Finally, the last component of our event fundraising check list is the technical side of developing an IT Strategy. Event management and production include all the activities that happen offline, but much of your donor and participant communication happens online. An effective IT strategy assures that the online portion of your event fundraising initiatives are performed on budget in a way that maximizes participation and minimizes frustration and errors.
It’s important to develop an IT plan to maximize the impact of your special events fundraising efforts, so that you’re capturing data about your participants’ behaviors and creating a user experience that is intuitive and compelling. Analyze the way your participants are interacting with your organization online and survey them to understand areas of difficulty and points of confusion. Take that feedback and improve your online process to streamline communications and encourage participation.
Leveraging technology to include volunteer management, capturing donations, and communicating with your participants helps your organization use its resources efficiently and increase the reach of your message. If you’re keeping track of interactions and participants with an effective data warehouse, for instance, you can make more informed decisions about the manner and frequency with which your participants want to engage around your cause.
IT Services
It is common knowledge in the nonprofit fundraising world that maintaining a strong IT base is paramount for those individuals who want their organization to both grow and thrive. Identify a dedicated team to staff your IT department to stay on top of the new developments in technology, assure you are utilizing the right tools, and monitor your budget.
o Refresh your Website
o Build your Data Warehouse
o CRM Support
o Results Reporting / Analytics
o Consider Convio or Blackbaud Deployment
o Consider TeamRaiser or Thom Deployment
