Create value first

In an increasingly competitive world, non-profit organisations (NGOs) face the constant challenge of raising funds. However, beyond simply asking for more donations or sponsorships, it is essential that these organisations recognise the importance of professionalizing their fundraising efforts. Well, in addition to carrying out more efficient fundraising campaigns, the key to success in this section lies in generating value before approaching potential donors.

The opposite is like owning a bakery and being continually obsessed with whether or not customers come through the door. Don’t look outside. Worry about making the best cakes and pastries, and they will come in, I assure you. In short, it creates value. Then show it. Finally he asks. We will dedicate a specific #FortiusExpress to each of these sections. In today’s, we will only give a few strokes to this entire chain of actions that make up the A, B, C of fundraising.

Create value. But for whom?

Generating value does not only mean carrying out charitable or social activities. It means creating a quantifiable and qualifiable impact that benefits the communities or causes served. To achieve this, NGOs can:

• Demonstrate Transparency: A detailed report of activities and their impact allows donors to see where and how their contributions are being used. We will dedicate some #FortiusExpress to impact measurement later.
• Build credibility: By demonstrating tangible results, NGOs strengthen their reputation and trustworthiness in the community.
• Differentiate yourself: In a sea of organisations seeking support, those that demonstrate clear value will stand out to potential collaborators and sponsors.

However, this ‘downward’ work must be complemented with another equally or even more important one, which is ‘upward’. And in addition to the creation of value and its subsequent measurement, it is necessary to provide value directly to the donor in question. The donors and recipients of the NGO’s activity in question are target audiences or audiences that do not necessarily have to be aligned. In short, the donor will give money equivalent to the value that the NGO generates for him in defense of “his noble cause.”

These two perspectives; ‘upwards’ and ‘downwards’ are fundamental in the world of fundraising, and your attention navigates a complicated balance, as sometimes it can be tempting to relax the founding principles or betray the founding purpose in order to become the glove tailored to a greater number of donors. In short, fundraising requires the generation —and demonstration— of value to recipients, donors and, of course, to society as a whole, since with this third target audience conquered, brand, reputation and trust are created, which in turn makes it easier to work with both target audiences.

Professionalise yourself

My work and family life are as exciting as they are exhausting, leaving me very little time for my hobbies. One of them is playing the piano, but I only play late at night, when everyone is asleep. I do it therefore at the least productive hours of the day, when I am tired, etc. Faced with such a panorama, anyone will understand why I would never become a piano virtuoso. Amateur inputs correspond to amateur outputs. The odd thing would be the opposite. Well, the same thing happens with fundraising. If we take amateur actions in this matter, why do we expect professional results? No, for that you have to act professionally.

Thus, along with a clear vision of who the “customers” or “target audiences” of an NGO are, in order for them to attract significant and consistent donations, it is essential to adopt a more professional approach to fundraising. This implies, among other issues:

• Continuous training: train the team in modern fundraising techniques, digital marketing and donor relationship management.
• Use of technology: Implement technological tools to manage donations, communicate with donors, and analyse data.
• Effective Storytelling: Use storytelling to share success stories and show the real impact of donations.

To the above I would like to add something that I consider an essential element for the sustainability of fundraising efforts and their profitability in the medium and long term: the retention of donors and sponsors. NGOs often take for granted the permanence of their donors once they begin to support them financially and spend all their efforts looking for new donors instead of caring for the ones they already have. Big mistake. How many times have we seen the person behind the counter taking a call from a potential customer instead of serving us, waiting with the product we want to buy in hand? We are already ‘customers’, while the caller ‘could be a customer’. Retention is essential and guarantees financial planning, budget stability and the emergence of volunteer ‘ambassadors’ of our organisation and mission: the donors themselves. Are we really going to ignore them? Furthermore, they come eager to help, but they also seek ‘community’. Let’s give it to them.

Conclusion

Nonprofit organisations can’t just ask for support; They must earn it by creating value and demonstrating it to different audiences previously analysed. At the same time, they must professionalise their fundraising activity. Only in this way will they guarantee their sustainability, maximise their impact and better fulfill their founding purpose.

Juan A. Soto

Founder & CEO of Fortius Consulting

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