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How to Reach New Audiences With Your Nonprofit’s Message

Ann Green brand identity, Communications, community partnerships, donor engagement, donor retention, planning, social media, website , , , , , ,

Want to reach new audiences to expand your nonprofit’s supporter base? Explore these ideas to engage with new groups of potential supporters. 

By Jay Love

Is your nonprofit looking to reach new audiences with your fundraising appeals, volunteer events, and advocacy opportunities? You’re in the right place!

Reaching new audiences is critical to growing your organization’s supporter base and fostering reliable revenue to fund your cause. In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of top ideas to help expand your reach and introduce prospective new supporters to your mission. 

The goal here isn’t that you should immediately start participating in every activity we’ve listed. Instead, browse these ideas to select a handful that would work best for your unique audience and staff capacity. 

1. Set up a giving referral program. 

Establishing a referral program for your giving opportunities incentivizes existing donors to engage with new supporters on your behalf, allowing you to leverage more extensive networks. If your nonprofit has a monthly giving or membership program, you can recruit current participants to promote the opportunity to their family members and friends. 

Offer incentives to current donors to encourage participation, such as:

  • Complimentary nonprofit-branded merchandise
  • Gift cards
  • VIP event access

Thank donors who participate in the program with a personal appreciation message and recognition on your social media pages and email newsletters. 

2. Participate in cross-blogging.

Cross-blogging opportunities require your nonprofit to partner with similar organizations to write posts for their online blog audiences. By participating in these blogging opportunities, you can introduce your mission to a new audience and show them why your organization is worthy of their support.

Reach out to other community organizations in your area, such as nonprofits or civic organizations, to ask if they’d be interested in a cross-blogging partnership. Outline the mutual benefits of this opportunity—by writing posts for your nonprofit’s blog, your partners will also be able to reach a new audience. 

In your blog posts, share engaging stories that illustrate your nonprofit’s mission. Make the stories more impactful by incorporating your unique perspective, referencing recent statistics, and including quotes from your beneficiaries. Include links to your organization’s website so readers can get more information. 

3. Engage with peer-to-peer fundraising donors. 

Peer-to-peer fundraisers allow your nonprofit’s supporters to raise money for your mission on your behalf, expanding your fundraising reach and engaging new audiences. Many organizations send a simple thank you message to new donors and leave it at that. However, we recommend actively engaging with peer-to-peer donors to show them the impact of their gifts and increase the chances they’ll become recurring donors. 

Qgiv’s peer-to-peer fundraising guide offers ideas for increasing retention by inviting new donors to:

  • Volunteer with you
  • Sign up for your email newsletter
  • Complete a survey to provide suggestions on the giving process

Asking new donors to complete a survey can be particularly effective, as you can uncover their giving motivations. While many donors likely gave to support their loved one’s peer-to-peer campaign, some may have a genuine interest in or passion for your mission. These donors are the most likely to stay engaged with your organization after the fundraiser ends. 

4. Offer valuable educational content through your website.

Whether you work in the environmental, healthcare, or community sectors, your nonprofit may have unique insights or information to share about your cause area. By featuring valuable educational content on your website, you can improve your site’s reputation and reach new audiences of visitors interested in the information you have to share. 

Filling your website with rich educational content can also improve your SEO results, increasing the likelihood of your pages appearing higher on search engines. 

Focus on educational content like: 

  • Educational courses
  • eBooks
  • Informational videos
  • Virtual webinars or panel discussions

Be sure to work with your organization’s subject matter experts (SMEs) to design your educational content and ensure its accuracy. Ask them to review your content and make updates as needed. 

5. Host community classes or workshops.

Community classes bring people together to learn a new skill or meet new friends in their area. These workshops are a valuable public service your nonprofit can provide to foster new connections and draw attention to your mission. 

Host classes that align with your nonprofit’s purpose. For example: 

  • A local animal shelter may host puppy yoga or dog training classes.
  • A local community garden nonprofit can host healthy cooking, gardening, or plant identification classes.
  • A nonprofit focused on helping community members gain technology skills can host a digital literacy workshop or coding classes.

These opportunities are also effective for engaging with various volunteers, some of whom may be new to your organization. New volunteers will be more likely to increase their involvement when your classes and workshops are fun and have interesting topics. Plus, volunteers are 66% more likely to donate to the organization they volunteer with than non-volunteers, meaning these individuals can be valuable potential donors. 

6. Collaborate with influencers.

Influencers are individuals who have large followings on online platforms like social media or blogs. They are regarded as authoritative figures on specific topics and can sway their audiences’ opinions with recommendations and endorsements. 

By working with an influencer, your nonprofit can reach its large, engaged audience to share your message and drive engagement with your involvement opportunities. Find an influencer relevant to your nonprofit’s mission to ensure their audience aligns with your existing one. For example, a nonprofit that helps fund school band programs could partner with a musician with a large TikTok following. 

Provide your influencer with the messaging you’d like them to use when discussing your nonprofit and a link to your website or online fundraising page. Also, research disclosure regulations so you comply with marketing laws.

7. Take an active social media approach.

In addition to working with an influencer, another way to engage with a wider online audience is to be more active on social media. Engage with your current audience and reach new potential supporters by following these tips: 

  • Comment on and share posts about your organization. Use social listening tools to track social media conversations about your nonprofit. Bloomerang’s nonprofit software guide highlights Buffer and Hootsuite as two social listening options. Then, engage with those posts by liking, commenting, and sharing them when appropriate. 
  • Post regularly. Use a social media scheduling platform to create posts in advance and schedule them to be published at regular intervals. For smaller organizations, posting around three to five times per week tends to be the most feasible. 
  • Host challenges with unique hashtags. Social media challenges can effectively engage your followers in fun activities and inspire them to share posts about your nonprofit with your followers. For example, you could start a #SelfiesforSeahorses challenge to encourage followers to share pictures of themselves using the hashtag to spread awareness of your organization’s sea life conservation efforts. 

When creating social media content, remember the 5 Cs of good nonprofit communications. Your messages should be clear, concise, conversational, and compelling, and they should establish a connection. Workshop your social media content with your nonprofit’s team to strike the right tone that aligns with your brand. 

8. Co-host events with community organizations. 

Partnering with other organizations in your community can offer mutual benefits. Your nonprofit can reach a new audience while providing your partners similar access to your existing supporter base.

Reach out to other organizations to see if they’d be interested in co-hosting events with your nonprofit. These organizations may include: 

  • Businesses
  • Other nonprofits
  • Civic organizations and clubs
  • Local schools and universities

With your community partners, you can host workshops, classes, silent auctions, fundraising 5Ks, festivals, chili cookoffs, or bake sales. Create branded event marketing materials for you and your partners to ensure consistent and professional branding. 

9. Host cause-merchandise fundraisers.

Branded merchandise can help your nonprofit reach prospective new donors without lifting a finger. When supporters wear or use your branded merchandise, they’ll spread awareness of your organization’s logo, colors, and other brand elements. 

Therefore, you should ensure the merchandise you create is highly visible. For example, you could sell: 

  • Branded t-shirts
  • Tote bags
  • Baseball hats
  • Mugs or water bottles
  • Bumper stickers

Promote your merchandise using social media, website, and email platforms to encourage supporters to purchase your products. You can even start a social media campaign asking supporters to share photos of them using or wearing your merchandise. Create a unique hashtag for that campaign.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to connect with new audiences and spread your nonprofit’s message—it just takes some creativity and outside-the-box thinking. 

