Our blog is full of fundraising ideas and tips. We’re full of notions and concepts about how to boost fundraising digitally and take more donations online. And we’ve got the tech to back it up!
But what if we could give you just one thing to try? One simple, effective and successful way to fundraise virtually?
Can you spare an hour?
If we asked for an hour of your time, you might struggle to say yes. Everyone is so busy nowadays, always on the go. Especially now that so many people are working from home – More than ever before – Making employees and friends more digitally available. You might feel like you just don’t have an hour to spare.
But what about an hour’s pay – Could you spare that?
For the last 5 years, Save the Children have run a ‘Billable Hour’ fundraiser where supporters are asked one simple thing – To donate an hour of their salary. It has been hugely successful, quickly exceeding their fundraising target.
This idea isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s rather similar to tithing, where even back in Biblical times people would be asked to give a tenth of their earnings to tax or religious collections.
A tenth might be a bit of an ask, but we think asking for an hour’s pay is reasonable – As a one off as well as on a regular basis.
This simple and effective fundraiser lends itself well to all sorts of charitable causes. Here’s why.
It’s super simple
It’s a very clear, very simple ask. All you need to ask your potential donors is to donate their hourly rate. Make it even easier by showing those with an annual salary how to calculate it! If they have a job, they can take part – And even if they don’t have a job, they can still choose to join in if they want to.
In fact, it’s so simple that it’s easily shared between your supporters, with their friends and family. Definitely a fundraiser with the potential to go viral.
It’s all relative
The great thing about this fundraiser is that it feels fair. Whether you earn a little or a lot, donating one hour’s worth of your salary feels do-able.
It’s reasonable
As we’ve discussed many times before, the majority of people have the willingness to donate, even if they don’t have the means. Asking for a donation of one hour’s pay will be manageable for most, making the suggestion reasonable – and more likely to be undertaken.
It’s adaptable
Any charitable cause can utilise this fundraiser – And any potential donor can take part. Asking donors for an hour’s salary doesn’t have to be dictated by end dates, meaning donors can choose when they can comfortably make their donation – Perhaps after pay day! You could even run it every pay day on your communication channels – It’s a reasonable enough amount to ask on a regular basis.
It’s a suggested amount
Funnily enough, donors generally want to be told what to donate. They don’t want to figure it out for themselves! That’s why on our online donations pages, we have 3 set amounts so that your donors can choose how much to donate, yet are still presented with a suggested sum. The same logic applies to suggesting someone donates their hourly rate – But without asking for too little or too much.
It can be a one-off or regular
As a donor, this would be a reasonable amount to consider donating on a regular basis – Maybe even every month. As a charity, this is an easy fundraiser to run on a regular basis – Perhaps every pay day like we suggested above. If every month seems a bit much, then why not make it an annual thing instead? Once a supporter makes the donation, they can easily be contacted the next year to see if they would be willing to do the same again.
It lends itself well to online fundraising
This idea is so simple, and lends itself so well to online and digital fundraising. It could be a strategic fundraising campaign across your communication and social media channels, with links to online donation pages. Your donors could donate their hourly pay quickly with Google Pay or Apple Pay!
It’s an easy handle to have anywhere on your website, with a quick call to action via a Donate Now button.
It’s also an easy addition to a digital donation box or even a poster with an easy-to-use QR code or NFC tag.
Digital Fundraising is easy to Integrate with Donater
Here at Donater we have a suite of fundraising tools specifically designed to make giving easier. Easier for the donor to make a donation, and easier for charitable organisations to receive that all-important fundraising.
Our suite of online fundraising tools include:
A dedicated online fundraising page, personalised to your charity or good cause. Supporters will immediately recognise your branding and thus, trust that they are in the right place to make a donation. Online fundraising pages are easy to share online via a handy link, and can be easily linked to your website with a ‘Donate Now’ button.
QR codes. We’ve all become more accustomed to QR codes with the NHS Covid app, so you’ll know how quick and easy it is to scan one with your smartphone. QR codes can be just as handy for taking donations. All your supporter has to do is scan the QR code with their smartphone, and it will take them to an online donation page. Once there, they can choose to donate with a tap via Google Pay or Apple Pay, or pay with their bank details. QR codes are a great addition to any physical marketing about your event, such as posters or newsletters as well as transforming a traditional donation box into a mobile way of taking digital donations.
NFC Tags. Our NFC tags take the above QR code concept a step further, and enable any supporter of yours with an NFC enabled smartphone to merely tap the tag or sticker. They will then be taken to an online donation page where they can make their donation quickly and simply. These work better with in-person events, but could easily be placed at the entrance to your charity or on collection boxes so visitors can donate to your cause if they wish.
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss how Donater could help your charitable cause to raise money digitally, give us a call today or send us an email.