Last updated on December 14, 2015
Regardless of where your career leads you, there will probably be a situation in which you are involved in fundraising. You may even find that you are heavily involved in fundraising in your personal life. If you are going to be a part of any fundraiser, you might as well be effective! These tips can help anyone become more effective and successful with their fundraising efforts.
#1 Start Early and Plan Well
Many people forget how important timing is to fundraising. Rushing a fundraiser is not effective. When you start a fundraising it is important that you set a deadline for your fundraiser and that you give yourself an adequate amount of time to be able to reach your goal. When you are in the planning phase of your fundraiser you should set a goal for the amount of money you need to raise. It is okay to have a goal that you know you need to stretch for, but it is important that you have an attainable goal.
#2 Network
A huge part of fundraising is going to be reaching out to every person that you know. Remember your old college roommate? Give him a call! Your boss at your first job out of college? Send her an email! You will be surprised by the people that respond and donate money to your cause. Be sure that you are tactful when you ask, to make sure you can maintain the relationship. If someone says no, don’t ask them again. You will not ruin relationships by asking your contacts once.
#3 Emails
In today’s world emails are a necessary part of fundraising. When you are drafting your emails you should make sure that every email explains why you are raising money, why it is important to you, and where, exactly, the money is going. Once you have these basic facts nailed down, you will then want to create an email schedule. Set a date for your initial email introducing your fundraiser, a second email asking for the donations, an update or progress email, and a ‘last chance’ email. Set the schedule for your emails and stick with it.
#4 Social Media
Social media can make a huge difference in your fundraising campaign. It is necessary that you understand how you are going to create a compelling social media strategy. The more personal you can get with your social media strategy the easier it will be for people to relate to what you are doing and feel compelled to donate. Talk about the individuals that this money will be effecting and tell their story. If you don’t have access to this information, talk about why the campaign is important to you.
#5 Gratitude
When your fundraiser is coming to an end, it is imperative that you express gratitude. Expressing gratitude throughout the campaign is a great way to make people feel like they are making a difference. Sending personalized thank you cards is a great way to express gratitude.
Whether you are fundraising in Alexandria or in New York City, the premise of your fundraising campaign will be the same. Although the details of fundraising in Alexandria will be different than in New York City these five tips will help you become a better fundraiser no matter where you are.
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