10 Low-Cost Ways to Build a Donor and Prospect List

Having a strong base of support is critical for the survival of any nonprofit. Your donors are often your best volunteers, and planned-giving and major-donor prospects often begin with smaller gifts through direct response.

Gone are the days when large numbers of donors can be acquired at no cost to a nonprofit. With very few exceptions (i.e., a heavily media-supported disaster that you are a first responder to), it takes an investment of money, hard work and some creativity to build a donor file.