Nonprofit Fundraising Lessons from the Biggest Day in Football

It’s football’s biggest night. Millions of people around the world tune in to watch professional football’s championship game. Advertisers spend millions of dollars to be seen by the game’s audience. To put it bluntly, it’s a big deal. But what does any of this have to do with nonprofit fundraising?

The Importance of Mobile

During the Big Game in 2012, 41% of Google searches related to the broadcast’s commercials came from mobile phones. Ad related searches in the United States rose by 2700% on smartphones, compared to only 200% on desktop and 970% on tablets. The following year, an overwhelming 88% of social media activity during the game occurred on mobile devices.

Mobile searches don’t only apply to the Biggest Day in Football. Many viewers of regular season games use smartphones to search for information, too. During a Green Bay vs Seattle game in 2014, 74% of Google searches about the game originated on mobile phones.

All of this goes to show that mobile is very important, and it is only getting bigger. To ensure your success going forward, make sure your nonprofit fundraising efforts take that into account. Look into signing up for a nonprofit fundraising app. Make sure your website is mobile optimized. When people come looking for your organization on mobile, you need to be ready.

Use Large Events to Your Advantage

Why do so many advertisers spend big bucks on advertising during this event? It helps get their product in front of a massive audience. Even if your organization doesn’t have the budget for an expensive advertising campaign, you can follow big events in smaller ways.

Social media is one way to hop on board. Many events like this one have designated hashtags for people on Twitter to use to communicate. That isn’t strictly a football-related trend. When you learn about a large event, use your own social media accounts to jump on the bandwagon. With the right hashtags and keywords, your posts can reach new eyes, spreading the word about your nonprofit.

Put the Fun in Nonprofit Fundraising

Not everyone cares about sports. But you would be hard-pressed to find someone who would refuse to attend a party celebrating this particular game. Why? Because fans find ways to make it fun. They host parties with delicious food. They play games.

Even the game itself works hard to bring in football non-fans. Famous music acts are brought in to perform over-the-top concerts with extravagant sets and fireworks shows.

While putting together nonprofit fundraising events, keep this in mind. You want to bring in as many people as possible, including those who might otherwise avoid these activities. How can you make it fun? How can you draw a crowd? Find unique and entertaining ways to draw people together, make the atmosphere a fun one, and watch as your fundraising efforts flourish.