Soapbox Engage Blog

In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits and charities face all kinds of challenges when it comes to fundraising and keeping their supporters engaged in their cause. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the restrictions that make in-person events difficult or impossible.

Perhaps one of the best tools nonprofits are adding to their fundraising arsenal is web conferencing tools. People worldwide are using Zoom to stay in touch with friends, family members, and work colleagues. Many nonprofits are harnessing the power of these conferencing tools to keep in touch with donors and continue hosting fundraising events.

And we aren't surprised that organizations are pivoting to online fundraising! After all, fundraisers and development professionals seem to have a knack for creative problem-solving and adapting to ever-changing circumstances.

Table of Contents

1. Set your goal
2. Create a theme, topic, and entertainment
3. Sell tickets and collect online donations
4. Advertise and invite
5. Set up your Zoom account

Major Nonprofits Are Shifting To Virtual Fundraising Events

It's difficult to know just how successful virtual fundraising events are compared to their in-person counterparts (and there are too many variables--like economic uncertainty and the pandemic). However, nonprofits of all shapes and sizes are proving that it's possible to host safe and effective virtual fundraising events using Zoom and other web conferencing tools.

St. Baldrick's moved their annual head-shaving fundraiser to Zoom

St. Baldrick's is an influential nonprofit in the fight against childhood cancer. One of their major annual fundraising events is a head-shaving event where participants raise money and shave their heads in solidarity with cancer patients.

When it became clear that their annual head-shaving event would not be possible due to COVID-19 restrictions, St. Baldrick's fundraising team adapted quickly and transitioned to a Zoom head-shaving party!

Volunteers lined up to participate in this live-streamed Zoom event and gathered friends and family all over the world to watch, cheer, and donate! We applaud the tenacity and creativity of St. Baldrick's fundraising team for their ability to adapt and use Zoom to ensure that the shaving show would go on--pandemic, or not!

Museums are offering virtual content via Zoom

Live streaming allows nonprofits, museums, and other organizations to showcase excellent content and even present viewers around the world with experiences they wouldn't otherwise have--all while raising money!

Savvy museums and nonprofits understand that these virtual events are really an opportunity to engage a larger audience and entice potential future visitors or participants when things return to normal.

The National Museums Scotland is just one creative museum that proved the theory that excellent live-stream events work even before the pandemic! Way back in 2016, the National Museums Scotland started experimenting with live-streaming content. By August 2017, the museum hosted 36 live stream events featuring 25 speakers and racking up an impressive 120,348 total views!

5 Steps To Plan A Virtual Fundraiser On Zoom

After hosting all those in-person fundraisers and events, a virtual Zoom fundraiser should feel like a piece of cake! Here are some basic steps, tips, and tricks from the experts to make your Zoom fundraiser a smashing success. (If you’re looking for a more detailed planning guide for your next virtual event, you can check out our resource, 9 Steps to Plan and Host a Virtual Fundraiser.)

1) Set your goal

Just like with an in-person fundraiser, you'll need a clearly defined goal and desired outcome. What would you like your attendees to experience and learn? How would you like to expand their understanding of your organization's work? How much would you like to raise through your Zoom event?

Answering these kinds of questions will help you establish specific, measurable, and attainable SMART goals for your event.

2) Create a theme, topic, and entertainment

This is where you and your fundraising team get to let your creativity run wild! Depending on your goals and how you structure your Zoom fundraiser, the options are endless!

Some nonprofits invite well-known speakers or performers. Others create more opportunities for interactions with breakout rooms or Q&A panels. Some nonprofits have gone all out, even sharing recipes for signature cocktails people can make and enjoy at home while participating in the live-stream event!

If you’re looking for some creative ideas that other nonprofits have used for their virtual fundraising events (or just need a little inspiration to get you started), check out our Virtual Fundraising Ideas Guide! It’s currently packed with over 40 tested and proven themes and ideas, and we’re always updating and expanding it with the latest and greatest strategies from around the nonprofit fundraising world!

Whatever you choose, make sure the theme and content fit your organization's message and personality. Also, consider your target audience! For example, if you're inviting the whole family to participate, you might not want to offer signature cocktail recipes. But signature cookie recipes could be a fantastic (and fun) substitute the entire family can enjoy!

3) Sell tickets and collect online donations during your Zoom fundraiser

Some nonprofits choose to host free Zoom fundraising events and rely on donations to reach their funding goals. Other organizations sell tickets. There's really no right or wrong--choose the path that best fits your organization's goals and culture! Either way, your team can manage event registration and sell tickets easily with the Soapbox Engage Events app.

No matter what kind of Zoom fundraising event you're planning, you'll want to have a custom, branded donation page for the event. With the Soapbox Engage Donations app, you'll offer an easy, mobile-friendly, online giving option so people can contribute to the cause throughout the event! You can even turn your virtual fundraiser into a Peer-to-Peer fundraising campaign with just a few easy clicks!

Don't forget to add the link to your donation page to all the advertising and virtual fundraising event information.

4) Advertise and invite

Cast the nets far and wide for your Zoom fundraising event! Invite people on your email lists, phone your major donors to extend a personal invitation, do social media blasts. Now is the time to pull out all the stops and fill your Zoomiverse with all the current and potential donors you can round up!

