How to Receive Nonprofit Donations Using QR Codes

Donations are central to your success as a nonprofit, so why wouldn’t you want to get as many of them as possible? Most nonprofits turn their attention to innovative events and marketing methods when trying to maximize donations. However, the difference in generosity comes down to something simple: convenience. The easier it is to donate, the more likely people are to do it. Knowing how to receive donations using QR codes is one of the best ways to ensure that.

The best part is that you don’t have to figure out how to integrate QR codes yourself. You can outsource that task to specialist software. One platform called Paybee made a dedicated fundraising platform for nonprofits. They integrated various ways to use QR codes in your events, whether virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

QR codes: A brief primer

Before we go any further, let’s clarify what QR codes actually are and how they work. You’ve probably seen plenty of them in your life. The codes feature a selection of black and white squares randomly scattered about, all within another square. QR codes are a type of barcode. Unlike the standard barcodes that cashiers scan when you buy something, anyone can scan a QR code with their phone camera and access information related to them.

Gradually, QR codes have started to infiltrate our lives. We see codes in museums. For example, visitors can access extra information on an exhibit. Or, you may see them in PowerPoint presentations. Audience members can scan them to receive online resources. QR codes refer you to a website without typing in a complicated web address. However, their adaptation has been relatively slow. Unfortunately, many people do not see the point in using codes or not bothering to learn how to use them.

All that changed when the pandemic hit. Suddenly, everything became contactless to comply with health and safety guidelines. QR codes started to replace more and more things, from menus to tickets. Why run the risk of touching a physical item when you could scan a code and get everything on your device instead?

The role of QR codes in the nonprofit world

Hopefully, you’re already thinking of how QR codes relate to the nonprofit world, even after the pandemic. In-person fundraising events tend to involve physical items, like flyers and posters. Placing QR codes on these is an easy way to give guests access to everything they need to know about the event and how to make donations. You can use the small square without worrying about cluttering up promotional materials or ruining your graphic design.

Because donors will be scanning the codes straight from their phones, they can quickly pay using that same design. Many people feel uncomfortable giving over their physical card or simply find it inconvenient. This approach has more advantages than one.

You can also use QR codes at virtual events so they can pay or access certain pages from their phones.

Where to use QR codes for Events

Now, it’s time to get specific. Here are some of the most valuable places to use QR codes at your fundraising events to boost donations.

Silent auction bid sheets

The silent auction is a staple of many fundraising events. It will help raise money in advance. It’s also a great way of generating interest beforehand and increasing the number of people that turn up. You can start the fun of silent auctions weeks before the day, giving you a huge window of opportunity.

Why not create bid sheets with QR codes for your silent auctions to make the most of these auctions? Participants can easily scan the QR codes to make bids online, a preferable alternative for many. It means they can bid from anywhere instead of remaining in sight of the auctioneer.

PayBee automatically generates these sheets so the process couldn’t be simpler. We also offer a feature that sends live text updates to guests, which keeps them engaged in the auction and makes them more invested in your nonprofit’s upcoming event.

Printed materials

If flyers and other physical marketing materials are part of the promotional strategy for your event, don’t miss out on the opportunity to include QR codes. When guests are wandering around an event and looking at the posters on display, they’re in a prime position to scan a code out of curiosity or make a donation. 

Try to be strategic about it by making your materials as attractive as possible and placing them in places people are most likely to notice. Why not try putting flyers on table settings or similar?

Even if you’re holding an online-only event, you can achieve something similar by placing QR codes to donate on your website or digital adverts.

Bid paddles

Bid sheets aren’t the only place you can put QR codes if you’re holding auctions. Paddles for bidding can be more than just a piece of paper with a number. PayBee designed bid paddles that contain a unique QR code for each guest. The code allows them to make donations or purchase items. They can also “check out” straight from their phone, which minimizes the chance of someone winning an auction but never making the payment. 

Again, convenience is key.

