How I Get Things Done: Building Winning Digital Fundraising Campaigns with GoFundMe Pro
Omatic Software (OS): Tell us about yourself and your role at GoFundMe Pro
Luke Dringoli (LD): I’m the Principal Technical Partnerships Manager at GoFundMe Pro. My role is all about unlocking value at the intersection of technology, partnerships, and impact. I help grow and strengthen our integration ecosystem by bringing new partner-built integrations to market, improving existing ones, and supporting our teams and partners with technical guidance throughout the customer lifecycle.
I work closely with Account Executives to craft partner-enabled solutions that meet nonprofits where they are: helping them “bring their own tech” and connect it seamlessly to GoFundMe Pro. It’s part of our commitment to being the most open and flexible fundraising platform in the space.
But my work doesn’t stop at implementation; I also collaborate with our product team to ensure partner feedback is elevated, with our marketing team to amplify our partners’ thought leadership, and with our customer success team to help nonprofits get the most out of their full tech stack. My goal is to make technical partners feel like a natural extension of our product and platform woven into our DNA as we build an ecosystem-led company.
Fundraising 101: Creating a Winning Campaign
OS: Can you walk our readers through tips for creating a successful digital fundraising campaign? Any client examples worth sharing?
LD: Defining your goal, whether it’s total dollars raised, new donor acquisition, or rallying support around a moment or movement. From there, selecting the right campaign type—like peer-to-peer, direct giving, or ticketed events—helps ensure the format fits your objective.
Next, you want to think beyond just the campaign page itself. While design and messaging are very important, what often determines a campaign’s success is how you send traffic to that page. What channels will you use—email, organic social, paid media, or partnerships? And how does the campaign fit within your broader communications and donor engagement strategy?
Equally important is where the campaign lives. Should it be embedded on your website for full control and a smooth customer experience, or launched as a dedicated campaign? Either way, you can use GoFundMe Pro Studio as your campaign builder to move quickly and benefit from a mobile-optimized and conversion-focused flow.
You can also take a hybrid approach by starting on a beautifully branded website page and using your own custom donation amount selector to pass selected amounts into a Campaign Studio checkout flow using passthrough parameters. The result is a seamless, intentional giving experience that feels native to a nonprofit’s site, while leveraging GoFundMe Pro’s checkout optimization and analytics capabilities.
Campaigns often work best when they are brought to life in collaboration with agency or integration partners. Whether it’s custom-built forms, embedded experiences, or marketing automation, we love working with our partner network to make sure nonprofits can execute creative strategies without needing massive internal teams or development resources. That’s part of what makes GoFundMe Pro’s partner ecosystem so valuable—we’re able to extend our platform in ways that meet nonprofits where they are and where they want to go.
OS: What are some of the biggest mistakes that nonprofits make with their digital fundraising strategy?
LD: Sometimes nonprofits view fundraising as a “build it and they will come” proposition. Yes, it’s important to put together a strong message and campaign, but you to have an active presence on channels donors already frequent. This is why we’re so excited about what we’re building for nonprofits on GoFundMe as well.
GoFundMe is a trusted leader in community-led fundraising and has built an engaged community of nearly 200 million. This presents an incredible opportunity for nonprofits to find net new donors and bring them into their fold. It starts by claiming their GoFundMe Nonprofit Page to ensure this active community on GoFundMe can easily find, donate to, and fundraise on behalf of your organization.
Stewardship Advice for Securing Long-term Support
OS: Do you have any advice for retaining first-time donors?
LD: Absolutely. Retaining first-time donors is one of the most important (and often overlooked) parts of a nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, but that first follow-up moment can set the tone for a long-term relationship.
Start by acknowledging the donor’s impact. Make sure they feel seen and appreciated—not just with a generic receipt, but with thoughtful follow-up messaging that reinforces the difference they’ve made. Then, keep the conversation going. Many nonprofits stop engaging after the first donation, but consistent, value-driven communication is key to building trust and keeping your cause top of mind.
This is where marketing automation tools become essential. Platforms like Virtuous, DonorDock, Feathr, Mailchimp, and HubSpot allow nonprofits to deliver timely, personalized follow-ups—without putting additional strain on small teams. Adding channels like SMS through tools like Tatango can also help cut through the noise and connect with donors where they’re already paying attention.
That’s why GoFundMe Pro is so focused on building an open, flexible integration ecosystem. We partner with Omatic, for example, because we want to make it easy for nonprofits to plug in the tools they already love (or want to try) and create meaningful, multi-channel donor journeys that increase retention and lifetime value. It’s not about more tools for the sake of it; it’s about building the kind of donor experience that makes people want to come back and give again.
New Features from GoFundMe Pro
OS: Are there any new tools or features that GoFundMe Pro has released that can help nonprofit organizations who are looking to ramp up digital fundraising?
