Even the most serious and high-minded gathering of responsible adults can benefit from a little relaxation or game-playing.

So during the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Fundraising Conference, Harry Lynch and Paul Habig of Sanky Communications and Carla Chadwick of Covenant House offered a game of Truth or Consequences about online fundraising best practices.

Truth or Consequences?

* Modals (aka Lightboxes) shine brighter than ever.

Truth. Uses are extending beyond just a single donation ask: e.g., upgrades, sustainer asks.

* A mobile website is a must.

Consequences. While there are rare cases when a separate mobile site will serve best, building a separate mobile presence can dilute the domain, hurt organic search results and require high maintenance expenses. A responsive design will let an organization keep its URL and preserve link equity and likely be an overall better ROI.

* Remarketing has emerged as one of the most exciting online marketing trends in years.

Truth. While expensive, the costs to test this channel have come down. New tracking tools are proving it is an effective way to amplify the fundraising message.

* As the shift to mobile communications continues, a fundraising app is a must for any organization.

Consequences. There are many limitations. It’s expensive to build a quality app. There is a need to create for multiple operating systems, for example Apple (iOS) prohibits donations within a native app. Apps do build connections with donors and potential donors, but they said the first priority must be mobile optimize donation forms.