Every year, Nonprofit Tech For Good’s Open Data Project surveys nonprofit professionals to better understand how they use technology to grow their organizations.
And with their data, they always clearly present it so you can see the newest nonprofit technology trends.
In their 2021 survey, Nonprofit Tech for Good asked their supporters to choose which 10 nonprofit technology fundraising and digital marketing tools they felt were most effective. And they were asked to choose which 10 were the least effective.
While all the data from the survey is posted on their site, we wanted to break down the top 5 nonprofit digital marketing and fundraising tools for you and what it means for your organization!
So let’s get into it!
The 5 Most Valuable Nonprofit Digital Marketing & Fundraising Tools for 2022:
* PLEASE NOTE: All of the data is pulled from Nonprofit Tech For Good’s Open Data Project. Find out more about the Open Data Project and take the Global NGO Technology Survey, too! *
Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tool #1: Website – 84%
From the Open Data Project, a whopping 84% of respondents said this was the most valuable and effective nonprofit digital marketing and fundraising tool.
Of all the digital marketing tools out there, this is the one that brings the biggest ROI. And the great thing about having a website is it belongs to your nonprofit. Unlike other platforms such as social media, if you have a domain you have free reign over how you use your site.
How Can You Use This Nonprofit Technology Trend to Be Successful?
The biggest thing you’ll want to do with your website is make sure it’s optimized and up to date for your supporters. In a world that’s moving more and more to the online space, having an excellent website can be an advantage!
We’ve come up with the top 9 nonprofit website design best practices to make sure yours is bringing back the biggest return on investment for your nonprofit organization.
Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tool #2: Social Media – 65%
Just under having an up-to-date nonprofit website comes social media platforms. And this isn’t a surprise! Because over 3.6 billion people were using social media in 2020. And that number is only expected to increase.
Having a social media presence is a wonderful way to build brand awareness for your nonprofit. It’s a great way to engage with supporters and even reach new ones! And it’s also a way to lead your supporters to the right place for them.
If they’re ready to make a contribution, your social media platform can lead them to your online donation pages.
If they want to know more about your community, your social media accounts can point them to your email newsletter.
How Can You Use This Nonprofit Technology Trend to Be Successful?
Start by deciding on which social media apps are best for your nonprofit. Then learn everything you can about your audience on that app so you can continue providing valuable content for them.
As you build your social media presence, engage with your community of supporters there! Reply to their comments when they engage with your posts. Respond to their DMs with any answers for questions they ask there.
As you build this community, then you can begin directing them towards how they can support your organization even more!
And to help you better manage your social media strategy, use some of these amazing social media tools!
Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tool #3: Email Newsletters – 64%
We’ve mentioned it before in some of our other posts, but using email marketing is proven to have one of the highest ROIs for nonprofits.
So this nonprofit digital marketing tool comes as no surprise!
Why is that, though? That’s because the ones on your email list are already well on their way through their donor’s journey.
They’ve already shown interest in your nonprofit organization. So nurturing the relationship with them and periodically asking for a contribution is much easier because they’re already invested.
How Can You Use This Nonprofit Technology Trend to Be Successful?
The first thing you want to do with your email newsletters is make sure you stay consistent with your content.
Pick a day and time to send out your email newsletters, whether it’s monthly, weekly, quarterly, or somewhere in between. And then stick to it. Showing up regularly in your supporters’ inboxes builds trust with them. They know exactly when to expect you!
The other main thing for this nonprofit digital marketing tool is to use your email newsletters as a nurture campaign. Don’t always ask for a contribution! Instead, show the great work your nonprofit is doing. Show how supporters play a part in it. Highlight your volunteer and your team members. Do that first before asking for a donation.
Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tool #4: Email Fundraising Appeals – 43%
Following up email newsletters is email fundraising appeals. What’s the difference between these two?
Your email newsletters should be used primarily for nurturing your email list.
But email fundraising appeals can be thought of almost like “sales” campaigns. This is when you do make your request for donations and contributions.
How Can You Use This Nonprofit Technology Trend to Be Successful?
The first thing you should do first? Is use your email newsletters! Because think of it this way. When was the last time you signed up for a newsletter, and you never heard from the person?
And all of a sudden, three months later, they randomly asked you to purchase their product! The majority of people (and we’d guess you, too!), would immediately hit the delete button.
For your email fundraising appeals to work, you need to use them alongside your email newsletters!
Then you can sprinkle in fundraising appeals like “one-day campaigns.” Or if there’s a time-sensitive issue your nonprofit is trying to raise funds for, your list is already warmed up to your nonprofit and is ready to contribute!
Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tool #5: Recurring and Monthly Giving – 43%
And number 5 on the list is none other than recurring and monthly giving!
It’s no surprise, considering recurring and monthly giving has increased by over 20% in the last couple of years.
And it’s definitely a nonprofit digital marketing tool to utilize. According to Network For Good, a recurring donor gives 42% more over one year than a one-time donor does!
How Can You Use This Nonprofit Technology Trend to Be Successful?
The best way to use this nonprofit trend is by letting your supporters know it’s available to them. Promote your recurring giving program on your website, your nonprofit social media ads leading to an online donation page, and your email list.
You can even use your social media platforms to let supporters know you offer this! And that’s not a bad idea because studies have shown that 52% of millennials are interested in monthly giving.
Many of the best CRM tools for nonprofits and online donation platforms have built-in tools to allow you to set up a recurring monthly giving program!
Here’s some great news! Our sister site, Charity How To, has a free webinar on why you should start a monthly donor program.
Watch the FREE Webinar to Start a Monthly Donor Program Now at CharityHowTo!
Nonprofit Technology for Good’s Open Project Data has shown us the top digital marketing tools for nonprofits for this year!
And we hope that our breakdown helps you use these tools successfully!
Want more related to the most effective nonprofit digital marketing and fundraising tools? Check out these posts!
The Top 27 Statistics You Need to Know About Digital and Online Fundraising for Nonprofits
The Top 6 Nonprofit Online Fundraising Best Practices to Meet Your Monthly Goals
The 5 Must-Have Technology for Nonprofits to Help You Grow Your Cause