LD: Absolutely. One of the most exciting recent releases is our latest version of Embedded Giving, called Embedded Studio. This feature allows nonprofits to embed donation forms directly on their website—most commonly under the main “Donate” button in the site’s navigation bar—creating the shortest possible path from inspiration to donation. What sets this version apart is the level of customization. We’ve added a flexible content panel so organizations can include their own images and messaging, and the design is fully brandable—button radius, primary and secondary colors, and even up to three logos for things like certification badges or corporate sponsors. The result is a donation experience that feels like a natural extension of the organization’s brand, not a generic template. Learn more here.
We’re also seeing momentum with our Live Fundraising Tools on GoFundMe—which allow nonprofits and their supporters to fundraise in real-time through live streams and in-venue experiences. This is particularly powerful when engaging creators, influencers, or community partners. One great example is influencer Tess Bohne, who rallied the Swiftie community to raise over $35,000 for Coburn Place, a domestic violence shelter in Indianapolis, during a Taylor Swift tour stop. We’ve also seen this technology used by the NHL’s Nashville Predators to activate fans during a game, raising money live on the jumbotron. It’s a whole new way to make fundraising participatory and engaging. Learn more here.
And lastly, I’m especially excited about the progress we’re making on the integration front. We know that being able to connect GoFundMe Pro with the rest of a nonprofit’s tech stack is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s mission-critical. That’s why we’re so proud of our partnership with Omatic, whose tools make it easier to sync GoFundMe Pro data into platforms like Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, and beyond. Their work, alongside ours, helps ensure nonprofits can run smarter, more connected fundraising programs.
Making Data a Fundraising Asset
OD: How can organizations use data to scale up their fundraising efforts?
LD: Data, especially first-party data, should be viewed as the bedrock of an organization’s fundraising strategy. It not only helps organizations understand their supporters more deeply, but also powers the kind of personalized, timely experiences that drive long-term loyalty and increased giving.
One powerful example of how we’re using data at GoFundMe Pro is our Intelligent Ask Amounts feature. This tool automatically adjusts the suggested donation amounts shown on a campaign form based on insights like a donor’s previous giving behavior. That way, each supporter sees suggested amounts that feel just right (neither too low nor too high) helping to increase conversions and maximize impact. This is a great example of how data-driven personalization can make a measurable difference.
Beyond donation forms, data can—and should—inform how nonprofits segment their audiences in email, CRM, and marketing platforms. When GoFundMe Pro data flows into tools like Raiser’s Edge NXT, Salesforce, HubSpot, or Mailchimp, organizations can create more tailored messaging based on a donor’s giving history, campaign involvement, or event participation.
That’s where the power of GoFundMe Pro’s open REST API really shines. It allows nonprofits to “bring their own tech” and ensure their GoFundMe Pro data is synced back into the systems they rely on, whether for reporting, automation, or AI-driven insights. And because our platform is built with partners in mind, tools like Omatic make it even easier to keep systems aligned and data clean.
In a world where fundraising is becoming more personalized, more automated, and more insight-driven, having the right data infrastructure—and the right integration strategy—isn’t optional. It’s essential for scale.
The Future of Online Fundraising
OS: How do you see online fundraising evolving in the next few years?
LD: We’re going to see a continued shift away from legacy platforms toward more modern, connected fundraising solutions. Nonprofits are realizing they need tools that integrate seamlessly with the rest of their tech stack, are easy to update, and
flexible enough to support everything from direct giving to influencer-led campaigns.
Fundraising will also become increasingly multi-channel—not just across a nonprofit’s owned assets like their website and email, but across earned surfaces like social media, livestreams, and peer-led campaigns. Organizations will need to be where their supporters already are, whether that’s in their inbox or scrolling through Instagram. The days of expecting donors to come to you are behind us. Future success lies in meeting donors where they are, with personalized, relevant asks. We also expect AI and data-driven personalization to continue playing a bigger role—not just in optimizing ask amounts, but in shaping the entire donor journey across channels and touchpoints.
OS: What’s one small but impactful change an organization can make today to improve their digital fundraising?
LD: Claim your GoFundMe Nonprofit Page! It’s free, only takes a few minutes, and could unlock donations you didn’t even know you had. Once claimed, you’ll get access to valuable insights about donors, donations, and supporters who are already fundraising on your behalf—many without any direct outreach.
It’s one of the easiest ways to expand your digital footprint, increase visibility, and tap into GoFundMe’s 190 million-strong giving community. Your supporters are already out there doing the work—this helps you meet them halfway. Claim your page here.
Learn More: How to Get In Touch with GoFundMe Pro
OS: How can folks get in touch with you or the GoFundMe Pro team if they are interested in learning more?
LD: I’m easy to find! Feel free to connect with me directly on LinkedIn. I’m always happy to chat about digital fundraising, integrations, or anything partnerships-related.
You can also head over to our website to learn more about our platform and connect with our team. Whether you’re looking to level up your fundraising or explore how to partner with us, we’d love to hear from you.
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