Understanding Operations: 10 Ways to Fundraise Without Asking for a Donation
When we talk to nonprofit leaders about their philanthropic operations, their eyes glaze over, they politely smile, and that nagging thought “I just need to get cash in the door ASAP” overtakes any interest in whatever improvements could be made in their fundraising operations protocols.
Why should anyone care about philanthropy operations when there are so many more urgent priorities?
Well, have you ever tried to make a donation online and wondered if the transaction went through? And the only way you could confirm was by checking your credit card statement?
What about afterwards, when was the next time you heard from the organization? Was it a year later, asking you to make a donation again? If so, you probably weren’t too likely to give again.
Good philanthropy operations are the difference between one person lifting weight all on their own and a whole team of people and systems working together to lighten the load.
When all of your philanthropic systems and processes are working together, that donor has every reason to make their gift again the following year–they may even give without you having to ask!
Here are 10 ways you can fundraise without making an ask:
Annual Report - There is no one-size-fits-all way to create these, but the idea is to show your organization’s impact–how the good work you did all year added up and made a difference in the community. A healthy way to think about someone making a donation is to think of it as an investment–an investment in a hope for a better future because of the work you are doing. Creating even a simple, 1-page Annual Report and sending it to your donor community to show them the impact their investment made encourages them to invest again the next year. And you may not even need to ask!
Online Donation Platform - For many, this is a no-brainer, but donor confidence in online donations has only become widely trusted in the last decade, and many nonprofits haven’t yet caught up. If this is you, get one and add a link to it on your website in your emails and you’ll be amazed at how many donations you will receive that you hadn’t even asked for.
Timely Acknowledgement Letters - If you only issue tax acknowledgement letters once or twice a year, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to demonstrate your organization is worthy of your donor’s investment. Whether you mail or email these (we’d highly recommend email!), the most important thing is to get them to the donor ASAP–within two weeks. Acknowledge the donor’s generosity and give them what they need to write off their donation on their taxes right away, and you’ve given them every reason to donate to your organization again next year.
Personal Thank You Call - Tax acknowledgement letters are important for the handy tax-deduction Uncle Sam gives you, but you’ll make an even bigger impression on your donor if you pick up the phone and tell them how thankful you are for their gift. Pick a donation amount threshold and make it a weekly habit, bonus points if the phone call can come from a Board member. No matter who makes the call, your donor will remember the personal touch and be that much more likely to give again.
Birthday Cards - Everyone likes feeling special on their birthday, and when your organization sends a donor a birthday card, they remember you. “Happy Birthday from your friends at [organization]” with your organization’s logo printed on the card is all you need. Bonus points if you can include your organization leader’s signature on the inside. You don’t have to go crazy with this, after all, “it’s the thought that counts”.
Anniversary Cards - For those donors who navigate life with a partner, celebrating their anniversary along with them is a fantastic way to show your organization’s affection for their partnership. Just like with birthday cards, you don’t need a wild design, but sending the card out so it arrives in-time for their anniversary is the best way to show you care.
Holiday Gifts - The end of the year is the season of giving, and what better way to celebrate your donor community’s generosity than giving back to them. No need to blow your entire budget on these–pick a sensible donation amount threshold and send gifts to donors at this amount and above. Simple, inexpensive gifts that will be appreciated by your donor community go a long way. Bonus points if you can include a handwritten note or deliver it to their doorstep personally. You and your organization will remain in their hearts all year long and they’ll look forward to giving to you once again.
Exclusive Benefits - Though transactional, when your organization provides exclusive, donor-only benefits, nothing sends a more clear message to the donor to donate again than when they lose access to their favorite benefit. Ideally, this is a back-up plan, as losing access without being reminded can do more harm than good. But we all get busy, so seeing your benefits disappear may be the wakeup call needed to write that check!
‘Ways to Give’ Webpage - Every nonprofit should have a dedicated webpage that details out the different ways a potential donor can make a donation to your organization. You never know which way a potential donor is considering making a gift–many have Donor Advised Funds and may have questions about if and how they could direct a gift to your cause. Or maybe they have stock they’re looking to give away for tax purposes before the end of the year. Having a ‘Ways to Give’ page easily accessible that provides the information a donor needs to make a gift without having to get in contact with someone greatly increases the chances that a potential donor actually completes the transaction.
Planned Giving Resources - We don’t usually like to think about our donors passing away, but one day they will. We all will! Each of us has a choice for where our unspent resources go after we pass away, and if you spent years of your life investing in or deeply connected to a nonprofit organization, chances are, if presented in the right way, you’d strongly consider including that organization in your will. If your organization can dedicate a webpage to Planned Giving, create fliers, host luncheon events with a financial advisor, and incorporate language into annual solicitations, you may be surprised when gifts arrive at your organization after your patrons pass away.
BUT…
“We don’t collect donor birthdays or anniversaries.”
“We don’t have the bandwidth to issue acknowledgement letters within two weeks or make phone calls that frequently.”
“We don’t have the budget to generate fancy reports, send gifts, or advertise making gifts years down the line.”
But you can–it is possible! There are a myriad of clever ways to operationalize within even the leanest of budgets to make these practices a reality. Coastal Nonprofit can show you the tricks of the trade and how you can work smarter to attract different types of gifts without relying solely on the heavy lifting of the person making the ask.