Nonprofit organizations are highly-reliant on fundraising campaigns to raise funds used to benefit those the organization serves and its daily operations. Most larger organizations have a board along with a department that solely focuses on fundraising efforts. For those organizations that are just starting or maybe smaller, these advantages may not exist. Here are three nonprofit fundraising strategies every organization needs to employ to ensure maximum results.
Content Marketing
If potential volunteers and donors don’t know what you do, they can’t decide to donate time or money to your organization. You need to refrain from being the ‘best-kept secret’ and shout who you are and what you do from the rooftops.
Utilize every tool at your fingertips, social media, affordable ads, and participation in group fundraising campaign efforts. Find anywhere your organization can afford to get the word out about your organization but ensure your content gives potential donors something to want to be a part of and support.
Almost every person, no matter how generous, will only donate or become a part of something they connect to and in which they can see the value. Humans operate from a ‘what’s in it for me’ place, so you need to make sure it is clear what’s in it for the potential donor. Focus on the heart of your organization so you can connect to the heart of your potential donor.
Once you have your effective content produced, you can focus on blitzing it out via social media, emailing, and strategic advertising. You have to come to where your potential donors are because generally, people are so engrossed in their own lives and issues, they don’t actively seek out where they can donate or volunteer. If your content is effective, you can be successful if you get your content out in the world.
Annual Time of Giving
One of the most effective strategies for nonprofit is to have an annual time of giving. Many donors and volunteers will respond well to having a specific time of year to focus on their giving and volunteerism.
There are yearly giving campaigns in some areas where all nonprofit organizations join in a concerted effort to highlight donor giving and volunteerism. However, whether this is offered in your area or not, your organization should have a focused annual time of giving. Some organizations will have an annual ball or another large event.
If your organization cannot put together a major event, you can still have a yearly focus in which you make a well-marketed blitz through social media and advertisements with a clever angle of focus that will draw in donors and volunteers. During this time of giving, encourage donors to sign up for regularly schedule automated donations. Most people don’t give because they forget. If they have a way to give through automation, you can increase giving by a substantial amount.
Donor Retention
Every nonprofit organization wants to retain donors as this is as close to guaranteed donations as a nonprofit can get. Most small donors will change the organizations they give to if they look to donate each year. It should be the goal of your organization to retain every donor you get.
The easiest way to retain donors is, as mentioned before, through automation. If you put in place a way for a donor to regularly donate in an interval of their choosing, they are likely to give to you exclusively or at least give to you while simultaneously giving to other organizations. If automation is not possible, you can have a donor sign up for a renewal of their donation, at which time you send them a reminder and way to donate.
Another way to help with donor retention is to be vocal with your organization and intimately let every donor know what their donations of time and money have done. The most successful nonprofit organizations are those who are transparent and show how donations are used. People want to feel good about what they do.
Conclusion
While using these strategies will help your organization to raise funds for your cause, the bottom line is that you have to come from a place of gratitude. If an organization goes after donations and volunteers with a zeal that comes off as greedy, they can permanently damage giving when it comes to their organization. Everything you push out to potential donors or volunteers should be coming from a place of generosity, compassion, and kindness.
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