For nonprofits, events can be powerful fundraising catalysts (if done correctly, of course). And especially in a digital world, the power of these events has actually increased. They offer meaningful opportunities to engage your supporters that simply can’t be matched online.
Events also give you room to create irreplaceable moments of inspiration—when a donor hears a story, looks around the room, and feels like they belong to something bigger.
In this post, we’re going to focus on a small, key detail that may fall under the radar: How to turn event inspiration into action. When you throw a rockin’ event, how do you take the peak emotional moment and turn it into an immediate, easy action for your supporters?
Let’s dig in.
5 Methods to Capture Generosity in the Moment
Events are an important pillar for most nonprofits’ fundraising strategy, for the simple fact that most donors like to attend them! A whopping 55-58% of nonprofit donors (varying by age cohort) report attending fundraising events.
Before diving into exactly what type of event you’re going to host, we need to dive into the how. What are the key things that you need to keep in mind as you prepare and plan for your event?
Here are our suggestions:
1. Auctions & Raffles
This type of giving opportunity is often high energy and creates a sense of friendly competition. It also allows donors to support your mission while taking home a tangible memory or a prize. This approach is perfect for your more competitive supporters and works best when you send out the link to bid a few hours before the event starts to get the momentum going.
As a bonus, you could also use mobile bidding to help you remove the bottleneck of using paper sheets. Let guests bid from their dinner table or the bar without missing a moment of the program.
2. QR Codes
QR codes create a low-pressure and ubiquitous approach to event fundraising. They’re a sort of no-excuses giving method because they meet the donor exactly where they are sitting and are a familiar sight to just about everyone. They are ideal for the guest who wants to make a quick, spontaneous gift of $25 or $50 without standing in a long line or talking to a staff member.
To make the most of QR codes, place them everywhere—on table tents, the back of the program, or on a big screen. Make them as ubiquitous as you can. That way, your donor doesn’t have to go searching to find how to give.
3. Digital Wallets
Similar to QR codes, accepting digital wallet payments like PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, creates a more high-tech opportunity to give, especially for younger donors. At an event, offering familiar digital options makes donating easy, as many folks already have these right at their fingertips (quite literally on their smartphone).
Offering Venmo or PayPal means a supporter can complete a gift in seconds, rather than digging for a physical credit card or needing to do manual data entry to complete their gift. It’s a great way to reduce friction for tech-savvy guests; just make sure your signage explicitly mentions you accept these apps so folks know they are payment options.
4. Pledge Cards
When looking for higher dollar donations, pledge cards can be your best friend. They allow guests to commit to a gift in the heat of an emotional moment without immediately having to make that gift. This setup is perfect for donors who want to make a larger gift, but might need to move funds, have a credit card limit, or need to consult a partner before the actual transaction occurs.
For the best results, ensure your cards clearly capture contact information and details about their committed support, so your team can follow up personally to turn that promise into a payment. If you need a starting point, we created the Pledge Card Playbook & Templates just for you!
5. In-Person Payment Terminal
Even in a digital world, many donors feel the most secure when they can physically tap or swipe a card at a designated station. This method provides a familiar, retail-like experience that fosters trust and eliminates the risk of your donor promising to “do it later” and then inevitably forgetting.
When using an in-person payment terminal, we suggest keeping them at a central, well-staffed “giving station” to ensure the process stays quick and friendly. During the program, you can inform attendees exactly where to find the station and you could also use signage to point folks in the right direction!
Why Integrated Payments Are Your New Best Friend
Perhaps one of the biggest perks of methods like digital payments, card readers, and QR codes is that they help you avoid the nightmare that is manual data entry after an event. No matter what giving method you’re offering, you’ll want them to feed directly into a comprehensive CRM that captures all of the information that you need about your donors.
When your digital payments, card reader, and QR codes flow directly into your donor management platform, it makes a world of difference. Because there is truly nothing worse than pulling off a successful event only to remember that you need to enter a bunch of donor data, card numbers, and contact information.
Meet the Neon One Payment Terminal
We’re excited to offer Neon One mobile payment terminals to simplify your in-person transactions. Whether you’re managing 5K race registrations or selling merchandise, you can now process everything seamlessly. Say goodbye to the headache of manual entry while you’re staring down a long line of patrons.
Designed to be simple and donor-friendly, mobile payment terminals let you accept credit cards and mobile wallets—like Apple Pay and Google Pay—wherever you meet your community. By taking in-person payments on the go, you can:
- Increase Your Fundraising: Boost revenue by streamlining payments for donations, tickets, and merchandise. Raise more by making it easy for supporters to give in the moment.
- Focus on Personal Connections: Give your attention to your supporters instead of your technology. Ensure your contributors feel valued through a seamless, trustworthy checkout experience.
- Simplify Your Operations: Eliminate manual data entry. Keep your records accurate and speed up reconciliation by syncing every mobile payment terminal transaction instantly with your CRM.
Neon One’s handheld payment terminal not only lets you easily accept in-person payments securely, but it also lets donors cover processing fees on the spot. It’s 4G cellular backup keeps you connected even if your Wi-Fi drops, and the integrated printer enables you to immediately produce tax-compliant receipts.
To learn more about the terminal, powered by Neon Pay, reach out to chat with our Sales team by booking a demo.
