For our final portion of this series, let’s discuss how you can get early buy-in from previous contributors and even get them to help bring in new contacts. All they need is a reminder of how much they’ve meant to you and a little help in sharing about your organization.

1. THANK CONTRIBUTORS EARLY AND POINT OUT THEIR IMPACT

Rather than relying on last years “thank you” as enough, send out an email or letter 4-6 months before promoting your next fundraiser. This way, they will see it as an authentic thank you—as if you thought of them randomly—rather than a way to get them to purchase again.

Don’t ask for more money at this point. Instead, tell a story about how you still appreciate their contribution last year and how they specifically made an impact.

If it feels appropriate, you can end the note with a “look for us next year” or “we’ll be reaching out again soon” just so they can anticipate the request. This transparency might help them plan so they aren’t scrambling.

2. UTILIZE SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Though it may sound obvious, people like to follow what others are doing. We often overlook the power of this in fundraising efforts. According to NonprofitHub, social influence is “the tendency to reflect a behavior in a given setting; doing something because others are doing it.”

In order to use this psychological factor in your fundraising, you’ll need your previous donors to start talking. To help them do so, you have a few options…

A) SOCIAL MEDIA:

Encourage contributors to share their story on social. You can direct them to share how it personally impacted them.

Or you can create an image or message for contributors to share on their network. As you craft this post, aim for wording that doesn’t come across as bragging as people could shy away from sharing that. At the bottom of the message, specify that you’d like donors to share the message. Something like, “If you’ve contributed before, please share this with your networks to spread the word.”

B) LETTER FORWARDING:

As you send out letters to ask for contributions, include a note about forwarding this onto friends. Don’t be pushy, but instead suggest that if they want to make an even greater impact, they can share this with their network.

Also, make it easy on them. If you sent this via email, include an infographic or pdf they can forward on. If sent as a letter, include a smaller letter inside—with a stamped envelope if you really want to make it easy for them—that summarizes your cause.

C) INCENTIVES FOR REFERRALS:

Sometimes contributors need a little extra push to share about your nonprofit, something beyond just how much they like you. As you set up your fundraiser budget, make room to order a couple extra orders or a gift. State early on that if someone gathers more contributors, they will be put in a drawing for this reward.

3. OFFER AN EARLY-BIRD INCENTIVE

Early birds should be able to catch the most worms! As you promote your fundraiser, encourage people to get their orders in early. Since you’ll send out this note to previous purchasers, you can even make them feel like they’re a part of something exclusive—getting special treatment for their loyalty. Incentivize them by stating that first orders will get the earliest delivery or will receive an additional small item with their order. The earlier you get people to commit, the more time you have to reach your goals.

At the end of the day, ensure you’re not too sales-y. You simply want to encourage your previous purchasers to be excited about their involvement with your organization and incentivize them to continue their support.

If you have a strong fundraising plan, the backing of an awesome team and the support of your previous purchasers, you’ll be all set for your most successful fundraiser yet. Can’t wait to hear all about it!