Improve Your Fundraising Outreach With These Three Tips
Fundraising is the lifeblood of nonprofits. It is how nonprofits fund their programming, pay their team, and have the resources to exist. Fundraising is also a neverending process that needs to be continually refined and improved as a nonprofit grows and increases new challenges and needs along the way. Outreach is a driver of fundraising and development and proper outreach is the product of consistent and strategic communication.
Plan First
It is no secret that we love to plan here at NMBL Strategies. It is what we do, and we stand by planning as the only way to move organizations forward in any respect. There are several components of a successful outreach strategy that must be accounted for.
First, your organization needs to determine what it wishes to accomplish. Set your goals by first determining deadlines for outreach, desired response/click-through rate, what information needs to be conveyed, and budget. Determining where you need to go is the first step toward planning how to get there. In order to understand what information supporters want to see, utilize your shareholders. Consulting with these groups (both internal and external) will help you understand what needs to be included in your outreach information and where there is improvement.
Second, Identify your target audience. Recognize what population is giving to your organization. Who is coming to your events? Are you properly reaching that group? Once you understand who you need to reach, it is time to start defining your strategy. If your primary audience is college-educated, Twitter may be a new platform to focus on as it has the largest population of college-educated users of all forms of social media. Is your audience older? Then direct mail may be more effective. DO you find a highly engaged in-person audience but low engagement digitally? Utilize in-person outreach for continued success.
Don’t Forget About Proven Donors
We always reiterate it on here. New donors always cost more than retaining existing ones. It is a simple idea after all. These people chose to give to your organization, so why not start with them when reaching out. This means that your outreach needs to continue to include donors considered to be “retained” as well as people that may have given five years ago. Sometimes all they need is a little reminder. Other times, they simply need an easier way to give. Keep in mind that giving methods are rapidly changing and donors may be ready to give if you offer the right method.
Expand your Channels
There are a lot of channels through which to reach your audience or target new audiences. When seeking growth, expanding your channels may be the way forward for boosting your outreach strategy.
Direct mail. Many young people may think that a direct mail campaign is obsolete, but the numbers say otherwise. In our blog on Why Direct Mail is Essential we note that in comparison to social media, direct mail has a greater ROI and a lower cost per new donor. This is for a variety of reasons. One of which is that social media is flooded with hundreds, thousands, even millions of people vying for your attention. Our mail on the other hand? Many of us could count the number of people sending us mail on two hands.
Partnerships. There are many ways to make a partnership work for your outreach strategy. There may be a brand that sponsors your organization. There may be another organization that you work with. There may be artists or community leaders that are partnered with your organization. Whoever you are partnered with, leverage those relationships to promote each other in order to reach new audiences that listen to your partner.
Social media. More and more it is uncommon to find an organization that is not on social media. What is more common is finding organizations that are not using social media well. Social media is taken very seriously today with many people and companies making it their full-time job (and being remarkably successful). Take the time to learn how to optimize your posts and utilize the best practices for the platform you choose. Additionally, find the right platform for reaching your viewers. For example, the population that used Facebook regularly is not the same as the one using Snapchat.
Email. Another very common but very effective medium for outreach. Email is great for large volume, regular communication in the form of newsletters or press releases. Email also offers a great medium for communicating directly with your donors. Email provides more detail than social media and donors often find they are likely to reach someone as opposed to social media.
In-person events. Over the last year, how many times have you heard some rendition of “I can’t wait to be back in person” or “I am so glad to be done with virtual school/work/family time.” The pandemic showed us how much we value in-person time with each other and this is especially true of non-profit outreach. Fundraisers and events where donors get together and support a good cause while having fun in a remarkably good way to engage donors in the moment and for the long term.
Personal communication. Donors appreciate personal touches. Whether it is calling them on the phone or writing a personal thank you note. Showing that an individual is receiving their gift or personally asking them to support your cause resonates with donors and will enhance the power of your ask or invitation.
Fundraising isn’t easy. There are more tools available today than ever before but that has only added to the complexity. That is why it is more important than ever to fall back on the best tool available: planning. Build your plan for outreach and utilize these tips to have it optimized for the new year. With the right strategy, your organization will be set for its best year on record for fundraising.
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.
