Hello fellow form builders, 

This is part four of our five-part series on "Getting ready for the holiday season with Zoho Forms." This series aims to help you make the best of your forms and grow your business this season.

Asking for money isn't easy, yet it's a crucial step for any fundraising group or organization. During this holiday season, make collecting donations fun and more effective with our list of the top five ways to improve your overall fundraising process. Let's dive in.

1. Create a donation page that reflects your story

When people come looking for you, make sure they find you at your best. Sharing your story or the reason behind the fundraising on your website makes it easier for people to connect with you, no matter where they're from. Following up your reason with a simple donation form placed clearly on the same page works like a charm to get a response right away. This process motivates people to donate generously much better than vaguely putting a donation form by itself on a website and waiting for the funds to fall in.

As online giving is easier and faster, why not promote it to maximize its reach? As shown in the above stats , seeking donations over social media has undoubtedly been proven to be a smart choice. And the major advantage? You get a global reach without spending much time and money! Zoho Forms makes this easy for you—with a single click, you can share your forms directly in your favourite social media applications right when you finish building them.  

3. Tweak your online forms

Making donation forms available digitally is a smart and effective choice to maximize giving while nurturing your new donors. That said, remember a few of these tweaks as you build your next form:

For donations collected during this holiday season, light up your forms with the same vibe. The appearance of the forms, when it is available on social media or a website, can capture the donors' attention and even sometimes help indicate the purpose of the fundraising.  

​ We know confirmation emails to acknowledge the donor works like a charm. However, to improve engagement, make it as personalized as possible. One way is to refer the donor by their name along with the salutation rather than just referring them as "Dear Donor." You can also include the payment amount and any taxes as a receipt and attach it along with the email. It's easier than it sounds! Learn how to create personalized emails here. 

4. Reveal all disclaimers and policies 

Transparency is the key to building trust. While you have the donor's attention, revealing any necessary disclaimers or policies on how the funding is processed can improve trust and the overall image of your organization. 

Not all fundraising is the same—each campaign should be approached with an open mind. This is true in terms of donation amounts too. Asking for a fixed amount can sometimes drive away donors who may want to contribute a different number than that. Keep the amount options flexible to encourage donors to give what they can afford and are comfortable with. You can even ask the donor to enter a custom amount they would like to give.

The effort you put into fundraising will decide how well you reach your goals and have adequate funding. This holiday season, let people express their goodwill easier through online forms. Comment below on how it worked for your business—we'd love to hear from you! 

Stay Tuned! 

Prasana