Great fundraising is about more than asking for money. Here are 3 ideas that will positively impact your fundraising—all without asking for money.
1. Validate a Donor’s Gift. Don’t stop at “Thank You.” Do the hard work to figure out how to say to a donor, “Here’s why your gift made a difference.” Be specific, concrete and appropriate. Donors notice because most nonprofits and ministries skip this. Not to get all “selly” on you, but I cover a lot of the strategies in my book.
2. Ask: But Not for Money. Invite your donor to take a tour of your work, volunteer their time, attend a graduation, share their influence with their friends. Many won’t respond, but some will. And those donors who do respond will have a deeper relationship with your cause.
3. Connect as people. Find a way to appreciate who your donor is as a person. Send a birthday card! If you don’t know their birthday, pick a date, send a card and confess that you didn’t know their birthday but are glad they were born. Maybe they’ll provide the right date in response. Think about it, it’ll be the only birthday card they get on that day. Or maybe send them a note on the anniversary of their first gift (combine with some donor validation for extra impact). Encourage them in a small way by making sure you have some awareness of them beyond their giving.
It’s natural to focus on fundraising because that’s literally your bottomline.
While these ideas won’t result in instantly verifiable, trackable or positive ROIs, they will generate income.
You can know these will strengthen your relationship with your donors and help you rise above the competition out there for your donor’s attention.
What do you think? I am grateful to share this journey with you and hear how you do this work.
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