Just like you need petrol for cars, you need funds for a cause especially if you are managing a nonprofit organization. INGOs and NGOs all around the world thrive on the funds generated by fundraising activities. One needs this oxygen for their organization, managing all of it on your own is practically impossible. However, raising funds is not that simple anymore. There is a set of test methods and practices that can boost your funds. Sounds catchy enough? In this discussion, we are going to have a look at some of the nonprofit fundraising best practices that can come in real handy. So without further ado, let us begin, shall we?
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1. Know your audience
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Your fundraising strategy will heavily depend on the group of people you want to participate in your fundraising activities. For example, if you aim to reap more benefits from your trusted donors, then you don’t need to invest a lot in introductions. However, if you want new participants in your fundraising activities, then you will need to make an effort to familiarize them with your nonprofit organization. The efforts in this regard have to be appealing, something that arouses the interest in your would-be participants and sparks inside them, the spirit of giving.
2. Whip up some ideas!
Thinking about new ideas is important, especially if you are planning on events for fundraising. We cannot emphasize enough how much creativity matters in this regard. Chances are that you will do great if your imagination isn’t limited by the conventional thought process. One thing that you have to be careful about is that harmony must exist between your cause and the type of event you have planned. For example, say your nonprofit is all about schools. Hence, the theme of your fundraising event must be in accordance with your NGOs mission and vision.
3. Send invitations
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Now, how do you let know people that you are holding a fundraiser? If this was the 1850s, you would have had to rely on moss code, right? But lucky for you, you are living in 2024, even though it hasn’t been the best year in our living memory! So grab your keyboard and start sending out emails! Well, don’t get us wrong, we have nothing against the conventional mail. In some cases, it is better to send handwritten invitations since they make a much longer-lasting impression than an email. Oh, and don’t forget about texts and phone calls either!
4. What is the most effective tool at your disposal?
This question is somewhat linked to the previous point in this discussion about nonprofit fundraising best practices. Can you guess the answer to this question? Congratulations if your answer was social media. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can have a dramatic influence on your fundraising activities and the eventual outcomes. No wonder why INGOs and NGOs hire social media experts who can direct more audience towards fundraising platforms and websites. You might have to invest a bit here but the eventual outcomes will make you see why this investment is critical to your cause. Social circles have changed like anything and you need to adapt quickly!
5. Gratitude turns what we have into enough!
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Now that you have accumulated enough donations, you can redirect them to the promotion of your cause. But hey! Before you do that, say a little word of gratitude to those who contributed to your cause. Acknowledgment is a very underrated yet powerful strategy when it comes to nonprofit fundraising best practices. There are multiple ways of thanking your helpers or angel investors. A formal letter of appreciation, a coupon, a gift, or anything would do. What matters is that by doing this, you will be creating a bond that will compel the donors to donate the next time you hold a fundraiser. Whether it is real or virtual fundraising that you have planned, this strategy works just fine for both!
6. Highlight the contributor’s journey
A platform that enlists the steps through which a donor must go through cannot be compared with one which is a miser in this regard. Get your graphics and content creating a team on board and ask them to make a process chart. This chart or graphic must clearly state the procedure of donating to your cause. Such graphics are usually crafted through using tools of creativity and some out of the box thinking. Fundraisers can be virtual or real-world events, so you must prepare your strategy situation wise.
7. Organic audience matters!
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Well, we have nothing against paid promotions, they increase your reach and audience. However, we still believe that the best proponents of your cause will be those donors who heard of you because of your engaging campaign on the ground. Such contributors to the cause bring much more to the table than just the cash. Such supporters are ready to speak for you vociferously in a public gathering, which is why this strategy is included in nonprofit fundraising best practices.
8. Incentives are a game-changer
We are a massive fan of incentives, they create a hype that your social fundraiser needs desperately. Challenge adds competitiveness to anything, it is a universal truth. And what else are you looking for than people competing on your fundraiser to win and doubling your generated funds? There are plenty of ways in which you can introduce the element of incentives in a fundraiser, but the one we love the most is gamification. Yes, it is a term now! Anyhow, how about a simple yet fun game that hooks the user? We are sure your audience will only increase if you introduce incentives here in your social fundraiser!
Conclusion
We wish we could go on a bit more, this theme is so fun to talk about. Unfortunately, the limitations of time and space force us to wrap up this debate here. We bid you farewell with an optimistic assumption that you learned something new from this discussion. Of course, there are more nonprofit fundraising best practices as well, do check them as well!
To see the best practice adopted by the non-profits, visit one of the top non-profit here:
Transparent Hands US INC.
