Consider your network. Before setting your project s fundraising goal, you need to consider your team s networks size and giving potential.

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1 PROJECT TOOLKIT Thughtful preparatin is key t yur prject s verall success. The pre-launch phase begins fur t six weeks befre yur prject s launch date and is fcused n utreach strategies and explring netwrks t prmte yur prject. Yu shuld finalize all cmpnents f yur prject page, including yur descriptin and campaign vide, n less than ne week prir t its launch. PRE-LAUNCH Assemble yur team. Each Launch LSU prject shuld have a leadership team f at least three peple with an assigned prject leader. This devted grup will help t create and prmte yur prject; the mre peple n yur team the mre successful yu will be! Launch LSU prject leaders will help t develp and manage the prject page and cmmunicatins. Prject leaders will wrk directly with the LSU Fundatin s nline giving crdinatr thrugh scheduled weekly check-ins. The nline giving crdinatr will guide prject leaders n hw t cntinue, r increase, engagement thrughut the campaign. Cnsider yur netwrk. Befre setting yur prject s fundraising gal, yu need t cnsider yur team s netwrks size and giving ptential. 1. Hw many peple are in my netwrk? Lk at each team member s cnnectins n all scial media platfrms, including LinkedIn r a persnal blg, as well as cntacts thrugh . Mst f yur supprt will likely cme frm cre netwrks: friends, family and clleagues. 2. What is the average amunt yu culd raise per persn? Team members shuld carefully cnsider their hw much their netwrks are likely t cntribute. Fr example, students may dnate smaller amunts, while family members r prfessinals may give mre. On average, Launch LSU dnatins range frm $20 t $100. Set a realistic gal. Set yur target gal based n yur answers t the questins abve. Yur team shuld als set tw stretch gals, r amunts that exceed yur target gal, and determine what yu wuld accmplish with thse additinal funds. Fr example, Our target gal is t raise $2,000 t X. If we reach ur stretch gal f $3,500, we can als Y. If we reach ur stretch gal f $5,000, we can Z. Determine yur timeline. Successful campaigns are active fr 30 days. A shrt timeline leverages urgency and mtivates dnrs. When selecting yur campaign dates, cnsider imprtant hliday r events that may cnflict with yur prject. Draft yur messaging. Messaging, t be used within yur prject page s descriptin and thrughut cmmunicatins, shuld express yur team s passin fr and help yur audience cnnect emtinally t yur prject. Start by defining yur prject s missin:

2 Why are yu creating this prject? Why is it imprtant fr smene t dnate? What will the mney supprt? Wh will be impacted by this prject? What real-life stries can yu share that illustrate yur prject s impact? Create yur prject page s lk. An assigned team member, preferably a team member with graphic design experience, will develp header and banner images, per the guidance f the prject leader. All images are subject t apprval by LSU s Divisins f Strategic Cmmunicatins. Yu are encuraged t include high-quality phtgraphs that bring yur prject t life, shwcasing yur team and the prject s ptential impacts, thrughut the prject page s descriptin. Make a prmtinal vide. A shrt (less than tw minutes) vide is a great way t shw yur audience wh yu are and why yur prject matters. Once yur prject is apprved, ur nline giving crdinatr will reach ut t share mre details abut creating yur prject s vide. Build a cmmunicatins calendar. Strategically plan when yu will send s and pst n scial media. Yu shuld schedule at least five s in ttal, and at least fur scial media psts per week. Here are sme key dates t cnsider while scheduling: Launch End-f-week updates Gal milestnes Three-day cuntdwn Last Day End f campaign and thanks t supprters will be yur mst effective tl in driving traffic and dnatins. The mre s yur team sends, the mre likely yu will reach yur prject s gals. Cnsider gruping yur netwrks int audiences and identifying messaging appraches that will appeal t each. Each audience may have a different cnnectin t yur prject r mtivatin fr dnating. Yu may als need t alter the style and tne f yur writing t suit each audience. Fr example, yur apprach t students may be mre casual than t prfessinals. Keep yur s between wrds. Each shuld include new graphics, phts r vides t keep yur audiences interested. Make yur ask clear and persnal by using persnal prnuns such as us, we and yu. Scial Media: While yu are encuraged t utilize any scial media platfrm that yu feel will enhance utreach and increase sharing, Facebk may be the mst effective.

