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3 Simple Communication Tips to Help Your Nonprofit Build Healthy Relationships With Donors

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A guest post by Elena Stewart

Nonprofit communication has changed drastically in recent decades. In the 1990’s, most people didn’t expect a personalized experience when dealing with the organizations they supported. Nonprofits would send a letter in the mail, and donors would send back a check — and that was it.

Now, organizations (and businesses) use algorithms, CRM software, and automation tools to personalize everything from our shopping carts to our newsfeeds. As a result, we expect personalization. And you can rest assured that your donors do too!

But donors are after more than a personalized experience; they want to feel that they have the inside scoop and a sense of belonging with the organizations they support. And they want to know they’re making a positive impact. Below are three practical communication tips for connecting with your donors!

Know the Core Functions of Your Strategy  

First, you must know how to create a successful donor communications strategy, which involves identifying your core functions. For example, you’ll need to focus on telling impactful stories about people instead of relying on statistics and numbers. A personal story about someone directly impacted by your organization can be powerful and inspiring.

You should also plan to regularly update your donors about the progress your nonprofit is making in the community and the world. Of course, you should always communicate how their contributions have made an impact.

Furthermore, it’s important to allow your donors to participate in the conversation. When people give their money to a nonprofit, they want to feel like they belong to the community and contribute to the world’s betterment. Take advantage of your donors’ expertise and resources when strategizing, and give them a platform to share ideas and opinions.

Send Email

Once you have your core functions in place, it’s time to make a plan for executing your donor communications strategy. To do so, you’ll need to choose the appropriate channels.

Chances are you already use email because it has long been among the most common platforms for donor communications. But there may be some things you can do to improve results.

For example, make sure each email is personalized by including the donor’s name, contribution amounts, and years with the nonprofit. And consider that email tends to lack the personal touch of a phone call. Think of ways to warm up your messages by recalling bits of your last conversation with the donor or mentioning their specific interests or recent donations.

You should also respond quickly when a donor emails you. When someone sends an email, it shows they are engaged in your nonprofit, and you want to maintain their enthusiasm with a fast and personal response.

And, of course, every email you send should be relevant to your organization’s goals, challenges, and progress. The occasional uplifting story can also go a long way in inspiring action!

Engage on Social Media   

If your nonprofit is not active on social media, now’s the time to engage. Develop your social media strategy around age and other demographics to determine which platforms to focus on for your messaging. Social media is an excellent way to post updates about your nonprofit, interact with donors and other supporters, and promote your cause.

You can even build a community by growing your online presence. Look for free tools that allow you to design custom infographics for explaining the challenges and victories occurring in your community.

Meet In-Person

We live in a digital world, but face-to-face communication is as powerful as ever. Look for opportunities to meet people in person so you can have natural conversations without the possibility of technical issues. The right body language and connecting on a human level can do wonders for moving people to become donors or continue their contributions.

 

There are many other ways to build healthy relationships with your donors through communication. A well-timed text message or handwritten letter, for example, can inspire people to action.

But the ideas above can help you lay a firm foundation for your donor communications strategy. Keep learning how to get your organization’s message across more effectively, and stay true to your mission and values along the way!

 

Would you like to read more helpful content or learn about communication consulting services for nonprofit organizations? Visit DennisFischman.com today!

Elena Stewart made the jump from a corporate job she wasn’t entirely happy with, to running her own business that gives her the financial freedom and flexible lifestyle she’s always wanted. As a life coach, she now gets the happiness of helping others get to the places that might seem out of reach.

Fundraising Tuesday: Write the Donor a Love Letter

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Listen, my friends: I’ve been trying to tell you how to write the ideal appeal letter in many different ways.

I’ve mentioned that your Board is not your audience, it’s your donors…and that you need to make your donor feel like the hero of the story, and get to know them, remember them, and thank them.

Forget what I said. Someone I just met said it better.

Why Donors Give

I was speaking to a conference of people with disabilities in the northeast U.S. I was explaining that bragging about your organization and its accomplishments may make donors say, “That’s nice, but why should I care?”

I told them donors give not because you do good work but because giving makes them feel good about themselves. “Because of you,” the nonprofit should say to the donor, “a wonderful thing is happening.”

One participant at the conference turned his wheelchair to face me and raised his hand. “Now I get it,” he said.”What you’re saying is You want to write the donor a love letter. Click To Tweet

Why a Good Appeal Letter is like a Love Letter

love letter

Brown paper card-sized envelope sealed with a valentine sticker

No heartsick suitor ever won his lady’s love by boasting. “I’m so great. I’ve done so well in so many ways. I deserve your love, so love me.” Sorry, Romeo, that’s not going to touch the heart.

What you have to say in your letter is what makes the other person–in this case, the donor–so love-able. Their values. The cause they support. The difference they make with each donation.

Persuade your donor that it’s their action that changes the world for the endangered people, species, or ecosystem they care about. Your organization is the vehicle by which they express what’s best about themselves–but only the vehicle.

Don’t focus on getting them to love you. Show the donor you love them.

Are you puzzled about how to write a love letter to your donor? Email me at [email protected] I’ll be your Cyrano and show you the way to your donor’s heart.

