Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 3 of a series)

Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 3 of a series)

By Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

Here is a continuing article from the San Francisco 2009 AHP International (Association of Healthcare Professionals) annual meeting. These gems were gleaned from Sandra Henningsen who presented a session on Maximizing Your eMarketing Success for Major & Planned Gifts.

To reach your target audience of 60+ year olds for major gifts and planned estate gifts be sure to use senior friendly web design. Realize that:

• Vision is less precise
• Colors are more difficult to see (primary colors preferred)
• High contrast is important (black & white or blue & yellow)
• Navigation must be easy
• Substantial white space is a must
• Use short paragraphs
• Link to features, eNewsletters, PDF files quickly (seniors will do only 3 clicks through a website)
• Make sure your philanthropy page is on the home page of your hospital in a visible, top of the page location
• Use similar layouts and colors to your print materials
• Use clear backgrounds so its easy to read
• Minimize flashing images
• Use only one or two large fonts

You may have to go to your institution’s website design staff to get special dispensation for a senior-friendly philanthropy site. Sandra has had organizations make and be granted this special request.

You can find good examples of this type of senior-friendly design on the websites for Eisenhower Medical Center, Blanchard Valley Hospital Foundation, St. Joseph Medical Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, and the University of Hawaii Foundation.

This article is part of a series. To read the rest of the series, please click the links below:

• Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 1 of a series)
• Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 2 of a series)
• Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 4 of a series)
• Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 5 of a series)

Permanent Link: Using the Internet to Increase Major and Planned Gift Fundraising (part 3 of a series)

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2009/10/using-internet-to-increase-major-and_05.html