Fundraising Ideas to Find New Donors - Without T-Shirts, Candy Bars, or GoFundMe Campaign
You’re doing important work. And you need to fund it! So, how do you find your first donors, and grow your donor base?
Donors won’t just find you, and give you money because of your work (I know, it’s frustrating). Fundraising starts with a plan for donor acquisition. So, how do you go from those first few donors (hey, grandma, thanks for your support!) to a database bursting with emails?
Make it Easy For Donors to Fall In Love With Your Work
To attract donors to your nonprofit, you need to tell your story - and tell it well. Your website, social media posts, newsletters, solicitation letters...you name it...all need to tell donors why your work matters.
What are you and what do you do? Don’t forget to clearly share your mission, vision, and history!
Why does your work matter? Illustrate the specific problem your work addresses. Use stories and examples, and qualitative and quantitative data. You want donors to understand the specific issues you are trying to solve!
What, exactly, do you do? You know what you do - but your donors will always need a reminder! Describe your programs, day-to-day work, constituents, leadership...outline it all and paint a picture of what exactly your organization does that is so important!
When do you need your donors’ support to make this happen? A sense of urgency is a key part of a strong fundraising appeal. Make sure that your case for support outlines why you need donors’ support now. What are your goals for this year? Next year? How will their donation help you achieve them?
What are you asking of your donors? Make sure you spell out what you need from your donors - a donation! This will be tailored for each appeal, email, or individual solicitation, but have a clear call to action in your case for support and all fundraising materials.
Defining your “why” - that intangible and important picture of the importance of your work - will make it that much easier for donors to understand why they should give - and why they want to give!
Give Your Donors Something to Talk About
Once you’re ready to tell your story, you need to build your donor base! There’s no magic bullet here. Building your list starts with giving your prospects and donors a reason to engage with your story, and ample opportunities to get involved.
Depending on your mission and work, consider having free lead magnet downloads on your website like Lyme Warrior - they let you self-identify then download the right resource guide for you!
Share resources & free events relevant to donors’ interests like ATX Theatre - they round up all local theatre opportunities and share them via email - a win/win for patron/prospect/donor/theatre-goer and organization!
Invite people to get involved with your events, offer resources, or just hear your stories like Postpartum Charleston - first they share what they can offer in the way of support, then invite you to sign up for their newsletter.
Work Your Network (and Your Board)
The number one advice for growing your donor list is always “leverage your board”. But this is easier said than done! Instead of issuing a blanket request for board members to help find donors, think about how you can use your board - and the rest of your network - to tell people about your work and mission. This could look like:
Encouraging your board to set up Giving Tuesday and peer-to-peer fundraisers, and asking them to spread the word when you are hosting fundraisers and events;
Joining coalitions, networking groups, Chambers of Commerce, and other civic groups so you can talk about your work - and get to know other organizations doing similar work.
Speaking about your organization on podcasts, at local events, over coffee...and pretty much whenever you can!
Steward, Steward, Steward!
The good news: you’re already in the process of building your donor list.
The bad news: this project is never done!
Once you start attracting new donors, remember you need to be consistent. Even if you have a great donor retention rate, donor acquisition should be an ongoing part of your fundraising plan. Don’t forget to:
Make sure you have a great plan for saying thank you.
Keep the communication with your donors going all year round.
Ask them again next year - don’t take their ongoing support for granted!
Ready to start really building your donor base? Grab our FREE five-day email course so you can grow your donor base - and raise more money.