Our bid paddles come in PDF format and fit a standard sheet of paper (with an 8.5 x 11 aspect ratio), so anyone can print them off at home. After printing, fold the paper down the middle, which will show the number on both sides of the sheet. As for the handle, that’s down to you to get creative — or participants can simply use their hands.

Tickets

Tickets in some form are a necessary evil for any event, but they can cause a lot of inconveniences if there are long queues to carry out the process. If the staff takes a while to check physical tickets, it can get an event off to a bad start. If many people feel crowded in a small place, it can even lead to concerns about health and safety.

QR codes are far quicker and more accessible alternatives. Staff simply have to scan a ticket to check it’s legitimate, and then guests can head straight inside, possibly leaving them in a more generous mood.

Bring your events to the twenty-first century

QR codes might seem like old technology to many, yet most companies and nonprofits fail to use them to their full potential. Placing a few codes on your bidding paddles, promotional materials, and tickets can make an event smoother and more convenient for everyone. It possibly could result in more donations.

If the time and effort involved have been your biggest hurdle in adopting QR codes, using a dedicated fundraising platform like PayBee to automatically generate everything you need could be a game-changer. Could your nonprofit benefit from this platform? Check out the free live demo to find out for yourself before you commit.

This spotlighted blog post is courtesy of Paybee.

Just because you run a nonprofit organization doesn’t mean you can afford to forget about your bottom line. In fact, it might be even more important than it is for a corporation. Unless your charity is making a “profit,” you won’t have any money to direct into the causes your organization helps. Luckily, technology has introduced a whole host of accessible, creative ways to increase your revenue. The one we’ll be focusing on today is using virtual events.

Not convinced that they’re worth the effort? Let’s take a look at why virtual events are so effective at maximizing revenue. We’ll also explore how you can make the most of them using the features included in a dedicated virtual fundraising platform.

The rise of virtual events

It’s no secret that Zoom calls started to replace just about everything when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. We all used them to attend everything—from college classes to karaoke sessions with friends to official legal trials. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that fundraising and other charity events followed this trend. They wanted to continue to raise money despite the social distancing restrictions.

What’s surprising is that these virtual events turned out to be more profitable than anyone could have predicted. They didn’t just manage to keep nonprofits afloat—nonprofit fundraising saw a 32% increase in 2020 thanks to the high numbers of investors who had some wealth increase over the pandemic (and who had emptier social calendars than ever before). In addition, there’s also evidence that wealthy donors prefer to donate online, whether due to their busy schedules or desire to fly below the radar.

The pandemic might look different now, but the flexibility of virtual events still makes them a great choice for any nonprofit looking to boost revenue. However, that doesn’t mean raising substantial amounts of money through online fundraising is easy. Potential donors can easily be put off if the website for an event is too difficult to use, or even if it seems old-fashioned or isn’t accessible from a smartphone. This is especially true of younger generations, who feel an instinctive distrust of outdated websites. Most supporters also prefer donating through pages that offer a personal touch (rather than using the default corporate branding that comes from a site like PayPal, for instance). 

But don’t worry—we’ll outline exactly what you need to do to keep your supporters happy.

Lower your costs

When it comes to increasing profits, most people think about how they can increase their revenue. But just as important is lowering your costs. Less money spent on running your events means a more significant percentage can go towards the cause you were fundraising for. There’s no shame in penny-pinching. However, there’s a fine balance between managing a careful budget and spending so little that your events lose their appeal.

Hopefully, you already see where we’re going with this. Virtual events are a great way to maintain the quality of your events while reducing your expenses. And, because more people can attend them, you can maximize the number of potential donations without having to spend more money on a venue with a larger capacity.

Save your donors money

One reason that virtual events are so cost-effective is that attendees don’t have to spend as much money. All they have to do is open up their browser and tune into your livestream from the comfort of their own office or home. Because they’re spending less money on things like travel and accommodation, they can channel some of that extra money into to donations. 

