What are the most effective techniques for soliciting donations from individuals and organizations?
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Nonprofit leaders know that fundraising is a crucial part of their mission, but it can also be challenging and time-consuming. How can you attract and retain donors who share your vision and values? What are the best strategies to communicate your impact and needs? How can you build relationships with individuals and organizations that can support your cause? In this article, we will explore some of the most effective techniques for soliciting donations from different sources and how to apply them to your nonprofit context.
Before you ask for money, you need to know who to ask and why. A good prospect is someone who has the capacity, the interest, and the connection to your nonprofit. You can use various tools and methods to research and segment your potential donors, such as surveys, interviews, social media, databases, referrals, and events. The more you know about your prospects, the more you can tailor your message and approach to their preferences and motivations.
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Brian Jue
🇺🇸 M&A + IPO Advisor ✓ Expert Generalist ✓ Entrepreneur ✓ Investor ✓ 30,000 Connections ✓ 917.382.0990 🇺🇸
KYA: Know your Audience. This is a facet of fundraising that we see so many fundraisers fall short in. Often, fundraisers are so focused on making a perfect pitch, that all they do is talk, without realizing the importance of who they are talking to, what they want to here, and what they are interested in doing to help. The simple act of listening and understanding can be the difference of receiving a positive result versus nothing. If the discussion and connection is brand new, taking the time to learn about your audience is imperative. If there is a previous relationship, or the ability to identify and learn about the source prior to meeting, there is no excuse but to prepare ahead of time.
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Julie Ordoñez
Major Gifts Strategy⎜2x Individual Giving Revenue in 6 Months⎜Fundraising Coach⎜1:1 Major Gifts Advisor to Ambitious Nonprofit CEOs & Senior Leaders⎜Expert Guide to Become a Fundraising Badass
Who within your current donor base in a raving fan? Who is mission-aligned? Who has offered to help you and said things like "Let me know what you need" or "I'd love to get more involved" Take them up on this. These are the people who are willing to roll up their sleeves to help you. Get to know people on a human level, ask powerful questions and become a better listener. Curiosity and connection takes time. Once you learn what makes people tick, it will become obvious who to prioritize. There are people on the same mission as you. There clearer you are about what you stand for, the more often you will attract people on that same mission.
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Juan Sebastian Ossa Moreno
Social Entrepreneur | Digital Enthusiast | Water Resources
Have you ever wondered where your volunteers and donors work? Many corporations offer workplace giving programs, allowing employees to allocate a portion of their salary to non-profit organizations. In some cases, these contributions are matched or even surpassed by the company’s own funds. All it takes is a dedicated advocate within the company to promote your cause and secure support. So, don’t overlook the potential of your volunteers and existing donors - they could be the key to unlocking more resources than you ever imagined.
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Donation is not a one-time transaction, but a long-term relationship. You need to cultivate your relationships with your prospects and donors by engaging them in meaningful ways. This can include sending regular updates, newsletters, reports, and thank-you notes, inviting them to visit your projects, programs, or facilities, recognizing their contributions, and asking for their feedback and input. You also need to show them the impact and outcomes of their donations and how they align with your mission and goals.
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Juan Sebastian Ossa Moreno
Social Entrepreneur | Digital Enthusiast | Water Resources
As a small or medium non-profit, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for fostering relationships. Engage with your volunteers, current and prospective donors, and keep them informed by tagging them in your LinkedIn posts. This approach is a more cost efficient alternative to newsletters or reports, which many people no longer engage with. Always ensure to obtain their consent before tagging them in your posts.
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Sabrina Walker Hernandez
Certified Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Keynote Speaker & Author helping nonprofits & small businesses build relationships that increase revenue through leadership development, board education, and strategic planning.
Don’t leave money on the table because you skip this cultivation process which is building relationships. 60% of fundraising is cultivation. You must intentionally slow down and cultivate. You must court them just like dating. You don’t go on your first date and ask someone to marry you. That is crazy, right? The number one goal of cultivation is to build relationships. Cultivation is everything that happens between the time you identify a prospect and the time you make your first ask. You want to make at least five touches to these potential donors before you make the ask.
