People are at the heart of every fundraiser. It takes teams of people to plan and execute a fundraiser, whether it’s an event or product sales. Once the event is underway, volunteers and employees work together to raise as much money as possible. Of course, many donors spending their own hard-earned money are also crucial to helping organizations meet their goals.

But most nonprofits struggle to keep a good balance of retaining existing supporters while reaching out to new audiences. Here are a few tips to help you boost your numbers.

Set a Goal

Many nonprofits set dollar amount goals at the start of each fundraising season, but at the same time, you should come up with a number of new participants you want to attract. Ask your planning team what they think can be reasonably recruited, and whether this is specific to new volunteers, donors, or a combination of both. You should also calculate your donor attrition rate over time. If like many organizations, you lose more than half of your donors each year, you’ll need to make up for that and then some if you want to boost your numbers.

Keep Your Focus Wide

One mistake many nonprofits make is in spending far too much time targeting the wealthiest donors in town. Those people are the very ones most likely to have donor fatigue, even if they’ve never contributed to your organization. As valuable as it can be to get a high-value donation from a big spender, you shouldn’t chase those contributions at the expense of reaching out to a wide pool of donors who are likely to support you.

Offer Incentives

Your current supporters are your biggest asset. Find ways to incentivize them to bring in new people. Offer a prize of some sort to the person who brings in the most new donors or volunteers. Social media is a great way to get the word out quickly, and your current volunteers, employees, and board members are the best group to do that. Host a campaign that encourages everyone to share the news about your fundraiser in the most creative ways possible and award a gift to the top performers.

Publicize Your Results

If you only share on social media when it’s time to start raising money, you’re missing a great opportunity. You should be updating your followers throughout the year, sharing photos and news of the great work you’re doing with the money you raised. During fundraisers, make sure you regularly share the activities of your staff and volunteers, tagging them in photos and encouraging them to post, as well.

Successful groups and nonprofits work hard to nurture existing supporters, while always reaching out to new ones. The best part of building a solid fundraiser is that the more people you attract, the more likely you’ll be to get the word out about the work you’re doing since those supporters will tell their own friends. Over time, new donors and volunteers will begin rolling in naturally.

With 59 years of working with fundraising organizations
of all kinds, Evergreen Industries understands how
early preparation is a cornerstone of successful
fundraising and we are here to help.
Let's Fundraise!