Creating a robust fundraising lead generation program is essential for charities seeking to grow their donor base using a call centre and/or digital conversion techniques. This process involves leveraging both on-page lead generation and off-page lead generation, each serving distinct roles in a charity’s marketing and fundraising strategy. While both approaches share the ultimate goal of raising funds, they are unique tools that require different management strategies to maximise effectiveness.
Regardless of the fundraising lead generation method you use, you will usually need a strong call to action, with a time-based hook. For example, “sign up by February to get help us raise enough funds to build the school by Christmas…”
On-page fundraising lead generation
On-page lead generation serves as a “pull” marketing strategy, designed to attract potential fundraising leads who are already familiar with or interested in your cause. This method is highly effective at converting individuals who are further along in the donor journey.
For example, a charity using Meta ads to promote donations for a pressing humanitarian crisis is directly engaging supporters who are likely ready to act. These efforts ensure that the charity’s brand is at the forefront of potential donors’ minds, providing a clear path to contribute.
Off-page fundraising lead generation
Off-page lead generation acts as a “push” marketing strategy, targeting individuals who may not be actively seeking your charity but could become valuable fundraising leads with the right outreach. This approach identifies and nurtures potential donors earlier in their journey, building relationships that can lead to future contributions.
An effective example is a charity conducting a digital survey asking participants to express their interest in supporting a particular cause. This “hand-raiser” approach introduces new audiences to your mission, creating opportunities to grow your database of fundraising leads.
Value Exchange
A well-designed value exchange can enhance both on-page and off-page strategies by encouraging people to engage with your charity in exchange for a small token. The key is to focus on driving engagement with the cause rather than simply focusing on high volume fundraising lead generation.
Examples of Effective and Ineffective Value Exchange
- Effective: Offering branded stickers or campaign pins tied to your cause can attract engaged individuals who feel connected to your mission.
- Ineffective: Providing a generic freebie, like a first aid kit, might generate a higher quantity of fundraising leads but fail to attract those with a genuine interest in supporting your charity.
Maximising efficiencies when blending on-page and off-page fundraising lead generation
Your off-page fundraising lead generation partner should be geared to add scale without creating a negative customer experience or wasting your campaign budget. Leveraging technologies, they should be set up to exclude and reject the leads you have already generated in real-time.
Maintaining compliance
It is essential to ensure that the leads are collected in line with fundraising and Privacy legislation. You can check out our free guide on this here, which was built for education to FIA and PFRA members across Australia and New Zealand.
If you are calling the leads you generate, you will also need to work within the boundaries of federal and state telemarketing legislation.
Conclusion
By combining on-page and off-page fundraising lead generation strategies with thoughtful value exchanges, charities can effectively generate high-quality fundraising leads. Tailoring each approach to its unique strengths ensures that your organisation not only builds a larger donor base but also cultivates meaningful, long-lasting relationships with supporters.
If you are looking to build a new Australian / New Zealand fundraising lead generation program, or to add scale to your existing program with quality off-page leads, Dataphoria have a range of cost-per-lead solutions that could assist you.
