Welcome to the DonorSee quick-start guide. This guide will walk you through all the steps of getting started fundraising on DonorSee.
Welcome – what you need to know
We are so glad to have you here! You are on the front lines of helping address global poverty and we are honored to help support your work.
DonorSee will allow you to engage with donors in a new and unique way. We have an incredibly engaged community of donors and Partners and we are united by the mission to help the global poor. Our donors are giving thousands of dollars on DonorSee a day because they love the transparency and immediacy of your video based projects. If you are doing great work for the global poor, we can help you get more donations!
Due to an increased demand in our Partnership program, we have revised our on-boarding process to make it more self-directed. This will allow you to get started without needing to wait on our team.
- We set you up with a DonorSee Fundraising account
- You upload your first trial project and fundraise from your existing network
- You post a video update to your funded project
- Then we assess your profile and determine if you are a good fit
If you are approved to become a Partner, we will upgrade your profile and give you full access to DonorSee. This will allow you to raise funds from both your donors and our 16,000+ donors. Our goal is to help you expand your impact by engaging with donors better than ever before. We’re excited to Partner with you!
To get started quickly, follow these steps:
1) Get started with a fundraising account
By now, you should have been given access to a Fundraising account. If not, please fill out the brief form on this page to get in contact with our team. Once your account is live, you will see prompts to fill out your profile. Fill out as much of it as possible (your account details will factor into our Partnership selection process).
Extra resources for this step:
2) Post and fund your first project
In order to be good stewards of our donors and to maintain the quality of our platform, we need to be extremely selective in who we accept. By posting and funding your fist project by yourself, you’ll get a chance to prove yourself objectively. Once you are a Partner, you’ll gain access to even more tools and have the chance to post large (over $500) projects. In short, your first project should be small, personal, and story-driven. Visit our Staff Picks feed to see examples of the types of projects we like to see on our platform.
Extra resources for this step:
- Here is a checklist for your first video project
- What you should do immediately after posting your first project on DonorSee
- Three tips to inspire long-term donors
- What to do when a DonorSee project stagnates
- Creating videos that inspire action
- Make each post standout
Getting followers and good reviews on DonorSee will greatly increase your success. The above posts include some proven examples of how other fundraisers have successfully kickstarted their fundraising on DonorSee. We don’t try to ‘steal’ your supporters. Rather, when one of your existing contacts gives to your DonorSee profile, they are assigned as one of ‘your’ donors – and we silo them to your profile. Our mission is to bring you access to more donors – never to dilute your existing supporters.
3) Send video updates to your donors
After you fund your first project, make sure you “close the loop” with your donors. Do this by adding a video update to your project. Your update should show donors exactly how their donation impacted the lives of the people in your project video.
This step is what sets us apart, so make sure you do a thorough job with your follow-up video! Check out recently updated projects on our site to see how our Partners are currently updating their donors.
Having great update videos is often what sets great partners apart from everyone else. Don’t be afraid to be friendly and let the joy of the recipients shine in the video. We’ve found that when donors “see” the impact of their giving, they greatly increase their likelihood of giving again!
4) Get approved
Now you are all set! Our team will be automatically notified when you complete step 3, and our vetting process will begin. We will look at your project, your follow-up, and your profile as a whole. We may bring you on to be a Partner immediately. Alternatively, we may work with you to improve a few things before upgrading your profile.
While you wait, you can continue to use DonorSee to raise funds as a fundraiser. We are not in a position to make everyone a Partner. We still have to maintain the integrity of our platform by working with organizations that are closely aligned with our mission. If you would like to learn more about our vetting process, please read DonorSee Partner Vetting Process.
Still unsure about joining DonorSee?
Watch this testimonial from one of our Partners after just a few weeks into her Partnership with DonorSee:
Having difficulty getting started?
Do you have a question not covered in this guide? No worries; our team is here to help. You can contact our support team at donorsee.com/contact
To respect the time of everyone else who might need support, please first confirm your question hasn’t already been answered in this guide. The more direct your question the faster we will be able to assist you.
