In a world dominated by social media and digital technology, fundraising trends, strategies, and best practices evolve at a rapid pace. New and creative ways of asking for donor support emerge so quickly that it can be hard for organizations to keep up.
For many nonprofit founders, fundraising is just one of your many, many responsibilities, you barely have time to run through each activity how much more to stay on top of trends, and put into practice the things you learn.
When we work with third sector leaders, oftentimes they ask us what are some of the ways to know it’s time to have a strategy in place as well as a possible fundraiser.
Below are some ideas;
You don’t have enough in-house staff:
Many successful nonprofits often have departments dedicated to fundraising that include independent teams that handle all the moving parts. If your nonprofit has big goals but only a handful of people who can dedicate their time to fundraising activities, it may be time to consider hiring outside help.
Training in-house staff:
Sometimes, even if you have enough in-house staff members responsible for fundraising, they may not have the necessary expertise. It may be helpful to hire a fundraising consultant instead.
Reaching untapped audiences:
As a nonprofit founder, sometimes all you may know is the information available within your immediate network. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot more outside your network. Engaging fundraising professionals who work with dozens of organizations just like yours and have a network of potential partners, vendors, and sponsors will give you access to an untapped audience. They can see opportunities and ways to expose your organization to new audiences.
Planning a fundraising program:
Creating a new fundraising program from scratch requires experience in that area and a deep understanding of how to maximize your organization’s resources. Your in-house staff will be able to maintain the program once it’s up and running, but it’s not a bad idea to get someone to help plan and implement it.
Launching a capital campaign:
Campaigns are an enormous undertaking and often take time to execute. They involve a lot of moving parts and rely on each fundraising program working in unison toward the same mission. Even if you have a full staff of experienced fundraisers, it can still be helpful to hire outside help to plan the campaign and keep it on track.
Becoming a better digital fundraiser:
We rely on digital technology for just about everything, and its role in fundraising will only continue to grow and evolve. By learning new digital fundraising skills and learning from experts, you can help your organization meet its donors where they are—online.
Now, we have talked about why you need a strategy and the realities that surround having a successful campaign.
In our upcoming e-course, we will be breaking it down and showing you a lot down to ways to approach your potential sponsors and fundraisers.
Do click HERE to be the first to know.
