Many small nonprofits start with a simple website and a single method of accepting donations. There's nothing wrong with that. But as your organization begins to grow, you'll need to become sustainable. You can do that by increasing your online fundraising options, making it easier for your supporters to donate safely and quickly, and offering various ways your supporters can increase their support. Creating a foundational fundraising strategy is the first step toward sustainability.
We recommend the following foundational fundraising elements for growing nonprofits:
An online payment processing system designed for nonprofits. It's important to avoid shopping carts and e-commerce platforms. Over the years, researchers have studied donor preferences and donor friction (things that can hinder a donor's intent to donate), and there are systems designed with that information in mind. Some are free to join and use. You pay nonprofit credit card processing rates equal to PayPal's nonprofit rates, and you offer your donors the option to cover processing fees.
The ability to accept recurring donations and memorials, and tributes. Ideally, your system also includes Text To Give, Campaign Landing Pages, Peer to Peer Fundraising options, and various payment options like credit or debit cards, ACH, PayPal, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and Microsoft Pay. Depending on the platform you choose, you'll need talking points for all your new donation options and messaging you can use to promote them on social, your website, and via email.
A Donor Database to track donors and donations and automatically generate acknowledgments. You'll need a solution that integrates with Fundraising Report Card to periodically analyze your key performance indicators such as donor lifetime value, average donation amount, retention rate, growth in donors and donations, and lapsed donors. If you don't already, you'll need a donation acknowledgment matrix (a written policy outlining who and how gifts are acknowledged based on the type and amount) and a solid process for acknowledgments.
A mail-in donation form with all the information a potential donor needs to contribute via mail available in-house and on your website. As archaic as it may seem, the segment of the population that donates the most - are seniors, and some of them still prefer to donate by mail.
An up-to-date GuideStar listing showing at least a Gold Level of Transparency. Donors are becoming more sophisticated, so this will give them the confidence their donations will be used appropriately and effectively. Once completed, you can add your GuideStar seal to your correspondence, campaign pages, and website.
An email marketing tool to keep in touch with your supporters. Some of the best are free. Most offer sign-up forms for your website and social media, scheduled sends, and automatic resend capability. You'll also want a tool with good reporting, accurate research, helpful resources, and industry benchmarks to measure your progress.
We partner with you, your staff and volunteers, to create a sustainable foundation for your fundraising efforts. Click the Contact Rebecca button below to schedule your free phone consult.
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