10 Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits

Want your nonprofit to make a real impact? Then meeting fundraising goals is essential. Check out our ideas and strategies that will put you in prime position for success.

Plan for Success

1. Develop a clear and concise message for your mission. Don’t let your message get muddled - a successful fundraising campaign is all about staying on track and letting donors know why their support matters. Keep the focus on your mission, and you’ll be well-poised for success.

2. Develop a plan. Brainstorm fundraising ideas and create a calendar with deadlines to reach your specific goals. It’s essential to set each milestone of your campaign, and don’t forget you may need an extra push in the middle. Make sure to plan for it so all your hard work doesn’t go down the drain.

3. Get creative and recruit some extra help to spread the word about your campaign. Expand beyond just getting support from staff and directors – why not try connecting with service clubs, like local colleges or high schools, churches, even youth groups? You never know what kind of additional assistance you might find. And when you do, have them sign up by using an online volunteer application.

4. Use your channels of communication. With so many options for connecting with supporters, you need a strong strategy to amplify the reach of your campaign. Build an army of motivated ambassadors and provide them with specific steps they can take to help increase awareness and donations.

5. Utilize online giving. Branded donation pages on a nonprofit website raise 6 times more money, and 51% of wealthy donors prefer to donate online. Set up your own custom donation form that fits seamlessly on your website with Cognito Forms.

Build Relationships with Donors

6. Don’t forget about email. Donorbox reports that monthly recurring donors give 42% more than one-time donors. To make giving even simpler, include direct links in emails leading directly back to your donation page. Send out newsletters, updates and reminders about fundraising campaigns through email services such as MailChimp or Constant Contact.

7. Build trust. Use a PCI-compliant payment processor (like Stripe, Square or PayPal) to keep transactions secure and protected.

8. Personalize donor communications. Make sure your donor outreach is as personable as possible by tapping into connections and bringing up topics like family or milestone events. This will give them a reminder of who they’re talking with and why their donation matters.

Express Gratitude

9. Host an appreciation event to thank your donors. Not only can this be a great way to thank loyal supporters, but inviting prospective donors to your event can open new doors for funding.

10. Create plans to measure success throughout the campaign. Report positive results as often as possible and use online tools to maximize your fundraising potential.

Remember, success isn’t just arriving at a target goal but maintaining those donor relationships over time. With the right attitude and strategy in place, and no matter how big or small the goals may be, your organization has what it takes to make a difference in the community.