All About Digital Fundraising

What it is and how you can use it for your sports team, school club, or community organization

If you or your kids have ever been part of a team or club, you’ve likely been involved in some form of fundraising. (You may have even been in charge of it!) 

Fundraising is a great way to offset club costs, make participation more affordable, bring your team (and community) together, and have some fun! From auctions to pancake breakfasts to car washes—and everything in between—there’s no shortage of ways for groups to reach their goals. 

But we’re going to talk about one way in particular that’s becoming increasingly popular—digital fundraising—and how it can bring your fundraising efforts into the 21st century.

What is Digital Fundraising?

First things first—let’s start with a quick definition. 

Digital fundraising is the practice of using online platforms, social media, and technology to raise funds for your team or organization or cause. 

Before we dive into the mechanics of it, let’s compare how traditional methods stack up against digital fundraising. 

Picture this: Your son’s baseball team needs to raise funds for new equipment, so they’re going to have a car wash and sell cookie dough. Your daughter’s soccer team also needs to raise money for a big tournament. But her team is going the digital route. 

For the next two weeks, your son is running around the neighborhood hanging posters and handing out flyers to spread the word about the car wash. He’s also pounding the pavement, selling cookie dough door to door. 

While your son’s out hustling, your daughter’s hanging out on the couch surfing social media and texting on her phone. 

When it’s all said and done, your son’s team reaches 70% of their goal. Surprisingly, your daughter’s team crushes theirs, hitting 110%. (She even ends up being the top earner!) The results leave you wondering, “How did that happen?!” (And how are you going to go through all the cookie dough you bought!)

Digital Fundraising vs. Traditional Methods

The problem with old school fundraising methods is they’re pretty limiting in terms of how much awareness you can raise and how many potential donors you can reach. (After all, you can only hand out so many flyers, knock on so many doors, and wash so many cars!)

Successful fundraising comes down to two things: Awareness and reach. And digital fundraising makes it really easy to do both those things really well. 

Digital fundraising is quite possibly the most efficient and effective way to create awareness and demonstrate need while reaching a large donor base. Moving your fundraising initiatives online means your efforts aren’t limited by location. (Or even weather! Like a car wash.) Going digital lets you tap into the power of social media to tell your story and raise awareness about your need while spreading the word far and wide. 

Which is why that car wash your son’s team ran (you know, the one that his grandparents couldn’t come to because they live 4 hours away) was a bit of a bust. But that text your daughter sent them with a link to her team’s digital fundraiser made it possible for them to donate (and even share with their entire bridge club, who also donated). 

The Fundamentals of Digital Fundraising 

Now that you know what digital fundraising is and what it looks like, let’s explore how it works. 

Digital fundraising is executed via campaigns. It sounds pretty fancy, but don’t worry, it’s actually super simple. Most campaigns are typically built around messages shared through social media posts and SMS texts. These messages highlight the need, tell the team’s story, and include a link where potential donors can easily make their contributions.

All you have to do is send a few text messages and repost or share the club’s content on social media. (If you’re not social media savvy, don’t worry, just find the nearest teenager and they’ll show you!) And presto! You’ve just turned your phone and Facebook page into a digital fundraising machine!

And now for the million-dollar question…

Why Digital Fundraising is a Game-Changer

There are lots of reasons why digital fundraising is so effective (we’ll dig into them later, in another blog), but for now, we’ll highlight two big ones: It’s convenient and cost-effective. 

Convenient

Between school, homework, practice, work, the gym, a social life—everyone’s busy. (Including donors!) Digital fundraising allows supporters to donate with just a few clicks, at any time, from anywhere. And the best part? Kids don’t have to set time aside for selling or washing anything. (And neither do parents!) 

Cost effective

Many digital fundraising platforms offer budget-friendly plans, which means you get to keep more funds for your cause. Plus, digital fundraising eliminates the hard costs typically associated with campaigns, like printing flyers, renting event spaces, buying supplies, and purchasing products for resale. All these things add up fast and chew into your hard-earned funds. 

If you want to take your team or club’s fundraising game to the next level, but aren’t sure how to get started, we’ve got good news—you’re just one click away from launching your very own digital fundraising campaign. (Seriously! Read on to find out more.) 

How to Start Your First Campaign with Operation Player Assist

Operation Player Assist (OPA) makes it fast and easy to start your digital fundraising campaign. Click here to book a demo call and get your campaign started fast! 

The key to successful fundraising is teamwork. Let our team help your team reach its goals!