Fundraising Blog

5 Ways Your Phone Can Raise Money For Charity

Want to raise money for charity but don’t know where to start?  Would it help if we told you there are online fundraising options right there on your phone?

From banking to social activities, many aspects of our lives are organised or managed via our phones. Fundraising is no different.  There’s a variety of ways you can help support your favourite cause, from auctions to raffles; donation buttons to social media.

With an option to suit every budget and fundraising event, easy to use technology makes raising money for charity so simple.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. The Silent Auction

A silent auction is run online via a dedicated mobile fundraising app or website.  Prizes are displayed in a digital catalogue.  Bidders can place a bid for any item up to a specified deadline date.  Organisers can fix minimum bid amounts to ensure prizes receive adequate bids.

Benefits

Although silent auctions can be run in conjunction with a physical event they can also be run entirely online.   As the administration is completed online through the mobile fundraising app, the auction can be managed from a mobile device anytime, anywhere.  

The online fundraising auction allows organisers to accept bids from anywhere in the world (this can make a huge difference to participation numbers and funds raised).

2. The Live Auction
live auction

The live auction is a physical event that raises money for charity. It might be a gala ball, dinner or sporting occasion.   The auction takes place during the course of the event and usually involves an MC or auctioneer who hosts the auction and encourages bidding.

Live auctions usually involved marquee prizes such as luxury holidays or one-off experiences.

Benefits

Although a live auction takes place at a live event, the administration and bidding takes place online. Like the silent auction, the live auction prizes can be digitally displayed.  

At the event itself bidders simply download the fundraising app and place their bid.  Bid tallies and updates can be displayed via a big screen leader board.

3. Paper-Free Sealed Bids
sealed bid mobile

A sealed bid auction used to mean paper envelopes and manual processing.  

Bidders would write down their maximum bid and seal it in an envelope.  Nobody would know how much anyone else had bid.  At the end of the bidding, all envelopes are opened and the highest bidder would win.

That process is now available via digital platforms that negate the need for paper.  Bidders still submit their maximum bid but via their mobile device.  Once the auction closes all bids are digitally sorted and the highest bidder determined.

Benefits

Zero paper waste and zero opportunity for mistakes.  The digital format means less risk of tampering, lost bids or errors.

4. The Modern Raffle

Unlike its traditional predecessor, the modern raffle is a paper-free way to raise money for charity.  It dispenses with tickets and tombolas in favour or a 100% digital platform.  

Participants purchase their digital ticket online. The automated draw takes place at the touch of a button and can accommodate any number of ‘winners’.

Benefits

Great for small fundraising events and community groups, the modern raffle is an easy choice for organisers who want a hassle free fundraising solution.

It’s super fast to set-up and the raffle link can be sent out via SMS to participants or posted as a link on social media sites and email.

5. Smart Donation Button

A donation button allows cause supporters to make a direct cash donation via any mobile device.  It’s usually sits on mobile devices as an addition to a silent/live auction or raffle.

Benefits

The donation button is incredibly easy to set-up and administer.  Payment is fast and secure.  

What About the End User?
end user experience

So we can see that running and administering a fundraiser via a mobile phone is easy.  But are digitally enabled donations compatible with what supporters need to donate or participate?

By 2020 it’s forecast that mobile device users will total approximately 6 billion across the world.  90% of their time will be spent on apps.   Mobile device ownership has high representation across every age demographic.  While it’s no surprise that mobile ownership is high in the younger age groups, 80% of people aged 50 and over also own a mobile device.

A contactless payment trial in the UK found that people who made digital donations gave three times the amount compared to people who donated cash. In addition, major UK credit card provider, Barclaycard, suggest that contactless technology, “… could earn charities an extra £80m a year.”

User Experience

Like all apps, the key to making a mobile fundraising app successful is to ensure the user has a great experience.  There’s no point replacing time-consuming, manual processes with complicated and technically demanding digital platforms.

All of GalaBid’s digital fundraising solutions meet stringent design standards and undergo rigorous testing. We ensure that every single person who interacts with our mobile friendly services finds them easy and intuitive to use.

Not only is digital fundraising make it easier for organisers to raise money for charity, it reflects our growing expectation to be able to manage elements of our lives via our mobile phones.

A few words about…

Social Media
social media

While obviously not a dedicated fundraising platform, social media can be a powerful way to promote your fundraiser and circulate auction or raffle links.  

Use channels such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to ensure you reach a broad audience. Encourage supporters to promote the posts to their followers too.  

Social media can be used to promote fundraising before and during an event.  

Payment
payment

Whatever mobile friendly means you choose to raise money for charity, the payment process has to be fast and secure.  

For every digital fundraising option payment gateway, Galabid delivers a reliable and robust payment facility that processes supporter donations/bids and transfer of funds to the charity or cause.

                   

The Wrap-Up

Raising money for charity can feel like a daunting task.  However, the range of fundraising options available via your mobile device can make the process easier AND raise more money for your cause.  

Whether you want to run a sizeable fundraising event or support a small local charity, being able to manage and run the campaign via a user-friendly mobile platform saves time and energy.

Mobile technology also supports important additional functions such as social media promotion and secure payment processes.

With mobile devices featuring heavily in our daily lives, it makes sense for organisers to choose a digital option that makes fundraising simple. In addition, mobile technology also provides supporters and donors with a service that makes giving easy and fun.

Want to find our more about the fundraising power your phone can deliver? Contact us now.

About GalaBid

GalaBid is CrowdComms’ fundraising software, developed inhouse, which facilitates bidding, donations, purchases, payment for and management of all fundraising activities before and during live fundraising events, galas, golf days etc.

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