When you are ready to make your ask, you need to be clear, confident, and specific. You need to explain what you are asking for, why you are asking for it, and how it will make a difference. You also need to match your ask to the donor's level of interest, involvement, and capacity. You can use various channels and formats to make your ask, such as phone calls, emails, letters, proposals, or face-to-face meetings. You also need to prepare for possible objections, questions, or concerns, and have a plan to follow up.
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Julie Ordoñez
Major Gifts Strategy⎜2x Individual Giving Revenue in 6 Months⎜Fundraising Coach⎜1:1 Major Gifts Advisor to Ambitious Nonprofit CEOs & Senior Leaders⎜Expert Guide to Become a Fundraising Badass
Ask for more. Stop settling for the crumbs from major donors. Get curious about who they are. Find out why they give. Once you learn how they feel about your mission, your work, your team, your organization, then you can make an ask that suits them. Too many leaders leave a lot of money on the table with their most passionate supporters. Let your donors tell you what they can and can't do. Your job is to make clear the vision, goals and what is needed to get there. Be bold. Ask for more.
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Sabrina Walker Hernandez
Certified Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Keynote Speaker & Author helping nonprofits & small businesses build relationships that increase revenue through leadership development, board education, and strategic planning.
How do you know when to make the ask? That’s going to be based on your gut and your intuition. There really is no magic formula. You will know when a good and solid relationship exists and when it is time for the ask. Be aware of the token gift. Do not ask right at the beginning stage. They may give you something, just to make you go away because there’s no relationship. If the ask is well into the relationship, you will leave less money on the table and there is an increased chance for a repeat gift. They’re not going to not give because a relationship has been established. But like dating, don’t wait forever to ask. No one wants to be courted forever, eventually, they want you to pop the big question!
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While individual donors are the largest source of charitable giving in the US, they are not the only ones. You can also seek donations from other sources, such as foundations, corporations, government agencies, or other nonprofits. Each source has its own criteria, guidelines, and processes for giving, so you need to do your homework and adapt your strategy accordingly. You also need to diversify your sources to reduce your dependence on a few donors and increase your sustainability and resilience.
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Juan Sebastian Ossa Moreno
Social Entrepreneur | Digital Enthusiast | Water Resources
Have you heard of initiatives like Pledge 1% or The Giving Pledge? These platforms bring together tech and business individuals/organisations committed to donating a portion, sometimes the majority, of their wealth to philanthropic causes. These initiatives serve as an excellent starting point to identify organisations aligned with your cause, providing an opportunity to diversify your donation sources.
One of the most powerful ways to solicit donations is to leverage your existing network of supporters, partners, volunteers, staff, board members, and beneficiaries. They can help you spread the word, introduce you to new prospects, endorse your cause, and influence others to donate. You can also create opportunities for peer-to-peer fundraising, such as online campaigns, events, or challenges, where your network can raise funds on your behalf. You can also encourage your donors to become ambassadors and advocates for your nonprofit.
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Julie Ordoñez
Major Gifts Strategy⎜2x Individual Giving Revenue in 6 Months⎜Fundraising Coach⎜1:1 Major Gifts Advisor to Ambitious Nonprofit CEOs & Senior Leaders⎜Expert Guide to Become a Fundraising Badass
Ask among your board and supporters who you should be talking to. Who else cares about this issue? Who else is passionate about this cause? Who else has expertise in this area that should know us and we should know them? Will you introduce us? These are great questions that will make it easier for people to connect you to the right people in their network.
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Finally, you need to test and improve your solicitation techniques to optimize your results and efficiency. You can use various metrics and indicators to measure and evaluate your fundraising performance, such as donation amount, frequency, retention, conversion, cost, and return. You can also use feedback and data to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and make adjustments and improvements accordingly. You can also experiment with new techniques, tools, and tactics to see what works best for your nonprofit and your donors.
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Faustin Weber
President, Prince of Peace Catholic School
Build authentic relationships—friendships, even. Find ways to include them in the life of the organization we represent, and yes, within our personal lives. Look for as many touch points as possible that AREN’T about asking for money. I’m a Catholic school president. I like inviting folks to the school Mass in the morning, then out for coffee thereafter. They expect I will use that moment to ask them for something, but I don’t. Instead, I try and get to know them, to get them talking about themselves, their interests and passions. The more they talk, the better. Eventually I’ll tell them what is going on, and also share my hopes and dreams for the future. They understand why I am sharing all that, but appreciate the “space.”
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