As pandemic restrictions are relaxed, many non-profit organizations are putting their plans for their fundraising events in higher gear. Fundraising galas are one of the best ways to reach the organization’s key donors and stakeholders. They bring out the committed supporters of the organization and the cause it stands for. The success of many such events depends largely on effective outreach strategies employed by the organization.
Many non-profits rely heavily on their mailing lists of donors and supporters. Others use more personal tools such as telephone calls, text messages or hand-written letters. The perennial question is what method is most effective and least objectionable by the target audience?
Your Great Event was recently engaged by one of our non-profit clients to conduct a survey of what method of communication was best to keep in touch with donors in the pandemic era—and perhaps beyond. What follows is a summary of our findings.
The success of some non-profits in raising funds during the pandemic was somewhat of surprise even for the organization. The pandemic handed more than a few challenges to some non-profits, one of which was that staying in touch with donors who were stuck at home became very difficult if not impossible. The more successful organizations devised novel ways to keep the connection with their donor community alive—and not always with overt financial contribution requests.
The survey also revealed that the progressive nonprofits benefitted from learning a thing or two about the people who support them. For instance, contrary to popular belief, donors welcome meaningful phone calls. They open individually-addressed letters, while they are somewhat leery about generic emails. Communiques were favorably viewed if they contained important information about the organization and especially its staff. Thank-you notes signed by employees were very favorably received.
What follows are the highlights of our findings:
Personal Connections Are King: Donors crave information. Dedicated donors welcome the non-profit’s efforts to remain in touch especially during the pandemic isolation.
Phone Calls Are Welcome: Contrary to the popular belief, purposeful and personal outreach by the non-profit’s executive and key personnel are never considered intrusive.
Don’t Overdo Texting: Donors welcome one or two content-driven text messages—but don’t over use this medium. Some online auction platforms have a tendency to bombard recipients with minute-by-minute text messages. Careful: You don’t want your primary texting number be blocked.
Snail Mail Delivers: Tastefully and genuine letters hand signed by the non-profit’s executive director or employees collectively get attention. Take care to make sure your letter is not tossed as junk mail.
Donor Engagement: Key donors are valuable sources of spreading the gospel and can be very effective ambassadors for the non-profit. These days, donors’ social media accounts can be invaluable tools through which to spread the word.
Empower Employees & Volunteers: Employees and volunteers play pivotal roles not only in their assigned functional fields, but can also be invaluable in their own personal outreach tactics. The organization can only benefit from each staff member’s unique and individual way of reaching out to existing and prospective donors. Entrust your young army of dedicated staff and volunteers!
Borderless Philanthropy: Gone are the days the non-profits’ causes were considered local. The pandemic opened up a “Zoom world” making the core cause of the non-profit—and therefore its fundraising efforts—a global effort. Don’t shy away from broadening your message to reach a much larger national—or even global—audience.
As we look to post-pandemic, a few of these lessons will have lasting effects on non-profits’ ongoing fundraising success. The most important one being to let the organization’s principal donors know that they remain a part of the organization’s viability.
Your Great Event is the premier event planning company dedicated to the non-profit sector. Let our professionals give you needed advice on fundraising best practices.