2 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
MobileCause easy-to-use fundraising and
communication software enables you to raise more,
engage supporters and grow your donor database.
More than fundraising software, we also provide
one-on-one strategy with our Digital Fundraising
Strategists and 24/7 support to grow your nonprofit
like never before.
With MobileCause, you can:
• Acquire new donors
• Retain current donors
• Inspire recurring donations
• Increase average gift size
• Strengthen donor relationships
• Lower the cost of fundraising
ABOUTMOBILECAUSE
3 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
Christy Noel
VP Digital Fundraising
Services, MobileCause
WEBINARAGENDA
Successful Virtual Fundraisers
Creating an Impactful Virtual Event
Creative Virtual Fundraiser Ideas
7 Strategies for Increasing Virtual Event Revenue
4 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
CREATING YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT
5 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Pick the same date or a new one
• Announce event changes via social media,
text and email
• Promote your virtual event frequently
• Use text-to-donate to facilitate donations
• Give presentations, show videos, live Q&A,
recognize donors, interview beneficiaries
• Use livestream, pre-recorded videos or a
combination
• Encourage interaction
• Display live thermometer and donor wall throughout
the event and give “shout outs” to donor names
Turn Your Live Event into a Virtual One
6 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Get input from community and volunteers,
what do they think would be fun?
• Reach out for special guests and celebrities:
you never know until you try
• Create a reason to watch “live” - lesson, unveiling,
entertainment, share experience together
• Use a host or emcee to maintain an even flow
Getting Started
7 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
A few different ways to host a virtual event or campaign:
• Virtual Gala
• Day of Giving
• Peer-to-Peer Challenge
• Virtual Charity Run
• Celebration Days
• Voting Competition
• Matching Gifts
• NPO TV
• Online Auction
Virtual Fundraiser Ideas
Download our infographic for more Virtual Event ideas >
8 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
Promoting Your FundraiserLet supporters know right away of program changes
and announce your upcoming virtual event often
• Use all your channels: email, social media, phone
calls and text message
• Don’t be afraid to send reminders the same way
you would with an in-person event
• Tag supporters, staff, sponsors and volunteers in
social posts to encourage sharing
• Utilize Table Captains to spread the word
• Always include links to your Event Page and/or
livestream
9 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Use a host or emcee to keep an even flow to
program
• Share short videos about your campaign
• Go to live remote speakers to create connection
• Use a program outline rather than a script, include:
▪ A warm welcome
▪ Intro to your mission and campaign
▪ Ways to give
▪ What’s to come: guest speakers,
performances, Q&A, etc.
▪ Thank yous to sponsors, volunteers, donors
and staff/committee
Virtual Event Program Basics
Download our interactive ebook:
How to Create a Compelling Virtual Fundraising Event >
10 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Lead with video or livestream on Event Page to
grab attention
• Share videos about your campaign, impact,
mission or beneficiaries
• Use livestream for concerts, entertainment,
in-the-moment interviews and fundraising updates
• Record presentation and unveil it to appear live
• Stream on multiple platforms, if desired
Maximize Livestream and Videos
Get the lowdown on the tech you’ll need on our blog:
The Essential Tech Elements for Virtual Fundraising Events
11 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
Download our ebook:
5 Steps to the Perfect Virtual Fundraising Event Program
• If you have a fundraising goal, reinforce how much
is needed to achieve it
• Make appeals throughout and promote your
text-to-donate info and other ways to give
• Give live shout outs to donors as names appear
on donor wall
Positioning a Powerful Ask
12 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Schedule a dry run
• Set up and practice using all equipment and
technology
• Play videos and switch between screens
• Test audio sound and volume (exactly the way it
will be used during your event)
• Have speakers practice their speeches
• Make a donation using text-to-donate and mobile
donation forms
Before Going Live
13 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
Add virtual components to future in-person
fundraisers
• Helps increase reach beyond your immediate
community
• Enables those who can’t attend to participate
• Livestream your in-person program with
presenters and live event thermometer
• Get creative with virtual-only components –
pre-show entertainment, behind the scenes prep,
pre-event games and challenges
Going Forward:Combining Virtual with Live Events
14 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
7 STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING VIRTUAL EVENT REVENUE
15 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
1. Creative Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Fun ways to use peer-to-peer to engage supporters
and boost fundraising total
