How can you improve your fundraising performance?

Donors are the reason fundraising exists. Without donors, no fundraising would happen. Fundraising today is different than it was years ago so it's important to adjust strategies. Taking advantage of modern and innovative tools, especially when lots of data is involved, is helpful. But not losing the human element, the real voice on the other end of that thank you is key. Get to know your donors. A simple way to do this is with a thank you call asking what motivated them to give. That opens the door to others questions you can ask to get to know them.

Knowing your donors is important because it allows you to build relationships with them, understand their motivations for giving, and tailor your communications to their needs. This can help you increase donor retention and get more people to give.

After 12 years in fundraising I have come to learn a new word which makes the relationship between donor and grantee more holistic..partnership building. If you want sustainable support then building a lasting relationship is important, at the core of it both of you want to help make a positive change so why not build on that? Resource raising can go beyond just money, it can be board members, mentors, connections to other needed resources and your biggest cheerleaders so get to know the people as much as you can and build trust where you can be honest about your needs and struggles. Sometimes you have to say no as the relationship is not for you or your organisation. This is a hard thing to do, but saves you a lot of stress in the future.

For grant-making donors, research their previous giving history and trends. Find out which causes they give to most often, and at what level.

As mentioned, improving fundraising performance hinges on deeply understanding your target audience, tailoring your message to resonate emotionally and intellectually, and leveraging the latest technological platforms. It's essential to continuously analyze and adjust based on data-driven insights, ensuring that outreach efforts remain relevant and practical. Personalizing communication, storytelling to highlight real-world impacts, and cultivating genuine, long-term relationships with donors is paramount. As the fundraising landscape evolves, staying updated with the latest trends while maintaining the core principles of trust and transparency will produce optimal results.

The Charity Navigator rating is another way to tell the story of your 501c3 organization's trustworthiness and effectiveness. You can use the rating and the platform to share your impact, your organization's leadership and strategy, and its financial health. Used correctly, a 4 star Charity Navigator rating can improve your fundraising.

Yes, storytelling is an important communication method in fund raising and it helps you connect with perspective donors. Don't shy away from sharing tidbits of information you have gathered throughout your fundraising journey. You will be surprised at the results you will receive.

In my experience, Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to connect with donors, inspire action, and ultimately raise more money. When done well, a story can help donors to: Understand the problem your organization is addressing. Empathize with the people your organization is helping. Believe that their donation will make a difference. Feel inspired to take action. Many different storytelling techniques can be used in fundraising.

And if possible let them experience reality, let them see the need on the ground and how their support is making a difference. These emotive experiences are memorable and more meaningful than boardroom conversations

Network, stay in touch with strategic partners and donors. Develop a proposal progress monitoring tool to track the stage your different proposals are. This tool also makes sure you beat deadlines.

A good general rule of thumb is what channel did your donors choose to engage with you? For example, did they give through the mail, offline, text, or through a social media channel? That is a good way to communicate with them. Let your donors guide you in their preferences. The most effective approach I've seen is multichannel as in don't isolate to just one type of outreach. Go with the donor's preference and then layer on one other channel.

First, we need to educate the team on the needs and wants of the specific NGO. - Understand the term that NGOs nowadays need partners. - Which channel will get a better outcome? - Empower the team to reach out to potential partners. - Share the impact and its results. - Fundraising streams take time to develop.

Treat donors as partners, not transactions. This means understanding their motivations for giving, and showing them how their donations are making a difference. It also means being transparent about how you use their money, Communicate regularly. This doesn't mean you have to bombard them with emails, but you should send them updates on your work at least a few times a year. You can also send them newsletters, invitations to events, or even just a handwritten note to say thank you. Ask for their feedback and input. Donors want to feel like they're making a difference, and they're also more likely to give again if they feel like their feedback is valued. So be sure to ask them what they think about your work, and how you can improve.

Authentic relationships are essential: You need to be transparent about challenges as well as progress and achievements, especially with major donors, in order to establish an active partnership based on trust.

Metrics that tell a story tend to be most effective in fundraising efforts. For example, if you are measuring the results of your prospecting efforts, you can measure how prospects were moved closer to the ask with lead and lag measures: # of new prospects identified # of prospects who moved into the qualify stage # of prospects?who were qualified, disqualified, or have not been moved yet # of prospects moved to the cultivate stage # of asks made (and dollar amount) # of gifts closed (and dollar amount)

Understand that for many fundraising income streams it is a numbers game, know your sector success rates and then build your pipeline and work plan to exceed these.

The Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) is a globally recognized credential that attests to a fundraiser's mastery and adherence to the highest ethical standards in the profession. Earning this certification will not only help you develop your skills, but it showcases your proficiency, dedication, and credibility in the nonprofit sector.

Evolving your skills, the skills of your staff and considering today’s giving environment is key. What worked 10 years ago as your flagship event may or may not be relevant for this year’s philanthropy calendar. Stay informed, look for solutions and exciting new elements you can consider and make sure staff is nimble, enthusiastic and open to potential change.

Developing your skills doesn’t need to look a certain way in order to be effective. Diversity of perspective and approach matters. Your professional journey in this field belongs to you so develop competencies in the areas that you feel most align with your vision of growth in fundraising and philanthropy. Look for opportunities within roles that allow you to hone certain skillsets and try different strategies to meet (or exceed) your funding goals. Focus on identifying your unique approach to fund development—and what areas speak to you the most. Find resources that will help you pursue continuous learning so you’re consistently growing your knowledge. Identify a mentor who can help you navigate and grow your skillsets in the field.

Be Specific! Donors respond strongly when they feel their individual donation will make a difference, rather than going into some "fund". It can also increase average donation size. Consider "Every $25 donation will feed an abused animal for 1 week!" Someone who might have contributed $40 is now more likely to contribute $50. Someone who may have pledged $10 is more likely to now pledge $25. Asks like $25 feeds an abused animal for 1 week, $50 plants 10 new trees in the rainforest, etc. will give smaller donors a much better sense of accomplishment and being part of truly helping the cause. Be as specific as possible with the asks in your next campaign and watch engagement and overall donations climb higher!

Something i have found noteworthy is that improving fundraising performance requires being strategic, creative, and proactive in engaging donors and building strong relationships. Through careful planning, targeted outreach, and ongoing evaluation, you can improve your fundraising results and achieve your goals.

You need to keep a whole seedtray of ideas ready; don't get bogged down with chasing after just one outcome or project. Always have a number of different potential fundable ideas in gestation at any time so when the knockbacks come you aren't left downhearted because that's just one of many saplings you are nurturing. This approach also allows you to really engage with the breadth of funding opportunities out there - if one seedling isn't for the kind of plant they are looking to water, chances are you have a whole load of others they can look at in the back. In addition, once a funding relationship is made, it means you can keep building - "this one is flourishing, we trust each other, how about giving this one some light next?"