There are so many pieces that go into a successful fundraiser. From figuring out what you need funds for to communicating with potential donors, it can get pretty overwhelming! A while back, I worked with a client who had done the same fundraiser for several years with limited success. After tweaking their strategy a bit, we were able to use these fundraising hacks to triple their donations, helping them cover some much-needed budgetary requirements for their upcoming year. Here’s what we changed.
Setting a Firm Financial Goal and Communicating That Goal
While it may seem like you’re putting yourself in a box by telling people a firm number, it’s the opposite! Studies have shown that people are much more likely to give when there’s a solid goal they’re helping you reach.
Why? Think about it like saving up money for something you want to buy. Isn’t it so much easier when you know how much you’re trying to save? Then, you can decide how much you need to save each month and plan your budget. On the other hand, if you don’t know how much to save, it’s easier to keep putting it off and never save anything.
Optimizing Email Subject Lines
You can write and design the best email campaigns, but they won’t help if they never get opened. There are a few tricks to optimize your subject lines that can increase open rates. First, try using personalization in the subject line. For example, put someone’s first name at the beginning.
Second, make sure you include some kind of number as well. It could be a dollar amount, number of donations, or a date. Both personalization and the inclusion of numbers have been shown to increase email open rates.
Focusing on Number of Donors
My client I mentioned earlier primarily focused on trying to hit their dollar amount. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it led them to push people to make large donations. But, by focusing on large donations, they neglected many potential donors who could only give a small amount.
Once we shifted the focus to the number of donors, many more people gave. They still had their large donors but gained many smaller donors who contributed to the overall fundraiser. Since donors who gave before are more likely to give again, this set the client up for even greater fundraising potential in the future.
Share Your Heart
It should be a given, but fundraisers must focus on more than money. Some people may donate to “upgrade your facility,” but many more will donate to “create a space for community.” With my previous client, they had always asked people to “give to our organization.” When we shifted the call to action to “give hope to those who need it most,” there was a much better response.
People want to give to something they feel passionate about. Even if they already support your organization, it’s helpful to remind them why. Connect with their heart and show them yours! Include enough data to build trust, but don’t forget to put your heart behind the fundraiser into your ask.
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