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:

 

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 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:

 

Social media is a great tool for building a sense of community and spread your fundraising message to a broad audience.  

 

To help with your fundraising, regularly post on social media with:

 

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 Allchurches 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 have produced helpful guidance on any risks involved in online donations:

 

It may be useful to share these links 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:

 

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:

 

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: