Tips to Boost Donations at Your Next Virtual Paddle Raise

Have you ever attended a paddle raise? Also known as “fund a cause” or “fund a need,” these events are a fun and interactive way to quickly and conveniently raise a ton of money for your organization.

In an effort to make fundraisers more accessible to friends and family across the country, virtual paddle raises continue to rise in popularity. With the help of an online donation platform like BetterWorld, you can easily organize, host, and run a successful paddle raise that is both fun for your participants and successful for your organization. Sign up for free at BetterWorld today!

Everything You Need to Know About Hosting a Virtual Paddle Raise

Hosting a virtual paddle raise may seem daunting when you first start, but the reward is worth the risk! To get started, define your idea of a virtual paddle raise. Most auctions require prizes but not a paddle raise. When participants come to a paddle raise, they are “raising their paddle” to donate varying amounts to your cause during an event that is fun and uplifting.

To make this process easier, here are some tips and tricks to help you run a smooth and successful event.

Create Donor Levels

The cool thing about an online paddle raise is that it allows everyone to participate, creating varying donor levels to ensure everyone feels welcome and excited to donate -- regardless of their financial situation.

To determine what levels you want to offer, establish your top donor level for your virtual paddle raise fundraising event. Make this level as high as you want but keep it achievable for your donor with the deepest pockets. Some organizations will set it at $10,000, whereas others see $1,000 as more accessible. Ultimately, the level depends on your particular fundraising goals and audience.

Remember that your highest donor level will have the least participation, but that’s okay! One donor participating at the $50,000 level is worth 100 donors at the $500 level. Even if you will only get one $50,000 level donor (a deep-pocketed donor or a corporate sponsor, perhaps?), it’s still worth offering that level.

Once you select your highest donor level, figure out your lowest donor level, and make it accessible to everyone participating in your virtual paddle raise. Again, this depends on your organization -- some might set this at $100, while others will go lower.

Now that you know your highest and lowest online paddle raise levels, set the middle-tier donation levels. If your highest level is $10,000 and your lowest is $100, your other donation levels should be the logical steps between them. Ideally, your levels will look something like this: $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $1,250, etc., until you reach $10,000. This approach will allow everyone to participate in your fundraiser.

Attach a Need to Each Donor Level

Attach a specific need to each level of your online paddle raise to entice donors to participate. By doing so, donors can better understand how their contributions directly impact a specific cause, inspiring them to donate more generously.

When you say that you need to raise $100,000 for your cheer team, the number is so large that people won’t be able to understand the impact of their donation. When you break it down into specific needs, it’s easier to understand the impact of a $1000 donation.

For example, attach that to your $1,500 level if you need new uniforms. New bookbags for your athletes? Attach it to your $100 level. Cheer gym improvements? Attach it to your $50,000 level. Attaching needs to each level will show your donors they are making a tangible difference.

Order Your Levels High to Low

Once you’ve established your levels and attached a need to each one, order them from high to low. This order may seem unusual, but doing it this way will inspire online paddle raise donors to donate more.

Consider a donor willing to donate $500. If you start with $100, they might donate then and consider it a bargain. However, they were ready to donate $500, so you just cheated your organization out of $400.

Next time, start at the top and work your way down. When you do it this way, it seems more reasonable to more budget-friendly donors and gives your large donors more attention.

Provide a Clear Ask

While it may seem obvious that inviting people to a fundraising event entails requesting donations, it's surprising how many attendees may only realize this once you clarify it with a specific ask.

As you go through your donor levels, end the speech with a clear ask so potential donors know when to raise their paddles. Something as simple as “If you’re ready to donate $X, raise your paddle now!” will do the trick.

Record Donations

People get wrapped up in the excitement of a virtual paddle raise and sometimes forget that they raised their paddle at all! Collect all the money raised at your event by assigning someone to record every donation.

Make this a team effort by having donors keep all paddles raised until the emcee announces their number. Then have them read out each number and have another volunteer record the number and the donor level. Once the volunteer confirms, you can tell them they can lower their paddle.

In the case of an online paddle raise, platforms like BetterWorld make this easier by automatically recording every donation and sending donation collection emails. All you have to do is match up each donation with each payment.

Reach Your Mobile Giving Goals with BetterWorld’s Paddle Raise Tools

If you’re ready to host a virtual paddle raise as part of your fundraising strategy, sign up on BetterWorld today! Our friendly customer service team is ready to answer questions about this exciting and interactive way to raise the funds you need for your organization to succeed.