Of course, an equally effective fundraising strategy is to selectively invite a few of your top tier donors to a small, intimate virtual gathering with high-quality face-to-face time with your organization leaders, a well-known speaker or leader, or some other desirable opportunity. That's one reason why virtual fundraising with Zoom is so impactful--you can adapt it to your specific goals and needs!

5) Set up your Zoom account

If you haven't already, now's the time to set up a Zoom account and practice using it. Zoom does offer a free plan, but you're limited to just 40 minutes and 100 participants. The Zoom Pro and Business plans have other helpful features, like meeting recording features, unlimited time, breakout rooms, and much more.

As you explore various Zoom settings, functions, and options, there are YouTube videos and tutorials that explain things clearly and help you set everything up quickly.

7 Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices for Zoom Virtual Fundraising

There are many options and ways to customize your Zoom virtual fundraiser to your unique needs and style. No matter how you decide to structure your event, here are some practical tips, tricks, and best practices from industry experts to ensure your event is a smashing success!

Choose the right registration options for your event

If you're hosting a one-time, free event, this really isn't a matter to consider. However, suppose you're hosting a series of events or requiring some kind of registration. In that case, you should choose one of the following options that best fits your event:

• Attendees register and can attend any of the events: This setting allows people to register just once but participate in multiple events on your schedule. All the dates and times will be displayed, and attendees have access to all the webinars.
• Attendees register for each event individually: With this setting, your guests will need to sign up for each Zoom event separately. They can only choose one date and time on the event registration page. This option is excellent if you're planning to give the same presentation or event several times to accommodate more people.
• Attendees register once and choose one or more events to attend: This is the best setting if you're offering a series of events and want people to decide in advance which events they plan to attend.

Choose the right host controls for the best experience

Here are a few settings and controls to pay attention to as you prepare to host your first Zoom virtual fundraiser or webinar:

• Test microphones and settings in advance. Make sure all presenter's microphones clearly capture speech and don't create echo or feedback. Closed captioning services can be added to Zoom to accommodate anyone in your audience who may be hearing-impaired.
• Make sure to set up breakout or waiting rooms. These are excellent resources if you're planning a virtual event that encourages audience engagement, but they're best set-up in advance.
• To mute or not to mute, decide in advance! Decide whether you'll allow people in the audience to unmute themselves, or if you'd prefer, they ask permission to speak or engage.
• Choose the video settings. It's becoming common practice for hosts and presenters to keep their videos on throughout virtual fundraising events. It's also becoming a common courtesy to allow participants to choose whether to have their camera on. Many attendees prefer the privacy of not using video for all or part of the program.

Highlight good content that will keep people coming back for more

Whether you're bringing in keynote speakers and entertainers or doing it all "in-house," feature empowering and uplifting stories and people. Highlight your volunteers who make a difference. Share how projects from previous years are still making a difference. Offer educational content that will empower supporters to take action (not just give money).

This kind of content resonates with current and potential donors. It leaves people feeling hopeful and encouraged, especially in a season where people are strained and looking for glimmers of goodness in the world.

Avoid too much screen-sharing or wordy PowerPoint slides

Keep PowerPoint slides and visuals to a minimum. Most people are apt to lose interest in a speaker when they have to read along with a PowerPoint slide. Instead, use screen-sharing functions minimally and only put the essential information on slides.

Make it as interactive as possible

In Zoom, presenters can poll the audience, take questions, and send attendees into breakout rooms for short discussions. Utilize as many interactive functions as possible to keep your audience engaged and excited to contribute to the discussion! (It's also a great way to gather useful data and information about your audience or get ideas for future Zoom events.)

Consider having a dynamic co-host duo

Think of all the best talk shows and radio personalities. Almost all of them have more than one host to keep the audience engaged, offer some light, witty banter, and support each other through awkward moments. It's also easier for co-hosts to moderate Q&A panels and manage the Zoom fundraising event's overall tone and cadence.

Even if you don't have a "Regis and Kelly" quality duo, consider recruiting two co-hosts to moderate your virtual fundraising event.

Record your Zoom virtual fundraising event

Take advantage of the recording function on Zoom to record the entire event. Many nonprofits make the content available online. Whenever possible, create "evergreen" content that you can return to regularly in the future. Add the recordings to your website and social media pages (or sell access to it in your online store). No matter how you decide to leverage the content later, make sure you record the event.

Now that you're all set to host your first virtual fundraising event on Zoom, here are three more resources to help you boost your online fundraising presence.

• 6 Reasons Stripe Is A Great Payment Gateway for Nonprofits: A virtual fundraising event will really only be successful if you can collect online donations, requiring a payment processor. There are so many on the market to choose from. This blog lays out the main reasons that Stripe is one of the best options on the market.
• 40+ Virtual Fundraising Ideas [Updated Fall 2020]: As social distancing requirements continue, nonprofits are getting more creative about taking their fundraising events online! Here are some of the best virtual fundraising ideas, campaigns, and events to keep the donations coming in!
• 5 Easy Steps to Create A Monthly Giving Program: Monthly giving programs are the bedrock of most nonprofit's charitable giving. This blog outlines how these recurring donation programs work and how you can start one for your nonprofit! (Hint: your next virtual fundraising webinar might be a great place to roll it out to your supporters!)