5 Best Practices for Holding Virtual Fundraisers on Zoom
2020 will forever be remembered as the year of the Coronavirus pandemic. 2020 is also an election year, and that means that campaigns of all sizes need to raise money from supporters to be able to effectively communicate with voters before Election Day.
In an era of shelter in place orders and social distancing, more campaigns are turning to virtual fundraisers in lieu of a traditional in-person fundraiser event at a restaurant or private residence. Maximize your online virtual fundraiser with these best practices:
- Have an agenda for the virtual fundraiser. Just like you would with any live in-person event, be sure to have a timed agenda. Your event will run much more smoothly if you have a plan beforehand. Your agenda may include time for speeches, introductions of other VIPs, or a question and answer session from your participants.
- Stick to time limits. Be respectful of your contributors' time by limiting your virtual fundraiser to a set length of time. Let participants know in advance how long the event will last, and don't run long.
- Keep the pace moving. Everyone has participated in virtual meetings that seem to go on and on with no end in sight. When creating your agenda, keep the meeting moving and don't get stuck on any one segment or speech for an extended length of time.
- Highlight your key supporters. During your virtual fundraiser, be sure to recognize any key supporters that are in the Zoom meeting. This gives an online virtual fundraiser a very human, personal touch.
- Be interactive. While you are in the Zoom meeting room, you will be able to see all of your supporters live on their own webcams. Use this feature of the virtual fundraiser to take the opportunity to become interactive with participants. Interactive options can include conducting a question and answer session with the candidate or a period of self-introductions.
Virtual fundraisers can help you and your campaign raise much-needed funds online during the Coronavirus pandemic. Using these best practices for an online virtual fundraiser will lead to a greater experience for your campaign's donors and provide an essential element of any campaign: fundraising.
