What To Expect From 2022 Fundraising Events

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the way we fundraise. As in-person events have been postponed or canceled, nonprofits and individuals have had to adapt and acquire more technical skills to create digital charity campaigns to survive.  So now that Covid-19 restrictions are finally easing, will the future of charity events be physical gatherings, virtual, or a hybrid combination of both?

Let’s take a look at new fundraising trends and predictions for 2022 and beyond.

Virtual Events Are Here To Stay

With the ongoing increase of virtual event platforms, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, hosting a virtual event has never been so popular and accessible. With this in mind, it’s safe to predict that virtual fundraising campaigns are here to stay and they’ll be even bigger in 2022 and beyond. 

Take a look at our top virtual fundraising ideas and start planning for 2022. 

Hybrid Events Are Still Gaining Popularity

Bridging the gap between the digital and physical world, hybrid events, also known as phygital technologies, have grown exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic and are definitely something that will be huge in 2022 and beyond. But what exactly are they? 

Hybrid fundraisers are a combination of in-person and virtual elements. They promote inclusivity and flexibility, which is a great way to unite people to raise money and awareness for a deserving cause, either in person or from the comfort of their sofa. 

Here are a few of the benefits of planning a hybrid fundraising campaign:

• Balance of personal reduced costs and minimized stress
• Flexibility and inclusivity
• Increased reach and attendance
• Higher engagement
• Reduced environmental costs
• Greater return on investment
• Stay in touch with tech-trends

So, whether you’re planning a charity golf tournament with an online raffle, a walkathon with online donations, a charity gala with an online silent auction or even a school festival with ecommerce stores, get into the hybrid trend for 2022 and your success can be unlimited.

Incorporate Advanced Technology and Up Your Tech Savviness

Since virtual and hybrid models for fundraising are trending, it’s important to improve your tech savviness and be up-to-date with the latest advanced technology and platforms in 2022.

We predict 2022 will be the year to experiment with advanced technology in your fundraising campaigns. Virtual reality software, 3D storytelling, holograms, and virtual avatars create an immersive, visually attractive experience for your donors that will create an unforgettable event in their minds, long after the campaign is over. Just bear in mind to always focus on your organization’s mission statement, values and the event itself, and don’t get distracted with fads solely to impress your audience.

Add as many digital features as possible to your charity campaign in 2022 in order to increase its success, profitability, accessibility and expand your outreach.

Here are a few digital trends to consider that could benefit your fundraiser:

• Donate with mobile giving and text-to-donate
• QR codes
• Cashless and contactless options to donate
• Accepting cryptocurrencies
• AI and Chatbots – as long as they can offer the emotional responses necessary to engage donors

If you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid charity event, make sure to provide technical support throughout the campaign. Remember that not every participant will have up-to-the-minute tech skills and you don’t want to scare anyone off. So, be prepared to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible, with easy access to troubleshooting and technical assistance when needed.

Close The Gap Between Virtual And Physical

In the past, virtual participants have often felt left out and on the periphery of a fundraiser. Well, not any more! Moving into 2022, it’s vital to make virtual supporters feel as important as the physical ones. The aim is to build lasting relationships with your donors, so value their participation and treat them all equally. Basically, you want to make sure everyone is doing the same thing at the same time wherever they are. 

You can do this by: 

• Sending out goody bags and gifts to the virtual participants to acknowledge their support. If this idea proves tricky regarding shipping logistics, why not offer digital rewards, such as eCommerce gift vouchers?
• Using advanced technology gives your virtual registrants the opportunity to choose their own adventures. For example maybe if they are completing a virtual 5K race, different scenes could be available to motivate them.
• How about getting a virtual host to elevate engagement for the virtual participants? This means that the online attendees will receive that personal touch, which is often lost through the screen. Also, with someone taking responsibility for the virtual supporters your in-person team can focus on the live event, eliminating high levels of stress.
• Livestream the event to connect your virtual supporters with the in-person attendees and provide ways for them to support your organization.

Peer-To-Peer Is More Popular Than Ever

Peer-to-Peer fundraising has always been a popular way to fundraise but it has become even more important in the last couple of years. As crowdfunding campaigns allow people to work individually to collect donations through their personalised fundraising pages, it has proven to be a safe way to raise money during a time of so many restrictions. We predict that in 2022 P2P fundraising will continue to increase in popularity, so get planning your campaign now! 

