There’s not a single nonprofit that I have met that doesn’t want to grow their fundraising. Currently, all 1.8 million nonprofits that are registered in the US are consistently seeking to increase the amount of money they need each year to support their mission.
Besides learning how to ask your supporters, with absolute confidence, the reality is that the strength of your fundraising plan is right under your nose. Growing your fundraising dollars is not in new donor acquisition. They key to growing your fundraising resides in your current donor base as well as the referral process plan that you create.
The way you steward your donors could make or break you and your fundraising plan. That is the key piece that will help to strengthen of your fundraising plan.
Most nonprofit organizations focus on getting new donors. More. More. More. Year over year, nonprofit leaders are constantly looking to grow their donor base. But the reality is, in fact, the donors you have already attracted believe in your mission and will likely be willing to increase their capacity of giving.
The donor journey experience you create makes all the difference. So ask yourself right now -- how do you want your donors to feel about their giving? Do you want them to feel that their dollars are making a difference? Do you want them to be part of the continued growth and solution(s) your are providing in your community? Of course you do -- so make sure your donor experience reflects this.
Too often I hear of organizations having an event and then not staying in touch with their guests after the event. At least, not until it’s time to invite the guests back for the event again the following year.
Donors love you. They come to your event (even virtually) to show their support. Maybe you make them cry, cheer, dance and laugh! But what I want to help you do is to find a way to bottle up that event energy (AKA: pixie dust) and sprinkle it throughout the year.
Now you might be thinking, what? How the heck am I supposed to do that?
Everyone's heard ROI, return on investment, but when did you focus your return on relationships? Stewardship could be a phone call, it could be an email, or it could be a handwritten note. And now that so many people are craving to get together in person, it is time to set aside a block of time a few days a week to meet your donors for coffee, lunches, dinners, or hikes. Yes – I said hikes. Stewardship doesn’t always happen over consuming calories, it could also happen while burning calories.
Think beyond the restaurant box and do something to really connect with your supporters.
Your donor retention rate for this year should be a key focus area for you. If you visit the link, I shared in the previous sentence, you will see that my friends at Bloomerang (one of my favorite CRM databases) makes it quite simple for you to learn how to track this key performance indicator.
So this year, instead of spending your time and spinning your wheels on acquisition, why not spend your time focusing on those that are already closest to you – your existing donors and supporters that have already invested in your mission. No need to make it harder on yourself. Dig in and go deep!
And if you, or your team, need some help along the way, I am here to cheer you on – or even help you create individual strategies – for those donors that you already support your mission.
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