5 things to know before starting a nonprofit fundraising campaign

Want to launch your online fundraising campaign? A little strategy is in order! From the beginning of a nonprofit fundraising campaign, it is important to be aware of certain elements:

• Philanthropists want to see results from their gift. If they agree to help fund a project, it’s because they believe in the organization and its mission. Make it clear in your marketing and messaging why is your organization raising funds. Here’s how to create a convincing brand story.

• It is tricky to solicit donations for the sole purpose of balancing a budget. It is easier to convince donors to participate in the development of your organization, or in a specific mission that the institution intends to carry out. To get more donors to become involved, the funds sought must be used to move the nonprofit organization. 

• Soliciting prospective donors in a non-targeted manner (for example starting with the letter A of a directory) whether it is specialized or not, is not considered the most effective strategy while starting a fundraising campaign. It is better to turn to potential donors (companies or individuals) who are already connected in one way or another to the fundraising institution or its members. 

• As often in marketing disciplines, loyalty to a donor is easier than recruiting a new donor. For this, the process of traceability, thanking your donors,  follow-ups and information regarding the use of donations are essential. Follow the link for more donor retention strategies. 

• According to several recent studies, there is generally a very large disproportion in the amount of donations obtained. The Pareto principle applies here in full: the fact that 90% of donations come from 10% of donors is a common pattern. This can even go further (95-5 etc.). Learning to engage big donors can help secure donations every year. 

In conclusion, for successful nonprofit fundraising output, it is not necessarily useful to look for a large pool of donors, it is necessary to be able to find and retain the quality ones.