Use this link to share with your colleagues:
Best Practices: Fundraising with Virtual Events: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1291864
There are lots of well-known ways to solicit donations at a live event (the curtain speech, staff and volunteers in the lobby, envelopes tucked into program booklets...), but what about Virtual Events?
In this article, we'll provide suggestions based on input from clients like you to increase your fundraising capacity for these kinds of events. We'll cover:
- Building fundraising into the ticket purchase
- Encouraging giving during your event
- Conducting post-event outreach
Ready? Let's dive in!
Got more ideas?
Head over to the Client Community to talk with other organizations about their fundraising practices! Ask questions, share successes, and bounce ideas off one another.
From the beginning: building fundraising into the ticket purchase process
Did you know the Public Ticketing Site can include a full page donation ask during the checkout process? You can include images, video, audio and text to make the most compelling ask.
One client reported that adding this page almost tripled their donations on the PTS!
Head over here to set up the Donation Landing Page.
During the show: encouraging giving at your virtual event
Online events are continually evolving, and organizations are constantly exploring new ways to engage their patrons. Here are two things we've seen work well.
The Curtain Speech (intermission speech, end speech...) can still exist
We're all familiar with the curtain speech, where a representative from your organization comes onstage prior to thank sponsors and funders - and make the case for others to donate.
Livestream and VOD events can use this strategy as well -- and because it's virtual, you can pre-record this part to get it just right!
- If you're livestreaming, a broadcasting platform like OBS Studio allows you to include different kinds of content, including pre-recorded segments, in the same stream
- If you're uploading a video to VOD, edit it first to include your ask
Don't be afraid to pause
Because virtual events can be partly or fully pre-recorded, you don't have to take any breaks -- but perhaps you should. Intermissions or short breaks between content gives your patrons a chance to stretch and use the restroom, just like at a live event -- except in this case, you have screen real estate to utilize!
Instead of an empty stage or blank screen, put up a short pre-recorded video, looping slides with information about upcoming shows, reasons to give, low-effort "behind-the-scenes" content, and more!
After the curtain falls: post-event outreach
PatronManager makes it easy to connect with your patrons based on their activity, and our Virtual Events feature tracks attendance by checking in the ticket when the patron clicks through to view.
Why not send an automatic post-show email to attendees, and include a donation ask? Or use CRM Snapshots to further segment your patrons based on their ticket purchase, attendance, and giving history?
Ready to dive in? Check out these articles to learn all about:
- Using automated post-show emails
- Getting to know your patrons with CRM Snapshots
- Finding the right list with Report Finder in the Client Community