May 21, 2020 |

Getting Unstuck: Do This ONE Thing To Move Fundraising Forward

Spoiler Alert: Every nonprofit organization is different. It takes many kinds of donors to support your work and further your mission. For some organizations, that might mean going after major donors. For others, it’s building a large community of support through individual donations, no matter how small. How can ONE THING work for all those scenarios? From a tactical standpoint, it can’t. Cultivating major donors is a much different process from soliciting support from marginalized communities that struggle to make ends meet.

No donation is more important or less valuable than another as long as each works to meet a genuine community need. And that is the key. Faced with an uncertain economic future, it’s important to remember why you are doing what you do. Do not stray from your mission. Not every donor or funder is a good match for your nonprofit, and that’s ok.

With that in mind, what is the ONE THING you can do right now to keep funds flowing into your nonprofit? How can you ensure that your fundraising path forward is the right one? It’s pretty simple, actually.

Work to retain your donors while broadening your reach.

Why is this important? Because when donors are happy, they will renew and upgrade their support. They will also refer supporters to your cause.

Engage with Your Supporters and They’ll Engage FOR You.

On the blog last week, we talked about how our relationships with donors have changed dramatically and discussed some new ways to draw donors in and make them feel connected. Consider adding some or all of those methods to your existing stewardship plan to thank donors for helping to fulfill your mission. They should be done in tandem with things like hand-written thank you notes and phone calls from board members to recognize donors and volunteers. When you take the time to extend heartfelt gratitude to your donors, it will go a long way to get them to renew or even upgrade their support.

As you engage with your donors, be honest about your challenges and worries. Is your nonprofit struggling to meet the demand for your services in the community? Your supporters love you and want to help. So be real with them about your needs. They will appreciate your transparency.

Broadening Your Reach: Mobilizing Supporters to Help

When donors are happy, they will refer supporters to your cause. If you’ve done the work to retain them and been transparent with your challenges, they will want to help you. The best way to mobilize supporters to rally around your cause is with a crowdfunding campaign.

During a crowdfunding campaign, your organization sets up a campaign form to accept donations towards a specific cause or goal. Supporters join your cause by either donating directly to your organization’s page or creating a form of their own to share with family and friends. Crowdfunding multiplies the impact of your fundraising by leveraging an army of constituents working on your behalf to spread your message and get donations. Through a crowdfunding campaign, your nonprofit will:

• Increase your reach
• Find new donors
• Build deeper connections with existing donors
• Rally the advocacy community around your cause

How to Get Started with a Crowdfunding Campaign

To see exactly how to set your crowdfunding campaign in DonorPerfect, visit our Online Forms Success Hub. We’ll take you step-by-step throughout the entire process. We’ll also share examples of how other nonprofit organizations successfully ran their crowdfunding campaigns.

Getting Unstuck: We’re Here For You

Now is not the time to sit back. Yes, there are uncertain times, but you’ve got this! Keep engaging with your supporters and, most importantly, stay true to your mission. If you need support from others in the nonprofit industry, turn to our community for help. We’ve set up a dedicated group where you can talk to other organizations who are feeling the same stress and insecurity about how to fundraise now and in the future. Stop by to chat with your peers and let us know how you are doing. We’d love to hear from you.