Posted: February 04, 2026 | Updated: February 04, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Most sectors today are taking significant technological leaps to optimize their workflows and streamline their processes; nonprofits should, too. If you run a nonprofit and are finding ways to make your organization more tech-savvy, these 7 fundraising strategies below will help you.
If you are still juggling donors’ data in spreadsheets, you are missing out on a lot. A customer relationship management (CRM) system made specifically for nonprofits is the most important tool for tech-savvy fundraising. Today’s cloud-based software helps you store your complete donor database and access it in real time.
This donor database contains invaluable information that can help fundraising appeals be more effective and personal, but not without a system. With donation management software, you can create donor profiles, which include contact info, donation history, event attendance, affiliations, interests, and past interactions.
You can segment this data into groups based on common traits such as average gift size, location, preferred giving channel, preferred payment method, etc., and customize your outreach accordingly. Donor management software not only streamlines day-to-day manual operations but also helps nonprofits channel their focus and resources, backed by data.
In North America, 45% of online donations are made via mobile devices, and 53% of all nonprofit website visits are on mobile. The Text-to-Donate tool helps achieve an open rate of up to 99%, with 90% of users reading messages within the first three minutes. These statistics show that today, more and more donors prefer mobile devices. Desktops remain prevalent, but we can’t ignore a large, growing base of mobile device users.
You must test the mobile responsiveness of the entire website and its forms. It should be easy to navigate and have a smooth sign-up process. If the forms are hard to locate or difficult to complete on a mobile device, donors may abandon the process. Keep the forms short and limit required fields to what’s necessary at first contact; you can gather more information later in the donation process.
You can also add standard donation amounts (e.g., $50, $100, $200, $500) or custom options so users can quickly check the preferred amount (or customize). Adding recurring payments is beneficial at this stage for donors who want to make continued contributions.
Text-to-Donate is another tool for targeting mobile users. With this tool, a supporter can send a keyword such as “GIVE” and/or a donation amount to your number, triggering an immediate automated reply with a confirmation or a secure link to process and confirm the donation. If the user is donating for the first time via text, they’ll be asked to provide basic details such as name and payment information. Once confirmed, the details are submitted, and the donation is processed and confirmed by text.
The entire process takes only 2-3 minutes and is straightforward if the donor chooses to donate directly, without consultation or hassle. Text-to-Donate is popular among younger users, who prefer mobile devices for most transactions.
Nonprofits can set up a Text-to-Donation campaign code or keyword by partnering with a text-giving software provider. Once set, nonprofits can market it on social channels, highlighting the campaign’s number and keyword. Text-to-Donation has proven effective for launching campaigns. The Red Cross’s “Text HAITI” campaign is one popular example. After the 2010 earthquake, this Text-to-Donation campaign helped raised million through small donations.
Facebook and Instagram have 3 billion monthly active users (MAU); X has 561 million. Social media campaigns are among the most effective ways to build a cohesive community and drive donations.
These channels can help nonprofits reach an untapped audience from diverse places, backgrounds, and cultures. With a social media campaign, you do more than just ask for money; you tell a story, ignite conversations between different groups, and encourage supporters to share content.
To leverage social media campaigns effectively, here are some strategies to follow:
You should plan to add bite-sized videos to your content plan. Nonprofits often create short videos highlighting their mission or showing donor impact, then encourage supporters to share. Video content is more impactful than written content or a graphic – it creates a sense of one-on-one conversation, which inspires more donations.
A successful fundraising campaign is about analyzing and optimizing it based on data. You have a wealth of data at your disposal. From donor demographics to giving patterns, email open rates, website traffic, and even preferred payment options, you can get an insight into every element of your campaign.
Before any campaign, you should set clear goals and key performance indicators that will define the success of the campaign. Popular nonprofit KPIs include:
You should review these reports in short intervals by downloading the latest ones from CRM, the fundraising platform, and marketing tools to see how donors are engaging. Monitor which channels pulls most donations. Use the findings to reallocate resources to high-performing tactics and to discontinue underperforming tactics.
In recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual events have become a cornerstone of fundraising. These online events allow you to reach an audience far beyond your borders, all at a fraction of the cost of in-person galas. A virtual event is more feasible; you don’t have to worry about last-minute venue cancellation, travel logistics, or capacity limits. Plus, with more people joining, your donor pool expands.
Common examples of virtual events:
Another popular approach is to livestream your event. If you’re holding an in-person fundraiser, consider streaming parts of it on Facebook Live, YouTube, or Zoom so supporters who can’t attend in person can still engage and donate online. During the livestream, encourage virtual attendees to comment and ask questions, and have your team respond in real time to keep the audience involved.
You can include on-screen donation links or text-to-give instructions so viewers can contribute seamlessly. If you see a lot of success with a livestreamed event, you might even add fully digital events to your calendar in the future.
The intricacies of a virtual event are quite different from those of a physical event. To keep everything balanced and avoid last-minute hiccups, follow these tips:
P2P fundraising is a strategy where you encourage your supporters to create their own mini campaigns that they can share with their close ones to solicit donations on behalf of your nonprofit organization. This web of connections multiplies your reach and helps you get into the networks that you couldn’t have tapped otherwise.
Nonprofits can select a central campaign or an event to launch an online platform for existing supporters, enabling them to create a personal funding page. These pages often include each fundraiser’s story (“why I care about this cause”), a fundraising goal, and a tracker. Your supporters then reach out via email and social media to ask their contacts to donate to their personal pages.
A campaign manager’s role here is to equip the volunteers with the right tools. Offer branded graphics, template posts or emails, a clear hashtag to unify the campaign, and regular updates on progress. Shareable images and talking points will make it easy for them to advocate for it on social media and beyond.
Email still is one of the most effective marketing channels for nonprofit fundraising and donor communications. That’s why nonprofits should automate and use personalization tools to maximize the overall impact.
Sending the right message at the right time without manual intervention helps you maintain consistent donor engagement and frees up staff time. Many donor CRM systems or email marketing platforms allow you to create automated email series and templates. Automation also covers scheduled communications such as monthly newsletters, event invitations, and membership renewal reminders.
Begin by segmenting your email list. Rather than sending generic blasts, group donors by relevant criteria (age, location, past giving history, program interest, etc.) so you can craft messages that resonate with each segment. Many modern email tools integrate with your CRM to pull these segments automatically and even merge in personal details (like name, donation amount, or past activities) to customize each message. Aim for a donor-centric tone – use “you” more than “we” in your writing, showing donors the role they play in your mission. Also, keep the reading level accessible (around 6th-8th grade) to ensure clarity and impact.
Fundraising today is not only about collecting the cash, but it’s more about the value you offer to the donors. Technologically, the world is moving at a rapid pace; therefore, it’s essential for nonprofits to keep up. Integrating new technology creates greater value and a broader scope for the cause.