No matter which strategies you choose, track metrics to evaluate your progress. You can track social media engagement rates, merchandise sales, event revenue, new donor acquisition, and other relevant data points to better understand which strategies drive the most engagement among new audiences. 

Jay Love is a Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang.

Jay has served this sector for 33 years and is considered the most well-known senior statesman whose advice is sought constantly.

Before founding Bloomerang, he was the co-founder and CEO of eTapestry for 11 years, which at the time was the leading SaaS technology company serving the charity sector. Jay and his team grew the company to over 10,000 nonprofit clients, charting a decade of record growth.

He is a graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Over the years, he has given more than 2,500 speeches around the world for the charity sector and is often the voice of new technology for fundraisers.


Improve Your Donor Engagement by Creating Some Great Stories

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, photos, planning, stories, video , , , , ,

Stories come in many forms. You can tell a story with words, pictures, and videos. I prefer written stories, but others are drawn to videos. Some people might not have the time or energy to look at anything but a photo or infographic.

Your nonprofit organization needs to share stories using all these forms. Sharing stories will help you connect with your donors and improve your engagement.

Donors want to hear your stories

I imagine you’re not using stories as much as you should. That’s a mistake because people respond better to stories than a bunch of facts and statistics. Stories bring the work you do to life by using everyday language to create a scene.

You may be reluctant to use stories because it’s more work for your organization, but that shouldn’t stop you. Make time to come up with some engaging stories.

Your stories need to be relevant

Update your stories at least once a year. They need to take the everchanging current situations into account. How are the economy, the influx of migrants, discrimination, climate change, etc. impacting your clients/community right now?

Create a culture of storytelling

If you create a storytelling culture in your organization, you can make storytelling the norm instead of the exception.

Work with your program staff to create stories that will help you connect with your donors. Everyone needs to understand how important this is. Share stories at staff meetings and/or set up regular meetings with program staff to gather stories. 

When you put together a story, ask.

  • Why is this important?
  • Who is affected?
  • Why would your donors be interested in this story?
  • Are you using clear, everyday language (no jargon) to make sure your donors understand your story?
  • How are your donors helping you make a difference or How can your donors help you make a difference?

Client or program recipient stories are best. Remember, donors want to hear how they’re helping you make a difference for your clients/community.

Another way to find stories is to put a Share Your Story form on your website. This could be a good way to get some current, relevant stories.

Your stories aren’t about your organization

Keep in mind that your stories aren’t about your organization. Your organization may have had to make a lot of changes over the last few years to do some of the work you do, but that’s not your story. Your story is why this is important for the people/community you work with. 

Maybe you had to change the way you run your food pantry, but what’s most important is that people in your community continue to have access to healthy food. 

Make your stories personal 

Tell a story of one (person or family). Use people’s names to make your stories more personal. I realize you might run into confidentiality issues, but you can change names to protect someone’s privacy. You could also do a composite story, but don’t make up anything.

Always be respectful to your subject(s). You may want to set up some ethical guidelines. 

Use different stories for different types of communication

Create a story bank to help you organize all your stories. You want to use stories as much as possible. Use them in your appeals, thank you letters, newsletters, updates, impact reports, website, blog, and other types of social media. You can also create a story calendar to help you consistently share stories throughout the year.

While you can come up with some core stories, they’ll be slightly different depending on the type of communication. 

In a fundraising appeal (all appeals should start with a story), you want to highlight a problem or need. Let’s return to the food pantry example. Here you can tell a story about Cara, a working single mother with three kids who’s having trouble feeding her family because of rising food costs. Sometimes she has to choose between buying groceries and paying the heating bill. 

In your thank you letter, you can let your donor know that because of their generous gift, Cara can get healthy food for her family at the Westside Community Food Pantry.

Then in your newsletter, impact report, or update, you can tell a success story that because of your generous donors, Cara doesn’t have to worry so much about how she’ll be able to feed her family.

Tell a story in an instant with an engaging photo

You’ve probably heard the phrase a picture is worth a 1000 words. Cliche, yes, but it’s true.

You can capture your donors’ attention in an instant with an engaging photo. That doesn’t mean one of your executive director receiving an award. Use photos of your programs in action or something else that’s engaging.

Print newsletters and impact reports tend to be dominated by long-winded text. Most of your donors won’t want to read the whole thing. But if you share some engaging photos, they can get a quick glance at the impact of their gift without having to plow through a bunch of tedious text. You can share a little more information with a good photo caption.

Photos can enhance your print communication by breaking up the narrative. You can also complement your written stories with photos. If you’re worried about mailing costs, postcards and other short pieces with photos are the way to go. You could even do a Postcard Impact (Annual) Report. 

If you use social media, you need to communicate several times a week. As your donors scroll through an endless number of posts, an engaging photo can stand out and get their attention.

Use photos everywhere – fundraising appeals, thank you letters/cards, newsletters, impact reports, updates, your website, and social media. Create a photo bank to help you with this.

It’s fine to use the same photos in different channels. It can help with your brand identity. Be sure to use high-quality pictures. Also, make sure your photos match your messages. If you’re writing a fundraising appeal about children who aren’t getting enough to eat every day, don’t use a picture of happy kids.

Work with your program staff to get photos and videos (more on videos below). Confidentiality issues may come up and you’ll need to get permission from your subjects or their guardians.

Highlight your work with a video

Videos are a popular way to connect. They can be used to show your programs in action, share an interview, give a behind-the-scenes look at your organization, or my favorite – thanking your donors. 

I would definitely recommend creating a personalized thank you video. If that’s not possible, you can make a general one.

Make your videos short and high quality. Short is key. If your video is more than a couple of minutes, your donors may not bother to watch it. 

You can use videos on your website, in an email message, on social media, and at an event.

Spruce up your statistics by using infographics

A typical impact report is loaded with statistics. You want to share these, along with your accomplishments, but you don’t want to overwhelm your donors with a lot of text.

Why not use an infographic in your impact report instead of including the usual laundry list of statistics and accomplishments? 

Infographics are also great in other types of communication such as newsletters and updates. Good visuals will enhance both your print and electronic communication.

Connect with your donors and keep them engaged by using all types of stories.

Creating a Thank You Plan Will Help You Let Your Donors Know How Much You Appreciate Them

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, gratitude, planning, thank you letters, writing , , , , , , ,

Thanking your donors is just as important, if not more important than fundraising. Yet many organizations spend a lot of time putting together a fundraising campaign and then treat thanking their donors as an afterthought.

Donor retention continues to be a problem. One of many reasons is because people don’t feel appreciated. Prioritizing gratitude and donor relations will help. If you don’t do a good job of thanking your donors, as well as building relationships throughout the year, you’ll have a hard time getting people to people to donate again.

This is why having a thank you plan is crucial. It’s not only important when you’re running a fundraising campaign, but also during the “between times.”

Many organizations just thank their donors after they receive a gift and then disappear until the next fundraising appeal. Plus, when they do thank their donors, they don’t do a very good job of it. Your donors deserve better than that. 

Thanking your donors is something you need to do throughout the year – at least once a month, if you can. A thank you plan will help you stay focused on gratitude all year round.  

Here’s what you need to include in your thank you plan.

Plan to make a good first impression with your thank you landing page

Your landing page is your first chance to say thank you and it shouldn’t resemble Amazon checkout. It should make a person feel good about making a donation.

Open with Thank you, Tina! or You’re amazing! Using a person’s name is always good. Include an engaging photo or video and a short, easy-to-understand description of how the donation will help your clients/community.

If you use a third-party giving site, you might be able to customize the landing page. If not, follow up with a personal thank you email message within 48 hours.