Avoid extra costs

Going virtual means your nonprofit won’t have to shell out on all the extra features of an in-person event. No venue, no catering or cleaning staff, and no refreshments or decorations. 

It’s important to note that virtual events do involve more costs than many people realize. After all, things like camera equipment and technical support add up. But it doesn’t come close to what you might spend on an in-person gathering. Embrace the cost savings that new formats can provide.

Reach out to a wider network of supporters

As mentioned, holding a virtual event means more people can attend. There’s more flexibility and the absence of a maximum venue capacity. But virtual formats can also be a powerful opportunity to expand your network.

When it comes to in-person events, many nonprofits find themselves with a core base of supporters. These are ones who the organization heavily relies on—and who they have to cater to—in order to raise funds. While it’s great to know that you have these loyal supporters, it’s far from ideal to rely on a few people. This is especially true if it means you have to limit yourself to holding certain types of events or running fundraisers on specific dates to secure their support. With virtual events, you can widen your network of support.

Time to go global

Going virtual means that you open your nonprofit up to a whole new world. Even if you decided to hold a fundraiser themed around something obscure, you could probably find enough dedicated fans across the world to be able to rake in a decent amount of money. Or, simply run the online equivalent of whatever type of in-person event you normally do and watch as it attracts a whole new set of attendees.

The great thing about holding events online is that you can also market them online through platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram. These sites allow you to reach a very specific demographic of people. Try selecting a group to advertise to who live in a certain location or have particular interests. Or—even better—use your marketing campaigns to collect email addresses so you have a ready-made list of people to market to next time.

Fresh ways to fundraise

Do you get tired of running the same old types of fundraisers? You know—the galas or the sponsored runs. When you do things online, you can be far more imaginative. Plus, you can raise more money by being able to sell more tickets or a larger volume of tickets for a lower price since it takes less to recoup your initial investment.  

Event ideas

One idea is a silent auction, which means you start the auction online before the main event takes place to drum up interest. Or consider holding a traditional live auction or online raffle. Both of these lend themselves to sponsorship opportunities as you can mention that your sponsors paid for the items involved. 

You could also hold a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, which involves outsourcing some of the marketing involved in an event to your supporters. Each supporter will have a page where they can raise awareness and money for your charity to their network, just as individuals taking part in a sponsored run have their own fundraising page. You could even turn it into a competition and reward the person who raises the most money.

Sponsorships

Sponsorship opportunities definitely increase when you operate virtually. Instead of being restricted to local businesses who want to be featured on signs at an in-person event, you can create partnerships with organizations from anywhere in the world. You’ll also have more options at your disposal for how you feature them. It could be in the “virtual lobby” before the event, through video adverts in between events, or shout outs during the livestream.

Be inclusive

So far, we’ve mainly focused on how virtual events can help your nonprofit by encouraging more donations. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to how they can be beneficial for the attendees. In-person events might work well for the masses, but they unintentionally exclude a lot of people. Not just those who don’t live locally, but also those with mobility issues or other accessibility-related conditions such as being hard of hearing or visually impaired.

Holding your events online makes it much easier to adapt to everyone, meaning you can host events that everybody enjoys. Virtual events also appeal to those who didn’t want to be in large groups during the pandemic. This means more attendees and potentially more donations for your nonprofit, but it’s also something to do as part of an overall commitment to building a better world. 

Where to start

Want to be more inclusive but don’t know how to get started? Start by checking out some web content accessibility guidelines. These contain information about aspects like text character size, color contrasts, and audio descriptions.

Event platforms like PayBee also make it easier to create a better event experience for all attendees. The live chat feature included on PayBee ensures that anybody struggling to follow along with the event has somewhere they can easily get help. We recommend having a team member or volunteer manage this chat at all times to ensure that no messages are missed.