Fundraising Tuesday: Crowdfunding vs. Traditional Fundraising, A Quick Guide

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A guest post by Lomesh Shah, Fundly

Traditional fundraising activities like nonprofit events are well-known to many of us, but other forms of fundraising, like crowdfunding, may be less familiar.

Regardless of what kind of fundraising you’re used to, this quick guide will explain the benefits and drawbacks of traditional fundraising and crowdfunding campaigns. Thoroughly understanding both of these types of fundraising activities will ensure that you engage in the most effective strategies for your organization, whether you use only one type or a combination of both. Let’s dive in!

What Is Crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a typically online fundraising activity that relies on social sharing and many individual donations to meet fundraising goals. These campaigns usually consist of

  1. A main online campaign page that describes the fundraiser’s purpose,
  2. A donation button for donors
  3. A fundraising thermometer or a similar feature to visually track the fundraiser’s progress.

Individual donors can share the link to the page with their friends, primarily on social media, to spread the word. On the campaign page, donors make a one-time donation with their credit card. Usually, these donations can be anonymous or choose to have their name attached, and their information will not be added to your donor database.

According to Fundly’s crowdfunding statistics, most crowdfunding campaign donors are aged 24-35, so this is a great way to reach new and younger donors.

What are the benefits?

Crowdfunding is a great digital-first form of fundraising that any nonprofit can engage in. If you’re considering trying crowdfunding, consider some of these benefits: 

  • You can reach more first-time donors. Because this is entirely online and your supporters will be sharing it on their own personal social media pages, your exposure to new donors is much higher.
  • It has a very low cost. Many crowdfunding platforms, like Fundly, have very low platform fees that make it easy and affordable to start your crowdfunding campaign in just a few minutes.
  • It requires less planning than an event. In order to be successful, some planning will still be required. However, not having to plan an entire event to raise money can save you a lot of time.

What are the limitations?

Despite the many benefits, it’s also important to consider the potential limitations of crowdfunding: 

  • Individual donations are often small. The average individual donation is $66, which simply means you need to ensure you receive more individual donations than you might in a traditional fundraiser.
  • The platform you use is important. Picking the right crowdfunding website that is affordable, mobile-friendly, and has all the features you need can make or break your campaign. Do your research and offer a great user experience to your donors.
  • You will need your community’s help to spread the word. While you will do some marketing of your own, in order to be successful, your community members must spread your campaign far and wide on their own social media channels. After all, 12% of Facebook shares convert to donations!

What Is Traditional Fundraising?

Traditional fundraising involves many of the activities we associate with fundraising, such as silent auctions, bake sales, galas, and other fundraising events. These fundraisers used to be exclusively in-person, but now also take place in hybrid and even fully virtual formats.

While first-time attendees and donors are always welcomed and encouraged at these events, you are likely to see many more familiar faces of dedicated supporters. However, other types of traditional fundraising activities, like pledge fundraisers, can garner donations from many different people, while the actual participants are often still your existing supporters.

Traditional fundraising is a great way to engage your supporters and secure larger gifts or recurring donations while hosting an exciting fundraising event.

What are the benefits?

You’re likely more familiar with traditional fundraising, but you may not have considered all of the benefits that it brings, such as: 

  • Traditional events can reinforce donor loyalty. Seeing your donors in-person or even connecting during a hybrid or virtual event is a great way to grow their sense of community and dedication to your specific organization.
  • You can use prospect research to secure larger donations. When it comes to finding major donors, prospect research is the “perfect tool” according to Double the Donation. This can help you reach your fundraising goals, even with a smaller donor pool for a specific campaign.
  • You have more control over the marketing efforts. Unlike crowdfunding, you won’t have to rely on your supporters sharing your campaign for success. You’ll be able to use email marketing, direct mail, social media marketing, and more to reach all of your existing supporters and potential new donors.

What are the limitations?

While traditional fundraising has a longer track record, it still does come with some limitations that are important to consider: 

  • Events take much more planning. While events can be very impactful, they do take a lot more planning to be successful and ensure a great experience for everyone who attends. There are many more moving pieces to consider when planning an event.
  • The cost of an event is higher. In addition to more planning, you’ll also have to spend more to host an exciting event. Depending on how much you raise, the cost can be more than worth it, but this is a factor to consider when deciding on what kind of fundraiser to host.
  • You will likely reach fewer new donors. This does not mean that you won’t reach any new donors. It simply means that with traditional fundraising, your established supporters are often much more likely to participate.

Both types of fundraising can be very successful for your organization with the proper planning and preparation. Take your budget, staff, goals, and current donor base into consideration when deciding which fundraising activity will be best for you.

 

Lomesh Shah head shot for crowdfunding

Lomesh Shah has over 25 years of experience in international corporate leadership with a strong emphasis on marketing technology and data management systems. Lomesh has worked with small to mid-size businesses, privately-held companies and Fortune 500 corporations in various capacities; from sales and marketing to overseeing automation and re-engineering of processes and operations.

As CEO of Fundly, Lomesh spends much of his time immersed in the nonprofit industry both as an industry leader, speaker, and in service to several organizations as a board member and volunteer. Outside of the industry, Lomesh is a technology junkie and will give anyone willing to listen an assessment of the latest trends in anything from espresso makers and mobile gadgets to electric cars and wind power.

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