7 Ways to Boost Your Fundraising

As a Personal Fundraising Coach (PFC), I encourage all of my clients to challenge themselves when it comes to fundraising. My hope for each and every nonprofit is for them to step outside of their comfort zone and try at least one new thing every month or quarter. The best part? You don’t have to go at it alone! Find a coach or mentor to help inspire new ideas and hold you accountable so you and your organization can reach new heights.

The 7 steps below will help you become an even better fundraiser.

1) Increase Social Presence

Build awareness for your mission

• Post at least 2x on social media per week
• Highlight donors and key volunteers
• Tell a story over a period of time – keep followers engaged
• Try Facebook and Instagram advertising
• Begin to note who responds to your posts and keep track of what they are engaging with
• Woo social influencers – encourage them to share your content and/or cause

2) Collect Email and Mobile Everywhere

Grow your contacts

• Continuously add to/update your database
• Collect contacts via a form on your website
• Make it easy to collect/share information – keep your request short and sweet
• Send out a request to update contact information through email, postcard, or direct mail insert

3) Ask for Monthly Gifts Right Out of the Gate

Sustain your organization and spread your mission early

• Consider the lifetime value of a donor – recurring gifts often have higher lifetime values than one-time donations
• Focus on
  • Impact and storytelling
  • Engagement across multiple channels
  • Leveraging peer networks
  • Upgrading loyal donors

4) Show Impact with Storytelling

Make storytelling actionable and personal

• Collect inspirational stories and graphics to deliver across multiple platforms
• Catalogue the content and visuals for multiple uses
• Create a designated folder for images, graphics, and testimonials and add content to this folder anytime you feel inspired
• Increase visuals such as written stories, video testimonials, quotes, and info-graphics

5) Have Board Members Assist with Appreciation

Get your board members involved

• Provide thank you notes and templates at board meetings
• Make monthly, quarterly, or post-event donor appreciation calls
• Send personalized cards for special holidays – for example, say thank you on Thanksgiving

6) Run At Least 3 Integrated Campaigns Each Year

Once is never enough – don’t miss out on the potential for more contributions!

• Build a cadence around your calendar
• Develop campaigns based on seasonality – spring, your mission’s awareness month, year-end, etc.
• Create a campaign around an event

7) Video and Text Your Donors and Volunteers

Get creative with your communication

• Send a post-gift appreciation
• Celebrate your donor’s birthday or donation anniversary
• Contact your donors the day before or on the last day of fundraising campaign (be sure to diversify your messages—you don’t want to JUST send texts with fundraising appeals)
• Let your donors know when you have hit a major organization or program milestone

Want more information about Personal Fundraising Coaching with Network for Good? Click here to learn how a coach can elevate your fundraising!