3 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Fundraising
Fundraising is the fuel that drives nonprofits. Many organizations receive a vast amount of funding through fundraising or membership rather than through merchandise sales or other revenue sources. With that in mind, it is critical that your organization operates a dynamic and always improving fundraising strategies. We have laid out three important factors that should be considered in any fundraising strategy. Let’s take a look.
Tell Important Stories
The most successful marketing strategy, particularly for nonprofits with inspiring missions, is storytelling. Every nonprofit organization has its own story behind the people and the reason they started it. Nonprofits are all about affecting change and with that comes the story of “why?” Take the time to create and share the story that is foundational to your organization’s journey. Share about why you started, the people involved, the people you have helped, and where you hope to go. Storytelling is so effective because it gets viewers to stop and listen (or more likely read but video is a great content medium!). While we are bombarded with content online these days, great stories still seem to cut through the noise. So tell your story to get more views, likes, shares, and ideally, more donors feeling ready to support your cause.
Diversify Your Communication Channels
Promoting your nonprofit is the only way to grow your fundraising reach. As you reach a broader community and build your pool of supporters, word of mouth and momentum-based digital marketing will start to work in your favor. The best way to get to the next level of marketing your organization is to diversify your communications. First, not all individuals use the same channels. A simple example of this is that older generations are less likely to use social media as young people do. Additionally, older generations are likely to have more wealth and greater capacity for giving. Another example within social media, older generations are more likely to use Facebook and Twitter has the highest population of college-educated users. Below we lay out why you should diversify to use multiple channels online and offline.
Online
In today’s world, we have so many amazing tools for digital communication. Digital communication provides the opportunity for consistent and reliable communication, encouraging donors to connect and give. Online communication provides great opportunities for tracking donor engagement, using Google or Instagram Analytics or other programs that provide insights on how much interactivity your emails get.
Offline
Some people think direct mail is dead in our modern digital world. With social media and email, many organizations think they leave the postal system behind, but they are missing out the serious benefits direct mail provides. Many organizations underestimate the amount of noise that we get online, cutting through that is challenging. Meanwhile, when your card is one of a few letters in the mailbox, you will get more eyes on your message. Additionally, as noted in our blog on the advantages of direct mail, direct mail provides a greater ROI on new donors as opposed to digital media.
Ads
We have discussed Google Ad Grants on here before and how powerful of a tool they can be for nonprofits seeking new audiences. Google Ad Grants provide a no-cost opportunity for nonprofits to expand their footprint and grow their online presence. In addition to Google Ad Grants, Facebook and LinkedIn offer targeted ads, so your organization can promote its call to action to new audiences. That said, be careful planning your Facebook or LinkedIn ad campaigns because these costs can quickly add up as they are not free like Google Ad Grants!
Build a Follow Up Plan
After donors have given to your organization, it is important to act quickly to follow up. Quickly sending a thank you note coupled with a confirmation of the gift is important to keeping donors informed and making them feel appreciated.
Consider using technology to bolster your follow-up strategy. Programs such as donorbox allow organizations to create automated receipts for donors. After donors make a donation, the program will send a customized message, preferably containing a confirmation of the gift and an expression of gratitude.
Your follow-up plan should not stop there. It is a good idea to follow up with a more personal message. For some organizations, a follow-up, handwritten thank you note can be a great way to build a strong connection with donors. For organizations with robust volunteer programs, a follow-up email or letter explaining how donors can be involved as volunteers or attend events can be a great way to retain donors.
NMBL Strategies has worked with nonprofits for years, helping in some of the greatest nonprofit developments of the previous 20+ years. In that time, we’ve raised more than $100 million, developed millions of dollars more in earned income, and most importantly, developed the strategies and insights behind these efforts. Let us bring that experience to your nonprofit today and ensure your financial future is in good hands.
