How To Find New Donors

Are you ready for what I’m about to tell you?

This month (March 2023) marks the three-year anniversary since the world stopped with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can you believe the past three years we have lived through? I was just talking to someone about how we first all thought we would “social distance” for a couple of weeks and then this would be over.

And yet here we are, still facing COVID cases, but for the most part, life has returned to normal.

But maybe not fully normal.

Our work lives have totally changed. There has been a shift in priorities like we never could have dreamt of just three years and one month ago:

• A renewed focus on inclusivity and diversity.

• An openness towards promoting mental health.

• And allowance for work from home and video calls.

So think back to March 2020. Did you have to immediately shift your work setting? Your operations? Your mindset?

When it comes to fundraising, I remember those first few months of the pandemic: there was a lot of debate about what to do.

• Should we ask donors for support?

• Was that insensitive?

• Should we cancel our capital campaigns?

• Will we even have a nonprofit organization in existence when this is all over?

• What staff will still be around?

With the favor of hindsight, we now know that the nonprofit organizations that continued to fundraise, continued to build relationships, and continued to make the case for their needs were able to survive the pandemic and some even brought in more money than ever.

Donating money during the pandemic was a way for people to feel like they were doing something in a world where no one felt safe, in control, or hopeful.

Let’s come back to the present now.  

How are your fundraising donor acquisition numbers? 

Are you still able to offer the in-person events that you once did? Or is there a lack of interest in people paying high-priced tickets for a gala like they once did? Or did your organization decide it wasn’t “worth it”?

Are you still running paid ads on various social media platforms? Or are you having challenges breaking through the noise (because every other nonprofit is also advertising on those same platforms)?

Think back – or even better – look at your data over the past five years. Do you have a sense of how your new donors came in?

Now let’s think about where to focus your efforts. 2023 is different from 2020 and very different from 2018. So what worked in the past is not necessarily going to work now.

We all know that it is more cost-efficient to renew your current donors than to acquire new ones (see some tips for donor stewardship here and here).

But in order to grow, you NEED to acquire new donors.

Where to begin?

Always start with the basics.

First – what is the money for? Why do you need it?

If you are going to acquire a new donor, you need to not only explain why your cause matters, but what is YOUR organization doing about it.

Think of it this way – what is the problem a donor might have? And how is YOUR organization the solution?

That is what needs to be shared with all your prospective donors.

We’ve also been seeing that younger donors (think under 30 years old) are less organizationally loyal and more cause-focused.

What does that mean in practical terms?

A young donor might give $100 to you last year, and then $100 to a similar-mission organization this year, and then a third organization the next.

Because they get excited about what is happening at the time. And who draws their attention.

And friends, there is a lot of competition out there.

So you need to really explain what sets you apart. What do you do uniquely?

And why now?

Second – play up your strengths.

Remember how four lines before I said there is a lot of competition out there?

How are you going to acquire new donors when there are so many other great causes to support?

You need to emphasize what is great about your organization. Not just the cause, but show off your assets!

So if you have a super engaging and charismatic CEO – put them out there.

 If you have a physical facility that shows (not just tells) how you help people, show it off!

 If you’ve been able to make achievements over time that can be displayed graphically – USE IT.

USE YOUR STRENGTHS.

Finally, remember that old marketing rule that someone needs to hear/see/experience a message at least seven times in order for someone to take action?

That’s not far off when it comes to fundraising too. You cannot just make the case once or twice and expect everyone to just go ahead and click “donate”.

Say it again and again and again. Why you need the funding. Who you are helping. Why now. Clearly explain how to help.

Also try testing different platforms, different messages, different speakers of the message, different images. Different people will connect differently. So test to see what works.

People like to be generous. They just need to know how. So tell them. Be clear that you are asking for a financial donation, not just to “support our work”. Support is an unclear word.

So how do you find new donors? It isn’t overly complicated.

1)    Clearly and persuasively explain how your organization solves a problem your donor cares about

2)    Show off your strengths

3)    Message again and again over multiple platforms

Need some more help? This is exactly the type of work we can do together. Contact me to learn more.

P.S. – Stay tuned for next month where we’ll dive into the value of your lapsed donors and how to re-engage them.