Fundraising is important and not only for raising funds but the process also helps mobilise all the different sections of society for a cause. Consider, for instance, Oxfam’s campaign for the right of labours at Assam’s tea plantations. Their campaign reached hundreds of thousands of people, a fraction of whom also supported the campaign with money, also building thereupon a stake in their campaign for everyone and ultimately increasing their campaign’s likelihood of success. It is, however, difficult for grassroots nonprofit organisations to pull out such nationwide campaigns for two reasons: limited human resource and lack of strategy. There is little you as a grassroots organisation can do about the first but the latter could be resolved with consistent efforts and a strategy. Below is a list of do’s and don’ts of effective fundraising for nonprofits.
Do’s first
- Budget your project. Your organisation already does that, right? But your next programmes should be funded partially through individual donations, as well. To do this, budget your project and a fraction of expenses would be dedicated to the activities planned to raise individual funds for your project.
- Plan a set of activities. These activities may include street plays, conferences, webinars, an online petition and more. Remember that your activities are not directed towards raising funds but creating awareness about the issue your project is directed at.
- Design a time-bound fundraising campaign. Open donation portals on a decided date and close it on the deadline. A deadline gives your organisation and the public a target to meet within a time frame.
- Keep your audience up to date with all your activities. You want to refer to this blog to understand the importance of a strong online presence. For now, your website and social media handles are wonderful tools to engage your stakeholders and keep them up to date with your activities and achievements.
- Be transparent. Be transparent with your stakeholders and publish your expenditure accounts in the public domain. It goes a long way to building a loyal community for your campaigns.
Don’ts to avoid:
- Don’t run your fundraising campaign on multiple platforms. You have a limited human resource and it would be difficult for your organisation to be active on multiple donation portals. Choose one or two platforms and be active on them.
- Don’t run your campaign with the sole purpose of raising funds. Your activities such as street plays and webinars are targeted at everyone including children and people who might not be able to fund you. Your purpose is to build a stake in your campaign for everyone, regardless of whether they have put their money in it or not.
- Don’t burden your employees with an additional duty of fundraising. It is better to have either an employee dedicated for such campaigns and activities or you may get external help. When outsourcing, remember that it is your campaign. The external agency may help strategise, organise and run the campaign but you will still need to engage and dedicate time and efforts in order for your campaign to be effective.
Woah! That’s a lot there for you to work on. Let us help you build your personalised fundraising campaign for free. Just drop us a text or call us and we shall get back to you within 24 hours.
Here’s to effective fundraising for nonprofits.