• “Vote” by donation for favorite dancers, chef,
dog, PJs, performance
• Encourage “Table Hosts” to fundraise and hold
watch parties
• Get board and sponsors involved leading up to
event
• Allow guests to submit entries to garner votes
16 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
2. Registration
Ask guests to request a ticket or register for your
virtual event
• Paid tickets boost fundraising and create
exclusivity
• “Free” tickets help track registrants
• Offer free swag with tickets/registration
• Add option to donate on your ticket form
• Receive automatic text with tickets and receipt with
virtual event details
17 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
3. Sponsorships
Businesses that support your event in return for
promotion
• Promote sponsors in all event materials
• Include logos and links to their site in emails and
on website and Event Page
• Shout out sponsors during your virtual event
Source: Nonprofits Source, “Corporate Giving Trends,” 2018
➢ 90% of businesses indicate that partnering with
reputable nonprofits enhances their brand
18 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
4. Online Auctions
Virtual auction page where donors can browse and
place bids on items or experiences
• Use online auction software for bidding
• Send notices when a supporter is outbid
• Can hold online auctions for longer duration than
at in-person events
• Drives more bidding and increases participants
• Announce start and end times across
communication channels
➢ Digital auctions generate 120% more bids per item and 60%
increase in revenue per item when compared to paper-based
auctions
Source: Handbid
19 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
5. Text-to-Donate
Makes giving easy for donors, anytime, anywhere
and from any device
• Create branded, event-aligned keyword and
shortcode
• Promote your text-to-donate details widely
across channels
• Share keyword and shortcode during event on
screen and verbally
• Demonstrate text-to-donate in action during your
virtual event
20 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
6. Event Page
All your important event details in one convenient
place
• Can use one link in all of your communications
• Supports all your forms and CTAs
• Optimized for livestream or embedded video
• Promotes “replay” and repeat viewing
21 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
7. Broaden Your Reach
Virtual events allow donors from around the world
to attend
• Promote broadly and strategically across channels
• Tag supporters and sponsors on social media
• Encourage your network to share event widely
• Share text-to-donate details in posts and
communications
• Increase engagement with photos, videos, impact
stats and hashtags on social media
➢ Fun Fact: because of early and wide promotion, many
virtual events raise a majority of their total prior to
“going live”
22 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS
23 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Event changed from paid sit-down dinner with
no ask to free virtual event with different ways
to give
▪ Traditional presentation but recorded
▪ Vote for Your Favorite PJ contest (fundraiser)
• Raised $176,387
• Large influx of peer-to-peer and text-to-donate
new donors
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation:Gala in the Garden 2020
24 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• In-person dinner and meet and greet with
HGTV’s Boise Boys changed to livestream Q&A
with gift card to national drive-thru restaurant
• Raised over $35,000
• 73% increase in attendees
• Grossed more than their in-person dinner
previous year
Genesis Community Health
25 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Annual gala dinner pivoted to virtual
fundraising gala
• Raised $200,000+
• Doubled their previous in-person attendance
• Increased net total raised
• Expanded audience from 4 states to 24
Believe Big
26 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• General Assembly, decades-long annual
national gathering with 3,000-4,000 attendees,
moved to virtual
• Primarily business meetings with several worship
services, each collecting for a specific fund
• 3rd highest registration in General Assembly history
• Raised over $230,000 in total, the most in the last
5 years
Unitarian Universalist Association
27 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
• Annual in-person luncheon went virtual
• Pre recorded videos and edited presentation to
feel “live”
• Raised over $108,000, mostly during virtual event
• 324 donors, plus 10 sponsor gifts
• Net Total Raised: $98,000 (up 11% from 2019)
Courage KennyRehabilitation Institute
For more examples of successful
virtual fundraising events, check out our ebook>
28 | Taking Your Fundraising Events Virtual // Tweet @MobileCause
With these effective tools and strategies,you’ll be primed for hosting a powerhouse virtual fundraising event that brings in as much, or more,
revenue than your in-person events.
To speak directly to an expert about implementing MobileCause
software and strategy for your organization please:
➢ Call (888) 661-8804, TEXT MCDEMO TO 51555 or visit
MobileCause.com/Demo
More than just comprehensive fundraising software, MobileCause alsooffers nonprofits the one-on-one strategy and support needed to maximize their resources and grow their mission.
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