Nonprofit organizations all over the world seek money from individual donors. Some of the organizations are so large they have hundreds of employees and function almost like corporations. Other organizations are so small they have no paid staff and operate out of someone’s home. With so many different types of organizations vying for attention, there’s a lot of competition for individual donations.
To help your organization stand out from the rest and to encourage more people to donate to your cause, try implementing the three tips below.
Create a Vision. People are accustomed to nonprofit organizations constantly asking for money. However, knowing that an organization needs money to operate is usually not enough for someone to open up their wallet. This is true regardless of whether it's a cause they support. What makes people become donors is a belief that if they donate, their financial donation will actually make a difference. To help people visualize how their donation can make a difference, many nonprofits have campaigns that state things like: “A donation of $25 will pay for [X number of meals, X number of livestock, or school supplies for X children.]." Campaigns like this can be very successful because they help people see how even a small donation can have a significant impact. Sharing a vision of what your organization does and how it makes a difference is more likely to encourage donations than stating that you need money to buy supplies, pay rent, or hire staff.
Be Transparent. The Internet is full of stories about corrupt, wasteful, and inept organizations. Understandably, this makes people hesitant to click on a “donate now” button. To make people feel comfortable donating to your organization, be as transparent as possible about how your organization funds its work and allocates its resources. If your organization prepares an annual report, share it through a link on your website and your Facebook page. The annual report may provide enough information about your revenue, expenditures, and accomplishments to reassure potential donors that you will put their money to good use. Another way to be transparent about your operations is to prepare one-page handouts for each of your organization’s initiatives or projects. For each project, you can describe its purpose, what it has accomplished, and how much it costs to operate. Presenting a vision to potential donors about what their money can do appeals to their emotions. Being transparent about your work and how you manage your finances will address their potential concerns.
Have a Target Audience in Mind. Not everyone will be interested in supporting your cause or in a position to donate. What kind of person is most likely to be supportive of your organization's work? What’s their gender, age, marital status, income, occupation, etc.? Where do they live? What social issues are of greatest concern to them? If you have a target audience in mind, you can craft your fundraising messages around themes that will resonate with this audience. If your audience is diverse, you may need more than one message. For example, you may find that married women with young children and single men in their thirties are both particularly interested in your work. While they have a shared interest, they may be motivated to give money for different reasons. To respond to this, you'll need messages specifically designed to create an emotional connection with each group.
Small donations from individuals can give your organization a valuable source of unrestricted funding and complement the funding you receive through grants. To have a successful fundraising campaign, you'll need to identify your target audience and prepare messages that speak to their unique interests and motivations. Second, you will want to provide evidence that your organization manages its money and programs responsibly.
Finally, while having someone donate to your organization is nice, having them become a long-term donor is even better! To encourage ongoing support, employ the three tactics above to keep your supporters informed and engaged.
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