{"id":16295,"date":"2016-05-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=16295"},"modified":"2024-05-08T22:10:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T22:10:24","slug":"communications-timing-crowdfunding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/communications-timing-crowdfunding\/","title":{"rendered":"Communications and Timing for Crowdfunding & Online Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCommunications timing \u2013 The choice, judgment, or control of when something should be said\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Communications timing is a deadly art. It can help or hinder your crowdfunding<\/a> or online fundraising campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One time, we saw a small nonprofit launch their online fundraising campaign one week before their team went on vacation. Did it succeed? Heck no.<\/p>\n

Another time, we saw a startup nonprofit capitalize on timing to inspire their support base. They raised\u00a0$23,000 in 24 hours.<\/a><\/p>\n

Your timing is just as important as your messaging and community. There are three types of timing: launch, duration, and communication.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s figure out how you can use the art of timing with your crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign. For a detailed look at communications and channels you can use, check our our free guide, Crafting a Communications and Fundraising Plan.<\/a><\/p>\n

Timing your crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign<\/h2>\n

Launch timing is determining when to start your crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n

How to find the right launch date<\/h3>\n

1. Know the calendar<\/strong>
\nCheck holidays, special days and events. Know your calendar so you can take advantage of specials days which can bring added incentive to give.<\/p>\n

Look for cause related days like World Water Day, Giving Tuesday<\/a>, International Day of Poverty or Earth Day.<\/p>\n

Be mindful of holidays (ex. Easter, Independence Day, etc) as those can disrupt your momentum. If you\u2019re launching a campaign in the fall that is not in December, do it before mid November so you leave enough room for year-end giving.<\/p>\n

2. Plan your fundraising timeline<\/strong>
\nYour online fundraising campaign should fit within your overall fundraising timeline. Plan your campaign so it doesn\u2019t compete with your other fundraising projects or events.<\/p>\n

For example, it you have an annual gala in March, host your online fundraising campaign a few months after that so that you, your staff and donors are not fatigued.<\/p>\n

Once you plot out your fundraising timeline, look for gaps in the year when you traditionally don\u2019t have much fundraising happening. The general rule is to have a fundraising push every three months. Gaps in your timeline are perfect opportunities to launch an online fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n

3. Be aware of partner initiatives<\/strong>
\nWork with partners? Be aware of their fundraising initiatives so you don\u2019t overlap.<\/p>\n

Let your partners know what you\u2019re planning so they can make time to support your work.<\/p>\n

This will help you continue working together instead of competing for time and attention. It\u2019s a good idea to provide them with a toolkit of your promotional materials too so you can leverage their networks for your crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n

4. Tuesday & Wednesdays work the best<\/strong>
\nWe recommend launching your campaign on a Tuesday or a Wednesday because donations<\/a> peak on those two days of the week. This also gives you a few working days before and after to tie up any loose ends.<\/p>\n

Determining the length of your crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign<\/h2>\n

Duration timing is determines how long your online fundraising campaign will be active.<\/p>\n

\"donation<\/p>\n

How long should your fundraising campaign last?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ll be honest. In this section, we wanted to impress the pants off of you with fancy data analytics on the perfect duration of a crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n

We looked for correlations in our data of campaigns and didn\u2019t find a strong correlation between the length of a crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign and the volume of donations they would receive.<\/p>\n

After looking at the data, there was no correlation. Not yet at least.<\/p>\n

What we did see were two types of durations and several pros\/cons for each approach. Let\u2019s take a deeper look at them.<\/p>\n

1. Short-term<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A short-term campaign is typically 30 days or less. Short-term crowdfunding and online fundraising campaigns usually see a great amount of activity (site visits, donations, etc) within a short period of time.<\/p>\n

Pros of going short-term
\n<\/b>\u2022\u00a0A surge of donations within short period of time<\/em>
\n\u2022\u00a0Allows you to have multiple campaigns a year<\/em>
\n\u2022\u00a0Inherent\u00a0hot trigger urgency<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cons of going short-term
\n<\/b>\u2022\u00a0<\/b>Requires dedicated team focus during the campaign<\/em>
\n\u2022\u00a0Less time for adjustment if a technique is not working<\/em>
\n\u2022\u00a0Requires more advanced planning<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Long-term<\/strong><\/p>\n

A long-term crowdfunding or online fundraising campaign is typically more than one month. A long-term or ongoing campaign usually sees a steady stream of activity (site visits, donations, etc) during its life.<\/p>\n

Most nonprofits that use a long-term crowdfunding or online fundraising\u00a0campaign see it as an ongoing fundraising mechanism or as a way to compliment other giving opportunities.<\/p>\n

Pros of going long-term
\n<\/b>\u2022\u00a0<\/b>Self-service fundraising
\n<\/em>\u2022\u00a0Less work involved<\/em><\/p>\n

Cons of going long-term
\n<\/b>\u2022\u00a0<\/b>Less activity over a long period of time
\n<\/em>\u2022\u00a0No urgency of need<\/em><\/p>\n

Timing your crowdfunding or online fundraising communications<\/h2>\n

Communication timing is determining when and how often you will communicate with your support base about your crowdfunding or online fundraising.<\/p>\n

The basics of communication<\/h3>\n

The general rule behind communication is that you should communicate when you have something good to share. At the very least you should have four types of communication.<\/p>\n

1. Launch notification<\/strong>
\nLaunch your crowdfunding or online fundraising\u00a0with an email newsletter and a defined call to action to donate or help raise funds.<\/p>\n

Plan on sending out email between 3pm to 5pm as it is the best time for personal emails.<\/p>\n

Reinforce the message of your launch in all your social media:<\/p>\n