Empower your donors with fundraisers throughout the year

As you look at your calendar, you may find that you have gaps of time where there isn’t much active fundraising planned.  If you have a technology that allows you to host unlimited campaigns, and you have wo(man) power in staff or volunteers, you can stand up impactful fundraisers easily. 

No one is asking you to host a full-fledged second gala. Nope.  

 
You can make revenue gains, get new donors, and cultivate better donor relationships by hosting smaller fundraisers throughout the year.  

(Over) Share  

Your supporters believe in your organization and your mission. But, if you are only connecting with them once a year asking them to attend your gala with a group invite, you are not giving them the opportunity to fully show their support.  

Having smaller, regular fundraisers allows you to build better relationships with your network. They also allow you to bring new donors into the fold throughout the year, especially if your fundraisers have a virtual component.  

Share your mission and giving opportunities (and ask for help!) throughout the year and find funding stability along the way.  

Connect  

One way to empower donors is to meet them where they are at. You may have supporters who are willing to give, but the opportunities out there don’t work for their family, location, or price point.  

When planning your fundraisers, keep your audience in mind. Perhaps you could ask former supporters why they stopped giving. People’s preferences change, and you can keep donors in the fold if you change along with them. Doing so allows your supporters to keep you top of mind.  And, it is far easier to keep donors giving than it is to get new ones.  

Enable  

If you agree that you’d like to fill out your fundraising calendar a bit, but your staff is at capacity, can you coordinate with volunteers to host a fundraiser?  

Again, no one is suggesting you get a committee going for another distinguished, in-person event. 

 There are likely volunteers out there who want to get more involved. And, with technology that they can help them manage fundraising on their own and that doesn’t cost your organization more fees, the risk is low.  

Have you made the ask of people to volunteer, either in mass communication or an individually, to lead a fundraiser for your organization? Over 42% of people become volunteers only after being directly asked. Help is out there for you if you seek it! 

Are there high school students who would want to plan a DIY photo scavenger hunt? Can volunteers set up a choose-your-own-adventure virtual 5k? What about a virtual BINGO series? There are LOTS of ideas for recurring events that are a lighter lift and offer a friendly price point to participate.  

Share that you need help with fundraiser planning, and you may be surprised by the support you get. 

Embrace  

People’s giving spirit grows when they are having FUN. Survey your donors to ask what kind of giving opportunities they would like to see.  

Take a look at what goals you have for your mission, and maybe set up a fundraiser to fund those specific goals. People give when they know where their money is going. Tell them. 

These smaller fundraisers serve a purpose beyond revenue raised. If one is tied to a specific mission deliverable, and you get a great response – that tells you and your team what your supporters are interested in funding.  

If you have a lot of interest in a DIY type of fundraiser, and you get people to give from a larger geographical area, as a result, consider what else you can do as DIY fundraising. 

Think beyond the revenue raised. People demonstrate their interests with spending. Money talks. be prepared to actively listen!