Your supporters love your nonprofit and the work that you do. Many of them want to raise funds for your nonprofit or cause, but don't know how to approach it.
We know it's a real struggle to fundraise effectively when you're not a professional fundraiser. We're with you and want to help your supporters become the best fundraisers possible.
To do that, we combed through the thousands of individuals who used our fundraising platform and selected some of the most successful to study. We examined what and how much they raised, and identified seven habits they all had in common; a few experts weighed in, as well.
We can't guarantee that your supporters will raise a ton in donations easily, but if they follow these suggestions, they'll be on the right track.
1. Personalize your fundraising
Online fundraising is most effective when it's made personal. Personality and passion have to shine through in any type of fundraising effort. Making the campaign personal gives your cause credibility. Personal connections motivate people to give more than the cause in and of itself.
2. Use multiple ways to raise awareness
To get maximum exposure for your fundraiser, ask your personal network of friends, family, and co-workers; use different ways to reach out to them. This doesn't mean you should incessantly blast out streams of messages to your network asking for donations. Be mindful to pick the best methods to reach your audiences.
3. Keep up the human connections
Help other people connect with the cause and need by focusing on being human. Meet people face-to-face to help them understand your passion for and commitment to the cause. Humanize your messages to each individual to help build a connection.
4. Emphasize how everyone can make a difference
Small efforts make big differences. That's why you fundraise for your organization. Unfortunately, many people choose not to donate because they don't believe their contribution will make a difference. We found that the most successful fundraisers show their friends and family that even small contributions amount to big, tangible results.
5. Your cause is worth the effort
Getting donations for a cause isn't easy. You'll have to persevere through some dry spells and be assured that your efforts matter – because they really do! Successful fundraisers found that their work was never done; there was always more that they could do.
6. Remind others to contribute
Update and share progress with friends and family. This is an opportunity to remind others of your fundraising progress and how they can help. Sometimes it takes multiple efforts to make progress.
7. Be appreciative
Always thank your donors and supporters. A simple “thank you” spurs further action from your donor. Being thankful for each donation shows how important the donor is – no matter how large or small the donation amount.
To read more and hear from experts, download the free ebook, "7 Habits of Effective Personal Fundraisers". If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at hello@causevox.com or visit us at www.causevox.com.
Rob is a Founder at CauseVox, an innovative online fundraising platform that empowers nonprofits to easily design their own fundraising sites for campaigns and personal/team fundraising. Most recently, Rob co-created SXSWCares, a campaign that raised over $120,000 in 10 days. His work has been recognized by the Mayor of Austin and featured in the NYTimes, CNN, Forbes, and NPR. Rob spends his free time helping NGOs abroad solve social problems more effectively. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.