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Digital Fundraising – Frequently Asked Questions
Crowdfunding is the concept that, rather than having one major investor, charitable projects can harness the power of the internet to get lots of small gifts. Crowdfunding is about spreading the word as widely and quickly as possible.
You will need to set up an online giving page to crowdfund (see later questions for more guidance on this).
To run a successful crowdfunding campaign, ensure that:
- You are raising funds for a specific, tangible project, such as buying new furniture for the church hall.
- The project you are raising money for will benefit the whole community (for example, the new furniture will provide better facilities for everyone!).
- You are looking to raise a specific, medium amount of money
- You already have some of the money raised, which gives confidence that you will achieve your ambitions.
- You work hard to promote the crowdfunder for a short period of time (i.e., two weeks)
- You have a clear and compelling fundraising message. For example, we want to transform the church hall into a warm, comforting, and appealing place for the community to use.
- You use all routes possible to publish your crowdfunding, such as parish newsletters, local press, Facebook, email, and, most of all, your network to reach as many people as possible.
More guidance on crowdfunding can be found on Parish Resources.
Firstly, set up an online giving page where you can receive donations. There are many providers available - Church of England has a helpful list of recommendations to help you get started.
Once you have set up an online page that best suits your needs, encourage people to give. Have a strong fundraising message that sits alongside your page, telling people why you need support. Make sure a link to the giving page is visible on your website. Then promote your giving page to your communities through social media, posters, QR codes, events, and word of mouth.
Firstly, choose a provider that best suits your needs. There are a variety available, with different features and functionalities. The Church of England has a list of recommended providers.
When choosing a provider, consider costs, functionality, and whether your diocese recommends or has a partnership with a particular provider. It can also be helpful to ask for recommendations from other churches or local organisations.
Once you have chosen your provider, use the steps on their site to set up your online giving page.
You may need to prove your charitable status when setting up an online giving page if you are a church with an Excepted Charitable Status. To do this, use your Gift Aid reference number from HMRC, or download a certificate from your ‘A Church Near You’ profile. You can do this by clicking 'more information' on the left menu, then 'download certificate' at the bottom of the page.
Use all routes possible to promote your giving page:
- Make the link to your chosen platform very visible and prominent on your church website’s home page
- Post on social media
- The Church of England has created an animation about giving, which can be customised for your church
- Create a donation page on your A Church Near You profile. You will need to first select and signed up with a provider
- Make giving part of your ‘digital liturgy’. If you have an online service, have a regular form of words (or several) to remind people to give
- Tell stories about the difference people’s giving makes, for example ‘because our giving went up last year we were able to reach more isolated people in our community’.
Social media is a great tool for building a sense of community and spreading your fundraising message to a broad audience.
To help with your fundraising, regularly post on social media with:
- Updates about any projects or work your church is doing. Sharing interesting news or photos can help make people feel invested in your aims and informed about your activity.
- Your fundraising message. Let your community know you are fundraising and asking for donations. A recent survey conducted by the Diocese of Leeds found that many people had not donated to the church simply because they hadn’t been asked! So make it clear that you are fundraising, and why, on your social media.
- Thank you messages – if you receive a grant from a funder, share and say thank you on social media. This may even encourage others to give to your project!
It is better to focus on using one social media platform well than spread yourself too thin across many. When choosing a platform to use, think about which one your communities are most likely to be on.
For more guidance on getting the most out of social media, read this helpful blog from Benefact Trust.
It’s important to remember digital giving is just a mechanism – it’s a way you can receive donations, but not the heart of your fundraising.
If you are trying to reach a community outside of your church who are not online, it may be best to use ‘analogue’ methods, like events or letters.
For people who are already in your church family, take small steps to help them get online and build confidence in other ways. For example, you could first encourage people to use an online calendar or church management software.
Perhaps someone in your church could act as your online giving champion and offer support by phone for people who need help navigating online giving.
Once people feel more comfortable and confident online, digital fundraising activity will increase.
Get Safe Online has produced helpful guidance on any risks involved in online donations:
It may be useful to share this link with your communities so everyone can take simple precautions to be safe and secure online.
Online fundraising events can help boost income and connect communities socially.
Firstly, pick an event that is unique to your church, that your communities will enjoy, and crucially, one that is not too difficult to organise – it’s often best to keep it simple!
Ideas for events include:
- Quiz night
- Competitions – such as photography or walking challenges
- Cook-along or coffee morning
- Online auction
- Music night or sing-along
- Virtual tour of the church building.
You can run most online events via platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Set up an online donation platform so people can donate. You can then ask people to donate before, during, or after the event.
Share your event widely via posters, notice sheets, your website, social media, and word of mouth!
More information about virtual events can be found on the Parish Resources website.
Online giving presents amazing possibilities for churches to grow their giving:
- It allows your church to spread its message to a wide range of people, especially a younger audience. You could reach people from a wide geographical spread – not just those who are local to your church. For example, there may be online communities from around the world interested in your Church’s history or architecture.
- The public is carrying less cash than ever. According to the Bank of England, debit cards overtook cash as the most frequently used payment method in 2017. The pandemic has only accelerated this trend. Having an online giving page means that those who visit your church can still give, even if they don’t have cash on them.
- Digital fundraising may sound daunting to some, but it’s easy and convenient once you master the basics!
A QR code is a unique image made up of black and white squares, linked to a website. When a QR code is scanned by a camera on a smartphone, the user is taken directly to the linked website.
Your church can set up a QR code to link to your online giving page. You can then print or put the code on your website, so people can scan it with their smartphone to go to your giving page.
More information on QR codes can be found on the Church of England site.
Remember that digital fundraising is just one mechanism you can use to engage your local community - it’s not a silver bullet. Think about who your communities are and the different ways you can reach out to them. Identify the specific needs and wants of your particular communities.
Then, to help engage people to donate online, consider:
- Producing an online newsletter to showcase the work your church is doing – include photos and quotes – and the link to your online giving page!
- Using social media to promote your projects and encourage people to donate – regularly share photos and keep your community up to date
- Hosting online events for your communities – and include your fundraising message during the event
- Making your fundraising message and link to your online giving page clear and visible on your website
- Using posters and notices to promote fundraising.