Increasing Donations With QR Codes: 4 Ways to Raise More

As a professional fundraiser, your top priority might be to determine which events and campaigns raise the most. But, the right tools can maximize your fundraising success no matter the type of event or campaign you host.

Research shows that there’s been a whopping 26% increase in QR code usage in recent years, with nearly 89 million users scanning them. And this surge is expected to continue rising, as the same research projects QR code scanners will reach 100 million by 2025.

The increasing popularity of QR codes makes them a powerful tool for raising more support for your mission. Let’s explore four ways your nonprofit can increase donations by implementing QR codes into its fundraising initiatives.

There may be many reasons your nonprofit can’t capture as many donations as you’d like during an event or campaign. Perhaps your charity auctions sell fewer tickets because many donors can’t attend in person. Or, your supporters plan to donate but put it off because your donation form is lengthy.

No matter the reason, it’s up to your nonprofit to provide a convenient way to donate. Empowering donors to give instantly ensures they follow through with the donation while giving is still top-of-mind.

QR codes facilitate a seamless giving experience by directing supporters to a mobile-friendly donation page where they can give securely using their preferred payment method. And, they can be incorporated into any event or campaign when you display them on various materials, such as:

• Event signage
• Physical event programs
• Online communications, such as email newsletters
• Digital screens at an in-person event

By using QR codes, you demonstrate respect for donors’ time and effort, which can increase your revenue. When donors know your organization values them and their involvement, they’ll be even more willing to donate.

Creating an accessible fundraiser starts with the event registration process. This is a crucial component of effective fundraising since accessibility impacts your event’s reach and, subsequently, its fundraising success.

Make it easy for donors to sign up for your event by implementing QR codes into the registration process. This could include:

• Incorporating QR codes into your event marketing materials. Include QR codes in promotional materials for your event, such as flyers or social media posts, so attendees can register directly from their phones. According to Double the Donation’s marketing guide, QR codes can be especially useful in direct mail marketing since they’re powerful, unique calls to action.
• Using QR codes for event check-in. Issue QR code tickets or registration confirmations to be scanned at check-in. This reduces wait times for event entry, enhancing the attendee experience.
• Linking to virtual event programs. Another way to improve the attendee experience is by offering access to event materials directly from their mobile devices. Create QR codes for online event programs and informational material.

Additionally, QR codes benefit your event planning team by improving event logistics. With QR codes, event organizers not only have more power over crowd flow but can also monitor attendance levels and check-in progress to allocate staff and resources as needed. This way, your event will run more smoothly for the staff and volunteers manning it.

While QR codes can improve nearly every event format, they’re popularly used in nonprofit auctions to digitize the bidding process.

According to Snowball’s auction software guide, the more straightforward the bidding experience, the more money you’ll raise for your cause. That’s why many modern auctions utilize mobile bidding, and QR codes can add even more value to the mobile experience.

Use QR codes alongside item displays to provide additional information about each item, such as photos and donor details. It can also direct donors to bidding instructions or a virtual bid sheet so they can compete for the item directly from their phones. If offering a bid sheet online, remember to include the following information:

• Organization name
• Auction date and time
• Item name and information
• Starting bid
• Minimum raise
• Guaranteed purchase price (if applicable)

To raise more from your auction beyond ticket sales and winning bids, you can include different QR codes on event signage leading to your donation page. This way, auction attendees can contribute whether they win an item or not!

Virtual fundraising lends itself to increased donor engagement because of its sharability. Even if your fundraiser isn’t completely virtual, QR codes incorporate digital elements to get your supporters online.

When you lead donors to online content using QR codes, you can engage them through:

• Powerful storytelling: Online channels have the capacity to tell dynamic stories through multimedia elements, such as compelling videos, images, and audio recordings. Use QR codes to send donors to content that educates them about your nonprofit’s work while evoking emotions and inspiring action.
• Sharing capabilities: QR codes can promote your nonprofit’s social media profiles and encourage donors to share your content by linking to important posts. Expand your reach by linking to engaging social media content and allowing donors to share it on their personal channels.
• Donation integration: Certain fundraising opportunities can be seamlessly integrated with your online content, increasing your conversions. For example, let’s say your animal shelter uses QR codes to share the story of a dog named Rex who was rescued by your organization. You could add brief text-to-give instructions to the end of the video by saying, “Help others like Rex by texting ‘GIVE’ to 123456.” This way, donors can easily give immediately after watching your video with little effort.

No matter the content you direct donors to through QR codes, be sure to make it mobile-friendly. For example, if QR codes lead to your nonprofit’s website, ensure the page text is legible on users’ mobile device screens. Donor engagement is impacted by not just the materials you share, but also their online experience when navigating those materials.

Ultimately, the way your nonprofit uses QR codes depends on your unique fundraising strategy and supporter base. Experiment with this tool to discover what strategies inspire the most donor engagement and adjust your approach accordingly.

You can track this progress by following key metrics, such as scan and conversion rates. This way, you’ll have the data needed to make informed decisions about the way you’ll implement QR codes into your fundraising strategy.

John Killoran is an inventor, entrepreneur, and the Chairman of Clover Leaf Solutions, a national lab services company. He currently leads Clover Leaf’s investment in Snowball Fundraising, an online fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations.

Snowball was one of John’s first public innovations; it’s a fundraising platform that offers text-to-give, online giving, events, and peer-to-peer fundraising tools for nonprofits. By making giving simple, Snowball increases the donations that these organizations can raise online. The Snowball effect is real! John founded Snowball in 2011. Now, it serves over 7,000 nonprofits and is the #1 nonprofit fundraising platform.