Who donates to a Non-profit and who doesn’t? What moves donors to donate? Leah Lamb, in the 3rd post in this Series, shares the three things she regularly strives to do to successfully motivate people to give.
Fundraising should rarely be done by a single person (or department) within a non-profit organization. To put it simply, Lone Rangers rarely flourish.
SHARE
Leah Lamb
As I stated in my first post: “In general, people give to people, not necessarily to organizations or causes”. Seeing the ‘good work’ done by someone, volunteering for a non-profit, or interacting with a member of a non-profit’s Board of Directors are what typically, I’ve observed, spark one to donate.
- There is one exception to this I will share with you. When someone is personally affected by a medical situation, an organization raising funds for a health-related cause can be cause-driven and succeed. The personal dynamic of what one has experienced, or witnessed first hand in a relative or friend, can drive one’s giving in such situations.
Excite, Engage, Involve, Giving
My fundraising experience has taught me the best way to motivate Giving to an organization. I strive to do these three things:
- Excite
- Engage
- Involve
A good fundraiser is able to compel an engaged person to get involved and give. I’ve found that first getting people excited and engaged makes it easier for me to transform them to be an involved giver.
It’s a Team ‘Sport’
Fundraising isn’t an individual activity, it’s a team sport! This is more like NBA basketball than PGA golf. When Michael Jordan won his six championships, he wasn’t on the court playing one against five! Similarly, no effective fundraiser can truly ‘win’ going solo. It takes an entire team. Lone Rangers need not apply.
A fundraiser’s ability to successfully compel people to give is benefited by having good research (donors), good technological tools, and a good board. Having unpaid volunteers who support your organization can make a fundraiser’s job easier too.
The following four questions should be considered when assessing one’s fundraising:
- Who on your Team does the research?
When a fundraiser has adequate information on current and prospective donors, they know who they’re talking to. They know what the person is interested in. They know the relevant angles to excite and engage and hopefully spark a person’s involvement.
- Who makes sure you have adequate, reliable technology?
- Are your Board members out in the community? They can serve as enthusiastic Ambassadors for your non-profit. Just being affiliated with the organization may motivate some to give to your non-profit. Like the Executive Director, who is the face of the non-profit, those on the Board of Directors should have a presence beyond the boardroom.
- Am I able to recruit and effectively manage volunteers?
LEARN
- People ‘buy’ people first, and then the mission behind them.
- Giving is stimulated on this premise Lamb believes. Excite, Engage, Involve (in this order) leads folks to give.
-
Key considerations and abilities to have in place for successful fundraising:
- Research – Define your target and know who they are
- Technology – Use digital tools and social media to get the word out
- The Board of Directors should echo the Executive Director in creating a presence in the community.
- Volunteers can be helpful to maximize an organization’s efforts.
GROW
The role of Technology
In the Information Technology space there is a hot buzzword that you may or may not have heard of: Big Data. Now I presume that most of you have heard of the Cloud; well big data is almost as large. Why does it matter to Non-profits?
A quick example may illustrate the point.
A father walks into a Target store and in a “huff” proceeds to the customer service counter. He quickly exclaims “How dare you send these coupons to my daughter for these products in the ‘baby’ section as if she were pregnant!!”
I’m sure all of you reading this would be equally incensed – about receiving coupons for pre-birth needs (at your home) addressed to your daughter. Yet, here’s the reality: Target, based on her purchasing habits, has a very strong belief that she is pregnant. And guess what; they are right and the Dad is wrong. Unfortunately, the store knew before he did – of his daughter’s pregnancy. Not very comforting, but today this represents the value of data and analytics.
What are you doing in small or larger ways in your non-profit organization to learn more about your clients and your donors?
How are you using Social Media,Crowdfunding, or automated email campaigns to reach your clients?
Fundraising in a ‘culture of philanthropy’
What is the culture within the four walls of your non-profit as it relates to fundraising? Is fundraising the job of just the Executive Director or the Development Director? Does your organization, on the other hand, foster an inclusive mindset as it pertains to fund-raising? A recent article (16 Nonprofits That Defy Fundraising Logic – and Make It Work) in The Chronicle of Philanthropy stated:
“Embrace a culture of philanthropy in which among other things, fundraising is a shared responsibility throughout the organization.”
“I believe every worker is an organizer, and among other things, every organizer is a fundraiser”
In the end, with the advent of the smartphone, a booming Internet, and many social media (web) platforms, it’s clear that the role of technology has evolved considerably. We all get that. Add to that this realization: Fundraising is a shared responsibility within non-profits. Consequently, we think there’s a lot of room for growth within many organizations.
Leah Lamb’s fundraising focus seems to lie in a simple, but powerful mantra: Excite, Engage, Involve, Giving. Is fundraising something best done solo? Lamb believes it isn’t. This seasoned professional is right! A non-profit’s sustainability is put at risk when fundraising isn’t seen as a team sport.
Raise funds right. How you answer the 4 questions Lamb raised above will help you honestly assess if your non-profit is raising funds right – or not.
Photo credit: iStock
Your Outcomes Well
Subscribe to get our latest content by email.