Plan to write a warm and personal automatic thank you email

Set up an automatic thank you email to go out after someone donates online. This email thank you is more of a reassurance to let your donor know you received her donation. You still need to thank her by mail or phone.

Even before AI came into the picture, many thank you emails sounded downright robotic. Make sure you sound like a human and write something warm and personal. Remember to address your donor by name.

Give some thought to the email subject line, too. At the very least make sure it says Thank You or You did something great today and not anything boring like Your Donation Tax Receipt or Donation Received. And please stop using words like transaction and processed. A donation is not a transaction. It’s the start or continuation of a relationship. 

I could write a whole post on subject lines and maybe I will in the future,  but right now I do want to emphasize how important it is to write a good one.  I’ll share one more – This is why I’m grateful for you This was sent from an organization that shared a success story and thanked me for helping to make that happen. 

Put all the tax-deductible information at the end of your email, after you pour on the appreciation.

One way to up your personalization is to blind copy someone on the development staff each time the initial email acknowledgment goes out. Then send an additional email with a more personal note, acknowledging whether that person is a new donor, repeat donor, etc. You should still send something by mail or make a phone call (more on that below), since donors often miss email messages, especially if there’s not an enticing reason to open them.

Plan to thank your donors by mail or phone

I’m a firm believer that every donor, no matter how much she’s given or whether she donated online, gets a thank you card or letter mailed to her or receives a phone call.

Try to thank your donors within 48 hours or within a week at the latest. That might sound hard to do, but it will be easier if you plan to carve out some time to thank your donors each day you get a donation. Remember, thanking your donors should be a priority. If you wait too long, you’re not making a good impression.

Instead of sending the usual generic thank you letter, mail a handwritten card or call your donors. Find board members, staff, and volunteers to help you with this. Make sure to get your team together well before your next fundraising campaign so you’re ready to roll when the donations come in. 

I’m a big fan of handwritten thank you cards and you’ll stand out if you can send one. I get a few of them a year and they tend to come from the same organizations, which shows you what they prioritize! These may be more feasible than making phone calls. Not everyone likes to get phone calls, but some people do. This is why it’s important to know your donors’ communication preferences (more on that below).

Here’s a sample thank you note that could also be used as a phone script.

Dear Craig,

You’re amazing! Thanks to your generous donation of $50, we can continue to provide neighborhood families with healthy food. This is great. We’re still seeing more people come in because of rising food costs.

We really appreciate your support over the last five years.

Sincerely,

Susan Douglas

Board Member, Westside Community Food Pantry

If you can’t send handwritten cards or call all your donors, send them a personal and heartfelt letter. If you’ve been using the same letter template for a while, take time to freshen it up. Don’t start your letter with On behalf of X organization, we thank you for your donation of…. 

Open your letter with You’re incredible or Because of you, the Sanders family can finally move into their own home. Create separate letters for new donors (new donors should also get a welcome package), renewing donors, and monthly donors. Be sure it’s personalized and include at least one photo.

It doesn’t need to look like a form letter. You could use a different format, such as a postcard. For a thank you right after a gift, I would put a postcard in an envelope. You can send stand-alone postcards at other times of the year.

Your thank you letter should be all about thanking the donor – no bragging, no explaining what you do, no asking – just thanking.

You can add a personal handwritten note to the letter, preferably something that pertains to that particular donor. For example, if the donor has given before, mention that. Hand sign the letters, if you can.

Just like with fundraising appeals, your envelope matters. Use something besides a white #10 envelope. Maybe a colored or oversized envelope. It shouldn’t look like a bill or junk mail. Keep thinking about making it personal. Hand address the envelopes if possible or print directly on them. Use stamps, if you can. I recommend investing in Thank You stamps.

In addition, write your thank you letter at the same time you write your appeal letter. Make sure they’re ready to go as soon as the donations come in. Don’t wait three weeks. Timeliness is important, and so is quality.

Plan to keep thanking your donors all year round

This is where having a thank you plan makes a difference because as I mentioned before – thanking your donors is something you must do all year round. 

You can use your communications calendar to incorporate ways to thank your donors, but why not go one step further and create a specific thank you calendar?

Remember to try to say thank you at least once a month. Here are some ways to do that. 

  • Send cards or email messages at Thanksgiving, during the holidays, on Valentine’s Day, or mix it up a little and send a note of gratitude in June or September when your donors may not be expecting it. Try to send at least one or two gratitude messages a year by mail, since your donors will be more likely to see those. And you don’t need a holiday or special occasion to thank your donors. Thank them just because….
  • Invite your donors to connect with you via email and social media. Keep them updated on your success and challenges. Making all your communications donor-centered will help convey an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to keep thanking your donors in your newsletter and other updates. Emphasize that you wouldn’t be able to do the work you do without their generous support.
  • Create a thank you video and share it on your thank you landing page, by email, and on social media. Go one step further and personalize it. 
  • Reach out to your donors on the anniversary of their giving (not your organization’s anniversary). Don’t overlook your dedicated, long-time donors.
  • Send a warm-up letter or email about a month before your next campaign (no ask). This is a great way to show appreciation BEFORE you send your appeals.
  • Hold an open house or offer tours. You could also create a virtual tour or a behind-the-scenes look at your organization.
  • Keep thinking of other ways to thank your donors. You can repeat some of the ones listed above over the year.

The tactics that work best are going to differ for each organization. I would definitely send something by mail a few times a year. Email and social media may not be as successful, especially if your donors don’t use electronic communication very much. Plus, people get an enormous amount of email and social media messages.

I recommend surveying your donors to find out their communication preferences. What do they like – mail, email, phone, text, social media, video, or a combination of those?  Find out their interests, too. This will help with your engagement.

Creating a thank you plan will make it easier to keep showing appreciation to your donors all year round. You need your donors, so don’t hold back on that always-important gratitude.

The Time to Start Planning Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign is Now

Ann Green appeal letters, database, direct mail, donation page, donor-centered, fundraising, gratitude, planning , , , , , ,

Can you believe it’s August already? Time flies and soon it will be September. I know It’s hard to think about fall when it’s been sweltering in many parts of the world, including places where it’s usually not that hot. Even so, September will be here before you know it. I’m already starting to see ads for back-to-school sales….

If you’re doing a year-end fundraising campaign, the time to start planning it is now, hopefully in an air-conditioned space. You don’t want to wait too long, especially if you’re behind in your revenue goals.

I’ve put together a checklist to help you get started. You can also use this for fundraising campaigns at other times of the year.

How much money do you need to raise?

You may have already set a goal for your year-end campaign in your 2024 fundraising plan (at least I hope you did) and maybe that has changed. 

You must determine how much money you need to raise before you start your campaign and raising as much as we can is not a goal.

Do you have a campaign plan?

Put together a plan for your campaign that includes a timeline, task list, and the different channels you’ll use. Make it as detailed as possible.

I strongly encourage you to mail an appeal letter. Direct mail appeals are more successful. You can also send an email appeal and follow up with email, as well. 

When do you want to launch your appeal? If you’re in the United States, it’s best to wait until after the November 5th election, and you know why. For those of you outside the US, you can start earlier. Whenever it is, make your goal to have the letters done at least a week before that, because things always take longer than you think they will. Work backwards to figure out how you can get to your proposed send date.

Keep in mind you’ll be competing with many other organizations who are doing appeals. Think about how you can make yours stand out.

Also, how are you mailing your appeal? Do you use a mail house or get staff and volunteers together to stuff envelopes? Either way, plan ahead, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Do you have a good story and photo to share?

