We all tend to start the new year year with hope and enthusiasm for meeting our goals. Then, as the days pass, some of that excitement and certainty wears off. The very best way to maintain your positive attitude is by reviewing or updating your annual fundraising plan. It’s not the time to try a bunch of new strategies. What is the best, most effective annual fundraising plan that raises more money and awareness?
Keep it Simple
Share Stories
Inspire Action
Money Follows
People Feel Great
Listen to Why
Encourage Another Gift
Let’s Break it Down
When you Share Stories about the importance of your work through the eyes of one person, you make your story more relatable. People WANT to care. Use your words and stories to paint the picture of why they should.
If you want your community to DO SOMETHING. You have to Inspire Action by being clear and bold about exactly what you want them to do. Subtlety doesn’t work in fundraising.
Money Follows when your message is clear about what it takes (financially) to serve the inspiring person you talked about in your story.
Over and over again I’ve watched when organizations are crystal clear about what it takes to deliver their life-changing programs — they raise more money. Their results are real. You’ll inspire larger gifts when the community understands exactly what it takes to do your work.
People Feel Great when you help them fulfill their aspirations. Giving time and money to your organization makes people feel great when you treat them as the important, insider, family members, they are.
This means noticing which links they click on in your email and which emails they open. It means noticing what events they attend. It means paying attention to them.
And by paying attention I mean Listen to why they care about your work. Giving habits change so take time learn WHY they gave in the first place.
Donor retention is THE best fundraising plan you can adopt. While you Encourage Another Gift it’s important to let your donors know what was accomplished with their previous contribution.
Taking for granted that a donor will continue to give without paying attention to them is an easily correctable mistake. It’s simple: Focus as much on building relationships as you do on growing your list. I guarantee you’ll see an increase in your annual donor retention.
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Following these SIMPLE actions IS the basis of an effective annual fundraising plan.
Skip the flashy new ideas that stress your team. Keep it SIMPLE.
If you don’t have plans to do an annual fundraising plan tune-up check out my Boot Camp. I’ll coach your team for 4-5 weeks to update or craft a simple and effective annual fundraising plan at the “group coaching” rate.
