How to get more donors?
Donations help drive your nonprofit, so having a formidable list of committed supporters is essential. In our efforts to help you find and add donors, we have created a list of the best ways to secure them. Here are our top 5 ideas of how you can continue building your contact list today!
1.
System ready to find the right donors. Before you even begin your search for new donors, make sure you have a plan laid out. It is imperative to research your donors before approaching them, especially if you hope to consider them a significant donor. When assessing donor profiles who have already contributed to your cause, decide if they could take a step up to the next level of giving.
Donors come in all shapes and sizes, which means you need to be open to accepting help from those who can give big and those who can provide small. In a study by the Philanthropy Roundtable, they found that lower to middle-income households offer a higher percentage of their income than those wealthier than them. Don’t forget to address all your donors, not only the ones making large donations.
2.
Make things easy. Your donors should know that your process is quick, efficient, and safe to use. Through CharityGiving, you have access to our OneClick Donation system. This software allows donors to make donations in under a minute. All they have to do is enter their phone number to be matched with their previously created account, enter the verification code and amount they want to donate, and click give! In 3 easy steps, you have a seamless donation process that will have your supporters raving.
Go mobile! In a tech-filled world, traditional paper donations have become outdated. Experience Dynamics found that 52% of users said that a negative mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company. Direct emails and social media posts are great ways to find donors and offer them easy ways to give. As for your donation page, it should be eye-catching. Imagery pulls the viewer in, but that is not all that is key. Solid content is necessary to inform your supporter about what the money is for, where it will go, who it will help, and so on. All of this should be easy to find for the donor. Reduce any extra time a donor could waste that could discourage them from donating. With only so much free time in a day, you have to be sure you are smart about your approach to giving.
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Social proof. Social proof is the idea that someone will do something because they heard everyone else was doing it. As humans, we can be easily influenced into things because we heard they were the right thing to do, or that lots of people are doing it, or even just because one of our friends is doing it and we do not want to be left out. For charities, this is a great trait and concept to build from. According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family over all other options of marketing. By using numbers, you are inviting someone to join the hundreds or thousands of people who have done the same thing. For example, placing under your donation box that 1,293 people have already donated.
4.
Report on impact. It is important to report back on all data. Reporting is how you build a relationship with your donors. Open and honest transparency makes you more trustworthy when it comes to dealing with someone’s money. By sharing information about your impact, it shows donors what has been achieved thus far and what goals for future endeavors may entail. Fidelity Charitable found that 41% of donors changed their giving due to increased knowledge of a nonprofit’s effectiveness.
5.
Say thanks. Be sure to take advantage of the moment at hand. On the confirmation page post donation, direct donors to your social media accounts, website or videos. The best way to promote your cause is to keep them in the loop. Another great technique is a thank you e-receipt sent directly to their email. It has been found that email is still very popular, especially regarding online donation. In the future, because you now have this email on file, you can send direct mail with links to donation causes.
By following these simple steps, you increase your ability to gain more donors for your cause. While some of these may seem familiar or obvious, they are often the first steps to glance over.
