The Ultimate Guide to Individual Giving Programs

Individual giving is where most of the money from donations go to. According to GivingUSA, individual giving accounts for more than 70% of all money raised by nonprofits in the United States. This percentage fluctuates annually, generally between 70-80% of all giving. Individual giving may not result in large donation amounts, such as corporate and foundation investments or major donor commitments. However, individual giving efforts can make you more competitive when fundraising against other nonprofits who are also vying for these smaller-sized donations from individuals!

Nonprofits with successful individual programs attract donors by understanding what motivates them and how they think about philanthropy in general: Why do people give? How does a donor decide what to give and how often?

Habitat for Humanity's Restore program is an example of individual giving requests. They ask individuals to donate reusable furniture or home goods while providing jobs to low-income individuals. This program has led to increased individual donations because donors know their items will be put into good use and help someone in need, while also creating jobs for those who may not otherwise have them!

What inspires individuals to donate?

First, identify your target audience. From there, you can find out what incentives would motivate them. Organizations often have access to an abundance of data about past donations on platforms, such as DonorVoice, which provide profiling reports, tax records details, and more, to see how effective each program has been in terms of increasing revenue

To intentionally pursue individual giving, you must understand what motivates people to give back and tailor your messaging, fundraising techniques, and programs accordingly.

Individuals are more likely to donate when they know their money will go directly toward helping others or to a specific program that is close to their heart.

Individual donors often want something in return for donating, even something e as simple as a thank you card or newsletter telling them how their donation has supported your organization’s efforts.

What are some strategies related to individual giving?

The following are some of the best practices for maximizing donations, which will help your organization to grow and diversify its donor base.  

When scheduling a fundraising event or campaign, make sure you offer multiple donation levels and encourage donors to give what they can afford, without pressuring them to donate over their budget.  

Offer an online process where people can donate electronically through a credit card, or bank account number, or electronic payment services, such as PayPal. 

Create ways for supporters to contribute in small increments, such as setting up recurring contributions with monthly billing options, such as PayPal subscriptions, Kickstarter campaigns, and other platforms designed specifically for this type of transaction.

How Can You Raise More from Individual Donors?

Since individual giving is so important to the work of your nonprofit, I am going to share some strategies to maximize donations.

First, develop meaningful relationships with donors. The success of any fundraising campaign is dependent on the strength and depth of your donor relationships. This is one area where most nonprofits have room for improvement, as many donors feel disconnected or don't know how they fit into the overall vision.

Relationship building is the most important thing to focus on with major donors. Building a rich and personal connection with them means calling, visiting, and sending personalized messages at least twice as often as other donors.

Second, develop a donor stewardship strategy. This strategy should outline the best ways for you to engage your donors and soliciting feedback from them. It's important that this strategy aligns the needs of the organization and the wants of the donor.

What are they most interested in donating towards?

Are there any long-term goals or objectives on which they would like to be involved?

For example, many organizations find success by having an annual Giving Day, where major donors can donate substantial sums of money while feeling appreciated and included. This strategy is often more successful than asking for large donations all year round because it provides a sense of accomplishment that lasts throughout the rest of the year.

Draft an Individual Giving Plan

Be sure to define your short- and long-term goals and then focus on developing strategies that can meet them. For example, is it more important to increase participation in a campaign or increase total gifts made by individual supporters? How will you know if you're successful at meeting these goals?

Decide how many new individuals should be signed up each day/month and what percentage of those individuals need to make a gift. If this goal isn't met, adjust accordingly with different communications tactics until success is achieved. For example, move from email blasts to mailed postcards. Remember to focus your development program on individual giving if you want to grow your fundraising program. Individual donors are responsible for 70% or more of all donations to non-profits in industrialized nations. Getting your fundraiser off the ground effectively requires that you go where the money is.

Don't use ad hoc methods for your nonprofit's individual giving communications. Develop a plan to support your individual giving program and stick to it. You'll stay top of mind for your supporters.

How do you Build a Long-Term Stream of Donors for Your Nonprofit?

A long-term, sustainable donor base is the key to successful fundraising. Here are a few tips for building your long-term giving stream that will pay off in the future and last well beyond any individual campaign or event:

Follow the Trends: Is your organization focusing on a good cause? Consider how to make people aware of that. Don't get stuck in one type of fundraising or communications strategy-accordingly adjust when necessary. If you notice plateauing giving, don't be afraid to try something new with messaging and campaigns.

Individualize donor benefits based on their level of donation. This will allow donors who give at any amount to feel appropriately appreciated by your organization. Levels of recognition could include monthly newsletter subscriptions, quarterly updates from staff members, access to certain events, and membership details. Individual giving programs should also include a one-time donation feature to engage donors who are not sure about a monthly commitment.

Offer flexible giving options for the donor in order to make them feel like they can be a part of your organization's mission. This could include recurring donations, one-time gifts, and matching gift opportunities.

Segment your donor base by interests/lifestyle and tailor your messages to those segments.

Make it easy for donors to donate. Make sure a credit card is already in their profile or offer one-time giving options through your organization's website or mobile app.

Promote your individual giving program through social media channel- Organizational social media channels are often overlooked as marketing tools but they have been found effective at promoting individual giving programs for non-profits of all sizes. 

Create an engaging call to action (CTA) using images and videos that will compel people to take action. A CTA should be “one form,” so visitors don't lose momentum with multiple steps

Conclusion paragraph: 

One of the most effective ways to raise money is through individual giving. You can do this by asking people for donations, or by leveraging your social media network and networks in your community. Whatever you choose, there are a number of different strategies that will work well depending on what type of donor you need to reach out to and how much time you have available. We hope these tips help make raising funds from individuals easier! What has been your challenge? Let us know below so we can share some solutions with other readers who may also be struggling with getting donors.