Top fundraising strategies that actually work
If there’s ever a right time to support nonprofit groups and charitable institutions, it would be now. With more and more people getting involved in various social issues, millennials willing to spend more on products for a cause and investing on companies who stand for values that they share, it is now easier to find support where it is needed.
But more than the right timing, there are also a wealth of strategies and innovations that nonprofit groups and charitable organizations can apply to streamline their operations and find a sustainable way to ensure funding. What are they and can they be applied to your own group? Most definitely. Here are our top strategies:
Find a fundraising software that works
Since we are in the digital stage, it is almost automatic that nonprofit groups and charitable institutions should also turn to technology to help them from operations to launching projects.
A digital software could help streamline operations, allowing different organizations to treat their institutions like a working business. This allows transparency and innovation, so groups with a mission can carry out their vision efficiently.
Now there are various software available for use. Here are some of our favorites:
First is the Donor Search Online tool. This would be great for all nonprofits as they can use these tools to gain insight into possible prospects who can support their cause. This tool works by getting access to other organizations a possible donor has previously supported, find significant stock transactions and other information on different philanthropic activities.
Another software to use is Salsa, which is a great software for starting non-profits. This tool is a fundraising software that helps nonprofits raise funds through the building of an impeccable, branded forms and with responsive online pages for fundraising.
This software has a lot of features like creating impressive fundraising emails with prominent donate buttons and also lets groups send automatic thank-you emails that can be triggered via an online gift registry. Salsa also helps nonprofit groups build their database via a Drag and Drop Form Builder.
This software is not for free, however, and could cause a few hundred dollars for the set-up.
Going mobile
In line with software tools, going mobile to do fundraising is one of the most convenient and vast-reaching strategies for fundraising. According to an article by Top Nonprofits, smartphones can leverage on the smartphone ubiquity in various fundraising projects by working with mobile giving.
Unlike online donations, mobile giving is considered “logistically smart” since supporters do not need to open any digital mailbox where a password is needed. This strategy also reaches out to more people as they can give a nonprofit group access even to people who are not on the internet.
Mobile donation can be done by allowing people to send contributions by simply replying to text messages or answering a call. Aside from these advantages, mobile giving also provides “information capture.” Calls and SMS can be used to help nonprofits collect details needed for donor segmentation that can help them in future campaigns.
Hire someone in the know
Much like any business, getting the right people to help you and your nonprofit operations could be the right direction to make fundraising effective. With more activities seemingly occupying charitable group staff members (especially now that more supporters want to be involved), it would be wise to tap on people who can help with other tasks.
This is where a fundraising consultant comes in. According to Top Nonprofit, getting a fundraising consultant might be able to help with the following functions: Campaign planning, feasibility studies, campaign direction, executive search, leadership training, and embedded staffing.
Exponential, Inc., (XPO²), a cause-related technology marketing startup founded by Dom Einhorn, a French-American entrepreneur, is a top choice when looking for fundraising consultants.
Driven by the idea that nonprofit groups and charitable institutions should be able to help themselves raise funds and promote their cause to the general public, XPO² helps by assisting these organizations using some state-of-the-art marketing suite.
Various social issues and corresponding groups addressing them, are listed on XPO²’s website and each organization is presented in a way that clearly puts their message across along with options on how to help them like direct contribution or volunteerism. Supporters can choose to help their favorite cause by viewing ongoing projects which XPO² personally vets.
These include helping institutions who send aid to nations affected by natural disasters, those who take care of orphan children from various countries, those who help developing countries with access to education and even those who promote animal rights all over the world.
XPO² can function as a digital agency as the team behind this group has notable expertise in marketing, branding, and PR.
Aside from using technology, this platform has definitely changed the way most organizations try to raise funds for operations, combining strong marketing and a sound corporate social responsibility program that address both organizations and supporters.
What’s also great about tapping this group is that they focus mostly on small- to medium-sized NGOs, where every single dollar contributed goes directly to the cause. Working on this scale ensures that the marginalized sector doesn’t get left behind and that they can expect help no matter where they are.
XPO² is targeting to help 10,000 NGOs and charitable institutions to start making a big change at a community level.
Working with consultants like XPO² means that nonprofit groups have the option to work on a per project or long-term basis that will be comfortable for the group being supported.
So there you have it, these three strategies aim to combine technology and people to carry out the noble causes and values of various nonprofit groups. With the right tool and the right platform, groups can definitely carry out fundraising the best way they can and hopefully, it can run a long time to help make a difference in the world.