If you’ve been using the same boring, generic appeal letter template for the last few years, it’s time for a refresh. It’s a good idea to revise your templates at least once a year. Our world has changed a lot in the last few years and you need to take that into account.

A good way to start is to create an engaging story for your appeal. What challenges are your clients/community facing right now? Many people are struggling to make ends meet. Focus on them, not your organization. Each year is different and this is why you need new stories.  

You’ll want some good photos for your letter and donation page, too. Quotes and testimonials from clients will also enhance your appeal.

How can your donors help you make a difference?

Your appeal letter should focus on a need and let your donors know how they can help you make a difference. You might want to start by creating a brief and an outline.

You may be seeing more people at your food pantry because of rising food costs and cuts in benefits. Maybe your clients are struggling to find affordable housing.

You can also highlight some of the accomplishments you’ve made recently and state what you would like to do in the coming year, although these are usually more appropriate for a newsletter or impact report. 

One way to frame this is to describe a situation such as this. You run a tutoring program in your community and work with students who are falling behind in school. You can describe how thanks to your generous donors, your one-to-one tutoring program has helped students get better grades and are now less likely to be held back a year. You want to keep that going and serve more students.

Remember to focus on your clients/community and don’t brag about your organization.

Are your mailing lists in good shape?

Make sure your mailing lists are up-to-date. Check for duplicate addresses and typos. Your donors don’t want to receive three letters at the same time or have their names misspelled. Take a little time to do some data hygiene. Give your email list some attention, too.

Also, now is a good time to segment your mailing lists – current donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, event attendees, etc. This is so important. Your current donors are your best source of donations. You should have more success if you can personalize your appeal letters. Acknowledge if someone has donated in the past or is a monthly donor. Donors like it when you recognize them for who they are, so don’t send everyone the same appeal.

Do you have enough letterhead, envelopes, and stamps?

Don’t wait until September or October to check your supply of letterhead and envelopes. Make sure you have enough. 

Speaking of envelopes, something besides the standard white business envelope can improve your response rate. Think about using an oversized, colored, or embellished envelope. If that’s not possible, don’t use a window envelope because it resembles a bill. A general rule is you don’t want any of your direct mail pieces to look like a bill or junk mail.

Even though many people donate online, you want to make it easy for donors who prefer to mail a check. Include a pledge envelope or a return envelope and a preprinted form with the donor’s contact information and the amount of their last gift.

Stamps are more personal, so you might want to find some nice ones to use. 

Is it easy to donate online?

Be sure your donation page is user-friendly and consistent with your other fundraising materials. Using a branded donation page and not a third-party site is best. Highlight your year-end appeal on your homepage and include a prominent Donate Now button.

One way to ensure a good experience is to have someone on your staff or, even better, someone outside of your organization make a donation on your website. If they want to run out of the room kicking and screaming, then you have some work to do.

Do you offer a monthly or recurring giving option?

I’m a huge fan of monthly giving. It’s a win-win for your organization. You can raise more money, boost your retention rate, receive a steady stream of revenue, and allow your donors to spread out their gifts.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program or have a small one, don’t wait any longer to start one or grow the one you have. Be sure to highlight it as a giving option.

Do you want to find a major funder who will give a matching gift?

Another good way to raise additional revenue is to find a major funder to match a portion or all of what you raise in your year-end appeal. If you want to go down this route, now would be a good time to reach out to these potential funders. 

How will you thank your donors?

Be sure to spend as much time on your thank you letter/note as you do on your appeal letter and write them at the same time. And if it’s been a while since you’ve freshened up your thank you templates, you know what you need to do. It’s so important to thank your donors and thank them well as soon as you receive their gifts, so have a thank you letter/note ready to go. Don’t treat thanking your donors as an afterthought.

Handwritten notes and phone calls are much better than a preprinted letter. Create or buy some thank you cards and start recruiting board members and volunteers to make thank you calls or write notes. 

You’ll want to put together a welcome plan for your new donors and that also needs to be ready to roll after the donations come in.

How will you keep up with your donor communication?

Even though you’ll be busy with your appeal, you want to ramp up your donor communication this fall. Keep engaging your donors and other supporters (who may become donors) by sharing updates and gratitude. Pour on the appreciation! 

Send at least one warm-up letter or email. How about a postcard? You could create a thank you video or a video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at your organization. Maybe you could hold an open house or offer tours. Just don’t disappear until appeal time. 

Yes, we’re still in a period of economic uncertainty. Some donors may not give as much or at all, but others will give more. They won’t give anything if you don’t ask.

There’s still plenty of time to go to the beach and get ice cream this summer, but right now find that air-conditioned space and start planning your year-end campaign.

Best of luck!

Photo by CreditScoreGeek.com

4 Tips for Uncovering Your Donors’ Giving Motivations

Ann Green Communications, database, donor engagement, donor relations, donor-centered, fundraising, planning , , , , ,

Donor motivations are the “why” that drives their support of your nonprofit. Learn how to uncover those motivations and inspire more support in this guide.

By Ryan Carpenter

For the last several years, nonprofits have struggled to make ends meet due to falling revenue, rising inflation, and an increase in community needs. Charitable giving saw a 2.1% decrease in 2023 after inflation, showing how challenging it is for donors and nonprofits to keep up with inflation rates.

Fortunately, there are ways your organization can battle these disheartening statistics. Whether you’re future-proofing your fundraisers by focusing on future giving initiatives or leveraging low-cost digital channels to acquire donors, your nonprofit can still inspire enough support to keep its operations going strong. However, these efforts will only be successful if you have a deep understanding of why your donors give.

In this guide, we’ll dive into what you can do to discover, analyze, and appeal to donor motivations and maintain a healthy level of funding for your cause.

1. Use ethical and organized data collection methods.

To enhance donor relations, NXUnite recommends conducting thorough research to learn as much as you can. However, you’ll need to consider the ethics of collecting this information. 

The three main ethics to keep in mind are consent, confidentiality, and communication. Get permission from donors when gathering information about them and always prioritize data security to keep their personal information private. You’ll need to maintain transparent communication with donors about how you’ll use their data and make sure staff members know how to appropriately handle and use donor data.

Additionally, use collection methods that yield clean, accurate, and organized data. This means the data is free of errors, duplications, and formatting inconsistencies. One option is to use online forms or surveys, like your donation page, that require donors to enter responses in a certain way. You can also use data gathered from social media, email, and other marketing platforms to see who is engaging with your communications. 

No matter what technology you’re using to collect data, make sure all of these findings are routed to your constituent relationship management (CRM) system so the information is consolidated in one unified platform.

2. Perform a deep data analysis.

Once you’ve collected and organized your supporter data, it’s time to analyze it. During this step, you’ll identify trends, opportunities, and other insights to guide your fundraising strategies and make outreach more effective. 

According to GivingDNA’s guide to data analytics for nonprofits, the following tips can help you discover more useful, accurate insights:

  • Screening more frequently. Some organizations neglect their data and only reference it on a quarterly (or even yearly!) basis. While this process takes time out of your busy schedule, trust that conducting screenings at least once a month is well worth it. For example, you could find an opportunity to secure a large donation from an existing supporter in less time than it takes to secure several smaller ones from new donors.
  • Referencing internal and external data. Don’t rely solely on the data you’ve collected about your donors. Compliment that information with data concerning broader trends in the nonprofit sector and your specific niche (e.g., giving patterns for animal welfare organizations). 
  • Segmenting donors. Donor segmentation involves sorting donors into groups based on shared characteristics. Doing so can help you identify and target your most loyal or valuable donors. Some tools will automatically segment and pinpoint these opportunities for you, so be on the lookout for those.
  • Studying a variety of attributes and data fields. Don’t limit your analysis to basic data points like demographic information or average gift size. While these are important to understand, they don’t always reveal the full picture. Dig into everything you know about your donors, including things like communication preferences and contributions to other organizations, to gain a comprehensive overview of their behavior.

