How to Organize a Successful Call-a-Thon

From high school sports teams to parents raising money for summer camp, fundraising is undoubtedly an integral part of raising money for any cause. Yet, fundraising has increasingly become challenging in a world full of distractions. The ongoing challenges of COVID-19, precarious economic times, and political uncertainties make finding and keeping donors such a hard undertaking.

However, there are still many donors out there who want more than before to support their communities. Recent statistics reveal Americans gave $471.44 billion to various causes in 2020, and overall donations further increased by 8.9% in 2021.

As donations continue to be a primary focus for many Americans, now is the time to master your strategies for ultimate success. This article provides beneficial tips to improve your fundraising strategies and raise more money through call-a-thons, a tactic that still proves beneficial in 2022.

What Is A Call-A-Thon?

Call-a-thons are tried and true strategies for all people to raise money effectively. A call-a-thon is a campaign to get funds or support that involves making phone calls to prospective donors or supporters over a set period of time, typically lasting multiple hours. The calls obtain donations ranging from small gifts to large sponsorships that eventually accumulate into large funds.

Tips for Organizing Your Call-A-Thon

Set Your Goals Early

Whether it is your first time fundraising or you are a veteran in the field, having clear fundraising goals is a strong foundation for success. By setting fundraising goals early in the process, you can figure out the best ways to back into your goals regarding funds raised per person, calls per person, and more. With clear goals in place, fundraisers are more motivated to succeed.

Organize Your Audience

Donor segmentation involves categorizing donors based on shared demographics and interests. Segment your audience list to make it easy for each person involved in the fundraiser to make as many calls as possible. Audience segmentation allows fundraisers to send out targeted communications that may appeal to one group of donors over another. It also helps determine the right amount to ask based on a specific donor’s current ability to donate.

Create a Script and Practice

No matter your fundraising purpose, having the right messaging is absolutely crucial. An effective way to achieve this is by creating call fundraising scripts that outline the main points to follow during the call and how to handle objections.

When you have a rough script that can guide your conversation, you can create relationships and meaningful conversations with potential donors. During the actual calls, avoid reading line for line and try as much as possible to establish connection and authenticity. To avoid sounding like a robot, practice by role-playing a fundraising call with another fundraiser.

Schedule the Call-a-Thon Strategically

Your next step is to schedule your call-a-thon strategically based on:

Your participants: You should ensure everyone involved with your fundraiser can participate simultaneously. You may consider replacing band rehearsal or practice with the call-a-thon to ensure everyone is together. This makes it easy for you to determine whether you have achieved your goals at the end of the day.
Your donors: Based on your donor categorization, schedule calls during a time when the audience is more likely to answer the phone and talk. Typically, the best time to conduct a call-a-thon is after work and before bed.

Keep Motivation High

Having a team of fundraisers that are excited and motivated about their jobs can make a huge difference in your performance. Motivate your team throughout the call-a-thon with incentives such as food, prizes, and recognition. Reward and provide incentives for your team whenever they bring in new donors.

Connect With a Digital Fundraising Platform

Gone are the days donors would deliver their donations by cash or check. If you have not invested in a robust digital fundraising strategy, now is the best time to do so. Connecting with a digital platform allows you to accomplish more with less effort.

The right digital fundraising platform allows you to expand your engagement beyond geographical boundaries, build relationships with new supporters, raise awareness, and realize your goals. From the donor’s perspective, digital fundraising offers convenient and easier ways to support causes they care about. The following are some of the key features to look out for when reviewing a digital fundraising platform:

Live Leaderboard: This feature helps promote competition throughout the fundraiser by tracking results live
Social Sharing: In addition to calling people, you can share the fundraiser via social media to reach a larger audience, or advertise your call-a-thon through social sharing.
Paperless Tracking: Rather than tracking your donations manually, use a platform to track your donations to reduce manual oversight, avoid human error, and remove barrier to donate.

Leverage Launch Digital Fundraising Platform Today

Call-a-thons are a great way to rally your support base, obtain funds, and advance causes you are enthusiastic about. However, fundraising calls can be intimidating but talking with donors in real-time provides an effective means to build connections and deepen your understanding of what makes them passionate about your work. The most effective way to reach out and engage with your audience today is by leveraging a digital fundraising platform.

If you are looking for a platform that helps save time and raise more money, contact Launch Fundraising. We provide a purpose-built digital fundraising platform designed to amplify your fundraising efforts and help your team win. Our platform comes with zero upfront costs, a range of customized fundraiser products, cashless transactions, live reporting and tracking, paperless ordering, and social sharing, among many other features. Experience the difference for yourself today!