You are in the fourth quarter, the final period, the bottom of the 9th inning. Cancelled and postponed events have put a big dent in fundraising for the second year in a row. How are you going to make this year a winner financially? Here are 5 things your small to medium sized nonprofit can do boost year end revenue.
1. Make a list of the top 10/25/50 donors (depending on how many you can contact) to your organization from 2020, cross off the ones who have already given this year, and call the rest to bring them up to speed on what your organization is doing and what its needs are and ask them if they’d like to help. (And if you have the time, call the ones who have already given this year to say thank you again. You never know where the conversation may take you.) Ask your board members to make some of these calls, some donors may be more receptive to a call from a board member, especially if there is an existing personal relationship.
2. Make a list of the top 10/25/50 donors to your organization who haven’t given since 2019 or before, and call them. Ask them why they haven’t given – did your organization upset them, did they lose interest? You may not always like what you hear but you will learn a lot, and just by having a conversation you will likely spark some renewed support on at least some of the calls. Ask your board members to make some of these calls too.
3. Ask the vendors that your organization supports throughout the year to support your organization, if they haven’t already. This includes your landlord, your printer, your payroll processor, the company that maintains your office equipment. Make a list of every entity that your organization writes a check to and reach out to them. They have a vested interest in your success.
4. Use your organization’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages to reach new audiences. Post about great things your organization is doing, highlight success stories, and occassionally include an ask. Get started now as part of a Giving Tuesday (11/30) campaign you might have planned. Make sure that you link to a place where they can donate online. Ask your board members and employees to share the post on their pages.
5. Send a year end appeal by mail to everyone on your donor list that you aren’t reaching out to personally. Even the ones who’ve already given this year. Just because they’ve already given once doesn’t mean they won’t consider an additional request. Make sure your appeal tells the story of someone that your organization has helped – people relate to people, not statistics.
The first four of these five ideas cost virtually nothing to implement, they just take some time. That’s where board members can really step up to the plate, many hands make light work!