How to connect with donors and volunteers {eBook}

Your guide to attracting more support for your nonprofit
 

Once you've successfully registered your nonprofit on Benevity, you've opened a gateway to incredible opportunities for growth and impact. This eBook will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to connect with donors and volunteers. 

Your journey with Benevity begins at the Benevity Causes Portal, the primary access point to our platform. Here, your nonprofit joins a vast network of over 2 million charitable organizations, becoming part of a searchable database for clients and their employees. This accessibility enables them to support the causes closest to their hearts through workplace giving and to explore volunteering opportunities with new nonprofits like yours.
 

How to attract donors and volunteers

To help your organization stand out and capture the attention of potential supporters, this guide outlines three straightforward strategies:

1. Complete Your Profile: A completed profile is crucial in leaving a memorable impression on visitors.
2.  Create Projects: Demonstrating the real-world impact of your work is vital in motivating action and garnering support.
3. Offer Volunteer Opportunities: By providing ways for individuals to contribute their time and skills, you encourage deeper involvement with your cause.

Step 1: Complete Your Nonprofit Profile

What is your profile?

Your profile on the Benevity Causes Portal is what appears to our clients and their employees using Benevity when they search for nonprofits. The information you add here will be seen by anyone who finds and clicks on your organization.

Having an up-to-date profile is essential in attracting donors and volunteers for several reasons. It serves as a crucial touchpoint for potential supporters, providing them with a current overview of your organization, its mission, and its needs. An updated profile ensures that your organization appears in relevant searches, increasing your visibility among those looking to contribute their time or resources, and educates potential donors with the latest news about your mission and impact.
 

Here are the ways in which you can optimize your profile to its fullest potential: 

• Basic Info -  Add your organization’s name and country location.
• Mission statement - Share a high-level summary of what your nonprofit does and the value that your work brings to your community in the description. 
• Your logo  - Your logo is a key part of your identity – including it helps people recognize you immediately while they search and browse. 
• Tags - Donors often search by specific names or keywords related to their interests. Incorporate relevant tags and keywords that mirror your activities. E.g. a cat shelter could use tags such as animals, cats, kittens, and rescue, etc. The more varied your tag section is, the easier it is for donors and volunteers to find you.
• Search Aliases- Is your organization known by other names? Add these here, so that people who search for you using these aliases will find you. Including names of well-known programs or campaigns can also boost visibility.
• External links - Add links to your official website and social media sites. 
  Contact Details  - Add your contact information to ensure we can get in touch with you. 
   

Why having an optimized profile is important
Your profile is your opportunity to communicate your purpose and passion, it’s the first thing donors will see.  A clear and compelling mission statement provides donors with insights into what you stand for, and the change you're aiming to create in the world.

Potential supporters are eager to understand why they should support you. Why should your cause matter to them? What difference will their participation and contribution make? The more detailed you are, the more you equip potential donors with how their support can propel your mission forward. 

How to update your profile

In order to update your profile on the Benevity Causes Portal, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Benevity Causes Portal.
2. Click on Cause Profile on the left-hand side menu.
3. Select Edit Cause Profile.
4. Update your organization’s details, scroll down, and click Save.

Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for edits in the Causes Portal to appear. 
 

Top tip: Update your profile frequently
Maintaining an updated profile is key to capturing the interest of potential donors. By consistently updating your description, you ensure your organization's profile stays vibrant and informative. Whether it's sharing impactful narratives from those benefited by your recent initiatives or featuring a new video that highlights an ongoing project, including these updates in your profile keeps your audience informed and engaged. 
 

Step 2: Create Projects

What are projects?

On your cause profile, you have the ability to create detailed project listings. This feature allows donors to easily discover and direct their contributions towards specific chapters, programs, or initiatives within your organization through the platform.

Creating projects on Benevity is an effective way to engage with potential donors and volunteers. After ensuring your profile is up to date in step 1, you can utilize the project feature to introduce your nonprofit’s various initiatives, whether it's responding to a disaster or funding a specific project like building a new school.

In today's digital age, donors not only want to give but also to understand precisely where their contributions are going to, and what impact it has. So projects allow for this level of clarity 
and engagement, making them a critical tool in your fundraising arsenal.

How projects boost visibility

Creating projects on Benevity will help you increase your nonprofit’s visibility, as well as empower companies and users on the platform to become advocates for your cause. Essentially, they'll take on a portion of your marketing efforts by sharing and promoting your projects on your behalf. This collaborative approach can significantly amplify your reach and help attract funding to your organization.

Your projects will be displayed under the "Projects" tab on your profile, so Benevity users can discover the impactful work you're doing. Additionally, your projects will appear in relevant search results, ensuring that those interested in supporting nonprofits like yours can easily find and contribute to your initiatives.