3 T maintain efficiency and rganizatin, schedule psts ahead f time thrugh tls such as Htsuite. Create a Facebk event fr yur prject s launch day. Team members shuld set the prject page s banner image as their cver phts with a direct link t the prject page in the captin. Each pst shuld be brief and include an image, pht r vide; yur prject s unique hashtag; and a direct link t the prject page. Encurage sharing it s just as imprtant as dnating! Reach ut t yur cre cmmunity. Remember that yu are ding mre than just raising mney; yu are building a cmmunity f Tigers wh care abut yur prject. One f the best ways t prmte yur prject is t build a base f supprters prir t the launch. Each team member shuld start by cmpiling a list f peple wh are likely t dnate t yur prject. Send them an r direct message with infrmatin n the prject and hw they can supprt it nce it is live. Securing dnatins early n can help build yur prject s mmentum. Reference the attached sample when drafting yur message. LAUNCH Execute. Prject leaders are respnsible fr ensuring the prject page is managed and all cmmunicatin materials, including the cmmunicatins calendar and digital media plan, are executed effectively thrughut the campaign. The nline giving crdinatr will prvide yu with a checklist. Stay active. Prject leaders shuld be readily available t answer any questins frm and engage dnrs and ptential dnrs daily. Leverage scial media t cmmunicate directly thrugh respnding t cmments and sharing psts. Regular updates keep dnrs infrmed n yur prgress, and t prvide additinal infrmatin t thse wh are cnsidering dnating t yur prject. POST-PROJECT When yur prject ends, supprters shuld receive infrmatin abut yur prject s utcmes and the impact f their supprt. When drafting pst-prject cmmunicatins, ask yurself hw yu want a supprter t feel after making a gift t yur prject. Fllw up. Cmmunicatins shuld be centered arund thanking supprters, emphasizing the utcme f their supprt and infrming them n hw t stay engaged. This is als yur pprtunity t influence supprters t participate in future Launch LSU prjects. Cntinue scial media updates. Psts shuld cntinue fr at least 60 days t send additinal updates t dnrs. Suggested dates include: Prject-end date t annunce ttal raised 15 days pst-prject t cnvey impact 30 days pst-prject t express thanks and encurage supprt f future Launch LSU prjects

4 Recgnize yur dnrs. Dnrs wh made larger gifts shuld be given special attentin. Fr example, thse listed as Campaign Heres shuld be sent a handwritten, persnal thank yu nte signed by every team member. NEXT STEPS The nline giving crdinatr will schedule a meeting with the prject leader t discuss successes and pprtunities f the prject. All team members will als receive a brief survey t evaluate Launch LSU strengths and weaknesses.

5 SAMPLE: Digital Media Plan

6 SAMPLE: Cmmunicatins Calendar

7 SAMPLE: Pre-launch t Cre Cmmunity Friends, As many f yu knw, I have been invlved with LSU Service Breaks fr the past three years. Service Breaks gives LSU students like me experiences learning and vlunteering arund the glbe. We create dialgues, build relatinships and spark psitive change. On Friday, Aug. 10, we will launch a crwdfunding campaign t supprt Service Breaks. I knw that cmmunity service is dear t yur heart, s I am inviting yu t be ne f ur first supprters. This year, Service Breaks will hst three dmestic service experiences and three internatinal service experiences. We will travel ver 20,000 miles and cmplete mre than 2,000 hurs f service fcusing n issues such as lw-incme husing, wildlife cnservatin and human trafficking. Yur gifts will help defer the travel, husing and fd csts f these trips. Thrugh Service Breaks, I have learned mre abut wh I am and my purpse in life. I hpe yu will help me cntinue my jurney and ffer this invaluable experience t mre Tigers. Please spread the wrd by sharing my Facebk psts, r by creating yur wn with the campaign link and #LSUServiceBreaks. Thank yu! Jennie