising goal is to raise more and reach more supporters. Virtual fundraisers encourage this idea as global outreach and charity awareness are unlimited when it comes to sharing your story on social media and online forums.

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Balance of Reduced Costs and Minimized Stress 

Working from any place, at any time, makes virtual fundraising a highly attractive option for many people. Reduced personal expenses for attendees is another great perk, as they don’t need to travel to a specific location to participate in the event. Minimizing stress levels is a must in these uncertain times and virtual fundraisers deliver this as your supporters don’t have the added pressure of getting to a specific venue at a set time. In fact, they can often make the fundraiser work around their schedule. 

Reduced Environmental Costs 

Your event’s carbon footprint is greatly reduced by minimizing the transportation element of getting people to and from the fundraising location. What about food and drink storage containers and other perishable items? Clean-up costs and permits for large fundraisers can also be a thing of the past with virtual charity events.

Virtual Fundraisers Can Offer Greater Return on Investment 

Virtual events save on costs as there are fewer logistics involved in working with a venue, and it’s cheaper to hire speakers or entertainment for virtual sessions. Plus, with higher attendance, you can reach more people, which leads to selling more tickets and receiving more donations. 

Stay in Touch with Tech Trends 

Traditional face-to-face events are a great way to bring people together. Still, in today’s fast-growing tech world, and amid Covid-19 restrictions, most people connect virtually for business and socially. Mobile devices such as tablets, smartwatches, and phones are always at hand and are constantly being used in all areas of our lives. 

Remember that technology simplifies the giving process for donors, as they can support your cause by tapping a screen with mobile donations. People can check online charity auction items and bid whilst having a coffee in a local café and reading recent stories and updates posted on social media about your fundraiser. The more in touch with tech trends your fundraiser is, the higher your chances of reaching more people and even younger generations who are incredibly tech-savvy and influential online.

DoJiggy Makes Virtual Fundraising Campaigns Easy and Fun with our Free Platform for Virtual Events

Our free virtual fundraising software allows you to create excitement for your cause, which is the key to successful virtual fundraising campaigns. Take a look at how we do it:

• Providing live-streaming nonprofit events
• Customizing your organization’s branding
• Creating a powerful fundraising landing page
• Using prize widgets and gamification for P2P virtual events
• Offering mobile giving options for donations
• Providing the best virtual fundraising ideas, such as online raffles, virtual galas, and eCommerce stores

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Considerations for Virtual Fundraisers

Although the benefits of running a virtual campaign seem to outweigh any negatives, it’s important to consider the following before going ahead with your virtual fundraiser: 

• Your virtual charity event pricing will strongly depend on how much you want to invest in the tech side of things. If you want your campaign to be fancy with branding and sponsors everywhere, your costs will increase. But your costs will be reduced if you are more focused on the attendee experience and keeping the tech side relatively simple.   
• Make sure your attendees are receiving value for money. Important reasons people choose to attend fundraisers are to network, learn a new skill, and hear from experts and even celebrities who are affiliated with your organization. Don’t forget this when planning your virtual fundraiser. Offer virtual conferences or live streamed Q&A’s with experts so that your attendees are getting their price-quality ratio.

• Identify your target audience. Is it mainly Millennials and Gen Z’s, who are generally more tech-savvy and up-to-date with all the new tech trends? Or are you receiving more interest from the Boomer generation, who might be more concerned about basic tech needs and more focused on the mission and impact of your campaign?  In a nutshell, don’t splash out on a super fancy platform if your attendees are not inclined to take advantage of it.
• Make sure not to scrimp on tech support. Consider the differing levels of global connectivity. Some attendees will have faster and more stable internet connections than others. This is also a factor when offering your campaign globally, as certain countries will have better internet access than others. Audio and video connections may drop in and out during your campaign, so it’s essential to have a solid tech support team at hand if you want to run a smooth virtual event. Sound tech support will come at a price but will be worth every penny to avoid losing valuable donors.

• If you have an international audience, ensure you understand what streaming channels exist in each country where you have registrants. You may sometimes use a channel in the US that needs a different link in certain parts of Asia. Again, it’s crucial to identify where your audience is participating from to seamlessly integrate all attendees and pull off a successful and profitable virtual fundraiser.

Conclusions on Virtual Fundraising

Virtual fundraisers used to be a plan B when face-to-face campaigns were canceled. Not anymore! Over the last couple of years, people’s understanding of and enthusiasm towards them, combined with increased online global accessibility, means that virtual fundraisers are here to stay in a big way. There is no limit to what can be done virtually nowadays. Now’s the time for nonprofits and organizations to embrace this, have fun, and exceed fundraising goals with virtual charity events.  

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Auctions

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Ticketing

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