Choosing a robust data analytics tool can also make a world of difference and help you quickly derive actionable insights from your data. Look for one that is designed specifically for nonprofits and assists with tasks like prospect identification and wealth screening.

3. Examine donors’ journeys.

Understanding the journey supporters follow between discovering your organization and making their first donation can help you peel back the layers to identify their reasons for giving. Mapping out this journey will show the touchpoints donors interact with, enable you to tailor experiences and communications to their position in the donor journey, reveal pain points and gaps that pose retention risks, and help you make data-driven decisions. 

Let’s look at an example. A nonprofit that focuses on environmental conservation is plotting out a donor journey for a segment of donors who are outdoorsy, interested in sustainable living, and make sporadic donations to peer organizations. The donor journey follows these stages:

  1. Awareness: The donor discovers the nonprofit through a social media campaign. At this stage, the nonprofit notes that this group of donors engages most with posts about sustainability and environmental justice, hinting at their interests.
  2. Consideration: The donor deepens their engagement by navigating to the nonprofit’s website and reading resources about its mission, programs, and goals. The organization identifies which pages these donors spend the most time on to infer which programs or issues inspire them to give.
  3. Decision: The supporter subscribes to the nonprofit’s newsletter and registers for a beach clean-up and recycling event. At the event, the donor asks staff about the specific ways your organization prioritizes sustainability before ultimately making a donation.
  4. Post-donation: After contributing, the donor receives thank-you messages from the nonprofit that highlight how the donation will be used. The donor responds positively, indicating that they approve of how their money is being used to further the mission.
  5. Engagement, advocacy, and referral: The donor continues to engage with the nonprofit, particularly with programs that promote maintaining natural spaces and advocating that more people start recycling. The donor promotes these programs online and even recruits like-minded friends and family to join in.

Each point in the donor journey can allow your nonprofit to see how, when, and why donors engage with and support your cause. However, make sure you have the right tools and technology in place to capture these metrics. When getting started, at least have a Google Analytics account in place to track website traffic, as well as platforms that will measure digital marketing engagement.

4. Personalize communications.

After you’ve worked to uncover your donors’ motivations, develop a nonprofit marketing plan that details how you’ll appeal to those motivations. In addition to segmenting your donors based on their giving preferences, habits, and interests, you can:

  • Share personalized thank-you notes that demonstrate the impact of donors’ support, explain how that funding will be used, and even feature testimonials or stories from beneficiaries.
  • Provide tailored impact reports that show the progress their favorite programs have made.
  • Make customized calls to action that relate directly to their interests and reasons for giving to your cause.
  • Send personalized recommendations for upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and resources that they might enjoy.

When communications are relevant to your donors and their interests, they’ll be much more likely to engage and provide ongoing support for your cause. Additionally, supporters will feel more seen and connected to your organization when you show that you know who they are and what they value.

If current trends continue, stewarding and retaining a loyal donor base will only become more important. Understanding who your donors are and knowing their interests, passions, and histories with your cause will help you make personal and authentic appeals for support. Not only does this show that you’ve taken the time to get to know them, but it also convinces them that your nonprofit is the best equipped to address their concerns and make a significant impact.

Ryan Carpenter is the Vice President of Client Success at GivingDNA, an all-in-one fundraising analytics, data visualization, and wealth screening tool. He has experience and interest in developing innovative strategies that efficiently identify, cultivate, and solicit donors and prospects through effective engagement tactics. Ryan has a keen ability to synthesize large data sets and has a proven track record in creating successful cross-channel donor engagement strategies that deepen donor relationships.


Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Keep Things Simple

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, planning, writing , , , ,

Over the years I’ve realized the importance of keeping things simple. We have so many ways to fill our time (many of them involving screens), but I often find pleasure in simple things such as taking a walk, reading, and doing yoga.

Keeping it simple doesn’t have to mean a bare-bones existence. There’s a Swedish term called lagom meaning everything in moderation or not too much, not too little. Or think of Goldilocks and choose what’s “just right.” This can apply to how much information we take in about everything that’s going on in the world – politics, war, the economy, inequality, climate change, etc. You want enough information to know what’s going on, but not too much so it’s overwhelming. Also, it’s not good for your brain to multitask. 

Keeping things simple is important for your nonprofit organization, too. There’s a lot of uncertainty out there. Fundraising numbers are down. Maybe you’re short-staffed and struggling to get things done.

Even so, you need to continue to raise money and communicate regularly with your donors, while not taking on too much. Donors may be navigating uncertain situations, but they want to help if they can and they want to hear from you. What they don’t want is a lot of complex content and too much information.

Here are a few ways to simplify your donor communication without making it too difficult for you.

Keep it simple by planning ahead

If communicating regularly with your donors sounds overwhelming, plan ahead by using a communications calendar. You should be in touch every one to two weeks, if possible. Otherwise, aim for once a month. Fill your calendar with different ways to do that and update it as needed. A good rule of thumb is – ask, thank, report, repeat. And, as I mention below, you can keep it simple with shorter communication.

Keep it simple by sticking to one call to action

Your communication needs to be clear. Before you send an email message or letter, ask what is your intention? Is it to ask for a donation, say thank you, or send an update?

Stick to one call to action. Suppose you send a message that includes requests for a donation, volunteers, and for people to contact their legislators. It’s likely your donors won’t respond to all of your requests and may not respond to any of them. Send separate messages for each request. 

You’ll also have better results if you send your messages to the right audience. For example, if you’re looking for volunteers for an event, reach out to past volunteers and ask them to bring a friend, as opposed to sending a message to everyone on your mailing list. This way you won’t be subjecting people to messages that may not be relevant to them.

In your fundraising appeals, don’t bury your ask. You can start with a story, followed by a clear, prominent ask. Recognize your reader. Thank previous donors and invite potential donors to be a part of your family of donors.

Your thank you letter or email should thank the donor. Sounds simple, right? Make them feel good about giving to your organization. Welcome new donors and welcome back returning donors. You don’t need a lot of wordy text explaining what your organization does.

Keep your messages simple, yet sincere, and include a clear call to action.

Keep it simple with shorter, easy-to-read messages

Plain and simple, if your communication is too long, most people won’t read it. 

Limit print communication, such as newsletters and impact reports, to four pages or less. Your email messages should be just a few paragraphs. On the other hand, you don’t want to be terse or say too little.

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Mark Twain

Be sure your communication is easy to read and scan. Use short paragraphs, especially for electronic communication, and include lots of white space. Don’t clutter up the page. Use at least a 12-point font with dark type on a light background – basic black on white is best.

Keep it simple by using conversational language

I find it annoying when I read an appeal letter or newsletter article that sounds like a Ph.D. thesis. Write at a sixth to eighth-grade level. That’s what most major newspapers do. This is not dumbing down. You’re smartening up by ensuring your donors will understand you. There are programs out there that can help you determine the reading level of your content. Plus, you can raise more money if your messages are easy to read.

Keep out jargon and other confusing language. Instead of saying something like – We’re helping underserved communities who are experiencing food insecurity, say  – Thanks to donors like you, we can serve more families at the Southside Community Food Pantry. 

We’re seeing real people being affected by real problems. Don’t diminish this with jargon and other vague language.