Examples of projects: You might set up a Project around a disaster relief effort (“Hurricane Recovery”, “Dealing with the Ebola Outbreak”), or as an appeal for help with a specific issue under your larger mandate. (“Help us build a new school”).
 

How to create a project

To add a project, follow these steps:

1. Sign into the Benevity Causes Portal.
2. Click on Projects in the left navigation of your Dashboard page.
3. Select Create New Project.
4. Complete the form provided by filling in the fields with information about your Project.
   • Include the Project Name.  
   • Add a Description of the Project – the goals you’re trying to achieve, and the impacts that you’ve achieved. 
   • If the Project has a deadline or fixed time period, you can add an Expiry Date. 
   • If you have a fundraising goal, add it as the Goal Amount. 
5. Ensure the Published box is checked. You can uncheck the box to save an Unpublished draft of your Project that will only be visible to you.
6. Select Save.

You can edit a Project at any time by clicking the Edit button.

There is no limit on the number of projects you can have, and you can unpublish projects anytime. In the event your nonprofit receives donations towards a project that is no longer accepting funding, these donations will be redirected towards the general fund within your organization. Similar to your profile page, we do advise you to regularly edit and update your projects. 
 

Top tip: Create a sense of urgency: Some projects do have defined goals and timelines, which can motivate donors to act. Setting a clear target for fundraising can help create a sense of urgency and encourage more immediate and generous donations to meet the project's needs.
 

Step 3: Create Volunteer Opportunities 

How to connect with volunteers

Creating volunteer opportunities is an excellent way for connecting with individuals eager to lend their time and expertise to your nonprofit. On Benevity, volunteer opportunities invites users to support your organization in impactful and meaningful ways, enhancing your organization's reach and impact. Moreover, offering volunteer positions raises awareness about your organization and cultivates ambassadors for your cause. 

With 94% of Benevity's clients embracing volunteer programs, volunteering is a vital component of community engagement. Benevity users can discover opportunities that match their location, skills, and interests. As volunteers engage with your projects, they're likely to share their positive experiences, expanding your reach organically.

Did you know that 70% of individuals who volunteer also choose to support causes financially? Those who donate their time are often also among the most generous donors. In fact, for every dollar donated by a donor, a volunteer contributes $1.36 more. Volunteering is both an act of service, and a powerful catalyst for deeper financial engagement.

Top tip: offer flexible volunteering options: Benevity supports both in-person and virtual volunteering, enabling supporters to contribute to your nonprofit from anywhere, at any time. In-person opportunities offer hands-on participation in community projects, while virtual volunteering facilitates contributions in fields like digital marketing or letter writing from anywhere. This flexibility enhances both engagement and accessibility for your initiatives.
 

How to create a volunteer opportunity on Benevity 

To connect with volunteers on Benevity, you’ll need to create a volunteer opportunity on the
Benevity Causes Portal. Once you’ve logged in, click the Volunteering tab in the left menu.
Here you’ll see two submissions forms: 

• The Volunteering Opportunity form connects you with a vast network of
  engaged corporate volunteers. Submissions require a review process to ensure they meet quality standards for global visibility.
   
• The Client-Specific Event form requires a share key and ensures only employees at that company can view the opportunity
   

How to create a Volunteering Opportunity Form

1. Log into the Benevity Causes Portal
2. Head to the Volunteer tab
3. Click the form Submit Opportunity for Review
4. Select one of the following volunteer opportunities:
   • Field volunteering - connect with a vibrant pool of field volunteers eager to offer hands-on support, such as cleanup efforts, meal preparation, or farm work. 
   • Skills-based volunteering - tap into a network of skilled professionals in areas like translation, marketing, and web design.
   • Goods collections - acquire essential items, from IT equipment to canned food and clothing. 
   • Virtual volunteering - expand your reach and impact by connecting with talented individuals who can contribute their skills remotely.

   • 

      

5. Choose from one of the templates and adapt it to your needs, or you can create a volunteer opportunity from scratch.
6. Fill out all the necessary fields.
7. Click submit. 

Once you have submitted the form, you will receive an email from the Nonprofit Success Team with a link to your published volunteer opportunity.
 

How to create a Client-Specific Event?

1. Log into the Benevity Causes Portal
2. Head to the Volunteer tab
3. Click the form Create Event 
4. Fill in all the details outlined
5. Select "Private Opportunity" and enter the share key. It restricts visibility to specific employees, provided you have a Share Key from the client.
6. Click Submit 

The "How to connect with donors and volunteers" eBook is also available in multiple languages:

• French: Comment etablir un lien avec les donateurs et les benevoles par le biais de la plateforme Benevity

• German: Wie Sie uber das Benevity Causes Portal mit Spendern und freiwilligen Helfern in Kontakt treten

• Spanish: Cómo conectar con donantes y voluntarios a través del Benevity Causes Portal