If you decide to be adventurous enough to hold a virtual gala or another event that includes sending out food through the mail or via a partnership with a local restaurant, you can easily cater for anyone who has special dietary needs on PayBee. We include relevant questions as part of our ticketing campaign to find out if anybody is vegan or gluten-free.

How to use PayBee features to make the most of your virtual event

We briefly mentioned a few ways that PayBee features can help make running a virtual event easier and boost your earning potential. But we’ve only skimmed the surface so far. Let’s take a look at how our tools can make your virtual events a success. 

Above all, we wanted to highlight some recent changes we’ve made to the landing page for an upcoming event (something you can make through our platform). This is the place that initially attracts the attention of potential attendees and determines whether they’ll decide to sign up. 

Let’s outline the improvements we made.

Upgraded RSVP page

Throwing an event without knowing who’s coming is like cooking a meal without knowing which ingredients you are using. It’s not a recipe for success.

When you make it difficult for potential guests to RSVP, you run the risk of them turning up without letting you know beforehand—or worse, missing the event altogether because they forgot it was happening. At PayBee, we understand how important this is. So, we made the link to RSVP more prominent on your event’s landing page. This way, it’s practically impossible for anybody to miss it or be confused about how to confirm their attendance.  

We’ve also given you more ways to customize your link if you want to help it stand out even more and align with your branding. Plus, when a guest RSVPs, they’ll be asked to enter their personal details and contact information, meaning you can add them to your mailing list and send them reminders about the event—or follow-ups after the event. In addition, the info we ask for includes details you’ll need to know on the day of the event, such as vaccination status or special dietary needs.

Easy-to-navigate links

All the great ideas and features planned for an event can go to waste if your guests don’t know how to access them. The last thing you want is for your interface to be too confusing. Sometimes, even figuring out how to join an activity can be overwhelming, especially if there are multiple links and it’s unclear which link will take a guest to which activity.

We’ve done our best to remedy this by making your landing page as clear and accessible as possible, with plenty of space in between each event activity. This way, everything is in one place, and the layout is simple. No more need for your guests to search through their past emails to try and find the right information.

You can also include a donation link on the page. After all, you can never have too many.

Ad space for sponsors

We’ve discussed the sponsorship opportunities that virtual events offer already. But the landing page is yet another place you can give your sponsors publicity. On PayBee, we allocated space on the page for you to add the logos of your sponsors, ensuring they get the coverage they deserve. However, you can also customize everything—including adding additional slides and information on other pages.

Time to maximize your revenue

Is it time to take your fundraising to the next level and embrace the virtual realm? We hope this provided some helpful insight. But if you’re still unsure about whether PayBee is the right platform to help you make that transition, we get it. There are lots of features to get your head around. 

Fortunately, we offer a free demo, so you can learn how everything works without having to commit to an upfront investment. This includes a mock live auction, testing out virtual fundraising, and even the chance to ask questions. Sign up today and watch how your nonprofit can flourish with virtual events!

 

*This spotlighted blog post is courtesy of PayBee

If one good thing came out of the pandemic, it’s the chance for new opportunities. Many industries and sectors began doing things online that were never considered a viable option before and were surprised by how well it worked. Nonprofit fundraising fell into this category, with many charities realizing that online events allowed them to reach more people and raise more funds. Even for organizations that were reluctant to switch everything to a virtual format, hybrid fundraisers also emerged as a beneficial option.

As a result, online fundraising boomed in a period when it was expected to struggle. Some online fundraising methods and tools proved so useful that many expect they’ll stick around long after the pandemic passes. Read on to see how your organization can boost your virtual fundraising events in 2022 and beyond.

How to hold successful virtual fundraising events

Online fundraising can be extremely effective, but organizations need the right software to successfully carry out their efforts. This is an obstacle that prevents many nonprofits from getting started. Fundraising platforms (like PayBee) aim to be a one-stop shop that provides everything an organization needs. Having those tools will take you through hosting, ticketing, and marketing your event with ease. Here’s how the process works at each stage.

