Non-profit organizations are very different from companies because they are mission-driven and aim to serve the community’s needs. With the common goal of value creation in mind, companies have the wisdom of non-profits having more significant influence and doing more effectively. If a non-profit organization benefits from running the organization properly, profits should not increase in returns. Profit is ultimately a social effect. But for maximum efficiency, non-profits need to invest in themselves, just as companies do. What can your non-profit organization do to succeed and make real progress in accomplishing your mission? Read Social Enterprises ideas for non-profits your non-profit can learn from old business practices.
Encourage donations through fundraising events.
Fundraising events are an effective way to interact with donors, grow communities, and celebrate the mission of non-profits with a large audience. Encouraging diversifying funding for non-profits at fundraising events will allow non-profit organizations to ensure long-term financing due to a diversified donor base. This is an easy, efficient and convenient way to get more people to donate to the cause.
Look for donors and not money.
Remember that the ultimate goal of a fundraising campaign is to look for donors and not money, people who expect to have a good gift experience. Donors take action if you ask them and make donating easy, beautiful and fun or simply in line with their needs and expectations.
Let’s not push the good cause, but let’s get pulled by this.
It would help if you remembered that people give to people to help others; this is the essence of raising grant applications for non-profits. The fundraiser’s purpose is to build a relationship, a bond, between the donor and the recipient who receives. It is therefore essential to enhance the cause by dialoguing with the donor, not to try to “place” or “sell” a “good or socially useful” product.
Programming and planning are the keys to success.
One of the characteristics that differentiate fundraising from begging is planning. Programming means having a goal and establishing how to achieve it. This allows the donor to be shown that he is involved in something concrete, increases the possibility of reaching the plan, and facilitates reporting.
Analysis of donor behaviour
Testing, trying and making mistakes are the first operational steps towards an excellent non-profit fund development strategy. You cannot program forever or remain theoretical; to see if what you have thought and programmed works, you have to try; there is no other option that holds. Fundraising is based on a good analysis of donor behaviour, and to have re-actions, one must ask and do.
Don’t forget to thank your donors.
It is the best way to start successful donor care: donors are activated precisely because the donation brings them meaning. So giving back, reciprocating beginning with a “thank you” for what you did, is a fundamental step to start the relationship with your donors in the right way (and the first loyalty activity over time).
There are many fundraising tools, and non-profit organizations are not necessarily able to use them all. Some tools are defined as more effective about the relationship between investment and result, but it must be considered that each tool has its characteristics and potential. It is essential to find and plan the right mix of tools, taking into account the fundraising strategy adopted by the institution and the target of donors it intends to reach.
