{"id":40035,"date":"2020-04-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/5-tips-for-more-effective-virtual-donor-meetings\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T02:10:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T10:10:27","slug":"5-tips-for-more-effective-virtual-donor-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/5-tips-for-more-effective-virtual-donor-meetings\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips for more effective virtual donor meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2014, three young adults living with a neurodegenerative disease called ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease) started a viral trend that nearly everyone remembers today: the <\/span>ALS Ice Bucket Challenge<\/span><\/a>. The challenge involved participants pouring a bucket of ice water over their heads, then challenging several of their friends on social media to do the same within 24 hours. Friends who failed to meet the challenge would then make a donation to the <\/span>ALS Association<\/span><\/a> or a charity of their choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within just a few months, people around the world were drenching themselves in freezing cold water and posting it online. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, and even Bill Gates joined in on the fun. The ALS Association reported raising a whopping <\/span>$115 million<\/span><\/a> that year, all thanks to this viral internet campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the Ice Bucket Challenge wasn\u2019t a traditional fundraising campaign, it showed just how powerful the internet can be for donations. In fact, total online donations to nonprofits around the world amounted to <\/span>$31 billion<\/span><\/a> in 2017\u2014a 12.1% increase from 2016. Nonprofits are increasingly using the internet to reach donors worldwide, and it\u2019s working.<\/span><\/p>\n

At some point, meeting with donors over video conferencing might be in your future. Not only does it save time and money from traveling between clients, but it also allows you to spend time on more productive things like coordinating the next campaign or planning a board retreat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your organization doesn\u2019t currently have a video conferencing solution or are exploring better options for donor meetings, virtual fundraisers, and staff communications, we\u2019re offering <\/span>three months of RingCentral Office<\/span>\u00ae<\/span> free of charge<\/span><\/a> to all nonprofits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you embark on your next online donor meeting, make sure you\u2019re fully prepared to represent your organization. Consider trying out these tips:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Create a sense of community with ice breakers<\/h2>\n

Listening is one of the core principles of a nonprofit organization. Donors enjoy talking about what drives them to support certain causes and want to feel like part of a community that shares the same values, especially when fellow donors are far away. Ice breakers can be a great opportunity for donors to make their case heard while connecting with fellow donors in the call or with you directly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plan for ice breaker conversations at the start of every video meeting. Donors might want to talk about current events or causes they\u2019ve contributed to, or even ask you questions about yourself. But don\u2019t make the mistake of jumping right into the donor pitch\u2014you\u2019ll be seen as someone who only cares about the money and not the cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider using these ice breaker questions to get the conversation going:<\/span><\/p>\n