Use the active voice and there’s no need to get fancy by using a lot of SAT vocabulary words. Again, you want your donors to understand you.

Keep it simple by creating a clutter-free website

Your website is still a place where people will go to get information. Make sure it’s clear, clutter-free, and easy to read and navigate. Don’t forget about short paragraphs and lots of white space.

One of the most important parts of your website is your donation page. It needs to be easy to use and collect enough information without overwhelming your donors. If it’s too cumbersome, they may give up and leave. What’s known as form abandonment can happen on other web pages, too.

If it’s a branded donation page (e.g. not a third-party site), make sure it’s consistent with your messaging and look. Don’t go too minimalistic, though. Include a short description of how a donor’s gift will help you make a difference, as well as an engaging photo.

Make it easier for your nonprofit and your donors by keeping things simple.

Photo by One Way Stock

We’re Halfway Through 2024. How Is Your Nonprofit Doing So Far?

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, fundraising, gratitude, planning , , , ,

Believe it or not, we’re halfway through 2024. The midpoint of the year is always a good time to see if you’re meeting your fundraising and communications goals. For this post, I’m assuming your fiscal year is the same as the calendar year. If you’re on a different fiscal cycle, you can make the appropriate time adjustments.

Your fundraising revenue may be down. We’re still in an uncertain economy, but that doesn’t mean you should stop fundraising. Never stop fundraising! Donors will give if they can.

You may need to make some changes to your fundraising plan and other goals. And, if you never made a fundraising plan for this year, stop right there and put one together now and use it for the remainder of the year. Always have a plan.

Take a look at what’s working and what’s not. It will be different for every organization. If you’re doing okay, keep it up. If you’re falling short, figure out where you need to make changes.

If you’re relying too much on grants and events and those aren’t bringing in the revenue you need, focus more on individual giving. Many nonprofits raise the most money from individual giving. Summer is usually a less busy time for nonprofits. Take advantage of that with these suggestions to help you stay on track this year.

Start or enhance your monthly giving program

Monthly giving is doable for all sizes of nonprofit organizations, even small ones. It’s a great way to raise more money, as well as your donor retention rate. Retention rates for monthly donors are much better than other retention rates. You’ll have a steady stream of income and it may be more feasible for your donors, especially if they’re feeling pinched financially. It’s also one of the few types of fundraising that’s growing right now.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program, start one now. To get more monthly donors, send a special targeted letter to current donors inviting them to become monthly donors. This is a good opportunity to upgrade smaller dollar donors, or any donors for that matter.

Also, do something special for your current monthly donors. Send them a thank you postcard or email. They’ve made a commitment to you, now make a commitment to them.

I’ve always been a big fan of monthly giving, even more so over the last few years. They’re one of your most committed donor groups. 

Get in touch with your lapsed donors

This could be a good time to reach out to donors who haven’t given for a year or two. There are many reasons for that. Maybe they can’t afford to give right now. Maybe you’re doing a poor job with your donor communication. Maybe they were busy and forgot. Send them an engaging, personal appeal saying how much you’ve appreciated their support, state your need, and ask them to give a gift.

Look into higher levels of giving

Another advantage of monthly giving is that these donors are more likely to become mid-level and major donors. Starting a major gift program will take time, but it’s doable even for small organizations. Look into starting one soon. Organizations with strong major gift programs tend to do better financially.

Ramp up your donor engagement

Since summer is usually a slower time for fundraising, it’s a good time to show some donor appreciation and plan for fall. Don’t disappear over the summer.

Some donors will pull back on their giving, but that doesn’t mean ghosting them. Keep engaging with them to help ensure they’ll give again, if they can.

Make improvements to your donor communication

Many nonprofits can do a better job of communicating with their donors. Are you one of them?  Look at metrics such as website visits and email open rates. I know these don’t always tell the whole story, but if you’re not seeing a lot of engagement, figure out why.

Often, it’s because your content isn’t great or it’s too long. Maybe it’s layout and design. You could also be targeting the wrong audience. Summer is a good time to make some changes.

It’s not too late, yet

If you’re falling short of your goals, you still have time to do better, but you need to make an effort.

Be sure to keep evaluating your progress for the rest of the year. Even if you’re doing okay now, circumstances can change. You may want to monitor your progress more frequently (once a month instead of once a quarter) so you can try to stay on track. You don’t want to get caught off guard. 

Keep monitoring your progress to help ensure a successful year.

Photo by Aaron Davis

7 Donor Segmentation Strategies for Personalized Messages

Ann Green appeal letters, Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, fundraising, planning, thank you letters , , , , , ,

Segmenting your donors allows you to send personalized messages that resonate with them and increase engagement. Check out these donor segmentation strategies.

By Gabrielle Perham

With so much information available at their fingertips, it can be overwhelming and difficult for your supporters to fully absorb it all. Among the thousands of brands, businesses, and other charitable organizations out there, your nonprofit has to figure out how to cut through the clutter and stand out to current and potential donors.

One of the top ways to grab donors’ attention is segmentation. By grouping donors into relevant segments, you can develop personalized messages that resonate with different subsets of your audience and encourage them to continue lending their support.

In this guide, we’ll present several different donor segmentation strategies your organization can leverage to personalize its communications.

1. Demographics

One of the simplest ways to segment your donors is by demographics. This information helps you understand your donors’ backgrounds and communication preferences. Demographics encompass a variety of different data points, such as:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Level of education
  • Income range
  • Marital status
  • Geographic location

Insights from demographic data can help you learn more about your supporters and how they want to engage with your organization. For example, let’s say you segment donors by age and find that you have a large proportion of Millennials in your supporter base. Using that information, you can launch campaigns on the platforms Millennials are most likely to frequent, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Alternatively, you may use location data to send specialized newsletters highlighting relevant events and opportunities in people’s local areas. Start by determining which cities are most popular among your donor base. Then compile events hosted by your organization and similar nonprofits that your supporters might be interested in attending.

If you don’t have the demographic data you need readily available, consider enhancing your database through a demographic data append. This process involves using third-party sources to supplement your database and learn more about your supporters.

2. Giving History

Group donors based on their giving history, frequency, and patterns to tailor your fundraising strategies and stewardship efforts accordingly. Examples of segments in this category may include:

  • One-time donors
  • Recurring donors
  • Major donors
  • Campaign or cause-specific donors

Align your communication frequency with donors’ giving frequency. For instance, you may send monthly donors an update about the impact of their contributions once a month whereas you may contact annual donors every quarter with updates on your work.

You can also use giving history data to match your appreciation methods to donors’ level of commitment to your organization. For example, you should reserve more personal outreach methods, like phone calls, and more intensive donor appreciation tactics, like a donor wall, for major donors.

3. Donor Lifecycle Stage

Segmenting donors based on where they are in the donor lifecycle helps you meet their specific needs and move them through the donor journey more efficiently. The segments you create based on lifecycle stage may include:

  • New donors
  • Active donors
  • Lapsed donors
  • Reactivated donors
  • Donors with upgrade potential

This segmentation strategy can set you up for long-term, sustainable success by focusing on retaining current donors and re-engaging lapsed donors. You may send new donors background information about your organization while you thank active donors for their continued support. Use more urgent calls to action to win back lapsed donors and welcome reactivated donors back to your organization with updates on what they’ve missed.

4. Engagement Level

Some of your donors are likely involved in other aspects of your organization beyond donating. Maximize donor involvement and participation by sending them relevant communications based on their engagement level and history. 

