Diversification in nonprofit fundraising is similar to curating a well-rounded investment portfolio. Just as investors spread their assets across various types of investments to minimize risk and maximize returns, nonprofits can spread their fundraising efforts across various channels to grow revenue and expand their reach.
Corporate partnerships play a crucial role in this diversification strategy. In forming corporate partnerships, nonprofits gain access to financial support, visibility for their organization to new audiences, and access to resources like in-kind donations and expertise.
With donation platform technology, nonprofits can diversify their fundraising efforts even further by offering their corporate partners multiple ways to give back to their organization.
Diversification in Cause Marketing
Cause marketing strategies come in various forms, each offering unique benefits for both nonprofits and businesses. While raising funds and making donations is the most straightforward form of corporate giving, there are many ways that brands can diversify their giving efforts.
Donate a Percentage of Sales or Flat Amount per Purchase
Brands and retailers can enable donations on every purchase through their eCommerce website by pledging to donate a percentage of sales or a flat dollar amount per purchase. This is a great tactic for brands to create a more meaningful purchase experience for their customers, while nonprofits benefit from a steady stream of funds.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition enables a flat donation amount per purchase from their eCommerce store. When their customers are shopping for their online products, they have the opportunity to search and select an animal shelter of their choice to benefit from the donation made with their purchase.
Empower Customers to Get Involved with Round-up and Add-on Donations
Brands can also invite their customers to round-up or add-on a donation to their online purchase for a more engaging purchase experience. This tactic can empower customers to feel like they’re getting directly involved in a brand’s donation strategy.
NEST New York empowers their customers to add-on a flat donation amount of their choice to every online purchase. When their customers arrive to the checkout page, they are given the opportunity to add-on a donation towards NEXT for AUTISM and maximize the impact their purchase is making.
Inspire Customer-Powered Giving by Offering Matching Donations
Brands can also elevate their customer-powered giving strategy by pledging to match all customer donations. If for example a customer chooses to add-on a $3 donation to their purchase, a brand can opt to match that donation, doubling the impact created. This is a great way to inspire and incentivize shoppers to create a donation with their purchase, knowing that the brand will pledge an equal amount.
For Pride Month 2023, Steve Madden enabled their customers to add-on a donation to online purchases and pledged to match every donation made, dollar for dollar, in support of the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. This tactic is especially effective for limited-time campaigns and cause awareness moments, like Pride Month or Earth Month.
Engage Customers After a Purchase with Post-Purchase Donation Opportunities
To capture the attention of customers and generate donations for nonprofits after a purchase has already been made, brands can leverage post-purchase donations for both their eCommerce store and POS locations. This tactic further engages customers after a purchase has already been made, and creates further opportunities for brands to generate funds for nonprofits.
Coach sends an email to their Coach Insider members after their purchase has been made to let them know that there is still an opportunity to create a donation as a result of their purchase. Once the customer opts in to select their cause from the email, a donation is generated as usual for the selected organization.
Diversify Your Corporate Fundraising Seamlessly
Offering corporate partners more diverse giving opportunities allows nonprofits to deepen their connections with these partners over time, and creates more touch points for charitable impact. By embracing diverse cause marketing strategies and cultivating strategic partnerships with brands, nonprofits can unlock new avenues for revenue generation, expand their reach to new audiences, and amplify their impact.
If you’d like to learn how ShoppingGives can streamline your existing corporate partners and offer them more diverse ways to give back to your organization, please schedule time with our team below.
