Fundraising Blog

Why You Should Use an Online Fundraising Platform

Author:
Peter Hair
-
Fundraising technology expert, Co-Founder of GalaBid
Updated:
9/25/2023

Thinking of raising money for a great cause but worried you don’t have time to organise a big event?

Digital fundraising is the effective and fast way to raise money without it turning into a full-time job.  

Whether it’s a school fundraiser, sports club donation drive, or raffle in aid of local family in need - you can set-up and run a successful fundraiser just by using your digital device.

Tell Me More!

OK, let’s start with the basics.

A mobile fundraising platform is a paper-free system that helps fundraisers to manage donation drives, online raffles and silent auctions.  With a tried and trusted platform like GalaBid, you can set-up and start fundraising in minutes!

Managing the fundraiser is super easy thanks to easy uploads, automated updates, SMS alerts and digital invoicing.

There are lots more benefits to digital fundraising:

Easy Participation

Physical fundraising events mean people have to find time to attend.  Venues also have a maximum capacity which limits the number of people who can attend.

With digital fundraising all participants need is a digital device and a few spare minutes. They can bid or donate 24 hours a day wherever there’s an Internet connection.

Supporters simply access the fundraising platform via a SMS link which is sent to their mobile device.  Bidding or donating is super easy and secure, and there’s no limit to the number of people who take part in your fundraiser.

Avoids Errors

When using a digital platform your fundraising is so much easier to manage.

Paper-based systems (think traditional raffle tickets and silent auctions with paper bids)  requires at least one person to distribute, collect, count and organise.  This is hugely time-consuming and prone to error.

A good quality fundraising platform makes the process accurate and error free.  From issuing and drawing raffle tickets, managing silent auction bids, to collecting donations, fundraising platforms (like GalaBid) automate the process and make it fast and fair!

Makes Fundraising Fair

Talking of fair, a high-quality mobile fundraising platform will support online silent auctions , digital raffle ticket sales and direct donations.

Because silent auction bidding is visible to all participants, everyone can have confidence that the auction is fair – including if people are outbid at the last minute!  

The same goes for digital raffles. Tickets are issued and drawn automatically, without human intervention. It means the process is entirely random and gives everyone an equal chance of winning.

Raises More!

A auction online website gives participant numbers a big boost! Fundraising platform links to connect to your silent auction, online raffle and donation drives can be sent to devices via SMS, by posting links on your social media channels or via email.  

Circulating your fundraiser in this way means you can attract supporters and silent auction bidders from outside your immediate supporter group.

Also look for a fundraising platform that allows you to launch your raffle, donation drive or silent auction ahead of time.  Giving early birds the chance to participate before the official launch date can  make a significant difference to the amounts raised.

If you’re running silent auction, participants will be connected to the auction action, from start to finish. They will see the current highest bid and receive bid activity SMS alerts (in real time) to let them know if they’ve been outbid.  

Keeping people updated improves fundraising activity by keeping the competition active round the clock.

Saves Time

We know lots of fundraisers have busy lives and need a fundraising platform that won’t chew through heaps of their spare time.

We’ve automated as much of the fundraising process as possible.  Where users need to input specific detail about their fundraiser, e.g., auction items, silent auction start and finish dates, our system makes completing those tasks quick and easy.

The GalaBid fundraising platform supports digital payment, payment confirmation and digital receipts. Supporters can make payment directly from their mobile device using automatically generated links.

It’s FREE!

We can’t speak for other fundraising platforms, but GalaBid’s digital fundraising software is absolutely free for you to use. There’s no charge to you and we don’t take a cut of your fundraising dollars.

We simply ask bidders, donors and raffle ticket buyers if they’d like to make a voluntary donation to help keep our free service running. It’s not obligatory and participants can easily opt out.

Want to get start your fundraiser right now, Let’s go!

About GalaBid

Ideal for donations. Perfect for Raffles. Awesome for Live and Silent Auctions! GalaBid’s online fundraising platform is designed for fundraisers of all types and sizes. For over 10 years we’ve been helping non-profits, charities, community clubs, churches, schools, and individuals to raise more and make a difference.

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