For instance, you may create segments for donors who are also:

  • Regular volunteers
  • Event attendees
  • Advocates of your cause
  • Peer-to-peer fundraisers

Show donors that you care about their nonmonetary contributions to your organization by referencing their specific involvement in donation requests and thank-you messages, and send them information about upcoming opportunities they may be interested in.

5. Charitable Interests

If your mission encompasses a broad array of different cause areas and services, you may segment donors based on which causes, programs, or initiatives they’re most interested in supporting. These groups allow you to reach out to your donors with personalized appeals for relevant campaigns and offer opportunities that resonate with them.

For example, United Way’s website explains that the organization has three focus areas: health, education, and economic mobility. Depending on which areas their donors are most passionate about, this nonprofit’s fundraising team may group donors into three corresponding segments and send them updates and appeals related to their interests.

6. Giving Capacity

When you know donors’ giving capacity, you can tailor your donation asks accordingly and identify potential major donors. To determine giving capacity, conduct a wealth screening that examines the financial means of your existing donors.

According to AlumniFinder, wealth screening provides your organization with the following donor data points:

  • Business affiliations
  • Stock ownership
  • Home value

Besides determining giving capacity, this information can also help you capitalize on matching gift opportunities. 360MatchPro’s matching gift statistics guide explains that although many employers will match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits, 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers matching gifts. 

To raise awareness of matching gifts and secure more donation revenue for your organization, use employer data from your wealth screening to group employees who are eligible for matching gifts and highlight these opportunities for them.

7. Communication Preferences

Collect and store information about your supporters’ communication preferences in your donor database so you can reach your audience on the platforms they prefer, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Survey your donors to determine whether they’d like to be contacted via one or all of the following:

  • Email
  • Direct mail
  • Phone calls
  • Social media
  • Text messages

Then, create relevant groups in your database, and sync them with your email marketing and social media management platforms so you can easily communicate with your supporters on their preferred channels.

Engaging your donors means keeping your organization top of mind through innovative, personalized communications. By segmenting your donor base, you offer a better, more individualized supporter experience and can build stronger donor relationships. Don’t be afraid to create more specific segments within these groups, too; the more specific you can get, the more relevant your communications will be.

Gabrielle Perham is the Director of Marketing & Sales Operations for Deep Sync. She joined the organization in 2017 and brings 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, branding, communications, sales enablement, and digital marketing. With a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done attitude and a big-picture mindset, Gaby loves solving marketing and business challenges. She earned both a B.S. in Marketing and an M.B.A. in Marketing Management from the University of Tampa. Gaby enjoys spending time with her fiercely outspoken daughter; hiking and kayaking; rocking out in the first row of a live show; and giving back to her local community. 

How Making Wise Investments Can Help You Raise More Money

Ann Green Communications, database, direct mail, donor engagement, donor retention, monthly donors, planning , , , , ,

In most instances, nonprofit giving declined again in 2023. If you’re interested in the numbers, here are the latest results from M + R Benchmarks.

If your giving has gone down, you may have cut back on some expenses. While that’s understandable on one level, you need to be careful before you nix something you think you can’t afford. It may be something you should be investing in.

Instead of going on autopilot and saying “We can’t afford this,” think about how you can make wise investments. Stay away from the scarcity mindset. It’s often not helpful.

Here are a few areas you should be investing more money in. The good news is if you do it well, these investments can help you raise more money.

Invest in a good CRM/database

Plain and simple, a good CRM (customer relationship management)/database can help you raise more money. You can segment your donors by giving amount and politely ask them to give a little more in your next appeal – $35 or $50 instead of $25. Many organizations don’t ask their donors to upgrade their gifts and you’re leaving money on the table when you neglect to do this.

A good database can help you with retention, which will save you money since it costs less to keep donors than to acquire new ones. Donor retention continues to be a huge problem.

Many CRMs have built-in payment processors. If not, invest in a good one. 

Your CRM will let you personalize your letters and email messages. Make sure to invest in a good email service provider, too. Personalized letters and messages mean you can address your donors by name and not Dear Friend. You can welcome new donors and thank current donors for their previous support. You can send targeted mailings to lapsed donors to try to woo them back. You can send special mailings to your monthly donors. You can record any personal information, such as conversations you had with a donor and their areas of interest.

In short, you can do a lot with a good CRM/database. Invest in the best one you can afford, and Excel is not a database.

If you’re worried about spending $50 to $100 a month on a CRM/database, you may be able to recoup that expense if you can ask for an upgrade and personalize your communication.

Invest in direct mail

You may not use direct mail that much, especially over the last few years. Some organizations were never or rarely using it before the pandemic.

If that’s the case for you, you’re missing out on an effective and more personal way to communicate with your donors. Think of the enormous amount of email and social media posts you receive as opposed to postal mail. Your donors will be more likely to see your messages if you send them by mail.

Yes, direct mail is more expensive, but you don’t have to mail that often. Quality is more important than quantity but aim for at least three or four times a year, and don’t just send fundraising appeals.

Give some thought to what you send. Some ideas, besides appeal letters, include thank you letters/cards; Thanksgiving, holiday, and/or Valentine’s Day cards; infographic postcards; two-to-four-page newsletters; and impact reports. You could put a donation envelope in your newsletter to raise some additional revenue, but do not put one in a thank you or holiday card. I wouldn’t recommend putting one in an impact report either, especially if you only do one a year.

Shorter is better. Lengthy communication will cost more and your donors are less likely to read it. 

A few ways you can use direct mail without breaking your budget are to clean up your mailing lists to avoid costly duplicate mailings, spread thank you mailings throughout the year – perhaps sending something to a small number of donors each month, and look into special nonprofit mailing rates. You may also be able to get print materials done pro bono or do them in-house, as long as they look professional.

Of course, you can use email, but your primary reason for communicating that way shouldn’t be because it’s cheaper. Both direct mail and email have their place, but in many cases, direct mail is more effective. They also work well when you use them together.

Invest in monthly giving

If you don’t have a robust monthly giving program, you’re missing out on a great way to raise more money. Monthly giving is one of the few types of fundraising that saw an increase last year. It’s good for all nonprofit organizations, but it’s especially beneficial for small nonprofits.

All it takes is for someone to start giving $5.00 or $10.00 a month (hopefully more). These small gifts add up. Also, the retention rate for monthly donors is around 90%. Plus, they’re more likely to become mid-level, major, and legacy donors.

This is why having a good CRM is so important. It will help you find potential monthly donors and segment your current monthly donors so you can send them specialized donor communications. 

Don’t wait any longer to invest in this proven way to raise more money. If you already have a strong monthly giving program (kudos to you), take the next step and invest in mid-level donors and so on.

Invest in donor communications

By donor communications I mean thank you letters/notes, newsletters, and other updates. Some organizations don’t prioritize these and want to spend their time “raising money.” They don’t seem to realize they can raise more money with better donor communications. Remember this formula – ask, thank, report, repeat.

Don’t skimp on your communications budget. Creating thank you cards and infographic postcards is a good investment and a necessity, not a luxury. Thank you cards are a much better investment than mailing labels and other useless swag.

Maybe you need to reallocate your budget to cover some of these expenses. You could also look into additional sources of unrestricted funding. 

Of course, you can also use email and social media to communicate with donors. This reiterates the need for a good email service provider with professional looking templates for your email newsletter and other updates.

Invest in infrastrucure

We need to stop treating overhead or infrastructure as something negative. Most individual donors don’t care about overhead, anyway. However, some funders want us to spend our budget on programs, but how can we successfully run our programs if we don’t have enough staff and can barely afford to pay the people we do have? A rotating door of development staff makes it hard to maintain those important relationships. We also have to pay rent and other expenses (including a CRM, direct mail communication, etc.).

