Small organizations often turn to various methods for fundraising including social media, silent auctions, and even the classic walkathon. However, it’s crucial to remember that to successfully raise funds, it is not just about individual fundraising events or initiatives. For a nonprofit organization to thrive long-term, a fundraising strategy that your team can implement is essential.

Each nonprofit is unique, with staff and volunteers bringing their individual strengths and abilities. Additionally, each organization has different levels of capacity and resources at their disposal. This also means that their approaches to fundraising will be unique as well, however, there are strategies that can be applied universally. Many smaller nonprofits share common goals such as finding new donors, raising more funds, and building stronger donor relationships. So here are seven proven fundraising strategies for your small team to seamlessly integrate into your existing fundraising activities.

1. Evaluate past fundraising efforts. Evaluating your organization’s fundraising performance is key. It is not just about knowing that a certain fundraising activity worked well. It is also crucial to understand why it was successful. Or, if your past fundraising efforts did not generate the results that you would like, it’s important to learn what opportunities there are for improvement. For example, if an organization has a high number of lapsed donors and they would like to boost their donor retention rates, they would first need to identify why their donors are leaving in the first place. Once they have identified the issue, they can work on developing fundraising activities that will encourage donors to stay loyal for the long-term.

2. Create an annual fundraising plan. A fundraising plan guides your organization on how you will raise funds. This plan can be extremely useful in managing your team’s time and energy as it lets your organization schedule its fundraising activities based on your capacity and resources. Your plan could include applying for grants, generating revenue from services offered by your organization, or soliciting gifts from long-time supporters. Having multiple ways to raise money is one key advantage of a fundraising plan. If one method falls short, such as a declined grant or an underperforming event, you’ll have other options to compensate for the shortfall. And always remember to tailor your plan to your team’s capabilities to ensure successful implementation.

3. Understand why people support your cause. For any organization to flourish, it’s crucial to reach out to donors who resonate with your cause and believe in your work. It is important to understand that not everyone will be motivated to give to your cause, no matter how important it is, or how well your organization is serving the community. It is important to learn the common characteristics of donors who are most likely to give to your organization, which is also referred to as a donor profile. Donor profiles can help you to speak persuasively and confidently to donors, and your chances of securing a gift will be much higher than if you were speaking to someone who is not as closely aligned with your cause. By understanding those who support your cause, you can strengthen your fundraising efforts significantly.

4. Create a compelling story. Most nonprofits are centered around a single purpose, and that’s known as your organization’s mission which drives everything that you do. It is important that you take the time to clearly articulate your value in the community to others who don’t have the same familiarity with what you do. A successful organization can tell a story that inspires people to donate and helps them understand not only how their gift will be used, but also the larger impact the gift will have in the community. Creating clear and compelling messaging to communicate your needs to donors, also known as a case for support, can be an excellent tool to help explain why the work your organization does is important, and persuade people to support your cause.

5. Leverage donor data. Data is an invaluable resource for your organization when it’s collected and managed correctly. Data can help your organization by removing the guesswork in decision-making since data can help your organization make decisions based on facts. For example, your data can help you determine the primary sources of your donations, or the types of fundraising events that are most successful. One crucial aspect of leveraging data effectively is sound data management. This might involve using spreadsheets to manage your donor data, or using dedicated donor management software. By centralizing your donor data, it can help you understand your donors better, track their donation histories, and observe how they interact with your organization. This understanding can help you customize your communication with donors, fostering stronger relationships.

6. Prioritize donor stewardship. Donor stewardship is the method by which organizations manage their donors and their individual preferences after they make a gift to an organization. Donor stewardship should be a key piece of your organization’s fundraising strategy because when it is implemented effectively, it can lead to a significant increase in the donor’s interaction with your organization. Building relationships with donors encourages them to become more involved in your organization. And, it is generally easier to maintain existing relationships, rather than trying to cultivate new donors for support. Engaging in stewardship activities increases the chances of receiving future donations from the same donor, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the organization.

7. Consider professional development. Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their team members, and by prioritizing their professional development, an organization creates an environment for learning and growth. Ongoing learning offers several benefits to nonprofit professionals. Not only does it help them stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the nonprofit sector, but it also aids in retaining experienced staff and volunteers. Regardless of your budget, there’s an array of free or low-cost resources available, from webinars and workshops to online courses, ensuring convenience and affordability.

Small nonprofits need effective fundraising strategies to reach their goals. By assessing past efforts, creating a plan, knowing your supporters, creating a compelling story, leveraging your data, and prioritizing donor stewardship and professional development, you can help to boost your fundraising efforts well into the future.

As someone who loves numbers, video games and fantasy fiction Rochelle can be found creating unnecessarily long formulas in excel, playing video games or watching an action or fantasy fiction movie with her family. As the Co-founder of Story Point Consulting, Rochelle uses her technical skills to help nonprofits increase their fundraising capacity and revenue by using data-driven decisions. If you are a small Canadian organization looking for an affordable, easy to use solution, book a live demo for our donor management software Chronicle to support your fundraising efforts.