FUNDRAISING TIPS
TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW
To Improve Your Fundraising During COVID
CONNECT WITH DONORS
Donors may be concerned about the health of your organization due to COVID. Show them that your organization is thriving and providing a critical service during the pandemic by letting them know how you are tackling big challenges.
SHARE!
Use video and photos to show donors and the community day to day happenings as well as successes. Right now people need to see positive messages and that the work continues. Make the videos short – 90 seconds or less.
GO BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media can be draining. Don’t rely on that as your sole way to communicate to your donors. Pick up the phone, schedule a zoom happy hour or drop them a note in the mail. They will be happy you made the effort.
RISE UP
Show how creative and innovative your agency is. Let donors know how you’ve made a donation stretch or how you’ve shifted resources to address a critical need. Help them see how powerful collaboration can be during trying times.
TALK LOCAL
In times like these, we can all get overwhelmed with the huge numbers. But people are increasingly numb to them. Take the time to pull local data that is closer to home to make the issue more real.
BE SPECIFIC
Be specific about what you need and why it will make a difference. Tie all your asks back to the increase in demand or need to innovate in these trying times. Make every ask for money positive and strength-based.
GO MICRO
Create a campaign that helps raise funds for a specific item (5 nights in shelter, 100 hotline calls). Creating short, small campaigns that can be reached quickly helps online donors see how their smaller gift can make a difference.
EVALUATE
Don’t spend time and money gaining new donors until you look at the potential of those who already give. Running your donor list through a wealth screening can help you find hidden gems. Check out Sharity’s partner iWave for more info.
PLAN
Develop or update that pitch deck to show donors and prospects what your plan is. Your donors are being flooded with asks. Make sure they can clearly see why your mission is a good investment.
GET A CHECK UP
Now is the time to step back and make sure your organization has all the elements in place that major donors are looking for. Click on the icon to the left and watch this short video on the elements that you should assess.