Until these funders stop worrying so much about overhead, you may want to invest some time in finding unrestricted funding sources – often those important individual gifts, such as monthly donations and mid-level/major gifts. 

Don’t limit yourself by saying you can’t afford certain expenses. If you make wise investments, you should be able to raise more money.

Future-proof your fundraising: 3 ways to thrive long-term

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, legacy giving, marketing, monthly donors, planning , , , ,

Is your nonprofit poised for long-term growth? Check out these future-proof nonprofit fundraising strategies based on today’s top philanthropic trends.

By Patrick Schmitt

Achieving your mission takes time and resources. As a nonprofit professional, you know this all too well and likely implement all kinds of cost-saving and efficiency-boosting practices into your work.

But can you be more proactive and go beyond mitigation? Do your fundraising practices look forward and actively build a foundation for long-term success? Are you missing opportunities to engage with donors in new ways?

This often means investing in new forms of fundraising or making significant updates to existing practices. But for many small nonprofits, making these changes can feel less than feasible.

However, as we’re constantly reminded, we’re living in unpredictable times—economic turbulence, heightened political and social tensions, the rise of AI, changing donor habits and preferences – the list goes on. There’s no telling what the future may bring, but your nonprofit needs to be there to shine a light and help lead your community.

Let’s explore some forward-thinking and (perhaps surprisingly) accessible ways for small nonprofits to drive sustained success and reduce the need for constant cost-cutting and budget anxiety.

The three future-proof nonprofit fundraising strategies explained in this article:  projectable revenue streams, non-cash giving, and mid-level donor stewardship.

1. Build more projectable revenue sources.

Building a pipeline of future giving is massively helpful—it fuels your operations and growth and it’s predictable, allowing you to plan more effectively.

There are two key types of projectable future giving to keep in mind:

  • Deferred giving
  • Recurring giving

Deferred giving, also called planned or legacy giving, is often neglected by small shops but is increasingly understood as a game-changer for nonprofits of all sizes. It’s an especially smart choice now as we begin to see “the Great Wealth Transfer” unfold, with shifting demographic trends resulting in large amounts of saved assets being disbursed to heirs and beneficiaries. 

But planned giving is also very accessible—any donor, regardless of wealth, can easily create bequests. And since these gifts are given from assets rather than cash on hand, they give donors the chance to drive sustained impact without impacting day-to-day finances (while also tapping into tax benefits here and now). The FreeWill guide to planned giving programs covers the essential steps nonprofits of all sizes should take to get started.

You’re likely more familiar with the ins and outs of recurring giving, facilitated through recurring giving programs or membership programs. It’s easy to get started—simply add a recurring giving option to your donation form, create a new web page and other materials that explain why repeat gifts are so impactful for your mission, and begin promoting the option.

As always, anchor your messaging about new forms of giving with impact, and don’t be afraid to be transparent. As a growing nonprofit, your committed supporters will be motivated by messages that clearly explain why you’re prioritizing these initiatives to ensure your mission’s long-term future.

2. Take more (or your first) steps into the world of non-cash gifts.

Donor preferences are rapidly diversifying. Tax code changes, the state of the economy, and ever-increasing financialization and digitization all point to increased interest in non-cash gifts.

By tapping into these trends and offering more flexibility to donors, nonprofits have seen substantial long-term growth. One study found that nonprofits that accept non-cash gifts grow six times faster than those that don’t.

Key types of non-cash gifts that should be on nonprofits’ radar include:

  • Grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs). These philanthropic quasi-savings accounts allow donors to put away funds for future giving to be saved and grown.
  • Gifts of stock. This includes stock from public and private companies and mutual funds and is a savvy choice for donors looking to rebalance their portfolios and secure added tax benefits.
  • In-kind gifts. These are any non-financial gifts, including materials and equipment, real estate, cars, you name it. Donors may seek to offload unneeded tangible assets to secure tax benefits, and you never know who among your community may have something they’d like to donate.
  • Cryptocurrency donations. Steadily rising in popularity among younger and more diverse groups of donors, gifts of crypto are new but certainly worth exploring if you think your donor base may be a good match.

If you’re prioritizing non-cash giving for the first time, we recommend starting with DAFs simply because their growth in popularity and volume has been explosive. Payouts to nonprofits from DAFs grew a record 28.2% in 2021, hitting $45.74 billion. Nonprofits also received 32% more DAF grants and 56% more grant dollars in 2022 than in 2021.

However, DAF fundraising is notoriously opaque—the names of DAF account owners aren’t disclosed, and these accounts are managed by a wide range of organizations including banks, financial service providers, and community foundations. 

To get started, try a simple survey. Ask donors if they’ve heard of, have, or are interested in donor-advised funds, and use your findings as the basis for future outreach. Contact local community foundations to introduce your organization and ask if they sponsor DAFs so they might recommend you as a grantee to their account holders. Add DAF giving as a new section on your Ways to Give page.

3. Invest in your mid-level donors.

Mid-level donors, often defined as those who give between $1,000 and $10,000 a year, are the key to long-term growth due to their high levels of loyalty and engagement. These supporters also tie together many of the trends that we’re currently seeing play out for nonprofits. Check out these statistics from Seachange Strategies’ most recent Missing Middle Report:

  • 31% of mid-level donors have made a bequest and another 23% say they plan to make one in the future.
  • 20% have donor-advised funds (DAF) and another 8% are considering starting one.
  • The majority of these donors say that in the past two years, their giving stayed the same or even grew amid political and cultural polarization (94%), global instability (94%), and economic uncertainty (87%).

What steps does your nonprofit currently take to steward and retain these donors?

For many organizations, the answer is “not enough,” and that’s understandable—fostering relationships with the highest-impact donors and running broad campaigns naturally take center stage for busy teams. But consider these easy steps you can take to better engage with them.

Start by understanding who these donors are. Revisit your segmentation strategies and rethink your donor pyramid or pipeline frameworks. The report cited above highlights that mid-level donors generally don’t demonstrate the same characteristics as major donors, so they’re easily missed if your focus is elsewhere.

Identify this segment of donors for your nonprofit and reach out to express your gratitude for their past support. If you want to prioritize deferred, recurring, or non-cash giving, try focusing on this group first. Develop tailored messaging to drive engagement, make asks, and retain their support, whether that’s through joining a membership program, creating a bequest, signing up to volunteer, or another action that will push your mission forward in the long run.

To work toward your mission effectively and responsibly, you need to do more than just trim expenses and seek new ways to be efficient. You also must proactively look forward and build a solid runway for your organization to grow.

With all the trends discussed above, it’s an exciting time for growing nonprofits. Take stock of your current practices and donor preferences, and weigh your options. While there’s no one-size-fits-all growth strategy, there are tons of easy first steps you can take to find the perfect route for your unique organization.

Patrick Schmitt and fellow co-CEO Jenny Xia founded FreeWill at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business in 2016. FreeWill’s charitable giving platform makes it easier for nonprofit fundraising teams to unlock transformational gifts, and to date has generated over $6.6 billion in new gift commitments for thousands of nonprofit organizations. Patrick hosts FreeWill’s popular webinar series, educating thousands of nonprofit fundraising professionals each month about planned and non-cash giving strategies.

Before FreeWill, Patrick was the Head of Innovation at Change.org, where he helped grow the organization to 100 million users in four years. Prior to that, he ran email marketing for President Obama and served as Campaign Director for MoveOn.org.