Yes! Here's how to use our tools to collect votes for a contest...
While we do not have a specific tool for voting fundraisers, this could be done a few ways on BetterWorld! Let's take a look at a few options and their pros and cons. As an example, we will be voting for which cat has the best meow...
1. Use Custom Questions
You could add custom questions to nearly any donation tool (such as a standard donation campaign) and make this custom question required so donors can cast their vote when they donate! (Note: custom questions cannot be added to our Auction tool). Here is a link to a step-by-step guide on how to create a standard donation campaign and how to add custom questions to it. Here is what that campaign will look like to your donors...
Responses will appear in the 'overview' section of the donation campaign's dashboard -- you can then download this as a CSV and tally the votes!
Some of the pros and cons of this style are...
- You can collect more donations as donors can choose how much they want to donate to vote.
- You can use this style for nearly any campaign type, so if you already have a campaign in mind, you can add on the voting element (for example, if you will be selling tickets, you can ask each purchaser to cast a vote).
- The donation amount and the standings of the competitors are kept private until you announce the winner.
- The votes will need to be tallied up manually from the 'overview' table.
2. Use the Impact Giving tool
This is a donation campaign where you can add a new 'item' for a set price. In this case, we can add an item for each cat being voted on, and we will make each vote cost $5. You can add unlimited items and make the suggested donation for the item/vote any amount. Here is a link to a step-by-step guide on how to create this campaign. Here is what that campaign will look like to your donors...
You can see the voting results in the 'overview' section of the Impact Campaign on your dashboard, you will just need to tally the votes. The 'item' column will show what was voted for. If someone votes more than once, it will appear in the 'quantity' column.
Some of the pros and cons of this style are...
- You can choose how much it will cost for a donor to cast a vote, and have each vote be a set donation amount.
- You can have a photo for each item being voted on.
- The donation amount and the standings of the competitors are kept private until you announce the winner.
- The votes will need to be tallied up manually from the 'overview' table.
3. Use the Ticketing Tool
Our ticketing tool can be used to collect votes. In this case, we will create a new 'ticket type' for each cat being voted on, and we will make each vote (ticket) cost $5. You can add unlimited ticket types and make the suggested donation for the ticket/vote any amount. Here is a link to a step-by-step guide on how to create this campaign. Here is what that campaign will look like to your donors...
Note that your donors will be emailed a receipt for their purchase with a PDF of their ticket, which may be confusing for your donors if you are only collecting votes. You will be able to view the votes (ticket purchases) in the 'overview' section of the ticketed event campaign on your dashboard. It will appear as a bar graph to easily see who is in the lead!
Some of the pros and cons of this style are...
- You can choose how much it will cost for a donor to cast a vote, and have each vote be a set donation amount.
- Donors will be emailed a ticket, which is unnecessary and can be confusing if you are not hosting an event.
- You can display the date and time that the winner will be announced, and add a location, if applicable.
- The donation amount and the standings of the competitors are kept private until you announce the winner.
- The votes will appear in a bar graph in the dashboard, saving you time on tallying.
- You can only upload 1 photo for this campaign type.
4. Use the Peer-to-Peer Tool
If you would like the votes to be visible to the public and for each dollar to count as 1 vote, you can use this donation campaign style! In this case, we will create a new 'participant' for each cat being voted on, and donors can choose how much they want to donate (how many votes they want to place). You can add unlimited participants. Here is a link to a step-by-step guide on how to create this campaign. Here is what that campaign will look like to your donors...
Your donors/voters can select a 'participant' from the drop-down menu. You can even change the label for this button (here, I changed it to say please pick a 'cat' instead of 'participant'). Once they select what/who to vote for, they will be brought to that 'participant' page, where they can see the standings and make a donation.
You will also be able to see how many donations were received for each participant in the peer-to-peer campaign's dashboard under 'Participants'!
Some of the pros and cons of this style are...
- You can collect more donations as donors can choose how much they want to donate to vote, each dollar will count as one vote.
- Each person/item being voted on can have their own page to appeal to donors, and can also upload a banner image and a profile photo in addition to the campaign's home page photo.
- The standings will be public, which can encourage competition and more voting.
- Supporters can also be public, and they can leave comments.
- The votes will be clearly distinguishable by the number of donations received, so no tallying is required.
That is an overview of how to use the fundraising tools on BetterWorld to collect votes or hold a contest fundraiser!