Before the event takes place

It’s always crucial to be well-prepared for any event. But online events add some entirely new components that require extra preparation. In addition to marketing and attracting as many attendees as possible, technical elements need to be in great shape. Communication is also key. Be sure to create a comprehensive schedule for who should be doing what at any given moment, and manage your guest list properly. Keeping not just guests but also sponsors, vendors, media, board members, and anyone involved in the loop is essential for a successful day. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown for preparations leading up to virtual fundraising events.

Virtual ticketing

Selling tickets isn’t just a way to raise funds for your nonprofit. It’s also an opportunity to collect data about your guests, including information you’ll need to run the event successfully. Therefore, even if you offer free tickets, don’t skip this step. Keep your event organized by gathering information during the ticket buying process, such attendees’ dietary preferences or fun details like their favorite color. The more information you have, the easier it is to send reminders or follow-ups before the event as well.

Campaign links 

Advertising your event is the perfect opportunity to encourage donations, so don’t forget about campaign links. Platforms like PayBee make this easy by automatically generating campaign links and landing pages. The links take users straight to a landing page for a fundraiser, making it easy for your organization to gain more support.

Peer-to-peer fundraising pages

Traditionally, fundraising has taken a centralized form. In other words, a nonprofit itself asked for donations as a united entity. However, peer-to-peer fundraising is becoming more popular, allowing individuals to carry out campaigns on behalf of an organization.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way for individuals to harness their networks to raise support alongside virtual fundraising events. It’s usually a successful fundraising approach due to the more personal nature. Anyone can carry out these campaigns, but volunteers, donors, or even board members are often the best candidates. Find a platform like PayBee to make this process as easy as possible. PayBee offers a tailored tool for creating peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, including ways for supporters to share their campaigns on social media and other communication channels.

Social media and email marketing

Most of the world’s population checks social media each day. Since social networks are where many users get news and information, they’re the perfect place to spread awareness about an upcoming event. For your next virtual fundraiser, make sure your information and links are suitable for all major social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It’s best to cast a wide net, but make sure to put the bulk of your efforts into the social media channel your audience prefers, which will vary depending on your demographics. 

However, not everyone uses or pays attention to social media. Email marketing is another important component when it comes to planning successful virtual fundraising events. Make sure to include important event information and any campaign links or links to peer-to-peer pages.

Equipping your team

With virtual events, it’s especially important to equip your team. Everyone involved with your event should know the tools and technology inside out. Set aside some time to hold practice a livestream and troubleshoot. Otherwise, even a minor technical issue could turn into a much bigger problem. Consider working with a support team who can step in if there’s an issue you can’t fix. For example, PayBee’s partner ecosystem can help with setting up your software and handling any unexpected complications.

But a good event requires more than just a lack of technical errors. Make sure you also have fun and entertaining hosts. It may seem more challenging to engage virtual attendees, but there are ways to get creative and capture their attention. Give shoutouts, try a fun virtual challenge, or maybe even bring in a recognizable guest. 

Handling your equipment

No matter how knowledgeable your team might be, things can still go wrong if equipment isn’t up to the job at hand. Running a livestream alongside the other tools needed to host a virtual event isn’t an easy task for a computer, so it’s important to invest in a high-quality processor. Also, avoid running any programs that aren’t strictly necessary.

You also need to set up your technology in a way that facilitates a smooth experience. Connect your computer to the internet using an ethernet cable rather than WiFi for the best connection possible. If you do need to use WiFi for any reason, opt for 5G and minimize the number of devices using the same network.

But ultimately, no matter how well prepared you are, you can’t eliminate the possibility of a technical problem. Therefore, have a Plan B for each activity. You might need to shift the order of your itinerary or use pre-recorded videos in place of a livestream. Have some conversation starters ready to keep guests entertained via the chat whatever happens. These preparations before the event will make the day-of experience much less stressful. 