In-Person Events Made Safe

Although Covid-19 restrictions have eased recently, there are still many concerns over safety measures for upcoming 2022 in-person events. It’s important to put your participants at ease by detailing how your physical fundraisers will meet safety and hygiene requirements, in order to maximize attendance.  Here are a few things to consider: 

• Make sure to choose outdoor venues when possible and in the case of an indoor event, ensure that there are high levels of ventilation.
• If face masks and social distancing are also a requirement, remember to inform your participants about this beforehand, as to not cause any confusion on the day of the event.
• If food and beverages are being provided, think about pre-packaging so people are not sharing.
• Supply hand sanitizer at various points if you are conducting a walk-a-thon, 5k race etc.

Matched Giving Programs

2022 is the year to incorporate matching gifts programs, also known as match gifts or match funding, into your fundraising campaigns.  This is where your employees are given the chance to increase their fundraising when their employer or corporate partners match the money they’ve raised. Match giving is a great way to double your donation while doubling your impact. 

Social Media Is Bigger Than Ever

Social Media has become essential for fundraising success and increasing brand awareness. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are just a few of the social media giants to incorporate into your 2022 fundraising campaigns. These social media platforms are constantly adding new elements to their programs, in order to increase audience engagement and accessibility. So keep up to date with what’s going on in the social media world and attract supporters by being part of the latest online trends. 

Why not try out these new functionalities being offered in 2022 to boost your fundraiser’s success? 

• Instagram – Incorporate live-streaming on Instagram to maximise your outreach.
• Facebook – Using Stories on Facebook to show the human face behind your organisation.
• Twitter – Tweet great content about your cause and make good use of hashtags and shares.
• Tik Tok – Add donation stickers (clickable icons), which are embedded onto videos to increase giving.

Pro Tip: Remember to stick to one social media platform that can offer your organization and charity campaign everything it needs, rather than overwhelming your supporters with trying to cram in every platform that’s out there – it’s just too much.

Launch Social Media Challenges

While most people were looking for new ways to entertain themselves through numerous lockdowns, many turned to social media to pass the time and help a good cause. In 2022 this looks like a trend that will skyrocket for charity campaigns. Create Hashtag challenges to expand your audience and educate them about the story behind your cause. Make your challenge simple, fun and inclusive so that anyone can take part. Remember that the intention is to get as many people involved and talking about your fundraiser.

Gaming For Good

A huge fundraising trend prediction for 2022 is gaming for good. As people in lockdown looked for ways to pass their days, many of them turned to gaming. Thanks to the pandemic, this trend has never been bigger, which is great news for charities. So how does it work?

Basically, when gamers turn on their consoles, many of them choose to share their game with an audience, so they start streaming it on platforms like Twitch or YouTube. Each gamer can add donation buttons to their stream and people can start giving to a good cause.

Incorporate gamification techniques into your fundraising campaign in 2022 to heighten levels of supporter engagement and attract more generous donations. DoJiggy provides a variety of powerful gamification tools to boost your fundraiser’s success.

Here are just a few of our top gamification features and ideas to engage donors and drive your campaign’s proceeds:

• Fundraising Thermometers/Fundraising Progress Bars
• Leaderboards for Top Fundraisers
• Badges and Trophies
• Prizes, Incentives, and Rewards
• Add polls and trivia questions to your live stream

Plan, Plan, Plan

Back-up plans are essential for any fundraising event, especially in the uncertain times we live in. When planning your 2022 fundraiser make sure you have plan b’s, c’s, and d’s just in case you need them. Here are a few things to consider: 

• Be prepared to go completely virtual in the eventuality of having to cancel your in-person component and also have a backup plan for any online issues that may occur.
• If you’re using the hybrid model, make sure to sell event tickets to include both the in-person and virtual components. This way no one will be left out – If the in-person event is postponed or canceled, your donors can attend the virtual activity.
• If part of your fundraiser includes renting a venue, speakers, or special equipment, be sure to look for flexible cancellation and refund policies.

Conclusions

​If you want to host a successful fundraising event in 2022, it’s essential to keep an eye on emerging trends, keep up-to-date with technology advances and improve your online prowess. Understand the value of virtual and hybrid events but don’t forget to engage with your donors in person, when possible, to encourage lasting relationships and recurring donations.

All in all, the future looks bright for fundraising in 2022. With so many new options and means to raise money and awareness for good causes available to us all, what are you waiting for?

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