Are your fundraisers struggling? Do you need to see a greater return on investment from your next fundraising effort? These tips will help you improve your events, donor retention and overall income through fundraising.
1. Focus on Communication with Donors
When major donors step up to contribute to your fundraising efforts, how do you communicate with them? Lisa Sargent of Lisa Sargent Communications indicates that communication with donors is key to success. She recommends hand-signed thank-you cards following donations, welcome packets for new donors, at least four appeals per year, and special events that give them ways to interact with your organization outside of monetary gifts.
2. Go Mobile with Donations
Statistics have shown that retailers who are not mobile friendly lose sales, and the same is true for organizations that are looking for donations online. If your donation form and website are not mobile friendly, you will lose potential donors. People who are browsing the Web on the go, or interacting with your organization through an app or other mobile forum, need a mobile-friendly way to donate.
3. Brand Your Fundraising Materials
Are your fundraising materials properly branded? Does your organization even have a brand to connect potential donors to? Branding is challenging, but the end results are worthwhile. Every part of your fundraiser, from the donation form to the flyer you send out to ask for the donation, needs to be in line with your overall branding goals.
4. Keep It Simple
Fundraising is one area where complexity is not welcome. A large number of forms to fill out, too much text to read to get to the “why” of the donation, or even too many links on the page will distract a potential donor and could cause you to lose the money. Your goal should be to make it easy for people to donate, so keep it simple and clear.
5. Keep It Personal
Do your donors feel as though you take a personal interest in them? Learn to listen to your supporters and make changes in line with their expectations for your organization when possible. Using advisory boards or all-donor listening teams can help show them that their input is valuable to your organization.
6. Show Donors Where Their Money Is Going
Are you raising money to feed orphans in Africa? Show your donors what country their money has gone to. Is your organization building houses for the homeless? When someone donates, show a completed home on the receipt with the caption “your donation will help build a home just like this.” Showing donors where their money is going is huge, and will prompt future donations.
By taking the time to get to know your donors, communicating well, making it easy to donate and showing donors the value of their contribution, you will see your donations soar. Remember, donors are people too, so start treating them that way and see the difference it makes.