On the day of the event

Although marketing and preparing for an event is crucial, you shouldn’t stop working hard on the day (or night) the event takes place. An enjoyable event experience can encourage more donations and even secure attendance for your next event. Here are a few elements to take care of.

Mobile giving

On the day of your event, make sure your mobile giving options are working properly. Virtual events and hybrid events with virtual aspects open up more ways for guests to make donations. In addition to providing a way for guests to pay online, platforms like PayBee have tools that enable mobile donations. Many guests prefer making donations straight from their smartphones, and a mobile app provides an easy way for them to do exactly that. 

Well-organized activities

When guests arrive early to an in-person event, they generally have the chance to network or grab a drink as they wait for the action to unfold. You can recreate the same thing in an online environment. Give participants a chance to join the event early and some activities to do. For example, you could open the live chat and place a few conversation starters there, or show a few videos. Then, once they’ve arrived, continue to offer activities.

Just because an event is taking place online, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get creative. From raffles to auctions to games, there’s plenty you can do through a screen.To encourage participation, consider offering small prizes, such as gift cards or swag items. In some cases, you could even offer food. Some of our clients have partnered with catering companies to deliver meals to guests, creating the virtual equivalent of a gala with a meal. Or, you could send out some snacks and beverages through the mail.

No nonprofit wants to host a boring event. But the solution to this problem isn’t overwhelming the audience with various activities taking place simultaneously. It’s preferable to space your activities out and avoid any overlap. This ensures that everyone remains engaged and gets the most value from what you offer. You might also consider hosting activities that take place before the main event even happens, such as silent auctions.

Live chat feature

When it comes to virtual fundraising events, it’s important to pay special attention to the live chat feature throughout the day of your event. This is the easiest way to engage with your audience and maintain a positive environment. Make it clear that participants can introduce themselves and ask questions in the chat, and react to their messages on the livestream when relevant. Appoint one person from your team to manage the chat and provide updates, which is particularly useful for any attendees with poor internet connection who may not be able to keep up with the livestream.

Following the event

Once your event is over, you’ll probably want to breathe a sigh of relief. But remember that the work isn’t necessarily complete. Just because the event has finished doesn’t mean that it’s time to leave your participants alone. 

Holding a virtual event gives you new ways to follow up with your supporters after an event. Why not record the action as it’s happening and send a link out to everyone who attended? This will surely be appreciated by anyone who ended up arriving late, leaving early, or taking a break. You can also use the recordings as content to advertise your next event. Here are some other follow-up tips. 

Follow-ups with guests

Mastering the art of the follow-up is crucial to maximizing donations and keeping your donors engaged. When you hold auctions, the winners still need to pay, and without an effective system this can easily lead to complications. Plus, it’s important to thank everyone for attending so they feel appreciated. With a platform like PayBee, you can send out a follow-up email to all attendees with the click of a button. This includes communications tailored to specific groups of attendees (such as those who won auctions, for example).

Event evaluation

Trying to secure more donations isn’t the only thing that you should do after an event. It’s also the perfect opportunity to learn from what went well and what could have been done better. But be sure to do it quickly while the event is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Ask all the staff members and volunteers who were part of the event to give their feelings on how everything went.

Pay attention to more objective metrics as well. For instance, you can evaluate which activities raised the most and the least amount of funds or attracted the greatest attendance. Are there any lessons that you learned from the experience? This will help with your future virtual fundraising events.

Ready to hold the perfect event?

Whether it’s virtual, hybrid, or in-person, running an event is never an easy task. But using tools from a fundraising platform like PayBee helps manage the process.

The virtual revolution is here, and it’s full of opportunity for nonprofits. Are you ready to use these opportunities to your advantage and take your nonprofit to the next level? To see if PayBee is the right choice for your next virtual event, be sure to check out our free demo.

 

*This spotlighted blog post is courtesy of PayBee